Naruto:The System's Shadow

Upon returning to the clan grounds, Kaito instructed Chiya Hotaru to return to her room while he made his way to the meeting hall.

The roof of the meeting hall, which had been riddled with holes by Kaito and the others two months prior, had been fully repaired. Kaito glanced at it before stepping inside.

The hall was already filled with people. Besides his uncle, Uchiha Tajima, there were approximately fifty others, the weakest among them being jonin. Uchiha Madara was also present, apart from Kaito himself. Kaito nodded briefly at Madara before approaching his uncle.

"Lord Clan Head, I have arrived!" In such formal settings, even Madara had to address him as the clan leader, not by their familial title.

"Hmm, find a place to sit," Uchiha Tajima said casually.

Kaito scanned the room and decisively sat down next to Madara in a cross-legged position. He was simply not accustomed to their formal kneeling posture and doubted he ever would be.

Uchiha Tajima began to speak, "Some time ago, while I was on the battlefield, I suddenly received news that our clan had been attacked. I was filled with fear and abandoned the battlefield, leading all the clan's shinobi back day and night. Even so, we lost a full forty of our promising children of the next generation. It is a disgrace to the Uchiha clan!"

*Bang!*

Uchiha Tajima slammed his fist heavily on the table, causing it to shake violently. He glared at everyone present, and seeing that they all lowered their heads and avoided his gaze, he nodded in satisfaction, feeling that his authority was still as strong as ever.

He cleared his throat and continued, "Therefore, someone must take responsibility for this matter. The third elder, Uchiha Yutaka, was manipulated by the enemy, abandoning the clan grounds. He was utterly foolish. Though he has been stripped of his position as an elder, it is not enough punishment. Let us discuss what should be done with Uchiha Yutaka."

Uchiha Yutaka, kneeling in front, stood up, his face pale and cold sweat dripping down his forehead. He didn't dare say a word. When he received news that the clan grounds had been attacked, his mind had exploded. Since returning, he had been constantly on edge, voluntarily relinquishing his position as the third elder. The past few clan meetings had passed peacefully, and he thought it was over, but he was wrong.

"What's going on?"

Kaito whispered to Madara beside him. He had heard that there had been several clan meetings over the past two months. Had the third elder not been convicted yet?

Madara shook his head gently, "I don't know, but it seems he hasn't been convicted. The discussions have been about shrinking our territory and establishing defenses against the Senju clan, as our hasty retreat from the battlefield left many problems."

Kaito nodded in understanding. Ensuring the clan's safety was more important than convicting one of their own.

A group of Uchiha jonin whispered among themselves, discussing Uchiha Yutaka's punishment. The opinions varied from light to severe.

After a while, Uchiha Tajima waved his hand to quiet them down and said, "Does anyone have any suggestions?"

From the front row, the ninja kneeling just behind Uchiha Yutaka spoke. He was about forty years old, considered "elderly" in the high-mortality Warring States period, and was one of the strongest peak-level jonin in the clan, named Uchiha Sen.

"The third elder was negligent this time, leading to an unprecedented crisis for our clan's next generation. If it weren't for the emergence of the two geniuses, Madara and Kaito, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Merely removing him from his position as an elder is too lenient. I propose sending Uchiha Yutaka to supervise the progress of the Fujiwara Mine and protect its safety. I heard that some bandits have been harassing the area recently, posing a threat to the mine."

"What are you smiling at?"

Madara looked at the hint of a mocking smile on Kaito's lips and asked softly. He couldn't understand what was so funny about what had been said.

Kaito glanced disdainfully at Madara, his eyes full of superiority, and ignored him. "Hmph, no matter how talented you are, you're still an eight-year-old child. How could you understand the deeper meaning behind Uchiha Sen's words?"

The Fujiwara Mine was one of the three major mines controlled by the Uchiha clan. The iron ore produced there was not only the primary material for the Uchiha clan's weapons but was also exported to various daimyo and generals, making it an extremely important source of revenue.

Ninja were a resource-intensive profession, which was why they constantly took on high-paying missions. The Uchiha clan was fortunate, with a large territory, sufficient food, and abundant resources. Even if they lacked anything, they could purchase it from other ninja clans or daimyo.

Normally, the disposal of the third elder, Uchiha Yutaka, would involve giving him extremely difficult missions to atone for his mistakes, or sending him to the battlefield to fight alongside other clan members.

However, if Uchiha Yutaka were to achieve meritorious service again, he might have a chance to rise again. After all, he had been an elder for many years and still had some influence.

But sending him to the Fujiwara Mine was different. On the surface, the punishment was not severe, but in reality, it was tantamount to exile. In such a place, guarding it well was your duty, but guarding it poorly was your fault. Being far from the clan's center, there was basically no chance of returning to the clan, effectively abandoning him.

Uchiha Sen's proposal was simple. He had his eyes on the third elder's position. Since ancient times, the Uchiha clan had had three elders below the clan leader. Two years ago, two elders had been killed in surprise attacks by the Hyuga and Senju, which had triggered the two-year-long three-clan war. Due to the war, the two elder positions had never been re-established.

Now that the war had subsided somewhat and the third elder was being judged, the three elder positions were all vacant. Uchiha Sen, in terms of strength and age, had a great chance of being selected. However, there were several other peak-level jonin in the clan who were also vying for the elder position. It was natural to drive Uchiha Yutaka away now.

Kaito shook his head slightly. Sure enough, such behind-the-scenes power struggles never ceased. This was considered good, after all, external enemies were a major threat, so some small struggles would not go too far. At most, the opponent would be idled, and their lives would not be threatened. After all, jonin combat power was important and might be needed at any time.

However, Uchiha Sen's plans were likely to fail. The Uchiha clan had just suffered a defeat and was in need of manpower. Uchiha Yutaka, a peak-level jonin, would not be sent to guard a mine. The Uchiha clan was not that extravagant. No, it should be said that no family in the entire ninja world could afford to be so extravagant.

Following Uchiha Sen's proposal, the entire hall became noisy. Several jonin who had previously received favors from Uchiha Yutaka immediately jumped out, recounting his past achievements and arguing with Uchiha Sen.

Uchiha Tajima frowned and snorted coldly. The quarreling parties glanced at him and gradually quieted down, awaiting his decision.

"The Fujiwara Mine is out of the question. Recently, some rogue ninja have appeared in the Land of Amazawa in the west. They are quite strong, with two elite jonin. We have received a request for assistance from the Tennouji clan daimyo, with a reward of one million ryo. Uchiha Yutaka will be sent there. Hmm, the clan needs manpower everywhere right now, so you should go alone. Leave now!"

Uchiha Yutaka glanced at him, sighed, and turned to leave.