Deep within the Naka Shrine of the Uchiha clan, a secret chamber that was never opened on ordinary days now burned with the faint glow of candlelight.
On either side of the room, two groups of people sat in clear and distinct separation.
On the left sat the Hawk faction elders, led by Uchiha Hachidai.
On the right sat the core of the Dove faction, led by Uchiha En.
"Ahem."
At last, Dove faction elder Uchiha En could no longer hold back a dry cough, breaking the suffocating silence.
"Elder Shinsuke... we..."
"Elders, I did not ask you all here today to settle accounts with the past."
"But to see the future clearly."
"The future?"
A Hawk faction elder let out a cold snort, his contempt completely undisguised.
"Was our future not already cut off along with that child Shisui?"
Those words caused the faces of Uchiha En and the other Dove faction elders to darken in an instant.
"Shisui was a genius."
Uchiha Shinsuke said.
"His loyalty, his love for the village, no one could match it."
"But his death also proved one thing."
Uchiha Shinsuke swept his gaze across every elder present.
"In the eyes of Konoha's higher-ups, an Uchiha who is obedient and poses no threat is the only good Uchiha, and an Uchiha's life is worth nothing, to be discarded like a ninja tool the moment it is no longer needed!"
"Enough!"
Uchiha En let out a low growl.
"We already know! We already know we were wrong!"
"No."
Uchiha Shinsuke shook his head.
"This is not a question of who was right and who was wrong."
"This is a question of choosing how to survive."
"Whether to keep being a blade that can be snapped and thrown away at any moment, or to choose to become the hand that holds the blade and commands one's own fate."
Uchiha Shinsuke rose to his feet and paced slowly through the cramped secret chamber.
"We will take back everything that belongs to the Uchiha, our glory, our standing, and our dignity!"
"Easy words to say!"
A Dove faction elder still carried doubt in his voice.
"But on what basis? The Hawks and Doves have harbored grievances for years, with constant internal friction, so how are we to unite?"
"You raise a fair point."
Uchiha Shinsuke stopped walking and looked toward him.
"Unification is not achieved through words, but through action."
Uchiha Shinsuke turned toward Uchiha En.
"Elder En, your Dove faction, though not inclined toward combat, has over the years planted quite a few informants and eyes throughout the village in order to navigate the currents of the higher-ups!"
Uchiha En's whole body jolted as he stared at Uchiha Shinsuke in astonishment.
This was the greatest secret of their Dove faction, the trump card they used to sense which way the winds were blowing among the higher-ups and to protect themselves, and Shinsuke had laid it bare with a single sentence.
Without waiting for his answer, Shinsuke turned toward Uchiha Hachidai.
"Elder Hachidai, your Hawk faction holds the core combat strength of the guard unit, controls over ninety percent of the clan's training resources, and the most elite warriors within the clan are all in your hands."
Uchiha Hachidai gave a nod, for this was an undeniable truth.
"I am now putting forward a 'Clan Resource Sharing Plan.'"
Uchiha Shinsuke's voice rang out with weight and clarity.
"From today onward, Elder En's intelligence network will provide the most precise movement intelligence for Elder Hachidai's guard unit."
"And the training grounds must be opened to all clan members, including the younger generation of the Dove faction that you have regarded as 'weak.'"
"Furthermore, the Hawk faction must dispatch elite jonin to provide instruction to the younger generation of the Dove faction!"
Uchiha Shinsuke continued and announced a second decision.
"Effective immediately, Uchiha Nagi and Uchiha Hikaru will join my elder guard unit as deputy captains."
The moment those words landed, the Dove faction side broke into an uproar.
Uchiha Nagi and Uchiha Hikaru were both rare young talents within the Dove faction who, though of considerable ability, had always been pushed to the margins of the power structure because of their faction affiliation.
And now, Uchiha Shinsuke had directly elevated them to the most important positions at his own side.
What an extraordinary display of trust and decisiveness!
"Elder Shinsuke..."
Uchiha En's lips trembled with emotion.
"I am not trying to erase the differences between the Hawks and the Doves."
Uchiha Shinsuke's voice rang out again.
"Hawks have their talons, and Doves have their vision."
"What I want is a complete Uchiha."
"For the future of the clan, we must set aside the prejudices of the past."
"Over the past several years, the clan chose to endure in silence, and some saw that as compromise, while others saw it as weakness."
"But I do not see it that way."
"I believe that was the clan buying time for itself, accumulating strength."
"It was precisely that long period of lying low that allowed us to wait for this moment, a moment where we can completely turn the tide!"
"When all is said and done, everything must be supported by absolute power."
Uchiha Hachidai looked at Uchiha Shinsuke and asked.
"Shinsuke, you have painted us a grand vision."
"Can you truly lead us to achieve all of this? On what basis can you stand against Danzō, against the entire leadership of Konoha?"
Every pair of eyes in the room instantly focused once again on Uchiha Shinsuke.
This was the final and most fundamental question.
Uchiha Shinsuke smiled.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Then snapped them open.
Hummm!
No longer the three jet-black tomoe.
Left eye, three sharp sickle blades; right eye, three spiraling whorls.
The Mangekyō Sharingan!
The legendary supreme ocular technique of the Uchiha clan, one that could only possibly be awakened after experiencing the extreme agony of losing someone most dear!
In Uchiha Hachidai's eyes, first came absolute shock, and then it transformed into fervent worship and joy.
He had not chosen wrong!
He truly had not chosen wrong!
These eyes were the greatest guarantee of the Uchiha's rise!
This was the "absolute power" Uchiha Shinsuke had spoken of!
In the moment every person present saw those eyes, the last trace of doubt within their hearts vanished like smoke.
In its place came a conviction and fervor they had never felt before.
"From this day forward, we pledge to honor Elder Shinsuke as our leader!"
Uchiha Hachidai declared his loyalty and lowered his proud head.
"We are willing to walk through fire and water for Elder Shinsuke, and will stop at nothing!"
Uchiha En followed immediately after, and together with every Dove faction member, bowed deeply in reverence.
For the first time, the two factions within the secret chamber pledged their loyalty to the same person with such unified resolve.
Uchiha Shinsuke withdrew the Mangekyō Sharingan, and that terrifying pressure dispersed along with it.
From this moment forward, he, Uchiha Shinsuke, had become the true helmsman of this enormous clan.
Fugaku...
The seat of clan head had come time to change hands.
From here, Shinsuke's next objective was to pressure Uchiha Fugaku into stepping down, to take the position of clan head himself, and to become the rightful and undisputed master of the Uchiha clan.