Chapter 90
Everyone knew the ninja world had grown increasingly unstable in recent years. Konoha, in particular, had been embroiled in more and more conflicts. The Uchiha clan, too, was expected to shoulder its share of the burden.
There were murmurs among the gathered clan members, and many wore expressions of deep concern.
"Right now, the higher-ups of Konoha are placing pressure on the Uchiha. It won’t be long before many of us are deployed to the front lines," said Uchiha Fugaku. His tone was neutral—neither grief nor pride could be discerned from his voice. It was as if the Uchiha were offering troops voluntarily.
"Ahem! Let this old man speak a few words!" one of the elders interrupted, tapping his cane against the ground as he stood. Though frail in appearance, his movements were smooth—a remnant of his days as an active shinobi.
Fugaku nodded and gestured for silence, then took his seat.
"I’m already over sixty this year—the oldest among us. When I was young, I even witnessed the might of Lord Madara with my own eyes." The elder didn’t jump straight to the point. Instead, he began with a recollection.
No one found it dull. In fact, many leaned in curiously—including Saitama. After all, the elder had just invoked the name of Uchiha Madara.
"Konoha was founded by both the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara. Our clan’s contributions are woven into the village’s very foundation. Though our position in the village is complicated, let me be clear—we should not harbor resentment toward Konoha."
The elder’s voice grew firm.
"As the saying goes: ’As long as there are leaves flying, the fire will burn. The fire will illuminate the village and cause new leaves to grow.’"
He paused, turning to survey everyone. Many wore conflicted expressions, but out of respect for the elder, no one spoke out.