Seeing the expectant looks in everyone's eyes, Gento spoke:
"That apartment building will be provided free of charge for unmarried young members of the clan.
"As long as you meet the age requirement and are not yet married, you can apply."
"Waaaaaaah!!!"
Cheers erupted.
Some people were so excited they jumped up, while others hugged the people beside them, laughing and shouting.
Gento waited for the cheers to subside a little before continuing:
"The first batch will have fifty slots.
"Register with Shisui. He will arrange the assignments.
"There will be four more batches afterward, for a total of two hundred and fifty slots. So those who don't get one this time don't need to worry; you'll eventually get a place."
The young people who met the requirements had even brighter light in their eyes.
Among them were those whose parents had died in battle, leaving behind no inheritance.
Some came from large families, squeezed together in a few small rooms.
Now, the clan head had directly solved their housing problem.
Gento continued:
"The third matter."
The crowd quieted down.
"If anyone in the clan is willing, you may donate the bodies of fallen clan members.
"It is not mandatory; entirely voluntary.
"I will make this clear: these bodies will be used for research."
Some people frowned.
Gento looked at them:
"I know some of you may feel this is a desecration of the dead. But I want to say: the purpose of research is to allow the living to live better.
"Perhaps one day, through research, we can find safer and more efficient methods to help clan members awaken their eyes.
"With the Sharingan, the mortality rate during missions can be reduced."
He paused.
"I'll say it again: entirely voluntary.
"Those willing may hand the bodies over to the clan's Anbu."
With the groundwork laid by the first two matters that benefited the entire clan, although some still frowned deeply, no one stepped forward to oppose it.
Gento nodded:
"Meeting adjourned."
And Gento left.
However, the Uchiha clan members did not disperse.
They gathered in small groups; some looked up at the portraits on the wall, trying to identify which one was their ancestor.
Some surrounded those who had just awakened their eyes, asking what it felt like.
Another group of young people huddled together, excitedly discussing the apartment slots.
The entire clan grounds were filled with a sense of joy and vitality never seen before.
Only when night approached did the crowd gradually disperse.
At night, Shisui came to Gento's home.
He held two Sealing Scrolls in his hand and handed them to Gento:
"Clan Head, these are the two bodies donated by the clan today."
Gento took them and checked that the seals were intact.
"Good work. You may go."
After Shisui left, Gento took out the summoning scroll Orochimaru had given him from his robe.
He set up the technique according to the scroll and formed hand seals:
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang!
A burst of white smoke exploded.
Within the smoke, a massive figure slowly revealed itself.
It was a giant purple snake, its whole body covered in hard scales.
It was twenty to thirty meters long, its golden vertical pupils cold and vicious as it looked down at Gento from above.
It was Manda.
Orochimaru's summoned beast.
The moment Manda appeared, it opened its blood-filled maw and lunged at Gento.
Its venomous fangs bared as a foul stench rushed forward.
Gento narrowed his eyes.
The Mangekyo Sharingan activated in a blink.
Manda's movement froze midair.
Its enormous body became immobilized, unable to move at all.
The viciousness in its golden pupils disappeared, replaced by deep fear.
Gento looked at it, his tone cold:
"For Orochimaru's sake, I'll spare you this time.
"If there's a next time, you will die without a doubt!"
Manda's body trembled.
It wanted to nod, but its body was still restrained; it could only blink frantically to show submission.
Gento tossed the two Sealing Scrolls into its open mouth.
"Take these back to Orochimaru."
He released the dojutsu.
Manda's body eventually regained movement.
It hurriedly closed its mouth, then, with a bang, turned into white smoke and disappeared.
Gento returned to the house, and the first thing he did was open the system's [Family] panel.
[Clan Ancestral Hall (Constructed)]
[Indulgence Apartments (Constructed ×1)]
[Desire Hot Springs (Not Constructed)]
With a thought, he selected the Clan Ancestral Hall.
Suddenly, his vision flickered, and a real-time image of the interior of the ancestral hall appeared in his mind.
It was like activating a god's-eye view; his sight could move freely within the ancestral hall.
He could see the incense burner on the offering table, the portraits on the wall, and even the newly added potted plant in the corner.
There were still a few clan members inside, kneeling on cushions with their hands clasped together.
Gento could clearly hear what they were muttering.
Gento was stunned for a moment, then opened the Indulgence Apartments.
The same.
The corridors, the rooms; everything was visible with absolute clarity.
Gento stroked his chin, his eyes gradually lighting up.
This function… is quite interesting.
It seemed the system had provided this for him to conveniently manage clan buildings.
If he could view clan buildings in real time, then that meant… once the hot spring facility was completed, he would also be able to…
Thinking of the fragrant and alluring scenes he might see at that time, a surge of heat rose in Gento's heart.
He glanced toward the door and called out:
"Pakura, come in for a moment."
Pakura pushed the door open and entered. Before she could steady herself, Gento pulled her over in one motion.
"You… mm…"
...
One month later.
The Desire Hot Springs that Gento had been eagerly anticipating was finally completed.
On the day of completion, Gento rushed over almost immediately to inspect it.
Standing at the entrance of the complex, he finally understood why this thing had taken the longest to build.
It was enormous.
Rather than a single building, it was more like an entire garden estate.
The entrance was a bamboo gate, instantly giving a sense of relaxation.
Beyond the gate was a pebble-paved path, winding forward and branching off in multiple directions.
Both sides of the path were filled with bamboo.
The green bamboo stalks stood straight and tall, their leaves weaving together overhead, filtering sunlight into scattered patches of light that fell onto the ground.
When the wind blew, the bamboo leaves rustled softly, and a faint fragrance of vegetation lingered in the air.
Following the path inward, the view suddenly opened up.
This was a carefully designed courtyard, filled with greenery.
Low shrubs, scattered artificial rock formations, climbing vines, and several late-blooming cherry trees; petals drifting down onto the stone pavement, forming a thin layer of pale pink and white.
Paths extended in all directions of the courtyard, leading to different hot spring pools.
The men's baths and women's baths were separated, each built on opposite sides of the courtyard. There were large indoor pools, divided into private spaces by bamboo curtains and screens.
There were also more thrilling outdoor pools, offering a full view of the beautiful garden scenery.
The mixed bath was located at the center, open-air, and extremely spacious.
The water was drawn from underground hot springs, crystal clear, with wisps of white steam rising from its surface.
The edges of the pool were built from natural stones, with ferns and moss growing between the cracks, giving it a naturally formed appearance.
Tall bamboo surrounded the pool, enclosing it so that it could not be seen from the outside.
Going deeper past the mixed bath, there was a quieter, more secluded path.
Dense bamboo lined both sides, the path growing narrower and narrower until, at the end, it suddenly opened up again.
Hidden here were over a dozen small open-air pools.
Each pool was not large, about three to four square meters, scattered across the hillside.
Between the pools were bamboo groves and shrubs, spaced far enough apart that even if people were in neighboring pools, they could not see each other.
Smooth pebbles lined the edges of the pools, and beside each was a small wooden table holding a bamboo tray with clean towels and a small flask of sake.
Further inside, there were indoor private hot springs.
These were individual rooms, wooden in structure. Sliding open the door revealed a small private bath inside.
The rooms were fully equipped with tatami mats and bathrooms.
Moreover, the rooms were enclosed on all sides, with only a single window, outside of which was a carefully arranged dry landscape garden.
The lighting was soft, and the air was filled with mist.
Throughout the hot spring facility, there lingered a faint fragrance.
It was hard to describe.
It was like sandalwood, yet also like some kind of floral scent; subtle and elusive, but inhaling it made one's whole body relax, even loosening the bones slightly.
After staying for a while, the fragrance seemed to seep into the skin, stirring an indescribable restlessness in the heart.
Gento walked around once, growing more and more satisfied the more he saw.
As expected of the Desire Hot Springs… after just one round, he had picked out several suitable "battlefields"!
He cleared his throat, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
That very afternoon, Gento announced the official opening of the Desire Hot Springs.
Soon after, Gento could no longer wait and brought Kurenai with him to experience the Desire Hot Springs.
...
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