Faced with the Yomu Clan Head's murderous glare, Xuan merely sneered. Leaking an equally dense killing intent, he shot back, "You're welcome to try. Do you honestly think the three of you teaming up is enough to kill us? Don't be naive. Furthermore, let me make this perfectly clear: the Uchiha main compound knows exactly where we are and what mission we are executing. Regardless of whether we live or die tonight, the moment our war with the Hyūga and the Senju ends, your clan will not escape total annihilation."
The three tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly, glowing with a demonic crimson light that looked as though they might drip blood at any second, striking a deep chill into the hearts of everyone watching.
Uchiha Madara chimed in with a polite smile, playing the mediator. "Clan Head Yomu, please don't make a mistake that will ruin you. The fate of every single man, woman, and child in your clan currently rests entirely on your next decision."
Xuan shot Madara an approving glance. He was deeply gratified that Madara had instinctively taken the initiative to play the "Good Cop" in this routine. The only minor flaw was how bizarre the dynamic felt. Threatening people with utter annihilation felt far more suited to Madara's usual personality, while Xuan—who preferred staying behind the scenes—should have been the one playing the Good Cop.
Yomu Kichikawa was completely destabilized by their coordinated routine. He wanted to attack, but when he weighed the apocalyptic consequences, he didn't dare. He let out a helpless sigh. "My clan is too small. We cannot afford to offend the Uchiha. But by the exact same logic, we cannot afford to offend the Hyūga! Even if we kill him, the Hyūga only need to dispatch a single Elite Jōnin and two standard Jōnin in retaliation to wipe us off the map."
Xuan's expression turned freezing cold. Since he was already playing the Bad Cop, he was going to fully commit to the role. "Hmph. Clan Head Yomu, you need to think very carefully about geography. Which clan is closer to your borders right now: the Hyūga, or the Uchiha? Besides, the Hyūga are currently struggling just to protect themselves. It's highly debatable whether they will even have a future to take revenge in."
Madara hastily flashed another diplomatic smile. Honestly, he felt incredibly awkward doing this. He wasn't suited for this kind of gentle de-escalation; he much preferred Xuan's current job of ruthlessly threatening people with death.
"Clan Head Yomu, we Uchiha have always been a deeply reasonable and righteous clan. We are incredibly forgiving toward those who abandon the darkness and turn to the light. If you are willing, once this war is over, your Yomu clan can officially become a vassal of the Uchiha. I'd like to see who in the Warring States would dare touch you without giving the Uchiha face."
Madara's smile was perfectly radiant. Naturally, accepting a new vassal clan was far beyond his current authority. Furthermore, given the Uchiha's towering arrogance, they would never accept a weak, insignificant faction like the Yomu anyway. But when it came to writing empty checks, as long as the other party didn't know the truth, it was a perfectly valid bluff.
Kichikawa's eyes instantly lit up. Becoming a direct vassal of the Uchiha was a golden opportunity minor clans literally begged for! Moreover, the person making the promise was Uchiha Madara—the eldest son and heir apparent of the Uchiha Clan Head. The credibility of his words was incredibly high.
Gritting his teeth, a ferocious glint flashed in Kichikawa's eyes as he slowly turned his gaze toward the Hyūga Jōnin.
The Hyūga operative had realized the situation was spiraling out of control moments ago. He had been quietly inching backward, looking for an opening to flee. However, Kichikawa's younger brother had completely cut off his escape route, staring at him like a hawk.
With a sudden burst of speed, Kichikawa blurred forward, landing directly in front of the Hyūga Jōnin. The two Yomu brothers seamlessly boxed him in, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Cold sweat dripped rapidly from the Hyūga Jōnin's forehead. Never in his wildest nightmares did he expect the situation to turn against him like this.
Madara stepped up beside Xuan, watching the standoff with genuine amusement. "I honestly just wanted to stop them from interfering so I could duel that Hyūga Jōnin one-on-one. I didn't expect things to develop this perfectly. Haha, how interesting."
Xuan tilted his chin up, striking the classic, arrogant pose of an overpowered protagonist. He shot Madara a dismissive side-eye, as if to say: Take notes, kid. Big brother has everything completely under control.
"Careful. They're about to fight." Even as Madara spoke, his eyes remained locked on the trio. Seeing their chakra flare to its absolute peak, he focused his single-tomoe Sharingan, not daring to blink.
"Lion Roar!"
Suddenly, a deafening explosion of nearly tangible chakra tore through the courtyard. BOOM! The concussive shockwave violently slammed into the exact spot where the three men were standing off. A massive cloud of dust and debris kicked into the air. Two figures leaped high into the sky to evade the blast—the two Yomu brothers.
"Who dares touch a member of the Hyūga clan?!"
A booming voice thundered through the night. A split second later, a figure vaulted over the compound walls, descending from the sky as if stepping down from the moon itself.
The three tomoe in Xuan's eyes spun rapidly. "An Elite Jōnin," he muttered under his breath. "I thought intel said the last one was suspected to be in Senju territory? Why the hell did he suddenly pop up here?"
Madara gave his katana a casual twirl, looking completely unfazed. "Who knows. Based on the timing, he probably sprinted all the way here from Senju territory. Either way, this just means tonight won't be boring."
As the dust settled, the Elite Jōnin landed gracefully in the courtyard.
The Hyūga Jōnin's face instantly lit up with overwhelming joy. "Lord Akikaze! You finally arrived!"
Hyūga Akikaze wore an expression of absolute freezing disdain. He arrogantly swept his gaze across the battlefield. Glancing over his shoulder at the blazing ruins of the granary, a flash of pure fury ignited in his pure white eyes.
"Clan Head Yomu," Akikaze said coldly. "Please explain exactly what happened here tonight. Where is the grain? And why were you about to attack my clan's Jōnin?"
Kichikawa's face turned completely ashen. He never, ever expected the Hyūga clan to send an Elite Jōnin as backup. If he had known, he would have never dared to turn on the Hyūga Jōnin.
Just as Kichikawa was desperately trying to formulate an excuse, a black shadow suddenly shot forward.
"Madara, don't—!"
Xuan reached out to grab him, but grasped only empty air. He forcibly swallowed the word "idiot" before it could leave his mouth. His eye twitched violently. I knew it. I completely knew it...
"Hah!"
Madara roared with ferocious vitality. Enveloping his katana in dense, violent chakra, he executed a blindingly fast, overhead cleave aimed directly at Hyūga Akikaze's skull. The sheer speed and power of the strike caused the air to crackle like thunder.
Akikaze's gaze sharpened. In a fluid, instantaneous motion, he drew the longsword strapped to his back.
CLANG! Akikaze effortlessly parried Madara's incredibly overbearing strike. The two clashed violently in a blur of motion, showering the courtyard in a storm of sparks.
BANG!
A figure was violently sent flying backward. Madara crashed heavily onto the dirt right beside Xuan. Coughing dryly, he scrambled to his feet. Blood dripped steadily from his left arm, where a long, shallow gash had been sliced into his flesh.
"Twelve seconds," Xuan stated deadpan.
"Shut up!" Madara snapped, glaring furiously at him out of sheer embarrassment.
Xuan completely ignored the glare. Anyone whose brain was damaged enough to blindly charge an Elite Jōnin in a Taijutsu brawl deserved every single ounce of mockery they got.
Akikaze gave his longsword a casual flick, clearing the blood from the blade. "Uchiha Madara, is it? Your courage is commendable. Unfortunately, your luck is terrible. Tonight, both of you are going to die."
His tone wasn't loud or hysterical, but the dense, suffocating killing intent behind his words made the air freeze.
Pointing his longsword directly at Kichikawa, Akikaze issued an ultimatum. "I don't care what happened before I arrived. Right now, you will join forces with my subordinate and kill these two Uchiha brats. Because if you don't, the moment I finish killing them myself, the Yomu clan will cease to exist."
A look of profound internal struggle twisted Kichikawa's face. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. Finally, he let out a long, defeated sigh. Slowly turning his head, he looked at Xuan and Madara. "I am sorry. The Warring States is a world where the size of your fist dictates the truth. Right now... the Hyūga's fist is bigger."
Xuan shot Madara a dry look. "So, what's your grand plan now? Are you just going to charge straight in again?"
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