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Looking at his balance of 13,000 points, Xuan felt a sharp pang of annoyance. He was supposed to have 14,000.
The System had awarded him 1,000 points for the quest to draw out the mastermind, and another 3,000 points for the second-stage escape quest. That totaled 4,000 points in raw quest rewards.
Additionally, Xuan had personally eliminated five enemy Chūnin. That should have netted him 5,000 points. However, the Chūnin he had intended to blow up with Paper Bombs was decapitated by an allied Elite Jōnin at the last second, robbing him of the kill and causing him to painfully lose out on 1,000 points.
Later, after using the Flying Raijin to escape, he had managed to assassinate an enemy Jōnin, which rewarded him with a massive 5,000 points. That brought his grand total to 13,000.
Xuan knew very well that while this seemed like a large sum, it wouldn't stretch far. It was barely enough to afford a single S-rank Jutsu, and the leftover points wouldn't even cover an A-rank one.
He fell into deep thought over what to redeem. With the Flying Raijin in his arsenal, he was virtually invincible when it came to pursuits or escapes. In terms of offensive power, his Rasengan was adequate for now. As for Genjutsu, there weren't many good options available. Top-tier Genjutsu like Tsukuyomi and Kotoamatsukami cost a staggering 15,000 points each since he only possessed a three-tomoe Sharingan. Furthermore, Kotoamatsukami had a ridiculous ten-year cooldown, which felt like an absolute scam.
As for Taijutsu, he could theoretically purchase the Eight Inner Gates. However, considering his frail eight-year-old physique—and remembering how Rock Lee had trained relentlessly since childhood only to suffer miserably after opening just a few gates in the original story—he quietly shoved the idea to the back of his mind. He would wait until he acquired a Sage Body before even touching the Eight Inner Gates.
After contemplating a bit longer, he also ruled out the Big Ball Rasengan. With his current level of chakra control, he figured he could master the size expansion on his own with a bit of dedicated practice. There was no need to waste points on it.
"System, redeem the Shadow Clone Jutsu," Xuan commanded mentally.
[Shadow Clone Jutsu. Rank: B. Cost: 1,000 Points. Confirm redemption?]
"Confirm."
Watching his balance drop by 1,000 points, Xuan suddenly felt a warm current flow through his body, embedding the complex chakra flow and muscle memory of the Shadow Clone Jutsu directly into his mind.
Created by the Second Hokage, the Shadow Clone was one of the most practical and versatile B-rank techniques in existence. It was an absolute essential for any shinobi looking to travel, spy, or assassinate without putting their main body at risk.
In the era of the Five Great Shinobi Countries decades later, a ninja would be embarrassed to even call themselves a professional if they couldn't perform a basic Shadow Clone.
In the original story, Naruto was constantly mocked by fans for only ever using two moves: the Rasengan and the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. In reality, that assessment wasn't far off. Yet, relying almost entirely on those two techniques, Naruto had fought enemies far above his weight class and defeated countless legendary powerhouses. Even factoring in his ridiculous protagonist plot armor, it was a testament to how overpowered those two jutsu truly were.
Of course, Naruto utilized the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu—an A-rank forbidden variant that demanded an astronomically massive chakra reserve. While Xuan was confident in his own chakra capacity, he didn't delude himself into thinking he had reached Naruto's freakish, monstrous levels.
Based on his own estimates and the databook stats from the original series, his current chakra capacity was probably hovering around a solid '7'. It was a generous amount, but it still required careful calculation during combat; he couldn't just spam ninjutsu mindlessly. Therefore, he had absolutely no intention of redeeming an absurd chakra-drain technique like the Multi-Shadow Clone.
With 12,000 points remaining, he spent another 2,000 to unlock the Wind Chakra Nature. This made him a dual-nature shinobi wielding both Wind and Fire. The only downside was that the Uchiha clan possessed virtually zero Wind Style techniques in their archives.
As for the final 10,000 points, Xuan decided to save them for a rainy day. His foundational strength still needed work, and trying to digest too many new jutsu at once would only backfire. Furthermore, keeping a reserve of points was a smart safety net. The System had a habit of acting crazy and forcing him into deadly situations; if it issued a suicidal quest with a heavy point penalty for failure, having a buffer of points would save his life.
Plus, a single exclusive Mangekyō Sharingan ability cost 15,000 points. He was incredibly tempted to save up for one.
Xuan opened his eyes. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but his little maid was still dutifully pacing along his back. He smiled faintly. "Alright, that's enough. Go to sleep."
Hotaru hopped down, gave a deep bow, and whispered, "Goodnight, Master." Then, she quietly slipped out of his room.
Left alone in the quiet chamber, Xuan gazed up at the window. Starlight spilled into the room, illuminating the floorboards. Beyond the glass, the night sky was scattered with countless stars, their brilliance magnified by the pristine, unpolluted moonlight. It was a breathtaking, soul-stirring sight—something he could never witness in his previous life.
Staring at the vast expanse of the cosmos, Xuan's chaotic thoughts finally settled into a cold clarity.
Uchiha Tajima no longer trusts me. There's no guarantee today's interrogation won't happen again. If I continue to expose new abilities every single time, his paranoia will only deepen. In the end, this all comes down to a lack of sheer power. If I possessed Kage-level strength right now, I could just assassinate him. Even if I couldn't pull that off, I could at least stand as an equal rival within the clan. As it stands, my top priority is rapidly increasing my combat power. I can't stay cooped up in the compound much longer. Starting tomorrow, I need to proactively take on missions. I need to get out there, hunt down enemy shinobi, and grind points.
My Taijutsu training needs a drastic overhaul as well. The Flying Raijin Jutsu only reaches its absolute peak lethality when paired with elite, close-quarters combat skills.
Furthermore... shouldn't I start laying the groundwork for my own faction? The Uchiha clan historically betrayed Madara in the original timeline. They aren't exactly the most reliable allies, even after Konoha is founded.
A tangled web of schemes and concerns filled his mind, but the core solution remained crystal clear: absolute strength. The Warring States Era was a brutal world where the size of your fist determined the weight of your words.
Lost in his plotting, Xuan eventually drifted off to sleep. The night passed peacefully. The next morning, he woke up right on schedule.
After allowing his little maid to help him wash up and serve breakfast, he prepared to head out. Before leaving, he informed Hotaru that he would be taking on a few missions and might not return for two or three days, instructing her to look after the house.
As he stepped toward the door, his eyes fell upon the Amanokumo blade resting against the wall. After a brief hesitation, he strapped the sword to his waist. From now on, if I run into any enemy shinobi I can use as target practice, I'll close the distance and hack them to pieces with Taijutsu. I'll only rely on Ninjutsu if I actually can't beat them, he resolved.
Taking advantage of the early hour, he made a quick detour to the training grounds. The courtyard was mostly empty. He ran through his Taijutsu drills for a while before the Uchiha children began to trickle in. The moment they spotted him, they instantly swarmed him. Xuan offered a few pointers on their Ninjutsu, maintaining his benevolent persona, before smoothly excusing himself just as the crowd began to swell.
Even though it was still morning, the Uchiha compound was buzzing with activity. Shinobi darted across the rooftops, and supply wagons were being actively mobilized. The air was thick with the suffocating tension of an impending storm. Xuan knew the signs—this was the prelude to an all-out war with the Hyūga.
He had absolutely no intention of participating in the upcoming conflict. For one, his personal strength wasn't quite high enough to guarantee his safety in a massive meat grinder. More importantly, he had already lost Uchiha Tajima's trust. Xuan wasn't about to throw away his life kissing up to a man who actively suspected him.
Xuan stepped into the grand Uchiha Mission Hall. Looking around, the massive chamber was largely empty at this hour. The floor was paved entirely with solid blocks of blue-granite, and massive, crimson-tinged stone pillars lined the walls, each intricately carved with the Uchiha clan crest.
Scanning the room, Xuan spotted several elderly clansmen seated behind sturdy oak desks, spaced about thirty paces apart. There were nine of them in total. While their ages varied, they all shared one defining trait: they were disabled.
These men were veteran Uchiha shinobi who had suffered crippling injuries on the battlefield. They had survived, but their bodies were too broken to ever fight again. In order to ensure they still had a purpose, the clan assigned them to manage mission distribution and bounty payouts. It was a pragmatic way to utilize their vast experience.
In the chaotic Warring States Era, the Uchiha clan was a titan of the shinobi world. Every single day, countless clients flocked to their gates to commission missions. The requests spanned a massive spectrum: acting as bodyguards, securing trade routes, assassinating political rivals, or exterminating bands of heavily armed bandits.
Xuan approached the desk of one of the elderly mission handlers. "Are there any available missions?"