The Worst-Case Scenario

During the Warring States Period, what was the most vital resource for a clan? It wasn't land, nor food, nor even jutsu—it was children.

Children represented a clan's future, the key to its survival and progress. Without them, discussions of the future were pointless. This was why, despite the brutal times, clans tried to avoid sending children into battle until they were at least ten years old, with very few exceptions.

Gen's face turned dark. If the Hyuga's plan succeeded, the Uchiha's next generation would suffer devastating casualties. In another ten years, the clan would face a generational gap, and its very foundation might be shaken.

"How many are coming?" Gen asked.

"I'm not sure," the captured ninja replied. "Although the Uchiha suffered some losses on the eastern front, you still retained half your strength. Sending too many people would draw attention, and our clan can't spare too many elites right now either. I'd estimate they'll send one Jonin, two Special Jonin, and about ten Chunins—an elite strike team."

Gen rubbed his chin, calculating the threat level, and nodded. "One last question. How did you hide your Byakugan? Unlike the Sharingan, the Byakugan can't change to look like normal eyes, can it?"

The ninja replied, "It's a special herbal concoction unique to our clan. It can mask the Byakugan's appearance, but it only works on the Byakugan—it won't do anything for you."

"Oh," Gen said, disappointed. He'd hoped it was a unique jutsu.

"Alright then. Since you've been so cooperative, I'll give you a quick end."

"Wait—"

Before the ninja could react, Gen's kunai slashed across his throat, and his vision faded to black as he lost consciousness forever.

Ding!

"Killed a Hyuga Clan Chunin. 1,000 points awarded."

"What?" Gen was momentarily stunned by the system's voice. He had nearly forgotten about the system over the past two years.

"So killing enemy clan ninjas earns me points! Have I been training like a fool in the clan all this time for nothing?" Gen chuckled bitterly, silently cursing the system. But now wasn't the time to worry about it. Knowing he could earn points by defeating enemies meant plenty of chances for points in the future. His only hope now was that the Third Elder hadn't left yet.

On his way back, he reopened the long-forgotten system, scrolling through the list of available jutsu for exchange.

In the Behind-the-Scenes Boss System, the jutsu were categorized by rank, with prices varying accordingly.

For instance, an S-rank jutsu cost 10,000 points, A-rank 5,000 points, B-rank 1,000 points, C-rank 500 points, and D-rank 100 points.

Gen glanced at his 1,000 points and thought carefully. He could afford one B-rank jutsu or two C-rank jutsu, and he had to make his choice wisely. If the Third Elder had already left, tonight would be extremely dangerous.

"The B-rank jutsu I know are Fire Dragon Flame Bullet and Fire Flame Slash, both offensive techniques. But given my age and limited chakra reserves, learning another B-rank jutsu wouldn't significantly boost my combat strength. I'd be better off with two C-rank jutsu for survival."

Remembering a specific technique, Gen quickly scanned the C-rank jutsu list. The sheer number of C-rank techniques made it hard to find the one he wanted, so he mentally asked, "Hey, system, can I exchange for the Crow Clone Technique?"

"Crow Clone Technique. C-rank. Cost: 500 points. Proceed with exchange?" the system's calm voice echoed in his mind.

Relieved, Gen responded mentally, "Yes, exchange it now."

The Crow Clone Technique, originally created by Uchiha Itachi, combined genjutsu and clone techniques, making it both stylish and incredibly effective for evasion and deception. When he'd first seen it in Naruto, Gen had been in awe.

For a moment, he'd worried that, given this was the Warring States Period and Uchiha Itachi hadn't been born yet, the jutsu might not be available. Fortunately, the system was robust enough to offer even future techniques.

As a warm sensation filled his body, Gen instantly mastered the Crow Clone Technique, reducing his points by 500.

He used his remaining 500 points to exchange for a genjutsu technique called Fox's Illusion.

Once back in the Uchiha compound, Gen headed straight for the council hall. Not finding the Third Elder, his heart sank.

Still clinging to a sliver of hope, he burst into Madara's room. Seeing Madara, he immediately asked, "Where's the Third Elder?"

Madara gave him a curious look. "The Third Elder took the defensive ninja to support the battlefield. Weren't you there when he made the decision?"

Gen's heart continued to sink as he clung to a final glimmer of hope. "How long ago did he leave?" He calculated the time spent chasing, subduing, and interrogating the Hyuga Chunin, plus his return. Five hours had already passed. His only hope was that the Third Elder hadn't gotten too far.

"He left three hours ago. Why? What's going on?" As expected of a future legend in the ninja world, Uchiha Madara instantly sensed something was amiss from Gen's tone.

Gen sighed in resignation. After three hours, it would be almost impossible to catch up. Defeated, he sat down and relayed the information he'd gathered to Madara.

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