"Your true reserves?"
A deep flicker of confusion and wariness crossed Ōnoki's cloudy old eyes.
He looked at the young man before him, whose smile was warm but whose methods were more terrifying than a devil's, and his heart began pounding uncontrollably.
Just how many secrets was this man still hiding?
Could these "reserves" he spoke of be something even more terrifying than those thousand-plus pairs of Sharingan, that list of spies capable of overturning the shinobi world's balance of power, or that unfathomable spatial dōjutsu?
"That's right."
The smile on Uchiha Gen'yō's face grew even more mysterious.
"Lord Tsuchikage, I want you to understand something."
"Our Uchiha Clan chose to cooperate with your Iwagakure not because we need your protection."
"But because I need an agent to handle worldly affairs for us out in the open."
"A shield that will let us focus on 'farming' in peace."
An agent?
A shield?
The corners of Ōnoki's eyes twitched furiously.
He was the illustrious Third Tsuchikage, the "Two Scales" renowned throughout the shinobi world, yet this young man spoke of him as a housekeeper who handled chores?
This was an utter humiliation!
Yet, for some reason, as he looked into Uchiha Gen'yō's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, he could not muster even the slightest thought of arguing.
Because he knew that if the other man dared to say this, he must have the means to convince him completely.
"After you, Lord Tsuchikage."
Uchiha Gen'yō said no more, merely gesturing for him to proceed.
The next second.
Hum!
An indescribably vast surge of spatial power erupted with Uchiha Gen'yō at its center!
Ōnoki's vision blurred, and the entire world seemed to twist and fold in an instant!
He instinctively tried to activate Dust Release to resist, only to discover in horror that his body, his chakra, and even his will were as insignificant as dust before that higher-dimensional power!
Like a pebble swept into a storm of space and time, he completely lost control of himself!
The sensation lasted less than the blink of an eye.
When Ōnoki's vision cleared again, his entire body froze.
He discovered that he was no longer in that desolate valley reeking of blood.
He was now standing in an expanse-no, an entirely new world!
"Th-this place is...!"
Ōnoki's mouth opened wide enough to fit a fist, his face filled with a shock that shattered everything he knew!
What was he seeing?
Boundless land, rolling emerald mountain ranges, and clear rivers winding through the landscape.
Even more inconceivably, there was neither sun nor moon above this world, only an eggshell-like barrier radiating gentle light.
Beyond that barrier lay an endlessly deep void!
A self-contained, portable world independent of the shinobi world!
"A-a miracle!"
Even Ōnoki's voice trembled. His heart, honed as hard as rock by political maneuvering and war, was utterly shattered at that moment!
If the various powers Uchiha Gen'yō had displayed before were still within his comprehension...
Then this portable world before him had gone entirely beyond it!
This was the power of creation that only the Sage of Six Paths possessed!
"Welcome to my home, Lord Tsuchikage."
Uchiha Gen'yō's voice sounded beside him like that of a god.
"I named it New Uchiha."
Ōnoki turned his head mechanically. On the central plain of this world, he saw rows of neatly arranged buildings identical to the Uchiha ancestral residences that had been burned down in Konoha.
Over a thousand Uchiha clan members lived and worked contentedly along its streets.
Children chased one another and played in the square, genuine smiles lighting their faces.
Women washed clothes by the river and chatted about everyday matters.
The men worked in the fields or sparred with ninjutsu in the training halls.
It was a scene of peace and tranquility.
But Ōnoki saw far more than that!
His gaze swept over the Uchiha shinobi training in the halls.
More than three hundred Jonin!
Every one of them possessed chakra as vast as the sea and eyes as sharp as blades!
This force was already enough to overthrow any major shinobi village!
His gaze shifted to the fields.
How could those thriving plants be ordinary crops?
They were all precious medicinal herbs used to make Military Rations Pills and chakra potions! Among them were even some supreme specimens that existed only in legends!
Finally, his gaze settled on the children playing in the square.
He saw the child named Uchiha Hikari, surrounded by all the Uchiha clan members like a moon surrounded by stars.
Six years old!
A Three-Tomoe Sharingan!
And the ocular power in those eyes was so strong that it was almost at the threshold of the Mangekyo!
Even Madara Uchiha in his youth would probably have felt inferior before such talent!
"Gulp."
Ōnoki swallowed with difficulty.
He finally understood what Uchiha Gen'yō meant by "farming."
In a place with an independent world, countless rare resources, and possibly even the ability to accelerate time...
Give the Uchiha Clan ten years!
No!
They would not even need ten years, just five!
What astonishing war potential would this terrifying warrior clan unleash?!
By then, the Five Great Shinobi Villages and the shinobi world's balance of power would all crumble before this war machine called "New Uchiha"!
"Now, do you still think asking you to be an agent is an insult?"
Uchiha Gen'yō's voice was the final straw that utterly crushed all of Ōnoki's pride.
"No! Not at all!"
Ōnoki's body jerked with a violent shudder. The wariness, shock, and fear in his eyes as he looked at Uchiha Gen'yō had already turned into the fervor and reverence one showed a god!
"To serve Lord Gen'yō and handle worldly affairs for the great Uchiha Clan is this old man's-no, it is the greatest honor of my life, the life of Ōnoki of Both Scales!"
At that moment, this Third Tsuchikage, renowned for his stubbornness and arrogance, willingly bowed the head he had held high for decades.
Not out of fear, but because he had seen an unprecedented opportunity for his Iwagakure-no, for himself-to follow this god and stand at the pinnacle of the world alongside him!
This was a true gamble!
To stake Iwagakure and everything he possessed on following a man destined to change the world!
Ding! Detected that the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, has submitted completely. Loyalty has reached "Reverence"! Main quest "Forge an alliance" completed perfectly! Quest rating: SSS! Congratulations to the host on receiving Clan Prosperity +10,000 points! Current Clan Prosperity balance: 40,000 points!
Listening to the system notifications ringing in his mind, Uchiha Gen'yō nodded in satisfaction.
Very good.
The chief logistics manager was officially on board.
"In that case, let's prepare to begin the first step of our cooperation."
A meaningful smile appeared on Gen'yō's face.
"What? The first step?"
Ōnoki paused, then asked respectfully, "Lord Gen'yō, what are your orders?"
"I wouldn't call them orders."
Gen'yō patted his shoulder and said, "We've only just moved, and we're still short of a few neighbors to help liven up the housewarming."
"I hear Konoha's people are almost at the valley we were in before."
"What kind of wonderful expression do you think that old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi would make if we suddenly appeared on their route right now and gave them a big surprise?"