"Yes… yes, that's right. It was Shimura Danzo who approached me. He told me to secretly stir up the clan, to launch a coup and kill the Hokage so that he could seize power for himself!"
Uchiha Fugaku's voice trembled as he spoke, his head lowered.
"Very good…" Uchiha Kazuto murmured, his expression unreadable.
Outside the room, the dovish members of the clan stood in stunned silence. The words echoing from within struck them like lightning.
This… this was real? The clan leader and Shimura Danzo had truly conspired together?
"Why, Clan Leader?" one of them whispered, his voice breaking. "Why would you do this?"
Uchiha Shisui, blind and crippled, sat nearby, his face a mixture of disbelief and sorrow.
'A conspiracy? So it was all a conspiracy?'
He laughed bitterly in his heart. 'Danzo-sama… I once trusted you so deeply. I thought your actions were harsh but righteous. And you, Clan Leader… I thought your constant compromises were meant to protect us. Now it all makes sense.'
It was all staged; every decision, every conflict, every "sacrifice."
'So that's why Danzo-sama always targeted us. So that's why you agreed to move the Uchiha to the outskirts of Konoha without protest. Everything… everything was part of your plan.'
'Danzo-sama, was becoming Hokage really worth this?'
The realization hit Shisui like a flood. Elder Setsuna and the others hadn't wanted a coup at all, they were innocent. It had all been a setup, a cruel deception.
He exhaled shakily. The burden that had been suffocating him for so long finally lifted.
At first, he hadn't believed Uchiha Kazuto's accusations. But now that even the clan leader had confessed, how could it be false?
'Itachi… we were wrong. Both of us. The real culprits were Danzo-sama and your father. They tore apart the bond between the clan and the village.'
No wonder Fugaku had sent Itachi into the Anbu, perhaps he had been using his son as an unwitting messenger, feeding Danzo information Itachi never realized he carried.
The more Shisui thought, the clearer the truth seemed to become. The pieces finally fit together.
On the other side of the hall, Uchiha Setsuna and the other hawkish members exchanged uneasy glances.
"Wait… did he really just admit it?"
"This can't be real… can it?"
They hesitated. At first, they'd thought it was all an act, a ruse designed to buy Kazuto time to consolidate his power, to replace the weakened Fugaku and take the position of clan head himself.
The goal had been simple: to deceive the village into thinking the Uchiha no longer sought rebellion until the time was right to strike.
That was the plan they all agreed upon.
But now, doubt crept in.
Why did Fugaku's confession sound so genuine? Why did it feel like there truly had been some secret plot between him and Danzo?
The longer they thought about it, the more convincing it seemed.
'Fugaku… is this your true face?'
A cold realization ran through them. 'You were going to sacrifice us all, weren't you?'
Ambition was admirable but not if its price was their lives.
No, Uchiha Kazuto's plan had been the wiser one all along.
Moments later, Uchiha Kazuto stepped out from the house, supporting a pale, exhausted Fugaku by the arm.
"I'm sorry," Fugaku said quietly, bowing deeply to the dove faction. "I have failed you all."
"Clan leader… why?" one of them cried, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I know I've let you all down," Fugaku said solemnly. "From this moment forward, I willingly relinquish my position as clan head. Please… allow Kazuto to lead our clan in my place."
He turned toward Kazuto and lowered himself into a deep bow.
"I acknowledge you, Clan Leader Kazuto. Were it not for you, we would have remained blind to the truth, deceived by me until the end, dragging our clan into destruction. I believe that under your leadership, the Uchiha will rise again, and our relationship with Konoha will finally heal."
Uchiha Setsuna stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Clan Leader Kazuto saved us all. If not for him, we'd still be trapped in lies. I trust in his leadership completely."
"Yeah, long live Kazuto-sama!" another voice shouted.
"Kazuto-sama, please lead us!"
The hawkish members gathered around, their eyes bright with excitement. None of them had expected him to truly succeed, to rise from within and take control without shedding blood.
He was worthy of the clan's loyalty.
Even Uchiha Shisui, once a rival power with his Mangekyō, was no longer a threat. His eyes taken by Kazuto were proof enough of who truly held dominance now.
Kazuto raised his hand slightly, silencing the room. "Thank you, all of you, for your trust. Fugaku's actions have made him unfit to continue as our head. In that case… I will not refuse this responsibility."
He straightened his back, his tone solemn but fierce. "I promise to dedicate myself to the welfare of our people, to rebuild trust with the village, and to lead our clan into a brighter future. Everything I do will be for the family, for the clan's honor!"
He raised his hand to his temple in salute.
"For the family, loyalty!"
"Loyalty!" the hawks shouted in unison, their voices thunderous.
"Loyalty!" the doves echoed, now free from the numbing drugs, rising to their feet and saluting Kazuto as well.
"Loyalty! Loyalty!"
Their cries filled the room, vibrating with unity and passion.
A small smile curved across Kazuto's lips.
Finally, he had done it. He had become the patriarch of the Uchiha clan. It hadn't been easy. His Mangekyō Sharingan held no destructive power.
He had no miraculous "cheat," no supernatural advantage. A violent coup was impossible, he would've died long before success.
This body was nothing special, an orphan's, without siblings, without blood ties strong enough to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō. His eyes would recover their strength with time and discipline, but they would never reach that level.
He couldn't help but envy men like Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke, who had gained the Eternal Mangekyō simply through the tragedy of a brother's death.
He had no such luxury. Only schemes, patience, and manipulation.
But still… he had won.
And the Uchiha clan, for better or worse, now belonged to him.