Xuan wasn't anxious in the slightest. He currently held the absolute upper hand; he wasn't afraid of the clan refusing his demands.
From the very beginning, he had never intended to actually negotiate with Uchiha Yutaka. Although Yutaka temporarily managed the clan's logistics, Xuan's demands were completely beyond his authority to grant. Ultimately, the proposal had to be placed directly into Uchiha Tajima's hands.
And Uchiha Tajima, currently bogged down on the front lines, would be forced to agree—even if it drove him mad with absolute rage. It was an inevitability. The crushing pressure of the war would force him to compromise, even if he intended to settle the score and execute Xuan later once the war was over.
Xuan, however, had absolutely no intention of giving him the chance to settle any scores. He had already laid out a chain of meticulously crafted plans. This time, he was going to elevate his political authority within the clan, establish his own loyal faction, and completely eradicate Uchiha Tajima, using his death to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
From the very start, Xuan's vision was operating on a completely different plane of existence than Uchiha Yutaka's.
"A blank piece of paper?"
When Uchiha Yutaka received the blank sheet from the north, he sank into a long silence. A good while later, he sighed heavily. "We are all of the Uchiha clan. To do something like this during a time of absolute crisis... is it really necessary?"
"Write a reply. Ask Uchiha Shinji what exactly it is he wants."
Going back and forth, the exchange of letters between the two parties was incredibly fast. The shinobi acting as couriers practically ran their legs off.
"Hah, to think the old geezer Uchiha Yutaka would be so direct this time and actually ask. In that case, let's give him our answer," Xuan chuckled confidently, pinching the letter in his hand.
He immediately began dictating the reply:
"In the northern Uchiha territory, ever since the era of Lord Tō, the Twelve Clans have been restless and agitated. Exploiting the vacancy of our northern defense forces years ago, they seized vast swathes of our territory and jointly threatened our northern borders. At this exact time, the war with the Senju reignited, leaving us powerless to reclaim the north. Lord Tō also departed for the Senju front lines, resulting in the drastic waning of our northern power.
Yet, by the grace of the heavens, the Twelve Clans fell into infighting, fracturing into three warring factions. After six years of enduring hardship, and under the brilliant strategic planning of the North's Rising Star, Uchiha Xuan, we launched a devastating counterattack, annihilating the three factions in one fell swoop and reclaiming all lost territory.
However, our clan remains locked in an endless, bloody war with the Senju, while the three major southern clans eye us like hungry tigers. We are beset by crises on all sides. Shinji believes the root cause of this dire situation is the over-centralization of power, which prevents the effective distribution and mobilization of the clan's forces. Reflecting upon this, the traditional positions of the Three Great Elders, passed down since ancient times, have remained vacant for seven years. Therefore, Shinji believes we must reinstate the positions of the Three Great Elders. Only then can we properly coordinate the grand strategy, consolidate the absolute full might of the Uchiha, and shatter the Senju in a single, decisive battle.
Penned personally by Uchiha Shinji of the North. I stand completely ready to lead the northern clansmen onto the main battlefield at any moment. I eagerly await the Lords' careful consideration."
"This is forcing the Patriarch's hand!"
Upon reading the letter, Yutaka's mind buzzed. He had anticipated all sorts of demands from Uchiha Shinji, originally assuming the man just wanted a seat in the highest decision-making circle. He never imagined Shinji's appetite would be this monstrous!
The Uchiha clan's distribution of power was traditionally structured as follows: The Patriarch held absolute supreme authority. However, beneath the Patriarch sat the Three Great Elders, who, to a certain extent, possessed the authority to check and balance the Patriarch's power. Below them were the two Kage-level powerhouses commanding the North and the South. This was the standing supreme leadership hierarchy.
Beneath them were the strongest Peak Jōnin. In this world, this tier was known as 'Patriarch-Reserve' powerhouses—or, as Xuan would call them, Quasi-Kage.
For example, the current Uchiha Yutaka, Uchiha Sen, Uchiha Uken, and Uchiha Masada. These four were considered members of the highest decision-making circle. The circle consisted of seven seats in total, but the three Elder seats were currently empty.
The remaining Peak Jōnin—such as Uchiha Shinji, Uchiha Taka, Uchiha Kangan, and so on—were merely considered 'high-level' brass, but they were not part of the absolute highest decision-making circle.
As for the general Clan Assembly, one had to at least be an outstanding Elite Jōnin to participate. Figures like Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Xuan had only been granted exceptional permission to attend because the talent they displayed was too heaven-defying and they had achieved monumental merits.
"Uchiha Shinji is blatantly extorting us during a crisis! Is he even a member of the Uchiha clan?!" Uchiha Taka and Uchiha Kangan trembled with absolute fury after reading the letter.
Uchiha Yutaka, however, had already calmed down. He rubbed his temples, a deeply thoughtful expression appearing on his face. A moment later, a sharp light flashed in his eyes. "Wait. Hand me that letter again. I need to read it one more time."
Confused, the two handed the letter over. Yutaka read it again, this time without missing a single word. His expression grew increasingly strange, until finally, a look of actual joy surfaced, and he chuckled aloud.
"Lord Yutaka, what is it?" the two asked hurriedly. They couldn't understand why Lord Yutaka, who had clearly been furious a moment ago, was suddenly happy.
Yutaka set the letter down, silently calculating the political gains and losses. "I was just shocked by his monstrous appetite earlier. But I wouldn't say I'm angry. I've read his letter carefully. Although it is undeniably extortion during a crisis, this might actually be a very good thing for us."
The two men stared at him, even more confused.
"Look closely at the subtext of his letter; it's incredibly sharp and aggressive," Yutaka explained. "First, he explicitly points out that even Lord Tō failed to resolve the northern unrest, and then highlights that he pacified the rebellion. This is a blatant flaunting of his military merits. Next, he sharply changes the subject, blaming our current crises on the vacancy of the three Elder seats. This is a direct attack aimed straight at the Patriarch! He is using this crisis to forcefully coerce the Patriarch into reinstating the Three Great Elders!
"Look at his very last sentence: 'ready to lead the northern clansmen onto the main battlefield at any moment.' That is a brilliantly phrased threat! Ready. Why ready instead of deploying immediately? That depends entirely on whether the Patriarch satisfies his demands! Otherwise, I'm afraid that 'readiness' will remain just that—forever 'ready'. As for his demand? Heh. It's glaringly obvious. He wants to be one of the Three Elders. In fact, he likely wants to be the First Great Elder!
"However, this is not a bad thing for us! Patriarch Tajima is a man with an extreme desire for absolute control. Ever since he stripped me of my position as Third Elder, several Peak Jōnin have proposed reinstating the Elders multiple times, but he brushed us off with various excuses every single time. Ever since then, he has held absolute, dictatorial authority over the Uchiha high command.
"Furthermore, Lord Tō and Lord Fujin are almost always stationed in the north and south, completely unable to voice their opinions. The affairs of the entire clan are decided by the Patriarch's single word! This has actually bred deep dissatisfaction among us Peak Jōnin in the highest circle. Although no one dares say it out loud, I can feel it. Heh. Especially Uchiha Sen! Several of his tactical proposals were publicly shot down by the Patriarch in the decision-making meetings. He's been disgruntled for a long time. If he sees this letter, he will absolutely throw his full weight behind it!"
Yutaka chuckled as he laid out the political landscape, then ordered, "Seal this letter. Send it directly to the Patriarch at the front lines. Taka, you make the trip personally. And while you're at it, transport that 400,000 catties of grain along with you!"
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