What is happiness? Some say it's having food when you're hungry, clothes when you're cold, and a pillow when you're sleepy. That is happiness.
For the current Uchiha Tajima, having someone deliver grain to him was pure happiness.
Inside the command tent, watching Uchiha Taka stride in, Tajima laughed boisterously and hurried forward to welcome him. He showered Taka with praise, commended Uchiha Yutaka's competence back at the clan compound, and finally asked, "Where is the grain?"
"It has already arrived at the camp and is being distributed," Taka replied.
Tajima let out a long sigh of relief and pointed to a cushion beside him, gesturing for Taka to sit. After settling down and chatting for a bit, Tajima said, "The front lines are in dire straits right now. This 400,000 catties of grain will temporarily solve our most critical crisis. We will keep 150,000 catties here at Kazama Valley, dispatch 200,000 catties to the Kaze River front, and send the final 50,000 catties to Nara Slope."
Taka noted the distribution. Hesitating slightly, he pulled a letter from his robes, stood up, and handed it over. "Patriarch, this is... a letter from Uchiha Shinji in the north."
Tajima raised an eyebrow, asking, "A letter from the north? Shouldn't Uchiha Yutaka handle that at the compound? Why was it sent all the way to the front line? Did something happen in the north?"
His heart jolted as he hurriedly took the letter. Even Uchiha Tō, sitting nearby, cast a sideways glance. The north was his original base of operations; he couldn't help but pay attention.
Just as Tajima was about to tear the letter open, Taka hastily said, "Patriarch, I heard the Kaze River front has been out of grain for days! Delivering the supplies cannot be delayed. I will go oversee the transport immediately!"
With that, he practically bolted out of the tent, fleeing for his life. My goodness! If I don't run now, I'll be in for it! Knowing Tajima's temper, he'll likely explode and start hacking at people after reading that letter!
"That kid's reaction was a bit weird today," Uchiha Sen remarked, watching Taka flee the tent in confusion. However, he wouldn't have to wait long to understand exactly why.
About two minutes later...
Smash!
Tajima slammed the letter onto the table with a devastating palm strike, his face twisted in a mask of icy fury. "Uchiha Shinji! Very good! Very good! His wings have grown hard, and now he actually dares to bargain with me?!"
Sen and Tō exchanged a glance, both seeing the curiosity in the other's eyes. Tō was particularly invested in this matter. Uchiha Shinji was his old subordinate who had followed him for who knew how many years. He was the one who had personally entrusted the north to Shinji in the first place.
"Patriarch, what happened?" Tō finally couldn't resist asking.
Tajima let out a furious snort and shoved the letter toward him. "Read it yourself! See the 'good deeds' your old subordinate has done! What is the meaning of this?! This is blatantly forcing my hand! 'Ready to lead the northern clansmen onto the main battlefield at any moment.' Heh! What a fantastic 'readiness'!"
Tō took the letter and read it silently. A long while later, his expression turned incredibly strange. He actually read it a second time. His face shifted rapidly between different emotions, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Curiosity piqued, Sen stood up, took the letter, and read it himself. A moment later, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and a faint smirk curled the corner of his mouth. Immediately realizing Tajima was still present, he hastily wiped the smirk away and sat back down, remaining perfectly silent. For a time, the tent was deathly quiet, the atmosphere turning bizarrely tense.
"What are your opinions on this matter?" Seeing the two remain silent, Tajima finally broke the silence. Although he desperately tried to suppress his fury, anyone who wasn't a complete idiot could hear the boiling rage in his voice.
"What is the Patriarch's opinion?"
Sen didn't answer directly, but instead tactfully threw the question back. Regarding this specific issue, long-dormant ambitions flared up within him, and he began calculating his own political agenda.
"Hmph! Uchiha Shinji is simply lawless! He thinks that just because he pacified the north, he can become arrogant and demand credit! He actually dares to openly make such demands of me?! Insolent! Transmit my absolute orders immediately: The northern forces are to deploy to the frontline at once! Mobilize all grain, weapons, medical supplies, and other resources and transport them here immediately!"
Ever since abolishing the Three Elders, Tajima had held absolute, dictatorial power. His leadership style was utterly autocratic; his every word was a mandatory command.
Tō frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Patriarch, I believe that is inappropriate. I understand Shinji's character; he would not normally act so brazenly. I believe there must be an underlying reason. Furthermore, having just pacified the north, their forces are likely severely exhausted as well, and they might not actually have that many surplus supplies. Finally... the points he raised in his letter hold some merit. I believe we should carefully consider his proposal."
The moment Tō spoke, his intention to protect his old subordinate was glaringly obvious.
"You...!" Tajima pointed a finger at him, biting off a single word, his rage spiking even higher. However, they were currently in the middle of a brutal war with the Senju, and he desperately needed Tō's combat strength. He couldn't afford to fall out with him right now. He ultimately swallowed the rest of his furious words.
"Sen, what is your opinion?" Having been rebuffed by Tō, he turned to Sen, hoping to find agreement there.
Sen sat completely steady, perfectly composed like an old monk entering meditation. Hearing the question, he replied slowly, "Regarding this matter... I believe it requires careful deliberation. I read Shinji's letter thoroughly, and frankly, it makes quite a bit of sense. The clan's affairs have been overwhelmingly burdensome these past few years, especially after launching the war against the Senju. We have suffered significant setbacks, and the entire weight of leadership rests solely on your shoulders. We often worry about your well-being.
"The existence of the Three Great Elders is an ancient tradition of our clan, explicitly designed to share the Patriarch's burden. I believe the time has come to reinstate the Elders. Doing so will undoubtedly boost our morale and guarantee our ultimate victory over the Senju."
The exact moment Tajima asked the question, he deeply regretted it, realizing his anger had clouded his judgment and led him into a massive blunder.
Who was Uchiha Sen? He was the Uchiha clan's strongest Peak Jōnin, widely recognized as the absolute number one expert beneath the Kage level. He had long been a member of the highest decision-making circle. He had always been the most ardent supporter of reinstating the Three Elders, simply because he believed his strength and prestige guaranteed him one of those seats!
Facing back-to-back rebuttals, Tajima could no longer maintain his composure. He sat down with a cold, furious snort. "So, you are telling me to compromise?!"
Sen replied deeply, "It is not a compromise; it is a concession to our own people. Patriarch, you should know perfectly well that even with the grain Uchiha Taka delivered, it is merely a drop in the bucket. We can hold out for a month at most. We all understand the subtext of Shinji's letter. If he dares to speak like this, he must possess an astronomical stockpile of supplies! This is no longer a question of whether you compromise or not, but rather whether you still intend to continue this war against the Senju!"
He looked deeply at Tajima, adding profoundly, "Sometimes, taking a step back is the only way to open up the sky."
Tajima fell silent, staring deeply at the two men sitting across from him. A sudden chill ran down his spine. He abruptly realized that every single person harbored their own selfish ambitions. He had previously believed he held absolute, unquestionable control over the Uchiha clan, yet this single, simple letter had caused two members of his highest decision-making circle to openly oppose him!
Uchiha Shinji... what terrifyingly deep scheming!
"Let us... discuss the candidates for the Elder positions," Tajima finally sighed, speaking with profound helplessness. The time to divide his power had ultimately arrived.
____
Pay me a visit at Patreon.com/IndifferentVillain
You can read advanced chapters( or just read the whole book in one go there) your support is needed thank u,