At this moment, inside the Uchiha clan leader's residence, Uchiha Fugaku and the three elders of the Uchiha clan were exchanging information.
"Clan Leader, you must have already met with the village's higher-ups, right?" asked the oldest of the four.
This man was Uchiha Yuu, the clan's grand elder and the leader of the Hawk faction.
He was a contemporary of Uchiha Kagami, and in his youth had even received guidance from Uchiha Madara. His strength was formidable, his personality calm and steady, and he held high prestige throughout the clan.
Even as clan leader, Fugaku dared not be negligent toward this grand elder. Upon hearing Yuu's question, he immediately replied:
"Yes, I have indeed met with the village leadership. They hope we can overlook the matter of Kakashi's Sharingan in light of his meritorious service and not take it back."
"Hmph! So Kakashi did great service, but did our Uchiha clan not also contribute heavily to the Third Great Ninja War? Half of the clan's awakened Sharingan users have already died! The Police Force can barely even gather enough patrols.
Now the village's upper echelons want to use this excuse to take our Kekkei Genkai? Absurd! We must reclaim that Sharingan. Kakashi, who transplanted it without authorization, must also pay the price!" Yuu said coldly.
"Elder Yuu, please calm down," said Uchiha Icarus, the Dove faction elder who had once met Uchiha Yuan.
"Indeed, Elder Yuu. Getting angry now won't change the minds of the village council. Let's calm down and discuss this properly," said the youngest-looking elder, Uchiha Chizan.
Hearing Chizan's words, Yuu gave a cold snort but remained silent.
Chizan gave a small smile and continued:
"Clan Leader, I want to clarify something. Are we certain that Kakashi's Sharingan was truly a gift from Obito?"
"According to Minato and what he told me, yes. The situation at the time was—" Fugaku then gave a brief account of the incident.
After hearing Fugaku's explanation, Chizan said:
"But that's just the word of Minato and his students, right? Are there any other witnesses?"
"No, but based on my understanding of Minato, he wouldn't lie about this. Plus, I already had our clan's medical-nin examine Kakashi's eye. They determined that the transplant was very rough—obviously done in haste. It aligns with their version of events."
"So the Clan Leader believes the eye was a gift from Obito?" Chizan asked.
Fugaku nodded.
"Very well. Then let's not debate that any further. I trust your judgment. Elder Yuu, Elder Icarus—any objections?"
Yuu remained silent, signaling acquiescence. Icarus nodded.
"Clan Leader," Chizan continued, "since the Sharingan was a gift, I suggest we drop the accusation that Kakashi transplanted it without permission.
However, it's still our Kekkei Genkai. It must not be allowed to leak outside. Therefore, we must reclaim it. So long as Kakashi returns the Sharingan, the matter will be considered settled. Elder Yuu and I will handle persuading the clan. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Fugaku's expression turned grim.
Chizan's words appeared to be a concession—acknowledging that the eye was a gift and waiving any claim of illegal transplant. But everyone present knew that the Uchiha had no real means of punishing Kakashi.
Chizan's "compromise" was merely tactical: retreat to advance. While it looked like they were backing down, they were actually doubling down on reclaiming the Sharingan.
Moreover, with the Hawk faction having "made a concession," Fugaku would no longer be able to push them further.
That's when Icarus spoke:
"Elder Chizan, don't forget Kakashi's identity. He's the student of Minato, who is the student of Jiraiya, who is the student of the Third Hokage. The Hokage faction has no fewer than five Kage-level shinobi. Our Uchiha clan simply doesn't have enough strength to oppose them.
Forcibly taking back the eye will only provoke conflict with the village—and we'll be the ones to suffer for it."
Yuu's face darkened. Before he could speak, Chizan interjected:
"Then Elder Icarus, what do you propose we do?"
"Since we've agreed the eye was a gift, we should honor Obito's final wish and let Kakashi keep it.
We all know the Sharingan works best in pairs. A single eye, especially in someone without Uchiha blood, is more hindrance than help.
Kakashi probably can't even close it properly and must continuously burn chakra to keep it active. That might cripple him in the long run, turning a genius of the Hokage faction into just another mediocre ninja.
Wouldn't that outcome suit you both?"
"Heh. You may be right, Elder Icarus," Chizan replied. "But don't forget—Tsunade is part of the Hokage faction. With her medical prowess, she might help Kakashi master the Sharingan."
"She's been gone from the village for ages. And her hemophobia isn't easily cured," Icarus replied flatly.
"Still, it's a gamble. Kakashi's already a prodigy. With the Sharingan, if he overcomes the drawbacks, his achievements might one day surpass Minato's.
If that happens, the Uchiha will never have a chance to rise again."
The two elders continued to argue bitterly, neither yielding.
After a long while, Fugaku slammed the table:
"Enough! Since we can't reach a conclusion here, let the clan decide.
I've just received word that Mei's representative has also returned to the village, and all the Police Force's high-ranking officers have gathered.
Tomorrow morning, all Uchiha clan leaders and every member with a three-tomoe Sharingan will convene to vote on how to handle Kakashi's eye."
Upon hearing Fugaku's decision, the three elders exchanged glances and ultimately nodded in agreement.
There was no way this matter could be decided without the rest of the clan. Letting them vote was a way to put everything on the table.
(To Be Continued...)