Kumogakure, deep within the Uchiha Clan Compound, on the outdoor terrace outside the newly built Clan Head's residence.
That's right, the current Sho U was now the Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan in Kumogakure.
It was a bit like the distinction between the Main House and Branch House of the Hyuga Clan.
The view here was excellent, overlooking part of the training grounds and the distant mountains.
Uchiha Shao Yu and Young Ai sat opposite each other. On the stone table between them were simple tea sets and some refreshments characteristic of the Land of Lightning.
The two had just finished a round of daily sparring and were now resting and chatting. Naturally, the conversation turned toward the most sensational event in the Ninja World recently.
The conclusion of the war between Konoha and Sunagakure.
"Tsk tsk, Elder Sho U, have you heard? Konoha really took a massive loss this time!"
Young Ai gulped down a large mouthful of cold tea, wiped his mouth, and spoke with unabashed schadenfreude on his face.
"They won the war, but didn't get a single penny in reparations. Those paupers in Sunagakure really have no money to give, and as for their lives... it seems they don't have many of those left either."
He had a straightforward personality and was naturally pleased to see Konoha, Kumogakure's long-term rival, suffer a setback.
Uchiha Shao Yu picked up his teacup, blew on it gently, and maintained a calm expression.
"As expected. The Land of Fire is located in the center of the continent, with fertile land, abundant resources, and a developed economy. It's the wealthiest of the Five Great Nations."
"Konoha is used to drawing nutrients from a wealthy environment. But the Land of Wind..."
He paused, the image of those wind-swept yellow sands flashing through his mind.
"With its harsh environment and scarce resources, survival for Sunagakure is already difficult. For them, war is a gamble that exhausts the nation's foundations. If they lose, they naturally have nothing left."
"Konoha trying to squeeze profit out of Sunagakure is no different from trying to dig a well in a dried-up riverbed."
"Makes sense!"
Young Ai slapped his thigh.
"Those guys in Konoha have just lived too comfortably. Unlike us in Kumogakure, where every bit of strength must be used where it counts. But then again, with Sunagakure being beaten down this time, they won't be able to recover anytime soon. For us in Kumogakure, it counts as one less potential trouble."
Sho U nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. The balance of power between hidden Villages was far from that simple.
Just then, Young Ai seemed to suddenly remember something. He put down his teacup and said seriously.
"By the way, Elder Sho U, I almost forgot the main business. The old man sent me here not just for our daily sparring, but also to tell you something."
"What are the Raikage's orders?"
Sho U put down his teacup and turned his gaze to Ai.
"It's not exactly an order, it's... well, you could call it a troublesome matter he wants to hand over to you to handle."
Young Ai scratched his spiky white hair, organizing his words.
"In our Land of Lightning, there's a place called the Valley of Hell. Do you know of it?"
"The Valley of Hell?"
Sho U's eyebrows twitched slightly. He seemed to have seen this name while studying materials on Kumogakure's geography and power distribution these past few days. In his memory, it was a desperate place with an extremely harsh environment, filled with toxic gas and lava.
But why did it sound... so familiar? "I've heard a bit about it. It's said to be a natural death trap."
"Yes, that's the place!"
Young Ai nodded.
"The environment in that hellhole is deathly poor; normally, no one would go there. But we, Kumogakure, have a clan imprisoned there—the Chinoike Clan."
"Chinoike?"
Sho U's heart stirred as a thought occurred to him.
"Yeah, this clan is a bit special. Their Bloodline Limit, the Blood Dragon Eye, is also a Dojutsu. It's said their abilities are somewhat similar to the Sharingan but lean more toward manipulating blood and creating illusions. Plus, the awakening conditions seem even more stringent, and there aren't many of them."
Young Ai explained.
"Many years ago, this clan was suppressed by Kumogakure due to certain events. The survivors were permanently imprisoned in that hellhole, the Valley of Hell, with the Village sending people to guard them to prevent them from escaping and causing trouble."
He paused, his tone becoming somewhat helpless.
"The problem is, guarding them requires manpower, and not just ordinary Ninjas will do. The environment of the Valley of Hell is treacherous, and although the Chinoike Clan is imprisoned, they do have a Bloodline Limit after all, so we can't be careless."
"So, the Village has always stationed two Elite Jonin, three ordinary Jonin, plus several Chunin there long-term."
"Two Elite Jonin, three Jonin..."
Sho U's eyes narrowed slightly. That was no small number.
Five Jonin-level combatants were a significant strategic force in any hidden Village, let alone with accompanying Chunin.
Wasting them on a long-term guarding mission was indeed a massive waste of resources for Kumogakure.
"The old man feels that keeping these elite forces tied up in the Valley of Hell is too wasteful. Besides, the Ninja World hasn't been peaceful lately; there are faint signs of war breaking out again."
Young Ai continued, a look of agreement on his face.
"The Village needs manpower everywhere right now. Things have temporarily quieted down on Sunagakure's side, but we can't slack off in other directions. So, the old man wants to hand this mission to you."
"Hand it to me?"
Sho U was slightly surprised.
"Yes, you are now an Elder of the Village, so you're qualified to handle such matters."
Young Ai confirmed.
"The old man's idea is for you, as an Elder, to formally issue an order to recall all the guards stationed at the Valley of Hell back to the Village and reassign them to combat or important mission rotations. As for the Chinoike Clan imprisoned there..."
He looked at Sho U with a questioning gaze and a hint of trust.
"It's entirely up to you to deal with them. Whether to keep them imprisoned, or... simply dispose of them, or if you have other ideas, it's all your decision. The old man said he trusts your judgment and ability."
Uchiha Shao Yu fell silent for a moment, his mind racing.
Recalling elite combatants was a good thing for Kumogakure, and he was happy to see it happen.
As for the Chinoike Clan... he now remembered this so-called Chinoike Clan.
They seemed to be from the movie version.
This Chinoike Clan, much like the Yotsuki Clan that Ai belongs to, were Bloodline Limit Ninja clans active in the Land of Lightning region during the Sengoku period.
There weren't many Bloodline Limit clans in the Land of Lightning to begin with, and the Chinoike Clan was quite powerful, so like the Yotsuki Clan, they were very famous.
Later, a girl from the Chinoike Clan married the then-Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, becoming his concubine.
This concubine was not only beautiful but also very well-behaved, earning the Daimyo's favor.
The trouble was that because of the Daimyo's favor, his primary wife became extremely jealous and hateful toward the concubine.
Then, as luck would have it, the Daimyo fell ill and passed away.
The Daimyo's primary wife then falsely accused the concubine from the Chinoike Clan of using some means to murder the Daimyo.
Although the concubine was very favored, the power she held was no match for the primary wife's, so everyone else believed the wife.
Consequently, the Chinoike Clan faced a catastrophe. The Daimyo's primary wife not only sought out the local famous Bloodline Limit clan, the Yotsuki Clan, but also invited the Uchiha Clan from the Land of Fire to jointly deal with the Chinoike Clan.
Overnight, the Chinoike Clan suffered a devastating blow. Countless clan members were killed or injured, and the few survivors were escorted by the Uchiha and Yotsuki Clans to the Valley of Hell to be imprisoned.
The Chinoike Clan possessed a Bloodline Limit called the Blood Dragon Eye, which could manipulate blood and cast genjutsu. It was considered a very impressive Bloodline Limit.
In the movie, a little girl appeared and even blew air at the late-stage Sasuke. At that time, after the Final Valley, Sasuke had a relatively good temper; if it had been during Shippuden, he would have ended her on the spot.
Uchiha Shao Yu was still somewhat interested.
He looked up at Young Ai, his voice calm and clear.
"I understand. Please reply to the Raikage that I will handle this matter properly. I will set out for the Valley of Hell in the coming days to personally assess the situation before making a decision."
"Good! Straight to the point!"
Young Ai slapped the table happily.
"I knew you were reliable, Elder Sho U. If you need any assistance, just say the word. I can even go with you."
"No need."
Sho U shook his head. "Since it's been left to me to handle, I will go by myself."
"Ai, you've only recently mastered the Lightning Release Armor. This is a critical period for consolidating and improving your skills. It's more important for you to stay in the Village and train."
"Well... alright then."
Young Ai was a bit disappointed, but he knew Sho U was right.
"Then you must be careful. The Valley of Hell is a very sinister place. Even though you're very strong, the Chinoike Clan aren't pushovers either."
"Don't worry."
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Sho U's mouth, and a faint light seemed to swirl in his left eye.
"I'll handle it."
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808