Uchiha Clan Land.
Fugaku, who took over the authority from the Four Elders, has already become the new leader of the Uchiha Clan.
Although some radicals have their own complaints about this, wishing to nominate another clansman for the clan leader position, but since this was the order given by the Four Elders, they had no choice but to obey the will of the Four Elders and submit to Fugaku's management.
It was only after assuming the position of clan leader that Fugaku realized it wasn't an easy role.
But becoming the clan leader of the Uchiha was his lifelong dream.
He originally thought he would have a fierce showdown with Ruri, but unexpectedly, Ruri defected with a portion of the clan, instantly losing the trust and support of the Four Elders, which instead made them devote their energy and efforts to him.
This was an unexpected gain.
Although Ruri's defection made Uchiha's position in Konoha even more awkward.
At the higher levels, Uchiha gradually became untrustworthy.
The two Advisors and Root Leader Danzo have publicly criticized the Uchiha Clan multiple times during Jonin meetings; the only one still willing to speak up for Uchiha is Third Hokage Hiruzen himself.
Even though Fugaku wants to refute some people's remarks, Ruri's defection from Konoha and the crime of harming comrades is undeniable. Every time a Jonin meeting is held, a wave of strange gazes focus on the Uchiha during discussions, making Fugaku feel humiliated.
He can't help but resent Ruri for her malicious act of defecting from the village, which only tarnished the clan's reputation.
Not even one person in the family speaks up for Ruri.
During the clan assembly, not only did she injure the Four Elders, but she also destroyed the village built together by Uchiha and Senju Clan. For the Uchiha Clan, who wanted to seize the Hokage position, Ruri's defection disrupted all their plans and rendered their past efforts utterly wasted.
Against this backdrop, those who left the clan with Ruri were naturally pinned to the clan's pillar of shame.
If it weren't wartime now, they would've already sent people to hunt down these Uchiha traitors.
"Fugaku, how does it feel to become clan leader for the first time? Is it a satisfying sense of accomplishment?"
Uchiha Rika, the confidant of the Four Elders, found Fugaku at home and teased him.
"There's no sense of achievement, only a heavy mission of how to bring prosperity to the clan."
Fugaku gave a bitter smile.
At first, he did immerse himself in the joy of becoming clan leader, but the endless busy tasks that followed nearly made him collapse from exhaustion.
Plus, he still had to manage contacts with the higher-ups, making everything feel awkward and unfamiliar.
Especially Danzo, who is extremely dissatisfied with Uchiha's affairs, determined to pursue Uchiha's dereliction of duty and insists on subjecting them to Anbu surveillance.
If the Third Hokage hadn't held Danzo back and suppressed his voice, this time things wouldn't have been smoothed over so easily.
This made Fugaku deeply grateful for the Third Hokage's care.
Although he knew the Third Hokage did so because he valued the strength of the Uchiha Clan and wanted to bring them into the village, offering help in a time of need and doing his best to maintain the village's balance, it made Fugaku feel at ease.
If the Third Hokage helped Uchiha for no reason, Fugaku would actually be wary, wondering whether the Hokage would harm Uchiha.
"Don't be so pessimistic. Even if the rest of the higher-ups are hostile to Uchiha, as long as you maintain close ties with the Hokage, there won't be any major problems."
"Oh?"
"That's also the Four Elders' intention. Giving birth to a Hokage within the Uchiha Clan is no easy task. Staying on good terms with the current Hokage is always advantageous."
Rika said this.
This is also the only way for Uchiha to survive in Konoha.
Because when the time comes, whether Uchiha voluntarily gives up on becoming Hokage or is abandoned by the Hokage, the Uchiha in Konoha will face annihilation.
The clan can only survive at the mercy of the Hokage.
"I understand the Elders' intentions."
Fugaku nodded solemnly.
"It's best that you understand this."
"How is the Elders' health?"
Fugaku asked.
Since Ruri's defection, he had heard that the Four Elders' health had been poor, probably due to stress and illness.
"Don't worry, the Elder's health is fine, and now that he's retired there's plenty of time to recuperate. You don't need to worry about that side of things. By the way, when do you plan to head to the front lines?"
Rika asked.
"The clan's issues have mostly settled down now, and the higher-ups are suppressed by the Third Hokage, so I plan to lead the clan to the front lines to support them the morning after tomorrow."
Fugaku thought for a moment and replied.
"Though it's a bit redundant to say this, you still need to protect yourself. The frontlines aren't the village—even with the Sharingan, you could die at any moment."
"I understand, I'll be careful. Is there anything else I need to do on the elders' side?"
"Nothing more. You're already Uchiha's clan leader, so just act as you see fit."
Rika shook his head, indicating the Four Elders had no further demands.
"Please thank the Elder for their trust on my behalf."
Fugaku was a bit moved.
The Four Elders' actions clearly meant relinquishing power and letting him truly become the Uchiha Clan's leader, rather than secretly controlling him and making him a puppet clan leader under their manipulation.
This trust made Fugaku deeply grateful.
After all, the Four Elders' authority in Uchiha was unmatched; if they insisted on controlling the clan from behind the scenes, Fugaku would have no way to resist their remote control.