Greed Moves the Heart

"Master, the three have been brought here."

Uchiha Kage stood respectfully by Uchiha Yang's side, his gaze sweeping over the trio as his Three-Tomoe Sharingan tracked their every movement.

In truth, even if Uchiha Kage hadn't been watching them, they wouldn't have dared to move a muscle.

The area around the lake was currently swarming with Uchiha clansmen who had awakened their Sharingan; even Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna had arrived in person.

Uchiha Yang kept the fact that Uchiha Madara had done all this silently in the back of his mind.

"You've arrived." Uchiha Yang lay motionless on his chair, and the three men dared not show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

"We aren't sure if the contents of the letter are true."

Matsuda Masahiro kept his head bowed cautiously, not daring to look up even for a second.

Is this the true power of the Uchiha? he roared inwardly.

They had never faced the main force of the Uchiha in the Southwest Alliance; the Senju Clan had essentially shielded them from that.

Only now did the three of them truly understand the terror of the Uchiha, while simultaneously feeling a surge of curiosity about the Senju Clan—what kind of existence could be mentioned in the same breath as such a family?

"Rest assured, the Uchiha Clan always keeps its word."

Uchiha Yang stared at him with an unwavering gaze and offered a faint smile.

At that moment, the Nine-Tails had just climbed out of the lake, shaking the water from its fur before habitually curling up at Uchiha Yang's feet.

Matsuda Masahiro, Yamada Miyashu, and Shinjo Rana habitually glanced at the fox, and in the next second, their pupils constricted violently.

This terrifying chakra aura... this Summoning Beast is far too monstrous.

The three of them didn't even consider that it might be the Nine-Tails; the Uchiha Clan hadn't let word out that they possessed it, just as the Uchiha hadn't leaked the news that the Senju Clan held the One-Tail.

Both sides were tacitly keeping their fortunes quiet.

"I called you here for one thing only."

Uchiha Yang didn't want to waste time with empty chatter, so he held up a single finger and addressed the three.

"The Senju Clan's new city—I believe you have been craving it for a long time, haven't you?"

The three swallowed hard, nodded in unison, and then glanced at each other, suddenly freezing.

In that instant, each of them realized the other two were now their rivals.

"But our strength... we cannot afford to offend the Senju Clan."

Matsuda Masahiro tried to lift his head, but upon seeing the hem of the robe on the reclining chair, he spoke instead.

"Indeed, the Senju Clan is too powerful. With no wars currently tying them down, we would be facing the full wrath of the Senju Clan."

Yamada Miyashu feigned the persona of a boisterous, straightforward man, his voice booming and rough.

Uchiha Yang looked at the burly man, seemingly seeing through him, and smiled with amusement.

"You often come to scavenge at my Uchiha defense lines, don't you? What is this? You can't afford to offend the Senju, but you think you can afford to offend my Uchiha Clan?"

As soon as Uchiha Yang spoke, the surrounding Uchiha clansmen glared at the three with their Sharingan, looking ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

"No, no, no... how could that be? We only scavenge to make ends meet because we're starving. We would never dare to offend your clan. Please, don't joke like that."

Shinjo Rana explained hurriedly, terrified that the other party might kill her, which would mean the end of her own family.

"If the Senju Clan moves against you, I will step in to stop them. You only need to attack the new city. Whatever gold, silver, or treasures are inside, they are all yours."

Uchiha Yang waved his hand, bestowing the prize upon the three with great generosity.

"Then what does My Lord require? We will do everything in our power to help you obtain it."

The three were not fools; they knew such a windfall wouldn't just fall into their laps. If the other party had a request, it felt only natural.

"The Senju Clan's new city is gone, the Senju Clan suffers heavy losses, and I am happy. That is enough."

Uchiha Yang said it as if it were a matter of course.

"Ah, this..." The three couldn't help but look at the surrounding Uchiha ninjas, only to find that none of them seemed to dispute this statement.

Strange.

Who exactly is this person? He looks so young. Could he be the Uchiha Clan Head, Uchiha Madara?

Being so capricious, the three dared not say more; as long as the Uchiha Clan was willing to intervene, that was all that mattered.

"Is there a problem?"

Uchiha Yang scooped the Nine-Tails into his arms and asked, seeing the three hesitating on the spot.

"No problem at all."

The three wiped away cold sweat and hurriedly agreed.

The new city was a stronghold recently built by the Senju Clan, containing two mines that served as a vital source for the Senju's weapon forging.

The three men had their eyes on those mineral resources; once they breached the city, they would immediately loot all the supplies. Even if the Senju fought back later, they would have already stripped the place bare.

No matter what, as long as the Uchiha kept their word and held off the Senju Clan, this operation was guaranteed to be profitable.

"My Lord, then when shall we begin?"

Matsuda Masahiro asked impatiently.

Seeing the greedy expressions on the three men's faces, Uchiha Yang chuckled inwardly. Naive lads, there will be a time for you to cry later.

Intercept the Senju reinforcements? Don't make me laugh; he wouldn't dream of deploying a single soldier for that.

"No rush. Since you have traveled from afar, you are naturally our guests. Stay here for today, and head back tomorrow."

"Kage, escort them to their quarters."

Uchiha Yang stroked the Nine-Tails' fur, watching his fishing rod with a smile, before quickly setting the Nine-Tails down. "Ah, the fish is biting. It's come at just the right time."

The three men were led by Uchiha Kage to some vacant rooms on the outskirts of the Uchiha Compound, where they were treated to all sorts of food and drink.

Yet, the three of them did not know that in Uchiha Yang's true plan to drive the wolf to devour the tiger, they were at most mere fish; the real wolves had only just arrived.

While Uchiha Sake headed toward Southwest City to deliver a message, Uchiha Ya also set off in another direction, carrying Uchiha Yang's orders.

"Sit, sit, sit! The Uchiha Clan has never had guests before; you are the very first."

Uchiha Yang was extremely hospitable, smiling as he entertained Sarutobi Sasuke and Shimura Takeo.

As the heads of the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan, they had taken a certain risk by daring to come to the Uchiha Compound.

At the same time, they had been moved to come by the letter Uchiha Yang sent them.

Driven by the prospect of massive profits, even a powerhouse like Sarutobi Sasuke could not remain indifferent.

The primary reason that swayed the two men was that the Uchiha Clan would be deploying troops to New City, drawing away the majority of the Senju Clan's main force.

The Sarutobi and Shimura clans only needed to breach the Senju Defense Line, seize the Senju Clan's supplies, and then retreat.

Sarutobi Sasuke certainly could not pass up such a simple task.

As for whether the Uchiha Clan was deceiving them, Sarutobi Sasuke was not the least bit worried; if it came to that, switching sides to the Senju camp at the last minute was not out of the question.

In any case, as a fence-sitter who swayed with the wind, Sarutobi Sasuke figured he couldn't lose either way.