Seeing that Xia Yu truly made no move to resist, Sasuke replied coldly, "Fine! Let's hear what you have to say!"
Xia Yu took a sip of tea and asked with a meaningful expression, "Sasuke, what do you think the Uchiha Clan... needs most right now?"
"Revenge!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, enunciating that word with absolute clarity.
"Revenge? Heh..."
Xia Yu shook his head slightly and pushed the other cup of hot tea toward Sasuke.
Hearing the disdain in Xia Yu's tone, Sasuke shouted fiercely:
"Am I wrong? My brother... no, Uchiha Itachi destroyed our clan and our families! I have to kill that man with my own hands. I'm sure our dead clansmen would want me to do it too!"
Xia Yu said, "Revenge takes time. With your current strength, are you sure you can kill him? Even setting all that aside, you don't even know where Uchiha Itachi is right now. How can you talk about revenge?"
Sasuke was momentarily at a loss for words.
He couldn't win the argument, but the stubbornness remained in his eyes. "I... I'll train hard. With my talent, I'll definitely surpass him! Then I'll search every corner of the world until I find him!"
Xia Yu said, "Have you considered that it could take five years, ten years, or even longer? What about the Uchiha Clan Compound here in the village? Are you just going to leave it abandoned all that time? Let it crumble into a weed-choked wasteland?"
"I...!" Sasuke started to argue, but he didn't know what to argue against.
He really had never considered what Xia Yu had said.
Ever since that night, revenge had been the only thing on Sasuke's mind. He didn't care about anything else.
Xia Yu continued, "Sasuke, do you know what I think the Uchiha Clan needs most right now?"
"What?"
"People!"
"Huh?"
Sasuke hadn't expected that answer.
"Only with more people can the Uchiha Clan flourish again. There's strength in numbers, and not just in fighting ability. In standing, finances, resources, and even power, we'll regain a place in Konoha! We could even replace Konoha!"
Sasuke was utterly bewildered by Xia Yu's words.
He didn't understand any of it, yet for some reason, he felt that Xia Yu seemed to make a lot of sense.
Sasuke chose to keep listening.
"So... the Uchiha's most urgent task should be to replenish our population as quickly as possible. Restoring the compound's economy and vitality is our highest priority!"
Sasuke thought for a moment, then seemed to realize something. "So that's why you brought all those people here? To replenish the population?"
Xia Yu nodded. "Yes."
"Hmph... don't be ridiculous." Sasuke sneered contemptuously:
"What good does bringing those people here do? They don't have a single drop of Uchiha blood in them. They don't deserve to be members of the Uchiha Clan!"
Xia Yu's pupils contracted, and he replied meaningfully, "As you said, perhaps they don't. But what if they were all carrying children of our Uchiha Clan?"
"!!!"
Those words struck him like a sudden revelation.
Sasuke finally understood.
So this was Xia Yu's purpose.
Sasuke gradually recalled that, on the way from the compound's entrance to Xia Yu's house, almost everyone had been a woman. He hadn't seen a single man.
"Xia Yu, you're recruiting wives because you want us, the only Uchiha left, to carry on the clan..."
"No, no, no..." Looking at Sasuke's young face, Xia Yu smiled. "For now, I'll shoulder that burden alone. You're not suited for it yet. Let's talk again in ten years..."
"Besides, you're more talented than I am. I know revenge is what you want most right now, so you don't need to worry about giving the Uchiha more children for the time being. Sasuke, just focus on training hard."
Hearing that, Sasuke let out a long breath of relief.
He preferred training to women.
With Xia Yu's assurance, he could continue down his own path without worry.
"Sorry, Brother... Xia Yu. I misjudged you earlier. I thought you were still just a lecher. I never imagined you were thinking so far ahead..."
"What did you just call me?"
"Brother... Xia Yu."
In Xia Yu's memory, this was the first time he had ever heard Sasuke call him brother.
Perhaps because Uchiha blood flowed through both their veins, that word, "brother," felt especially warm!
Xia Yu pulled Sasuke into his arms and promised firmly, "Little brother Sasuke, don't worry! I'll make the Uchiha Clan the most populous ninja clan again! We'll return to our peak in every respect!"
Sasuke answered without hesitation, "Me too! I'll definitely kill that man and avenge every Uchiha clansman who died that night!"
Xia Yu said, "Then it's settled. You handle revenge, and I'll take charge of making babies! Our paths may be different, but we have only one goal!"
Facing each other, Sasuke and Xia Yu shouted in unison, "Restore the Uchiha!"
Xia Yu had no intention of telling Sasuke the truth about that man.
There was no need.
This was a decision Itachi had long since settled on, and it was also Sasuke's current choice. What lay between those brothers was not something an outsider could change by interfering.
Besides, even if Xia Yu really told him, Sasuke probably wouldn't believe it...
Leave it at that.
For the young Sasuke, having his heart occupied solely by hatred for one person was better than being lost in confusion and emptiness.
After learning of Xia Yu's "grand plan to continue the clan," Sasuke seemed like a different person. He even took the initiative to go outside and manage the line.
With him outside keeping things under control, the women waiting in line clearly became much better behaved. Disputes over cutting in line and making noise vanished entirely, and the line became orderly.
As time passed and the bright moon hung overhead, the last woman's interview ended, finally bringing the day's wife recruitment to a close.
It was already late at night.
Neither Xia Yu nor Sasuke slept, despite being tired from the day's work.
They sat by the light, assigning residences one by one to the women who had passed their interviews that day according to the layout of houses on the Uchiha Clan Compound map, making detailed plans for settling them into their new homes.
They had interviewed 188 women that day, of whom 120 had passed.
In truth, Xia Yu's requirements weren't high. After all, even infertility was no problem before his [Ninja Art: Lucky Jackpot Technique].
The 68 women who failed had been rejected only because Xia Yu simply couldn't accept their looks and ages.
Put simply, he couldn't bring himself to kiss them...
A small number were even the sort who would frighten Xia Yu awake if they shared his bed.
Even thinking about it was terrifying...
"Get some sleep, Sasuke. You've only recently recovered, and you need proper rest. Just leave the clan's affairs to me."
"I'm perfectly healthy, Brother Xia Yu. Don't worry about me. There'll probably be more people coming for interviews tomorrow, right?"
"Mm... probably. I put out my [Wife-Recruitment Notice] this morning, so it should draw plenty of attention over the next few days. Besides, a lot of the women who spent a night or a few nights with me didn't come today. I'm sure they'll turn up here one after another."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You're that sure? Maybe they've already married someone else..."
"Heh, heh, heh. Impossible..." Xia Yu smiled confidently. "Any woman who's spent a night with me will lose all interest in other men... that's where I excel. No one can match me!"
Sasuke blinked uncomprehendingly. "I don't really understand, but it sounds pretty impressive..."
Xia Yu ruffled Sasuke's little head. "You'll understand someday. Though even if you do, it won't mean much to you, because you simply don't care..."
Before you continue