The Nine-Tails, which had been eating happily, suddenly noticed the strange look the little maid was giving it.
What did that mean?
Had it eaten too much?
Hadn't they agreed to provide food and lodging?
Xia Lian was actually worried it might not have enough to eat, but she was also afraid that giving it too much would make it sick.
"By the way, do you have some special way of contacting each other?"
After the Nine-Tails had finished eating, Uchiha Yang asked outright.
"We have a way to contact one another, but we usually don't. It's been decades since we last got in touch."
The Nine-Tails thought it over before answering.
"Are you planning to bring them all over to your side, too?"
The Nine-Tails was starting to feel a little jealous.
"No, I was just curious. They don't interest me."
Uchiha Yang wasn't interested in the other eight Tailed Beasts. Even all eight of them together couldn't beat the Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails gave a sudden snort and turned its head away. When it was sure he couldn't see, the corners of its mouth lifted slightly.
After returning to the capital, Uchiha Yang settled into a steady, ordinary routine, going back and forth between three places.
On his first day back, he took his pet for a stroll, stopped at a pleasure house to listen to music along the way, then walked home.
On his fourth day back, he took his pet for a stroll, stopped at a pleasure house to listen to music along the way, then walked home.
On his seventh day back, he took his pet for a stroll, stopped at a pleasure house to listen to music along the way, then strolled all night.
On his tenth day back, he took his pet for a stroll, stopped at a pleasure house to listen to music along the way, then walked home.
A month after he returned, he watched the Nine-Tails go for a stroll, listened to music at a pleasure house, enjoyed the sweet voices of the lovely ladies inside, then went home when they were done.
Over the next two months, Uchiha Yang visited every entertainment venue in the capital, claiming all the while that he was taking the Nine-Tails for a walk.
In the end, Uchiha Yang came to one conclusion: the next place was always better.
During those two months, Uchiha Yang lived a carefree life, while the situation beyond the capital grew tense because of him.
Without the Nine-Tails, Senju Hashirama had no choice but to obtain the One-Tail Shukaku from the Land of Wind, after being pestered by the elders.
As it happened, he had learned of the One-Tail by chance.
Behind the scenes, Black Zetsu was playing both father and mother. Since the Uchiha Clan had taken the Nine-Tails, he had to make sure the Senju got a Tailed Beast, too.
And to rescue her daughter, Mito, Uzumaki Changfeng had paid a tremendous price to persuade the Senju Clan to step in and negotiate with the Uchiha.
But Uchiha Madara was utterly unyielding. No matter what, he refused to hand over Uzumaki Mito.
She was the woman his cousin had set his sights on. Even Senju Hashirama's intervention wouldn't change that.
No matter how Senju Hashirama tried to negotiate, Uchiha Madara wouldn't budge.
Senju Hashirama hadn't even gotten angry yet, but Senju Tobirama was already furious. He believed the Uchiha were deliberately provoking the Senju.
So Senju Tobirama used some unknown means to win unanimous approval from all the elders. They would force the Uchiha to hand over Uzumaki Mito, even if Senju Hashirama couldn't stop them.
After all, Uzumaki Mito was still technically his fiancée, and Uzumaki Changfeng was now living with the Senju Clan. Even an honest man had his limits. Madara had gone too far.
In Senju Hashirama's eyes, the Senju Clan had paid far more than Uzumaki Mito was worth. As for Madara's cousin having taken a fancy to her, he simply didn't believe it.
So Senju Tobirama personally deployed a large number of shinobi along the border, most of them from affiliated clans.
Uchiha Madara didn't back down either. If they wanted a fight, they would get one. The Uchiha Clan wouldn't retreat a single step.
Uchiha Madara gathered a large number of shinobi from affiliated clans along the defensive line, with the Great Elder personally overseeing the command.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Izuna had gathered enough researchers and began building a secret laboratory beneath the clan compound.
He gave the researchers an idea, provided all kinds of research equipment, and made sure they had anything they needed. As long as the results were good, the process didn't matter.
Everything was proceeding according to plan in secret.
At the border, the two sides had one minor clash after another over the course of two months. Tempers grew hotter with every fight, but both sides showed restraint, stopping short of escalating into a full-scale war.
Even so, every move made by the Senju and Uchiha drew the attention of many powerful shinobi clans.
The Hyuga Clan, the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, and the inseparable Ino-Shika-Cho Clans—all living in the Land of Fire—were watching the clashes between the Uchiha and Senju.
If the two clans went to war again, would they have a chance to profit from the conflict? Even selling war supplies to the two sides at high prices would make them a fortune.
During the previous war, these clans had already made a tidy profit from the Uchiha and Senju.
Of course, plenty of people with ulterior motives were also hoping to snatch something from under the Uchiha's nose.
Southwest City lay southwest of the Uchiha defensive line. It was a large city, home to an alliance of more than a dozen shinobi clans.
Whenever the Uchiha and Senju clashed, Southwest City often raided the Uchiha's southwestern border defenses.
Now, it seemed they were starting to stir.
"The people we trained can now operate the production-line machinery with ease, and all the factories are running smoothly. Feudal Lord, just sit back and wait for your share of the profits."
At the Daimyo Mansion, Uchiha Yang raised his cup and tossed back the drink in one gulp. The liquor burned down his throat. One word: satisfying.
"Then I'll just wait for my dividends."
The Feudal Lord covered half his face with a folding fan and let out a sly chuckle.
These factories were up and running smoothly, with enormous potential. Before long, they would be raking in money every day.
He felt he was getting too small a share, but remembering that his partner was from the Uchiha Clan, he could only swallow his frustration for the sake of winning them over.
"Don't worry, Feudal Lord. As long as nothing goes wrong with these production lines, you'll be the richest Feudal Lord in the world."
Uchiha Yang gazed at the fat, big-eared Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire with a smile.
If the man didn't behave, he wouldn't mind putting a more obedient Feudal Lord in power.
All power needed strength to back it up. Without that, power was nothing but an intangible cloud, easily pierced with a single poke.
After eating and drinking his fill, Uchiha Yang took his leave of the Feudal Lord and climbed into the carriage that had been waiting outside for ages.
"Sir, are we heading back now?"
Seeing that his lord was reeking of alcohol, Uchiha Sake suggested, "Why don't we find somewhere to unwind?"
Uchiha Yang rolled his eyes. "Are they going to help you unwind, or are you going to help the masseuse unwind? I don't even want to talk about you."
"Don't let Uchiha Ya lead you astray."
"My lord, that's not fair. He's not the one who taught me."
Uchiha Ya, who had been watching the show, felt an undeserved blame land squarely on his head and protested loudly.
[Brain: I've fallen. I've really fallen. Now all I can think about is helping the masseuse unwind.]
[Hands: Babe... heh.]
[Legs: I have to say, those fair legs... Next time I'll have to ask little sister Xiao Ye for a proper lesson.]
[All of you have such poor self-control. Look at your master. All I think about now is making money. What are women, anyway? They're all fleeting clouds.]
Uchiha Yang had been in sage mode for a whole day, and he bragged without batting an eye.
The Brain and the others heard him and silently watched the little maid, dressed in black stockings, massage his back with her feet, her face flushed.
The way their master lay there with his eyes open and spouted nonsense—he really was someone they still had a lot to learn from.
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