Impeach the current clan head for incompetence?
The clansmen froze. Had such a thing ever happened in Uchiha clan history?
Even Uchiha Madara had only relinquished his position as clan head after leaving Konoha, and with Madara's strength, no one would have dared to impeach him anyway. The Uchiha weren't fools. Pride and stupidity might sometimes overlap, but no one could afford to be arrogant in front of Madara.
"Rēn, do you even understand what you're saying—impeaching the clan head?"
An elder stepped forward.
This white-haired man was Uchiha Shinzaburō.
Among the six elders, he was the only true neutral. He didn't support the clan head unconditionally, nor did he have much contact with Rēn. His every word and action was based solely on the interests of the clan.
"Elder Shinzaburō, I stand here fully conscious of my words. I make no accusations lightly. Had the clan head fulfilled his duty, shown decisive leadership, avoided the repeated strategic missteps that cost us cohesion and respect, then I would not be challenging him today. This would not have been necessary!"
Rēn's gaze swept the assembly, steady and uncompromising.
"Yes, some of you will say this is a power struggle. You'll whisper that I'm after status. That I'm here to seize authority for myself. And you would not be entirely wrong. But if my ambitions ended at rankings and titles, I would never have endured threats, manipulation, or opposition. I would not be here exposing our wounds in front of all of you."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"Every step I've taken and every word I've spoken tonight has been aimed not at elevating myself, but at strengthening the Uchiha. I demand the leadership not for glory, but for responsibility. Because the clan needs more than empty promises and cautious hesitation. It needs resolve!"
Rēn's words rang out loud and clear.
"Unfit to lead, is it? I admit my abilities aren't particularly outstanding. But Rēn, these 'strategic missteps' you speak of—what exactly do you mean?"
Uchiha Fugaku finally stepped forward.
Being forced to step down through impeachment and voluntarily relinquishing the position were two entirely different things.
If Rēn succeeded in impeaching him here and now, his authority in the clan would collapse instantly.
Seeing Fugaku respond personally, Elder Shinzaburō stepped back. He, too, wanted to hear what these alleged mistakes were. He wasn't alone—around them, the other clansmen perked up their ears.
Only a few—Elder Genshi, Elder Ryūji, Shisui, and Ranzan—had already heard Rēn's theories and knew what was coming.
"The Nine-Tails Incident."
Rēn spoke the words calmly.
Fugaku frowned. "What about the Nine-Tails Incident?"
"There is everything wrong with it!" Rēn snapped "Why didn't we support the Fourth Hokage when it mattered most? Why, on that night of chaos, when we had more jōnin than any other clan, did not a single one rise to defend the village?"
He took a step forward, eyes sweeping the room.
"Now we complain about being excluded? About being distrusted? About being pushed to the edge? But tell me, what have we done to earn trust? We waited in silence. We followed orders, yes—but not out of loyalty, but only because one coward was too afraid to say no to the 3rd. And in doing so, we proved every accusation the village throws at us."
He let the words land, holding nothing back at this point.
"If we act like a separate entity, the village will treat us like one. That is not discrimination—it is the consequence of choices made by those who were too timid to lead and too proud to admit it."
His eyes swept away from Fugaku and landed on the group of hardline supporters of the so-called coup faction.
As expected,
His blunt and provocative words made several of them scowl, glaring at him with clear hostility.
"What are you staring at me for? Did I say anything wrong? When the village was in danger, the Uchiha clan cowered in its compound and did nothing! Why should the village treat us as one of their own? Weren't we the ones who brought this treatment upon ourselves?"
Rēn stared right back at the angry gazes, unflinching.
"Who says we cowered and did nothing?!" one of the hot-headed clansmen exploded. "It was the clan head who ordered us to stay in the compound!"
"The situation at the time didn't allow us to move."
Fugaku cut in before Rēn could reply.
"That night, the Nine-Tails were being controlled by the Sharingan. While it wasn't someone from our clan, we were still the prime suspects. On top of that, the Third Hokage ordered us not to leave the compound, and the entire area was surrounded by ANBU…"
"Rēn, you were only ten at the time, but you should remember all this, right?"
"I do. I was there. I know exactly what that night was like. That's why I have to ask: why did you obey the Third Hokage's order? Wasn't the Fourth the one in charge? And since you understood we were under suspicion, then you should've also understood that night was our best chance to prove our innocence!"
Rēn's voice grew sharper.
"In that critical moment, you made the wrong decision. As a result, the clan became completely isolated from the village. It wasn't just the Third and his faction. The families who lost people during the Nine-Tail attack all distanced themselves from us. This estrangement, this alienation, is the consequence of your leadership, Clan Head Fugaku."
"If I hadn't been so powerless at the time, even convincing my grandfather did nothing."
Rēn sighed with clear regret.
"Rēn, the decision to remain in the compound was made jointly by Fugaku and the rest of us."
Elder Shinzaburō felt compelled to speak on Fugaku's behalf.
"But Elder Shinzaburō, you're not the clan head. Fugaku is. Advising is the elder's role, but making the final decision—and taking responsibility for it—that's the clan head's duty. What are you saying, that Fugaku was misled by his advisors?"
Rēn's words struck hard, leaving Elder Shinzaburō speechless.
Only now did he realize he'd made a grave mistake. His earlier words had practically admitted that the clan had made the wrong choice that night.
Fugaku's face darkened. The elder's attempt to help had backfired, putting him in a difficult position.
If Shinzaburō hadn't interrupted, Fugaku could have continued arguing about the decision itself. But now, he was forced to choose between admitting to a mistake, or blaming his advisors.
"Rēn, what I meant was the decision that night was made jointly with the clan head. No—wait, I mean…"
Elder Shinzaburō stumbled over his words, unable to find a way to explain himself clearly.
In truth, He deeply regretted that night.
He had often wondered: what if they had stepped in? What if the Fourth had survived? Would the clan be in this miserable state today?
"Elder Shinzaburō, I know you're trying to share the blame with Clan Head Fugaku. But this is about the survival of the clan. This isn't the time for favors. I hope you understand."
Rēn, taking full advantage of his sharp tongue, drove the point home.
Shinzaburō's face turned red with frustration, but he had no way to respond.
All around them, whispers spread among the clansmen. Groups broke off into hushed conversations, exchanging opinions. Uchiha Ranzan, accompanied by Uchiha Akitarō, Uchiha Hokuto, and Uchiha Jun, quietly mingled into the discussions, guiding the conversation toward regret over not defending the village during the Nine-Tails attack.
To be honest, they didn't need to do much guiding.
Uchiha pride made them despise cowardice. Many still felt shame about that night. Not relief for having survived—but regret for not having had the chance to prove their strength.
Besides, they weren't fools. Rēn's logic wasn't just loud rhetoric—they could judge that for themselves.
Hearts, were starting to shift.
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