At the clan meeting—
As Uchiha Jin spoke, everyone present was stunned.
No one had expected him to deny it outright.
There was no evidence, yes—but did something like this even require evidence?
If not the Radical Faction, then who else could have done it?
The Uchiha, known for their straightforward nature, found themselves at a loss.
They excelled at fighting—
Not at verbal sparring.
Shisui could no longer hold back. His face flushed with indignation as he spoke:
"Uchiha Jin, you dare to act—but not admit it?"
Jin merely shrugged.
"If I did it, I'd admit it. The problem is—I didn't."
"Why should I confess to something I haven't done? Or are you planning to force a confession out of me?"
He paused briefly, then added casually:
"How about this—I'll make an oath."
"If this was done by my Radical Faction, then may the Sage of Six Paths strike me down with lightning!"
---
Silence.
The entire room fell into a dead hush.
No one had expected Jin to be this resolute—
To the point of making an oath on the spot.
For a moment, everyone was completely at a loss.
What now?
The Gentle and Moderate Factions were dumbfounded.
They had assumed Jin would admit responsibility and simply refuse to hand over the culprits.
They had even prepared arguments for that scenario.
But instead—
He denied everything outright.
They were completely thrown off balance.
Even the Radical Faction members themselves were stunned.
Their expressions twitched slightly.
Shameless… truly shameless.
Jin spread his hands.
"You all saw it, didn't you? The Sage of Six Paths didn't strike me down."
"That proves I'm telling the truth."
A faint sneer curved his lips.
He didn't take any of them seriously.
With his experience from two lifetimes, dealing with these straightforward Uchiha in a war of words was effortless.
If he couldn't outmaneuver people like Fugaku and Shisui in a verbal exchange—
Then he might as well bang his head against a wall.
As for the oath?
He wasn't worried in the slightest.
The Sage of Six Paths might exist—
But he was no omnipotent deity.
At best, just a powerful being.
There was no "heavenly will" in this world to enforce such things.
---
"Jin, you—"
Shisui tried to respond, but no words came out.
Faced with Jin's blatant denial, someone as straightforward as him had no way to counter.
Fugaku, as clan head, could no longer remain seated.
He stood up, his expression stern as he looked at Jin.
"Jin, enough."
"I know the clan has suffered many grievances. Shisui and I are working hard to resolve them."
"Give me some time. Alright?"
There was even a hint of pleading in his tone.
At the same time—
A flicker of killing intent flashed deep within his gaze.
Fugaku understood the clan's suffering.
But he also understood something else even more clearly—
The Uchiha were no match for the village.
That was why he had endured and compromised all these years.
What he couldn't understand was—
Why the others couldn't do the same.
If they just endured a little longer…
Compromised a little more…
Eventually, the Uchiha would be fully integrated into the village.
He had already struggled to suppress the Radical Faction.
Now, with Jin's rise—
The pressure had only grown heavier.
A genius who refused to obey was more dangerous than no genius at all.
---
Jin, however, remained completely unfazed.
"I'm sorry, Clan Head."
"I sympathize with the losses suffered by Root and Anbu."
"But if you intend to blame me, then I suggest you bring evidence first."
"If there's nothing else…"
"I'll be taking my leave."
---
He turned and walked out of Naka Shrine without hesitation.
There was no need to explain further.
Nor did he have any interest in winning over the other factions.
He understood something very clearly—
Prejudice was like a mountain.
Without a complete upheaval, it would never disappear.
For the Uchiha to be reborn—
They would need to be tempered by blood and fire.
And that time—
Was approaching.
---
As Jin left, the Radical Faction followed him without hesitation.
One after another, they departed.
It was obvious—
Fugaku had long since lost their respect.
"Jin, wait—"
Shisui tried to stop them, but Fugaku raised a hand.
"That's enough, Shisui."
"Let them go. Forcing them to stay would be meaningless."
He paused before asking:
"Tell me about the battlefield. Were there really no clues left behind?"
He found this point deeply puzzling.
After all—
If there had been evidence, things would have been easier to handle.
Shisui hesitated for a moment.
Technically, Anbu regulations prohibited leaking such information.
But considering the situation, he sighed.
"The scene was completely destroyed."
"The bodies were burned to ashes. No traceable evidence remains."
"However—"
His gaze hardened.
"I'm certain this was done by the Radical Faction."
"And Uchiha Jin is undoubtedly the mastermind."
---
Fugaku gave a bitter smile.
There was no need to state the obvious.
Everyone knew.
Before Jin's rise, the Radical Faction had only dared to speak loudly—
Never to act.
But now?
Each time an Uchiha went missing—
Root or Anbu would soon suffer casualties.
The pattern was impossible to ignore.
And yet—
There was nothing he could do.
Without evidence, he couldn't act.
Especially against someone like Jin.
After a long silence, Fugaku spoke:
"I can't handle this matter."
"Shisui, report everything truthfully to Hokage-sama."
Shisui sighed helplessly.
"That's all we can do."
With that—
He vanished in an instant.
---
After Shisui left, the meeting was dismissed.
Fugaku returned home.
Just like that—
It ended.
No justice sought.
No action taken.
Not even for the Uchiha who had gone missing.
This was precisely why Fugaku's authority continued to erode.
---
Inside the house, Mikoto brought him a cup of tea.
"Is it resolved?" she asked softly. "Did the Radical Faction back down?"
Fugaku shook his head.
"No. It's more complicated now."
"Uchiha Jin has taken control."
"With a Mangekyō wielder leading them, the Radical Faction will only grow harder to suppress."
Mikoto frowned slightly.
"Then how will you explain this to the village?"
Fugaku fell silent for a moment.
Then—
"There's nothing to explain."
"We'll simply stay out of it."
"Let Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uchiha Jin deal with each other."
"This will also let me gauge the village's true stance toward the Uchiha."
He took a sip of tea before continuing:
"If things spiral out of control, we'll sacrifice Jin."
"If the village backs down, even better."
"Either way—it won't affect us."
---
Mikoto finally understood.
Jin—
Was nothing more than a pawn in Fugaku's plan.
She wanted to speak.
To persuade him otherwise.
But in the end—
She remained silent.
Jin was a member of the clan.
But not someone close to their family.
---
Outside—
A small figure stood silently.
Hidden in the shadows.
Uchiha Itachi.
His fists clenched tightly, his expression dark.
Clan… clan…
Why can't you think from the village's perspective?
What a foolish clan…