As a child, Rēn had long been puzzled by what deity the Naka Shrine actually worshipped. The shrine, used by the Uchiha clan for gatherings and public events, was essentially clan property. But unlike the clan's compounds which had moved multiple times, the Naka Shrine had always remained in the same corner of the village.
Interestingly, after two relocations, the Uchiha clan's compound ended up even closer to the shrine.
"Rēn, I remember when you were little, you were always running around investigating what god the Naka Shrine worshipped. You'd climb all over the place every day. The old man guarding the shrine used to complain all the time that you were a nuisance," said Uchiha Ranzan, standing under the torii gate, gazing at the aged and timeworn structure in front of them.
Perhaps staying quietly in a corner of the village wasn't such a bad thing.
At the very least, during the Nine-Tails incident, the Naka Shrine hadn't been affected at all.
"It's a shame I never did find out which deity the shrine was built for."
Rēn also recalled those carefree childhood days. Before he was sent to the battlefield, his youth had been joyful and free and he took full advantage of that.
To maximize the power of the Noble Phantasm known as Knight Does Not Die Barehanded, he had led Uchiha Chihaya, Uchiha Futaba, Uchiha Jun, and Uchiha Hokuto on countless treasure hunts, dreaming of uncovering hidden relics buried in the clan's compound.
Of course, they found nothing.
With sensory-type ninja capable of detecting chakra like a radar, any real treasure had already been found. There was never a chance for him to stumble upon one by luck.
However, during these explorations, the question of what deity was enshrined at Naka Shrine had unintentionally lodged itself in Rēn's mind and remained unanswered to this day. At some unknown point, the shrine's deity statues had vanished completely.
He had once asked his grandfather, "Why doesn't the shrine have a deity?"
The answer was usually: "It's always been like that," vague and dismissive.
Dissatisfied, Rēn searched through the family archives, but the Uchiha clan—known more for its killers than scholars—had very little in the way of proper historical records. Aside from stacks of outdated and worn ninjutsu scrolls, there were hardly any meaningful texts.
"Rēn, you've always noticed things that others overlook. If you hadn't asked why the shrine had no god, I probably would've never thought anything strange about it," Ranzan said with a smile.
"That's because you all lack curiosity."
"Curiosity, huh? Maybe you're right. I've never really cared who or what was worshipped in there."
"You're really old-fashioned, you know that?"
"Say what you like. I believe in living steadily."
"You're only eighteen, Ranzan, but you act like you're eighty."
"If I live to eighty, that'll be a blessing."
As the sun dipped behind the mountains, from the 180 stone steps of the shrine's main path, the cooking smoke from the Uchiha compound could be seen fading in the dusk.
"It's about time."
Ranzan straightened up.
For some reason—maybe tradition—Uchiha clan meetings always took place after dinner. Probably because everyone was available then. No one could explain why, and most clan members never asked. They just followed custom.
"Oh, I see people coming."
Figures appeared on the stone steps below.
"That's fast," Rēn remarked. Then he turned to Ranzan. "I've noticed our clan seems to love meetings. Every time one happens, the members assigned to guard duty look like they just stepped in dog crap."
"Don't ask me. These weird questions are yours to figure out. I've got no answers."
Ranzan shrugged.
He really didn't know. Rēn had always been sharp, and famously odd within the clan. He never seemed to be on the same wavelength as the other kids, constantly asking strange questions that no one could really answer.
Rēn didn't press further, because the approaching figures had arrived.
"Ranzan, Rēn, you two are early."
A clan member climbing the steps waved to them.
"Uncle Yashiro, you're pretty early yourself."
Rēn frowned. The first person they ran into had to be Uchiha Yashiro, a known loyalist of Uchiha Fugaku. As a seasoned jōnin and a respected figure in the Police Force, Yashiro was both strong and trusted within the clan.
He was almost certainly going to be an obstacle tonight.
"Rēn, let me give you some advice. Don't put too much stock in the praise outsiders give you. You're still young. If you want to lead the clan forward, give it another ten years and I'll support you. But right now... Fugaku is steadier, more reliable an…"
"Uncle Yashiro, I've made up my mind."
Rēn cut him off immediately. "If you're asking me to wait ten years, then you're not seeing the problem clearly. The clan doesn't have ten years to spare. And I don't intend to stand still while it falls apart."
Yashiro didn't get angry. It took more than that to shake someone who had earned the trust of many in the Police Force. Seeing that Rēn wouldn't budge, he gave up on trying to persuade him and walked straight into the secret chamber below the main shrine.
After that, more and more clan members came up the steps. When Rēn and Ranzan saw supporters they had already brought to their side, they'd exchange a few words to reinforce their bonds and confirm where they stood before letting them through.
When someone hesitant or unsure arrived, they didn't resort to threats. They still let them pass, but once they left, Ranzan would quietly mark them down in his notebook.
"Ranzan, what's the situation?"
Once most of the attendees had entered the secret chamber, Rēn glanced at the now-empty stone steps and spoke again. "How many supporters do we have?"
"It's hard to say."
Ranzan flipped through his notes. "Even Elder Jun's people have chosen to back us, but compared to those supporting Fugaku... it's about fifty-fifty. Not enough to win over the whole clan. Still too rushed. If we just had more time—even one more week…"
"But we don't have that kind of time."
Rēn sighed. A coup was never easy. He hadn't planned to use force, but from the looks of things, that might no longer be avoidable.
"So in the end... we'll have to fight."
"Probably."
Ranzan scratched his head. "Rēn, that might not be a bad thing. The clan respects strength. If you can defeat the strongest of the opposition, then once you become the clan head, no one will dare challenge your authority."
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