Chapter 8: Becoming the New Clan Head

In the end, the Uchiha Clan Massacre Night was simply Fugaku Uchiha's compromise leading the entire Uchiha clan to their deaths, after which Itachi Uchiha wiped out the whole family for the sake of Sasuke.

Was it selfish? Did anyone ever ask the other members of the Uchiha clan if they were willing to die? At that moment, when Itachi raised his slaughterous blade and pointed it at them, their expressions clearly showed they did not want to die.

Therefore, Fugaku was not a qualified clan head; at least in this regard, he indulged his son in slaughtering the Uchiha clan.

Given that Fugaku Uchiha possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, had he taken action alongside the other elite ninja of the Uchiha clan, Itachi could not have succeeded.

Although they would later face interventions from Obito, the Anbu Black Ops, and the Root, at least they would not have died so ignominiously.

"Do you believe that if you take power, you can lead the Uchiha clan out of this predicament?"

Fugaku Uchiha calmed down and looked at Bai Ye; he did not rush to refute but instead asked Bai Ye if he was truly so confident he could solve the Uchiha clan's problems.

"At the very least, it will be better than the current situation. Whether it is the conservative faction or the neutral faction, if we cannot concentrate everyone's strength together, we will ultimately march toward destruction. We must be tough when toughness is required and conservative when conservatism is needed, rather than blindly adhering to either extreme!"

"Good!"

Uchiha Jin, the leading elder of the neutral faction, clapped his hands in approval.

This was exactly what their neutral faction wanted to express; although they had always been trying to smooth things over, it was only because they saw both the conservative and radical factions as too extreme, with each side operating at a different pole.

To avoid such a situation, they naturally had no choice but to mediate from the middle.

And now, the philosophy Bai Ye proposed was precisely what they desired: to be tough when necessary and conservative when appropriate.

"So, what are your thoughts?"

Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Tetsu rarely stopped arguing, yet today they did not quarrel.

Instead, they handed the right to speak on this matter over to Bai Ye.

"Actually, this is quite broad; in short, we cannot blindly compromise like Clan Head Fugaku, nor can we always appear overly radical. Would you throw out your trump card the moment a card game begins?"

Compared to the Uchiha clan, wasn't Konoha at this very moment testing the Uchiha clan's attitude?

Slowly probing, and then, once determined that they could make a move, they would strike against the Uchiha clan.

"I also feel that Fugaku, perhaps you should step down today. Although I know this is very rash, I feel that if you continue to remain in this position, you will only bring catastrophic disaster upon the Uchiha clan."

Uchiha Setsuna lifted his head to look at Fugaku Uchiha; although making Bai Ye the clan head seemed extremely absurd.

It was still better than keeping Fugaku Uchiha in charge.

In Fugaku Uchiha, Uchiha Setsuna saw no hope.

"Although I do not entirely agree, what Bai Ye said earlier truly resonates with me."

Uchiha Jin also expressed his stance.

In the end, only Uchiha Tetsu remained somewhat hesitant.

"If I do not perform well, I can step down at any time!"

Bai Ye finally increased the stakes; if he performed poorly, he could step down later. After all, the Uchiha clan was not entirely at the mercy of the Uchiha clan head's sole decree.

The elders of the three factions also held substantial power.

Originally, they were merely engaged in internal strife; because their opinions were not unified, they had never interfered with Fugaku Uchiha's affairs. But after Bai Ye's words, several of them realized that if they continued like this, wouldn't Fugaku Uchiha be completely useless in the position of clan head? In their confrontations with Konoha, they gained no advantage whatsoever; indeed, even the conservative faction was beginning to suspect in their hearts whether Fugaku was actually a Konoha spy.

"What the hell? How did a meeting turn into my abdication ceremony?"

Looking at the eyes of the crowd below, Fugaku Uchiha knew in his heart that if he did not step down today, there would be no other way.

The position of clan head was elected by the internal members of the Uchiha clan, so naturally, it could also be overturned.

A trace of bitter smile flashed across his face; over these years, he felt he had worked hard for the Uchiha clan, yet the results of those efforts seemed far from satisfactory.

"If you can do well, I naturally will not occupy the position of clan head!"

Although Fugaku Uchiha was weak, he himself also wanted the Uchiha clan to move in a positive direction.

Since Bai Ye was willing to accept everyone's supervision and could step down at any time, he would not cling to this position.

If Bai Ye, who had just ascended, achieved no results, he would soon be brought down.

Therefore, compared to himself, Bai Ye would most certainly want to make some changes to the Uchiha clan once he took power.

Perhaps, for himself, Bai Ye at this moment was the most suitable choice? Moreover, Bai Ye's strength was not poor; he possessed the strength of an elite Jonin, making him one of the best within the clan. Most crucially, he was very young with top-tier talent. Itachi was originally like this too, but Itachi was no longer trusted by the clan members.

Within the clan, aside from those few old fellows, the only one comparable to Bai Ye was himself, the clan head who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.

However, Fugaku had already lost the desire to remain the clan head of the Uchiha clan.

Only after Bai Ye's analysis just now did Fugaku realize how foolish many of his own past maneuvers had been.

"Then let us vote. Those who approve of Uchiha Bai Ye becoming the new clan head of the Uchiha clan, please raise your hands!"

As he spoke, Uchiha Setsuna raised his hand, and immediately following him, the radical faction behind him raised their hands as well.

Uchiha Jin, who had believed from the start that Bai Ye was on their side, also raised his hand, and naturally, the neutral faction following him supported Bai Ye.

Only Uchiha Tetsu hesitated somewhat, but seeing that the other two factions had agreed, he finally decided to try treating a dead horse as if it were still alive.

"Bai Ye, I agree to you becoming clan head, but I hope you can fulfill your promise. If you cannot, I will be the first to propose your removal!"

Uchiha Tetsu looked seriously at Bai Ye; although they were the conservative faction, the dove faction, they simply hoped for the Uchiha clan to live better.

He also hoped Bai Ye would keep his promise.

"Since you have chosen me, I will not disappoint you. In the future, if there is a chance, I will even lead the Uchiha clan to fight our way to the moon!"

Fight to the moon?

Is this your campaign slogan? Truly fierce. A trace of surprise flashed through Fugaku Uchiha's eyes, but in his heart, he merely chuckled; he assumed Bai Ye was just making a joke.

"Then, from this moment on, you are the new clan head of the Uchiha clan. We will spread this news afterward. You will face great pressure now; if you perform poorly and are removed, it will be difficult for you to save face..."

Uchiha Setsuna looked deeply at Bai Ye; the pressure Bai Ye faced now was imaginable.

If he was removed after serving only a short time, how would the others in the village view him? [Ding! A major plot twist has occurred: Fugaku Uchiha has stepped down. Congratulations to Bai Ye of the Naruto World for obtaining one lottery draw opportunity!]

(End of Chapter)