"The Otomo Clan really is a local powerhouse. They have elite warriors trained in Chakra, as well as wandering Ninja who've joined them to provide protection. They own vast tracts of land and run casinos and black markets. Add to that the protection they enjoy from the Land of Fire's officials, and they're practically a tyrant in the northwest. They only ever target merchants without powerful backers, or merchants from small countries, so even those who want revenge can do nothing about them. But dealing with them will be easier than anything for me."
I don't care who's backing them. Their wealth, on the other hand, could bring me quite a windfall! Uchiha Tenshu thought, then remembered all the schools that had been shut down throughout the Land of Fire and the vast numbers of talented people there. Now that he had brought Nakayama Hiroshi under his control, he could use him to recruit people after taking the Otomo Clan's resources.
A thought flashed through his mind.
Uchiha Tenshu looked at Uchiha Sakurako. He could certainly handle them on his own, but he couldn't guarantee that no one would escape. With Uchiha Sakurako's help, he could make sure nothing went wrong.
When Uchiha Sakurako noticed Uchiha Tenshu looking at her, she came to her senses and asked, "What, are you planning to wipe out the entire Otomo Clan? Aren't you afraid the village will come after you?"
Uchiha Tenshu gave her a strange look. "Do we Uchiha really have to consider the village's feelings before we act? Besides, the village's mission system is entirely controlled by the Senju Clan. Even if something goes wrong, it has nothing to do with us. And as long as the news doesn't get out and the village doesn't find out, what's the problem?"
In Uchiha Tenshu's eyes,
though Konoha seemed peaceful and harmonious on the surface, like an uncut gem, it was nothing like the Konoha Shinobi Village of the future, where the establishment of a Ninja Academy, a Military Police Force, and a mission-acceptance system would gradually bring everything into proper order.
The future Konoha would be like a ruthless mercenary organization, drawing the entire village into its fold.
It would use its immense power to claim more than half of all missions in the Ninja World, continually absorbing the profits of mercenary work from across the world. It would accept all kinds of missions without exception. Even when it refused a mission, it would protect the client's information and safety.
By contrast, the Konoha of this era acted less like a force serving mission clients and more like a deterrent dedicated to serving the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and its powerful elite.
That was because the Land of Fire granted Konoha a huge sum every year, which the village leader distributed among the clans. In return, Konoha Shinobi were responsible for defending the Land of Fire from foreign enemies and protecting its territory and interests.
Of course, the arrangement was an exchange of benefits. The Land of Fire provided funds, while Konoha Shinobi lived in Konoha and refrained from interfering in the country's affairs, while protecting its security.
For example, the missions posted in Konoha at this time included special assignments from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and its powerful elite. Some involved finding lost cats and dogs; others were more like leisurely escort jobs. They were easy and paid well. These were all initiatives by the upper echelons of the Land of Fire.
One reason was to gradually accustom Konoha's Ninja to this kind of mission system, and another was to spend large sums of money on Konoha's clans and build good relations with them.
Besides these, outsiders also posted missions with the village, and the upper echelons assigned them to the various clans.
However, missions posted by outsiders had yet to become the norm in Konoha. Each clan had its own territory and ran its own affairs, so they naturally looked down on such missions. With Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, keeping the Ninja World in check, it was mostly peaceful. As a result, there weren't many missions likely to involve conflict, and most were simply escort and protection jobs. Such work could both strengthen ties with the powerful elite and bring in profits.
By comparison, missions from ordinary people outside the village offered little reward, took up a great deal of time, and could even tarnish a Ninja clan's reputation if they failed.
This was how powerful families like the Otomo Clan could get their hands on information from Konoha Shinobi Village.
When it came to choosing between the powerful elite and the poor, Konoha Shinobi Village clearly had no real choice to make.
And at that very moment, in Konoha Shinobi Village,
Tobirama Senju, the second-in-command of the Senju Clan, held the village's mission listings tightly in his grasp. He assigned the easy missions to his own clan and its allies, while missions from outsiders and foreign countries went to less influential clans. The more difficult missions, those that might even fail, were assigned to the Uchiha.
For example, when Konoha had just been established, a mission came from the Land of Lightning. It concerned the Ketsuryugan Clan and the succession of the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, and involved a clan whose Kekkei Genkai, the Ketsuryūgan, could rival the Sharingan. The mission had originally gone to the Senju Clan, but was then handed to the Uchiha Clan. On the surface, it seemed to have been completed successfully.
But it had made an enemy of the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning and a sworn foe of the Ketsuryugan Clan, whose members possessed the Ketsuryūgan Kekkei Genkai.
The Senju Clan took all the benefits, while the Uchiha Clan was left to bear the costs.
Uchiha Tenshu didn't care about disrupting this mission system. He hadn't gotten much out of it anyway.
If anyone had to worry, it was the Senju Clan.
"Hmph. Fine, we'll do it your way!"
Uchiha Sakurako nodded, ready to follow his orders.
After all, her assigned mission was to protect Uchiha Tenshu, the heir to her branch of the clan.
As the future heir, no matter how much Uchiha Sakurako disliked or resented Uchiha Tenshu, she had to follow his instructions.
So, led by Nakayama Hiroshi, Uchiha Tenshu and Uchiha Sakurako first inspected the entire stronghold. After collecting all its supplies, Uchiha Tenshu used the Phoenix Flower Technique to start a fire. The flames would burn away every trace, leaving no one able to glean information from the site.
On the road,
Uchiha Tenshu and Uchiha Sakurako traveled while secretly communicating through their Sharingan.
It was one of the little techniques the Uchiha Clan had developed for using the Sharingan. In battle, it also let them coordinate their plans with their teammates while concealing their true intentions.
Uchiha Sakurako said enviously, "I didn't know you could do that. You managed to fit all those supplies inside. In the Warring States Period, every other clan would have made you their top target! You're lucky you're Uchiha. Otherwise, if I'd known you had this ability, I'd have attacked you too!"
"That goes for now as well," Uchiha Tenshu said. Then he glanced at Uchiha Sakurako and couldn't help asking, "You've already sworn loyalty to Lingyue. And I'm the one Raimon entrusted with everything. Shouldn't you see me as your lord too? Why are you still so hostile toward me?"
"Don't start talking about me being a lecher or a pervert. As a Ninja, you should already have been prepared for this sort of thing."
"After all, as Lingyue's personal Ninja, you can't refuse even if I ask you to give yourself to me. So..."
"I want to hear what you really think!"
Uchiha Tenshu spoke, gazing at her with a deep, penetrating look.
A fool who had power but didn't use it was a fool indeed. Since he'd already learned from Uchiha Sakurako that she knew he was the heir, Uchiha Tenshu had no intention of slowly talking things through with her. He went straight to the point.
Before you continue