"Your name is Ying?"
Uchiha Jobu's talent and hard work had caught the eye of the Uchiha Clan elders. After Uchiha Tajima's subtle test the last time, the clan's leaders had named Jobu one of the hopes of the next generation.
His status had risen accordingly, and the clan had assigned him a maid to handle his meals, daily routine, and other personal needs.
"Yes, my lord. My name is Ying."
The ten-year-old girl knelt before Uchiha Jobu.
Uchiha Jobu paused. "Just a given name? What's your surname?"
"The Uchiha lords took me in. I have no right to a surname, so I'm simply Ying."
"Besides household work, what else can you do? You have chakra. Do you know any ninjutsu?"
"Ying doesn't know any ninjutsu or taijutsu. The Uchiha lords taught me to use chakra because they said it would help me serve you better."
"Since you can use chakra but don't know ninjutsu, I have another task for you."
The girl raised her head. A faint glimmer passed through her otherwise emotionless eyes. "Please give me your orders, my lord."
"Nothing is cheaper in this world than human life. This age has made the world cruel enough that many people would sell themselves for a mouthful of food. I need you to recruit a group willing to obey me from the refugees the clan took in recently. In return, I'll promise them a chance to eat their fill. Can you do it?"
If he wanted to make the Uchiha the strongest clan of the Warring States Era, he had to start preparing now.
The Uchiha Clan had only two or three hundred Main Family ninja. They mainly fought outside the clan and took missions to secure supplies. The Branch Family had more ninja, most of whom forged equipment or handled logistics for the clan.
The clan also took in homeless refugees. Ordinary people could serve the ninja by handling household work, and the Uchiha's vast territory needed people to farm its land.
Ying's gaze sharpened. "Yes, my lord. Ying will do it. I'll recruit the most obedient and loyal subordinates for you."
Uchiha Jobu nodded slowly. "Good. Come with me. I'll teach you some basic ninjutsu. I also need you to train the people you recruit. You'll become their captain, second only to me."
"Ying understands. I won't disappoint you, my lord."
"Good. Watch closely. First, I'll teach you the Transformation Technique. The trick to this technique is..."
Not everyone could become a ninja. It took talent. Even among the Uchiha, many clan members could never truly become ninja. But Ying needed only one demonstration to use a basic technique flawlessly.
If Ying had possessed a surname or shown any sign of a Kekkei Genkai, Uchiha Jobu would have suspected she came from a major ninja clan.
The Hagoromo Clan had tied its fate completely to the Uchiha Clan.
With the Hagoromo Clan joining them, the Uchiha Clan's strength had surged. They had drawn up a plan to wipe out the Kaguya Clan, or at the very least drive them out of the Land of Fire.
Otherwise, if the Hyuga and Kaguya joined forces, their combined taijutsu prowess would make even a great clan like the Uchiha back down from a direct clash.
Hagoromo Jiehe, leader of the Hagoromo Clan, said, "Clan Leader Tajima, we have no objection to attacking the Kaguya Clan. But we hope to receive a larger share of the supplies seized in the attack. Will you allow it?"
Supplies mattered to every clan. Without enough to survive on, even a Clan Leader Tier ninja would starve.
Uchiha Tajima stared at Hagoromo Jiehe without expression, putting the Hagoromo Clan leader under considerable pressure. Just as the silence grew heavy, Tajima said evenly, "In that case, I can raise your share of the seized supplies from the agreed thirty percent to forty. Any objections?"
That was more than Hagoromo Jiehe had expected. He nodded at once. "Forty percent is more than enough. Thank you!"
Uchiha Tajima said, "Then let's discuss how many Jonin and Chunin the Hagoromo Clan can send."
"Jonin? Chunin?"
"I forgot you don't know the ninja rank classifications, Clan Leader Hagoromo. Let me explain them first."
After hearing the explanation, Hagoromo Jiehe felt that the descriptions and requirements for each rank matched a ninja's strength well.
Hagoromo Jiehe said gravely, "I understand. By your standards, Clan Leader Tajima, the Hagoromo Clan has a little over ten Jonin, more than sixty Chunin, and over a hundred Genin who haven't fully developed yet."
"For this battle, the Hagoromo Clan can send at most eight Jonin and fifty Chunin. The Genin won't take part in the fighting."
"That's fine. Those numbers are enough. The Uchiha plan to send twenty Jonin and a hundred Chunin. Our Genin won't take part either."
Once they had agreed on the number of ninja to deploy, both clans began moving supplies. They had to prepare Military Ration Pills, each capable of staving off hunger for half a day or even a full day, before attacking the Kaguya Clan.
They also needed Explosive Tags, Shuriken, Kunai, and Senbon—tools they could use to attack directly.
When Uchiha Madara learned that the clan was preparing to attack the Kaguya Clan, he felt he was qualified to fight and had a duty to do so. He went to his father, Uchiha Tajima, and asked to join the attack. Tajima threw him out without another word.
Uchiha Madara said, "Jobu, what does Father mean by this? I'm already at Chunin strength. I can join the attack on the Kaguya Clan, so why won't he let me? Does he think I'm still not strong enough?"
Uchiha Jobu rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten what you said a few days ago? The Uchiha Clan has plenty of ninja who can take the field. We don't lack people willing to fight and bleed for the clan. What we need is a leader who can guide it into the future. Are you that person?"
"Clan Leader Tajima wants you to stay because the people left behind need someone to rally around. If you go out on a mission too, will they feel safe? What if an enemy attacks? Don't forget that the Kaguya Clan nearly breached our home."
Uchiha Madara nodded. "I understand. I'm still not steady enough. Keep reminding me, so I don't make such a basic mistake again."
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