UTBW: Ch. 54

The expressions of all the present ninjas changed.

If Fugaku was no longer the clan leader, then who was maintaining order among the Uchiha now? At that thought, a wave of panic surged in everyone's hearts.

"Are you kidding me?!" Danzō was the first to lose his composure, shouting loudly, "If you're not the clan leader, then who is? Is this something you can joke about?"

Fugaku looked at him calmly and asked in return, "Do you think I'm joking?"

"What else could it be?" Danzō's face flushed red as he glared angrily at him, trying to find even the slightest hint of hesitation.

But he found nothing. Fugaku remained calm and composed, letting Danzō scrutinize him as he pleased.

He immediately panicked, it seemed like Fugaku was telling the truth!

"Calm down," Hiruzen spoke up, his face filled with suspicion as he looked at Fugaku. "When did this happen?"

"Just now," Fugaku replied with a slight smile.

In an instant, the other ninjas' eyes turned like nails, pinning themselves onto Hiruzen.

This is what you said we didn't have to worry about? This is what you said, trust Fugaku, he'll control the situation? He's not even the clan leader anymore!

Hiruzen, feeling the pressure of their stares like thorns on his back, grew a little embarrassed, his judgment had been a severe miscalculation.

But it was fine.

Fugaku was still around. He could still draw in the dovish faction of the Uchiha. However, before that, he needed to understand the current situation of the Uchiha.

"Can you tell me, who is the new clan leader?" Hiruzen asked thoughtfully.

"It's Junichi," Fugaku answered with a smile, then looked around at the assembled jonin. "It was also thanks to his remarkable swordsmanship that he defeated Itachi. His strength and strategic mind far surpass mine. I feel deeply ashamed in comparison. Therefore, I willingly abdicated in favor of a more capable leader. Thanks to his generosity, I am still allowed to serve the clan and meet with you all as a representative."

Upon hearing this, many people's pupils shrank, and their hair stood on end, as if they had been severely intimidated.

Willingly abdicated? They stared at him in disbelief.

Fugaku was the figurehead of the dovish faction, always committed to integrating the Uchiha clan into Konoha. But now, even the dovish leader had stepped down voluntarily. The one who rose must be from the militant faction.

But that wasn't the key point.

The key point was this so-called "willing abdication," it meant that the new clan leader had subdued all factions within the Uchiha clan with overwhelming strength or means, like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood. Thus, the succession of the clan leadership happened so smoothly.

There hadn't even been any conflict or bloodshed. Even now, the Uchiha remained stable without internal strife.

Everyone's minds raced, quickly piecing everything together, and their expressions grew even more terrified.

The last time, the Uchiha had someone with unmatched prestige, who could dominate all others, it was during the Warring States period, Madara!

Could it be... another Madara was about to emerge?!

"Why did you do this, Fugaku?" Sweat began to form on Hiruzen's forehead. He was well aware of the gravity of the situation and hurriedly asked, "Are you abandoning your ideals? Have you forgotten the beautiful vision you discussed with Minato? That passionate spirit moved even an old man like me to feel youthful indignation."

Hiruzen even dragged Minato into the argument. He sensed that something was very wrong. Fugaku seemed like a completely different person now, no longer loyal and obedient to him.

"You know the reason. But I haven't abandoned anything," Fugaku replied coldly, his eyes filled with disappointment. "That vision was meant for Minato to fulfill as Hokage, not you. You were never part of that conversation."

Buzz!

Hiruzen almost blacked out and collapsed on the spot.

"Hiruzen!"

"Steady your breathing! Don't panic, stay calm!"

Koharu and Homura quickly stepped forward to support him.

Around them, the faces of the jonin subtly shifted. The situation had completely slipped out of the Hokage's control. They had all been deceived just moments ago. Should they still stay aboard this sinking ship?

Hiruzen closed his eyes for a long time before finally regaining his composure. Of course, he knew the reason.

But wasn't it you who personally sent Shisui and Itachi out?

All I did was offer them the opportunity to join the ANBU and Root!

And at that time, you didn't even oppose it, did you? Why are you only expressing dissatisfaction now?

He breathed deeply, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes. He felt things spiraling further and further out of control.

Somewhere along the way, This chess piece had broken free from his grasp. What unsettled him even more were the subtle shifts in the gazes of the surrounding jonin.

He had sat on the Hokage's seat for so long that resentment had long been brewing among the ranks. Now, having failed to control the situation, he was giving everyone even more reason to harbor complaints.

This is bad. My position is becoming unstable... A thought of fear shot through his mind. I need to do something to salvage this!

His mind raced rapidly.

"What does your new leader intend to do?" A jonin spoke up and asked Fugaku. Others followed suit.

"You know where we stand."

"We're all from the same village, there's no need for senseless fighting."

"Yeah, why not have him come out?"

"Let's have a face-to-face talk."

The jonin's expressions were sincere. They could no longer rely on the Third Hokage, who had completely misjudged the situation. Now they needed to confirm the Uchiha's true intentions themselves.

"He..." Fugaku began slowly.

BOOM!!

Suddenly, a violent explosion roared in the distance, cutting him off. Everyone immediately turned their heads, looking warily in the direction of the sound.

In the distance, about a kilometer away, a thin red line shot up into the sky, carrying an eerie, dazzling brilliance, like congealed blood, lingering in the air.

Beneath the red line, a deep crimson barrier covering a mountain peak was split straight down the middle, cleanly severed into two halves.

"That's... the Four Red Yang Formation!?" A jonin familiar with barrier techniques immediately recognized it.

Everyone else, upon hearing this, had their pupils shrink in shock.

"The S-rank barrier? How could it be cut...?"

The realization struck them all at once, and terror instantly filled their faces.

Hiruzen and the others, upon seeing where the red line had appeared, turned even paler.

That place... They exchanged glances, all looking increasingly uneasy.

It was Root!

"Perfect timing," Fugaku smiled just then, drawing everyone's attention again. He spoke at an unhurried pace, "He would like to meet all of you. However, not here. It will be over there."

He made a polite gesture, pointing toward the direction of the severed barrier.

"Junichi is already waiting there for your arrival," he said with a bright, smiling expression.

The scene fell into complete silence. All the jonin looked terrified, their eyes full of deep apprehension. They had just witnessed it with their own eyes, the Four Red Yang Formation had been sliced apart with a single sword strike.

The impact of that sight was far greater than the incomplete glimpse they had gotten of Susanoo earlier!

"Was that done by Junichi?" Hiashi asked hoarsely, his throat incredibly dry.

"Yes," Fugaku nodded with a smile.

"What does he want by meeting us?" an elderly ninja asked gravely.

"Kosuke-senpai?" Fugaku recognized the old ninja and, after a brief pause, smiled and said, "Once you arrive, you will understand everything."