“But that’s just how it is,” Uchiha Tenxiu specifically instructed, “because my talent is very strong, and I was born with Mangekyo Sharingan traits. Even if I haven’t awakened my Mangekyo Sharingan yet, I can still manifest these traits. I was born with a storage space. In short, don’t tell anyone; this is our secret.”
In the history of the Uchiha Clan, there were indeed individuals with Mangekyo Sharingan talent who could prematurely tap into their ocular jutsu characteristics, so Uchiha Tenxiu wasn’t exactly lying.
“But that’s something that only happens with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and you only have one tomoe!” Uchiha Sakurako exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“Just consider me exceptionally gifted!” Uchiha Tenxiu said, then, in front of Uchiha Sakurako, he pulled out the backpack from behind him and demonstrated his ability to store it in the space and repeatedly retrieve it.
At this, Uchiha Sakurako was completely dumbfounded!
She truly hadn’t expected that this despicable, disgusting little hooligan actually possessed such talent!
It made her so angry she couldn't eat.
“Hmph, you scoundrel, you actually have such rotten luck,” Uchiha Sakurako scoffed, turning her head and gritting her teeth.
“What do you mean, rotten luck? This is exceptional talent! Can anyone else do this?!”
“Hmph! I don’t believe it!” Uchiha Sakurako’s beautiful eyes were filled with indignation as she firmly asserted.
“Alright then! Think what you will!”
Uchiha Tenxiu shook his head helplessly, an expression of ‘do as you please’ on his face.
And Uchiha Sakurako, while feigning disbelief on the surface, was actually feeling an extreme sense of imbalance internally.
Could such a genius truly exist?
How could this be? Why isn’t it me?!
Uchiha Sakurako truly couldn’t believe it; even as a fellow clan member, could he really be this much of a genius?
“Is this Leimen Elder’s choice?!”
Uchiha Sakurako’s inner pride was completely shattered.
As a fellow genius, she was 15 years old and already Jonin-level, yet she had just been easily repelled by Uchiha Tenxiu. Even if it was an accident, she had truly been defeated by Uchiha Tenxiu.
Not to mention, if the traits of the Mangekyo Sharingan were truly developed, it meant that he would definitely be able to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan passed down in the family in the future.
Even in the Sengoku period,
the Mangekyo Sharingan was the Uchiha Clan’s greatest glory, something all Uchiha Clan members yearned for!
And now, this little rascal…
“So, moving forward, are you going to act with me, or continue as before, trailing behind?”
Uchiha Tenxiu asked, looking at Uchiha Sakurako’s conflicted expression, then added, “We can walk together, right? With you here, there’s no need to go alone anymore.”
“Fine, I’ll reluctantly agree,” Uchiha Sakurako stood up, still saying one thing but meaning another.
Seeing Uchiha Sakurako’s agreement, Uchiha Tenxiu finally turned his attention to the person he had left alive.
“Hey! Get up!”
Uchiha Tenxiu kicked the middle-aged man, who had been hypnotized by his gaze, and he woke up.
As soon as he woke up, he immediately kowtowed, “Please spare me, Ninja-sama, spare me! I was truly just dragged here to settle accounts. I was robbed by the Ōtomo people before, and I only came to work for them to save my life. You must believe me.”
Zhongshan Haoze felt a deep sadness in his heart. Although he cried for mercy, he had already lost hope.
In fact, for ordinary people like them, the so-called Ninja were rumored to be executioners who killed without batting an eye. In external rumors, these Ninja with extraordinary powers were said to slaughter ordinary people for money. Usually, ordinary people who encountered them would basically be silenced for fear of leaking information.
And now he found himself in this bandit den.
Even if he was just forcibly dragged here by the Ōtomo, it was the same; he basically had no chance of survival!
But Zhongshan Haoze really didn’t want to die!
Just as Zhongshan Haoze despaired,
“Your life is useless to me. Honestly tell me how much wealth this stronghold has, and how your stronghold usually operates, what value you have to me! After you tell me all this, I will consider whether to give you a way out.”
Uchiha Tenxiu asked, while Uchiha Sakurako silently observed everything, not interjecting without permission.
“Sir, the entire stronghold conducted seven downhill operations this month, yielding 300,000 ryo. The rest are all unprocessed goods, which would be worth about 500,000 if sold. The stronghold usually only handles training and downhill robberies. We only act when Ōtomo Ninja notify us before each operation. As for anything before that, I don’t know. I was captured by the Ōtomo this month.”
Upon hearing that he might survive,
the middle-aged man explained everything in detail, respectfully bowing his head as he answered, without any concealment.
He even introduced his background.
Zhongshan Haoze was born into a merchant family. As a concubine’s son, he inherited little property, but fortunately, his family was harmonious, with few disputes. He was studious from a young age and, in his early years, was fortunate enough to be favored by a teacher from the Land of Fire University, who took him under his wing and meticulously nurtured him. Thus, he acquired extensive knowledge, covering writing, mathematics, and some basic physics.
However, for unknown reasons, the Land of Fire Daimyo ordered the dissolution of the Land of Fire University and began a widespread expulsion and arrest of intellectuals within the country. Consequently, many intellectuals were forced to flee to other countries, either to study or to survive. Zhongshan Haoze also followed his mentor to Snow Country for refuge. It wasn’t until two months ago, as the weather became increasingly severe this year, that they, as exiles, went abroad to purchase supplies to prepare for potential future harsh winters. As intellectuals, they knew that large quantities of food and clothing needed to be stored to ensure safety, so they naturally prepared early.
Unexpectedly, this very group, while returning within the Land of Fire, not only had their supplies plundered by the Ōtomo but were also taken captive. To save their lives, they had no choice but to serve the other party, helping them with accounting.
Who would have thought?
Less than a month later, Uchiha Tenxiu actually came knocking.
Through Zhongshan Haoze’s detailed introduction,
Uchiha Tenxiu gained a deeper understanding of the man before him. He couldn’t help but be amazed that this man not only mastered several languages but could also skillfully use languages other than the common language of the Land of Fire. Even more surprisingly, according to Zhongshan Haoze, he learned these languages while studying in other countries, which showed his mental agility.
This made Uchiha Tenxiu realize that the man before him was undoubtedly a true talent. His vast knowledge and ability to communicate across cultures were very rare in the current society. After all, in the world not long after the Sengoku period, eighty percent of the global population was illiterate.
And the fact that he was proficient in these languages already made him a talent.
Moreover, since he once studied in other countries, he must have had some classmates and teachers with whom he studied.
For Uchiha Tenxiu, who craved talent, this was undoubtedly an excellent way to find more talented individuals.
He could use this man’s connections to access more excellent talents, further expanding his team. This way, he could not only enhance the team’s strength but also lay a solid foundation for future development.
Thinking of this, Uchiha Tenxiu calmly glanced at him and asked again, “What exactly is the background of that Ōtomo? This is clearly within the Land of Fire, and this road is a necessary route to the Land of Rain. Basically, only big merchants frequent it. Do they dare to act here, are they not afraid of provoking people they can’t afford to offend? After all, big merchants who have been attacked can also issue missions for revenge!”
Uchiha Tenxiu planned to eliminate the Ōtomo.
On one hand, it would help him gain popular support by avenging them.
On the other hand, it was also to nip the problem in the bud.
He had killed their enforcers. What if they really investigated and issued a bounty to hunt him down?
There were so many strange Ninjutsu in the Ninja World.
Who knew what methods the other side possessed?
Therefore, from the very beginning,
even if Zhongshan Haoze had no special talent, Uchiha Tenxiu had no intention of letting the Ōtomo survive.