Uchiha Hirotomo pushed open the front door and stepped inside, his body slightly weary. Even then, he still felt as if he were in some kind of unreal dream.
Everything that had happened today seemed unbelievable. He had expected to establish friendly relations with the Sarutobi Clan, but it was still a momentous achievement.
As Hokage, maintaining peace and stability in Konoha and promoting unity and cooperation among the various ninja clans were his top priorities.
What truly surprised Uchiha Hirotomo, however, was reaching an agreement to cooperate with the Ino-Shika-Cho clans. The three clans had always been closely intertwined, working as one, and had never established an official partnership with any other ninja clan.
And now, the Uchiha Clan had actually managed to break with tradition and work with Ino-Shika-Cho. This was unquestionably a pioneering step.
At the thought, Uchiha Hirotomo lifted his head and looked toward the courtyard where Uchiha Xiao lived, sighing inwardly. There was no denying it: Uchiha Xiao had extraordinary ability and remarkable foresight.
Compared with the old clan members who did nothing but harp on about the so-called "glory of the Uchiha," Xiao was far more capable.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Xiao was alone in his room, engrossed in counting the generous rewards the system had given him. Suddenly, a clear, pleasant notification rang out: "Ding! Congratulations on completing the hidden achievement—'Sending Charcoal in Snow.'
"Because the Uchiha Clan became the first family to invest in Sarutobi Hiruzen, you have been awarded an unparalleled weapon—the Blazing Heaven Fan (folding fan).
"The fan's blades are wreathed in blazing flames. It can be used as a powerful melee weapon, and when performing Fire Release techniques, a gentle wave of the fan can greatly amplify their power." At the news, a satisfied smile appeared on Uchiha Xiao's face.
"Ding!" A crisp notification rang out, and Uchiha Xiao's heart leaped with joy. His successful partnership with Ino-Shika-Cho had triggered a hidden achievement: "Fewer Enemies, More Friends."
With the pleasant chime, the system generously awarded him 6,000 points. He now had a staggering total of 20,050 points.
Uchiha Xiao's lips curled into a satisfied smile. He carefully reached into his robe and took out the Blazing Heaven Fan.
Its blades gleamed coldly, their sharpness unmatched. The fan itself was translucent and lustrous, with the smooth, delicate sheen of red jade. A lifelike fire dragon was printed across it, as if it might soar right off the fan at any moment.
"What a treasure!" Uchiha Xiao couldn't help exclaiming to himself. With a thought, he returned the Blazing Heaven Fan to the system space.
Then he slowly closed his eyes, looking utterly exhausted. To earn Uchiha Hirotomo's regard, he had forcibly activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
That had taken a heavy toll on his mental strength. Even so, he had forced himself to stay alert, first accompanying Uchiha Hirotomo to the Sarutobi Clan Compound to establish friendly relations with Sarutobi Hiruzen, then testing the waters with Nara Rokumei. After that string of mental sparring, Uchiha Xiao was thoroughly exhausted, body and mind.
At last, he dragged his heavy steps back to his home in the clan compound.
As soon as he stepped inside, he collapsed onto the bed without even taking off his clothes and quickly fell asleep. But Uchiha Xiao had no idea that the next morning, the people in the village who had once slandered the Uchiha Clan would suddenly vanish as if they had been erased from existence. Not a trace of them would ever be heard of again.
The members of the Uchiha Police Force left their homes in high spirits to carry out their duties. Along the way, they sensed an atmosphere unlike anything they had experienced before.
The villagers they passed not only looked at them with warmth and respect; some even came up to them with smiles and offered each of them a cup of cool water.
The Uchiha Police Force members were both surprised and delighted by this unprecedented kindness.
These heartwarming scenes were quickly reported to the Uchiha Clan head, Uchiha Hirotomo.
Standing by the window and gazing at the bright sunlight outside, Uchiha Hirotomo couldn't help smiling. As expected, Xiao-kun's approach was absolutely right!
Thinking back to his and Xiao's investment visit to the Sarutobi Clan Compound the previous night, then considering the Police Force's report from today, everything became crystal clear to him.
An important postwar meeting was scheduled for this morning. To everyone's surprise, Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen had specifically sent members of his Anbu to the Uchiha Clan Compound to personally invite Uchiha Hirotomo to attend.
Even more notably, as the Anbu members left, they reminded him, "Be sure to bring Uchiha Xiao along, too."
Uchiha Hirotomo wasted no time after receiving the message and immediately headed to Uchiha Xiao's home. When he reached the door, he knocked gently a few times, but there was no response from inside.
So he knocked harder and called out, "Xiao, wake up!"
The only response was a muffled mumble: "Hey, what are you doing~ I haven't had enough sleep! Let me sleep a little longer~" Uchiha Xiao was clearly suffering from morning grumpiness, stubbornly refusing to get out of bed.
Seeing this, Uchiha Hirotomo's eyes shifted as an idea came to him. He formed Hand Seals and called, "Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
In an instant, two scorching fireballs streaked through the air like shooting stars, flying straight toward Uchiha Xiao's blanket.
Uchiha Xiao woke up at once. The moment he sensed chakra, his grogginess vanished, replaced by the instinct to fight.
"Magnet Release: Great Unity Wind Curtain!" Uchiha Xiao sprang up and raised both hands. A curtain of Iron Sand appeared, and the Phoenix Sage Fire vanished the instant it struck.
Only after Uchiha Xiao realized what was happening did he withdraw his chakra. After all, the Great Unity Wind Curtain blocked everything; no matter how capable you were, you couldn't get in!
"Clan head, what time is it? It's not even eight yet, and you're making me get up. I don't want to go to first period!" Uchiha Xiao whined.
Uchiha Hirotomo was at a loss for words. "Lord Hokage is holding a meeting and specifically asked for you. Why don't you go tell him that?"