Boom!
Three layers of eerie blue ghost fire suddenly erupted at Xuan's feet. With a wave of Kimei Takuya's hands, they transformed into three waves of scorching fire surging toward him.
"Clan Head Kimei, I hope we can meet again. That is, assuming you don't get swallowed up by the Akahane clan first. Haha."
From beneath the black cloak, the space twisted into a vortex. A moment later, the cloaked figure was sucked into the spatial distortion, disappearing completely.
Kimei Takuya waved his hand, dispersing the ghost fire. Staring at the empty spot where Xuan had vanished, he fell into deep thought. He didn't completely believe the mysterious figure's words, yet they pierced his heart like a sharp thorn.
After a moment's hesitation, he summoned an Elite Jōnin of his clan and ordered, "Secretly monitor the Akahane clan's recent movements. Do not let them detect you. At the same time, investigate whether the Uchiha and Senju have actually gone to war. And finally... discreetly assemble all Jōnin and above. Prepare to strike the Kimura and the other two clans."
Xuan left the Kimei clan and paid a visit to the Shokuka clan, repeating the exact same pitch.
Afterward, regardless of their reactions, he returned to his room to rest.
The seeds of mutual distrust had been planted. Once they confirmed the war between the Uchiha and Senju, their absolute final reservations would disappear. These tiny seeds would take root and sprout. Once they reached a certain point, a single piece of straw would be enough to break the camel's back, and the entire northern region would detonate.
"Haha. I really can't wait to see that day. This feeling of manipulating everything with my own hands... it really is amazing."
With these thoughts, Xuan gradually drifted into a pleasant sleep.
While the Uchiha and Senju fought fiercely, the northern region also suddenly erupted into activity, like a powder keg that had just been ignited.
The efficiency of the Akahane, Kimei, and Shokuka clans was certainly not low. Just one day later, on the following night, the Akahane clan, led by Akahane Akira, directly charged into the Kimura clan's compound and initiated a total massacre.
Kimei Takuya had initially been half-skeptical of Xuan's claims that night. But seeing the Akahane actually make a move, how could he possibly sit still? He immediately led his forces to slaughter the Tsuruta clan.
The Shokuka clan finally couldn't sit back and watch either. If you two are going to feast, how can you leave me out? They hastily gathered a squad of Elite Jōnin and stormed the Nakai clan.
The three pitiful traitorous clans were completely wiped out overnight before they even understood what was happening. Their original territories were devoured completely by the three major clans, leaving not even a scrap behind.
In the Warring States Era, what was the best way to reap massive benefits?
Answer: fighting a war and winning.
Then what yielded even greater benefits than winning a war?
Answer: Clan extermination.
That's right. In the Warring States, wiping out a shinobi clan represented unimaginable wealth: money, territory, food, weapons, Ninjutsu scrolls, and even slaves. All of these could be plundered through extermination.
The primary reason the Uchiha clan was so wealthy today—capable of waging large-scale wars time and time again—was intimately tied to the countless clans they had eradicated in the past. An unfathomable amount of their current wealth had been amassed during those bloody conquests.
When the sun rose the next morning, the twelve-clan alliance had suddenly become a nine-clan alliance.
The shinobi of the remaining six clans watched in absolute stunned silence, barely even registering what had just transpired.
The Akahane clan hastily convened an alliance meeting and publicly announced the crimes of the three annihilated clans.
The other six clans couldn't really argue; after all, the betrayal of those three clans was an undeniable fact. However, a sharp thorn of unease firmly embedded itself in their hearts. Even if the traitors needed to be judged, it should have been a joint decision. Who just silently slaughters an entire clan overnight and then casually informs everyone the next morning?
What do you even consider this alliance to be?
The human heart was precisely like this. Once a rift formed, it was impossible to completely close it. Even if they didn't voice it, the way the six minor clans looked at the Akahane, Kimei, and Shokuka clans underwent a subtle, profound shift.
Having digested the spoils of the exterminations, the three major clans grew even more powerful.
Currently, the nine-clan alliance was distinctly divided into three tiers.
The first tier naturally belonged to the Akahane clan. Possessing two Peak Jōnin and having just swallowed the Kimura clan, they were currently riding high, experiencing explosive growth. Faintly, they had already begun to project the aura of the undisputed leader of the alliance.
The second tier consisted of the Kimei, Shokuka, and Hoshino clans, each possessing one Peak Jōnin. However, since the Kimei and Shokuka had been stronger to begin with and had just devoured the Tsuruta and Nakai, they were still significantly more powerful than the Hoshino.
The final tier was comprised of the Shiraishi, Eguchi, Matsuba, Kusabuka, and Rekka clans. None of these five clans possessed a Peak Jōnin, making them the absolute weakest factions.
On a dark and windy night, Xuan donned his black cloak once again and appeared before Akahane Akira, ready to thoroughly deceive him—no, to offer him strategic counsel.
"Heh heh. Clan Head Akahane fought a beautiful battle. Fast, precise, and ruthless—a textbook execution. How were the spoils of extermination?"
Xuan flattered him using his chakra-altered voice. Although his words were complimentary, his gaze beneath the mask was exceptionally cold. The three tomoe in his eyes radiated a demonic gleam, though it was a pity Akira couldn't see it.
Akahane Akira was currently on cloud nine. Truth be told, he had never completely exterminated a clan before; he had no idea the spoils would be this bountiful. After beheading the enemy Clan Head and seizing their ancestral lands, the sheer wealth he obtained far exceeded his wildest expectations. He suddenly found himself somewhat falling in love with this feeling.
"Hahaha! It's all thanks to Mr. Owl's excellent intelligence. If I hadn't known the Senju and Uchiha were at war, I would never have dared to directly assault the Kimura! Hahaha! They thought that because of the looming Uchiha threat, we had to maintain the alliance at all costs, so their guard was completely down!" Akira laughed uproariously.
Xuan spoke with a perfectly feigned tone of hesitation, stumbling slightly over his words.
"There is... something else. But I am unsure if I should tell the Clan Head."
Riding high on his recent success, Akira smiled generously.
"Speak your mind! Mr. Owl is not an outsider."
Xuan adopted a slightly excited, conspiratorial tone.
"I believe the Akahane clan should not stop here. Right now, within this entire alliance, our Akahane clan is undeniably the strongest. We can secretly, systematically devour those weaker clans to continuously amass power. If we can successfully merge all nine clans into one, the Akahane clan will undoubtedly become the Fifteenth Great Clan of the Land of Fire! By that time, even if the Uchiha finish their war, they will have to weigh the costs heavily before daring to touch us!"
He deliberately used "our" when referring to the Akahane clan, subtly closing the psychological distance between them, manipulating Akira into subconsciously viewing him as "one of us."
"Hmm?"
Akira frowned slightly, his gaze gradually cooling. It was true he was ecstatic, but his brain hadn't been completely fried by joy. Devouring the other eight clans was not something the Akahane clan could realistically accomplish right now; he was still self-aware enough to realize that.
"Mr. Owl, speaking of which, what exactly is your ultimate goal? Last time, you leaked Uchiha intelligence for the sake of revenge. Logically speaking, your wish has already been fulfilled. Why are you still here, continuing to feed me intelligence? What are you after?" Akira asked flatly.
Every contribution must be driven by a desire for compensation. If the other party couldn't provide a satisfactory answer, he would absolutely never believe another word they said. Shinobi who believed in free lunches falling from the sky were all dead. He had seen countless such fools over the years and had zero intention of joining their ranks.
Xuan sighed deeply. Gritting his teeth, he used a flawlessly disguised, emotional tone.
"Since Clan Head Akahane has asked directly, I might as well speak the truth. I want to restore my clan!"
As he spoke, he deliberately let his voice tremble slightly to simulate profound emotional agitation.
"So that's how it is."
A look of profound understanding washed over Akira's eyes, and he nodded secretly to himself. He had previously hallucinated that Xuan was an orphan of the Ghost Clan. For a survivor to want to rebuild their fallen clan was entirely logical and perfectly justified. But being weak and alone, he naturally needed to attach himself to a powerful clan for support. No wonder he was egging Akira on to swallow the other clans! With this, everything finally made perfect sense!
Having successfully convinced himself using his own fabricated delusion, Akahane Akira felt incredibly smug. In truth, human psychology was exactly like this: people often formed a preconceived assumption and then constantly sought out evidence to prove their own imagination right.
"Hahaha! I completely understand Mr. Owl's desire to revive his clan. But do not rush. As long as Mr. Owl continues to wholeheartedly gather intelligence for my clan, once our power is sufficient, we will definitely help you rebuild your family!" Akira smiled warmly, offering reassurance.
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before Xuan took his leave. With a ripple of spatial distortion, his figure vanished entirely.
Staring at the empty space where Xuan had just stood, Akahane Akira muttered softly,
"The Fifteenth Great Clan of the Land of Fire!"
As he spoke those words, a burning, insatiable ambition ignited deep within his heart.
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