Chapter 21: Fugaku's Desperate Cry; Abandoned by All!
Half an hour later.
Clan Head's Manor, Meeting Hall.
The remaining Uchiha who had not yet defected to the Radical Faction were gathered in the hall. Whispers filled the room, and the expressions on everyone's faces were undeniably grim.
Fugaku's face was equally dark.
Although the room seemed somewhat full, these were all the people left on his side. Most of them were Moderates. The number of people he could truly command could be counted on one hand.
Sigh.
He let out a heavy breath.
Just a month ago, he was still directing the clan's affairs with authority. How had it come to this?
"Alright, Fugaku."
"Everyone is here. If you have something to say, say it directly."
The speaker was Uchiha Yashiro, one of the Moderate elders who had always favored compromise and integration with the village.
To be honest, Yashiro was incredibly frustrated with the current state of affairs. The clansmen who had once trusted him were now reduced to a pathetic few. If Fugaku hadn't claimed this was a matter of utmost urgency, Yashiro wouldn't have bothered showing up.
The others remained silent.
There was very little respect left for Fugaku. He was a commander without soldiers. Though he still wore the title of Clan Head, in reality, no one took him seriously anymore.
Fugaku: "..."
His face was so dark it looked like water might drip from it. He clenched his fists in fury.
I hate this!
If I had known Uchiha Jin would become such a disaster, I should have killed him at any cost the moment he started to rise.
But now, it was too late.
Taking a deep breath, he forced down his rage and spoke with grave seriousness. "Uchiha Jin... that bastard has demanded the return of our Ancestral Land!"
Hiss!
Hearing this, everyone in the room sucked in a cold breath.
But before they could recover from the shock, Fugaku continued. "But this is absolutely not a good thing! You all know the delicate relationship between the Uchiha and the village. Forcing the village to return that land will only escalate tensions to a breaking point."
"So, Uchiha clansmen!"
"We cannot let Uchiha Jin continue his reckless behavior. We must find a way to stop his foolish actions."
"We worked so hard to ease the tension with the village; we absolutely cannot let Uchiha Jin destroy everything we've built!"
However, unfortunately...
Despite Fugaku's passionate shouting, the atmosphere in the room remained dead silent.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Fugaku was dumbfounded. He couldn't understand. Why is there no reaction?
After a long, suffocating silence, Uchiha Shimei, an elder of the Neutral Faction, sighed and spoke helplessly as Fugaku's face grew uglier by the second. "I admit that what you say has merit, Fugaku. But the problem is... we cannot stop him."
"Indeed. We have no people left," Uchiha Yashiro added, nodding slowly. "Fugaku, accept your fate."
"Aside from the people in this room, everyone else has defected to the Radicals."
"Even if we wanted to resist, we lack the strength to do so."
As the elders spoke, Fugaku's heart sank deeper and deeper.
Uchiha Yomo, who had been silent until now, grumbled, "I told you before, Fugaku. We should have implemented defensive measures similar to the Radicals. But you hesitated. You refused."
"You were thinking about the 'big picture,' but the people below us don't care about politics."
"They only know that if they don't join the Radicals, the only path left for them is death."
The gathered members began to speak up one after another. Everyone had a grievance with Fugaku. If not for his lack of responsibility as a leader, they wouldn't have been abandoned by their kin.
Finally, Uchiha Amano, the Grand Elder of the clan—a man from the era of Madara Uchiha who had long since retired—spoke up. He was usually just a figurehead, but this time, his voice carried weight.
"I do not blame those who fled to the Radicals. They simply wanted to live. Since you, as Clan Head, could not protect them, you cannot blame them for seeking shelter elsewhere."
"And spare me the talk about the 'greater good' of the Uchiha. If you were truly so selfless, would you have been willing to hand your own wife and children over to Danzo in exchange for the lives of those ordinary clansmen?"
"Why haven't the people in this room defected?"
"It's not because of some noble loyalty to the clan. It's because everyone here is strong enough not to fear assassination by Root."
"I... am tired."
"Since Uchiha Jin represents the will of the majority, this old man will cast his lot with the Radicals as well."
"As for you, Fugaku, I will give you one last piece of advice."
"You are a man who hesitates at every turn. The Uchiha are in this predicament because of your indecision. Back then, the clan had decided to fully support the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze..."
"But when Minato was in peril, you allowed Danzo to block us, and we missed the chance to save him. That is what led to our current isolation."
"You are truly unfit to be Clan Head. I advise you to abdicate voluntarily."
"That is all I have to say. Farewell."
With that, Uchiha Amano stood up trembling, gathered his few remaining followers, and walked out of the hall, heading straight for the Radical District.
The meeting hall fell into a deathly silence.
Fugaku's face was hideous.
Uchiha Amano had ripped open the wound Fugaku tried hardest to hide. The clan's decline was indeed rooted in his hesitation that night.
But still... he refused to accept Jin's ideology. In his eyes, Jin was too extreme. If the clan followed him, it would lead to total annihilation!
At that moment, Uchiha Yashiro stood up as well. "Everyone, I will take my leave too."
"Although I don't fully agree with Uchiha Jin, I have been thinking a lot lately. Whether it was the withdrawal of Root and Anbu or his active defense of the district, he has undeniably ensured the safety of our kinsmen."
"And now, he has even reclaimed the Ancestral Land."
"I feel... I should try to trust Uchiha Jin."
"His actions are radical, yes. But he has changed the dynamic where we simply sat and took a beating."
"Perhaps following him will lead to our destruction. But that is better than living this suffocating, humiliating existence. I, Uchiha Yashiro, still have blood in my veins."
"I would rather die standing than live kneeling!"
Yashiro turned and left, his followers trailing behind him.
Following the departure of the two key elders, more and more people stood up and left, choosing to defect to the Radicals.
In the end...
Only Fugaku, the Clan Head, remained. Alongside him were Elders Uchiha Yomo and Uchiha Shimei, and a handful of loyalists.
Thirteen people in total.
Fugaku's expression was twisted, the murderous intent in his eyes solidifying into something tangible.
Uchiha Jin!
Because of that bastard, I truly am a General without an Army.
Suddenly, the door slid open.
Shisui, fresh from his Anbu shift, walked in.
Seeing the empty room, Shisui blinked in confusion.
"Clan Head? Where is everyone?"
"Weren't we supposed to hold a meeting to decide how to stop Uchiha Jin and the Radicals?"
"Where are the other Elders?"