The First Indifference

"Sigh! I had better go alone. You return to the clan and hand this paper to my eldest brother."

Mingye did not say much more. The situation was too pressing, and he did not know when the Senju Clan's ninja might return. However, the Wind-Thunder Clan had to be wiped out before the Uchiha Clan launched their battle. In his current state, he could only rely on external forces—specifically, a force that did not belong to the Uchiha. Since the Wind-Thunder Clan was currently under the protection of the Uchiha, if the Uchiha were to launch the attack themselves, it would inevitably cause many smaller clans to refuse to submit to the Uchiha's call in the future. The Hatake Clan was the only blade he could think of right now, and the sharpest one at that!

"Could you tell me the truth, Young Master?"

"This world can no longer tolerate the Wind-Thunder Clan!"

"...!"

"Heh! That is all. I am leaving!"

Lian's further questioning still did not make Mingye reveal much. The only people who knew about the Hatake Clan's recruitment were Madara, Izuna, Shimizu, and himself. With the addition of Lian, there were at most five people who knew, so there would be no issues at all. He turned and flickered, disappearing directly from Lian's sight and merging into the woods.

A very faint sound echoed in the pitch-black room, but the old man who had been sleeping opened his eyes, slowly shook his head, sat up, and sighed.

"This old man always thinks, if everyone were willing to walk through the front door of a so-called house openly, would that make the strife in this world a little less?"

The night at the Hatake residence was even more desolate. It was truly hard to understand how a clan with fewer than a dozen members could be so powerful that even Madara held them in high regard. Mingye suddenly thought of Kakashi from his past life, and the Konoha White Fang, who had never made a move from beginning to end yet was rumored to be "feared by the Sannin." He could not help but feel moved by this clan.

"I have let you see a joke, old man!"

When the candle was lit, the light of the flame illuminated Mingye's figure in the corner of the room. Upon seeing Mingye's appearance clearly, the old man shook his head and sighed once more.

"Heh heh heh heh! This old man truly cannot understand why Young Master Mingye is pressing so hard!"

"The situation is sudden; I fear I cannot wait. This is a kind of helplessness, is it not?"

Mingye remained expressionless. Seeing the old man's tone seemed to be one of lament, he mocked him in his heart. The choice had already been made when the Fuma Clan was wiped out. In truth, the Hatake Clan had no second path to take, because the Uchiha Clan's thunderous destruction of the Fuma Clan was simply too terrifying. Of course, that was not the main point; the main point was the prestige the Uchiha Clan had accumulated over the years, which forced the Hatake Clan to bow their heads.

"Heh heh heh heh heh!"

The old man's mocking laughter rang out again. Mingye was no fool, so he turned and gave him a very guileless smile.

"Old man, please do not use that laughter to mock this boy again. This time, I represent only myself, Uchiha Mingye!"

"If you only represent yourself, then could you perhaps not emphasize the word 'Uchiha' so heavily?"

"There is no help for it; this is what is called an open conspiracy."

"Let us talk about the real business. As the head of the Hatake Clan, I do not have much time left to live. Since there is no future for us, it seems I can only choose to submit."

"The best choice! You will feel proud of your decision!"

"Heh heh heh! If it is not the best, at least I do not wish to end up like the Fuma Clan!"

"Thank you for the compliment!"

A tit-for-tat confrontation never occurred from the start, because the status between the two had already determined the key to victory. No matter how powerful the Hatake Clan was, or how many geniuses they had, their population hovered around ten. Meanwhile, the Uchiha Clan was an existence that could wipe out the Hatake Clan in a matter of minutes. The old man simply had no right to refuse.

"Enough with the nonsense. I have come this time to present the Hatake Clan with a great gift, though this gift is quite heavy. I just wonder if the Hatake Clan can handle it!"

"Please speak plainly, Young Master Mingye!"

The old man pondered for a moment before deciding to accept the "gift" Mingye spoke of. Mingye had already made his decision in his heart; since the old man had agreed, he did not waste words and spoke directly.

"For certain reasons, I have decided that the Wind-Thunder Clan shall no longer exist. However, they are protected by our clan, which is very troublesome for me!"

The old man fell silent. In the end, they were to be used as a blade? It seemed that no matter who it was, they all had to do this.

"Is this the so-called great gift?"

Mingye nodded, answering him with a serious expression.

"After this battle, the Uchiha Clan will never make things difficult for you again!"

"How will it be divided?"

Since he had accepted this task, the old man had to obtain enough benefits for the clan to prosper. He asked, and Mingye held up his middle and index fingers to explain.

"At the inception of the clan, you will have the right to choose missions first. This resolution is higher than other clans and lower than the Uchiha. Your earnings will also become the first tier under the Uchiha Clan. At least, it will not change before I die!"

"Hmm, hmm, hmm! By that calculation, it is indeed a great gift!"

The Uchiha Clan, which never allied with anyone, had suddenly begun to absorb "small clans" like his. The old man knew that the Uchiha Clan's schemes were absolutely massive. Although the first-tier earnings and the right to choose missions were not permanent, they carried great weight coming from Mingye's mouth. Since it was effective until his death, and in the old man's view, Mingye could live for at least another twenty years, he would have twenty years to let the Hatake Clan's population flourish for at least one generation. This plan was all gain and no loss for him.

"Since the Wind-Thunder Clan entered the Land of Fire from overseas, their population has exceeded five hundred. I would like to ask the young master: can we leave any survivors?"

The old man looked at Mingye, very concerned about the wording in Mingye's previous statement. It seemed that wiping out the Wind-Thunder Clan was not the intention of his clan, but he could not understand why Mingye would be so ruthless toward a clan that had already submitted. Competitiveness or jealousy could not possibly be found in Mingye.

"Anyone with chakra fluctuations—kill without mercy!"

Mingye's body paused, then he shook his head.

"What is the reason that makes the young master want to wipe out the Wind-Thunder Clan, which has already submitted to your clan?" Mingye did not equivocate or prevaricate in response to the old man's question. After all, to wipe out a ninja clan that had submitted to his own, he had to provide a real reason, or the Hatake Clan would never truly defect. He immediately summoned the heirloom scroll.

"Personal reasons. I am a successor of Ryuchi Cave, and so are they!"

"Heh heh heh heh!"

Upon seeing the scroll, the old man understood everything. He let out a bitter laugh, not knowing whether to feel that the Wind-Thunder Clan was not worth it, or to feel sad for their tragic fate.

"This is the 'pledge of allegiance.' If you, the Hatake Clan, succeed, you will gain benefits you could never imagine. Everything the Wind-Thunder Clan currently possesses will be managed by your Hatake Clan. My Uchiha Clan will not take a single cent!"

Seeing the old man laugh again, Mingye thought he was haggling with him. Mingye, who was overflowing with wealth, played another trump card. The old man was delighted, his heart filled with joy, and he nodded.

"This job, this old man will take!"

Below the steep cliff, in a village surrounded by wooden fences, the few farmers began their day of farming and weeding. The smoke rising in wisps also signaled the fresh start of a new day. Mingye leaned on a blind man's cane, walking slowly along the muddy road into the unfamiliar village.

As Mingye just stepped into the village, he heard a familiar and long-absent voice drifting from one of the houses.

"Young Master Mingye, I never expected you to grace us with your presence. It seems your training at Ryuchi Cave has been quite beneficial!"

Mingye looked toward the source of the voice, nodding with a smile as he offered his praise.

"It has been three years, yet Lord Tamaza Ryojin remains as robust as ever. It seems you have been living quite well here in the Land of Fire!"

"Hahahaha! I have your Uchiha clan to thank for that! Please, come in!"

A hearty laugh rang out, and the door to the house was pushed open. Tamaza Ryojin walked slowly to stand before Mingye. Although Mingye could not see the surrounding environment, his own perception allowed him to sense just how secure the Wind-Thunder Clan's hidden location was within the mountain ravine. Even if his own clan were to launch a full-scale assault, they would inevitably suffer casualties. More importantly, there was no guarantee they could wipe out the Wind-Thunder Clan entirely. Using poison to eliminate the Fuma Clan had been a clever trick, but a tactic that worked on the Fuma Clan could not necessarily be used against the Wind-Thunder Clan. After a moment of internal deliberation, he nodded, instantly altering the plans in his mind, and spoke again to praise the Wind-Thunder Clan's base.

"The mountain ravine is steep, with only one path leading into this valley. The surrounding cliffs are so sheer that even ninjas would find them impossible to scale quickly, and they are so smooth and barren that everything is in plain sight! The ninjas of the Wind-Thunder Clan must have gone to great lengths to hide themselves here!"

Tamaza Ryojin was quite pleased to hear Mingye's praise; after all, one does not strike a smiling face, and being complimented felt good, especially coming from the clan that nominally provided him with protection. However, the satisfaction was fleeting, and Tamaza Ryojin soon asked Mingye about his purpose for coming.

"This small path is not worth mentioning. I wonder, what brings the young master here today?"

"The inheritance of Ryuchi Cave is, after all, held by your Wind-Thunder Clan. It seems you have forgotten, Lord Tamaza Ryojin, to write my name upon the scroll!"

"Hehehe! That was my oversight. I cannot believe I forgot such a crucial matter. I offer my apologies to the young master!"

Mingye chuckled as he explained, and only then did Tamaza Ryojin remember that Mingye's name had not yet been added to the Blood Pact Scroll. Without it, he would be unable to perform the summoning, which would hinder him even if he had mastered the inheritance of Ryuchi Cave. He offered a light laugh to mask the embarrassment of his forgetfulness and apologized.