When Uchiha Shinji returned carrying the severed head of Hoshino Ren, the absolute annihilation of the three major northern factions was officially declared. The Uchiha clan had finally swept the north clean and reclaimed their former territory.
[Ding! Achieved actual control over the Uchiha clan's northern territory. 'Pacify the North' quest completed. Reward: 50,000 Points!]
The system's perpetually calm voice echoed in Xuan's ear, almost making him burst out laughing. Fifty thousand points in one go! He had never been this wealthy! Moreover, if he recalled correctly, he had slain two Peak Jōnin. Although he hadn't checked the exact points awarded for them yet, combined with the massive slaughter from last night, his total must have undoubtedly surpassed the one hundred thousand mark!
The Mangekyō Sharingan!
The thought suddenly exploded in Xuan's mind, but he forcefully suppressed it. No rush, no rush. I'll deal with that after we return to Xin City.
The Uchiha shinobi cheered wildly, showering praises upon Uchiha Shinji and Uchiha Xuan. Anyone with half a brain could clearly see that from this moment forward, the entire northern territory belonged to these two men.
The Akahane clan's shinobi lay gasping and sprawled on the ground, watching the cheering Uchiha with exhausted eyes, deeply worried about their own impending fate. However, they had ultimately survived the night. That alone was worth rejoicing over.
Xuan raised a hand and pressed it down slightly. The entire crowd instantly fell silent. Xuan was incredibly satisfied with this effect. I painstakingly laid out this grand scheme for so long, and even personally risked my life fighting two Peak Jōnin, but I've finally established absolute authority in the hearts of these bastards. It wasn't easy, but this is the kind of treatment a true Boss deserves! he sighed emotionally in his heart.
Naturally, he wouldn't show his inner thoughts on his face. He spoke calmly, "Alright, the celebrations can wait until we return to Xin City. The three factions have been thoroughly annihilated. This is an unprecedented achievement, one that even Lord Uchiha Tō could not accomplish during his time here! Now, we must claim our rightful spoils of war. I hear the Three-Clan Alliance and the Ghost Fire Alliance are dripping with wealth!"
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "I am giving you one day. Whatever you find right now, I didn't see a thing. However, you must all return to Xin City before nightfall. Tomorrow, I will dispatch personnel to officially inventory the supplies and wealth of the destroyed clans. Do you understand?"
Following Xuan's words, every single Uchiha clansman sucked in a sharp breath. Immediately after, their eyes practically glowed. This was an absolutely astronomical boon! The way they looked at Xuan completely transformed—their gazes were now a mixture of profound awe, feverish fanaticism, and wild joy. It was safe to say that right now, if Xuan gave an order, they would obey it absolutely unconditionally.
Everyone knew that great victories yielded great spoils, and wiping out entire clans yielded the greatest spoils of all. But in reality, the vast majority of that wealth always fell into the hands of the clan itself, lining the pockets of the upper echelons. For standard Jōnin and even Elite Jōnin—despite being the clan's core military strength—the actual tangible benefits that fell into their own hands were usually quite pathetic.
But now, Lord Xuan had actually issued such an order! This was the equivalent of explicitly permitting them to line their own pockets to their hearts' content! In this single moment, in their eyes, Xuan had officially become the absolute greatest person in the entire Uchiha clan.
"Lord Xuan... how should we handle the Akahane clan?" Uchiha Ran asked softly. He had also been struck dizzy by Xuan's order, but he managed to maintain a sliver of clarity. His resolve to cling tightly to Xuan's thigh grew even firmer. Xuan had flawlessly bought the absolute loyalty of everyone present without leaving a single trace. After this, every Jōnin and Elite Jōnin would remember his generosity.
Ran's voice wasn't loud, but everyone present was a shinobi. The nearby Akahane Jōnin and Special Jōnin heard him clearly and hastily pricked up their ears to listen carefully. This concerned their ultimate fate! Although Xuan had declared them an Uchiha subordinate clan last night, words spoken in the heat of battle meant very little.
Only after the war was over and both parties officially signed a subordinate contract would they truly be recognized as a vassal clan. Given the Uchiha's ruthless nature, it was entirely possible they would simply wipe out the Akahane now that the fighting was over, just because it was convenient.
Xuan glanced over and recognized Uchiha Ran. He rubbed his chin and called out loudly, "Yui, come here!"
Akahane Yui was standing on the outer edge of the crowd. Since Xuan was surrounded by a dense throng of people, it was difficult for her to approach. Of course, deep down, she didn't want to approach him either.
Following Xuan's command, the Uchiha Jōnin automatically parted, creating a clear path. Yui walked toward the center with obvious reluctance. Akahane Hoshi and Akahane Horetsu hastily followed on either side of her, intending to accompany her. However, an Uchiha Jōnin reached out and blocked their path, saying stiffly, "Lord Xuan only called for Akahane Yui to enter."
Hoshi and Horetsu burned with frustration. They had been trapped inside Kimei Takuya's Earth Burial Coffin last night and had taken a full hour to break out. They were already consumed with guilt for failing to protect Yui. Thankfully, the Uchiha reinforcements had arrived in time, preventing a catastrophe.
"Stay here. I will go alone," Yui said flatly. Gathering her scattered thoughts, she walked toward Xuan. She knew exactly what she had to do right now, and exactly how she had to act to ensure the Akahane clan's survival.
"The vassal clan Akahane, represented by the current Patriarch Akahane Yui, greets the Master."
As she spoke these words, her slender figure slowly knelt down, performing the absolute highest formal bow of fealty used to greet one's lord in the Warring States Era.
Why did this girl suddenly become so enlightened? Xuan muttered inwardly, though he felt a dark thrill at having such a stunning beauty publicly kneel before him. He quickly reached out and pulled her into his embrace. This time, Yui was perfectly obedient, not moving an inch.
"I said last night that the Akahane clan would become a vassal of the Uchiha clan. Let it be done according to my words. Handle everything according to the standard rules. After all, they were a powerful clan in the north; do not treat them too harshly."
As Xuan spoke, he extended his right hand and lightly lifted Yui's chin. The smooth, tender sensation was entirely different from before, making it hard to let go.
Seeing this, a look of profound realization dawned in Uchiha Ran's eyes. I see! So that's how it is. It seems Lord Xuan is quite fond of this new Akahane Patriarch. We can't be too harsh on the Akahane in the future.
Just as Ran was about to pass these instructions down the line, he suddenly heard Xuan say, "I'll leave the matter of processing the Akahane clan to you, Uchiha Ran. Make sure you handle it beautifully. I'm returning to Xin City first, and Yui is coming with me."
The words Ran was about to speak choked in his throat. His face instantly flushed a brilliant crimson. Heavens above! I wanted to go loot the enemy compounds! If I have to stay here and process the Akahane clan's surrender, by the time I'm done, the daylily will be cold; everything valuable will be gone! Yet, he absolutely didn't dare refuse Xuan's direct order. He could only smile bitterly. Was this what they called dropping a rock on one's own foot?
The other Elite Jōnin instantly shot him gloating, schadenfreude-filled looks. Trying to kiss up and accidentally kissing the horse's hoof! Serves you right!
"Oh, right," Xuan took two steps, then suddenly stopped and looked back with a smile. "After you finish processing the Akahane clan, go to the enemy compounds and officially inventory their supplies and wealth. Calculate our total spoils for this campaign. No problem, right?"
Ran's entire body jolted, his spirits skyrocketing instantly. This is an absolute fat piece of meat! The benefits I can skim from officially inventorying the vaults will be infinitely greater than whatever these guys can carry in their pockets! After all, how much can a single person carry?
Sweeping away his previous depression, he puffed out his chest and strutted forward with his head held high, shooting a highly provocative glare at the Elite Jōnin who had just been gloating. Who just said I kissed the horse's hoof?!
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