Chapter 73

Uchiha Jin let out a soft sigh.

Looking at Shino Aburame before him, his eyes were filled with pity.

How tragic!

To be stuck with Danzo—that useless piece of trash—is bad luck for the Aburame clan!

But still, it’s better this way.

At the very least,

My trust in the Aburame clan can now exceed that of other ninja clans, and I can assign them heavier responsibilities—certainly more than the Nara, Ino, and Akimichi.

Yes!

How could the Nara, Ino, and Akimichi’s petty schemes possibly hide from me?

But similarly,

I simply don’t care.

An ancestor once said well: gather as many friends as possible, and reduce your enemies to as few as possible.

With the Hidden Leaf’s high command as my enemy, even if the Nara, Ino, and Akimichi offered half their resources to invest, or even a single Pingmin ninja or ordinary civilian came to join me—I, Uchiha Jin, would welcome them all, without limit!

Retaliation afterward? Doesn’t exist!

My philosophy is point-to-point: I won’t treat the Nara, Ino, and Akimichi as a single whole. If any of them truly wish to contribute, I’ll grant them corresponding trust and benefits!

Just like Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms—did Liu Bei stop trusting Zhuge Liang because Zhuge Jin defected to Sun Quan?

Impossible!

Whoever truly wishes to serve me, I will repay with equal respect.

But similarly,

In terms of trust, Uchiha ranks first, and the Aburame clan can rank second.

Because unlike the Nara, Ino, and Akimichi, they have no fallback.

Once they choose to join the Uchiha, they must walk this path to the end.

“Fine, I accept.”

“Get your Aburame clan here as soon as possible. For now, squeeze in with us Uchiha. Then I’ll assign a group of Uchiha to help your clan develop a territory in the western Death Forest.”

“Afterward, have some of your ninja mixed in with Uchiha, Nara, Ino, and Akimichi to form new tactical squads, jointly responsible for security in this region.”

Uchiha Jin smiled as he spoke.

Yes!

Though the Nara, Ino, and Akimichi have only just defected, I’ve already broken them apart and fully integrated them into the Uchiha combat system.

Keeping the Nara, Ino, and Akimichi intact? Impossible!

The Nara’s Shadow Techniques grant the Uchiha brief openings; the Yamanaka’s techniques equip our intelligence units; the Akimichi serve as reliable tanks and offensive power…

Here in the Uchiha, there is no absolute rule!

If Itachi choose to join my Uchiha faction, Itachi must prove your worth.

Of course,

I won’t force total assimilation. If the Nara, Ino, and Akimichi want to form a few core squads, I won’t stop them.

After all, I know well,

This is a world ruled by bloodlines. If I tried to fully merge everyone into the common populace, bloodlines would dilute further—and the entire team would collapse.

So,

I’ll maintain a balanced ratio: ninja clans can form the core, but they must interweave and cooperate.

“Agreed. I accept.”

Shino Aburame immediately nodded.

Then,

He understood the urgency, so without hesitation, he left the Uchiha and began frantic relocation efforts.

Meanwhile,

Watching Shino Aburame’s retreating back, Uchiha Jin smiled faintly.

Danzo—truly reliable!

It seems my decision to keep him around for now was correct. Without this massive pile of shit helping me, no other ninja clans would’ve defected so quickly.

Heh, decided.

Once this bastard loses all usefulness, I’ll kill him—and burn him extra gold ingots and spirit money.

Can’t be helped!

Such a good man deserves proper thanks.

But,

As he mused, Uchiha Tsuki entered: “Jin, the Anma clan has come to visit.”

“Good, show them in!” Uchiha Jin smiled.

…

Time passed slowly.

In just one day, Uchiha Jin was swamped.

He personally received seven or eight visitors—mostly clan leaders of major ninja clans; smaller factions were handled by other elders in the livestream.

Suddenly,

The entire Uchiha compound buzzed with activity, as ninja clans kept arriving to join.

This spectacle stunned every Uchiha!

Can’t be helped!

The Uchiha were always ignored—neither loved by grandmother nor grandfather. In ordinary times, not a single clan ever came to visit.

And now?

Nearly every notable ninja clan in the village could be seen wandering the Uchiha grounds.

Of course,

Considering the influx of ninja clans would only worsen chaos, Uchiha Jin sent Fugaku to coordinate between them and ensure the compound ran smoothly.

“Elder Jin, Itachi’re incredible!”

“No kidding—since Elder Jin took charge, our Uchiha changes daily.”

“Look at this scene—so many clans have joined us.”

“…”

All the Uchiha spoke up.

Yes!

The Uchiha are just a bit stubborn and seem arrogant on the surface, but they’re actually very approachable.

If Itachi’re willing to be friends with the Uchiha, they’ll take a blade for Itachi.

Tobirama Senju said it well: the Uchiha are truly a clan full of love—only their emotions run so deep that losing a loved one drives them mad.

Before?

Since Tobirama Senju’s time, the Uchiha were smeared and slandered.

Especially after Hiruzen Sarutobi rose to power, he systematically marginalized the Uchiha, making them increasingly repressed. Combined with their intense emotions, they became a powder keg.

Now, it’s different!

Under Uchiha Jin’s efforts, the Uchiha’s situation has slowly stabilized within the village; the Police Force’s “reforms” have given everyone a breath of fresh air.

Now, with major ninja clans joining, they’ve once again felt the warmth of friendship.

So,

The Uchiha have now become completely normal.

In an alley, Shisui and Itachi felt deeply conflicted.

Yes!

Fugaku only sealed their chakra and replaced Shisui’s Sharingan with a plain single-tomoe—but he never fully imprisoned them; he merely forbade them from leaving the Uchiha compound.

Therefore…

They could still wander the compound as usual.

“Itachi, what do Itachi think?”

After a long silence, Shisui couldn’t help speaking.

He looked utterly drained—the recent changes within the clan had completely scrambled his mind.

Yes!

At first, he could still hold onto his beliefs.

But now?

The Nara, Ino, and Akimichi have defected. The Aburame and Inuzuka have defected. Clan after clan has come.

Uchiha Jin, now acknowledged by so many, has left Shisui utterly confused about right and wrong.