The Senju and the Uchiha were at war again. For these two clans who were practically born looking at each other with disgust, fighting and pausing, then pausing and fighting all day long was completely par for the course. The various factions across the Warring States had long since grown accustomed to it.
On this particular day, Xuan stood atop the battlements of Xin City, gazing out at the horizon. Over the past few days, the twelve-clan coalition had only launched a single attack. The forces they committed weren't particularly large, and they were effortlessly repelled by Uchiha Tō.
It was obvious that the coalition lacked any real interest in aggressively assaulting Xin City or swallowing up more Uchiha territory. They knew exactly how terrifying the Uchiha clan truly was. Even united, their combined strength was only enough to suppress the Uchiha forces currently stationed in the north. The absolute bulk of the Uchiha's military might remained at the main compound. If they actually pushed the Uchiha past their breaking point and provoked the main army into marching north, the coalition would be utterly annihilated.
This was exactly the outcome Xuan wanted. With the Senju and Uchiha locked in a brutal meat grinder, neither side had the time or energy to worry about him. The Uchiha forces stationed in the north were just strong enough to hold the border city, effectively leaving the twelve-clan coalition to roam free across the occupied territory.
More importantly, having swallowed a massive piece of fat meat—a full quarter of the Uchiha's northern territory—their internal distribution of the spoils would inevitably be unequal. The strong clans would refuse to yield their newly acquired benefits, while the weaker clans would harbor silent resentment. With just a little bit of instigation, the entire northern region would dissolve into a chaotic pot of boiling porridge.
It is not scarcity that breeds resentment, but inequality. This was the fundamental root of class conflict, a principle Xuan understood perfectly well.
However, the twelve-clan coalition wouldn't dare turn on each other just yet because they didn't know the Senju and Uchiha had gone to war. They still believed Uchiha reinforcements were looming on the horizon. Under the crushing weight of a massive external threat, internal contradictions were usually compressed to their absolute limits.
But this wasn't the result Xuan desired. He needed the twelve clans to descend into chaos. Only in pure chaos could he fish in troubled waters. Only in pure chaos could he seize the maximum benefits, systematically take control of one of these clans, and establish his very first personal faction in the Warring States.
Xuan pondered his grand strategy, then looked down at his six-year-old body and let out a helpless sigh. I really want to grow up already.
"Whatever. Let me just give them a little confidence boost," Xuan muttered to himself, leaping gracefully down from the city wall.
That night, Xuan repeated his old trick. Leaving a Shadow Clone asleep in his room, his true body quietly slipped out.
During the fierce battle a few nights ago, the massive mansion the Akahane clan had occupied was completely leveled; even the foundation had been shattered. Consequently, they had relocated to a new temporary compound.
Inside the new Akahane compound, Akahane Akira sat in his newly furnished study, writing furiously at his desk.
Suddenly, his brow twitched. A bizarre spatial fluctuation rippled through the air in front of him. Having witnessed this exact phenomenon before, he maintained a remarkably calm demeanor.
Sure enough, a moment later, the mysterious figure shrouded entirely in a black cloak materialized before him. Akira quickly smiled, gesturing to a nearby cushion. "I have been waiting for your return, Mr. Owl. It's a pity I had no way to contact you, leaving me with no avenue to express my gratitude. Please, have a seat."
"Just call me Owl. And I'll pass on the seat," Xuan replied, his voice heavily distorted by chakra. "I came here today to deliver another piece of intelligence to Clan Head Akahane."
"Oh?" A look of deep interest flashed across Akira's face. Having already reaped massive benefits from Xuan's previous tip, he naturally placed immense value on whatever information 'Owl' had to offer.
"The Uchiha and the Senju have gone to war."
Xuan casually dropped the bombshell, secretly observing Akira's expression to gauge his true emotional state.
Akira's right hand, which was gripping his writing brush, tightened violently. Although he tried his absolute best to maintain a composed facade, Xuan easily noticed the man let out a subtle sigh of relief. The suffocating terror of facing the Uchiha clan's main behemoth had completely vanished from his shoulders.
"Hahaha! Mr. Owl, you truly are my lucky star! Every time you visit, you bring me wonderful news!" Akira laughed heartily, his mood visibly soaring.
"It is indeed good news. I'm just curious... when does Clan Head Akahane plan to make his move?" the distorted, ghostly voice asked.
"Make my move? Move against who? Attack the Uchiha?" Akira blinked, feigning ignorance.
"Against the Kimura, Tsuruta, and Nakai clans, obviously. They sold out the entire alliance for their own benefit. Did they really think they could defect under pressure and walk away completely unscathed? Don't tell me Clan Head Akahane actually plans to let them off the hook. Besides, the cake is only so big. With three fewer clans taking a slice, the remaining shares will be much larger. Not to mention, those three clans possess quite a bit of wealth themselves."
Xuan's voice drifted out calmly. Despite the eerie chakra distortion, his words carried a uniquely intoxicating temptation.
Akira frowned internally. He absolutely did want to eradicate those three clans, but he hadn't dared to act recklessly due to the looming threat of the Uchiha. Now that he knew the Senju and Uchiha were at war, he breathed a long sigh of relief; his reservations about butchering the traitors were gone. However, it was one thing to harbor these dark thoughts himself, and an entirely different matter to have an unfathomable outsider explicitly spell them out for him.
"Father! He is trying to sow discord within our twelve-clan alliance! Do not trust him!"
A crisp, sharp voice rang out. The study doors were violently pushed open, and a gust of cold wind swept into the room along with a slender silhouette.
Xuan remained perfectly still. Glancing through the shadows of his hood, he saw a young girl wearing a tight-fitting red outfit. Her figure was tall and straight, and her jade-like face was entirely devoid of expression. Casting a highly guarded glare at the black-cloaked Xuan, she strode purposefully toward Akahane Akira.
Akira let out a dry cough. With a wave of his hand, a gust of chakra slammed the doors shut. "Please do not be angry, Mr. Owl. This is my daughter, Akahane Yui. She is still young and doesn't know any better."
"It's fine," Xuan replied flatly.
Akira coughed again, abruptly shifting his tone. "However... the Kimura, Tsuruta, and Nakai are ultimately still members of our alliance. For Mr. Owl to suddenly urge us to turn on them feels somewhat inappropriate, wouldn't you agree? Of course, it's not that I don't trust you, Mr. Owl. It's just that you constantly hide beneath that black cloak without ever showing your face, which makes it difficult to feel completely at ease. Why not reveal your true face? Let us deal with each other openly and honestly. In exchange, I can even offer you the position of Clan Elder. How does that sound?"
A devious smirk curled the corners of Xuan's mouth beneath his mask. Take off the cloak and show my face? In your dreams. He let out a bizarre, mocking laugh. "Heh heh. Clan Head Akahane is simply too guarded. Very well. It seems I've spoken out of turn today. We shall meet again next time."
As he spoke, Xuan silently channeled chakra into his left eye. The surrounding space twisted into a vortex, rapidly sucking him into the void.
"Mr. Owl, wait—!" Akira called out hastily, but Xuan had already completely vanished.
"Father!" Akahane Yui called out softly.
Akira's expression shifted rapidly between dark and light. "I specifically had you barge in to test him, but I didn't expect his reaction to be so drastic. Whatever. Yui, secretly mobilize our clan's shinobi and prepare to strike the Kimura and their allies. The Senju and Uchiha have gone to war! Hahaha! Our absolute perfect opportunity has finally arrived!"
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