Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

No matter what the Third Hokage thought, he wouldn't say he wanted to send members of the Uchiha clan to the front lines, would he?

It should be noted that the suspicion against their clan has not yet been cleared.

Therefore, Fugaku, like the Third Hokage, believed that Hiruzen Sarutobi had a specific intention behind this conscription order.

I wanted to refuse directly.

But it seems there's no reasonable excuse to refuse.

Fortunately, this was not something that could be decided in a single meeting. Each of the major ninja clans needed to go back and consult with their own clans to determine the proportion of troops that could be deployed. Fugaku naturally followed the trend and convened this secret clan meeting immediately after returning to his clan.

Among these clansmen, more or less all knew some of the details. After all, these people were all Jonin, and each of them had certain intelligence sources. That is why Si was still wearing the 'Chunin' mark.

Therefore, as Fugaku finished speaking...

None of the forty or fifty tribesmen showed any surprise.

Some people had their brows furrowed.

Some people wore cold smiles.

Another group directly expressed their dissatisfaction and anger.

"Hmph! They doubt our race on one hand, and yet they want to drive us into battle on the other? What a pipe dream!"

"Yes, I think we should just refuse. Our clan is responsible for the village's security, not for that! It's not like we're in the midst of a major war!"

"That's right! Chieftain, I think we must show our strong will and not let the village be manipulated at will!"

"There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

At every clan meeting, there are always the most hot-tempered clansmen who are the first to jump out and vent their dissatisfaction with the village. In the three or four clan meetings that Jiang Si has attended, this has become a common occurrence.

However, most of these people were simply venting their anger and dissatisfaction.

There were almost no truly constructive suggestions, including the so-called 'coup'. Not to mention in this life, even in the original story until the Uchiha clan was completely wiped out, not a single person proposed a feasible and complete 'coup' plan. From beginning to end, these clan members were just shouting slogans and venting their dissatisfaction.

This is also what Jiangsi is most disappointed and worried about.

Having power but no brains, and constantly shouting "rebellion slogans," doesn't that just mean they deserve to be destroyed?

Therefore, it is very difficult for Jiang Si to trust his own 'companion', which is the biggest reason why he has to be more cautious.

These days.

They truly have no fear of formidable opponents.

I'm really afraid of having a terrible teammate.

At the head of the house, as Fugaku once again heard his clansmen's resentful words about "never deviating from their roots despite all the changes," he outwardly remained calm, but inwardly he sighed helplessly. It was clear that changing the clan's predicament was not something he could do alone.

But now, within the vast Uchiha clan...

I can't even find a reliable person I can truly trust and discuss things with.

This is undoubtedly a very tragic thing.

14. The road chosen by the general.

Noisy and boisterous.

Then came all sorts of complaints and grievances.

Since the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage, this has almost become a regular 'performance' in the secret clan meeting of the Uchiha clan's high-ranking members. Listening to the angry words of the people below, without hearing a single constructive suggestion.

Fugaku took a deep breath.

"All right!"

The deep, guttural words carried a chilling, sinister aura.

As the men of the clan below felt a chill run down their spines, the atmosphere within the secret meeting suddenly fell silent.

"Don't say anything that's pointless. The most important thing now is how our clan should respond to the village's conscription order. Agreeing is a given, but refusing requires a reasonable reason. Our Uchiha clan is also a member of Konoha. Even if we are facing certain difficulties now, that will not change. We cannot take the blame for ourselves again!"

With a cold and stern expression, Fugaku scanned the faces of the clansmen below one by one before speaking slowly.

"Elders, what are your thoughts on this conscription order? This is a major matter concerning the clan, and I hope you can offer your opinions."

There's no way for one person to truly make a decision.

Then let's combine the wisdom of the collective.

In Fugaku's view, whether they agree or refuse, there are advantages and disadvantages for the Uchiha clan. Based on this, Fugaku hopes to see the clan reach a consensus to make the corresponding decision. On this point, the opinions of the eight elders are crucial.

Fugaku also needed the help of those eight highly respected elders, which went beyond experience and prestige.

The elders, including Uchiha Genran, Uchiha Chie, and Uchiha Takayuki, exchanged glances, but none of them spoke immediately.

And it happened right during this gap in time.

"Chief, I have a suggestion that may be immature. I wonder if you could give me a little time to explain it?"

It's in the bottom left position.

The general estimated that the time was about right.

Shisui, who had been worried but whose expression had suddenly turned to surprise, stood up and looked at Uchiha Fugaku, who was sitting at the head of the table, and said this.

A sudden statement amidst the silence.

Moreover, he was a 'new member' who had only been a member of the clan association for a little over six months.

It can be said that the moment Jiang Si stood up, he immediately attracted the attention of forty or fifty clansmen present. Fugaku was slightly stunned at this moment, and Elder Uchiha Genran, who was sitting on the left, also looked at Jiang Si with a look of surprise.

"You must be General Si? This is a gathering for our clan to discuss important matters. As long as you are a member of our clan, you naturally have the right to speak. Please feel free to voice any opinions you may have!"

As the head of the clan, Fugaku could not possibly remember the names of thousands of people in the clan, but he could definitely remember the names and appearances of the clan members who were at least Chunin level, especially someone like Shoji, who was considered a genius in the clan and had recently awakened his Sharingan to the three-tomoe level, firmly stepping into the Jonin level.

It was impossible for Fugaku Uchiha not to remember.

Although this clan gathering...

Fugaku had only been looking forward to the opinions of the eight elders, and had simply ignored the venting remarks of the clansmen. But now, seeing Shoji's calm and composed demeanor, Fugaku found himself unusually filled with a hint of anticipation deep within his heart.

"Yes, Chieftain!"

After bowing slightly to show his respect, Jiang Si raised his eyes again and scanned the faces of the clansmen in front of him. With a very solemn expression, he said, "I believe that our Uchiha clan should respond to the village's call and send some clansmen to the front line to fight against the Cloud Ninja. This is not only for the sake of the village, but also for the future of our clan!"

This is a straightforward expression of personal opinion.

The general had no intention of dragging things out.

However, just as Jiang Si finished speaking...

"What!?"

"For the sake of the clan!? Jiang Sijun! You need to think carefully about your words!?"

"Hmph! Jiang Sijun, young people are ignorant, so speak less and listen to the advice of your elders! You have no idea about the current situation of our clan!"

"That's right, Commander! You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"

The atmosphere, which had calmed down, suddenly became noisy and boiling.

Of the forty or fifty clansmen present, almost half looked at Jiang Si with sneers, and the most hot-tempered ones even spoke up to mock him.

In their view.

This is a completely irresponsible and reckless statement.

That's why I said that young people today don't understand the concept of the big picture at all!

What kind of situation has the Uchiha clan been forced into by the village? They still have to serve and sacrifice for the village?!

Stop joking!

Faced with the mockery of these tribesmen.

The general's expression remained unchanged.

"General..."

A faint look of worry appeared on Zhi Shui's face.

In the uppermost position.

The eight elders of the Uchiha clan all looked at Jiang Si with strange expressions, with Elder Xuan Lan in the lead, as if they wanted to re-examine Jiang Si.

"quiet!"

Fugaku gave Shoji a deep look before speaking in a low voice.

This also silenced the criticisms from below.

"Jiang Sijun, you should know that you are responsible for your words at the clan meeting, right?"

"Yes, Chieftain!"

"Then tell me why you think that way! You not only have to convince me, but also all the clansmen here. As a member of the Uchiha clan, your words must be consistent with your identity!"

"Yes!"

Shoji turned sideways and looked intently at Uchiha Fugaku above. After bowing again in response, he straightened his body once more.

It seemed to emanate a special aura from him.

"As you all know, our clan is currently in a position of being questioned by the entire village. The Hokage doesn't trust us, and our other comrades are suspicious. In this situation, any wrong step we take will have extremely bad consequences. Konoha was founded by the Uchiha, but the Uchiha also belong to Konoha. I hope you can realize this and not separate the two. What we need to do now is to win the support and trust of the majority, instead of just venting our emotions!"

Jiang Si spoke calmly.

However, these words only intensified the mockery on the faces of the clansmen.

"However, have you considered that this could very well be yet another suppression of our clan, General Jiang?"

It is located on the right side of the top position.

Chie Uchiha, an elder of the fourth branch of the Uchiha clan, looked at Shoji with indifferent eyes and asked in a very stern tone.

15. An Oscar-worthy performance

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The obvious suspicion and suppression from higher-ups.

The other ninja clans' blatant rejection and isolation are evident in the situation at their new settlement after this relocation. Any intelligent person could see this, and the same was true for the eight elders. As Elder Chie finished speaking, all the high-ranking members of the Uchiha clan, including Fugaku, looked at Shoji with thoughtful eyes.

Among them, Elder Xuanlan, a senior member of the Jiangsi lineage, had a hint of worry in his eyes.