In the atmosphere filled with Natsuhane's chakra, a chilling killing intent could be felt. Some of the younger elders, whose resolve was not strong, began to sweat profusely, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
They could clearly feel that, even if all of them combined their strength, they couldn't handle Natsuhane alone.
"This guy, is he really this terrifying?"
"Is this the true power of the Uchiha?"
"The Uchiha clan, indeed terrifying as expected..."
The earlier arrogance and impatience were completely replaced by fear. No one opposed the Uchiha clan joining Kirigakure any longer.
These elders were genuinely afraid of death.
As ninjas, one should not fear death; it is a basic psychological requirement for being a ninja.
When they first became ninjas, they truly were not afraid of death, filled with youthful fervor.
But the longer they lived, the more they valued life and feared death.
Natsuhane's real killing intent was not something to joke about.
The elders knew that if Natsuhane wished, they would be dead in the next second.
Hoping for Mei Terumi's help seemed unlikely.
Mei Terumi might have long wished for these old fogies to die.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have brought Natsuhane to this meeting to intimidate them.
"I... I agree. Sigh..."
The leading elder sighed and nodded in agreement.
Seeing the most senior elder agree, the other elders and advisors said no more and silently accepted the Uchiha clan's inclusion in Kirigakure.
"Very well..."
Mei Terumi nodded in satisfaction and gave Natsuhane a sweet smile.
Seeing these old fogies get their comeuppance, Mei Terumi felt quite pleased.
The rest of the meeting focused on the arrangements for rebuilding the village.
Various ninja clans in Kirigakure were reassigned to satisfactory territories.
Watching Mei Terumi perfectly handle all the arrangements, Natsuhane found it a bit tedious and soon fell asleep.
He couldn't help it; after last night and this morning, he hadn't closed his eyes and expected the same tonight.
With the goal achieved, he took advantage of the meeting time to catch up on some sleep.
From today, Kirigakure officially had the Uchiha's Third Clan Settlement...
Elsewhere, at the Akatsuki's secret base.
Konan had just finished feeding her son and walked out with him, intending to show him to the other members.
Akatsuki, now over a month old, was utterly adorable, making the members fawn over him.
Kakuzu: "You can tell by his looks that this child will be very smart in the future. Hmph, much better than someone I know. Isn't that right, Hidan..."
Hidan, excitedly pinching Akatsuki's cheeks, nodded vigorously: "Yeah, Kakuzu, look at his big bright eyes. If we offer him to Lord Jashin, I'm sure Lord Jashin would be very plea-"
"Shinra Tensei!"
Before Hidan could finish, a powerful repulsive force sent him flying.
Pain's figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
"Hidan, did you really think of offering the child to Jashin? Do you... want to die?"
"Ugh!" Hidan crawled out of the rubble in the distance, grumbling: "Boss! Can't you take a joke? Seriously, you're always so stiff, like a corpse. Sometimes you feel more dead than my beloved Lord Jashin!"
Pain paused for a moment, choosing not to respond but instead changing the subject: "Members, gather around. We've got work to do!"