Uchiha were very proud, loud, sharp-edged by nature—but none of them were stupid. It was nearly 2 a.m. Who calls a clan meeting at a time like this?
There was only one answer.
This was aimed straight at them.
"Fugaku's gone too far!"
"We just killed Root, and before Hiruzen Sarutobi or Danzō even says a word, Fugaku's the one who can't sit still."
"If someone didn't know better, they'd think Fugaku is Hiruzen Sarutobi's dog!"
Anger boiled through the room.
Uchiha Jhin's brows drew together, but he didn't lash out at the interruption. Instead, he raised his hand and silenced everyone in the room; he was very calm.
"Before we have the kind of power Clan Head Madara used to press the whole shinobi world underfoot, a little arrogance won't hurt."
"But we still have to follow the rules of the game."
He turned first. "We're going."
Jhin headed for the Naka Shrine, and the radicals followed him without hesitation.
Plenty of them didn't truly understand what he meant. They didn't need to. Jhin had proven he could act—and proven he could bear the consequences. Mangekyō-level strength did that. So did the way he carried himself when everyone else started panicking.
Ten minutes later, they reached the Naka Shrine.
The moderates and the softliners had arrived early. Both groups looked like they'd been waiting with clenched teeth, fury flashing in their eyes.
The reason was simple.
In their eyes, the Uchiha were already cornered. A sudden Mangekyō awakening should've been an anchor—something heavy enough to steady the clan.
Uchiha Jhin seems to have a plan.
And tonight, he'd struck Root again.
The last few times the radicals had acted out, the Hokage had forced the situation down and suppressed it with authority and "understanding," at least on the surface.
But now they were pushing again.
Enough was enough.
For once, the softliners and moderates had joined hands. They were going to use this meeting to make an example out of Jhin.
That was when the radicals arrived.
Under Jhin's leadership, they ignored the near-murderous stares from the other two factions and sat in their assigned places as if nothing in this world could touch them.
"Enough. The clan meeting begins." Fugaku frowned and went straight to the point. "Tonight, Root lost three squads, and ANBU lost one squad. Elder Setsuna—do you have anything to say about that?"
He didn't bother with ceremony. No one here needed it.
Shisui followed smoothly, voice gentle in a way that tried to sound reasonable. "The Hokage is close to losing his ability to restrain Lord Danzō. Even so, the Hokage has decided to give the Uchiha a chance."
His gaze held steady on Setsuna. "Elder Setsuna, our clan's situation is dangerous."
"I hope you know who did that. Otherwise, even if the Hokage wants to help us, it'll be difficult."
Others piled on immediately, almost all of them turning their accusations toward the radicals.
They wanted stability. They wanted quiet lives. Somewhere along the way, Konoha had worn them down until they started calling it "peace." And because the Uchiha could be stubborn to the bone, once they chose what to believe, they clung to it with frightening loyalty.
Even Shisui. Even Itachi.
That was exactly why Jhin had never bothered trying to win those two over.
Long ago, he'd thought changing the Uchiha would be easy. After all, he'd arrived early enough to steer things.
Then he lived among them.
And that delusion went straight into the trash.
It wasn't the loudest Uchiha who were the most extreme.
Sometimes, it was the ones who smiled while they pushed the knife in.
Shisui and Itachi—the "gentle" ones—were often the most absolute. That was why they could awaken the Mangekyō at all.
And Jhin wasn't exempt. Two lifetimes of memory didn't make him soft. If anything, it only sharpened the edge—gave him a wider view of the world, and less patience for being treated like prey.
That was why, when Root took his parents, he'd never considered begging anyone for help.
Not Fugaku. Not the clan. Not the village.
Even now—Mangekyō awakened, radicals in his hand—he still hadn't said it out loud.
Because the people in this room would misunderstand the truth in the worst possible way.
"Heh. Sorry about that." Elder Setsuna cut in, voice dry with amusement. "This old man has already retired. If you have business, talk to Jhin."
Then he dropped the next words like a stone into deep water. "By unanimous decision within our faction, Jhin-kun is now the leader of the radicals. He'll also be taking over my seat as an elder within the clan."
After that, Setsuna leaned back as he'd already finished the only part that mattered.
The room froze.
Fugaku stared at him. "Elder Setsuna… you're retiring?"
"Yes," Setsuna replied at once. "Do you have a problem with that?"
Fugaku's mouth tightened. No words came.
Shisui's face darkened, and his restraint cracked. "Jhin-kun's strength is impressive, but he's too young!"
"And clan elders are supposed to be chosen by recommendation—how can something like this be handed over in private?"
Setsuna's expression didn't change. If anything, a hint of amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Every single radical supports Jhin-kun. Want to hold a vote right here, right now?"
Shisui fell silent.
He knew a vote wouldn't change anything.
He didn't respect Uchiha Jhin. Somewhere deeper, he even hated him—this troublemaker who'd barged in at the worst possible time. But no matter how he felt, he couldn't deny it: inside the radicals, Jhin's prestige was simply too high.
Even if the softliners and moderates objected, the radicals alone were enough to carry it.
Besides…
This wasn't an election for Clan Head.
Shisui drew a breath, then turned solemnly toward Jhin.
"Jhin—Elder."
"Let's return to the issue we were discussing. This matters to the Uchiha. I need an answer from you as soon as possible."
"Hand over the culprit—quickly. Don't make the Hokage's position even harder."
With Shisui's words, every gaze in the room shifted onto Uchiha Jhin.
Everyone wanted to see what the radicals' new leader would do.
Refuse, and he'd provoke the village.
Comply, and he'd tear his own faction apart—lose trust the moment he'd won it.
And yet—
Seated beside Setsuna, Uchiha Jhin remained calm, his expression unchanged.
He hadn't spoken a word since entering. Only now, with Shisui pressing him, did he lift his head.
"Hand over the culprit?"
"Shisui… what are you even talking about?"
"I'm still in the dark. Root and ANBU get killed, and somehow you come to me and demand I hand over some 'culprit'?"
"Sounds like you've already decided it was the radicals. Fine—where's your proof?"
"If you can slap that kind of filth on our heads without evidence, then from now on, whenever anyone dies in the village, you can just declare it was the radicals, right?"
"That's not a reason. That's a setup."
"Or what—are you planning to execute us on 'trumped-up charges'?"
"Sure, the radicals and the softliners have history. But you don't get to claw for influence by throwing away your shame and forcing a frame job on us."