Whale Swallowing

To the Fuma Clan, Yuzhen was neither good nor bad; he was simply an outsider with ambition and purpose.

Because if he wanted to establish a foothold in the Ninja World, Yuzhen felt that relying on their less than twenty ninjas would be too weak.

After all, in many situations, compared to individual strength, the "group size" that was visible on the surface and immediately understood by others was more convincing.

In a sense, it was no different from a street brawl; if one side had ten people and the other had a hundred, the latter would naturally be stronger.

Yuzhen knew that if he wanted his group to appear as a force of ninjas rather than a pack of stray dogs, then a number less than twenty was insufficient.

But if they had fifty people, then those who didn't know better would at least see them as "all show and no substance."

Therefore, now was the time for Yuzhen to spread his "entrepreneurial" ideals of unity for survival, friendliness with inclusivity, equality and impartiality, and that "joining" meant becoming an original shareholder.

It was precisely for this reason that Yuzhen had initially confused the other party when they first made contact.

It wasn't that he wanted to put on an initial show of dominance, nor was he trying to feign strength to display his group's power; Yuzhen simply wanted to take the lead in the conversation.

His words indeed caused the other party to fall silent, and a tense atmosphere began to spread.

When the other party tensed up, feeling that conflict was inevitable, Yuzhen spoke again:

"Just a little joke. Your group looks very tired, so you don't need to move. We can set up our camp a bit further away."

He waved his hand, signaling his ninjas to retreat a distance, demonstrating an attitude of mutual peace.

Seeing this, Fūma Kotarō visibly relaxed. It turned out the other party wasn't unreasonable or the type to kick someone when they were down.

However, Yuzhen's order to retreat only allowed for a slight repositioning.

He led his group to set up camp on the north side of the Fuma Clan's area, still only about a hundred meters away.

For ninjas, this distance was by no means a safe one.

This was on the leeward side, and then Yuzhen's group began preparing dinner.

While they were eating, the Fuma Clan on the other side became visibly agitated.

As Yuzhen was half-heartedly arranging the night sentries, in that short time, the Fuma Clan Leader arrived with an embarrassed and difficult-to-articulate expression.

He came alone, as if wanting to raise his hands to show he had no hostile intentions.

So Yuzhen signaled his subordinates to clear a path, allowing the leader to approach him.

"Mr. Yuzhen, could we... have some food?"

Fūma Kotarō was a young man whose thick skin had yet to develop. He spoke these words very quietly, his voice sounding like it was stuck in his throat.

His eyes dared not meet Yuzhen's, and his head felt as if it wanted to droop to the ground.

Needless to say, he knew such a request was excessive, but his clan members were starving.

It could only be said that such a request was rare, because if someone lacked supplies and wanted to obtain them, the current basic practice in the Ninja World was not to beg, but to steal.

Unfortunately, the current Fuma Clan lacked that strength.

In the Ninja World, things that theoretically couldn't be stolen also couldn't be begged for.

Yuzhen showed a surprised expression. He said with some reluctance, "This... Clan Leader Fuma, I sympathize with your situation. However, as you can see, our own circumstances are not good. It's uncertain whether our remaining meager supplies will be enough to see us through the rest of our journey."

Fūma Kotarō looked up, wanting to speak but stopping himself. In the end, he said nothing. He could only nod silently and prepare to leave with heavy steps.

However, before he could take two steps, Yuzhen, as if unable to bear it, suddenly called out to him:

"Clan Leader Fuma, how about this: I'll give you some grains and broth. I hope it can help you a little. Our situation... is truly limited."

Fūma Kotarō stopped abruptly, turned around with a surprised expression, and said, "Is that true...? No, I mean, thank you very much, thank you very much, Mr. Yuzhen."

First refusing, then agreeing, even a trivial act of help would seem incredibly precious.

A small amount of worthless supplies was nothing, but Yuzhen was using a tactic... exchanging sincerity for sincerity.

He immediately arranged for someone to accompany Fūma Kotarō to deliver some supplies to their camp, and the Fuma Clan erupted in cheers.

After Fūma Kotarō arranged for the distribution of the small amount of food, he returned to Yuzhen's side and thanked him again.

Yuzhen took the opportunity to invite him to share dinner, and Fūma Kotarō naturally had no reason to refuse.

The story was enough to make one weep. The more he ate here, the more the Fuma camp could ration it to others.

Yuzhen didn't ask how these people had fallen into such dire straits. Instead, he inquired about their future:

"Clan Leader Fuma, what are your plans from here on out?"

Fūma Kotarō held a bowl of hot soup, his eyes somewhat lost as he shook his head.

He had no idea what the path ahead held.

"To be honest, I don't know where the clan's future lies either."

His situation was somewhat similar to Yuzhen's; both were newly appointed clan leaders thrust into the role, and if you asked them about long-term vision or strategic planning abilities, they were practically non-existent.

"The survival of the clan rests on your shoulders. Clan Leader Fuma, you must think carefully about every step you take from now on. The consequences of a misstep are unimaginable."

Yuzhen saw that this person didn't seem very capable of handling pressure, so he quickly began to put pressure on him.

As expected, Fūma Kotarō's expression grew even more bitter.

He had absolutely no idea how to lead his clan into the future, so he chose to evade the issue:

"Mr. Yuzhen, what's the situation on your end?"

"Us? We're just rogue ninjas right now. The people with me come from all sorts of backgrounds, yet their experiences share common threads, which is why we've had to band together for warmth."

His words were vague, but Fūma Kotarō understood. It was nothing more than an alliance of the disillusioned.

He then inwardly mocked himself, thinking his Fuma Clan was even more disillusioned than they were.

"You're rogue ninjas now?"

Fūma Kotarō asked, feeling there was something more to Yuzhen's words.

Yuzhen nodded and explained:

"We took a break for a while, and now we're preparing to head west to find suitable employers."

"Is there a chance?"

"It all depends on one's own efforts."

Fūma Kotarō fell silent again. This Mr. Yuzhen looked even younger than him, yet he spoke and acted with such purpose. He seemed to have a clear vision for the path ahead, with outstanding leadership and control.

Suddenly, an idea sprouted in his heart.

"The situation for our people isn't great either. Frankly, we only have a bit more optimism than you do.

The ninjas here, some come from obscure, unknown ninja clans, while others hail from ancient, prestigious families that cannot be spoken of. Our backgrounds are diverse, so why are we able to unite and watch over each other? It's simply because we all hold a sincere heart.

The reason I'm willing to offer you a little help is precisely because of this…

We've all been rained on, so if possible, we're willing to hold up an umbrella for others."

Yuzhen's words were somewhat persuasive, and his claims were supported by facts… hadn't ninjas of all sorts of backgrounds sincerely gathered around him?

More importantly, Fūma Kotarō was currently feeling lost and adrift, empty and lonely. Under such circumstances, his tolerance for platitudes had hit rock bottom.

So, he blurted out almost involuntarily:

"Mr. Yuzhen, is your 'Ashes' truly willing to accept ninjas of different origins, regardless of their background?"