"You treat me like this and still expect me to cooperate?"
Hidan lay on the ground, looking at Gento with a provocative expression, suddenly baring his teeth in wild laughter:
"No way! Hahahahahaha!"
Gento's face darkened immediately.
His thinking was simple.
The Uchiha clan's development was accelerating more and more; sooner or later, it would attract Danzo's suppression.
Rather than dealing with it passively when the time came, it would be better to strike first and get rid of that old schemer.
But right now, the Uchiha couldn't openly tear relations apart with Konoha's higher-ups.
So Hidan's bizarre ability became the most suitable tool.
As long as they could obtain Danzo's blood and have Hidan perform Death Possession Blood, they could eliminate Danzo without anyone noticing.
Even if suspicion arose afterward, it wouldn't trace back to the Uchiha.
But all of this had a premise; Hidan had to cooperate.
After all, that complicated Jashin ritual had to be carried out by him personally.
Gento took a deep breath and tried to persuade him:
"Think it through carefully. You're in our hands right now. Your life is in my grasp, yet your mouth is still this stubborn?"
The smile on Hidan's face grew even more frenzied as he shouted fanatically:
"Do whatever you want! I'm immortal anyway! You can't kill me! Hahahaha!"
Gento frowned, no longer interested in wasting words, and said to Shisui:
"Take him away and seal him with a sealing technique."
Shisui stepped forward:
"Yes!"
"Wait!"
Hidan was still shouting as he was dragged away.
"You'll regret this! Lord Jashin will punish you! Sooner or later I'll sacrifice all of you!"
His voice gradually faded into the distance.
Gento looked toward the doorway and sighed helplessly.
Since Hidan refused to cooperate, then they could only use the crude method of wearing him down.
He suddenly thought; since Hidan had been captured early, wouldn't that mean that on the Akatsuki's side, Kakuzu would no longer have a partner?
The "Immortal Duo" probably wouldn't come to be.
But those matters were still far off.
The Akatsuki hadn't even fully formed yet, and there was no need for him to provoke them proactively.
Aside from keeping an eye on Konan, that great beauty.
Right now, the most important thing was still developing the clan.
Once both the clan and he himself had grown strong enough, no threat would remain a threat.
As for now?
The Uchiha were still far from invincible.
...
In the blink of an eye, time reached Year 56 of Konoha.
On this day, Gento stood before a hidden door.
Unlike other clan buildings, the existence of the Awakening Chamber had not been widely disclosed.
Only after a clan member possessing the Sharingan died would he bring the deceased's family here.
Pushing the door open, a chilling aura rushed out.
The room was dimly lit, with only a few faint candles burning around the altar. Their flames flickered slightly, casting shifting shadows along the walls.
The walls were carved with complex runes, glowing with a dark red sheen under the candlelight.
The entire space exuded a mysterious and secretive atmosphere.
At this moment, a male corpse lay on the altar.
His eyes were closed, yet beneath his eyelids a faint crimson glow could be seen.
That was a one-tomoe Sharingan.
On another altar, a young man knelt, his expression sorrowful, his eyes reddened as he stared fixedly at the corpse.
Gento stepped forward to the altar and formed hand seals.
A burst of red light flashed across the altar, rippling outward like waves.
Right after, the crimson in the corpse's eyes slowly faded, the Sharingan gradually dimming until they returned to normal.
At the same time, the young man beside him suddenly covered his eyes:
"Ugh!"
Within his eye sockets, a crimson hue slowly emerged.
A tomoe rotated within his pupils, forming.
After a moment, he lowered his hand and opened his eyes.
A one-tomoe Sharingan now shone within them.
Gento nodded:
"Alright, the awakening is complete. Take your father's body back and give him a proper burial."
But the young man did not stand.
He remained kneeling, staring at his father's remains. The crimson in his eyes grew more intense, carrying a deep, bone-piercing hatred.
"I will… avenge my father!"
The moment those words fell, the tomoe in his eye trembled slightly, and a second one slowly appeared beside it.
Two tomoe rotated slowly within his eyes.
Gento watched this scene without surprise.
The Awakening Chamber could help clan members inherit the Sharingan of the deceased.
However, some people, after inheriting it, would awaken again due to intense emotional stimulation.
After all, hatred, grief, and unwillingness could all serve as nourishment for the evolution of the Sharingan.
Over these past few years, the number of Sharingan within the Uchiha clan had been steadily increasing, and their quality improving; this was also one of the reasons.
The young man took out a sealing scroll from his clothes and carefully stored his father's body.
Thereafter, he stood, walked before Gento, and bowed deeply:
"Clan head, thank you for granting me the power to avenge my father!"
He raised his head, his gaze burning as he lifted his right fist high:
"The kindness of Clan Head Gento can never be repaid!"
"Loyalty!"
Gento nodded in satisfaction.
Watching the young man's departing figure, he was just about to turn and leave when the system's voice suddenly rang out in his mind:
[Ding! Family Prosperity has leveled up!]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission: A-Rank Family Prosperity!]
[Reward: Draw Chance ×1]
Hearing this, Gento felt a surge of wild joy in his heart.
Five years.
A full five years.
Over these five years, the Uchiha clan developed rapidly.
With the support of his various fertility policies, the desire to have children within the clan reached an unprecedented high.
The Desire Hot Springs and the Indulgence Apartments were filled year-round with a thick hormonal atmosphere.
The results were extremely significant.
Most families had two or even three children, and the number of newborns in the clan continued to increase.
Finally, today, the Uchiha clan's prosperity level had risen once again!
He couldn't wait to open the family panel:
[Clan: Uchiha]
⟩ Prosperity: A-Rank (Flourishing)
⟩ Clan Members: 4521
⟩ Number of Shinobi: 2305
⟩ Clan Buildings: Clan Ancestral Hall, Indulgence Apartments, Desire Hot Springs, Awakening Chamber, Mission Hall
Looking at the clan data, Gento nodded in satisfaction.
The number of ninja had increased significantly.
And once the children born in recent years graduated from the Ninja Academy, the number of Uchiha ninja would continue to rise.
A moment after, the system's voice sounded again:
[Ding! Family Prosperity has reached A-Rank, unlocking clan building: Ninja Academy.]
[Ninja Academy]
⟩ The number of newborns in the Uchiha clan is increasing, and they have all reached the age to enroll. The quality of education at Konoha's Ninja Academy is low. Can sending the clan's future to such a school truly cultivate outstanding ninja? It is time to establish a Ninja Academy belonging to the Uchiha!
⟩ Effect: Increases students' learning efficiency by 40%, and raises the probability of graduates becoming ninja by 40%!
[Ding! Family Prosperity has reached A-Rank, unlocking clan building: Training Ground.]
[Training Ground]
⟩ The prosperity of the clan requires a large number of elite ninja to support it. It is time to build a high-quality training ground exclusive to the Uchiha! Clan members can practice ninjutsu and engage in combat training here. (PS: Have you ever seen the sun at five in the morning in Konoha Village?)
⟩ Effect: Increases training efficiency by 40%.
Looking at the two newly unlocked clan buildings, a smile curled at the corner of Gento's lips.
A 40% boost to learning efficiency, a 40% increase in ninja conversion rate, and a 40% improvement in ninjutsu training efficiency.
Stacked together, the next generation of the Uchiha would become a group of true elites.
Without any hesitation, he returned to the office in the Mission Hall and handed the two blueprints to Pakura:
"Go. Deliver these two blueprints to that old carpenter, Gen Kigami, and have him start construction as soon as possible."
Pakura took the blueprints, nodded, and turned to leave.
Leaning back in his chair, Gento opened the system panel again:
[Draw Chances: 2]
He hadn't used the draw chance from the Nine-Tails Incident last time, and combined with this reward, it made exactly two.
More importantly, as the clan's prosperity increased, the draw probabilities had also improved further:
[Draw Probabilities: D-Rank 10%, C-Rank 15%, B-Rank 30%, A-Rank 44%, S-Rank 1%]
The S-Rank probability was only 1%, but he had the infinitely reusable Dojutsu; Tokitsumori!
Without hesitation, Gento activated it with a thought:
"Draw!"
A brand-new roulette wheel appeared in his mind, spinning rapidly.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining A-Rank reward: Mastery of Earth-Attribute Chakra Essence.]
Gento frowned.
A-Rank?
Right now, he only had eyes for S-Rank!
"Tokitsumori!"
Time rewound, and the draw chance was restored.
[Draw Chances: 2]
"Draw!"
...
Thereafter, Gento began a long journey of repeated draws.
Once, twice, ten times, fifty times, a hundred times…
A-Rank rewards appeared one after another, B-Rank and C-Rank came endlessly, yet S-Rank simply refused to appear.
If not for Tokitsumori allowing infinite rewinds, he would have long since cursed aloud.
Finally, on the one hundred and fifty-seventh attempt…
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining S-Rank reward: Yamanaka Clan Secret Mind Techniques]
⟩ The Yamanaka Clan specializes in mental-based ninjutsu, capable of projecting their consciousness into others' minds to read thoughts, control targets, or transmit information. Their secret techniques are the core of intelligence gathering and battlefield command, but these techniques are only passed down among core members of the Yamanaka Clan, making them extremely valuable.
Gento's spirit lifted immediately, and he stopped rewinding at once.
The Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques were indeed a valuable prize.
These techniques were tightly monopolized by the Yamanaka Clan; outsiders had no way of learning them.
Now that he had obtained them through the system, it was well worth it.
A second after, a large amount of knowledge and ninjutsu flooded into his mind.
Mind Body Switch Technique, Mind Body Disturbance Technique, Mind Body Transmission Technique, Mind Reading Technique…
Each technique came with detailed methods of use and combat applications.
Mental control, memory reading, information transmission.
These abilities were extremely useful, whether in combat or intelligence gathering.
As Gento processed this knowledge, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Since he could obtain the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques, was it also possible to obtain the Akimichi Clan's Expansion Jutsu?
If he were to learn the Expansion Jutsu…
A meaningful smile formed at the corner of his lips.
…His women would have quite a time dealing with him.
He eagerly said:
"Continue drawing!"
...
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