Chapter 1

The air in early spring carried a hint of moisture, and tender yellow petals unfurled from the potted flowers on the lattice windows, their faint fragrance drifting through the air.

The north wall of the study was adorned with calligraphy and paintings, the south wall lined with bookshelves. To the left stood an incense burner and a guqin, while the right wall was closely bordered by a landscape vine, half a person's height. Its vigorous branches coiled around the wall and bookshelf, with small, purple, fingernail-sized flowers sparsely hidden among the leaves, adding a touch of elegance.

A gentle breeze stirred, and dark hair brushed against his neck. The young man by the window, his expression unchanged, was engrossed in flipping through stacks of documents.

So refined, so serene, it was hard to imagine this was a ninja's room, and this handsome, harmless-looking youth was the patriarch of a great clan.

Uchiha Madara, currently the youngest patriarch of the ninja world's top clan, had smoothly seized control of the clan's authority through his formidable strength and methods, quelling the turmoil of the power transition in a short period. In the five years since taking office, he had reduced the casualty rate by nearly thirty percent simply by adjusting various strategies, earning the heartfelt admiration of many clan members.

Beyond the dark green silk curtain, a garden stretched into view. Such landscapes were now common throughout the Uchiha compound. Originally, the clan grounds had mostly been training fields, but Madara, with his exceptionally high aesthetic standards, had completely remodeled them.

And these were things that had been defined as "useless."

Useless? Uchiha Madara's faint smile held a deep meaning.

Spending great effort to renovate the estate was not merely a matter of a penchant for style.

The small, flat, earth-colored training grounds were all moved to designated areas, while the residential areas were replanted with exotic flowers and plants. Blue brick paths, fallen leaf trails, and small stone steps. The monotonous, rammed-earth and wood houses were all transformed into buildings with carved beams and painted eaves, where raindrops on a rainy day could slide down the eaves to create a beautiful scene. Courtyards of various sizes were clustered together according to a certain pattern. There were grand reception halls, solemn and magnificent council chambers, luxurious and opulent clan head residences, delicate and charming quarters for unmarried women, and elegant and refined family schools and studies. The idle open spaces were filled with water bridges, flowing curtains, artificial rocks and abundant flowers, and leisurely pavilions and beautiful gardens, resembling a fairyland.

The remodeled Uchiha estate left many bumpkins wide-eyed and silenced those who had clamored about waste.

In this world immersed in slaughter, even the wealthiest Daimyo estates could not compare to the Uchiha compound. To catch a glimpse of the scenery—even if only in the outer courtyards—many people paid a hefty price to undertake missions in the Land of Lightning.

A figure passed through the winding corridors and finally stopped before the study door. Uchiha Yan, the guard at the door, bowed sideways, "Lord Izuna."

"Is brother finished?"

"The clan head said that if Lord Izuna has matters, you can instruct him directly."

Uchiha Izuna smiled faintly, "It's nothing, just asking brother to attend a meeting."

The door opened silently, and Madara's face bore his usual indifferent, faint smile.

Izuna and Yan were startled, their bodies tensing. Upon seeing who it was, they relaxed slightly. At the same time, they marveled inwardly: to approach so closely without anyone noticing, truly worthy of being brother/clan head!

Madara nodded to Yan, his gaze shifting to his younger brother, "Izuna."

"Ah, bro, brother."

"Let's go." Always economical with words, his lightly fluttering robes stirred a gust of fresh breeze. Uchiha Yan respectfully watched them depart.

The elders of the various branches were already kneeling and waiting in the inner hall of the council chambers. At the end of each month, unless there were special circumstances, the elders and the clan head would hold a regular meeting in the council chambers.

The First Elder, Uchiha Cang, the Second Elder, Uchiha Tai, down to the Seventh Elder, Uchiha Masahiko, were lined up on both sides, holding their breath as they awaited Uchiha Madara.

Madara and Izuna entered one after another, and the elders bowed. Madara took the seat of honor, and Izuna quietly sat to his right.

"My apologies for keeping you all waiting." Madara raised his hand slightly, devoid of the murderous aura of a killer, exuding an indescribable peace and serenity. "We can begin."

The Third Elder, Uchiha Etsu, responsible for the clan's economic affairs, reported first on the month's trade situation.

Since Madara could mobilize the clan's power, the Uchiha's trade had rapidly expanded to various countries. Not to mention the smaller nations, even within the five great nations, the commerce of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, and the industry of the Land of Wind and the Land of Water, and the agriculture and industry of the Land of Lightning, were all half-controlled by the Uchiha. It had to be said that in a chaotic world, industries backed by a military group developed remarkably quickly, not to mention the existence of a transmigration version of Uchiha Madara behind them.

Especially in the Land of Lightning, with its grain and industrial production lifelines firmly grasped, even the most powerful Daimyo had to bow down. The current Daimyo of the Land of Lightning was put in place by the Uchiha. He was gentle and pragmatic. The first thing he did upon becoming Daimyo was to marry Uchiha Yoshiko from a branch family and promised to immediately enfe cool the heir once a legitimate eldest son with Uchiha blood was born.

In return, to support the Daimyo and consolidate power, domestic nobles were secretly suppressed by the Uchiha. Many families were reduced to mere titles and had to align themselves with the Daimyo and the Uchiha behind him. Now, within the Land of Lightning and its vassal states, who dared to say that ninjas were mere tools in front of the Uchiha?!

Such achievements were mostly Madara's doing. Only this could make the entire clan, young and old, revere and sincerely obey this clan head who had taken office before the age of twenty.

An uncrowned king, nothing more.

"... The situations in the Land of Moon, the Land of Demons, the Land of Water, and so on are generally like this. As for the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire—" Uchiha Etsu frowned almost imperceptibly, "The alliance has been trying to infiltrate the industry and agriculture of both countries, but there has been no progress."

The Land of Wind to the north and the northern half of the central Land of Fire were the old territories of the Senju clan. The Uchiha knew this well. Agriculture was the foundation of a nation, and how could the Senju, who were at odds with them, allow the Uchiha to expand their influence?

"Not only that, but all other families and merchant guilds that joined the alliance have also been suppressed to varying degrees." Those who had been tied to the Uchiha's interests naturally followed their lead, reporting the situation without omission.

"No progress at all?" Madara asked indifferently.

Uchiha Etsu gave a wry smile, "In important towns, we can only open a few bathhouses and restaurants. The Senju's centuries of control cannot be underestimated. Moreover, the current head of the Senju clan, Senju Hashirama, has high prestige and is on very good terms with the Daimyos of both countries, so we cannot directly win over the Daimyos. We have managed to infiltrate some remote areas, but since it's all done in secret, there are unavoidable heavy taxes, and coupled with the impact of various wars, the profits cannot cover the losses."

With countries large and small engaged in constant warfare, the world's situation was truly chaotic. The Land of Lightning had become much more peaceful under Uchiha Madara's careful management, but that was only the Land of Lightning.

However, the situation would soon change...

"What if they are on good terms?" a certain elder below muttered. Those present showed meaningful smiles. Having been involved in politics for ten years, the Uchiha all knew that politicians and nobles were the least trustworthy beings.

Madara closed his eyes in thought and said softly, "Since the indirect approach isn't working, let's go direct."

Uchiha Etsu's eyes lit up, and he stared intently at his clan head. Madara's gaze shifted to the Second Elder, Uchiha Tai, a cunning and shrewd old man who understood people very well and was responsible for the clan's intelligence and political analysis. He chuckled twice, narrowed his eyes, and replied, "Then let's discard the pretense of a merchant alliance or group and directly enter the Land of Wind under the Uchiha banner." The Land of Wind, the Senju's stronghold.

Uchiha Etsu exclaimed in surprise, "Will the Senju clan agree?"

"If it's Senju Hashirama, he will definitely agree."

"Huh?"