Uchiha Madara was momentarily stunned, then shook his head and glanced at Obito.
"Let's go."
Then, the two gradually walked away.
The shopkeeper felt a little baffled.
Just as he was about to close the shop, he unconsciously fixed his gaze on Madara's back, looking again and again.
He muttered, "No, that back looks so familiar. I must have seen it somewhere before. Who exactly is it?"
He thought for a long time but couldn't remember. When he turned back into the shop, he tilted his head and glanced at a portrait hanging in the corner.
The portrait depicted a long-haired man with spiky hair, clad in brown battle armor, exuding an aura of wisdom, strength, and overwhelming dominance.
Although mentioning this person was forbidden within the clan, it was more of a verbal restriction. Many elders still secretly kept portraits of him at home.
The shopkeeper's eyes widened in an instant as the figure in the portrait gradually overlapped with the strange man he had just encountered.
Unable to hold back, he rushed out of the shop, looking into the distance.
But by now, Madara and Obito had already disappeared from his sight.
He couldn't help but murmur, "Lord Madara, is it really you? Have you returned? But weren't you already dead?"
———
On the way to Naka Shrine, Obito asked Madara with great interest, "That person just now, do you know him?"
A hint of nostalgia flashed across Madara's face, "A child of an old friend. Before he died, he entrusted me to take care of him. I even held him when he was little, but he no longer remembers me."
Obito chuckled and said, "Maybe he does remember? It's just been too long, so he couldn't recall it immediately."
Madara gazed into the distance, "It no longer matters. Now, I am merely a ghost of the Uchiha."
———
At Naka Shrine, the Uchiha clan was holding their regular clan meeting.
The elite members of the clan, including those of high status and power, were all present.
If one had to sum up the Uchiha clan meetings in two words, it would be: arguing.
At this moment, two old elders were glaring at each other, their faces red, necks tense, and spit flying everywhere.
"The Police Force must fight for greater power. We absolutely cannot let the Third Hokage and those Hokage advisors sideline us. We need authority equal to the ANBU!"
"Hmph! I think you extremists are too conservative. Why don't we just go for the position of Fourth Hokage? Once we have it, we can fill the ANBU and Hokage Guard Platoon entirely with Uchiha!"
"You conservatives are the real extremists. Who do we have that could be a suitable Fourth Hokage? We lack the necessary strength, and in terms of political resources, does anyone here have connections with Konoha's top brass?"
As the two continued their heated debate, Uchiha Fugaku tried to mediate, "Great Elder, Fourth Elder, I understand that you both have the best interests of the Uchiha at heart, and I truly appreciate your intentions."
"But now is not the time for arguing. The Uchiha clan cannot act recklessly at the moment. Just endure a little longer. The war is about to break out soon. Perhaps after the war, the clan's future will become clearer."
The two elders turned to look at Fugaku, suddenly feeling like they had found a common enemy.
The Great Elder grumbled, "Fugaku, you're the most slippery one. You never take a clear stance. Where exactly is the Uchiha clan headed? Give us a definite answer."
The Fourth Elder also accused him, "Exactly! And you even appointed a ten-year-old as the Eighth Elder. Even if he's mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, you can't just act recklessly like this."
"Moreover, that so-called Eighth Elder hasn't attended a single clan meeting! What kind of system is this?"
Fugaku suddenly felt awkward and explained, "Our Eighth Elder is rather special. He currently has frequent mission assignments. How about this? Next time, I'll make sure he comes."
The Great Elder snorted, "Always 'next time, next time.' When exactly is 'next time'? No, summon him right now! I want to see him in person!"
Fugaku was put on the spot. After thinking for a moment, he realized that Obito wasn't on a mission at the moment. So he called over a trusted aide and whispered in his ear.
"Uchiha Ryoichi, go find the Eighth Elder. If you can find him, bring him here."
Uchiha Ryoichi obeyed and was about to leave when suddenly, a clan member guarding the entrance to Naka Shrine walked in.
"Clan Leader Fugaku, the Eighth Elder is outside, and he brought another clan member with him. They wish to enter."
Fugaku was stunned. What a coincidence? He was just about to send someone to find Obito, and now he had arrived on his own?
The Fifth Elder, who had a notoriously short temper, snorted, "So he finally decided to show up. And he even brought a subordinate? Such arrogance for someone so young! Let him in!"
The guards followed the order and soon returned with Obito, who had already reverted to his original appearance.
As for Madara, he had wrapped himself in a Uchiha clan robe to slightly conceal his appearance.
Although the crowd found Madara's attire a bit odd, it was common for elders to bring subordinates to clan meetings. So, after a quick glance at him, their focus returned to Obito.
Seeing everyone staring at him, especially those with Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated, Obito found the situation a little eerie.
He raised a hand and greeted them, "Hello, everyone!"
The Great Elder frowned, "So you're the newly promoted Eighth Elder of the Uchiha? You're just a snot-nosed brat! Tell me, what qualifications do you have to become an elder?"
Uchiha Fugaku panicked internally, thinking, 'This is bad.'
With Obito's personality, he was the last person who knew how to hold his tongue. If he said something inappropriate, what would they do?
Sure enough, the next moment, Obito spread his hands and said, "To be honest, I'm not particularly interested in being an elder of the Uchiha clan. But the ability to use power for personal gain? Now that's something I quite enjoy."
Obito looked at the Great Elder, "This Eighth Elder position was given to me by Clan Leader Fugaku. If I remember correctly, the clan leader has the authority to do so, right? What, do you have a problem with that?"
For some reason, the Great Elder found Obito's arrogance rather amusing. He glanced at Fugaku and thought, 'So this is the person Fugaku nurtured for his own faction? Quite a tough one.'
Clever move. As clan leader, he sits back and stays neutral, while backing a tough and reckless subordinate to speak on his behalf. If anything goes wrong, he can just push the blame onto Obito and remain unscathed himself.
Now that's a proper clan leader.
The Great Elder nodded approvingly, "Fugaku, you've done well. I acknowledge this Eighth Elder."
Fugaku was dumbfounded. How did this turn out as 'done well'? Obito just admitted to corruption, yet the Great Elder actually approved? What was he even thinking?
At this moment, the Second Elder, exuding a chilling aura, spoke up.
"Heh, I can't stand seeing a mere child act tougher than me. Clan Leader Fugaku, you should reconsider this elder position carefully."
Fugaku's heart skipped a beat. The Second Elder, Uchiha Setsuna, was no pushover. He idolized Uchiha Madara, was infamous for his hardline stance, had even attempted to assassinate Tobirama Senju, yet had survived until now.
However, with the Great Elder's approval, Fugaku had no choice but to stand firm, "Elder Setsuna, Obito is my man."
Uchiha Setsuna chuckled in anger, "Oh? 'Your man,' huh?"
He glanced at Obito, then at the tightly wrapped figure standing beside him.
"Hey, you—Eighth Elder's… attendant, right? Tell me, whose man is this Eighth Elder?"
Madara froze. He had only come to observe the current state of the Uchiha, so why was he suddenly dragged into this?
Annoyed, he responded, "What does that have to do with me?"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y