Chapter 9: Fugaku's Public Humiliation; Chaos Erupts at the Shrine!
The faces of everyone in the hall were blank with shock.
They were stunned by the "noble" and "selfless" words they had just heard. Was this really something that could come out of the mouth of Uchiha Jin, the head of the Radicals?
In truth, it wasn't just the Moderates and Neutrals who were confused; even Jin's own followers were looking at him in a daze.
However, there was one person who was currently feeling a suffocating sense of frustration.
Uchiha Fugaku.
He had actually prepared himself for a confrontation. He knew that the timing of the village's withdrawal was a bit too coincidental. But since he had dared to call this clan meeting, he naturally had a planned "explanation" ready—that was where his confidence came from.
But... damn it.
He never expected that before he could even open his mouth, Jin would hit him with such a "generous" remark that it left him choking on his own words.
How was he supposed to respond to this?
Jin acted like he didn't care and was willing to "gift" the credit to the Clan Head. If Fugaku continued to insist on a prepared explanation, wouldn't it make him look incredibly petty and narrow-minded?
The problem was, if he didn't explain, it would be a silent admission that he was an incompetent leader who stole the achievements of his subordinates.
Suddenly, Fugaku was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Even if the Leaf's High Command broadcasted that it was Fugaku's achievement, many keen-eyed people within the Uchiha—and the village—could guess the truth. Because of this, Fugaku felt like he was sitting on a bed of needles.
His original plan was to wait for Jin to try and claim the credit. Then, Fugaku would "magnanimously" say he didn't care about the fame, gaining the favor of the clansmen by appearing humble. He would have made Jin look like a power-hungry brat while potentially swaying some of the Radicals to his side.
But he hadn't expected Uchiha Jin to play so dirty. Does an Uchiha Radical even talk like this?!
"Uchiha Jin! What nonsense are you talking?"
"This achievement belongs to Clan Head Fugaku! Does he need you to 'give' it to him with such hypocrisy?"
Shisui couldn't take it anymore and lashed out with a sharp rebuke.
In response, Jin didn't even lift his gaze. He simply shrugged and spoke in a flat, indifferent tone.
"Whatever you say. I wouldn't dream of competing with the Clan Head for credit."
"You..." Shisui felt his scalp go numb.
He was completely floored. He could faintly smell the scent of a dangerous trap.
And he was right.
Following Jin's comment, the entire shrine erupted into a cacophony of whispers and murmurs. Fugaku's face turned a sickly shade of green as he let out a heavy sigh. He realized that while Shisui might have the strength of a master, in terms of political maneuvering, he wasn't even in the same league as Uchiha Jin.
Fugaku himself didn't know how to speak up. Arguing would make him look small, but staying silent was an admission of defeat that would devastate his remaining authority.
He racked his brain, feeling a throbbing headache coming on. Jin is far too difficult to handle.
How did I never notice this before?
He looked at Jin with a deep, searching gaze, but then he noticed something was off.
There were far fewer Radicals in the room than there should have been!
A chill ran down Fugaku's spine. He immediately blurted out, "Uchiha Jin! Where are the rest of the Radicals?"
"Why aren't they attending the clan meeting? What kind of scheme are you plotting now?"
Huh?!
Following his outburst, the rest of the clan looked around in confusion. They subconsciously glanced toward the section reserved for the Radical Faction. Seeing the empty seats and the sparse crowd, the realization finally dawned on them.
That's true! Where is everyone?
The crowd looked at Jin with suspicion. A clan meeting was a major event for the Uchiha; those eligible to attend almost never missed one. At this moment, no matter how slow their reaction, everyone knew something was wrong.
The Radicals present looked at each other and couldn't help but let out mocking smirks.
Jin remained calm as he slowly stood up.
"As expected of the Clan Head, you finally noticed."
"But I suspect the timing is just about right. There's no need to waste any more time here."
"Out of respect for our shared blood, I don't mind giving the rest of you a fair warning."
"The reason Root and Anbu withdrew wasn't because Hiruzen Sarutobi grew a heart. It was because I nearly killed Danzo!"
"That man, Danzo... he has an entire arm transplanted with Sharingan. He can even use the Wood Style of Hashirama Senju. Most importantly, he has mastered the Uchiha Kinjutsu—Izanagi!"
"Clan Head Fugaku, wake up!"
"You've allowed our clan's forbidden arts to be stolen, and you've lost countless Sharingan. Even the eye behind Danzo's bandages... it's a transplanted Mangekyo Sharingan."
"If I'm not mistaken, it belonged to Uchiha Kagami."
"There have only been a few who awakened the Mangekyo in our history, and Kagami is the only one who died under mysterious circumstances."
"The Leaf suffered a massive loss at my hands today. The High Command will undoubtedly seek a shadowy revenge."
"So, instead of throwing a banquet to celebrate, you should be tightening patrols and fortifying our defenses. If more people die, don't say I didn't warn you."
"Let's go."
Having finished, Jin didn't care to explain further. He turned around and walked out, his followers trailing behind him.
Explain himself? He didn't have to.
As the leader of the Radicals, he was no longer a small fry that Fugaku could suppress. On the contrary, he made sure to leave Fugaku with a massive mess to clean up.
Under your leadership, the clan bleeds and dies on the battlefield, yet their names aren't even allowed on the Memorial Stone.
We've sacrificed so much and gained nothing!
The Uchiha's reputation is in the gutter, our ancestral land is gone, we are isolated from the village, and now Root is harvesting our eyes.
I, Uchiha Jin, finally won a round, and you have the nerve to try and steal the glory?
Fine. Now deal with the fallout.
As Jin expected, the moment the Radicals left, Naka Shrine devolved into utter chaos.
Danzo has an arm full of Sharingan? His right eye is Kagami's Mangekyo?
He can use the forbidden Izanagi?
This news sent the Uchiha into a frenzy. Even the Moderates and Neutrals couldn't stay calm.
"Silence! Everyone, silence!"
"This is just Uchiha Jin's word! Do not believe him so easily!"
"I promise I will get to the bottom of this and give you all an explanation. But I need time."
"That is all. Meeting adjourned!"
Fugaku had a splitting headache, but he could only offer a weak, desperate explanation. Of course, given his indecisive nature, he couldn't actually provide any real answers. He fell back on his ultimate move: stalling.
It must be said that the Uchiha were easy to manipulate. Despite their explosive rage, Fugaku managed to muddle through the situation for the time being.
But the seed of doubt had been planted. In the original timeline, even as the Night of the Massacre approached and the Radicals were ready for an armed coup, Fugaku had managed to keep things "quiet" through similar delays.
But this time... things were different.