NOVEL NEXT Chapter 144: Official Introduction
Several days later, Fugaku Uchiha, having just returned to the clan after completing a mission, received an invitation from Shiyu Uchiha. He fully understood the importance of this meeting, as Mikoto Uchiha had already informed him of the general situation, and he had thoroughly prepared himself.
In Fugaku's view, Clan Leader Shizhi would likely show some favoritism toward his own son—after all, hadn't he himself benefited from support by his elders?
However, through conversations with the clan elders and two years of observation, Fugaku had gradually come to understand that Shizhi valued the clan above personal interests and could remain impartial on major issues.
Therefore, Fugaku still felt an odd sense of confidence, firmly believing he could outmatch Shiyu Uchiha in every way—both in strength and insight. He believed that as long as he showcased his strengths, he could earn Shizhi's approval and take the most crucial step toward becoming the clan leader.
At the same time, he saw this as a great opportunity—one that might finally free his wife from being caught between her husband and younger brother. Thus, Fugaku gladly accepted the meeting, viewing it as a rare chance.
Outwardly calm—almost expressionless—Fugaku's inner thoughts churned like stormy waves. Inwardly, he thought through how best to impress Shiyu Uchiha and win him over as a valuable ally.
He found himself lost in dreams of a glorious future, almost seeing himself already standing at the peak of his life as the new clan leader.
He even imagined appointing Shiyu Uchiha as a clan elder afterward to help solidify his control over the entire clan.
When dinner ended, just as Fugaku expected the real discussion to begin, Clan Leader Shizhi unexpectedly left alone, leaving only Mikoto as a witness.
This unexpected move surprised Fugaku slightly but also pleased him greatly—it meant Shizhi had chosen neutrality, showing no favoritism toward either side.
The outcome exceeded even the best scenario Fugaku had anticipated, deepening his respect for Shizhi further.
Then the three made their way to the backyard to begin their discussion over tea.
First came small talk—nothing important, just the usual exaggerated politeness exchanged between the two men. While Shiyu Uchiha seemed unfazed, Mikoto, sitting nearby, found it utterly annoying.
Seeing her expression, Shiyu guessed her thoughts and joked, "Sister, feeling unwell?"
Hearing that, Mikoto almost performed a Hand Seal and hurled a fireball straight at Shiyu's face. However, considering the significance of this occasion, she simply clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and held back her anger—for now—with plans for revenge later.
Still, Mikoto shot Fugaku a meaningful glance. Taking the hint, he smoothly shifted the topic and dove into the next stage of the conversation with Shiyu Uchiha, who seemed reluctant to end it.
Then the two finally moved on to the main subject—the current state and challenges facing the Uchiha clan.
When discussing their clan's situation, both naturally started talking about the strength of the Uchiha ninja - a subject where Fugaku Uchiha held an advantage. Having lived among his clansmen for years, he had a clear understanding of these matters. Shiyu Uchiha also allowed Fugaku to go first, giving him space to present his views convincingly.
"Although our Uchiha Clan currently has only one Kage-level expert, Elder Shizhi, we do have many elite jonin," Fugaku began confidently. "Five are currently active, and all those possessing the triple-comma Sharingan represent potential elite jonin." He glanced at Shiyu while speaking, curious about his strength within the clan since he had no way of knowing it fully.
However, seeing Shiyu offer no response, Fugaku shifted the conversation toward issues facing the clan—territory where he remained well-informed, making their discussion quite lively.
Occasionally, Fugaku would make minor mistakes due to limited perspective, but Shiyu simply noted them silently, planning to let him realize these errors naturally later.
Fugaku concluded enthusiastically, "Since Elder Shizhi reformed the Police Force, Paramilitary Police Force training has significantly enhanced our clan members' abilities. The villagers' perception of the Uchiha has greatly improved too, reducing tensions between our clan and the village. I believe our family will eventually integrate fully into the village."
He spoke with deep admiration. After barely escaping that deadly trap, some in the Uchiha clan belatedly realized they had fallen into a snare set by Tobirama Senju, resulting in the entire clan holding very poor perceptions of Tobirama.
Mikoto's expression became rather strange though as she looked at Fugaku, seeming wanting to say something yet unsure how to begin. Noticing this subtle shift, Shiyu remained outwardly calm. He silently savored the praise while continuing to smile politely through Fugaku's speech.
Inwardly amused, he wondered how Fugaku would react if he knew these reforms had actually been his idea.
Through this conversation, Shiyu saw Fugaku's current behavior perfectly aligned with his future actions described in the original narrative. However, he also recognized significant shortcomings in Fugaku's understanding of the fundamental issues confronting their clan.
This problem mainly stemmed from Fugaku's limited thinking and shallow comprehension—his conclusions often superficial, lacking depth or logical consistency.
Therefore, whenever Shiyu posed sharp counter-questions, Fugaku always found himself speechless.
Yet when Fugaku turned the same questions toward Shiyu, the latter could effortlessly answer with explanations surpassing expectations, gradually making Fugaku aware of his own limitations.
Thus, Fugaku slowly transitioned from lecturer to listener, witnessing a complete reversal in their conversational dynamic.
Then, they expanded their discussion from the current issues facing the Uchiha clan to the longstanding problems that had existed since the village's founding, as well as the current difficulties Konoha was facing.
At this point, Fugaku Uchiha's weaknesses began to be magnified. He was aware of these matters, but had never truly thought them through, so naturally, he had no original insights. Worse still, he had even been taken in by the false image presented by the hypocritical Hiruzen Sarutobi.
As a result, his words became weaker and weaker. More often than not, he could only express his long-suppressed confusion through questions, flooding the conversation with them all at once.
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