Chapter Forty-One: Fugaku’s Regret

It had to be said, Uchiha Ryo's words were deftly crafted; with a few simple sentences, he dismantled Fugaku's argument. As an Uchiha, respecting the wishes of the clan was indeed important, but the Sharingan was the heart of their family. With his statement, he directly labeled Obito's actions as mistaken, garnering the approval of most clan members.

Uchiha Fugaku naturally noticed this, and his face darkened. He hadn't expected that, even after vouching for the matter with his own status, these elders would still show him no respect. Yet now he was caught on the tiger's back—unless he subdued the assembly with the overwhelming force of the Mangekyou, this issue would soon spiral out of control.

Fugaku hesitated. On one hand, he was angry with the elders for disregarding the greater good; on the other, he was unwilling to stand in opposition to the will of too many clansmen.

Uchiha Rei watched the scene unfold, shook his head slightly, and rose to his feet. He had intended to voice his opinion last, but Ryo's words were clearly aimed at him, trying to use his previous actions to define the issue with Kakashi. Rei would not let himself be used as a pawn, especially since he had long been irritated by these stubborn elders.

Originally, he was content to let the waters lie undisturbed—as long as they left him alone, he had no reason to stir trouble. But now, that was no longer possible. He could not allow this matter to continue, no matter what.

"Elder Ryo, are you all simply too old, and thus senile?" Rei said with a mocking expression, his words sharp and unreserved.

His standing up had already drawn attention; his pointed remarks now left some in stunned disbelief.

Ignoring the shifts in their expressions, Rei continued, "Everything I have done has been for the benefit of the clan and my comrades, not for you to exploit at will."

"Uchiha Rei, do you know what you're saying?" Ryo jabbed his finger at Rei, his graying beard trembling with rage.

He hadn't expected Rei to show him such blatant disrespect, not only addressing him without honorifics, but also insulting all the elders together.

Ryo’s expression turned cold, his teeth clenched. "I once thought highly of you, believing you could defend the interests of the Uchiha outside the clan. But your current words are simply foolish!"

"My conduct is not for you to judge," Rei replied coldly. "You claim everything is for the clan, but your actions are destroying it. Who, then, is truly foolish?"

"Uchiha Rei, don’t slander me! When have I ever destroyed the clan?"

Hearing this, Ryo’s blood surged, and he hastily countered.

"Heh, what you say and do is nothing but destruction," Rei tilted his head. "Do you not know whom Kakashi represents?"

"Of course I do," Ryo frowned, retorting, "So what? Even the Fourth Hokage cannot take away the Uchiha's bloodline."

"Exactly, and besides, Minato Namikaze is currently incapable of governing!"

From the side, Elder Uchiha Yu spoke up, prompting agreement from several other elders.

"Is that truly your understanding?" Rei shook his head, astonished by their response. He had expected them to invoke some grand notion of clan justice to pressure him, but their rationale for reclaiming Kakashi's Sharingan was simply that the Fourth Hokage was powerless—a ridiculous excuse.

Did Ryo and the others not see that Minato would inevitably govern, or that taking Kakashi's Sharingan would irrevocably antagonize the Fourth?

No, Rei immediately dismissed that thought. These elders couldn’t possibly be so foolish.

The only possibility was that they simply didn’t care; they saw only short-term gain, the clan’s ability to suppress the village in this matter. What they truly desired was not Kakashi’s Sharingan, but a fleeting sense of triumph!

As for the consequences, they hadn’t considered them at all—just as with their past reckless actions.

With support from the others, Ryo’s confidence swelled. "Did we say anything wrong?"

"Forgive my bluntness, but you elders—every one of you—is an idiot."

Rei replied with a blank expression, filled with disdain.

"Uchiha Rei, clarify your words," Yu said coldly. "Should I take this as a challenge to the elders? Do you not recognize the order of respect and hierarchy?"

As he spoke, Yu stood up, his eyes transforming into a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan.

No one had expected the situation to escalate so quickly—one wrong word and it seemed a fight would break out.

Fugaku’s brows furrowed, but before he could speak, Rei had already activated his own Sharingan!

"So, you want to fight?" Rei’s expression turned icy, a hint of murderous intent in his gaze. "Then you’d best prepare yourself. I don’t show mercy to enemies."

Neither side would yield, and tension mounted.

"Enough! Is this how you use the Sharingan? Do you even acknowledge me as your clan leader?!"

This time, even Fugaku—no matter how reluctant to use the Mangekyou to maintain the balance of the clan council—had to intervene.

Fugaku activated the Mangekyou, glaring coldly at Yu, then at Ryo, and finally swept his gaze over Rei.

He took a deep breath and spoke firmly, "Sit down, all of you. Then clarify your words."

Seeing the clan leader's Mangekyou, Ryo and Yu could not help but sit back down.

Rei also sat, but continued to glare coldly at Yu, saying, "If you elders truly have ability, and truly act for the clan, then go to the village and the Fourth Hokage yourselves to reclaim Kakashi’s Sharingan, instead of mouthing off here."

He paused briefly, then continued, "But let me tell you, taking back the Sharingan from Kakashi may bring temporary satisfaction, but how will others view the Uchiha then?"

He swept his gaze over those present, finishing, "And another thing: why has this issue been brought up again? You’d best consider whether someone is already laying a trap, waiting for us to make a move!"

These successive remarks changed the faces of all present, including Ryo and Yu.

No one could deny that the Fourth Hokage and Kakashi had great prestige in the village—especially since their actions during the Third War had saved Konoha, making them unquestionable heroes.

If the clan forcibly reclaimed the Sharingan that had been gifted to Kakashi, the whole village would certainly turn against them.

More importantly, Rei’s final words were crucial...

On the main seat, Fugaku sighed inwardly, a hint of regret and vexation flashing in his eyes as he looked at Rei.

There were things he had considered, but he hesitated, always seeking to balance the voices within the clan.

Now, as he came to his senses, he regretted it. This matter should have been suppressed firmly from the start.

With that realization, Fugaku gave no one a chance to speak, declaring forcefully:

"This matter ends here. No one is to bring it up again—this is my order as clan leader!"

"Now, I announce the final topic of this clan meeting..."