Chapter 39: Uchiha Ang – If It's Stolen by a Clansman, It Doesn’t Count as Theft

Uchiha Ang's face darkened as he listened.

Sure, calling everyone over at mealtime was a bit underhanded—but this really was an urgent matter concerning the Uchiha clan.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed like this.

Watching them get more and more fired up—already just a breath away from beating him into the dirt—Uchiha Ang quickly cleared his throat and spoke:

"Everyone, this meeting was called for a reason."

"You're all well aware that while our Uchiha bloodline is famous across the shinobi world, the difficulty of awakening the Sharingan is equally well-known."

"Those who haven't awakened their Sharingan are essentially no different from ordinary people."

At that moment, Uchiha Setsuna cut him off impatiently.

"Enough with the buildup. What's so important that you had to drag us here in such a hurry? Just get to the point already!"

Being interrupted didn't bother Uchiha Ang.

Or rather, compared to what he was about to say, being interrupted was nothing.

"Since Elder Setsuna is so impatient, I'll get straight to it."

"The method for awakening the Sharingan—might have just been confirmed."

As soon as those words left his mouth, the room full of Uchiha suddenly looked bewildered.

They already knew how the Sharingan was awakened.

The death of a loved one—that was the trigger.

If someone had enough potential, they could even awaken the Mangekyō this way.

But it couldn't be done through illusions—the reason was unclear.

It had to be real death. Only that could push an Uchiha to awaken the Sharingan.

That's why the Second Hokage once said the Uchiha were a clan of love—and a clan of curses.

It was an open secret. Though the average clan member didn't know, the higher-ups in the Uchiha definitely did.

The Uchiha were prideful, but not stupid.

A thousand years was more than enough time to piece that truth together.

So when Uchiha Ang suddenly announced something everyone already "knew," they were thrown off.

"Aha! You really are begging to get beat into the ground!"

Next moment, a burly elder cracked his knuckles with a cold grin aimed straight at Uchiha Ang.

Just as he was about to make his move, the clan head stepped in and stopped him.

The clan head's face was full of excitement and disbelief as he asked,

"You're not talking about that method we already know, right?"

Uchiha Ang was panicking a little inside at the threat of a beating, but he forced himself to stay composed for the sake of dignity.

The clan head's question let him secretly breathe a sigh of relief, and he nodded with a grin.

That nod set the whole room ablaze.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

A moment later, silence fell, and all eyes were fixed on Uchiha Ang, waiting for a proper explanation.

"No one's going to interrupt me this time, right?"

Uchiha Ang shot a glare back at Uchiha Setsuna.

Setsuna's face turned dark, but he didn't say anything.

Compared to the topic of the Sharingan, his pride was meaningless.

Forget being insulted—if what Uchiha Ang said was true, even stripping Setsuna of his status would be on the table.

Seeing Setsuna finally back down, Uchiha Ang smirked, clicked his tongue, and began his explanation:

"Today, my granddaughter, Uchiha Chiri, awakened her Sharingan."

"But it didn't happen the usual way. She was merely provoked by Uchiha Hikaru, and that alone triggered her Sharingan."

"According to Chiri, Hikaru deliberately agitated her. She felt something was off and came to tell me."

"She might not understand what it means—but I do!"

"Maybe all these years, we had it wrong! Maybe it's not the death of a loved one that awakens the Sharingan—but the surge of intense emotion when hearing such news!"

He paused to calm himself, then continued:

"With that theory in mind, of course I had to confirm it. Otherwise, it'd just be a wasted hope."

"I picked a few talented young Uchiha and had our clan's designated mourning messengers inform them that a loved one had died."

"And at the moment they received the news—three of them awakened the Sharingan on the spot!"

"Everyone, this is a monumental discovery!!"

"OH!!!!"

As Uchiha Ang finished, the room erupted into cheers.

The entire meeting hall turned into a sea of celebration.

The booming voices of joy were so loud, they even leaked out of the soundproof chamber.

It took a while before everyone calmed down.

Uchiha Ang's face was glowing with pride and vigor.

This new possible path to awakening the Sharingan made his prestige in the clan soar to unmatched heights.

Strictly speaking, it was Uchiha Hikaru who deserved the credit—after all, even Uchiha Chiri noticed he'd done it on purpose.

Uchiha Ang had noticed that too, of course. But hey—he was the one who proposed the theory first.

Still, he wasn't the ungrateful type.

After the room finally quieted, Uchiha Ang said,

"I'm merely the one who put the pieces together. Uchiha Hikaru's contribution is undeniable. The clan must reward him, or others might feel discouraged."

Upon hearing that, the Uchiha elders all nodded in agreement.

The clan head furrowed his brows, clearly unsure what kind of reward would be fitting.

Just then, the same elder who had threatened to beat Uchiha Ang earlier chimed in:

"Why not give him the Sharingan manual? If this kid could figure out how to trigger the Sharingan, maybe he'll uncover more secrets after reading it."

The suggestion was met with overwhelming approval—except from Uchiha Setsuna.

He had been fantasizing about using that manual to lure Uchiha Hikaru over to his side.

Unfortunately for him, even as the Grand Elder and leader of the Hawk Faction, he couldn't rally their support this time.

Giving the manual to Uchiha Hikaru wouldn't just demonstrate sincerity—it might help him keep going with his research.

Even a one-in-a-million chance that he could figure out how to awaken the Mangekyō?

That would give the Three-Tomoe Sharingan users of the clan a future to strive for.

And so, against this overwhelming tide, Setsuna's opposition vanished like a drop of water in the ocean.

After agreeing on how to reward Uchiha Hikaru, they moved on to discuss how to help more clan members awaken their Sharingan.

Now that the secret was in their hands, why let it go to waste?

Uchiha Ang grinned mischievously and said:

"Why not use the same method I tested with? I think there's still room to refine it."

"For instance, have one of the parents set up a funeral altar in advance. Then, when the child returns, hit them with the news that their father died."

"That would make the whole thing feel even more real. Maybe it'll boost the chances of awakening the Sharingan!"