38
A ninja from a branch family could not help speaking up, his voice tinged with urgency and uncertainty. "Clan head, our Nara Clan is guaranteed to make the rankings. But how do we divide the first reward? If there's only one item, who gets it?"
Nara Enchū did not even raise his eyelids. His voice was steady and firm. "Listen carefully. If the treasure benefits the entire clan, such as medicine that extends our lives or a formation that improves our collective combat strength, it goes into the communal treasury for everyone to use. If it's something only one person can use, such as a divine weapon or a special kekkei genkai item, the clan will vote. Whoever can make the best use of it gets it."
Silence fell around him.
Even the normally composed Shikaku could find no fault with that. The arrangement was both fair and efficient. No one dared object.
It was not just the Nara Clan.
At that same moment, the compounds of several major clans, including the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Inuzuka clans, were also brightly lit.
For these great clans, this was more than a display of rankings. It was a massive contest over competing interests. With so many clan members, a single decision affected everyone. An uneven distribution would cause internal conflicts to erupt in an instant.
Every clan head was repeatedly weighing the pros and cons, calculating how to maximize their gains without sacrificing clan unity.
Yet all this clamor and calculation was merely the prelude.
The true eye of the storm had yet to open.
As the countdown reached zero, the numbers on the screen began changing at lightning speed.
Starting with the hundredth place, names flashed past one after another.
Until... the top ten were about to be announced.
The