Chapter 78: Violent Seizure of Power
At this moment, there was naturally something more important than succeeding as Hokage.
The essence of becoming Hokage was inheriting control over Konoha, a powerful force.
As for the title of Hokage itself, in Kei's eyes, it was not worth much.
He had never cared about empty titles. What he cared about were tangible things.
Some power could be obtained through strategy and by winning people over through relationships, but other things were different.
Those required absolute, concrete strength.
Inside the ancestral grounds of the Uchiha Clan, the atmosphere had already become extremely tense.
The current Uchiha Clan Head was named Uchiha Kawaaki.
Inside the shrine, he sat alone with several clan elders.
"Kei is here."
One of the clan elders spoke up. "What should we do?"
"What is he here for?"
Kawaaki spoke coldly. "Has he come to support me in becoming Hokage?"
"From the looks of it, probably not."
"In that case, why should we bother with him?"
He said coldly, "For all these years, he has been close to the Senju Clan. Does he still consider himself a member of the Uchiha Clan?"
"Regardless, he is the head of the Medical Department and a high ranking official of Konoha. Now that he has returned, should we not at least meet him?"
The elder in front of him hesitated.
"Fine."
Kawaaki nodded. "Then let him wait outside."
"I will go see him personally."
After saying that, he stood and walked out.
Inside the Uchiha Clan's reception hall, Kei stood alone.
He sat there quietly, waiting for Kawaaki to arrive.
A moment later, the Uchiha Clan Head entered and sat opposite him.
"Kei."
Kawaaki looked at Kei. "I do not have time for idle talk. State your purpose plainly."
"If you came to support me in becoming Hokage, then stay. If not, leave."
His eyes changed. A pair of crimson Sharingan stared directly at Kei, pressing down on him with immense pressure.
"So direct."
Kei smiled. "In that case, I will also speak plainly."
"Senior Kawaaki, it seems you have held the position of Clan Head for a little too long."
"I think it is time for a change. What do you think?"
"What did you say?"
Hearing Kei's words, Kawaaki was stunned for a moment.
At first, he thought Kei had come because of the Hokage election, and he had prepared himself accordingly.
As it turned out, the other party had actually come for his position as Clan Head.
The moment he realized that, anger surged across his face.
"Do you know what you are saying?!"
"Why shouldn't I?"
Kei spoke calmly. "The Uchiha Clan respects strength. Since you are old, Clan Head, it is only right that you step down and make way for someone more capable."
"Besides, even in terms of bloodline, you should not be the Uchiha Clan Head."
With a calm expression, he looked at Kawaaki. At some point, a pair of Sharingan had also appeared in his eyes, carrying a massive sense of oppression.
"Is that not so?"
The scene froze for a moment.
The Uchiha Clan had always followed the tradition of the strong seizing power.
No, to be more precise, almost all ninja clans followed this rule.
Aside from clans like the Hyuga, who used the Caged Bird Seal and forcibly separated the Main House from the Branch House, most ninja clans respected strength above all else.
The strongest becoming Clan Head was the most basic rule.
Furthermore, in terms of bloodline, the Kawaaki before him was not from the so called direct line of the Clan Head.
The true direct line of the Clan Head had long since been severed after Madara left.
After all, Madara had no children, and his only younger brother had died long ago.
The current Clan Head was merely a candidate re elected by the clan after Madara's departure. His influence and strength both had limits.
"You want to challenge my position as Clan Head?"
Kawaaki spoke coldly. "Kei, do you know what you are doing?"
Kei's expression remained calm as he casually waved a hand.
In an instant, several elderly men stepped out from within the clan.
"Please act according to the rules, Clan Head."
They looked at Kawaaki and spoke indifferently. "In our view, the Clan Head is now old and frail. It is time for a new Clan Head."
"If the Uchiha Clan wants to welcome a new life, then it should be led by a young Clan Head."
"You...!"
Looking at those men, the anger on Kawaaki's face grew even more intense.
The elders before him were no ordinary people. They were the clan elders of the Uchiha.
Within the Uchiha Clan, these elders not only possessed great seniority, but also held considerable influence and power.
Together, even he, the Clan Head, could not ignore them.
And now, they had united behind Kei.
This was a coup.
At that moment, Kawaaki suddenly understood.
"You... why?"
Confusion appeared on his face. He could not understand why these people had betrayed him.
Clearly, he had not done anything wrong.
Before this, these people had been his loyal supporters. Why had they defected the moment Kei arrived?
The answer was actually very simple.
The Uchiha elders chose to support him not because of how powerful he was, but simply because he was the Uchiha Clan Head, and because they hoped an Uchiha Hokage would emerge.
They wanted an Uchiha Hokage to appear in Konoha. As for who that person specifically was, they did not care.
Kei was also from the Uchiha Clan, and from the current situation, his chances were clearly much better than Kawaaki's.
Combined with the influence of Kagami's branch, that ultimately led to this result.
"Fine!"
Seeing that he had been pushed into a corner, Kawaaki spoke coldly, "In that case, come."
"I would like to see how much strength you still have after spending all these years treating the sick and saving people!"
Even now, he still had absolute confidence in himself.
Whatever else might be said, his strength was real.
He was the Uchiha Clan Head and enjoyed the resources of the entire clan. Now in his prime, his strength had long since reached its peak.
As for the Kei opposite him, he was only fifteen years old.
At that age, he was still just a child in Kawaaki's eyes. What was there to fear?
He turned and walked toward the training ground, his expression rigid as he moved forward.
Kei's face remained calm as he followed behind.
By the time they arrived, the area was already packed.
One after another, Uchiha ninja had gathered to watch this fight.
This had naturally been arranged in advance.
Since Kei wanted to seize the position of Uchiha Clan Head, he had to defeat Kawaaki fairly and squarely in front of all the Uchiha ninja.
Only then would his ascension as Uchiha Clan Head be considered legitimate.
.....
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