Uchiha Kai was brimming with confidence.
He trusted his own judgment of Konoha's current situation.
At the very least—
In the midst of war, as long as Konoha hadn't gone completely mad, even if they had to swallow bitter losses, they would not dare to completely turn against the Uchiha!
Itachi let out a quiet breath of relief.
In his eyes, Konoha itself was already the strongest ninja village, and Sarutobi Hiruzen the strongest Hokage.
Although what his teacher said made sense, if it really came to a standoff between clan and village, it would be a lie to say he wasn't worried.
Time ticked away.
About twenty minutes later, Tekkō came back in.
"Elder!"
"Clan Head Fugaku says he won't be attending. You may act in his stead."
"All the Jounin in the clan without missions have already gathered. They're all our own—at the very least, they support you."
"All those who oppose you were sent on assignments by the clan head a few days ago. They won't be back anytime soon."
"So you can rest assured."
"For this Jounin council, you represent the Uchiha with full authority!"
Uchiha Tekkō spoke respectfully.
After following Kai for so long, he had clearly grown.
At least now, many things no longer required Kai's instructions—he could anticipate and handle them ahead of time.
"Good. Very good." Kai smiled. "You've worked hard."
"In that case, let's go."
"Let's see what surprises Sarutobi Hiruzen has in store for us."
He spoke lightly.
After instructing Itachi to focus on training, Kai left the courtyard straightaway.
Walking through the clan compound, he couldn't help but glance back at his little home.
His eyes carried a trace of helplessness.
If he had a choice, as a homebody, he wouldn't want to leave his yard at all.
But he didn't.
Once he was caught in this vortex—
And given that he bore the Uchiha name—
There were things he simply couldn't escape.
Soon after—
At the gates of the compound, nearly seventy Uchiha Jounin were waiting.
When they saw him approach, they all bowed.
"Greetings, Elder Kai!"
"Mm, let's go."
Since many in the clan hadn't joined the Police Department, outside that context they generally addressed him as "Elder."
Only those like Tekkō, who had fully thrown in with his faction, called him "Lord."
Kai smiled faintly.
Looking at the assembled Jounin, he saw one piece of the Uchiha's true heritage as Konoha's greatest clan.
And this was only part of it.
Many Jounin were away on various missions, while others—the hardline radicals—were currently being tightly restrained by Fugaku.
Put all of them together, and that was the Uchiha's real power.
And this—
Even after so many years of suppression by the Hokage faction, and after so many Uchiha deaths, they still had such reserves left.
No wonder, Kai thought with a sigh, the Konoha leadership couldn't stand the Uchiha.
Twenty minutes later—
Hokage Tower, Jounin Council Hall.
By the time the Uchiha party arrived, most of the hall was already filled.
With so many of Konoha's elites deployed at the front lines, those Jounin still in the village had likely all assembled here.
The moment they entered, the gazes of those present turned strange.
They were curious.
The "foolish" Uchiha—
How had they suddenly wised up, managing to pull off such a clean counterstrike?
Yes.
As fellow Konoha shinobi, they might not rival the Uchiha's might, but they could still see plainly what had happened.
With the village thrown into chaos, everyone knew exactly who the Uchiha had been targeting.
Even so—
No one came forward to greet them.
That was normal.
The Uchiha had long been despised within Konoha.
With the Hokage's faction openly hostile, while no one dared provoke the clan, neither did they dare get too close.
Otherwise, they might be the next target of the leadership.
"How strange—such an important council, and Fugaku isn't here?"
"The young one at the front must be Uchiha Kai, then?"
"So young… hard to imagine."
"Tell me about it. At his age, I was still just a Chunin. He's already an Uchiha elder."
"Comparisons will kill you…"
"Well, he is Uchiha. Open the Sharingan, and your strength shoots up. And Kai's awakened the Mangekyo—the clan's ultimate power!"
"No wonder they call the Uchiha Konoha's first clan. Terrifying."
"I heard the Police Department was a sea of blood recently. Kai unleashed his Mangekyo, and over twenty Jounin couldn't even resist."
"That's true. My house is right next to the Police Department—I saw it with my own eyes."
"Scary…"
"No wonder the Uchiha are called the strongest clan."
"Compared to them, the Hyuga look weak."
"Not really a fair comparison. On the battlefield, I'd still rather have a Hyuga comrade."
"…"
The hall buzzed with murmurs.
The voices were soft, but with only Jounin present, no whisper could escape their ears.
That was why, on the Hyuga side, faces had turned sour.
Everyone knew the Hyuga had always vied with the Uchiha for the title of Konoha's number one noble clan.
To be dismissed like this—how could they not be angry?
Especially Hyuga Hiashi.
Not long ago, despite tight clan security, intruders had moved like ghosts through the Hyuga compound, slaughtering seven or eight main branch members.
Because of that, the clan had become the laughingstock of Konoha.
And now—
Before that humiliation had even faded, they were being compared unfavorably to the Uchiha again.
Damn it all.
But what could they say?
The Sharingan, they weren't afraid of.
But the Mangekyo—
That was another matter.
Their records said the Byakugan could evolve into the Tenseigan.
But unlike the Sharingan, where Mangekyo users appeared every so often—
The Hyuga had never once seen a Tenseigan among their people.
It left them with no confidence, even doubting their own records.
Hiashi's face clouded.
Glancing at his seething clansmen, he spoke in a low voice:
"Compose yourselves.
With so many Jounin present, don't disgrace the Hyuga."
At his words, though they simmered with resentment, the Hyuga fell silent.
On the other side—
The Uchiha stood proud.
The Mangekyo Sharingan was their pride.
Only Kai's expression remained calm.
A faint smile touched his lips.
He seemed almost humble.
He had only just become a Jounin, and immediately after, an Uchiha elder.
Of the Konoha shinobi here, he knew no one.
"Tekkō, lead the way.
This is my first time here—I don't even know where our seats are."
"…"
To read 250+ Advance chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554