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Tajima looked extremely pleased. He had always been incredibly proud of his eldest son, and Madara had just delivered a masterclass in strategy. With a sweeping wave of his hand, the Clan Head rose from his seat.
"Excellent. We will iron out the granular tactics shortly," Tajima announced, his voice ringing with authority. "Since the grand strategy is set, we must ensure the Hyūga are completely suffocated. We will eliminate any possibility of them breaking our blockade."
His dark eyes narrowed, radiating a sudden, chilling wave of killing intent. "Prepare to issue the Uchiha Extermination Decree!"
The Uchiha Extermination Decree? Xuan murmured the phrase under his breath, tilting his head in slight confusion. It was his first time hearing of such a directive.
"Send word to every mercenary shinobi clan across the continent," Tajima commanded. "If anyone spots a Hyūga ninja operating outside their borders, they are to be hunted down. Whoever brings us the head of a Hyūga Genin will receive a bounty of 1,000 ryō. A Chūnin will fetch 5,000 ryō. A Tokubetsu Jōnin, 10,000 ryō."
Tajima paused, letting the heavy silence amplify his next words. "Furthermore, the bounty for a standard Hyūga Jōnin is 100,000 ryō. An Elite Jōnin is 500,000 ryō. And a Peak Jōnin..." He gritted his teeth, a feral grin pulling at his lips. "One million ryō. As for Hyūga Tennin and Hyūga Shinzō... hm, let's leave those two off the board for now."
Is the Uchiha clan truly this loaded? Xuan clicked his tongue in quiet astonishment at Tajima's staggering bounty list. Just how deep were the clan's pockets to afford an open-market slaughter like this?
In truth, Xuan knew that the lesser mercenary clans of the Warring States Era would rarely manage to kill anything above a standard Jōnin. Elite Jōnin were monstrous figures that most shinobi could only look up to in terror. As for the Peak Jōnin tier, Tajima was merely throwing out an astronomical number for the psychological impact; he didn't actually expect anyone to claim it. Though, if some rogue powerhouse did manage to drop a Hyūga Peak Jōnin's head onto his desk, Tajima would undoubtedly pay the million ryō with a smile.
Following a brief discussion on logistical details, Tajima formally adjourned the summit.
Xuan stood up and filed out of the hall alongside the majority of the elders. Madara, however, was held back. Tajima ushered his son and the clan's strongest Peak Jōnin into the rear chambers—likely to flesh out the tactical execution of the mountain blockade.
Stepping out into the fresh air, Xuan's hand drifted to the hilt of his longsword. After a moment of contemplation, he turned right, heading toward the eastern sector of the compound—the Uchiha training grounds.
Most of the clan's youth spent their days there, drilling Ninjutsu or sparring in the dirt rings. He and Madara used to be regulars, crossing blades daily, though Xuan hadn't set foot there in over two months.
His mind wandered back to the interrogation earlier that morning. By refusing to properly disclose the origin of his Jutsu, Xuan had effectively severed any chance of integrating into the Uchiha's inner circle. Tajima would never trust an anomaly. As long as the current Clan Head drew breath, Xuan would be permanently barred from ascending to the clan's true leadership. That was exactly why he had fed the blockade strategy to Madara. Had Xuan presented the exact same idea, the reception would have been vastly different.
Oh, Tajima might have still adopted the tactic, but he absolutely wouldn't have invited Xuan into the back room to draft the operational details. It wasn't a matter of combat strength or intellect; it was pure clan politics and paranoia.
Because of this reality, a hazy, long-term scheme began to form in Xuan's mind. It was merely a seed of an idea for now, but he was utterly determined to see it bloom. It didn't matter if Tajima treated him like a pariah. Xuan's bond with Madara was rock solid. Given Madara's straightforward and dominant personality, the future Ghost of the Uchiha couldn't care less about the secretive origins of a friend's power. If Madara ascended to the seat of Clan Head, everyone—especially Xuan—would win.
Xuan had always fancied himself a relatively magnanimous person. However, the more he stewed over how Tajima had cornered him that morning, the more irritated he became. He was quickly realizing that he held grudges like a master. Whether it was the Hyūga clan or Uchiha Tajima, Xuan etched their names into his mental blacklist.
The Warring States Era is a long game, he mused darkly. Sooner or later, I'm going to pop my Susanoo and crush you all. Yes, I really am that petty, Xuan admitted to himself with a smirk.
Upon reaching the training grounds, he stepped through the open gates. The courtyard was bustling with Uchiha youth. Some were locked in fierce taijutsu spars, while others were refining their shurikenjutsu trajectories or practicing Fire Style hand seals.
Xuan slapped his cheeks a few times, instantly replacing his dark brooding with a bright, warm, and utterly harmless smile. Exuding the gentle aura of a spring breeze, he casually strolled up to a young boy who was struggling with a Ninjutsu form.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The boy expelled a large sphere of flames that rushed forward. A moment later, the fire sputtered out, and he hissed in pain, clutching his upper lip. "I burned myself again... What am I doing wrong?"
"When you formed the Monkey seal, your left index finger was slightly bent," Xuan said with a gentle smile. "That slight misalignment forces the chakra trajectory of the Great Fireball to flare upward, making it very easy to singe your own face."
Startled, the boy whipped his head around, only just realizing someone was standing right beside him. Seeing Xuan looking down at him with a warm, crescent-eyed smile, the boy's eyes widened in sheer excitement. "X-Xuan-sama!"
Among the new generation of the Uchiha, Xuan and Madara possessed the highest prestige by an overwhelming margin. Their reputations had skyrocketed to absolute reverence after that fateful night when they teamed up to slay a Hyūga Jōnin and save their peers. However, since then, both prodigies had rarely visited the training grounds.
Xuan chuckled, a picture of humility. "Don't call me 'sama'. We're the same age. Just call me Xuan, or Xuan-nii if you'd like. Now, let me demonstrate the hand seals for the Great Fireball. Watch closely."
Xuan raised his hands. Serpent — Ram — Monkey — Boar — Horse — Tiger. He executed the six seals in slow motion, taking a full five seconds just so the boy could clearly memorize the flow of chakra.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive sphere of roaring flames—countless times larger than the boy's attempt—erupted from Xuan's mouth. It whistled through the air before crashing into the distant lake. Naturally, since the Uchiha specialized in Fire Style, they had excavated an artificial lake within the training grounds specifically for the children to practice their Ninjutsu without burning down the compound.
"In... Incredible!" the boy breathed, his eyes shining with pure worship.
"It's Xuan-sama! Xuan-sama is at the training grounds!" a sharp-eyed little girl shrieked, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
In a flash, all the Uchiha children dropped their kunai and abandoned their spars, swarming around him in an excited huddle.
"Xuan-sama! My name is Uchiha Suzu. It's an honor to meet you!" the little girl squeaked, her cheeks flushed bright red.
"Please, drop the 'sama'. We're all peers here. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Suzu-chan," Xuan replied with a dazzling smile.
His warm, approachable demeanor sent a fresh wave of excitement through the crowd. Xuan-sama is so down-to-earth! they thought. He was the complete opposite of the intense, intimidating Young Master Madara.
"Xuan-sama, I don't understand the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. How do you control the trajectory of the flames?"
"You need to refine your baseline chakra control first. There are no shortcuts for that one."
"Xuan-sama, my kunai and shuriken throws always miss the bullseye. Is there a trick to it?"
"Ah, your throwing stance is a bit off. Here, let me help you correct your posture."
"Xuan-sama..."
Question after question poured in. Xuan answered every single one with painstaking detail, not showing a hint of impatience or annoyance.
Naturally, he had an ulterior motive. Uchiha Tajima's personal strength was monstrous, and his authority among the clan's upper echelon was absolute. As long as Tajima refused to accept him, Xuan knew that even if he reached the level of an Elite Jōnin, he would never be allowed into the core circle of power.
But that didn't matter. The next generation was the true foundation of the clan's future. All Xuan had to do was cultivate absolute loyalty and prestige among these children. By consistently offering them guidance and small favors, they would remember his kindness.
Through this subtle, insidious influence, he would eventually reach the absolute pinnacle of prestige among them. In the brutal Warring States Era, these children would rapidly mature into the core military strength of the clan. By the time the current elders realized what had happened, Xuan would already be the most influential figure in the entire Uchiha clan—a shadow leader whose soft power would eclipse even Uchiha Madara's.
This was exactly why Xuan had pushed Madara into the spotlight during the summit. With Madara drawing all the attention and expectations of the high command, Xuan was free to quietly consolidate his grip on the next generation.
When the dust settles, Xuan thought, his warm smile never faltering as he corrected another kid's hand seal, I will be the one calling the shots in the Uchiha clan.
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