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Chapter 50 is out on patreon
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After returning to the clan compound, Xuan sent Hotaru back to his room while he headed straight for the Meeting Hall.
The roof of the Meeting Hall, which Xuan and Madara had smashed to pieces two months ago during their battle, had long since been repaired. Glancing at it briefly, Xuan stepped inside.
Everyone expected to attend had already arrived. Apart from his uncle, Tajima, there were about fifty others present. The weakest among them was a Jōnin. Besides himself, Madara was also prominently seated in the lineup. Xuan gave a slight nod to Madara before approaching his uncle.
"Clan Head, I have arrived." In a formal meeting like this, even Madara had to address him as "Clan Head" rather than using familial titles.
"Mhm. Find a seat." Tajima nodded casually.
Xuan scanned the room and decisively walked over to sit cross-legged beside Madara. He simply wasn't used to the formal seiza kneeling posture they adopted, and he doubted he ever would be.
At the front, Tajima spoke calmly.
"Previously, while I was on the battlefield, I suddenly received news that the clan compound was under attack. I was struck with terror and, disregarding the battle at the front lines, led all our ninjas back day and night. Even so, we lost a full forty of our elite children. This is an utter humiliation for the clan!"
Bang!
Tajima slammed his fist heavily onto the table, causing it to shake violently. He glared around the room with furious eyes. Seeing everyone bow their heads, not daring to meet his gaze, he nodded in satisfaction, feeling that his authority remained intact.
Clearing his throat, he continued,
"Now, someone must ultimately take responsibility for this matter. Third Elder, Yutaka, you were played like a fiddle by the enemy. You abandoned the clan grounds—an act of sheer stupidity. Although you have already been stripped of your Elder position, that punishment is insufficient. Let everyone discuss how Yutaka should be dealt with."
Kneeling at the front, Yutaka stood up. His face was pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He didn't dare utter a single word in his defense. When he first received news of the raid on the compound, his mind had gone blank. since returning, he had been living in fear. He had voluntarily stepped down from his position as Third Elder, and the few clan meetings over the past two months had passed peacefully. He had thought the matter was behind him, but unexpectedly, he still couldn't escape judgment.
"What's going on?"
Xuan whispered to Madara beside him. He had heard that several clan meetings had been held over the past two months. Had they not sentenced the Third Elder yet?
Madara shook his head slightly.
"I don't know, but it seems he hasn't been sentenced. They've been discussing the contraction of our territory and setting up border defenses against the Senju. After all, the retreat from the battlefield was hasty and left behind a lot of loose ends."
Xuan nodded in understanding. Compared to punishing their own clansmen, securing the safety of the clan was obviously the priority.
A group of Jōnin whispered amongst themselves, discussing Yutaka's punishment. Opinions varied, ranging from lenient to severe.
After a while, Tajima waved his hand to silence them.
"Does anyone have a suggestion?"
From the very front row, a ninja sitting just behind Yutaka spoke up. He was about forty years old—considered "long-lived" in this Warring States period where death rates were incredibly high. He was one of the few peak Jōnin in the clan, named Sen.
"The Third Elder's negligence this time was grave, leading our clan's next generation into an unprecedented crisis. If it weren't for the emergence of two geniuses, Madara and Xuan, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Simply removing him from his position is too light a punishment. I suggest sending Yutaka to oversee progress at the Fujiwara Mines and protect them. I heard several bandit groups have appeared there recently, posing quite a threat to the mines."
"What are you laughing at?"
Madara noticed a mocking smile tugging at the corner of Xuan's mouth and asked quietly. He really couldn't see what was funny about Sen's statement.
Xuan glanced at Madara with disdain, his eyes full of superiority. He ignored him. Hmph, even if your cultivation talent is god-defying, you're ultimately just an eight-year-old kid. How could you possibly understand the deeper meaning in Sen's words?
The so-called Fujiwara Mines were one of the three major ore veins controlled by the clan. The iron ore produced there wasn't just the primary material for the clan's weaponry; it was also exported to various Daimyō and Shoguns, serving as a critically important source of financial income.
Being a ninja was actually an extremely resource-intensive profession. That was why ninjas constantly took on high-paying missions. The clan was well-off—their territory was large enough, they had sufficient food, and plenty of resources. Even if they lacked something, they could purchase it from other ninja clans or Daimyō.
Normally, Yutaka's punishment would involve assigning him extremely difficult missions to atone for his crimes, or sending him to the battlefield to fight other clans.
However, if that happened, there was a chance Yutaka might achieve great merit and stage a comeback. After all, having been an Elder for so many years, he still had connections.
But sending him to the Fujiwara Mines was different. On the surface, the punishment didn't seem heavy, but in reality, it was equivalent to exile. In a place like that, guarding it well was just doing your job; failing to guard it was your fault. Being far away from the clan's center meant virtually zero chance of returning to the clan's leadership. It was tantamount to being completely discarded.
Sen's motive for proposing this was simple: he had his eyes on the Elder position. Since ancient times, the clan had three Elders beneath the Clan Head. Two years ago, two Elders had been killed in sneak attacks by the Hyuga and Senju—which was the spark that ignited the two-year-long Three-Clan War. Due to the ongoing conflict, those two Elder positions had never been refilled.
Now that the war had paused and the Third Elder was being punished, all three Elder seats were vacant. Sen, in terms of strength and age, was a prime candidate. However, besides him, there were several other peak Jōnin in the clan eyeing those positions like tigers. Naturally, he wanted to drive Yutaka as far away as possible while he had the chance.
Xuan shook his head slightly. Sure enough, no matter where you go, these secret power struggles never stop. This was actually relatively mild. Given the immense external threats, internal strife rarely went too far. At most, opponents were sidelined; lives were rarely threatened. After all, the combat power of a Jōnin was precious and could be needed at any moment.
However, Sen's plan was likely going to fail. The clan had just suffered a defeat and were in desperate need of manpower. There was no way they would send a peak Jōnin like Yutaka to guard a mine. They weren't luxurious enough to waste resources like that. No, it should be said that in the entire ninja world, not a single clan had the luxury to do such a thing.
Following Sen's proposal, the entire hall erupted into noise. Several Jōnin who had received favors from Yutaka in the past immediately jumped out, citing his past achievements and arguing with Sen.
Tajima frowned and snorted coldly. The arguing parties glanced at him and gradually quieted down, awaiting his decision.
"Forget the Fujiwara Mines. Recently, a number of rogue ninjas have appeared in the Land of Rain swamps to the west. Their strength is not weak; they have two Elite Jōnin among them. We received a request for aid from the Daimyō of the Amanaruryu family. The commission is one million ryō. Send Yutaka there. Hmm, the family needs manpower everywhere right now, so you can go alone. Leave immediately!"
Yutaka looked at him, sighed, turned around, and left.