Konoha Uchiha Clan Meeting Hall
The atmosphere inside the meeting hall was unusually heavy.
Several elders sat silently on both sides while dim candlelight flickered across the room.
At the centre of it all—
Fugaku Uchiha sat quietly with a grim expression.
Right now, he was under enormous pressure.
For the first time in years, the entire clan shared the same demand.
The Sharingan had to return to the Uchiha clan.
No matter what.
A bloodline limit like the Sharingan existing in the possession of a non-Uchiha was something many clansmen simply could not accept.
Even if that person was Kakashi Hatake.
Everyone inside the clan knew about Kakashi's past.
They respected his father's fame.
Some even pitied the boy for losing both teammates during the war.
But even then—
They could not tolerate an outsider using the Sharingan freely.
Even if it had been gifted by Obito Uchiha before his death.
Grand Elder Setsuna Uchiha slowly looked toward Fugaku.
"Clan Head... ignoring this matter or delaying it further will not benefit you."
His calm voice echoed softly inside the silent hall.
"In the end, a decision must still be made."
Fugaku remained silent.
Setsuna continued while staring directly at him.
"Right now, many clansmen are still away from the village."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"So the number of people demanding action is still limited."
A brief silence spread through the room.
"But once the others return..."
His voice became heavier.
"...you may no longer have the chance to decide anything yourself."
The pressure behind those words was obvious.
"So the wise choice is to make a decision now."
Nearby, Elder Kohaku also nodded slightly.
"Clan Head, Grand Elder's words may sound harsh..."
He paused briefly.
"...but the Sharingan is something no Uchiha wishes to see leave the clan."
The other elders quietly agreed.
The atmosphere inside the hall became even heavier.
"And now that Minato Namikaze and Kakashi have both returned to Konoha..."
Kohaku looked directly at Fugaku.
"...it would be better to settle this matter through discussion rather than waiting for something unexpected to happen."
Fugaku finally raised his eyes toward the elders.
His expression remained calm, but exhaustion could already be seen beneath it.
"Elder..."
His voice was low.
"Right now, Minato's team has become extremely famous throughout Konoha."
He slowly leaned back into his seat.
"Every villager knows about their sacrifice and loyalty during the war."
The recent rumours spreading across the village naturally appeared in Fugaku's mind again.
The Yellow Flash.
The Hero of the War.
The next Hokage.
More and more people had already started treating Minato as the strongest candidate for the Hokage position.
And honestly—
Even Fugaku himself understood it.
None of the Legendary Sannin seemed interested in competing for the position.
Lady Tsunade and Lord Jiraiya both openly supported Minato.
That alone made his political standing incredibly strong.
Fugaku slowly looked toward the two elders again.
"And at a time like this..."
He paused briefly.
"...if I go to Minato and demand the Sharingan back from his student..."
The meeting hall became quiet.
Fugaku's eyes darkened slightly.
"What kind of image do you think will form in the minds of the villagers?"
His voice carried clear frustration now.
"How do you think people will react toward the Uchiha after that?"
Because Fugaku already understood the outcome clearly.
The moment the Uchiha forced Kakashi to hand over the Sharingan—
The villager would not see it as reclaiming a bloodline limit.
They would see it as the Uchiha attacking a war hero.
"Fugaku... just for the sake of maintaining the clan's image or fearing rumours, we cannot allow the Sharingan to remain outside the clan."
Grand Elder Setsuna Uchiha looked directly at Fugaku as he spoke.
His voice had become noticeably colder now.
"If this time you allow the Sharingan to leave the clan and show weakness to the village..."
His eyes narrowed sharply.
"...then what about next time?"
The atmosphere inside the meeting hall instantly became heavier.
"What if they ask for even more?"
Setsuna's voice carried clear anger now.
"Will you donate those as well?"
Several elders silently lowered their eyes after hearing that.
To the older generation of the Uchiha—
Bloodline limits and clan techniques were sacred.
No clan would willingly allow such things to leave their possession.
Yet now, their own Clan Head continued hesitating over such an important matter.
That alone frustrated Setsuna greatly.
Meanwhile, Fugaku Uchiha quietly looked toward the Grand Elder.
At this point, he already understood something clearly.
No matter what he said—
The elders would never fully understand his concerns.
They only saw the Sharingan.
But Fugaku had to think about the entire village.
The fragile relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha.
The growing support behind Minato Namikaze.
And the public image of the clan itself.
After a long silence, Fugaku finally spoke.
"...Alright."
His voice sounded tired.
"I will discuss the matter with Minato."
Then he slowly added,
"Just give me some time."
Grand Elder Setsuna silently stared at him for a few seconds before finally nodding.
"Good."
He slowly stood up from his seat.
"But do not take too long."
And with that—
The meeting gradually came to an end.
Meanwhile—
At Kushina's residence.
The atmosphere there was no less heavy.
Kakashi Hatake sat quietly while listening to the conversation between Minato Namikaze and Tsunade.
His visible eye remained lowered the entire time.
"Minato..."
Tsunade crossed her arms as she looked at him seriously.
"The Uchiha will never willingly allow Kakashi to keep the Sharingan."
Her voice remained calm.
"That much I know for certain."
Minato remained silent.
Even he understood that reality.
Tsunade continued,
"And even if you take this matter to a Jonin meeting..."
She shook her head slightly.
"...very few clans or shinobi would openly support you."
Because this matter went beyond the ordinary village authority.
Bloodline limits and secret clan techniques were sensitive matters.
The village could not interfere too deeply in them.
Otherwise—
The trust between the clans and the village itself would begin breaking apart.
And right now...
That trust already felt dangerously fragile.
If pushed too hard—
Everything could collapse.
Tsunade looked directly at Minato.
"The best solution would be for Kakashi himself to return the Sharingan willingly."
Her voice softened slightly afterwards.
"If you force this issue..."
She paused briefly.
"...it could damage your chances of becoming Hokage."
She knew Minato well.
If he openly sided against the Uchiha on a matter involving the Sharingan—
It would not only make the Uchiha hostile toward him.
It would also make other clans wary of him as well.
Minato quietly looked toward Kakashi.
"Sister Tsunade..."
His voice was low.
"That Sharingan was Obito's final gift to Kakashi."
The room became quiet.
"It was proof of their friendship."
A faint sadness appeared in Minato's eyes.
"And to me... it represents the Will of Fire itself."
Then he slowly shook his head.
"So I don't care about the Hokage position."
Kakashi had already lost too much.
Obito.
Rin.
His father.
Minato could not bear seeing him carry another burden.
But then—
Kakashi suddenly raised his head.
"Minato-sensei..."
His voice was quiet.
"Obito's final wish was for me to use this Sharingan to protect Rin."
His fingers slowly tightened slightly.
"But I couldn't even do that."
Silence spread through the room again.
Kakashi slowly looked downward.
"And now..."
His voice became even quieter.
"...I don't want this to become a burden on you too."
Then slowly—
He raised a kunai toward his Sharingan.
"If that's the case..."
His hand trembled slightly.
"...then you can take it and return it to the Uchiha."
The moment those words came out—
Everyone froze.
"No!"
Kushina Uzumaki immediately rushed toward Kakashi and grabbed his wrist tightly.
Even Tsunade and Minato had been stunned for a second after seeing Kakashi raise the kunai toward his own eye.
But they quickly snapped out of it.
"Kakashi!"
Minato's expression darkened instantly.
Meanwhile, Tsunade immediately moved closer as well.
"You don't need to rush into something like this."
Her tone became much gentler now.
"We can still talk to the Uchiha Clan Head first."
She was genuinely worried Kakashi might actually attempt something extreme if left alone with these thoughts.
Nearby, Kushina tightly held Kakashi's hand.
"Kakashi..."
Her voice softened warmly.
"I'll talk to Mikoto about this."
She gave him a reassuring smile despite the tension in the room.
"She'll speak with Fugaku."
Kushina gently squeezed his hand.
"So don't worry."
Her eyes softened slightly afterwards.
"They'll understand Obito's final wish."
*****************************************************************************************************************
AUTHOR NOTE :
This chapter was less about action and more about conflict between people, emotions, and responsibility.
From the Uchiha side, the Sharingan is not just an eye — it is part of their bloodline and identity.
But from Kakashi and Minato's side, it is Obito's final gift and proof of their bond.
Neither side is completely wrong, and that is what made this chapter interesting to write.
I also wanted to show how fragile the relationship between the village and the clans actually is. One wrong move in situations like this can slowly create distrust that lasts for years.
Thank you for reading.
***********************************************************************************************
If anyone wants to join P@treon, they're welcome to.
Right now, P@treon chapters are available up to (Chapter 118: Beneath the Snow, A Nation Negotiates (Part 2))
P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]
Thank you for the support and patience.