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Chapter 468: When in Doubt, Consult Mu Yue
Chapter 468: When in Doubt, Consult Mu Yue
"I believe we should petition the Third Hokage to grant the Police Force the right to take proactive offensive action, no longer limited to maintaining law and order within the village. We can independently engage and defeat our enemies, showing those from other villages the true strength of the Uchiha clan!" Uchiha Seisei declared his purpose for calling the clan meeting.
He was dissatisfied with the current authority of the Police Force and believed that the Uchiha clan deserved more significant powers.
Uchiha Seisei thought his idea was brilliant. By defeating enemies, the Uchiha clan would gain fame and profit, benefiting everyone.
A slight change came over Uchiha Fugaku's expression. He hadn't expected Uchiha Seisei to be so bold.
The right to take proactive offensive action was a significant concept. It would allow the Police Force to mobilize forces and engage in warfare at any time. Uchiha Fugaku knew that Sarutobi Hiruzen would never agree to it, as it was a privilege reserved for the Hokage.
"I support Elder Seisei's proposal. It makes perfect sense," a Uchiha jonin immediately voiced his agreement. "Our Uchiha clan is so powerful, and limiting us to maintaining peace within Konoha is a waste of our talents."
"I also agree with Elder Seisei," another Uchiha added. "The more enemies we Uchiha defeat, the safer Konoha will be, thus ensuring the village's peace and security."
"It's not just about the right to take offensive action," another Uchiha ninja interjected. "The Police Force should have greater autonomy and the freedom to create new positions as needed."
"I support this," Uchiha Inabi spoke up, siding with Uchiha Seisei. "Warfare is a means to temper our ninjas and enhance their strength."
While he didn't dislike the work of the Police Force, Uchiha Inabi felt that it offered too comfortable a life. Having the right to take proactive action would allow them to actively seek battles outside the village.
"The hawkish faction within the clan is rearing its head again," Uchiha Shinobu sighed imperceptibly.
Ever since Uchiha Sasame's coup attempt failed, the hawkish faction among the Uchiha had suffered a significant blow, with its core members captured and imprisoned by Uchiha Madara.
Uchiha Shinobu had assumed it would take several decades for the hawkish faction to recover, but their resurgence had come much sooner than expected.
"I object," Itachi stood up and declared. "The Third Hokage will never agree to this proposal. It will only make the Konoha higher-ups more wary of us Uchiha."
At eight years old, Itachi would be drowned out by the crowd if he remained seated on the meditation cushion. By standing, he ensured that everyone knew who was speaking—Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Seisei's eyes narrowed as he searched for the source of dissent, only to find that it was Uchiha Itachi, the very person he had praised earlier. Displeasure crossed Uchiha Seisei's face.
He had just been extolling Itachi as the pride and genius of the Uchiha clan, and now Itachi was completely dismissing his proposal, showing him no respect at all.
"Itachi, you're still young and may not understand certain matters," Uchiha Seisei replied, maintaining a pleasant expression with effort. "At times like these, it's best to heed the words of your elders."
While he felt that Itachi was ungrateful, Uchiha Seisei couldn't very well criticize him now. After all, it was he who had just praised Itachi, so to disparage him now would make Uchiha Seisei look foolish. Thus, he could only endure his displeasure.
However, this incident helped Uchiha Seisei see Itachi's true colors. Itachi would never endorse the hawkish ideology, so Uchiha Seisei decided that from now on, he would favor Obito instead.
Obito seemed more easily persuaded, and he even had to correct Obito when he downplayed his own accomplishments. That boy was too honest for his own good.
"Indeed, Itachi. At your age, you should focus more on studying our clan's history and listening to your elders," one of the hawkish Uchiha added.
"I don't recall any rule stating that one's age disqualifies them from speaking at a clan meeting," Itachi rebutted clearly. "While I am only eight years old, I hold the rank of jonin, just like Elder Seisei."
Some of the hawkish Uchiha who had been prepared to criticize Itachi fell silent, as many of them were only chunin, a lower rank than Itachi.
Although Uchiha Seisei had mentioned that Itachi was the youngest jonin, his height and appearance were highly deceptive, making it hard for others to imagine that he was a jonin of Konoha.
"In our clan meetings, all ninja are free to speak their minds," Uchiha Fugaku considered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Uchiha Fugaku was neither a hawk nor a dove. As the clan leader, he stood only for the interests of the Uchiha.
Uchiha Seisei's proposal was simply too absurd. Making such a request to Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Konoha higher-ups would only make them more cautious of the Uchiha, bringing no real benefit to the clan. Thus, Uchiha Fugaku chose to side with Itachi.
Uchiha Seisei glanced at Uchiha Fugaku before turning back to Itachi and saying, "I can't guarantee that the proposal will be accepted, but even if it isn't, it doesn't mean our efforts are in vain. We need to make Konoha's leadership aware of our clan's aspirations. The Uchiha deserve treatment befitting our strength!"
Itachi inwardly sighed. Uchiha Seisei was too good with words. By framing his proposal as being in the best interests of the entire Uchiha clan, he made it seem as though Itachi was the one trying to sabotage the clan's well-being. Furthermore, he portrayed Sarutobi Hiruzen's likely refusal as an unfair treatment of the Uchiha, ensuring that even if the proposal failed, his reputation within the clan would remain untarnished.
Mu Yue's hesitation came from the concern that a direct challenge and victory over Uchiha Seisei might push him over the edge, causing him to act irrationally and creating further internal strife within the Uchiha clan. In essence, she didn't want to exacerbate the existing tensions within the clan; her goal was to unite their forces, not divide them further.
Just as Uchiha Shinobu was about to voice his support for Mu Yue, intending to curb the growing influence of the hawkish faction, Uchiha Fugaku spoke up.
"The matter of granting proactive offensive rights is of great significance. We shall adjourn this clan meeting and reconvene in one week to continue the discussion." Uchiha Fugaku's decision caught everyone by surprise.
Typically, a dove-aligned elder would have stepped forward to refute Uchiha Seisei's proposal by now. But with Uchiha Seisei positioning himself as a representative of the entire Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku, as the clan leader, couldn't openly oppose him.
Despite Uchiha Fugaku's subtle hints, the dove-aligned elders merely expressed their powerlessness with resigned looks. Left with no other choice, Uchiha Fugaku resorted to stalling tactics, temporarily ending the clan meeting and postponing further discussion. As the clan leader, he had the authority to do so.
"Your wisdom is admirable, Clan Head. Indeed, this matter holds great significance for our Uchiha clan, and taking an extra week for careful consideration is a prudent decision. However, we must also be mindful that indecision can be detrimental," Uchiha Seisei quickly agreed with Uchiha Fugaku's proposal, his tone carrying a subtle warning.
Uchiha Seisei's strategy was clear. He knew he couldn't prevent Uchiha Fugaku from exercising his rights as the clan leader, so instead of arguing, he chose to go along with the delay, using the opportunity to elevate Uchiha Fugaku's position. This way, Uchiha Fugaku wouldn't be able to employ the same tactic next week.
Uchiha Fugaku could only nod in agreement, grateful for the extra week to hopefully devise a solution. "Then, let this meeting come to a close."
The Uchiha clan members began to disperse, chatting excitedly with their companions about the events of the clan meeting as they left.
After realizing that Uchiha Seisei was a boring adult, Obito had chosen to retreat into his own world using his Space-Time Jutsu, ignoring everything else that was said.
"You go on ahead, Obito. I have something to take care of here," Kakashi said, shaking his head in response.
Even though the clan meeting had been adjourned, the crisis was far from over. Kakashi needed to find a way to resolve this situation without exacerbating the tensions within the Uchiha clan.
"Alright then, I'll head back first. See you later, Kakashi. It was nice meeting you, Uncle Shinobu," Obito said, bidding farewell with a wave.
Kakashi then turned to Uchiha Shinobu, "Uncle Shinobu, you should head back too. I need to go somewhere else."
"Sure, if you need any help, feel free to come by my place," Uchiha Shinobu replied.
He, too, intended to seek out the dovish faction of the Uchiha clan to discuss the current situation within the Uchiha.
Finally, Kakashi glanced at Uchiha Fugaku, who was still lingering.
Based on Uchiha Fugaku's behavior during the clan meeting, Kakashi inferred that he didn't entirely agree with Uchiha Seisei's proposal, but he had refrained from saying more due to certain constraints.
"Is there something on your mind, Kakashi?" Uchiha Fugaku inquired, noticing Kakashi's gaze.
After witnessing Kakashi's performance at the clan meeting, Uchiha Fugaku had gained a newfound appreciation for him. Despite his young age, Kakashi's intellect surpassed that of many adult Uchiha, which was something that Obito lacked.
"No, it's nothing. Goodbye, Uncle Fugaku," Kakashi said, shaking his head as he bid farewell and left.
Although Uchiha Fugaku also opposed Uchiha Seisei's proposal, it was evident that he didn't have a better solution, or else he wouldn't have agreed to the one-week delay.
After leaving the Southern Shrine, Kakashi made his way directly to the main district of Konoha and arrived at Mu Yue's residence.
Kakashi didn't go alone. Since he couldn't think of a good solution on his own, he decided to seek help from Mu Yue, a teacher he trusted.
Kakashi knocked on Mu Yue's door, and upon entering, he candidly shared the dilemma he was facing.
"Your general idea isn't wrong," Mu Yue commented after hearing him out.
"Are you suggesting that I challenge Elder Seisei within this week and then explain my actions at the next clan meeting?" Kakashi asked.
Mu Yue shook her head, "If you don't want to become mortal enemies with Elder Seisei, you can't be so direct."
"Since Uchiha Fugaku supports you, you can have him organize a martial arts tournament to enhance the skills of the clan's ninjas. The winners will receive guidance from the elders, and the elder assigned to mentor you will 'coincidentally' be Elder Seisei. That's when you can defeat him with a slight advantage."
Mu Yue felt that if Kakashi directly challenged and defeated Uchiha Seisei at the clan meeting, it might push the elder over the edge, and he could very well go insane due to the Uchiha clan's mentality.
Kakashi immediately understood Mu Yue's suggestion, and it felt like a light bulb had lit up in his mind. This way, even if Uchiha Seisei lost, he wouldn't hold a strong grudge against Kakashi.
After all, it would seem like a mere coincidence, and given Kakashi's exceptional strength, Uchiha Seisei wouldn't blame his loss on Kakashi's youth or talent but rather on his own insufficient strength.
"Don't get your hopes up too high, though," Mu Yue cautioned. "It depends on the person. Some people will still hold a grudge no matter what, because you would have embarrassed them."
No matter how diplomatically it was handled, the fact that Kakashi would defeat Uchiha Seisei in front of the entire clan would be embarrassing for the elder.
"I understand," Kakashi nodded. He then asked a question that had been puzzling him, "I feel that Elder Seisei is quite sharp-minded. He should realize that this plan is unlikely to succeed. Why would he still insist on it?"
Kakashi found it hard to believe that Uchiha Seisei, with his demonstrated intelligence, wouldn't be able to foresee the potential failure of his proposal.
This wasn't a minor issue about salary increases or welfare benefits; it involved a core right of the clan.
"Sometimes, what's detrimental to the group may not necessarily be detrimental to the individual," Mu Yue said sagely.
"You may think that this incident is serious and will arouse Konoha's suspicion of the Uchiha clan. But from Elder Seisei's perspective, the Uchiha are already under scrutiny by Konoha's leadership. What difference does it make if they're a little more cautious? As long as there's no coup, Konoha won't take any drastic actions against the Uchiha."
"On the other hand, if Elder Seisei's proposal is rejected, he can further inflame the emotions of the Uchiha ninjas and expand the influence of the hawkish faction, which is beneficial to him without any apparent harm."
Kakashi remained silent, realizing that he had underestimated Uchiha Seisei. He still had much to learn in terms of dealing with such intricate political matters.
"Thankfully, I have you to turn to, Teacher Mu Yue," Kakashi said with relief. He knew that if he had followed his initial impulse, the situation might have turned out disastrous.
(End of Chapter)
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