Twelve Divine Maidens Mission

As night fell, in Shin's room, the little maid knelt before him, head bowed in caution. She did not understand why her master had suddenly summoned her, nor did he ask for his usual massage.

"Hotaru, look up."

"Ah?" Hearing Shin's voice, Chiyo Hotaru looked up instinctively. Her entire body shuddered as a pair of blood-red pupils appeared before her. Within them, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan rotated slowly, bewitching and ghostly. Her gaze touched them for a mere second before she found herself unable to look away; her mind grew hazy, eventually sinking into total chaos.

Seeing the maid's vacant expression and the Three-Tomoe reflected in her pupils, Shin knew his hypnosis had succeeded. While the hypnotic ability of the Sharingan was merely a secondary trait, it was exceptionally useful when dealing with those weaker than himself—especially now, when he needed to inquire about private matters.

"What is your name?" Shin asked softly.

"Chiyo Hotaru."

"Who am I?"

"You are Uchiha Shin, my master."

"Very good." Shin nodded in satisfaction and proceeded to the next step.

"What was Uchiha Tajima's purpose in sending you here?"

"The Clan Head sent me to serve my master, to be my master's maid."

"No other purpose?"

The little maid did not answer; in her hypnotic state, she could not respond to such ambiguous questions.

Observing her reaction, Shin was certain she had not been sent by Uchiha Tajima to monitor him. Then again, it stood to reason; unless one were a fool, one wouldn't send an ordinary maid to spy on a clansman who had already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

After a moment of thought, Shin did not break the hypnosis. Instead, he asked, "Are you a maid of the Uchiha clan, or a maid of your master?"

"I am a maid sent by the Uchiha clan to serve my master," the little maid replied blankly.

Shin frowned; this answer did not satisfy him.

"If one day, a conflict were to arise between your master and the Uchiha clan, what would you do?"

The little maid began to tremble slightly, her hands clenching unconsciously. It was clear she was struggling in her subconscious; perhaps this was a question she had never considered before.

"Master is a genius of the Uchiha clan; he would never have a conflict with the Uchiha clan," the little maid replied after a long silence.

Shin tapped his fingers against the floor. It seemed the Uchiha clan held a very high position in the little maid's heart—this was not a good sign.

However, it was understandable. After all, she had been abandoned by those who adopted her as a child, and it was the Uchiha clan that saved her life, raising and teaching her ever since. Her gratitude was only natural.

"If one day, your master ordered you to betray the Uchiha clan, what would you do?" Shin's Sharingan rotated slowly, his ocular power intensifying. The Three-Tomoe reflected in the maid's eyes became clearer. Her small hands gripped the floor until her knuckles turned white, a look of struggle appeared on her face, and her whole body began to tremble.

Shin asked this not because he wanted to rebel against the Uchiha. This was the Warring States period; unless one reached god-like strength, even an elite Kage-level powerhouse might not survive alone. He did not want to discard the golden signboard of the Uchiha—at least, not yet.

He asked this simply to force the little maid to make a choice: to become a maid who belonged entirely to him, or a maid who followed the orders of the Uchiha clan. This was crucial.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

A full ten minutes passed, yet the little maid remained silent, her face deathly pale. There was no telling what her subconscious was enduring.

Sigh...

Shin sighed. He had underestimated the status of the Uchiha clan in her heart. He shook his head slightly and stood up. It seemed this little maid would only ever be a maid after all.

Just as he lifted his foot to walk away, his ankle was suddenly grabbed by a small, cold hand.

"I will listen to Master. I will betray the Uchiha clan. Please, Master, don't cast me aside; I don't want to be abandoned a second time." A weak voice sounded, yet it carried a note of firm resolve.

Shin looked down to see Chiyo Hotaru with two trails of tears, her small hand gripping him tightly. Her face was ashen, and the Three-Tomoe in her eyes had vanished on its own.

Shin silently crouched down and pulled her into an embrace, whispering, "Good girl. As long as you listen to your master, I will not abandon you."

The little maid sobbed in his arms, shaking her head incessantly without speaking, her tears and mucus smearing a large patch onto his robe.

When the little maid's sobbing finally subsided, Shin said, "How about I teach you the method to condense chakra?"

The little maid looked up abruptly, staring at him in astonishment. She even forgot to wipe the tears from her face, too stunned to speak.

"Do you want to learn?" Shin smiled gently.

Only then did the little maid snap out of her daze, nodding her head like a chick pecking at grain, as if she feared that if she were too slow, she would miss the chance.

Shin said no more and began to explain the method of chakra condensation. The little maid listened very intently, asking questions whenever she encountered something she didn't understand, and Shin patiently explained it to her, pointing out the areas that required caution during chakra circulation.

Shin was surprised to find that the little maid actually had quite a bit of talent. While not on par with himself or Madara, she was better than most Uchiha clansmen. After two hours of explanation, she had already grasped the basic circulation path and condensation method.

A smart student always made things easy for the teacher. Shin took a scroll from his room and handed it to her. "This is a Blood Secret Technique I found after killing a Blood Ninja. I've looked it over; it's actually quite good. Take it for yourself. Remember, be careful when practicing chakra; don't let the clan members find out. Privately teaching ninjutsu to non-Uchiha is a serious offense."

The little maid nodded earnestly. "Master, I will be very careful. Once I become a ninja, I will be able to help you."

At this, Shin laughed silently.

Ding! Side quest issued: Twelve Divine Maidens.

Quest Description: As a boss destined to rule the world, how can you not have a sufficiently powerful team of subordinates? The system has specially unlocked this side quest. The Twelve Divine Maidens contract is provided as a reward. The host is encouraged to keep up the good work, build your own powerful legion, and rule the world as soon as possible.

Quest Duration: Same as the main quest.

Failure Penalty: Eradication.

Shin was stunned. Why would the system issue a quest at a time like this? After a moment of thought, he told the little maid to step out first so he could properly study this sudden quest.

The little maid glanced at Shin's chest, where his robe was soaked with her tears, and said embarrassedly, "Master, let me wash your clothes for you."