"Oh? He actually refused me?"
Sitting in his office, Xia Yan read the report from the Anbu ninja before him, who was clearly from the Uchiha Clan. He could not help smiling and shaking his head.
He found Uchiha Shin rather interesting. Even faced with someone as forceful as him, the man still dared to do something like this. Xia Yan rather admired his nerve.
Not everyone possessed that kind of courage. Especially given the cruelty and dominance Xia Yan had displayed throughout this affair, anyone else would probably have dropped to their knees long ago.
But Uchiha Shin-or rather, the entire Uchiha Clan-was not so easily cowed.
Xia Yan could also see that although Uchiha Shin had disobeyed his orders in the details, he had not defied them overall.
This counted as a form of resistance, and he had taken all the responsibility upon himself.
His purpose in sending an Uchiha Anbu ninja to report this was quite obvious: he was telling Xia Yan that this had been his decision alone and had nothing to do with anyone else.
Just as Xia Yan had heard from Qiong, when they discussed the affair, Shin had deliberately distanced all the Anbu involved from himself, precisely to protect them.
"He really does take responsibility."
Xia Yan leaned back slightly, looking thoroughly relaxed and casual. Yet the Anbu ninja before him still kept his head dutifully lowered, not daring to look at him.
The man was clearly very nervous, seemingly harboring an indescribable fear of Xia Yan.
He was not alone, either. Many people throughout the Anbu feared Xia Yan, though Xia Yan himself had no idea how he had brought that about.
After all, he had always been very amiable in the Anbu. Even now that he was director, he did not