The group headed toward the Uchiha clan compound. When they reached the gate, Uchiha Fugaku finally spoke.
"Ran, why did you refuse Nara Shikaku's proposal?"
"The Third Hokage has signed the abdication papers. The Hokage seat is vacant. You avenged the Fourth Hokage and the villagers by driving off that mysterious man."
"You also displayed your strength and proved that no one in Konoha can match you. Why not seize such a perfect opportunity?"
Fugaku voiced what everyone was thinking. All eyes turned to Uchiha Ran, waiting for an answer.
Ran chuckled lightly. "We just released the newspaper, and immediately afterward the Third Hokage steps down. If the Uchiha take the Hokage position right now, won't people say it's a scheme? That we set a trap to seize power?"
Fugaku snorted. "So what if they say that? Right now we have momentum and strength. Whoever talks, we silence them."
Ran looked at him calmly. "If one person talks, you kill one. If ten talk, you kill ten. But what if hundreds talk? Or thousands? Or half of Konoha? Can you kill them all?"
Fugaku fell silent. His head lowered. The excitement of impending victory had clouded his judgment. Being so close to that supreme position had made everyone impatient.
"If all we wanted was revenge," Ran continued, "I could take people right now, kill Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo, and wipe out their clans."
The Uchiha ninja were shocked. Several shook their heads immediately. What they wanted was dignity and fairness, not a massacre.
Uchiha Shisui smiled faintly. As expected, Ran was not someone obsessed with killing. Uchiha Itachi looked at Ran with complicated eyes; his younger brother's vision was already beyond his own, perhaps even beyond the Hokage's.
"If the Uchiha truly want Konoha and its people," Ran said softly, "then don't cling to short-term gains. When we win the hearts of the villagers, that will be the time to become Hokage."
The tension eased. As long as Ran had ambition and a plan, everyone felt reassured. They had chosen to follow him, and he was their pillar.
Seeing their expressions relax, Ran smiled again. "That said, we'll still collect a bit of interest today."
Uchiha Itachi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Ran looked around at everyone. "Notify all Uchiha ninja and civilians. We're relocating our clan compound to the center of Konoha. The best location."
The area fell silent for three seconds—then erupted.
"OOOOHHHHH!!!"
"Lord Ran is mighty!"
"To the center of Konoha!"
Cheers rang out as people hurried back to their homes to prepare. Ran curled his lips slightly. The clan really was straightforward—just the idea of relocation had them ecstatic.
But he understood. After years of suppression, returning to the heart of Konoha was a declaration.
The Uchiha had returned.
Within an hour, the clan members had packed their belongings and gathered at the compound gate. Items too difficult to move were left behind for the time being.
Uchiha Zongyi volunteered to stay behind and guard the old compound, planning to rejoin them later. Ran gave him an approving nod. Their earlier ideological clash no longer mattered; alignment mattered now.
They were family.
Fugaku watched the scene with reddened eyes. Back then, they had been forced to the outskirts in humiliation. Everyday errands and missions took hours of travel.
Now, under his son's leadership, they were moving back.
Ran looked at the clan members carrying bags and bundles. "Let's go."
"Let's go!"
"Going home!"
Ran led the way, with Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui guarding his left and right. Fugaku followed behind, organizing the procession.
Though tired, everyone walked tall, pride swelling in their chests.
As they moved through Konoha's streets, people gathered to watch. News of the Hokage incident had spread, and many villagers now understood how the Uchiha had been wronged. Some brought water, others offered greetings.
Ran responded with a smile. His people accepted water, but refused food. They would not take so much as a thread from the villagers.
The clan's loyalty to Ran reached its peak. He had restored their dignity and was leading them back to the center.
The villagers, seeing this restraint, felt deep shame for their past hostility.
Before long, the news spread through the entire village.
Hyuga Hiashi arrived with Neji, Hinata, and several aides to welcome them—only to see Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi already waiting ahead with honor guards, gongs, and drums.
Hiashi's mouth twitched. "So competitive. You're making the rest of us look bad."
Neji glanced at his uncle, then ran toward Shikaku with Hinata.
"Uncle Nara, can we borrow a drum? We're friends with Uchiha Ran!"
Since the matter of the Caged Bird Seal, Neji had become noticeably gentler and more polite.
Shikaku laughed. "Of course. The Ino–Shika–Cho and the Hyuga have always gotten along. Take it."
He pointed to a large red drum and its sticks.
Neji's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Uncle Nara!"
He hugged the drum and ran back, Hinata following closely.
Shikaku looked at Hiashi with a smug expression, as if to say he had won this round.
Hiashi snorted and turned away. Even he had to admit—when it came to social maneuvering, he wasn't Shikaku's equal.
------
Enjoying the story?
Get ahead of everyone else!
Read up to 60 advance chapters right now on my Patreon, with early access, daily updates on all novels, and more perks for supporters.
👉 patreon.com/TheLazy_sage