Izuna, restore the glory of the Uchiha!

The air in the Uchiha clan compound was heavier than usual in the early morning.

Izuna woke up very early that day, not because he was nervous about the upcoming meeting.

It's simply because this formal kimono is far too complicated.

Layer upon layer of inner garments, middle garments, and outer robes, with intricate ties and knots.

He fiddled with it in front of the mirror, but in the end, the wide belt was still tied crookedly.

Ban sat at the dining table, holding a cup of hot tea, patiently waiting for his younger brother.

He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Izuna squeezing himself into the dining chair with difficulty, like a penguin wrapped in cloth.

Ban suddenly felt a little dazed, as if his memory had returned to a few years ago.

At that time, during the family meeting, Izuna, as the second son of the clan head, was not qualified to wear the formal attire that represented power and could only wait outside.

"I'm starting!"

Izuna clasped his hands together and picked up his chopsticks.

Today's breakfast was a traditional Japanese set meal, no different from usual. But the two brothers are usually busy, so it's rare for them to get together quietly for breakfast like this.

After the meal, Madara couldn't stand Izuna's swaying belt any longer, so he personally helped him straighten it and smooth out the wrinkles in his clothes.

"Let's go."

Because they were wearing formal attire, not only was their stride limited, but even running and jumping would be considered improper. The two could only obediently walk step by step to the Nanga Shrine.

Having gotten used to scaling walls and rooftops over the past few days, Izuna was finding it hard to adjust to this slow pace and felt quite uncomfortable.

Along the way, the tribespeople they encountered all stopped and solemnly bowed to the two adults.

Nanka Shrine is located deep in the forest, near the banks of the Nanka River.

The buildings on the ground are actually quite ordinary: a slightly old wooden torii gate, behind which is a small shrine with a shrine, no different from any other shrine.

The real core lies underground.

Lifting the tatami mat and pressing the mechanism reveals a heavy stone door. With a rumbling sound, a staircase leading deep underground appears.

The underground chamber was brightly lit, with braziers on both sides burning grease, and a solemn atmosphere permeated the air.

In the very center of the secret chamber is a huge stone tablet, a sacred object of the Uchiha clan—the Naka Shrine Stone Tablet.

As the clan leader, Madara naturally took the head seat at the very top. Izuna knelt to his left.

Before long, everyone present was seated, clearly divided into several camps:

Directly opposite Ban was the council of elders, headed by the Grand Elder, consisting of five people, representing the family's traditions and conservative forces.

On either side of Madara were twelve of his and Izuna's direct subordinates, young elites who had fought alongside them through thick and thin, representing the family's emerging power.

The remaining members were other elite ninjas from the clan, who, based on their usual stances, were subtly divided into two factions—five doves who advocated for moderate development, and fourteen hawks who advocated for radical expansion.

The clan elder who chaired the meeting cleared his throat; his voice was hoarse.

"Now, let's begin the first item on the agenda: the amount of compensation demanded."

Before the words were even finished, it was like a spark falling into a pot of oil, instantly igniting a heated discussion.

"At least five hundred million taels!" A leader of the hawkish faction slammed his fist on the table, demanding an exorbitant sum. "Not a single coin less! The Thousand Hands must return everything they've swallowed over the past few years!"

"Five hundred million? Are you trying to force Senju to kill us outright?"

One of the doves couldn't help but retort, his brow furrowed: "Two hundred million taels is already the limit; getting it in hand is what really matters."

"Three hundred million!"

"Four hundred and fifty million! We risked our lives for this!"

The arguments rose and fell, creating a noisy atmosphere like a bustling market.

The two sides were deadlocked, spitting as they argued, but after a long time, they still couldn't reach a consensus. The clan elder presiding over the meeting said helplessly.

"Quiet! Since we can't reach a consensus, let's put this issue aside for now."

"The second item concerns the handling of the Thousand-Handed Prisoners."

"Bang!"

The elder slammed his hand on the table, then spoke, his eyes bloodshot:

"Execute them all!"

"Is there even a need for discussion? The Senju clan has a blood feud with us!"

Which of these prisoners hasn't stained their hands with Uchiha blood? Keeping them alive is like raising a tiger to cause future trouble! Their heads must be used to atone for the deaths of our clansmen!

These words were like adding fuel to the fire, instantly igniting most of the hawks, who nodded in agreement. Even the remaining elders, who held conservative views, dared not provoke them at this moment and could only nod in acquiescence.

The few doves hesitated, their expressions troubled. But in this fervent atmosphere of revenge, they opened their mouths, their voices instantly drowned out.

The secret room suddenly became incredibly noisy and filled with murderous intent.

Once most people quieted down and the noise subsided, everyone turned their attention to the person in the main seat.

Ban sat there, without saying a word.

Noticing the gazes of the crowd, he merely raised his hand to signal to Izuna beside him.

With a thought, the dictionary appeared before Izuna.

The term "brother complex" is highlighted again, shimmering with golden light.

This time, the effectiveness of the encyclopedia was verified on-site.

Two days earlier, Ban had already been bribed by Izuna, who offered a high price and only gave a simple explanation.

Therefore, in order to realize Izuna's plan, he will not have to speak up today and will entrust everything to Izuna.

Seeing Madara's signal, Izuna calmly took over the conversation and began:

"Killing is the easiest thing. A swing of the knife, a head falls to the ground—it certainly feels satisfying. But then what?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a young man from the hawkish faction protested:

"That's enough to vent my anger. What I want is for murderers to pay with their lives, for blood to be used to settle scores!"

"Oh?"

Izuna stood up, raising an eyebrow.

That was a brilliant way to start the conversation. If I didn't actually know him, I would have thought he was a subordinate who had specially arranged for him to be a good-faced straight man.

"Then let's calculate carefully how satisfying 'a life for a life' really is."

"First, there is the grudge held by the Senju clan."

Of course, the two races have harbored deep-seated grudges for thousands of years, so they don't care about these few dozen lives. However, they'll settle the score on the battlefield someday.

Secondly, there is no room for negotiation regarding compensation.

Izuna's tone suddenly turned cold.

"What, you're all about to kill people, and you still expect them to obediently pay money to ransom dozens of cold corpses?"

Each sarcastic remark was like a slap in the face to the bloodshot-eyed tribesmen below the stage, turning their faces pale and then red.

Some wanted to retort, but were restrained by the clan leader's authority and Izuna's aggressive demeanor, and dared not utter a sound.

Ignoring their response, Izuna continued speaking, raising his voice slightly.

"Heads rolled on the ground."

Thump!

Izuna suddenly spread his arms wide, as if something had really been thrown to the ground, making a dull thud.

The atmosphere inside the room froze for a moment.

"I don't care about the five hundred million taels you were arguing about so fiercely, or the guaranteed three hundred million taels."

"Everything's ruined!"