Fugaku Uchiha slammed his hand onto the table, standing up abruptly in a fit of rage. "Have you ever even considered the Uchiha Clan in your actions?!"
Rong Lin sat with his head bowed, his hands wrapped around a teacup. A playful, mocking smile played across his lips as his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly within his eyes.
"You!!"
Rong Lin suddenly snapped his head up. Fugaku gasped in shock; he had never imagined that Rong Lin would actually dare to use Genjutsu against him.
Involuntarily, Fugaku's long-hidden Mangekyō Sharingan flared into existence. Rong Lin gently set his teacup back down on the table.
"You've hidden them quite well, haven't you?" Rong Lin remarked casually. "But aren't you afraid of going blind? Use the abilities of those eyes too often, and that's exactly what will happen."
Damn it!
Fugaku's heart sank. He hadn't expected in his wildest dreams that Rong Lin would deliberately provoke him with Genjutsu just to force him to reveal his secret eyes.
"Heh..."
Looking at Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan, Rong Lin smiled thinly and leaned back in his chair. "You really are a master of secrecy, Clan Leader. If I hadn't prodded you, were you planning to keep them hidden forever?"
"When did you find out?!"
Waves of shock crashed through Fugaku's mind. Looking at Rong Lin's expression, it was clear that he had known for a long time and had simply been playing along with Fugaku's act.
"Not long ago. Right around the time they first evolved. I must say, I didn't expect someone as cold as you to evolve your eyes because of the death of a clan elder."
"What is that supposed to mean?!" Fugaku roared. He had lost his usual composure today; his emotions were in turmoil, and he was completely losing his dignity.
In the courtyard, Uchiha Senshi and Mikoto Uchiha were at a loss. They didn't understand what had happened to cause such a violent argument between the two. After a moment of thought, they both decided to act as if they knew nothing. Senshi continued to survey the yard, while Mikoto went back to weeding the flowerbeds.
For Mikoto, this was a matter between men that she shouldn't interfere with. For Senshi, these were issues for the leaders to handle, and he didn't need to worry himself with them.
"It doesn't mean anything special," Rong Lin said, his voice cutting and sharp. "It's just a reminder to not turn yourself blind."
Every word Rong Lin spoke felt like a needle stabbing into Fugaku's heart.
Leaning lazily in his chair, Rong Lin watched the nearly explosive Fugaku and said calmly, "You say I haven't considered the Uchiha? How ridiculous."
"In truth, the one who isn't considering the clan's future is you! My dear Clan Leader, if we continue along your line of thinking, the Uchiha will be wiped out within fifteen years!"
"The Uchiha of today is not the Uchiha of the Warring States Period. Do you really think our clan is invincible? Wake up!"
"Nonsense! Under my leadership, the Uchiha are thriving!" Fugaku shouted, his face flushed red.
"Thriving?" Rong Lin sneered. "Why don't I see it? All I see is the village and the other great clans continuing to boycott us. Even within the High Command, tell me honestly, how much influence does the Uchiha actually have? How many people did we sacrifice in this war against the Hidden Mist Village? What did we gain? What have you actually fought for?"
"Haa... Haa..."
Fugaku breathed heavily. He wanted to fight for more, but every time he tried, Rong Lin was there to shut him down. Influence in the High Command? He was the head of the Uchiha Clan, yet his authority didn't even match Rong Lin's.
"The clansmen's patience is running thin, and the village's tolerance is also reaching its limit. If you truly care about the Uchiha, then step down. By the way, your son is talented. Itachi should follow Shisui from now on."
Rong Lin stood up slowly and began to walk away without looking back. He paused only when he reached the doorway. "If you are willing to step down, you will see an Uchiha that is truly thrivinga prosperous, powerful, and unrivaled Uchiha."
"You bastard!"
Fugaku knew Rong Lin felt uneasy about things the clan had done in the past, but he never expected that Rong Lin would point-blank demand his abdication!
"Uncle Senshi, let's go grab a drink."
At the gate, Rong Lin saw Uchiha Senshi, who looked like he was itching to go inside and see what had happened. As the Clan Leader's guard, hearing his master in a shouting match without being able to investigate was clearly agonizing for him.
"Uh..."
Senshi didn't expect Rong Lin to invite him for a drink. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You and the Clan Leader..."
"It's fine. I just felt the Uchiha needed a change in leadership, so I lost my temper and tried to wake him up with a few insults."
Rong Lin didn't respect Fugaku Uchiha, but he still held a great deal of respect for Senshi, who had taught him in the past, and Mikoto, who had looked after him.
With a slight nod, Rong Lin departed without a backward glance.
In the courtyard, Mikoto and Senshi stared after him with wide eyes, unable to believe Rong Lin had the guts to say such things.
The leadership of the Uchiha was traditionally chosen by the predecessor and vetted by the elders. While there were rare cases of someone seizing the positionlike Madara Uchihathat was during the chaos of the Warring States Period! And yet, here was Rong Lin, demanding the current leader step down!
Since they had already reached a breaking point, there was no point in hiding anymore. Everything was out in the open. Fugaku felt Rong Lin wasn't thinking of the clan, while Rong Lin felt Fugaku was an utterly incompetent leader.
If he was going to step down, he should do it quickly, before he steered the great ship of the Uchiha into a bottomless abyss.
"Oh no!"
Senshi stood frozen, watching Rong Lin walk away for a long time before he finally snapped out of it. He realized that it wasn't just him and Mikoto in the areathere were others!
If this news leaked out, the implications for the Uchiha would be dire.
"Senshi, give them their orders. They are not to speak a word of this."
Mikoto's expression was grim. Regardless of the politics, the Clan Leader was her husband, and she couldn't allow such news to spread.
"Yes, Madam."
Senshi felt a headache coming on. It was easier said than done. Why were there always so many guards stationed around the leader's house? Now that the secret was out, trouble was surely coming.
There was no wall in the world that didn't leak, and no mouth that couldn't be pried open. It was only a matter of time and place.
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