On the arena floor—
A pitch-black corpse, charred like a piece of coal, lay before the stunned crowd.
That last technique, Great Serpent Slash, had shown its terrifying, metal-melting power.
Even a man of iron would have been reduced to molten slag.
If Gangtu had awakened his kekkei genkai from childhood, he might have survived.
But he'd awakened it only a month ago—there was no way he could withstand Shien's all-out Great Serpent Slash.
The arena was dead silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
No one had expected it. That the unremarkable, overlooked Shien would rise up and seize the championship—it was a reality too shocking for most to process.
On the VIP stand—
"Congratulations, Third Hokage. It seems Konoha has produced yet another genius."
The Land of Fire minister's powdered white face flickered with an odd expression.
The relationship between the Fire Daimyō's court and Konoha was notoriously complex.
On one hand, the nobles wanted the village gone—so they could monopolize power.
On the other, they couldn't survive without it.
Without Konoha, the Land of Fire could never hold this vast and fertile land.
That was why the Hokage and Daimyō were known as the 'Twin Jewels' of the Fire Nation.
Understanding this, one could imagine the minister's mixed feelings— the perfect "can't live with them, can't live without them" dilemma.
Ōnoki and the Third Kazekage, meanwhile, looked anything but pleased.
Their villages' contestants had performed admirably—but the championship going to Konoha still left a bitter taste.
Then, all at once, the spectators erupted—
"Konoha!"
Leaf villagers were cheering wildly, waving banners, voices rising like thunder.
A festival was already being planned.
Naturally, merchants were the first to move— for them, celebration meant profit.
Among the Uchiha clan's section in the stands, but the atmosphere was… complicated.
"I truly didn't expect this… Fugaku, have you finished your investigation?"
The speaker was an elderly man with a square face and an aura of quiet authority—
Uchiha Tenzan, the current clan head.
He'd been badly injured on a past mission and was already preparing to hand the title to his son.
"Yes," said Uchiha Fugaku, his tone respectful.
"The old records were accurate—but because of Danzo…"
He summarized what his recent inquiries had uncovered.
Even he hadn't imagined that the clan's so-called "disgrace," the one everyone had looked down upon, had been hiding such talent.
Now, all he felt was—fear.
A deep, gnawing sense of unease toward Shien.
If Shien could read his mind now, he'd probably be indignant.
Hide? Him? He'd just been slacking off!
If Danzo hadn't tried to get him killed, he'd still be peacefully wasting time in his quiet corner of the village.
Around Fugaku sat the core of the clan-leader faction.
Now that a prodigy had emerged from the main branch—and worse, from the former clan head's line—things had become awkward.
If they didn't celebrate, they'd seem petty before the villagers.
But if they did celebrate, they'd be cheering for someone whose bloodline rivaled the current head's own.
The Uchiha might be proud and stubborn, but they weren't fools. They knew what was at stake.
"He's Uchiha, too," Fugaku finally said loudly.
"Let's cheer for him!"
At his cue, the nearby Uchiha joined the villagers in their celebration.
Everyone was cheering.
Everyone except Shien.
At that moment, he was dragging his nearly-collapsed body through the players' tunnel, step by painful step.
He was in terrible shape.
That devastating Great Serpent Slash had come at an unbearable cost.
He'd kept his body under critical high heat for half a minute, then detonated every last drop of chakra in one burst.
The strain had nearly torn him apart.
Right now, he probably couldn't even beat a schoolchild.
Still, there was one bit of good news—
His injuries gave him the perfect excuse to stay in the village for a while, recuperating… and staying out of sight.
Winning the championship might be a blessing for others— but for him, it was a double-edged sword.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen officially declared the celebration open, Shien, escorted by Uchiha Mei, Uchiha Shizuka, and Uchiha Shota, quietly returned to the clan compound.
He needed that protection.
In his current condition, he was an easy target— and if the other villages held back, Danzo certainly wouldn't.
Bang, bang!
Several heavy crates were set down by clan members before they left, closing the door behind them.
Only four people remained in the room.
"Good thing we got everything back safely," said Shizuka, finally exhaling in relief.
She wasn't usually nervous about money—but this time, the haul was too big to be calm about.
If anything had gone wrong, they'd have been forced to invoke the Uchiha name—and that would've cost dearly.
"How much?" asked Shota, his voice tight with suppressed excitement.
He might be a jonin, but he'd never handled sums like this before.
"Seven hundred million ryō," Shizuka replied.
"We were limited during the final, so we couldn't bet everything."
Seven. Hundred. Million.
The number was staggering.
Even an S-rank mission only started at a few million— the kind of task that could easily cost a jonin his life.
This single windfall could fund hundreds of S-rank missions.
It was absurd.
"First," said Uchiha Mei calmly,
"we double the money we borrowed from the clan and pay it back. Then use the remainder to buy medicine, food, and ninja tools. Distribute them among the main branch according to headcount and contribution. Finally, set aside one hundred million for Shien to use at his discretion. Any objections?"
Neither Shizuka nor Shota spoke up.
Mei's tone was matter-of-fact, unshaken by the staggering sum.
Repaying clan loans at double rate instead of by proportional share was already generous.
After all, Mei had risked her reputation for this plan, and Shien had risked his life. Those hidden costs had to be recognized.
Using most of the profits to buy supplies for the main branch wasn't just charity—it was politics.
Handing out raw cash was too blunt; distributing goods built loyalty.
A branch that could bring in wealth would win every heart in the family.
Unless Uchiha Hideo could offer something even more lucrative, he'd never outcompete Mei's faction again.
As for the debts?
Repayment wasn't due yet—so why rush?
That idea, in fact, came from one of Shien's own grumbles: "Those who owe money are the real bosses."
Thanks to those debts, Mei's group had managed to pressure a powerful noble into lending them scientific equipment through a simple line:
"My lord, you wouldn't want your money to go uncollected, would you?"
No one had ever thought to exploit that kind of leverage before.
Mei had found it brilliant—and so, instead of paying off the debt, she used the funds to win over the main branch.
Why only the main branch?
Because if she dared hand out benefits to the whole clan, she'd probably "accidentally stab herself seventeen times with kunai" by tomorrow morning.
Setting aside one hundred million ryō for Shien was more than fair.
Neither Shizuka nor Shota had any objections.
And Shien? Even less so.
If it were up to him, he couldn't even place such bets, let alone collect the winnings safely.
Now he'd just been handed a hundred million ryō free and clear— how could he possibly complain?
That's the power of clinging to a strong backer.
He had to admit—this particular "soft rice" tasted pretty damn good.
Just as they finished dividing the fortune, however—
a shocking piece of news arrived.
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