Fugaku was struck dumb.
His face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
He had always considered himself one of the more cautious and conservative voices within the Uchiha.
But never did he expect—
That his own suggestion would be slapped down so brutally.
Even with his mild temperament, his pride was hard to swallow.
But what could he do?
Anyone who gave the matter even a little thought could see that Kai wasn't lying.
As he'd said, Hiruzen alone couldn't possibly pull something like that off.
Still—he was the clan head.
Couldn't Kai at least give him a shred of face?
"…Fine." Fugaku's forehead was streaked with dark lines, but he still nodded.
"Kai is right. My thinking was shortsighted."
"In that case, let's put this matter aside."
"It seems the Uchiha can only continue as we are with the village."
The others remained silent.
Yes.
Though they knew Kai spoke the truth, it was still bitterly hard to accept.
And that was only natural.
The proud Uchiha, forced to face such humiliation—it wasn't easy to digest.
But pride didn't mean stupidity.
After Kai's words, they understood instantly: the Uchiha were no match for the village.
What else could they do but stay silent?
The shrine fell deathly quiet at Fugaku's declaration.
Kai, meanwhile, wore a helpless expression.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the dissatisfied faces around him.
After a long pause, he spoke again.
"Clan head, everyone."
"Originally, I had no desire to meddle in these Uchiha messes."
"As for why—you all know the reasons, I won't repeat them."
"But now, since you've made me an elder, and even the head of the Police Force—"
"For the sake of living a more comfortable life, I have to give you all a reminder."
"Maybe my tone was harsh earlier. For that, I apologize."
"But I hope you can be rational. Honestly, I already softened my words to save the Uchiha some face."
"Don't be so stubborn. Do you know what Konoha's real trump card is?"
"I'll tell you straight: the village's open powerhouses are nothing."
"The real foundation of Konoha is the Hokage's Sealed Book of Jutsu."
"Remember the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama? The jutsu he created—Impure World Reincarnation?"
"If you ever push the village to the brink, what happens if Hiruzen uses that technique… and summons Senju Hashirama, Tobirama, and other dead legends back from the Pure Land?"
"Do you honestly think the Uchiha could stand against them?"
"Because let me remind you—the Uchiha don't have Impure World Reincarnation."
Hiss—!
The entire shrine drew in a sharp breath.
Sweat poured from their brows.
Chills crawled down their spines.
Perhaps outsiders had never heard of this technique, but the Uchiha were founders of the village.
There was little that could be hidden from them.
A jutsu invented by Tobirama specifically to counter Madara—
Of course they knew of it.
They had simply stopped paying attention after Tobirama's death.
But Kai's reminder dredged it back to the forefront of their minds.
Impure World Reincarnation.
The village might claim it was incomplete.
But who could guarantee Tobirama hadn't lied?
And if it were perfected—?
Picture it:
They rebel, and suddenly the Senju brothers and a host of other dead titans are resurrected to fight on Hiruzen's side.
That thought alone was enough to utterly crush their will.
Even Fugaku wiped the sweat from his brow.
As clan head, he had access to the archives. He knew more than most.
And yes—Impure World Reincarnation was terrifying.
He sighed heavily.
"Everyone, enough."
"As clan head, I hereby order all discussion of rebellion suspended."
"Until a counter to Impure World Reincarnation is found, I strictly forbid any Uchiha from raising the matter again."
"Especially you radicals—did you hear me?"
Fugaku's face was solemn.
Whatever little schemes he'd harbored before were extinguished in an instant by the terror of that forbidden jutsu.
The rest nodded obediently.
No matter how arrogant they were, none wished to face Senju Hashirama.
They had no Madara anymore.
Kai might have the Mangekyo, but compared to Madara, he was still far too lacking.
Fugaku, pleased with the unified silence, pressed on.
"Alright, everyone."
"With that matter settled, let's move to the second topic."
"After hearing Kai's words, I think you've all gained some sense of him."
"Frankly, in terms of big-picture thinking, I fall far short of Kai."
"The Police Force has been directly dealing with the village and its people, but under my management, it's only grown more corrupt."
"Changing it is beyond me."
"But Kai—with his head for strategy, and his Mangekyo strength—has both the ability and the right to truly become Police Chief."
"I believe that under his leadership, the Police Force can repair its reputation and mend relations with the villagers."
"So, let's discuss."
Fugaku's expression was tense.
The first agenda item had been little more than an old refrain, rehashed countless times without resolution.
If unity had been possible, it would've been achieved long ago.
That was just a smokescreen.
His real purpose tonight—was to put Kai forward for leadership.
And after what he'd just witnessed, Fugaku was even more convinced.
This was true talent.
What the Uchiha lacked most wasn't fighters—it was thinkers.
The responses came quickly:
"I agree!"
"No objections here, the clan head is right."
"Elder Kai's vision is remarkable. We never even considered how terrifying the village's hidden strength really was."
"Exactly. With Elder Kai leading, the Police Force will surely grow stronger!"
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