“Oh, what is this all about!” Uchiha Tenxiu lamented helplessly, grateful that he had completely subdued Uchiha Sakurako in advance, making her heart always contain only him, believing that he was the future of the Uchiha Clan.
Otherwise, once his old base, the King's Three Islands, was revealed to Elder Uchiha Raimon, Uchiha Raimon would also reveal it to other elders of the Uchiha Clan.
Facing a small You Country as a retreat, perhaps the Uchiha Clan could still tolerate it.
But if it were a vast country, completely undeveloped and belonging only to the Uchiha Clan, who could guarantee they would restrain their greed? Perhaps, just as Uchiha Raimon thought, they would both want it.
And now, it couldn't be better.
Although the clan refused to provide strong support and prohibited any elite Ninja from leaving the clan to work in You Country, it actually protected his secret.
What's more, without elite Ninja going to You Country, it would be impossible to discover any problems. Once the ordinary old, weak, sick, and disabled were transferred, hehe…
Uchiha Tenxiu had already thought about how to increase these ordinary clan members from one to two, and two to three.
At the same time, it was those trusted subordinates whose families almost regarded Uchiha Tenxiu as the leader who could lead their clan to glory. This was Uchiha Tenxiu's consistent approach: always knowing his identity. Perhaps among the ordinary members of the Uchiha Clan, he was considered a famous genius, but he wouldn't surpass them by much.
Coupled with his hidden performance, on one hand, it was to avoid Senju Tobirama's sight within the Uchiha Clan and prevent him from attacking his enemy.
On the other hand, he also knew that even if he showed himself to be a genius, with the mindset of ordinary Uchiha Clan members, he could only win over a very small number of people. They currently had no shortage of food and clothing in Konoha Village and were safe and worry-free. Their needs did not perfectly align. Instead, it was these marginalized individuals, whose status in Konoha had continuously declined and who had been excluded from the center by Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, who could be more easily won over by him.
And now, after several years of strategic planning, it was time to reap the rewards.
“Next, I will establish another merchant association in the name of the Uchiha Clan to conduct overt trade with the United Commerce Association outside, gradually transferring personnel! After leaving some people stationed in Konoha, I will slowly drain it, and other clans in Konoha will dig at Konoha's foundations with all their might!”
Uchiha Tenxiu's calm face, beneath its placid surface, was filled with malicious thoughts about various schemes against Konoha.
Suddenly, a figure rushed over in the stairwell.
Uchiha Tenxiu instinctively wanted to use Body Flicker to leave, but stopped instantly, letting the slender figure throw herself onto him. At this time, in this familiar place, the only one who could appear before him was the young lady, Uchiha Lingyue!
Wuwuwu…
At this moment, Uchiha Lingyue was like a frightened fawn, having lost her former arrogance and sharp tongue. She seemed to sense the approaching danger, lonely, pitiful, and helplessly seeking protection. And Uchiha Tenxiu before her was like a warm haven, capable of giving her the greatest sense of security.
“Father… Father…”
“Father Leimen, he, wuwuwu…”
“Wuwu…”
Uchiha Lingyue's hands were tightly wrapped around Uchiha Tenxiu's back, her face pressed against his solid chest. She seemed to feel a sense of reliability. Her tear-filled eyes dared not look up, only speaking of Father Leimen's illness.
However, as she spoke, she couldn't help but start crying, her emotions no longer able to calm down.
It was fine at first.
But then, after just one outing, he came back wrapped in a large number of bandages, saying he only had two years left to live and that she should rely on Uchiha Tenxiu as the family's support from now on, as if entrusting his last wishes!
And after a few more months, his seemingly recovered body actually deteriorated again, as if he could die at any moment.
“Wh-Why…”
“Why is this happening!” Uchiha Lingyue bit her silver teeth, murmuring with tear-filled eyes, recalling the events that had transpired during this period, which felt like a nightmare to her.
The thought that her father would soon pass away, coupled with her sister Uchiha Yukino's bloodline illness, which hadn't been cured and was worsening year after year, left her with no hope of treatment whatsoever.
Could it be that she was going to lose two loved ones?
Uchiha Lingyue felt like she was about to collapse.
And now, Uchiha Raimon, the only pillar of the family, also collapsed instantly, with only a few months left to live.
If Father Leimen died, how would she maintain this family? Could she really do all of this?
For a moment, Uchiha Lingyue felt as if her world had crumbled, completely unsure of what to do in the days to come.
“Sigh!” Uchiha Tenxiu sighed softly in his heart, a trace of reluctance appearing within him. “Don't worry, I'm back!”
Then, Uchiha Tenxiu gently patted her trembling back, offering her a warm haven to lean on.
After a while, Uchiha Lingyue, having adjusted her mindset and gradually calmed down, gently released her arms from Uchiha Tenxiu. She took the paper handkerchief Uchiha Tenxiu offered, wiped her reddened eyes, and a blush of shyness appeared on her cool little face. She softly exhaled, “Thank you. Don't laugh at me. Let's go see Yukino!”
Uchiha Lingyue lowered her head, turned slightly, and clasped her hands tightly, seemingly afraid to face her earlier moment of weakness. Although her behavior just now was entirely due to her treating Uchiha Tenxiu as family, which led her to seek such reliance.
But if that's the case, wouldn't it…
Uchiha Lingyue's mind raced, her heart pounding like a small deer. She could only force her cool expression to remain taut.
Yet, she didn't know that this contrast of coldness and adorable blankness filled Uchiha Tenxiu's heart with pity and admiration.
Then, Uchiha Tenxiu nodded and looked at Uchiha Lingyue with determination, saying, “Yes, let's go. Let's go see Yukino first! If there are no surprises, regarding Yukino's illness, I think I've found a way to cure it!”
Across from him, Uchiha Lingyue seemed to be suddenly struck by a powerful force. Her body trembled violently, and then she abruptly looked up. Her eyes revealed an expression of disbelief, as if everything happening before her was just an illusion.
However, behind that disbelief, there was also a faint glimmer of hope. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't express it smoothly due to her inner excitement.
Finally, after a few seconds of silence, Uchiha Lingyue slowly opened her mouth and spoke in a soft yet slightly hesitant voice, “Really? You, can you really, really cure it? Are you sure you're not just trying to comfort me? If, if it's really true…”
Her words echoed in the air, carrying a hint of uncertainty and unease. And her already slightly red eyes became even more moist with excitement, tears welling up, seemingly ready to fall at any moment.
In this instant, Uchiha Lingyue's heart was filled with a mix of complex emotions—hope, fear, doubt, anticipation… They intertwined, making her heart feel like a tangled mess, unable to calm down.
Uchiha Tenxiu said nothing more, only slowly extended his left hand to hold her right hand, and walked towards Uchiha Yukino's room, leading her to witness this beautiful scene.
The two walked side by side down the hallway.
Thump, thump…
Uchiha Lingyue's heart pounded continuously.
As the warm door opened, Uchiha Yukino, lying on her side on the bed, seemed to sense some movement and slowly turned her head to look over, her pupils filled with surprise and joy: “Tenxiu-nii, you're back!”
“Yukino, I'm here too!” Uchiha Lingyue unconsciously pulled her hand out of Uchiha Tenxiu's, pretending as if nothing had happened. In front of her sister Yukino, Uchiha Lingyue had no intention of revealing Father Leimen's illness.
After all, given Yukino's health, any external shock could further trigger a change in her condition.
Therefore, regarding external matters, both Uchiha Lingyue and Uchiha Raimon basically adopted a policy of blocking all information.