A collective, sharp intake of breath echoed across the sunlit courtyard.
The clan heads stared at Jin Uchiha in absolute disbelief. Expanding the Aburame Clan to three thousand members in just five years was a staggering promise. Currently, after years of Danzo Shimura quietly culling their numbers for his Root division, the entire Aburame population barely hovered around five hundred. They had just over a hundred active shinobi, and only twelve held the rank of Jonin.
To multiply their population and military force by six required an astronomical investment of money, land, and resources. Jin wasn't just offering asylum; he was offering to forge them into a superpower.
Shibi Aburame, a man famous for his stoic, emotionless demeanor, visibly trembled.
"Lord Jin... this..." Shibi began, his deep voice faltering.
"Do not celebrate just yet," Jin interrupted smoothly, raising a hand. "My generosity comes with a non-negotiable condition. The Aburame Clan will begin actively intermarrying with the Uchiha. Political alliances are fragile, born of temporary mutual interests. Blood, however, binds families together permanently."
Shibi didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. He nodded firmly. "The Aburame Clan agrees without reservation."
It was a brilliant trade. Since their integration into Konoha decades ago, the Aburame had stagnated in the shadows. Jin was offering them a golden ticket to the absolute apex of the village's hierarchy. As for intermarrying with the Uchiha? That wasn't a punishment; tying their lineage to the most powerful bloodline in the world was an incredible privilege.
At the surrounding tables, the other clan leaders watched with red-rimmed eyes, completely consumed by envy. They had come here expecting a tense strategic meeting on how to survive the Hokage's wrath. Instead, Jin was casually handing out the keys to the kingdom.
Before the crowd could fully process the exchange, Jin turned his attention to the two men sitting beside Shibi.
"Kakashi Hatake. Might Guy," Jin said, his tone shifting into a sharp command. "You two will each marry a minimum of five women, and at least one of those wives must be an Uchiha."
Kakashi's lone visible eye widened in shock. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Jin said, locking eyes with the silver-haired Jonin. "Your father, Sakumo, was the legendary White Fang. Yet here you are, pushing your late twenties, without a single romantic prospect. Are you truly going to let your father's legacy and the Hatake kenjutsu wither and die with you? Even if you are too depressed to wield his blade properly, it is your duty to pass his techniques down to the next generation."
Kakashi opened his mouth to argue, but the words died in his throat. The mention of his father struck a deep, unresolved nerve. He lowered his gaze, a bitter, complicated expression crossing his face beneath his mask. Knowing Jin was right about the Hatake legacy facing extinction, Kakashi let out a defeated sigh and gave a reluctant nod.
Jin then looked at the man in the green jumpsuit. "The same applies to you, Guy. Your father, Duy, spent his entire life perfecting the Eight Inner Gates. It is a technique so physically demanding that an ordinary body cannot withstand it. If you want his legacy to survive, you need to produce a large pool of descendants to find those with the constitution to inherit it."
Jin leaned forward, his voice carrying across the silent courtyard. "Besides, I need your strength locked to my faction. The Eight Inner Gates is no joke. I know for a fact that if you opened just the Seventh Gate, you possess enough raw physical power to kick Hiruzen Sarutobi to death."
System Explanation: The Eight Inner Gates is a forbidden taijutsu technique that unlocks the body's natural chakra limiters. Opening the gates grants exponential, god-like power, but exacts a devastating, often lethal, physical toll on the user.
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the clan heads. They all knew Might Duy had heroically sacrificed himself to kill four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. But to hear Jin Uchiha calmly state that Guy—a man most considered a loud, eccentric brute—could casually assassinate the Third Hokage with only the Seventh gate?
Dozens of elite shinobi slowly turned their heads, looking at Guy's ridiculous bowl cut with newfound, absolute terror.
Tears streamed down Guy's face, completely ignoring the staring crowd. The mention of his father's sacrifice struck a chord of pure passion within him. He leaped to his feet, striking a dynamic pose. "Lord Jin! You understand the true Power of Youth! I will not let my father's flames burn out! I accept your terms!"
Having secured the loyalty of the village's two greatest physical powerhouses, Jin finally addressed the entire assembly.
"The rules of my administration will be simple," Jin declared. "If you stand with the Uchiha, you will prosper. The era of suppression ends today."
Jin paused, letting his words sink in. He understood the fundamental, unspoken truth of the shinobi world: true, world-shaking power did not come from hard work alone; it came from the ancient, inherited bloodlines.
"The Second Hokage and the Third Hokage feared the noble clans," Jin continued, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "They feared your secret techniques, your bloodlines, and your independence. They spent decades trying to dilute your power, forcing you into the background while elevating ordinary ninja to keep you in check."
Jin stood up, his Sharingan flashing a brilliant, crimson red. "I do not fear your power. I demand it. I will provide better resources and training for the civilian ninja, yes—but I will never suppress the noble clans to do so. Under my rule, I expect every clan here to expand, to grow stronger, and to reclaim the glory you have been forced to hide!"
The courtyard sat frozen for three long seconds.
The clan heads were not fools. They instantly understood the magnitude of what Jin was saying. For three generations, the Hokages had actively choked their growth. Jin was offering them the exact opposite. He wanted them to become monsters of war.
A tremor of pure, unadulterated excitement ripped through the crowd. The lingering anxiety of rebellion was entirely incinerated by the promise of unlimited growth.
"To hell with hiding!" a minor clan leader roared, slamming his fist onto his table. "Let's drag Hiruzen Sarutobi out of that tower today!"
"Lord Jin is right! We've suffocated in the shadows for too long!"
"Give the order, Lord Jin! We strike now!"
The courtyard erupted into a frenzy of bloodlust and fanaticism. Even the usually composed Ino-Shika-Cho representatives found their hearts pounding. Shikaichi Nara gripped his teacup, his lazy demeanor entirely gone. He looked at his companions, his eyes burning with a sudden, fierce impatience.
Why were they playing it safe? They needed to send word to Shikaku immediately. It was time to bring the rest of their families to the Uchiha compound and tear the old administration to the ground.