The Uchiha clan's Naka Shrine was originally a sacred place for clansmen to worship their ancestors and discuss important matters.
But today, the air here was heavy.
Uchiha Tekka sat at the very back of the clan meeting, his hands tightly clutching the scroll, his palms sweating.
His heart was pounding.
He had read this "accidentally" obtained intelligence no less than twenty times.
Going behind the village's back, behind Lord Hokage's back, to secretly contact a high-ranking official close to the Daimyo and impeach the current Hokage?
Have these old geezers gone mad!
Do they think the Uchiha clan's position in the village isn't awkward enough? Or do they feel that the wariness left by the Second Hokage isn't profound enough?
After the anger and fear, an uncontrollable ambition grew wildly in his heart like weeds.
An opportunity.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
An opportunity for him, Uchiha Tekka, to completely break free from the constraints of his branch family status and kick out those stubborn old fools who occupied high positions and did nothing but rely on their seniority.
But he also knew that this was a huge gamble.
If he won, he would be the new leader of the Uchiha, a hero who would lead the clan to a new beginning.
"Tekka, what are you thinking about? The elders are about to speak. Focus," a colleague beside him whispered a reminder.
Uchiha Tekka took a deep breath and looked up.
At the head of the meeting, several hawkish elders, led by Uchiha Genchou, sat upright, their faces wearing the characteristic arrogance of the Uchiha.
"...Recently, I'm sure everyone has heard about some of the new policies in the village."
The Great Elder, Uchiha Genchou, cleared his throat and began to speak slowly, his voice carrying a condescending tone of scrutiny. "That so-called Root, and that Medical Department, have consumed a vast amount of the village's resources."
"And yet, for us Uchiha, the greatest clan in Konoha, the funding for the Military Police Force has not been increased. This is a slight against our clan!"
Another elder immediately chimed in, "Exactly! The Third Hokage is too young, and his actions are based on whims, without any strategy! If this continues, the future of Konoha is worrying! We Uchiha cannot stand by and do nothing!"
In the meeting hall, most of the younger generation of ninja kept their heads down in silence. Many of them, in fact, did not agree with the elders' views.
In the past two years, they had all witnessed the methods and foresight of the Third Hokage. The village was flourishing, the civilians lived in peace, and even their daily patrols in the Military Police Force had become much smoother than before.
But the elders had long-established authority, and they did not dare to object.
Meanwhile, the elders' loyalists and direct descendants nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere became somewhat foul.
Uchiha Tekka looked at the absurd scene before him and felt a wave of disgust.
Now is the time!
He stood up abruptly, the movement so large that it startled those around him.
"I object!"
These two words, like a clap of thunder, exploded in the quiet meeting hall.
Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.
Great Elder Uchiha Genchou's brow furrowed instantly, and his cloudy eyes shot out a look of displeasure. "Tekka, what is your status? Do you have the right to speak here? Sit down!"
"Great Elder!"
Uchiha Tekka's voice trembled with agitation, but he straightened his back and looked directly at the figures in the main seats. "I am only the deputy captain of the Military Police Force, a humble position, but I also know what is loyalty, and what is betrayal!"
He held the scroll in his hand high and shouted with all his might, "You all speak nonsense here, criticizing Lord Hokage, but do you dare to tell everyone what you have been doing behind his back!"
"You sent people to secretly contact the Daimyo's confidant, fabricated charges, and impeached Lord Hokage! What are you trying to do? Are you trying to defect from the village like Uchiha Madara did back then?!"
Boom!
This sentence was a hundred times louder than his "I object" just now.
The entire Naka Shrine was instantly plunged into a deathly silence.
Everyone was stunned by Uchiha Tekka's words.
Colluding with the Daimyo? Impeaching the Hokage? Defection?
Any one of these charges was enough to bring the entire Uchiha clan to ruin!
"You... you're talking nonsense!"
Uchiha Genchou's face turned deathly pale in an instant. He slammed the table and pointed at Tekka, shouting sternly, "This is slander! It's defamation!"
"Slander?"
Uchiha Tekka sneered and threw the scroll in his hand into the center of the meeting hall. "This contains the time and place of your meeting with the Daimyo's confidant, the content of your conversation, and even a list of the gifts you sent! The evidence is conclusive. Do you still want to deny it!"
A young Uchiha ninja, trembling, picked up the scroll from the floor. After just one glance, his face became as pale as a dead man's.
"It's true..."
"Oh my god, they really did it..."
"They're trying to push us into a pit of fire!"
The meeting hall completely erupted. The gazes of the young clansmen towards the elders changed from reverence to anger and fear. They finally understood what a devastating disaster the arrogance and stubbornness of these old men would bring upon the clan.
"Tekka! You traitor!" another elder, enraged and ashamed, knew that the matter could no longer be covered up and decided to drop all pretense. "Where did you get this? It's a forgery! You're trying to split the clan and usurp power!"
"Men! Seize this traitor who intends to rebel!"
With his order, several guards at the shrine's entrance, who belonged to the elders' faction, immediately drew their swords and menacingly approached Uchiha Tekka.
The atmosphere in the meeting hall instantly became tense.
The young ninja who supported Tekka also stood up one by one, confronting the guards.
A bloody internal conflict was on the verge of breaking out.
Uchiha Tekka stared intently at the approaching guards, his back drenched in cold sweat. He had gambled everything, but now it seemed it would end in bloodshed.
At this critical moment.
"Everyone, stop."
A gentle and steady voice came from the entrance of the shrine.
The voice was not loud, but it seemed to carry a certain magic that made everyone stop their actions.
The crowd looked towards the sound and saw Uchiha Kagami standing quietly outside the ancient wooden door of the shrine. Behind him were ten Uchiha ninja in black combat attire, their auras icy.
The sunlight shone from behind him, outlining his figure with a golden edge.
His expression was still gentle, but his Sharingan, with its three tomoe slowly spinning, sent a shiver down the spine of everyone who met his gaze.
"Lord... Lord Kagami?"
"Why are you here?"
Seeing Kagami's appearance, Uchiha Genchou's heart skipped a beat, and a very ominous premonition rose within him.
Uchiha Kagami ignored him, but walked slowly into the meeting hall, stopping between the two tense factions.
He first gave a slight nod to Uchiha Tekka, then turned to face the ugly-faced elders.
"Elder Genchou, fellow elders."
"Lord Hokage has an order."
His voice echoed calmly within the shrine.
"The village will not interfere in the internal affairs of the Uchiha clan."
"However, Lord Hokage will absolutely not tolerate any act that attempts to divide Konoha or endanger the village."
"Today, I am not standing here as a member of the Uchiha clan."
Uchiha Kagami's gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Elder Genchou's shocked and angry face.
"I am here as the deputy director of Root and the chief instructor of the Third Hokage's Direct Guard, to convey Lord Hokage's will."
"Lord Hokage said that he believes in the loyalty of the Uchiha clan, and he also believes that you can handle your own family affairs."
"But..."
Uchiha Kagami's tone shifted, and an invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire meeting hall.
"If someone insists on leading the Uchiha down a path of no return..."
"Then, Lord Hokage's sword will be swifter than anyone else's."