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They all turned to look at Fugaku, their gazes tinged with something strange, as if silently saying—
So this is the clan head? Can't even keep his own kid in line?
Noticing the looks being thrown his way, Fugaku finally lost his composure.
A layer of frost seemed to spread across his face.
"You unfilial little brat. I'll break your legs myself!"
If outsiders said he wasn't fit to be clan head, he could swallow that.
But now even his own seven-year-old son was saying it. That was absolutely unforgivable.
What's more, he'd lost all face today. If he didn't beat the crap out of this kid, it'd be a joke.
Fugaku immediately strode toward Akira. With every step, the anger burning in his eyes grew hotter.
Oh wow. This is getting good.
Fatherly love and filial piety, Uchiha-style, about to be performed live. How exciting.
The surrounding Uchiha instantly switched into full spectator mode.
But before Fugaku could get halfway there, a figure stepped in and blocked his path.
"Easy there, Fugaku. No need to be so angry," the man said with a smile. "He's just a kid, speaking the truth as he sees it. Why take it so seriously?"
It was Uchiha Tajima, standing calmly in front of him.
"And honestly, your son has real potential. At least he's got more backbone than you do. In the future, he'll definitely be a genius on par with Uchiha Itachi."
Then Tajima turned to Akira, smiling warmly.
"Kid, I like you. Your name's Akira, right? Good. The Uchiha need men with guts like you."
He stretched out a hand toward Akira, looking downright heroic.
"Come on, kid. How about becoming my grandson? I promise I can develop your talent better than Fugaku ever could. I'll make you the youngest powerhouse the Uchiha have ever seen."
Fugaku: "..."
Unbelievable.
He'd never seen someone this shameless. Asking his son to become his grandson right to his face. Was he really that desperate to take advantage of him?
If Akira actually called Tajima "Grandpa," then Fugaku wouldn't that make Fugaku his son?
"Tajima, don't go too far!"
"Heh, relax. I'm just joking," Tajima said with a shrug. "Don't take it so seriously."
Of course, he was doing it purely to disgust Fugaku.
Then he turned back to Akira, still smiling. "So? Thought it over yet? Want to acknowledge me as your grandfather?"
Akira looked at him, expression flat.
"Get lost. Who do you think you are? Just a rabid dog barking nonstop. I wouldn't even let you touch my shoes. They'd get dirty."
"What did you say, you little punk?!"
The smile on Tajima's face froze. He hadn't expected the kid to be this merciless.
"Trash."
"Who are you calling trash?!"
Tajima's face went completely dark.
"Oh, don't misunderstand," Akira said calmly. His eyes swept across everyone present, and he leaned forward slightly.
"I wasn't talking about you alone. I'm saying everyone here is trash."
Boom!
Like a massive rock crashing into a still lake, the entire Uchiha gathering exploded.
Arrogant.
Too arrogant.
Everyone present was at least jōnin-level. When had they ever been humiliated like this?
To be cursed out by a seven-year-old kid like that?
"Brat, do you even know what you're saying?!"
"Watch your mouth, you little shit. No one here is going to indulge you!"
"Fugaku, look at the son you raised. He has no respect for his elders at all!"
One by one, the Uchiha stood up. Many of them activated their three-tomoe Sharingan, glaring at Akira with killing intent.
"Hmph. Don't deny it," Akira snorted, completely unfazed by the pressure of dozens of three-tomoe Sharingan.
"To me, your so-called moderate faction and radical faction are the same thing. All trash."
"The moderates fold the moment they're pressured. They keep selling out the clan's interests until they end up like fish on a chopping block."
"As for the radicals, you're just mad dogs that bark nonstop. All you do is shout 'rebellion, rebellion' every day, but you've done nothing of substance."
"If you're so set on rebelling, have you prepared for it?"
"Have you gathered intelligence? Set up clan defenses? Made emergency plans for unexpected situations?"
"No. None of that. You just shout slogans all day."
"What, you think yelling loud enough will kill the Third Hokage and Danzō for you?"
"I bet you useless idiots don't even know whether the clan's intelligence has already been leaked."
"A complete bunch of wastes."
Akira's voice rang out like thunder, overpowering everyone else in the room.
Having read the original story, Akira genuinely believed the so-called radical Uchiha were nothing more than empty talkers.
They shouted about rebellion, but it was all talk. They made absolutely no real preparations.
The clearest proof was the night of the massacre. Aside from Akira and Itachi, every Uchiha died.
And on Konoha's side? Zero casualties.
If the Uchiha had made even minimal preparations, things wouldn't have ended like that. Konoha wouldn't have walked away completely unscathed.
"With the clan facing imminent disaster, you're still tearing each other apart over a worthless clan head. Your brains must've been eaten by pigs."
"I originally planned to discuss something important with you all about what's coming in a few days."
"But now I realize that saying even one more word to you is a waste of time."
With that, Akira turned around and walked away.
He treated everyone there as if they didn't exist.
With intelligence on par with a pack of huskies and zero political awareness, there was no way these people could ever pull off a successful coup.
They were completely unreliable. Better to act alone than get dragged down by a bunch of pig teammates.
"Stop right there! Brat, who said you could leave?!"
After being torn apart verbally and watching him try to walk away, Tajima was the first to snap.
"You come in here, insult all of us, and think you can just leave? It doesn't work like that!"
"Let me teach you something, kid. Some words come with a price."
Akira kept his hands in his pockets. He didn't even bother responding, as if he hadn't heard a thing, and continued strolling toward the exit.
Unhurried. Relaxed.
Like someone taking a casual walk after a full meal.
He'd already said it. He couldn't be bothered to waste words on people like them.
"..."
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