The excited Uchiha made a commotion in the secret chamber for a long time.
The Uchiha Jonin gave full vent to their excitement, cheers and discussion mingling together and filling every inch of the room.
Burning hope blazed in everyone's eyes, as though they had already witnessed the Uchiha reaching the pinnacle of the Shinobi World.
After their wild joy, they all eventually regained their composure as shinobi.
Only once everyone had fully calmed down did Uchiha Fugaku slowly speak.
"All of you are core members of the Uchiha. Revealing the Uchiha's greatest secret to you today is a sign of our utmost trust in you."
But his tone abruptly shifted, turning stern.
"I must warn you all: this is the sole opportunity for our Uchiha to rise, but it is also the source of a calamity that could destroy our clan. From this day forward, you must never reveal so much as a word of it to outsiders."
Every Uchiha present, including Zongyan, bowed and dropped to one knee without the slightest hesitation.
"We stake the Uchiha's honor and pride on this vow: until our dying breath, we will never reveal a word to outsiders!"
"Everything for the Uchiha! We are willing to give everything to restore the Uchiha to the pinnacle and forge its glory anew!"
Resolute vows rang out one after another, firm and resounding, carrying every clan member's love for the clan.
As Fugaku looked at the Uchiha before him, his tense expression softened.
Telling the clan about the Altar had been a decision he and Zongyan had agreed upon. No matter how extraordinary the Altar's abilities were, it was worthless if they failed to use it effectively.
As long as they got the entire clan involved, both their strength and resources would accumulate rapidly in a virtuous cycle.
Fugaku nodded and began making arrangements for what came next.
"Now that everyone knows the truth, we will end things here today. You may all leave."
"I will work with Yashiro and the other two senior members to take stock of all available resources within the clan and draw up a comprehensive system for their use."
"Once everything has been checked, we will meet again to discuss it."
None of the Uchiha had any objections at this point. Their eyes full of hope, they bowed respectfully, withdrew from the secret chamber along their original route, and streamed out of the Shrine.
Not long after Zongyan returned home with him, Fugaku heard footsteps outside.
The Third Elder and the other two Clan Elders arrived together, each carrying a thick stack of files and account books.
Clearly, they had no intention of sleeping.
Seeing them hurrying along, Zongyan could not help stepping forward with a smile to dissuade them.
"Elders, there is really no need to rush. Everyone has been rather worked up today. Why not get some proper rest first and deal with things once you've recovered?"
The three Clan Elders shook their heads, their eyes full of urgency, without the slightest trace of sleepiness.
"Young Master Zongyan, with such an opportunity right before us, how could we possibly sleep?"
"Every day earlier we finish organizing this means the clan can grow that much stronger. Time is so precious, we cannot afford even the slightest delay!"
With that, the three walked around Zongyan without waiting for his reply, took Fugaku by the hands, and hurried toward the front hall.
Father can forget about sleeping tonight. I'd better get some rest early. Who knows when they might suddenly decide to call me over.
Zongyan shook his head helplessly at the sight, then headed for his bedroom.
While Zongyan slept soundly, his father and the three Clan Elders buried themselves in checking and tallying the accounts, truly working without sleep or rest.
Only at dawn the next day did they finally have a clear picture of all the Uchiha Clan's assets.
Previously, as senior members, they had dedicated personnel to handle this bookkeeping. But now, with the Altar being a matter of such importance, they naturally had to verify everything themselves to feel reassured.
Once the inventory was complete, the four let out long breaths, their eyes filled with a sense of accomplishment as they looked at the complete list in their hands.
"Although we now have a clear picture of the clan's assets, how should we allocate this monthly awakening opportunity?"
The four sat around the front hall, all frowning, unsure what to do.
This was an opportunity that could change a clan member's fate, so the allocation rules were crucial.
They had to be absolutely fair. Any bias could easily dishearten the clan members. Never mind developing the clan-it might even cause its members to become estranged from it.
Each offered his own thoughts, putting forward several plans, but amid their heated discussion, none proved flawless.
Suddenly, an idea occurred to Yashiro, and he suggested, "This Bloodline Altar belongs to Young Master Zongyan. Why don't we hear what he thinks?"
Tekka's and Inabi's eyes lit up as well. Fugaku was taken aback at first, then nodded too.
Uchiha Tekka, the more impatient one among them, immediately found himself unable to sit still.
He turned to Uchiha Fugaku at once and spoke rapidly. "Clan Leader, where are Young Master Zongyan's quarters?"
Fugaku was a little bewildered, but told him anyway.
Before Fugaku could say anything more, Tekka sprang up, rushed out of the front hall, and charged up to Zongyan's bedroom door.
Crash-
The wooden door was suddenly pushed open, shattering the room's silence.
Inside the bedroom, Zongyan had been sleeping peacefully, but the sudden commotion startled him awake, making him jump up from the tatami.
"Young Master Zongyan, come to the front hall with me at once to discuss something! This is too important to delay!"
As he spoke, he grabbed Zongyan's arm and broke into a run again.
In the front hall, after hearing Fugaku's explanation, Zongyan began to ponder as well.
A moment later, he thought of the clan-focused novels he had read in his previous life. Weren't their settings very similar to the situation before him?
He then began explaining as he recalled them.
"Father, Elders!"
"The Altar exists to improve the clan's strength and unite its power."
"Why don't we establish a family contribution system?"
Uchiha Fugaku and the three Clan Elders found the idea rather novel and immediately asked, "What is a family contribution system?"
"It's simple. A contribution system means that every effort can be quantified, and all precious resources go to those with the greatest achievements."
"In the past, our Uchiha clansmen worked for the clan, whether guarding the Clan Grounds or going out to fight, purely out of their own goodwill. It is only because they cherish the clan that they do this. Otherwise, they would have lost faith in it long ago."
"We could establish standardized family contribution points. Whatever the contribution, we would quantify it according to set standards and record it as family contribution points."
At this point, Zongyan paused, then explained how to allocate the Altar's awakening opportunities.
"As for eligibility for bloodline awakening, which you elders have been struggling over, the method couldn't be simpler."
"Just choose whoever has the highest contribution points that month!"
"If a clan member lacks the resources to afford the minerals needed for awakening, they can also spend contribution points accumulated in the past to exchange for them through the clan storehouse."
"This would be absolutely fair, and it would also make clan members more enthusiastic about contributing to the clan."
"Over time, clan members will protect the clan to grow stronger, and the clan will prosper because its members are strong. With this cycle repeating over and over, how could our Uchiha fail to become powerful?"
After hearing Zongyan's words, Uchiha Fugaku's and the three Clan Elders' eyes lit up.
The quicker-witted Yashiro spoke first, his eyes full of admiration and realization, adding, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
"Since clan members can exchange contribution points for clan resources, we can also use contribution points to acquire all kinds of resources from them!"
At these words, the other two Clan Elders instantly understood, and their thinking opened up completely.
Uchiha Inabi nodded repeatedly and said excitedly, "Exactly! And not just resources!"
"Our clan can make every ninjutsu kept in the storehouse available, setting reasonable contribution point requirements for each."
"Clan members can save contribution points to exchange for techniques to train in, and they can also hand over rare ninjutsu and secret techniques captured outside to the clan in exchange for large amounts of contribution points!"
"Now it all makes sense!" The impatient Uchiha Tekka looked even more delighted.
"Many clan members privately possess all sorts of rare ninjutsu and plentiful supplies. With this system, anyone capable enough can exchange for rare resources and secret techniques. Conversely, clan members with rare resources can use them to obtain other things they need."
Previously, no matter how much a clan member contributed to the clan, everything depended on goodwill, which was ultimately inadequate.
A gleam flashed in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes as he grasped the key point.
"With a concrete way to represent their contributions, clan members will trust the clan even more and become more united."
Zongyan sat to one side and listened for a while, finding that the age-old saying about people growing shrewder with age truly held up.
He had merely offered an idea, and they were already thinking about how to get the clan members to compete among themselves.
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