Lance Shen shook his head, his expression full of disdain. He didn't even bother to respond at first. Still, for the sake of the clan leader's authority, he sighed, smirked faintly, and finally said,
"I think the elder's words are ridiculous."
A murmur rippled through the room. Lance leaned back casually, his tone calm but sharp enough to slice through the tension.
"The Uchiha are already part of Konoha. What do you mean by 'integrating'? Integrating into what exactly? Should we scatter like the Senju did disband our family, blend into the common folk, and pretend that makes us part of the whole?"
His voice hardened.
"Open your eyes and take a good look. Among all the clans of Konoha, tell me has any one of them truly integrated with the civilians?"
He turned toward the council table, meeting the gaze of the Sixth Elder with quiet defiance.
"I'd really like to know what you're plotting, Elder. Are you suggesting we follow the path of the Senju? Dissolve our bloodline, erase our name, and fade into obscurity? Is that what you want?"
The room froze.
That accusation hit like a thunderclap. Even Fugaku Uchiha, usually stoic and unreadable, looked startled. The other elders stared at the Sixth Elder with suspicion and unease.
Because, truth be told, Lance had a point.
The Uchiha had always been part of Konoha. To demand they "integrate" was absurd. The word itself implied separation, as if they were outsiders. The so-called equality among clans and civilians was a polite fiction none of the noble houses truly treated themselves as equals to commoners.
Even the Sarutobi clan didn't mingle freely with civilians. So why should the Uchiha be expected to?
If "integration" meant dissolving their identity like the Senju had, then it was nothing short of digging up the clan's roots.
"You… you insolent child…"
The Sixth Elder's face turned crimson, his voice trembling with fury and humiliation. Words caught in his throat as he stammered, choking on his own indignation.
Lance's expression didn't change. He had no intention of backing down. To him, the so-called "dove faction" within the clan those who wanted submission and compromise were a disease that had to be purged.
And today, he'd done exactly that.
The elder's guilt was impossible to deny. They had been the ones preaching "integration." And now, under Lance's logic, that very ideal had become their downfall.
If they truly didn't mean to destroy the clan, why had they been pushing so hard for dissolution in the first place?
What could they say now that Lance was wrong?
"Pffft!"
The Sixth Elder suddenly coughed violently. The veins in his temples bulged, his eyes rolled back, and a dark spurt of blood escaped his lips before he collapsed to the floor.
The room went deathly silent.
Even Lance blinked, momentarily speechless. "Seriously? He just… fainted? From that?" he muttered under his breath.
The other elders scrambled to his side in panic, calling for the guards to carry the unconscious man to the hospital.
Well, that ended the meeting.
And conveniently, it ended exactly the way Lance wanted.
With the dove faction's leader incapacitated, their influence would crumble overnight. No one would dare align with them now not after such public humiliation. Even Shisui, their most loyal supporter, would be forced to keep his head down for a while.
When the chaos settled and the guards had carried the elder away, the room fell into uneasy quiet once again.
Fugaku rubbed his temples, exhaustion written across his face. "Headache," he muttered to himself. His gaze drifted toward Lance, equal parts frustration and reluctant respect.
The other elders glanced between the two, their expressions conflicted. Only the eldest among them looked quietly pleased, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Fugaku broke the silence first. "Enough about the dove faction," he said firmly. "Let's move on."
He straightened his back and turned to the council. "Regarding Lance's earlier proposal to remove Shisui Uchiha from the Police Department and reassign him to the civilian complaints division. What are your thoughts?"
"I support the motion," said one elder immediately.
"As do I," another chimed in. "Shisui is a good young man, but his temperament doesn't suit law enforcement."
The hardline elders all voiced agreement without hesitation. The neutral ones exchanged uneasy looks, then turned toward Fugaku.
Their silence was clear enough. You're the leader. You decide. We're not getting caught between you and this mad genius.
After today's spectacle, none of them wanted to cross Lance.
Fugaku let out a slow breath. "Very well. Starting tomorrow, Shisui Uchiha will be relieved of his duties in the Police Department and transferred to the civilian affairs office."
He paused, then added, "Lance, stay behind. I want a word."
The others took that as their cue to leave. The hardliners left with quiet satisfaction, the neutrals with visible anxiety. They didn't know whether Lance would push his influence further or simply move on to his next grand idea.
When the last of them had gone, Fugaku turned toward Lance.
He would usually take a moment to pour tea after a meeting, but right now, even the sight of the teapot irritated him.
The two men sat opposite each other in the quiet of the hall. Lance didn't kneel formally like a proper clansman. He just crossed his legs comfortably, arms resting over his knees.
Fugaku's eye twitched. He took a deep breath.
"Lance," he said coldly, "what exactly are you trying to do?"
Lance looked up innocently. "What do you mean, Clan Leader?"
Fugaku's composure cracked. His voice rose with restrained anger. "In just a few days, you've turned the entire council upside down! Today you even struck an elder publicly! What is your goal?"
Lance met his glare without flinching.
"My goal is simple," he said calmly. "To make the Uchiha strong again. To stop us from bowing our heads and living in fear."
His words were steady, but inside, Lance wanted to laugh. If only I could tell you the truth that I'm just trying to stay alive in this crazy world. But you'd never believe me, would you?
Fugaku fell silent.
He couldn't argue with that reasoning. Everything Lance had done reckless or not had ultimately benefited the clan.
The room went still for several moments.
Then, breaking the tension, the sound of light footsteps echoed down the hall.
"Father! I'm home!"
The cheerful voice belonged to a young boy Sasuke Uchiha. His small frame bounced into the room with childish energy, only to freeze mid-step when he saw the two figures inside.
His father's stern expression instantly wiped the smile from his face. Sasuke bowed quickly. "I'm home, Father. Greetings, sir."
Fugaku merely grunted in acknowledgment, his arms folded. His face remained unreadable.
At only five years old, Sasuke's disappointment was hard to hide. He straightened again, eyes downcast.
Moments later, another figure appeared in the doorway Itachi Uchiha, composed as always. He gave a polite nod to both men. "Father. Lance." Then he gently placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Come on, let's go upstairs."
The two brothers disappeared up the stairs, their voices fading down the hall.
The heavy atmosphere in the room eased slightly. Fugaku exhaled and let the stiffness in his posture relax.
For the first time that night, he didn't look like the clan leader. He just looked tired.
Lance leaned back with a faint smile. The storm he'd stirred was only beginning and he knew it.
But one thing was certain: the Uchiha clan's quiet submission had ended tonight.
And Lance Shen would make sure their fire burned once more.