Night fell, and members of the Uchiha clan gathered in the open space before the Naka Shrine by the Uchiha's Naka River.
After Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head, opened the hidden trapdoor beneath the seventh tatami mat from the right inside the shrine's main hall, one Uchiha shinobi after another descended into the secret chamber hidden beneath the shrine.
Although it was called a full clan assembly, the actual participants were only expanded from the previous standard of jōnin attendance to include special jōnin, elite chūnin, and chūnin-level shinobi.
These were the core forces of the Uchiha clan.
As for those who lacked sufficient strength, the genin could only remain outside the chamber to stand guard.
"Ren , are you sure we shouldn't send some jōnin out to patrol? With all of us gathered here, it would be easy for someone to wipe us out in one strike."
While people were still filing in, Uchiha Fugaku pulled Uchiha Ren aside and spoke with concern.
Originally, Fugaku had planned to dispatch ten elite squads, each composed of jōnin and chūnin, to patrol the outer perimeter of the clan's ancestral grounds as a precaution.
However, Uchiha Ren vetoed the proposal, insisting that all jōnin and chūnin attend the meeting. The decision had left Fugaku uneasy the entire day.
Ren remained calm and reassured him.
"You've already seen Obito. Their surveillance abilities far surpass those of ordinary shinobi. There's nothing to worry about."
Naturally, Ren hadn't left things completely unguarded. He had already deployed White Zetsu and Obito around the area. Any disturbance within Konohagakure would immediately reach his ears.
That was why he had the confidence to gather all the Uchiha shinobi together.
Fugaku's worry, however, did not fade.
"But didn't you say Obito and the others aren't particularly strong in actual combat? If something really happens, they might not be able to hold the enemy back."
"How about letting Yashiro and the others go patrol outside?"
"They're all our own people. No matter what the outcome of the meeting is, they won't object."
The safety of the entire Uchiha clan was at stake, so Fugaku had to be cautious.
Ten elite squads meant forty shinobi. Together with the Uchiha genin guarding outside the chamber, they could easily fight a small-scale battle.
No matter what happened, they would at least be able to buy time for those inside the chamber to react.
Ren sighed slightly.
"If you're really that worried, I'll tell you the truth."
"Right now, outside the clan grounds, besides Obito and the others keeping watch… there's also a Mangekyō Sharingan and a Perfect jinchuriki."
"That should put your mind at ease."
Fugaku froze.
"A Mangekyō? A jinchuriki? Where did a Mangekyō come from? And the jinchuriki you're talking about… don't tell me it's Uzumaki Kushina?"
His shock was understandable.
As the Uchiha clan head, Fugaku knew better than anyone how rare the Mangekyō Sharingan was. He simply couldn't think of anyone within the clan capable of awakening it.
And all Uchiha shinobi were already gathered here.
So where had this Mangekyō come from?
As for the jinchuriki, that sounded even more unbelievable.
The Tailed Beasts in the shinobi world were few—only nine in total, and nearly all of them were controlled by the great shinobi villages.
One-Tail — SunagakureTwo-Tails — KumogakureFour-Tails and Five-Tails — IwagakureSix-Tails — KirigakureSeven-Tails — Takigakure
The Three-Tails had originally belonged to Kirigakure, but it had died during the war and would require time to resurrect.
As for Konoha, it currently only possessed the Nine-Tails, while the Eight-Tails was still sealed away under confinement.
Under today's circumstances, whether it was the Nine-Tails or the Eight-Tails, the village would certainly keep them under strict guard. There was no way either could secretly serve as Ren 's hidden trump card.
Then where did this Perfect jinchuriki Ren mentioned come from?
Suddenly, Fugaku seemed to realize something. His eyes widened.
"Ren … you didn't secretly cooperate with another village, did you?"
Ren waved his hand dismissively.
"Stop guessing. I haven't worked with any other village."
"The one outside right now is the Three-Tails. Back on the battlefield, it never actually died—I secretly took control of it."
Fugaku finally understood, though he was still stunned by Ren 's methods.
A Tailed Beast was considered a strategic weapon in any village. Yet Ren had somehow taken control of one without anyone noticing.
If news of this ever spread, it would cause an enormous uproar.
Wait—
Fugaku suddenly paused as another realization struck him.
If everything Ren said was true, then their side now possessed four Mangekyō Sharingan users and one Perfect jinchuriki.
With such power, why should they still fear Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others?
At that moment, Fugaku finally understood where Ren 's earlier claim of "ninety percent certainty" had come from.
Taking a deep breath, Fugaku spoke solemnly:
"Ren … from today onward, the future of the Uchiha clan will be entrusted to you."
Previously, although Fugaku had already accepted that he would soon lose the position of clan head, there had still been a trace of unwillingness in his heart.
Now, however, that reluctance had completely disappeared.
Ren smiled and nodded.
"Don't worry. You'll witness the bright future of the Uchiha."
Fugaku said nothing further. He walked to the raised platform at the end of the chamber and waited silently.
Before long, the once spacious underground chamber had become crowded with more than four hundred people.
Excluding the younger Uchiha still in training and not yet graduated, the clan currently had 874 active shinobi.
Among them:
74 jōnin who had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan317 special jōnin or elite chūnin with the two-tomoe Sharingan29 chūnin who had not yet awakened the SharinganThe rest were genin with either a one-tomoe Sharingan or none at all
In most clans, if the total number of shinobi was ten, the typical ratio of genin : chūnin : jōnin would be roughly 7 : 2.5 : 0.5.
But after enduring a full round of war, the Uchiha clan's ratio had reached an astonishing 5 : 4 : 1.
The number of chūnin and jōnin combined was nearly equal to the number of genin.
This was precisely what made the Uchiha clan so formidable.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Fugaku cleared his throat softly.
Instantly, the underground chamber fell silent.
All conversation vanished, leaving only the crackling of burning wood from the torches lining the walls.
Fugaku glanced at the two elders seated at the front of the left and right sides below the platform—
First Elder Uchiha Setsuna and Second Elder Uchiha Ya.
Taking a deep breath, he declared:
"The Clan Assembly… begins now."
In an instant—
Within the dim underground chamber, pairs of crimson Sharingan lit up one after another.
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