Very few people could maintain their composure when faced with Xuan's direct mockery. Anyone truly familiar with Xuan knew better than to engage him in a war of words—a painful lesson Uchiha Madara had learned through extensive personal experience.
Hearing that single word, Uchiha Sora's face instantly flushed the color of bruised liver. Unable to hold back, he cursed, "You bastard!"
Bang!
Sitting at the head of the table, Uchiha Shinji violently slammed his hand against the desk and stood up. A tyrannical surge of chakra erupted from his body, putting his strength as a Peak Jōnin on full display. The atmosphere in the room instantly suffocated.
"You are becoming increasingly insolent. Sit down," Shinji reprimanded coldly. On the surface, it sounded as though he was scolding both of them for arguing, but in reality, his overwhelming pressure and anger were directed entirely at Uchiha Sora.
Gritting his teeth, Sora sat back down. He was extremely indignant, but he absolutely didn't dare openly defy Uchiha Shinji. Naturally, he secretly pinned this entire grievance onto Xuan's head, his resentment growing even deeper.
"What do the rest of you think of Sora's proposal?" Shinji asked, scanning the room.
The Elite Jōnin voiced their opinions one after another. Some agreed, while others were opposed. Their reasons varied, but all presented somewhat valid tactical arguments.
Xuan cleared his throat and spoke up. "I believe it is highly inappropriate to take the initiative and attack right now. The timing simply isn't ripe. Although the three northern factions constantly skirmish, they maintain a delicate balance and have preserved a considerable amount of military strength. More importantly, since Lord Tō departed, we lack the absolute, high-level suppression required to sweep the board. Provoking them now would be foolish. Furthermore, the war between our Uchiha clan and the Senju is still raging. Our absolute priority in the north should be stability, not reckless expansion."
Xuan's argument was logically sound and firmly grounded in reality. The Elite Jōnin who had opposed the attack nodded secretly in agreement. The boy made perfect sense.
Listening to Xuan's input, Uchiha Shinji nodded. "Exactly. That is my consideration as well. Before Lord Tō left, he strictly ordered us to guard Xin City above all else. With the main war against the Senju still unresolved, there is no need to invite unnecessary trouble. We will continue to wait and observe until a true opportunity presents itself."
Shinji's final verdict effectively concluded the meeting's core objective. The group chatted about a few trivial matters before dismissing the council.
Before leaving, Xuan gave Shinji a subtle nod, signaling that he had done a good job.
As he walked out the door, Uchiha Sora shot Xuan a venomous glare. Once again, he believed it was Xuan who had deliberately sabotaged his proposal—which, to be fair, was absolutely true.
Watching Sora's retreating back, Xuan smiled disdainfully. A pawn of his caliber actually dares to scheme against me? He doesn't even know how to spell the word 'death.' If I wasn't saving him to make an example out of later, I would have slapped him to death a long time ago.
After wandering around Xin City for a while, Xuan returned to his room at night. He created a Shadow Clone to sleep in the bed, then used his space-time Ninjutsu to slip away. In reality, absolutely no one in Xin City dared to monitor him anymore, so he didn't need to be this cautious. However, it was a habit he had cultivated, and believing it to be a good one, he deliberately maintained it.
Far into the north, within the Akahane clan's compound, the space inside Akahane Akira's study rippled. Without any warning, the mysterious figure draped entirely in a black cloak materialized.
The Akahane clan's original ancestral land hadn't been located here; it was further north, where the climate was harsher and the land far more barren. After seizing this fertile Uchiha territory, they naturally relocated their entire clan here. Constructing this massive new compound had taken them a full three years.
They weren't the only ones—the Ghost Fire Alliance and the Three-Clan Alliance had also relocated their compounds into the occupied territories.
"Clan Head Akahane, how is the situation?" Xuan asked, his voice altered by chakra. Peering out from beneath his pitch-black hood, he noted that sitting beside Akira was a remarkably beautiful young woman.
Over the past six years, Akahane Yui had fully blossomed, shedding the green, slightly unripe aura of a twelve-year-old girl and maturing into a stunning eighteen-year-old woman.
Her exquisite facial features had completely matured. If she was merely an unpolished gem six years ago—a crisp, green apple—she was now thoroughly ripe, having blossomed into a tall, elegant, and breathtaking beauty. Paired with her habitual expression of icy arrogance, she possessed a unique, captivating temperament that only added to her allure.
Holding a secret letter, Akahane Akira frowned slightly. "This is the reply from the Ghost Fire Alliance. In the letter, they have agreed to join hands with us to take down the Three-Clan Alliance first. But... would they truly be so cooperative?"
Xuan chuckled, his raspy voice echoing in the room. "What is Clan Head Akahane worried about? In the past six years, has this 'Owl' ever lied to you even once? When the Akahane clan sent out the proposal for a joint strike, they happily and readily accepted it. Based on my secret observations, their intentions are completely genuine. Does Clan Head Akahane truly doubt my words?"
Akira hastily shook his head with a smile. "How could I? I trust Mr. Owl one hundred percent."
In this world, credibility was a tangible currency. Over the past six years, Xuan had never spoken a single lie to Akahane Akira. On the contrary, he had provided an uncountable stream of accurate intelligence. Relying on this information, the Akahane clan had consistently anticipated their enemies' moves, seized every advantage, and successfully developed into the absolute strongest faction among the three northern alliances. Naturally, Xuan's trustworthiness in Akira's heart had skyrocketed.
However, pigs are only fattened so they can be slaughtered. The Akahane clan was no exception. Xuan had painstakingly fed and raised this clan for six years, and he finally felt it was time to butcher them. Naturally, Akahane Akira was completely oblivious to this.
"Actually, this development is very easy to understand," Xuan continued. "Among the three factions, the Three-Clan Alliance is the weakest, yet they occupy a significant amount of resources. The Ghost Fire Alliance has been salivating over their territory for a long time, but because the Akahane clan is so powerful, they never dared to make a move. Now that the Akahane have offered to ally with them to crush the Three-Clan Alliance, they are naturally overjoyed.
"When squeezing persimmons, you always pick the softest one. Anyone understands this principle. Once the Three-Clan Alliance is eradicated, a massive swath of territory, wealth, and resources will be ripe for the two of you to divide. It is exactly what they need. What reason could they possibly have to refuse?"
Xuan's flawless logic further solidified Akira's confidence.
Gritting his teeth, Akira nodded firmly. "Good! With Mr. Owl confirming it, this must be genuine. Once the Akahane clan has thoroughly eradicated the Three-Clan Alliance and the Ghost Fire Alliance, we will definitely assist Mr. Owl in restoring your clan!"
Xuan quickly offered a few words of gratitude. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he took his leave.
Once Xuan was gone, Akahane Yui knit her delicate brows. "Father, I still feel that this mysterious 'Owl' cannot be trusted. Furthermore, he acted very out of character today. He usually never wastes so much breath on idle reassurance. I believe we must remain extremely cautious regarding this joint strike with the Ghost Fire Alliance."
Akira smiled lightly, comforting his daughter. "It's fine. In six years, he hasn't fed us a single piece of false intelligence. It's clear he genuinely needs our help. If he wants to revive his clan, he has to rely on us. Besides, his logic is perfectly sound. Pick the softest persimmon to squeeze. The sheer amount of spoils we'll get from destroying the Three-Clan Alliance is too massive for the Ghost Fire Alliance to resist."
Yui wanted to argue further, but looking at her father's resolute expression, she knew it was pointless. She could only comfort herself, Perhaps I really am just overthinking things. Still, a faint, lingering sense of dread refused to leave her heart.
Meanwhile, inside a secret underground chamber within the Ghost Fire Alliance's compound...
Two men sat facing each other: Kimei Takuya and the Shokuka Clan Head. Judging by their posture, they were clearly waiting for someone.
Abruptly, the space in the room rippled, twisting into an inverted vortex. A figure slowly materialized, completely shrouded in a pitch-black cloak.
A raspy, chakra-distorted voice echoed from the darkness beneath the hood: "Akahane Akira has believed your sincerity. You may proceed with your strike without worry."
____
PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON PATREON:
Patreon.com/IndifferentVillain
Early Access and + 60 chapter ahead of webnovel monthly, ur support keeps me motivated...thanks and enjoy reading
_____________