After the incident at the village gates, Uchiha Douhuan, having achieved what he wanted, returned with his clansmen to Uchiha territory.
On the way back, some of the radicals opened their mouths to speak—but when their eyes fell on Douhuan's back, a silent pressure kept them quiet.
Once they reached the clan grounds, Douhuan finally stopped and turned. "I know you all have questions. Since everyone is here, we'll settle it with a clan meeting."
No one objected. Soon, the shrine lamps were lit, shadows flickering across the sacred hall. When Douhuan took his seat, he did so not at the side, but directly in the first place beneath Fugaku himself.
The elders exchanged silent glances. In the Uchiha clan, power spoke loudest. If Douhuan—who now wielded the Mangekyō Sharingan—wanted the mantle of clan head, few would stand against him.
Fugaku, silent as ever, merely cast Douhuan a long look before lowering his eyes.
"Are all ninja of Chunin rank and above present?" Douhuan asked once the seats were filled.
"All are here," Uchiha Inahiro confirmed.
"Good. Then let's begin." Douhuan's eyes narrowed, and his words cut cleanly through the silence. "I want to be the head of the Uchiha clan. Speak now—who agrees, and who opposes?"
The hall stirred. Shisui and Itachi froze, disbelief flickering in their eyes.
One of the dovish elders finally cleared his throat. "Douhuan, you've awakened the Mangekyō, so your strength is undeniable. But you've been absent from clan affairs for years. You don't know the clan's internal struggles well enough. Isn't it too hasty?"
"That's right," another elder—this one a radical—nodded quickly. "You should first learn more about our current situation. Perhaps in a year or two, you'll—"
A low, cold laugh cut them off. "Hasty?" Douhuan's voice dripped with scorn. "I know more than enough. That's exactly why I never wasted my time in your meetings."
He placed his hands firmly on the table, his gaze piercing through each elder in turn. "Tell me—after all these years of endless councils, what has come of them? Rebellion through force? Submission to Konoha? Nothing but bickering. If you had answers, I wouldn't be standing here today."
His words rang against the walls like iron. "The Uchiha don't need more meetings. They need a leader. One voice is enough."
A hush fell over the shrine. The younger shinobi looked at one another, stirred by his conviction.
"I support Douhuan as clan head!" Inahiro was the first to rise, his voice resolute. He had seen Douhuan slaughter Root operatives like weeds; his loyalty was unquestionable.
"Douhuan has the Mangekyō Sharingan! I support him too!" Uchiha Zaidou followed, and soon, voices of the strong and young swept the hall.
"Enough." Fugaku's deep voice broke through the uproar, pressing the crowd into silence. His eyes locked on Douhuan. "It seems you've already made up your mind."
"Of course." Douhuan met his gaze evenly. "With your foresight, Clan Leader, you can already see the path ahead for our people."
The words hung with layered meaning. Fugaku's heart tightened. He understood: Douhuan had guessed his secret—he too possessed the Mangekyō.
But to reveal it would shatter the last fragile balance within the clan. If the truth came out, rebellion would become inevitable.
After a long silence, Fugaku exhaled and spoke quietly, "As clan head, I must shoulder the blame for our current state. From this moment, the clan is yours, Douhuan."
"Clan leader!"
"Father!"
Shisui and Itachi cried out in alarm. Unlike the others, they knew how dangerous Douhuan's ambitions truly were. His words at the village gate had sounded loyal, but Shisui still remembered the madness he had whispered last night.
Fugaku ignored their protests. He placed a heavy hand on Douhuan's shoulder, his voice steady but resigned. "Don't betray their trust."
He stepped aside, relinquishing the seat of power. Fugaku's Mangekyō had shown him fragments of the future. With Douhuan's arrival, the path had changed—uncertain, but brighter than the hopeless ruin he had once foreseen.
Douhuan's lips curled. "As I wished."
But instead of sitting, he faced the gathered clan and spoke with solemn weight. "The Uchiha have always stood in glory. Today, we face hardship. But I will lead us back to that glory. And when it comes, I will not keep it for myself—it will belong to us all."
"Follow the clan head! Loyalty! Sincerity!" Inahiro saluted, imitating the ritual Douhuan had led at the village gates.
The younger clansmen stood as one, their voices rising:
"Loyalty! Makoto!"
Even the hesitant elders bowed their heads in silence.
Douhuan's gaze swept over them with satisfaction. They might not be clever, but loyalty was all he needed.
"Next," he said, raising his hand for silence, "I have two announcements."
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