Chapter 44- Second Clan Meeting

Kakashi Hatake POV

Blue Chakra flash across his body, accompanied by fleeting sparks of lightning as he dashed across the field, finally reaching the finish line.

Coming to a sudden stop, he released the chakra enveloping him and fixed his gaze intensely on Ren's Shadow Clone.

The clone fixed its gaze on the Stopwatch, then slowly pivoted it around to reveal the result. He had finished the lap in one-fifth of his usual time while using the Lightning Chakra Cloak.

"Congratulations." Ren said, giving him a content smile. "You've finally mastered the most basic version of Lightning Chakra Cloak. It is still far from the full potential of this Jutsu, but you've made good progress."

He sank to the ground with a mixture of relief and exhaustion, grateful that his months of dedicated effort had finally borne fruit.

"Also, congratulations on becoming an Elite Jounin at only 16 years old." Ren said, shoving a lollipop in his face.

He batted the lollipop aside and shot Ren a glare before the realization hit him. "Wait, what? You're saying I'm an Elite Jounin?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, wondering if this was merely another one of Ren's pranks.

"I'm saying that you can fight at that level when you use the the most basic version of the Lightning Cloak." Ren said. "Currently, you can only do so for about a minute or so, but that will increase with time and practice. I have confidence that if you maintain your current level of dedication and effort, you'll achieve S-class status before the age of Twenty."

"I will." He said, and he meant it. If not for himself then for Obito, who sacrificed his life to save him.

A moment later, Ringo skidded to a stop beside him as well, her own cloak flickering a bit more than his own. And he knew that she also suffered from far more lightning chakra burns than he did. The fact that she was able to endure such severe burns and carry on as if unaffected was incredibly impressive. And she had his respect for that, if nothing else.

"I'm starting to get the hang of it. I believe I'll have mastered the basic version by the end of this month." Ringo remarked as Ren set about healing the numerous first and second-degree burns covering her body.

This was probably one of the reasons why not everyone in Kumo tried to learn this Jutsu. Without a top-tier healer like Ren Uchiha on hand, capable of effortlessly treating even the most severe burns with just a touch, the risks of permanent injuries would be far too great.

As always, watching Ren at work was awe inspiring, and made him often wonder if this is how Obito must've felt when compared to his own abilities. Remembering Obito brought back that familiar pang of guilt within him, but he was used to it by this point.

At least he was able to keep his promise to Obito by keeping Rin Nohara safe. Yes, she got kidnapped and turned into a Jinchuriki by Kiri, but he was able to save her in the end.

"You better be." Ren said with a fake-annoyed look on his face. "Boss had to spend Five points to buy Educational Talent just for situations like these."

He had… absolutely no idea what 'five points' Ren was talking about and how you can even buy something like Educational Talent. So he just chalked it up as one of Ren's usual eccentric behaviour and ignored it.

Two minutes later, Ringo was completely healed and he had also recovered from his exhaustion.

It still surprised him just how quickly he recovered from physical and chakra exhaustion ever since Ren implanted Hashirama cells within his body.

And to think that he was against it being implanted in his body. Thinking that since his father became an S-class shinobi without any assistance, he should be capable of doing the same.

Good thing that Ren convinced him otherwise. Mostly by giving him a rather through beating to show just how weak he truly was. It was just another favour in a long list of favours that he owed to Ren.

"Should we continue?" He asked, rising from the ground.

"Ringo will continue. However, the boss has requested your presence in his lab." The Shadow Clone said.

"Lab? What for?" He asked, feeling a slightly apprehensive.

Was Ren going to implant something else into his body? And would he receive another great beating if he refused?

"Boss wants to help you evolve your Sharingan. Take it to the next level, so to speak." The Shadow Clone said. "That's all I can tell you right now. Go and talk to the boss if you want to know more."

Upgrading Obito's Sharingan eye.

He wasn't against it, as the eye has evolved over the past few years till it went from the One-tomoe Sharingan to Three-tomoe Sharingan.

But… "Doing so won't harm the Sharingan, would it?" He asked, not wanting to lose Obito's eye to one of Ren's experiments. If there was even a slight chance of the eye being damaged, then he would not allow Ren to study it, despite how much he owed the boy.

"Boss will explain things to you." The Shadow Clone said, not explaining anything else and he sighed before he started marching toward the large house atop the hill.

Ten minutes later.

He found himself covered in a series of Fuinjutsu seals. Most of them covering the left side of his face and centred around his Sharingan eye.

"Are you sure this will work?" He asked Ren, a twinge of unease lingering in his gut despite being aware that the boy was a Fuinjutsu expert.

The best one in Konoha, and perhaps even the entire world, if Minato-Sensei's words were to be believed.

"Yes. Now hold still. I'll pour a steady stream of chakra into your body until your chakra reserves are filled to the brim. Don't fight it."

"I still don't understand why I need so much chakra." He confessed. "Is the next level of Sharingan really so chakra intensive?"

He had heard that all the Sharingan wielders sent to the frontline used the evolved version of Sharingan during the war. It was called Mangekyo or something, and it was one of the main reasons why Konoha was able to defeat Kumo and Iwa with such ease.

He hadn't seen those eyes himself, as he hadn't been allowed to join the war effort. This fact would have greatly annoyed him if he hadn't been assigned the mission to protect Rin Nohara, along with Minato Sensei's wife and daughter.

"It isn't. But there is something else about your eyes. Something that I want to show you and study for myself. 'That' would be chakra intensive."

"It won't harm the eye, would it?" He asked once again.

"I won't lie to you. The thing I'm about to show you would do some minor damage to your eye." Ren said but then continued before he could offer up any protest. "However, the Hashirama cells in your body should be more than capable of repairing it."

"For the record. I'm still not comfortable with this." He said as the Shadow Clones tightened the strap around his body.

"Come on Kakashi. Go along with this and I won't tell anyone that you have buckteeth under your mask." Ren said cheekily.

He narrowed his eyes at the boy. "I don't have buckteeth and you know that."

"Huh… did you say anything." Ren said, giving him a confused glance and his eyes twitched at Ren using his own usual tactic against Gai.

"No. Just go ahead with the experiment." He said. Ren gave a nod and then placed a hand on the left side of his face, activating the Fuinjutsu seals.

A sharp prick of pain went through his left Sharigan eye before the world he could see through that eye became crisp and clear. As if the Sharingan he'd used till now was slow and faulty.

The world around him seemed to decelerate, as if the Shadow Clones surrounding him were moving in slow motion. He could discern every detail of their movements with ease, effortlessly anticipating their next actions to a much greater degree than before.

If all those Uchiha had eyes like these, then no wonder that Kumo and Iwa lost the war so badly. Though the fact that not a single Uchiha had died in the war was still strange.

"There. Now we move on to the next stage of this experiment." Ren said, able to keep up with him easily enough despite him now seeing things in slow motion.

He realised that the boy had hastened his movements to match his slowed perception. Moments later, his Shadow Clones followed suit.

The ease with which Ren accomplished this feat, without apparent effort, was truly unsettling. And he wondered just how much Ren has to hold himself back in day to day life to appear like a normal human being.

"Next stage?" He asked, his own mouth moving rather slowly compared to his perception.

"Yes. It was the Mangekyo ability I told you about. Now hold still." Ren said and he felt the foreign chakra invading his Sharingan eye before—

The space in front of him twisted in a swirling pattern. The twisting and swirling getting faster and faster, until a black hole the size of an apple appeared in front of him.

He felt himself say "What?" in slow motion, a tad bit worried about the great amount of chakra he was using up to hold… whatever this was.

But then he felt Ren's chakra invading his body once again, easily merging together with his one chakra and shoring up his reserves, instead of poisoning him like it should've.

Ren then channeled more chakra through his eyes, causing a thin stream of blood to trickle down his face as the black void expanded, growing larger and larger until a peculiar dark space filled with cubes materialised before him.

But before he could get a better look at it, Ren stopped the flow of chakra through his eye and the space hole sealed shut. The wound in the fabric of space healed instantaneously, as if it had never been torn open in the first place.

The world resumed its usual pace, and he took deep breaths to calm himself before he turned to Ren and asked, "What was that!?" And if there was a slight note of panic in his voice then Ren thankfully didn't acknowledge it.

"That was the Mangekyo Sharingan ability of your eye." Ren said, looking as calm as ever despite… everything. "And thanks to you, I was able to study it."

"How did I not know that Obito's eye was capable of something like that? Wait, how did 'you' know that Obito's eye was capable of something like that?" He asked.

"I'm Ren Uchiha." The boy answered, and to be fair, it wasn't the wrong answer, even it felt rather unsatisfactory. "And I would advise against using it until you possess chakra reserves at Kage level. Otherwise, you'll deplete your chakra and die."

"Noted." He said, feeling rather drained after this entire experience. "Can I use the next stage Sharingan at least?"

"You can. But only do so in emergency situations." Ren said. "Now get out of my lab. I need to see how to replicate this ability of Obito's."

"Wait? You can replicate it?" He asked, feeling a bit numb.

"Of course I can." Ren said with a scoff. "Who do you think I am?"

—————

Ren Uchiha POV

"—the Hokage has granted us many honours. A large share of the loot Konoha acquired from this war, enough merits to last us a lifetime, a large tax deduction for any Uchiha Shinobi for the next Twenty years, along with a lesser deduction for our affiliates. And a dozen other minor benefits." Fugaku said, prompting murmurs of approval from the clan members gathered in the Naka Shrine.

This marked the first Uchiha clan meeting convened since the start of the war. The gatherings had been suspended throughout the conflict as the most formidable of their shinobi had been deployed to the frontlines.

This was also the second Clan meeting he had joined. And he wouldn't have joined this one either had Fugaku not come to his house give him a personal invitation.

"That's promising. It appears the village is beginning to recognise the true worth of our clan," remarked the First Elder, a prominent member of the Dove faction. He was also Mikoto's uncle and an ardent supporter of Fugaku.

"The tax benefits would be of great help to our shinobi, traders and various businesses." The 5th elder said. The was one of the Neutral ones, more focused on raising wealth for the clan than anything else.

"All of this is unnecessary. Useless trinkets handed out to our clan to pacify us while our true desires remain unfulfilled!" exclaimed the Second Elder, leader of the Hawk faction. "Why were we not guaranteed the position of the Fifth Hokage when we, single-handedly, secured victory in this entire war for Konoha?"

This guy and his ego... The way he speaks would lead you to believe that the Uchiha clan alone could win a war against three major villages. And as strong as the Uchiha clan has recently become, they weren't 'that' strong. Not without him at least.

There was a difference between confidence and delusion, and this one seems to have crossed that line a long time ago.

Though… the number people who seemed to be nodding at this guy's words was worrying. Hell, even some members of the Dove faction were nodding along as if everything he said made perfect sense.

He sighed, reminded of the proverb: "Pride comes before fall."

He might have to do something, lest these morons think that attacking Konoha and taking the Hokage's position with force is a smart move.

It probably won't come to it. The Uchiha only planned a coup in the canon timeline because of how desperate they truly were. But better for him to act before its too late.

"The Hokage's position is not his own to give away." Fugaku said firmly. "At best, he can nominate candidates for the position. However, it's ultimately the ones who prove themselves as the strongest and garner the most support from the clans, S-class shinobi, and jounins who become the next Hokage. You all are aware of this."

He paused at that, remembering the clan leaders who respected him, the S-class shinobi he's friends or acquainted with and all the Jounins he'd healed during the war time. Not to mention Minato's apparent interest in pushing him into the Hokage's seat. Ah... shit. This wasn't good.

"Bah! That's all just nonsense. Do you think Hashirama cared about our opinions when he appointed Tobirama as the Second Hokage? Or Tobirama cared when he selected Hiruzen Sarutobi for the position?" the elder exclaimed, rising from his seat and glaring at the rest of the assembly. "I've said it a thousand times already, and I'll say it again. Konoha doesn't value us Uchiha as much as they should. Even after we won the war for them, all we receive are tax breaks and some merits. Does he think of us as beggars?"

"Mind your manners, Second elder. That's our Hokage you're speaking of. You may not respect his decisions but you must respect his position as the Hokage." Fugaku said, showing some steel in his spine for once. He approved.

The elders debated on the matter for a while longer, exchanging arguments back and forth until it was ultimately decided that Fugaku would approach Minato to take on an Uchiha clan member as his disciple, akin to how Hiruzen had mentored the Sannin.

He suspected that either Shisui or Itachi would be chosen for this role, primarily because he had no interest whatsoever in being involved in such drama.

"Before we proceed with the meeting, there is something I want to ask something." Spoke a young Uchiha Jounin as he rose from his seat. This individual was Naka Uchiha, recognised as one of the most skilled shinobi of his generation. Someone who was able to unlock his Mangekyo Sharingan on his own and didn't need a handout from him.

He was from the Hawk faction and had held a high position in the faction until Fugaku started giving out his eyes and Hashirama cells to the clan members. Hawk faction still only had three shinobi who got those eyes and cells (compared to the Dove faction's Eighteen) but that was enough to deteriorate the large influence and support that Naka once held.

After all, having Mangekyo didn't make you special anymore. It just made you one among many.

"Please, ask." Fugaku said.

"Why is that boy sitting beside you in the seat of honour, Fugaku-san?" Naka asked, pointing right at him. And it was as if the entire clan's attention shifted to him at once. Everyone was now looking at him. "I also want to ask why he has such a large bounty in his name when he didn't even join the war. And if there is any truth to the various rumours going around about him."

Fugaku looked like he was contemplating how to answer this question before he got up from his seat. "May I answer this question myself, Fugaku-san?"

Fugaku glance at him and nodded.

He glanced at Naka, who already had his Mangekyo Sharingan activated. This was customary, as every Uchiha was expected to show off their Sharingan during the duration of the meeting. It served as a demonstration of the true power of their clan and a means of garnering more prestige within their ranks.

"Protect yourself." He told Naka.

"What?" Naka asked, frowning at him before he unleashed his Genjutsu attack.

It was surprisingly effortless. Almost too easy. He couldn't tell if it was because of his exceptionally high skill in Genjutsu or because of his newly acquired Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Naka collapsed as if his strings had been abruptly severed, rendered unconscious by just a single glance from him.

"That, is my answer." He said and took his seat once again.

There was a moment of silence before all three elders and the Jounin of the Hawk faction rose to their feet, their expressions a mix of anger and wariness as they regarded him.

Even some members from the Dove and neutral factions appeared displeased with his actions.

"Attacking a fellow clan member within the Naka is strictly prohibited," the First Elder declared before anyone else could interject. "As punishment, Ren Uchiha will receive a hundred lashes and forfeit a third of his wealth and property, effective immediately."

The words rang out like a gong in the Naka shrine and he felt bewildered about why an elder of the Dove faction was punishing him. Wasn't this guy supposed to be on his side? And then he realised it.

It seems like he had broken some sort of taboo within the clan. A taboo that stopped someone from attacking another member of the clan within the Naka shrine. An understandable taboo as everyone had their Sharingan active during the meeting. And someone with a Mangekyo Sharingan can do a lot of harm to another person with just a look into their eyes.

The First elder had probably given him the punishment so that the members of the Hawk faction won't ask for a harsher punishment. Like his death or something equally foolish.

However, he wasn't inclined to allow a stranger to punish him just to uphold decades-old traditions that he cared little about.

So he chuckled at the First elder's words, getting a frown from the old man and an excited look from the Hawk faction guys.

"Do you find your punishment funny, Ren-kun?" The First elder asked, his frown deepening. Even Fugaku appeared concerned.

"Yeah. I find it funny that you guys stick to your traditions so closely, yet forget the number one rule of the Shinobi world."

"Oh, and what rule would that be?" The Second elder asked, looking at him like he was some kind of prey ready to be devoured.

Fool.

"That the strong rule over the weak," he declared before he flared his chakra through his eyes, ensnaring everyone standing in the Shrine within his Genjutsu.

The effect lasted only a moment.

And then all the members of the Hawk faction slumped to the ground, unconscious.

A profound silence fell within the compound as everyone watched this with their mouth hung open.

He had just incapacitated dozens of Jounin with a mere surge of his chakra, including two Elite Jounin who possessed implanted Mangekyo Sharingan eyes.

Such a feat should have been technically impossible, yet he accomplished it effortlessly, without breaking a sweat.

He shot a sidelong glance at the First Elder, who now appeared to be sweating profusely. "Is the punishment still in effect, First Elder?" he inquired.

The First Elder swallowed hard, looking as though he might faint at any moment, and shook his head. "N-no, Ren-sama," he stammered.

He always found it amusing how quickly these people shifted from addressing him as Ren-kun to Ren-sama as soon as they heard of his deeds or witnessed them firsthand.

"That's good to hear." He said and then glanced at Fugaku who looked throughly exasperated. "Please, Fugaku-san, continue with the meeting."

Now, let's see if the Hawk faction still harbours any desire to go against the Hokage and Konoha after this.

The meeting became somewhat tense afterward, as everyone was keenly aware of his presence. The older shinobi regarded him with wariness but also with respectful eyes, while the younger ones gazed at him in awe.

The less said about the girls his age, the better.

He had a feeling that he was about to acquire his own group of Uchiha fangirls before the end of this meeting.

The meeting continued for another hour before an Elite Jounin from the Dove faction stood up and addressed him.

He recognised her immediately. She was Naori Uchiha, one of the few Uchiha clan members who had successfully activated her Mangekyo Sharingan. She was among the clan members he had considered marrying in the future.

Naori bowed to him, eliciting murmurs from the crowd. In the Uchiha clan, it was customary to bow only to one's parents and the clan leader, and to no one else.

"If you do not mind, Ren-sama, then I have a question I want to ask." She said, her voice soft and gentle.

"Please, go ahead." He said.

"With your strength, you are undoubtedly the strongest Uchiha our clan has produced since the founding of Konoha," Naori said. "So why did you not fight in the war?"

That raised even more murmurs within the crowd and he caught words like 'coward' and 'hiding' exchanged between the clan members, making him feel more amused than annoyed.

Seems like its was time to let the cat out of the bag.

"Why do you assume I didn't fight in the war?" He asked in return, which seemed to flounder the young woman a bit.

"You… you were not with us in the frontline, Ren-sama." Naori said.

"Fugaku-san, would you mind informing her and the rest of the clan about my accomplishments?" he requested, feeling uncomfortable with the idea of boasting about his own achievements.

Fugaku gave him a look, as if asking if he was sure about this. At his nod, Fugaku turned to face the clan.

"Ren-kun's initial involvement in the war was in the hospital, where he apprenticed under Lady Tsunade. He absorbed her teachings with such proficiency that his medical abilities matched those of Lady Tsunade herself by the end of the month," Fugaku revealed, stunning everyone in the clan.

After all, being powerful was one thing. But being talented enough to learn everything from one of Sannins within just a month was something else altogether.

"There, he or his Shadow Clones healed just as many shinobi as Lady Tsunade did throughout the entire duration of the war, if not more," Fugaku continued. "However, his first direct involvement in the war occurred when he joined the assault in Kiri."

"I must object, Fugaku-sama," one of the Jounin interjected as he rose from his seat. "With all due respect, Fugaku-sama, I was one of the few Elite Jounin who took part in that mission, and Ren-sama wasn't there."

When the clan looked at him in confusion, he swiftly transformed into the Crow Anbu he had been during the war, then reverted to his original form, effectively silencing the Jounin.

"I joined that mission while under transformation." He explained, for the slower minds.

After a moment's pause where those who had taken part in that battle realised that he had been with them all along, Fugaku continued.

"In that battle, Ren-kun executed his tasks flawlessly, destroying all the ships and ports in Kiri, as well as their Shinobi Academy, Mizukage Tower, and R&D Department building," Fugaku recounted. "Afterward, he aided our allies and assisted Ringo Ameyuri in defeating the S-class shinobi Fuguki Suikazan. Following that, he supported Hokage-sama in destroying the Terumi clan, defeating another S-class kunoichi in the process."

"I was also responsible for transporting our team to the island near Kiri and back to Konoha after the mission concluded," he added softly.

"Ah yes, Ren-kun also knows the 4th Hokage's signature Jutsu, Hiraishin." Fugaku said, and the fan girls were looking even more intensely at him. Hell, even some of the older teenage girls were now looking at him with evident lust in their eyes.

It was… disconcerting.

"The next part is not documented, but after the destruction of Kiri, Ren-kun located and defeated the Six Tails Jinchuriki of Kiri. Subsequently, he extracted the tailed beast and claimed it for himself, for the benefit of the village and the clan," Fugaku disclosed, as he accentuated his words by flaring out six glowing tails behind him.

This elicited a few gasps of shock from the audience, as they hadn't been aware that their clan now possessed a Tailed Beast.

Once the excited murmurs had subsided, Fugaku resumed. "Ren next participated in the war by creating over a thousand Shadow Clones, which he deployed to both battlefields. These clones not only eliminated enemies but also rescued and healed many of our allies. Additionally, he infiltrated behind enemy lines, destroying their supplies and incapacitating their medics, compelling them to retreat from battle.

"Wait. That was you!?" One of the Jounin blurted out, before quickly realizing his mistake and lowering his head. "Sorry, Fugaku-sama, Ren-sama. But were those shadow clones really you? How did you even manage to create a thousand Shadow Clones?"

"Yes, it was me," he confirmed. "I created over a thousand shadow clones with the assistance of the Strength of a Hundred Seals, a technique taught to me by Tsunade-Sensei. Additionally, my clones also managed to defeat and capture the Jinchuriki of the Two Tails during that battle. Any other questions?"

The clan members remained silent, though he sensed it was more from the shock of learning about all his accomplishments rather than a lack of questions.

"Ren-kun's next contribution was an act that changed the entire course of the battle," Fugaku-san announced. "Ren-kun led a team that swept through the Land of Lightning, decimating all their primary commerce centers, industrial bases, mines, as well as their vital ports and bridges. During this blitz attack, Ren-kun's team not only eliminated over a dozen Elite Jounin and more than 150 Jounin, but they also killed the Fourth Raikage, resulting in the cessation of hostilities with Kumo."

These words brought a wave of utter silence within the Naka Shrine. He sensed that his accomplishments had completely stunned their clan members this time.

Even Mikoto-san, who hadn't been aware of his war achievements, was now staring at him in utter shock, as if seeing him for the first time in her life. Same for Itachi, who was sitting on Mikoto's lap.

"With all of this said, the greatest aid Ren-kun provided to the Uchiha clan was not by defeating our enemies during the war, but by supplying us with a substantial quantity of Mangekyo Sharingan eyes and Hashirama cells that he obtained from the Hokage," Fugaku stated. All the recipients of transplanted eyes in the clan were now fixated on him, their gazes locking onto his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan eyes and recognising the resemblance to their own.

"You elders have been curious for the longest time about the source of all those Mangekyo Sharingan eyes. Well, now you know." Fugaku said, and then continued before anyone could start asking questions.

"Last but not least, when the Hokage-sama took to the battlefield personally, he entrusted Ren-kun with the role of temporary village head, ensuring the village's protection in his absence. These are the contributions Ren-kun made to this war. Now, with this knowledge, does anyone have any questions?"

After a long silence, a young teenage girl shyly raised her hand.

"Yes, Kimiko-chan," Fugaku acknowledged, gesturing for the girl to speak, even though she was only a Chunin and typically not permitted to speak in meetings like these.

"Is… is Ren-sama in need of a wife?" The girl asked, looking at him hopefully.

Beside him, he heard Fugaku facepalm before chaos erupted. Every girl around his age started vying for his attention, some asking to be chosen as his wife, others as concubines, and a few even offering to teach him about a woman's body.

Suffice it to say, it was a… memorable clan meeting.

—————

After a long and exhausting meeting that felt like it lasted for years, he returned home.

To his surprise, his house was shrouded in darkness, and he could sense the presence of everyone he knew—everyone from the village—inside, waiting for him.

'What in the world was happening here?' He wondered to himself.

As he entered his house, the lights flicked on instantly, and everyone erupted into cheers of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY REN!"

Ah... he realized he had turned seven today. Neat!

—————

AN: That's it for this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it.

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Have a nice day.