Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Chapter 172 A Crucial Part of the Otsutsuki Revival Plan

"Elder Biluo, you said you caught the intruder?"

Not far from the palace where Uchiha Gin was, in another, even more magnificent palace, Otsutsuki Bōraku, who had just been all smiles, was now drenched in sweat.

Faced with the question from the slender figure on the high platform, his entire body trembled uncontrollably. Suppressing his fear, he replied in a flattering tone.

"Reporting to the clan chief, I did indeed capture a strange man, but he is just a big boy who is powerless to even kill a chicken."

Otsutsuki Hikari, who had a very good first impression of Uchiha Gin, still forced herself to defend the so-called eighteen-year-old old man, even when facing the clan leader who terrified her.

"I don't care if he's male or female, old or young; as long as he comes from the earth, he can't be kept!"

The figure on the high platform slowly turned around, his eyes, as white as the moon, filled with cold indifference, looking at Otsutsuki Biroku kneeling below the platform, trembling, and pronouncing the fate of Uchiha Gin.

Hearing the clan leader's words, the fear in his heart ultimately could not overcome his desire. Otsutsuki Hikari gritted his teeth, his broad forehead slamming heavily against the ground with a dull thud.

"Chief! He's a man! A strong, healthy man!"

With her head pounding the ground, she mustered all the courage she had ever possessed and shouted urgently.

"So what? It's not like there aren't men in the tribe."

Despite the resounding clang of the Ōtsutsuki Hikari, the figure on the high platform remained unmoved, not even lifting an eyelid, seemingly uninterested in the topic. Turning away, he coldly said…

"Chief! Those men are too old and cannot bear the responsibility of procreation."

Upon hearing the other party mention the men of their clan, a hint of disappointment flashed in Otsutsuki Hikari's eyes. He lowered his head even further and replied respectfully,

"Then gouge out their eyes and replace them with a new batch."

Standing on the high platform, gazing at the azure Earth, the current head of the Ōtsutsuki clan, in an extremely cold tone, pronounced the fate of his clansmen who had toiled for so many years.

In her view, men were nothing more than tools.

Upon hearing the clan leader's chilling command, Otsutsuki Hikari's heart tightened, and beads of cold sweat slowly trickled down his forehead onto the smooth tiles.

"Chief, how long has it been since you last left your home?"

Thinking of the few emaciated old men in the clan, and unwilling to see the Otsutsuki clan decline, she steeled her heart, raised her head, and stared intently at the expressionless clan leader with her tiny white eyes, and asked,

"What do you mean by that?"

Upon hearing Otsutsuki Hikari's abrupt question, the figure on the platform turned his head, slightly furrowing his two white, arched eyebrows, but his eyes showed little doubt.

She's just stayed at home for decades; could something really serious have happened in the clan?

"Chieftain, we haven't had a healthy newborn for over a decade!"

Since death was inevitable anyway, for the future of the Otsutsuki clan, and so that her sisters could have a good meal, Otsutsuki Hikari decided to sacrifice herself for the benefit of all.

So she slowly stood up and began to explain the current situation of the Otsutsuki clan to the clan leader who seemed indifferent to worldly affairs, word by word.

It turns out that during the great war a thousand years ago, the Otsutsuki branch family sacrificed most of its members to activate the Tenseigan.

Although they defeated the stubborn main family, the branch family was also severely weakened, especially in terms of population, which was reduced to less than 20%.

Therefore, the leaders of the divided family at the time, facing a population crisis, began to encourage childbirth, awarding women who had given birth to multiple children the titles of "Glorious Mother" and "Heroic Mother."

According to the clan's rules, women who give birth to five children are called "glorious mothers," while those who give birth to ten children are called "heroic mothers."

For a time, the moon was bathed in a pink atmosphere, and many years passed in this way.

The leaders of the split-off government changed several times, and they gradually realized that their policies were not achieving the desired results.

After an initial surge in population, it stagnated again within a century.

Following that, many unexpected problems arose within the clan.

"The neonatal mortality rate in the clan is over 90%, and of the remaining 10%, 70% are deformed."

Seeing that the clan leader was not angry, but instead looked thoughtful, Otsutsuki Heirotsu mustered her courage and continued her analysis.

"All of this is due to the birth control plan that our clan has been implementing. In the beginning, there were no close blood relations between clan members, and the children born were normal. However, starting from the third generation, the birth rate of stillbirths and deformed children began to increase."

The Otsutsuki clan has a significantly longer lifespan than other clans on Earth, thanks in part to the peaceful environment of the moon and in part to the purity of their bloodline.

The Otsutsuki clan on the moon do not have much ordinary human blood in their bodies, and their vitality is much stronger than that of ordinary people.

"Where are the men left? Are there not many left?"

After listening to Otsutsuki Hikari's analysis, the current head of the Otsutsuki clan asked in a questioning tone, his voice cold.

"My chieftain! There are not just a few left, but only a handful."

Otsutsuki Hikawa was almost in tears. Since the clan leader went into seclusion decades ago, he hadn't inquired about the clan's affairs.

She refused to speak to anyone unless it concerned news from the ground.

"Is it that serious already?"

Upon hearing about the severity of the clan's population crisis, the clan chief frowned slightly. She had long been indifferent to clan affairs, leaving them to the elders.

Unexpectedly, the Otsutsuki clan is now on the verge of extinction. It's time for them to step forward and rebuild the clan. So, after thinking for a moment, she asked,

"Elder Biluo, what suggestions do you have?"

That's right, she's good at fighting, but she's an idiot when it comes to politics, and when she's unsure of something, she just asks the elders.

"Clan Chief, this isn't a sign that the heavens have forsaken our Otsutsuki clan! That handsome little fellow who came from the earth is the hope for our clan's revival!"

Seeing that things were taking a turn for the better, Otsutsuki Hikari immediately raised his head and spoke confidently to the bewildered clan leader.

"But the book says that people who come from the earth are unclean, and only fire can purify their souls."

Upon hearing Elder Biluo's words, the current clan leader tilted his head, thought for a moment, and then spoke up.

"Hey! Chieftain, what time is it? What are you still reading those books that don't even exist?"

"Hmph! Books hold houses of gold, books hold beauties like jade!"

"The Golden House is where you're staying now, but Yan Ruyu is being held captive over there. Clan Chief, I beg you, open your eyes and see the world!"

Otsutsuki Hikari earnestly advised her, as she genuinely did not want the Otsutsuki clan to be destroyed in her generation, and besides, that handsome young man seemed really useful.

"So what's your suggestion?"

Unable to find any grounds for rebuttal, the patriarch of the Ōtsutsuki clan had no choice but to compromise. In this crisis, he couldn't afford to be petty.

As the saying goes, "Listen to advice, and you'll have a full stomach."

"Ahem, I suggest that the women of the tribe mate with that little guy from the ground to produce normal offspring, and then let those offspring reproduce with suitable members of our tribe."

With a red glint in his eyes, Otsutsuki Hikari wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and stated his strategy with an upright expression.

How many women are left in the tribe?

The clan chief still harbored some resentment towards the people of the earth, but considering that this matter concerned the rise and fall of the clan, he decided to find out the truth first.

"There are 66 women, including you, the clan leader."

Having already memorized the data perfectly, Otsutsuki Hikari immediately replied, and then reported the other data one by one.

"There are 8 men left, but they are all elderly people who are nearing the end of their lives."

They are all thin, short, and soft, and cannot serve any purpose at all.

"Furthermore, without newborns, the elderly people's activity levels are too low."

"Has it really come to this?"

After hearing Otsutsuki Hikari's report, a hint of anxiety appeared on the clan leader's usually cold face. She hadn't expected that the Otsutsuki clan would be destroyed by her own hand.

She immediately clenched her fists. No! She couldn't lose face! Thinking this, she gritted her teeth and gave the order.

"Alright! Elder Biluo, this matter is now entirely in your hands."

"Yes, Chieftain, I will go back and draft a plan for you to review!"

Overjoyed, Otsutsuki Hikawa sprang to his feet like a bouncy ball, his face beaming as he bowed respectfully to the clan leader and spoke.

"Yes, as soon as possible."

Since someone had offered advice, all the clan leader needed to do was say yes or no. With that thought in mind, he once again regained his initial indifference, calmly waved his hand, and signaled the court to adjourn.

"This subordinate takes his leave."

An excited Otsutsuki Hikari dashed out of the clan leader's palace, her agility seemingly beyond what her size could handle.

"Hehehe, the handsome young man survived!"

A beaming Otsutsuki Hikari stood on the old woman's airship, her face radiating spring-like joy. After all these years, she had finally met a handsome young man, and she couldn't let him slip away.

"However, wouldn't it be a bit presumptuous of me to take first place with such an excellent seed? Hehe, second place is fine too!"

Otsutsuki Hikari, already plotting in his mind, had shrewd calculations in his two small, beady eyes.

"As for those old guys, hehe, their Tenseigan seems a bit lacking. Let them contribute their last bit of energy to the Otsutsuki clan!"

Thinking of those old fogies in the clan who wasted food, Otsutsuki Hikari's face turned cold, and he muttered to himself,

In an instant, the fate of those hardworking old men who had toiled their entire lives and made great contributions to the family was easily decided.

Inside the palace of Otsutsuki Hikari, Uchiha Gin sat in an incredibly spacious dining room. A dozen or so small children, carrying fragrant dishes on their heads, placed the food onto the enormous dining table in front of them one by one.

On the open space in front of the dining table, several graceful figures were stiffly dancing.

Two long-haired maids dressed in kimonos respectfully placed bowls and chopsticks in front of Uchiha Gin.

Wow, this food is pretty good!

I picked it up and took a bite. I found it tasted good, but it was very formulaic. By today's standards, it was a high-end pre-made dish.

"Keep the music playing, keep dancing!"

Unconcerned about being poisoned, Uchiha Gin immediately began to wolf down his food. After all, he had been on the moon for almost a day and hadn't eaten or drunk anything, so he was starving.

"The service was excellent, I'll definitely come again!"

After a whirlwind of activity, a satisfied Uchiha Gin took a toothpick from the maid beside him and slowly and methodically picked his teeth, looking completely at ease.

"The house is quite big, but it lacks a sense of human presence."

Although Gin Uchiha was surrounded by a large crowd of people, busy figures coming and going, under the influence of his superhuman senses, he discovered that there was no other life force present in the palace besides himself.

"Can I take a stroll?"

Uchiha Gin stood up, intending to go out for a stroll to grab a bite to eat and, incidentally, to survey the surroundings.

"Lord Yin, please do not wander off. Lord Biluo instructed me to guide you."

Before he could take a step, a black figure flashed in front of Uchiha Gin, blocking his path.

It was a man wearing a black mask; his yellow eyes were devoid of any life, and a cold voice came from beneath his mask.

Lord Biluo? That frightening woman really is named Biluo. It seems fate has its own designation.

"When in Rome, do as the host says. Lead the way."

Not wanting to get into a conflict, Uchiha Gin shrugged, indicating that he had no other intentions, and gestured for the other party to lead the way, saying that he just wanted to take a look.

"Lord Yin, feel free to ask me any questions. I know far more than humans do."

The black puppet leading the way spoke considerately as it guided the way.

Tsk! Not bad. I should have asked my second great-uncle for that puppetry technique. The Otsutsuki clan's puppets are so intelligent that those guys playing in the sand below can't even come close!

How big is the moon?

Raising an eyebrow, Uchiha Gin gave a mocking smile and spoke in a challenging tone.

My Uchiha clan hates it when people try to show off in front of me. You mere puppet, why don't you reveal your true colors!

"Approximately 3.79 × 10 square kilometers."

Without the slightest hesitation, the black puppet immediately gave the answer.

Holy crap, this is the first time I've heard this. Could this guy have just given me a random number to fool me?

Although shocked, Uchiha Gin still put on an expression that said, "I know, I was just testing you."

If one question doesn't work, ask another.

"Who is your master?"

"My master's name is Otsutsuki Hikari. He is an elder of the Otsutsuki clan and is in charge of all matters, big and small, within the clan."

The black puppet did not hide anything and answered truthfully.

Is this something that can be said?

Or is this information not considered confidential, and anyone can know it?

Unexpectedly, the puppet before him betrayed its master without the slightest hesitation. Uchiha Gin's eyes darted around, and he pressed his advantage, asking,

Where is the Tenseigan of the Otsutsuki clan?

"The Reincarnation Eye is here. Beep beep beep beep."

Uchiha Gin, who was expecting an answer, noticed a flash of blue light in the black puppet's eyes. The second half of its words turned into a beeping sound, making it impossible to decipher.

"Hey! I knew it! How could such a high-end smartphone not have a security mechanism?"

(End of this chapter)