!
Fugaku's heart tightened as he glanced around.
As expected—
Many young Uchiha were already whispering among themselves, their eyes burning with admiration and longing for Shuoye.
They craved power.
They yearned to become members of "Edge."
They desired the true essence of the Six Powers that Shuoye had promised.
"I want to join 'Edge'!"
A young Uchiha stepped forward without hesitation, his eyes shining.
"Me too!"
Others quickly echoed him. Excitement spread through the hall like wildfire.
Shuoye smiled faintly. Raising a hand, he silenced the growing clamor.
"I will establish a formal oath ceremony," he said calmly. "Only those truly willing to devote themselves to the clan—and swear loyalty to me—will earn the right to join 'Edge.'"
Then his gaze shifted toward Shisui Uchiha and Fugaku.
His voice grew firmer.
"In addition, I will found another organization—'Uchiha Shadow Hall.'"
"Only those who have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan may enter."
"It will become the concentrated core of the Uchiha's greatest strength."
"…!"
Shock flickered across Fugaku's face.
By that standard—
He himself qualified.
He clenched his teeth, about to object—
When he felt Shisui's steady hand on his shoulder.
Fugaku turned slightly.
Shisui merely shook his head and looked toward the gathered clan members.
Those young faces.
Burning with hope.
"I understand."
Fugaku murmured softly.
At this moment, Shuoye, Shisui, and himself had become pillars of expectation for the clan.
The weight of responsibility pressed upon him like never before.
"Shuoye… you really know how to strike first and reward afterward."
Fugaku sighed inwardly.
Though he had opposed Shuoye at the beginning—
The resentment in his heart had quietly faded.
Perhaps…
He truly was not suited to be clan head.
Supporting Shuoye might be the clan's true path forward.
If nothing else—
The decisive measures Shuoye enacted upon taking power already far surpassed his own.
Seeing that neither Fugaku nor Shisui objected, Shuoye nodded in satisfaction.
From this point on—
The Uchiha would enter a period of rapid growth.
When that masked boy—Obito—eventually attempted to trigger the Nine-Tails incident…
Perhaps the village would receive quite the surprise.
Three months later.
Within the underground headquarters of Root, cold air carried a suffocating stillness.
Torchlight flickered against stone walls, casting shadows across Danzō Shimura's grim expression.
The silence was so deep it seemed even the air dared not move.
"Useless!"
His roar echoed through the chamber like a hammer striking iron.
Reports regarding the Uchiha lay scattered across the table—
Empty.
Worthless.
Mocking him.
"Danzō-sama…"
A shinobi spoke cautiously, voice barely above a whisper.
"For the past three months, the Uchiha have behaved unusually. All promising branch talents have been relocated to an unknown location for secret training. We have completely lost track of them."
"You haven't even seen Shuoye in person?! A pack of incompetents!"
Danzō's voice dropped into a dangerous low.
His eye sharpened like a blade.
The shinobi immediately lowered his head, cold sweat forming along his spine.
At that moment—
A presence appeared silently at the entrance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Third Hokage's expression was heavy.
Concern lingered in his eyes.
Danzō's gaze shifted instantly.
Whatever Hiruzen had come to discuss—
It would concern the current instability.
"Danzō," Hiruzen said quietly, "the situation with the Hidden Cloud Village is worsening. Minato Namikaze alone may not be able to maintain the balance much longer."
Fatigue showed in his voice.
He adjusted his glasses.
"We must act soon."
"I understand the issue with the Hidden Cloud Village," Danzō replied sharply. "But the Uchiha problem cannot be ignored."
A sinister glint flashed in his eye.
"I have devised a plan."
"A plan to kill two birds with one stone."
Hiruzen frowned slightly.
He knew Danzō's methods were ruthless—
But perhaps they would create an opportunity.
"How do you intend to proceed?" Hiruzen asked cautiously.
Danzō's voice lowered.
"I will dispatch Anbu to infiltrate the Hidden Cloud Village and create instability."
"At the same time, we apply pressure to the Uchiha."
"Force them to take action."
"And if they refuse…"
A cold smile curved Danzō's lips.
Like a wolf lurking in shadow—
Waiting for the perfect moment to strike.