Shinsuke sat in his residence, closed his eyes, and let his consciousness sink into the System interface.
"System, filter from within the Uchiha clan a list of clan members who are no more than twenty years old, have a loyalty rating of no less than 80 (cultivatable), a potential rating of B-rank or above, and who harbor a deep inner desire to change their own fate and to grow stronger!"
[Ding! Filter conditions confirmed, beginning full clan scan...]
[Ding! A total of 37 clan members meet the conditions, the list has been generated, please review it, Host!]
A detailed list immediately appeared before Shinsuke's eyes.
In the end, Shinsuke circled twelve names.
Most of these twelve were young chunin and genin who had performed well in the Guard previously, but who had never been given an important role due to their background and circumstances.
They had talent, they had ability, and above all they had a burning desire to change their fate!
Shinsuke intended to form a personal elder guard, so that miscellaneous matters going forward could be handed off to the guard to handle, without him needing to take the field personally for every last thing.
Shinsuke's rise had been too swift, and his foundation was not yet deep enough; these twelve would be the core he cultivated for himself.
After selecting the candidates, Shinsuke did not simply gather them together and announce the guard's formation.
To make these people follow him wholeheartedly, the authority and orders of an elder alone were far from sufficient.
Over the following days, Shinsuke personally and secretly met with each of the twelve selected young clan members in turn.
Speaking with them as an elder, he held candid heart-to-heart conversations with each of them, or more accurately, a combination of ideological persuasion and the painting of a grand vision!
Most of them came from ordinary backgrounds and had long suffered cold looks within the clan, and not one of them had ever imagined that an elder would one day regard them with such attention and expectation!
In the end, under the grand vision Shinsuke laid before them, the loyalty of all twelve rose above 90%.
Shinsuke's "Twelve-Man Elder Guard" was officially formed!
"System, activate 'Elite Customized Cultivation' mode for these twelve!"
[Ding! "Elite Customized Cultivation" mode confirmed!]
[Now formulating individualized training plans based on each guard member's personal talent, potential, and the Host's strategic requirements...]
[Training plans complete! It is recommended that the Host lead the guard members in intensive training immediately!]
...
Shinsuke led his newly formed twelve-man guard quietly out of the clan grounds and came to a secluded valley on the outskirts of Konoha.
Shinsuke looked at the twelve before him and said, "From today onward, this place is your training ground."
"A three-month hellish intensive training!"
"I will personally guide you, and squeeze your potential to its absolute limit!"
"Taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, combat experience, team coordination... every last aspect will be forged and tempered without exception!"
"I have only one requirement: grow stronger! Become the blade in my hand!"
"Yes! Elder Shinsuke!"
The twelve guard members roared in unison, eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit!
In the days that followed, the twelve guard members threw themselves into grueling training.
Before long, several members' loyalty reached 100%.
Shinsuke immediately enhanced their potential.
With that example set, the remaining members also became devoted loyalists to Shinsuke one by one, raising their own loyalty to its maximum value in turn.
Shinsuke spent a vast amount of Clan Glory Points to carry out deep potential development for every single guard member!
One among them in particular, a clan member named Uchiha Kenji, actually awakened his Sharingan during a sparring session!
The Kekkei Genkai unique to the Uchiha Clan!
And moreover, it was a two-tomoe Sharingan!
A talent that was nothing short of extraordinary!
While training the guard members, Shinsuke also began carrying out small-scale reforms within the Guard, removing those who were elderly, frail, or unfit, and assigning them to more suitable logistics roles.
He promoted clan members with high potential and high loyalty, especially those with the highest loyalty to himself and the strongest alignment with his vision, into key positions.
Time flew by at a rapid pace.
The three months of intensive training came to an end at last.
When the twelve guard members walked out of the valley once more, ten of the twelve had reached the peak of elite chunin!
Among them, Uchiha Kenji had reached jonin, and another clan member named Uchiha Shunichi had also broken through from his original elite chunin level to become a jonin.
Most importantly, half the twelve members had awakened their Kekkei Genkai under the potential activation Shinsuke had provided.
This was the first true core force that Shinsuke had forged with his own hands!
"Very good."
Shinsuke looked at the twelve before him, transformed utterly from who they had been, and gave a satisfied nod.
"From today onward, you are my personal guard!"
"The Uchiha Twelve Guard!"
"We swear to follow Lord Shinsuke to the death!"
The twelve dropped to one knee in unison, voices sharp and spirit soaring!
[Ding! Detected that all members of the Host's "Twelve-Man Elder Guard" have made a dramatic leap in strength!]
[Guard member Uchiha Kenji, strength advanced to jonin, loyalty 100%! Clan Glory Points awarded: +5,000!]
[Guard member Uchiha Shunichi, strength advanced to jonin, loyalty 100%! Clan Glory Points awarded: +5,000!]
[Remaining ten guard members, strength all advanced to peak elite chunin, loyalty 100%! Average Clan Glory Points awarded per member: +4,000!]
[Uchiha Shinsuke Status Panel]
[Strength: Quasi-Kage level.]
[Mastered Skills:
Ninjutsu: Full mastery of all Fire Release ninjutsu, Lightning Release: Chidori (Mastered), Lightning Release Chakra Mode (Mastered), Lightning Fire Dragon Breath, Lightning Fire Rasengan, Concealment Talisman (consumable).]
[Genjutsu: Sharingan basic genjutsu, Advanced Genjutsu Release, Genjutsu Reflection.]
[Kekkei Genkai: Three-Tomoe Sharingan.]
[Clan Position: Uchiha Elder (Hawks faction).]
[Number of Loyal Clan Members: Approximately 170 (core members at 100% loyalty, guard members at 100% loyalty, Hawks faction members showing significant loyalty increases).]
[Overall Clan Strength Assessment: Kage-level reserve force (possessing the capability to challenge Kage-level warriors, jonin numbers continuing to rise, elite chunin broadly possessing jonin-level combat ability).]