"Then, Chief Fugaku, do you have any better ideas?"
Uchiha Hikaru had already anticipated Fugaku's next words from the previous clan meeting.
At this moment, if Fugaku dared to voice his usual evasive thoughts, it would only deepen the crisis. He had to cut him off before he could lead the clan astray again.
Fugaku was just about to articulate his thoughts, stabilize the situation, and call for unity among the clan members to find a solution—
But Hikaru interrupted him.
"Ahem, didn't I just say that this is exactly the reason we're having this clan meeting?"
"My own ideas alone aren't enough. We need everyone to come together."
"I've already proven, through my past decisions, that my ideas alone have failed."
"That's why every clansman needs to speak up."
At this point, Fugaku's tone was clearly wavering.
Hikaru decided to treat everyone equally. Since all others had been "criticized," how could he show favoritism?
But Fugaku, as the head of the clan, deserved a little extra attention—just enough to match his position.
"Patriarch Fugaku, you finally admit your decision was wrong, right? Then why didn't you realize it earlier? We lost two geniuses for nothing. Just look at Itachi and Shisui now—do they still care about the clan?"
"The war and peace factions in the family have already gone too far. And you—why did you have to add a so-called 'neutral faction' on top of that? Did that resolve anything? Now both sides are scrambling to pull the neutrals to their side!"
"Whoever manages to win over the neutral faction will control the family's direction. So much for listening to everyone's voices—aren't you just favoring a specific few?!"
"As clan leader, not only did you fail to stop the factionalism, you deepened the divide even more. Two factions weren't enough chaos? Will you only be satisfied when three are tearing each other apart?!"
Hikaru's words hit Fugaku like a hammer, each blow exposing his failures.
Looking back now, even Fugaku had to admit to himself—he had made one mistake after another.
Not only had he failed to ease tensions in the clan, but he had made them worse. He had truly failed as a leader.
Fugaku understood his faults, but the clansmen gathered didn't think that deeply.
To them, the clan head—the man they had always looked to for guidance—was now being "insulted" by a mere Jonin.
"Hikaru! How dare you speak to the clan head that way!"
"The Patriarch has worked tirelessly for us!"
"If it weren't for him, the Uchiha might have been wiped out long ago!"
The so-called "neutral" members, previously silent, now erupted even more fiercely than the war and peace factions had earlier.
Some even stood up, pointed at Hikaru, and hurled curses at him.
"If you're so bold, fight me! What's with all this nonsense, you little punk?"
Worse still, some were already standing, clearly preparing to challenge Hikaru on the spot.
Hikaru turned his head and saw Uchiha #1—the deputy head of the Konoha Police Force. The man had always been obsessed with climbing the ranks, dreaming of becoming the deputy clan leader.
His ambitions were practically written on his forehead.
Now, he quickly began forming hand seals, intending to cast a Genjutsu to humiliate Hikaru.
But Hikaru's Sharingan spun into motion, instantly casting his own Genjutsu and locking down his opponent.
"Genjutsu: Binding Illusion."
Uchiha #1 suddenly froze mid-hand seal. His eyes went blank—glazed over and lifeless.
The crowd gasped. No one expected that Hikaru's Sharingan had already reached this level.
Instant Genjutsu casting—something only Fugaku himself had ever displayed within the clan.
After witnessing Hikaru's strength firsthand, the crowd quieted. In the Uchiha clan, strength was the only law. The weak had no voice.
Fugaku stared at Hikaru's blood-red eyes, silently assessing his power.
If he himself hadn't awakened the Mangekyō, he might not even be a match for Hikaru now. The young man's strength had even surpassed Itachi and Shisui.
All these years of hiding his power—what terrifying patience.
Thank goodness he had never assigned Hikaru to the ANBU. If he had, there might've been a third "traitor" in the Uchiha clan.
If Hikaru had known Fugaku's thoughts at that moment, he would've sneered.
I'm not some shortsighted fool like Itachi or Shisui. Join the ANBU? I don't make a habit of crawling in the shadows, playing lapdog for others.
Hikaru lifted the Genjutsu on Uchiha #1. After all, if breaking one more person's spirit could earn him another reward, he couldn't let the man off easy.
"There are three conditions for being a true clan leader. First: strength. You must be the strongest in the clan, strong enough to earn everyone's respect."
"Second: vision. You need insight beyond the average shinobi—to guide the clan through prosperity and hardship. If everyone had that, we wouldn't need a leader in the first place."
"Third: unity. A clan head should unite the family, not divide it further. Bring the clan together, stand as one. That's the duty of a clan leader!"
"Patriarch Fugaku, tell me—aside from the first condition, have you fulfilled the other two? Have you made the right choices for the family? Have you united us? No! You've done none of those things!!!"
"Uchiha Fugaku's resolve has been broken. Replication complete. Mangekyō Sharingan awakened."
In that instant, Fugaku's mental fortitude—his very will—shattered under Hikaru's verbal assault.
Hikaru's pupils spun violently. The three tomoe merged into a brand-new pattern.
Three bold, black lines extended from the center of his eye toward the edge, linked by black circles in a perfect triangle.
"That's—! The Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"Hahaha! He's the hope of the Uchiha clan!"
"What?! Hikaru actually awakened the Mangekyō!"
"No wonder he cast that Genjutsu instantly and controlled #1 ! He's even younger than Uchiha Madara was when he awakened!"
Hikaru had no intention of hiding his Mangekyō. As long as the system remained his secret weapon, it didn't matter who saw it.
In the face of absolute power, everything else was meaningless.
And now was the time to show his strength. How else could he win the trust of the clan and lead them forward?
Fugaku, having recovered from the mental blow, now looked at Hikaru with a complicated expression—shock, disbelief, and even hope.
His own Mangekyō alone had never been enough to challenge Konoha's higher-ups.
But now Hikaru had awakened his as well—and this wasn't just strength added to strength. Together, their presence would be a force Konoha couldn't ignore.
If the village attempted to suppress or isolate the Uchiha again, both sides would suffer.
And when that happened, the other Great Nations—Wind, Lightning, Water, and Earth—would be all too eager to strike.
Fugaku knew Sarutobi Hiruzen would think twice before letting that happen.