After the three elders left, Uchiha Mikoto walked over to Uchiha Fugaku's side.
Two years ago, Mikoto had given birth to Uchiha Itachi, and perhaps because she was a ninja, her figure had already returned to a very slender state.
But a woman who has given birth—certain parts don't revert with training alone. Now, Mikoto possessed a graceful maturity.
She sat beside Fugaku and took his hand, asking:
"There was quite a heated argument just now. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. How's Itachi? Asleep?"
"Yes. Let's go to bed too. We'll deal with these worries tomorrow."
Fugaku nodded and carried Mikoto into the bedroom.
That night, just as Uchiha Yuan had returned home, he received a summons from the clan instructing him to attend the meeting at the Naka Shrine the next day.
Yuan immediately understood. Apparently, Fugaku and the elders had failed to reach a conclusion and were now planning to let the rest of the clan vote.
Yuan thought for a moment and decided to be high-profile at tomorrow's meeting. He wanted to use this opportunity to solidify his standing within the Uchiha clan.
The next morning, Yuan headed to Naka Shrine.
Along the way, he didn't encounter any other clan members. Only near the shrine did he spot a few others, but he didn't recognize them and didn't greet them, heading straight in.
There, he ran into Uchiha Icarus.
"Yuan, over here!" Icarus called out.
Yuan hesitated for a moment, then walked over.
Icarus was a Dove faction elder and inheritor of Uchiha Kagami's ideals.
Yuan felt that, at least for now, he was better off aligning himself with the Dove faction.
Plus, since he was about to take over as captain of the Police Force's Third Division, which aligned with Icarus's faction, it made sense.
"Yuan, I heard you're back representing Mei?" Icarus asked.
"Yes, Elder Icarus. Captain Mei entrusted me with full responsibility for this matter."
"I see. Then Yuan, do you think we should reclaim the Sharingan?"
"In my view, the first thing we need to determine is whether the Sharingan was truly gifted to Kakashi by Obito. If not, then we must reclaim it at all costs—even if it means war with the village.
But if it was gifted, then as Obito was one of our own, we should respect his final wish. The eye doesn't need to be reclaimed, but the village shouldn't get it for free. We should receive compensation sufficient to satisfy most of the clan."
Hearing Yuan's answer, Icarus nodded with satisfaction.
Yuan's views aligned perfectly with his own—and he had already decided what he wanted in exchange for that eye.
"Yuan, we've confirmed the eye was indeed a gift from Obito."
"Understood. I'll act accordingly."
"Good. Just play it by ear." Icarus led Yuan into the shrine.
He took him to the head table and gestured for him to sit on his right-hand side.
Yuan didn't refuse and sat down.
"Heh! Has Mei lost not just an eye but also his brain? He actually sent a child to represent him at this meeting."
This sarcastic remark came from the man across the table—narrow-eyed and sneering.
"Captain Yashiro, though Yuan is only 13, he has already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan and has shown outstanding performance on the Bear Country battlefield. What you said isn't really appropriate, is it?" Icarus frowned.
Hearing the name "Yashiro", Yuan suddenly realized:
So this was Uchiha Yashiro! In the original work, he was the one who led two Police Force members to confront Itachi after Shisui's death.
This man seemed to be close to Uchiha Fugaku, and was described in the original series as someone with analytical skills and leadership ability that even Fugaku admired.
Yuan hadn't expected him to still be a captain in the Police Force or to be on the Hawk faction's side.
"Elder Icarus, I only trust my own eyes. And from what I see, he's nothing more than a snot-nosed brat."
As he spoke, Yashiro opened his eyes, revealing a glowing scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan.
He turned his gaze toward Yuan.
In an instant, Yuan felt the surroundings shift.
He sensed he had lost control of his body—and the next second, "saw" himself pinned by massive iron stakes through his limbs and torso, with searing pain flooding in.
"Brat, that seat is not for you. Be smart and get lost," came Yashiro's emotionless voice echoing in the illusion.
"Heh." Yuan gave a cold laugh, lifting his head slowly.
"Elder Yashiro, you said you trust only your eyes. But have you ever thought—your eyes might deceive you?"
The moment Yuan finished speaking, Yashiro was stunned.
His carefully constructed illusion world shattered—and in the next moment, he became the one nailed in place.
The sharp pain caused sweat to bead on Yashiro's forehead.
But Yuan wasn't one to silently endure provocation.
He ramped up his ocular power—and with a scream from Yashiro, the mental space collapsed entirely.
All of this transpired in the blink of an eye in the real world.
Reality: Yashiro's forehead broke into a cold sweat. Then he collapsed into his chair, unconscious.
This shocked the other high-ranking members of the clan.
They were well aware of Yashiro's strength. How had he been taken out by Yuan in just a moment?
Yuan slowly stood, his scarlet Sharingan sweeping across the room.
Expressionless, he said:
"Just now, Elder Yashiro said he only trusts his eyes. Coincidentally, I'm also someone who trusts his own eyes.
And what I see tells me I do have the right to sit here. Clan Leader, Elders—what do you think?"
Uchiha Chizan and Uchiha Yuu exchanged glances and wore intrigued expressions.
Fugaku looked at the unconscious Yashiro, then said:
"Yuan, you were designated by Mei as his representative. Of course you have the right to be here."
"This is an internal matter of the Third Division. The clan won't interfere," said Chizan.
"That's my view as well," added Yuu.
"Since no one objects, I shall take my seat," Yuan said calmly, deactivating his Sharingan and sitting back down.
(To Be Continued...)