In the corner, Uchiha Xia Yin sat alone in the shadows, the hem of his black combat uniform perfectly still.
After tossing the Chakra-sealed Yagura Karatachi to the Allied Forces' guards, he had been silently watching the negotiations. His crimson Mangekyo Sharingan was half-squinted, like a crouching beast, and the cold aura radiating from him made the temperature in the entire tent seem to drop several degrees.
It wasn't until the arguments on both sides of the wooden table gradually subsided and Genji tremblingly picked up a pen, preparing to sign the peace treaty, that Xia Yin finally spoke.
"Finished discussing?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable pressure, piercing the brief silence inside the tent like an icicle.
Genji's pen tip paused. He looked up, his gaze landing on Xia Yin.
The young Ninja before him appeared to be less than twenty years old with a cold Face, yet his eyes were colder than the deepest icy pool.
He was the one who had defeated the Tailed Beast-transformed Mizukage single-handedly and awakened the Susanoo—Uchiha Xia Yin. It was a name now being sung throughout the entire Ninja World, and it was also the deepest nightmare in the hearts of the Hidden Mist.
"Oh? Your Excellency is... Lord Uchiha Xia Yin, who defeated our Hidden Mist Village's Fourth Mizukage?" Genji remained silent for a moment, suppressing the humiliation and anger in his heart, his tone carrying a hint of tentative respect.
Xia Yin didn't stand up. He only slightly raised his eyes, the crimson Mangekyo swirling within them. His tone was calm yet carried an uncompromising dominance: "Yagura Karatachi is my prisoner. Others have no right to dispose of him."
"Lord Xia Yin!" Nara Shikaku's brows furrowed instantly, and he quickly spoke to persuade him, keeping his tone as peaceful as possible. "Hokage-sama has already ordered that Chief Fugaku and I are fully responsible for the negotiation matters, which includes the disposal of prisoners..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Xia Yin's cold gaze.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi?" Xia Yin sneered, his tone full of mockery. "Let him worry about himself first. If it weren't for that useless waste forcing that idiot Sakumo Hatake to death back then, how could there have been this Third Great Ninja War?"
These words exploded like a thunderclap, causing the expressions of everyone in the tent to change drastically.
The death of Sakumo Hatake was a painful wound for Konoha. Yet Xia Yin criticized the Hokage so bluntly and even insulted the legendary Ninja. This audacity made everyone feel alarmed.
Xia Yin's gaze turned toward Nara Shikaku, his eyes growing even colder: "Nara Shikaku, I only recognize you as the deputy commander because I'm giving you Face.
If you don't accept this Face, I don't mind thoroughly cleaning out your Nara Clan of fence-sitters."
His tone was flat, yet it carried genuine killing intent. The corners of Nara Shikaku's eyes twitched violently, and his hand holding the scroll tightened instantly, his knuckles turning white.
He recalled the scene on the battlefield a few days ago—with one slash of Xia Yin's Susanoo, a massive crack over a hundred meters long was formed. That world-destroying power still left him with lingering fear.
He had no doubt that the man before him truly dared to act, and he and the entire Nara Clan were nothing more than ants in the Face of the Susanoo.
Shikaku opened his mouth but ultimately chose silence, though his Face became increasingly unsightly. All he could do was endure.
Uchiha Fugaku, who was on the side, wanted to say something, but upon meeting Xia Yin's cold gaze, he ultimately lowered his head.
His personality was inherently weak, and facing such a powerful Genius of the same clan like Xia Yin, he simply didn't have the courage to refute.
Genji took all of this in, and his heart grew increasingly terrified.
He finally understood that the true controller of this negotiation was never the Fugaku and Shikaku before him, but this Uchiha Ninja sitting in the corner.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the unease in his heart, and asked in a heavy voice: "Then, I wonder what advice Lord Xia Yin has?"
"I wouldn't call it advice." Xia Yin slowly stood up, his black silhouette casting a long shadow in the tent. "I want ten children under the age of five from the Kaguya Clan. Additionally, I want a boy from the Yuki Clan named Haku—he looks similar to a girl and is very easy to identify."
Genji's Face instantly turned deathly pale: "The Kaguya Clan? Haku? Lord Xia Yin, the Kaguya Clan is a vital combat force for my Hidden Mist, and the children are the future of the clan. As for Haku, he is just an ordinary clansman..."
"I'm not bargaining with you." Xia Yin interrupted him, his tone bone-chillingly cold. "Don't just find any random child to fool me. I've had my eye on Haku for a long time. If you dare to deceive me or refuse, then the Hidden Mist Village can start selecting its Fifth Mizukage."
This sentence carried a naked threat, making Genji's body tremble violently.
He knew that Xia Yin meant what he said. With his strength, if he wanted to flatten the Hidden Mist, there was likely no one who could stop him.
While the one billion Ryo compensation and the mission profit sharing were harsh, at least they could preserve the Village;
But if he refused Xia Yin's request, what awaited the Hidden Mist would likely be total annihilation.
Genji bit his teeth and finally lowered his head: "I... I promise you."
Xia Yin nodded with satisfaction and turned to walk toward the tent entrance.
He didn't care at all about Genji's reaction, nor did he care about Fugaku and Shikaku's thoughts—in the Face of absolute strength, all rules and negotiations were a joke.
Upon reaching the door, Xia Yin suddenly stopped. Without turning back, he spoke in a cold voice to Fugaku and Shikaku behind him: "If you don't want to die, you'd better not act on your own initiative."
He paused, a flash of killing intent crossing his crimson Mangekyo Sharingan: "Otherwise, I don't mind slaughtering Nara Shikamaru and Itachi Uchiha altogether."
Nara Shikamaru was Shikaku's only son, and Itachi Uchiha was Fugaku's pride and the future of the Uchiha.
Xia Yin's words undoubtedly gripped the weakness of both men.
Fugaku's body stiffened abruptly, his Face turning deathly pale instantly;
Shikaku's breathing hitched, his eyes full of shock and anger, yet he still didn't dare to lash out.
Xia Yin no longer paid attention to the unsightly Faces of the three behind him. He pushed open the tent door and walked straight out.
The sunlight outside was blinding, but it could not Shine into his cold eyes.
Inside the tent, Genji slumped in his chair, his Face as pale as paper;
Fugaku kept his head lowered, his fists clenched tight, yet he was powerless;
Shikaku watched Xia Yin's departing back, his eyes filled with complex emotions—there was dread, anger, and a deep sense of helplessness.
A negotiation that appeared equal had ultimately turned into a one-sided plunder.
And all of this stemmed from the absolute strength possessed by the man named Uchiha Xia Yin.
Genji knew that the suffering of the Hidden Mist was not over yet.
And Fugaku and Shikaku also understood that Xia Yin's rise had completely shattered the power balance of Konoha.
The future Ninja World would likely become even more turbulent because of this man.
Only, no one dared to resist.
In the Face of absolute power, all struggles appeared so pale and weak..."
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808