Chapter 22: The Reality of the Radical Faction; Fugaku is Devastated!
The meeting hall was deathly silent.
No one answered Shisui's question. Even Fugaku remained mute.
The reason? Pure humiliation.
To be a Clan Head betrayed by nearly every single member of his own family—Fugaku had truly set a historical precedent for the Uchiha.
"They all defected to the Radical Faction."
It was Uchiha Shimei who finally spoke, his voice cold.
He cast a complicated glance at Shisui before turning his back on Fugaku completely. "I feel this so-called meeting is pointless. Although I have no desire to join the Radicals, I also have no desire to recognize you as Clan Head any longer, Fugaku."
"You... are a failure."
"Elder Amano was right. I advise you to resign voluntarily."
"From today on, I will not obey your orders. You're on your own."
With that, Uchiha Shimei led his subordinates out of the room, abandoning Fugaku entirely.
Uchiha Yomo followed suit. Though he didn't mock Fugaku openly, his silence spoke volumes. He, too, would no longer recognize Fugaku's authority.
In an instant...
The entire meeting hall was empty.
Aside from Fugaku and Shisui, only three of Fugaku's personal guards remained.
"Clan Head... are you alright?"
Shisui found it hard to watch. His eyes were filled with sympathy.
Fugaku took a deep breath, forcing a strained smile onto his face. "Shisui, I've let you see something embarrassing."
"No, I just..." Shisui tried to explain.
But before he could finish, Fugaku cut him off. "Shisui, you're terrible at comforting people. Besides, I don't need pity. Let's talk business."
"I assume you've heard about the Ancestral Land."
Shisui nodded, his expression grave.
While he desperately wanted the Uchiha to reclaim their heritage, he didn't want it to happen through Jin's methods. In his view, the tension between the clan and the village was already at a boiling point. He had been working so hard to maintain the peace, only for a lunatic like Jin to come along and potentially ruin everything.
It made him feel incredibly helpless.
His hard work was being dismantled by Jin with a wave of his hand.
"Clan Head, you are right," Shisui sighed heavily. "This is absolutely not a good thing. We must stop this."
"Good. I'm glad you agree," Fugaku said solemnly. "Then let us go together."
"We must convince Uchiha Jin. We cannot allow him to destroy the delicate situation we have worked so hard to preserve!"
Shisui nodded, accepting the task without hesitation.
With their resolve set, the two men wasted no time and headed straight for the Radical Faction's district.
And then—they froze.
The scene before them was stunning. The Radical District was peaceful and serene. Every person walking on the street had a genuine smile on their face. This was an atmosphere that had never existed in the main Uchiha compound before.
Under the village's pressure and Fugaku's inaction, the Uchiha clansmen had lived in constant fear.
But now?
What they saw in the Radical District was something their minds struggled to accept.
"No... impossible!"
"This must be fake. Uchiha Jin is so extreme... how could the clansmen be this peaceful?"
"I don't believe it. It's all a façade!"
Fugaku's voice was hoarse, his eyes wide with disbelief.
In his imagination, these people should have been numb with fear. Under a warmonger like Jin, their lives should have been harder, more miserable. Radicals didn't know how to govern; chaos should have been the norm.
But the smiles on their faces were blinding.
More importantly...
If they are this happy following the Radicals, will they ever recognize me as Clan Head again?
His fear quickly became reality.
His outburst attracted the attention of the Uchiha on the street. However, upon seeing Fugaku, not a single person greeted him. Instead, they reacted as if they had seen something filthy, quickly dodging away and avoiding him like the plague.
Fugaku's face turned even uglier.
Shisui was shocked by the scene as well, but he quickly composed himself. "Clan Head, do not be disheartened. This is only temporary. It is a false peace."
"Our path is the correct one. Only by reconciling with the village and truly integrating can we achieve lasting peace."
Hearing Shisui's comfort, Fugaku snapped back to reality.
Right!
This is just a false peace!
The village is too strong. Only compromise offers a way out. Jin may run a tight ship now, but the gap between him and the village is widening. If this continues, it will end in annihilation.
Meanwhile, in Uchiha Jin's courtyard.
A meeting was being held in the open air.
There was no choice. Jin's estate was modest, and he wasn't the type to indulge in luxury. With the village and clan issues taking priority, he had no interest in expanding his home.
Previously, it wasn't an issue. But now, with so many high-ranking defectors joining his ranks, space was tight.
So, if they wanted to meet, they had to do it in the yard.
"Reclaiming the Ancestral Land was actually a bit of a coincidence," Jin said with a smile from the head seat.
"I didn't expect that the clansmen's relocation would disrupt the Police Force's work so severely, causing such a headache for Hiruzen Sarutobi. That is why he was willing to trade the land for our return to duty."
"So, this time..."
"The credit belongs to all of you!"
The gathered crowd erupted in cheers.
It hadn't been easy. The loss of the Ancestral Land was a scar on the heart of every Uchiha.
But this time, Uchiha Jin had brought it back!
Support for Jin skyrocketed instantly. Compared to Fugaku, who accomplished nothing, Jin was the King they could trust.
As for Jin's claim that the credit belonged to everyone? They didn't buy it for a second.
If Fugaku had been in charge, he would have just forced everyone to swallow their grievances and go back to work. He wouldn't have dared to bargain with the Hokage.
"Elder Jin, thank you so much."
"Please, don't try to give us credit we didn't earn. Without a reliable leader, all our efforts would be meaningless."
"If it were Fugaku, the Uchiha would have just bowed their heads again."
"Hah! Bowed their heads? He probably would have apologized to the village for the inconvenience!"
"Exactly! Danzo is assassinating us, and Fugaku doesn't even dare to defend us, let alone demand our land back!"
The courtyard turned into a sea of joy. Unlike the cautious, fearful atmosphere around Fugaku and Shisui, these people felt liberated. Since Jin had the ability, they would follow his command.
Jin's smile deepened, but he eventually raised a hand to quiet the crowd.
"It's fine to be happy for a moment, but we must return to reality."
"The Uchiha's situation is still precarious. We will need everyone to work even harder in the future."
"So, let's talk business."
"I haven't paid much attention to the village lately. Who knows the current situation?"
"Without the Uchiha Police Force, just how chaotic has Konoha become?"