A mysterious, black-cloaked figure who went by the name "Owl" began wandering through the various clans of the Uchiha's northern territory in an incredibly bizarre and unpredictable manner. Sometimes he appeared at the Akahane compound; other times, he visited the Kimei and Shokuka; occasionally, he even showed up at the other minor clans.
No one knew his true origins. They could only speculate that he might be a surviving descendant of the legendary Ghost Clan, but no one could verify it, nor had anyone ever seen the true face hidden beneath his black hood.
Meanwhile, back in Xin City, Xuan behaved exceptionally well. During the day, he shadowed Uchiha Tō to learn about administrative and military affairs, or he sparred with the stationed Jōnin. His daily routine wasn't much different from when he was back at the main compound.
Since Xuan didn't bring up returning home, Uchiha Tō had no intention of sending him back either. Tō had discovered that this kid often possessed uniquely brilliant, out-of-the-box ideas; keeping him in the north was proving to be highly effective.
Operating under the belief that the next generation needed proper tempering, Uchiha Tō wrote a formal letter to the main compound, requesting that Uchiha Xuan remain stationed in the north until the region was fully pacified or until the clan urgently required his return.
Currently, Uchiha Tajima was locked in a bitter, bloody stalemate with Senju Butsuma, meaning this letter couldn't possibly be delivered to the frontlines. The clan's daily affairs were being managed by the remaining high-ranking elders. Upon receiving Tō's request, they passed it with a unanimous vote without a second thought. Under normal circumstances, the clan would never reject the formal request of a Kage-level powerhouse without good reason, especially over a seemingly trivial "minor issue" like where a child was stationed.
Just like that, Uchiha Xuan was officially permitted to stay in the north. This played perfectly into his hands, allowing him to accelerate his grand scheme.
Using his identity as "Owl," he continuously appeared before the various Clan Heads. He fed them intelligence he had gathered while simultaneously whispering into Akahane Akira's ear about how incredibly powerful the Akahane clan had become, sparing no effort to urge Akira to rapidly expand his territory.
Xuan never provided false intelligence, because doing so was entirely meaningless. The moment you are caught in a single lie, your credibility in the other party's heart plummets instantly, and they will subconsciously question the authenticity of everything else you say. Only when a person who never lies suddenly slips a single falsehood into the truth does it become a truly fatal, unavoidable poisoned arrow.
He fed Akira the precise movements of the other clans and emphasized just how violently the Uchiha and Senju were clashing. He painted a picture where the Uchiha had absolutely no spare energy to worry about the north, and with Uchiha Tō having lost his right arm and suffering a massive drop in combat power, the Uchiha forces posed no true threat to the alliance. Right now, Xuan stressed, was the absolute best opportunity in a lifetime to expand the Akahane clan.
Whenever Xuan brought this up, Akira would laugh heartily and say he would "observe the situation a bit longer"—neither explicitly refusing nor agreeing.
However, Xuan could easily tell that Akira was deeply tempted by the proposal; he was merely hesitating on pulling the trigger.
Conversely, Akahane Yui never had a pleasant expression whenever she saw the black-cloaked Xuan. Perhaps it was a woman's sixth sense, but she firmly believed this mysterious figure harbored malicious intentions. Unfortunately, her father didn't share her suspicions and had even reprimanded her a few times for her hostility toward their "guest."
After leaving the Akahane compound, Xuan would often visit other clans, such as the Kimei or the Shokuka. There, he would spin an entirely different narrative: he would whisper about how Akahane Akira was becoming increasingly arrogant and megalomaniacal, how he was secretly making numerous underhanded moves behind their backs, and how he intended to devour the other clans step by step.
Naturally, they wouldn't completely believe him, but Xuan never expected them to. The simple fact that they were willing to sit quietly and listen to his intelligence was a massive statement of attitude in itself.
The seeds of an absolute rupture had been planted; he only needed to wait for the day they detonated.
Of course, some clans displayed blatant disgust at his arrival. The Rekka clan, for instance, despite merely being a clan led by Elite Jōnin, possessed a ridiculously inflated sense of self-importance. For clans like that, Xuan had already mentally sentenced them to death.
Days passed one by one. The superficial calm across the northern territory could not conceal the violent undercurrents surging beneath the surface. The remaining nine clans of the alliance were already divided in spirit, each secretly scheming for their own maximum benefit.
One night, Xuan reappeared in Akahane Akira's study and said, "The Rekka, Matsuba, and Eguchi clans have been in frequent, secret contact over the past few days. The shadow of the Hoshino clan is faintly visible behind them. Does Clan Head Akahane intend to just keep waiting?"
"Oh?"
Akira frowned, a look of deep contemplation crossing his face. Because "Owl" had never once lied to him, he subconsciously accepted the authenticity of the intelligence.
"I want the defensive layouts of the Rekka clan, and I need to know the exact details of their secret gatherings," Akira said coldly after a long pause, a distinct trace of killing intent leaking into his tone.
"Clan Head Akahane, I merely provide you with the overarching movements of the various clans. Grabbing tactical details like defensive layouts is not my job. Are the shinobi of the Akahane clan truly so useless that they can't even handle basic reconnaissance?"
Hearing the sudden, commanding arrogance in Akira's voice—as if the man had genuinely started treating him like a subordinate—Xuan rebuked him coldly. You're nothing but a pawn on my board, yet you dare boss me around? It's time to put you back in your place.
Akira froze, and a heavy silence descended upon the room. The atmosphere grew stifling.
A moment later, he let out a light laugh.
"Hahaha! Please do not be angry, Mr. Owl. I was simply too shocked by the news and momentarily forgot myself. Please, do not take offense."
"It's fine," Xuan replied flatly.
"I will go instruct my clansmen to monitor those three clans and investigate their situation immediately. Excuse me, Mr. Owl."
With that, Akira strode out of the room, completely ignoring Xuan. Based on past experience, he knew the mysterious figure would vanish on his own anyway.
Watching Akira leave, Xuan channeled chakra into his left eye and was just about to leave when a cold voice rang out behind him.
"What is your true objective?"
Xuan turned around to see Akahane Yui glaring at him coldly, her eyes brimming with absolute vigilance.
"Ah, Miss Hagoromo. I've said it before: I wish to revive my own clan. That is why I am assisting the Akahane clan. I hope that once the Akahane grow powerful enough, they can help me restore my family."
Xuan spoke calmly using his chakra-altered voice.
(Note: Calling her "Hagoromo" was actually completely nonsensical. In the Warring States, no one took the second character of someone's surname [Aka-HANE] and combined it with their first name [YUI/KOROMO] to make a nickname. But Xuan thought "Hagoromo" sounded nice, so he selfishly decided to call her that anyway.)
"Hmph. The intelligence you've provided so far has indeed been beneficial to our clan. But someone who hides their face like you is impossible to trust. Furthermore, my sixth sense tells me you have an ulterior motive. I'm warning you: do not try any crooked schemes. Otherwise, the Akahane clan will definitely make you pay the ultimate price."
Yui spoke freezing coldly. The killing intent in her eyes was completely genuine; she truly meant every word.
However, to Xuan, a threat like this was no different than a gentle spring breeze brushing against his face.
He chuckled lightly.
"I'll eagerly await the day Miss Hagoromo hunts me down. Haha."
Amidst his laughter, the space around him twisted. A second later, he had completely vanished.
Leaving the Akahane compound, Xuan headed straight for the Kimei and Shokuka clans.
Upon arriving, he cut straight to the chase:
"Akahane Akira can't hold back anymore. He is preparing to strike the Rekka, Matsuba, and Eguchi clans."
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