Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Jiang Si didn't care at all, still wearing a faint smile as he said, "Coming to interrogate you? No, no, no, Chief, you misunderstand. I did have some dealings with Xingyin Village and Mammoth-kun, but that's not why I came. What your village does and what missions it undertakes is your prerogative. Neither I nor our Iwagakure Village have any intention of interfering. As you said, Chief, these matters do not involve the interests of our Iwagakure Village. But what if other matters do?"

Jiang Si remained calm, his unhurried tone and deliberately emphasized words caused Pu Lü, sitting opposite him, to involuntarily narrow his eyes and instinctively turn his gaze toward his son.

What he saw was his own son's astonished expression.

Pu Lu was initially puzzled, but then, as if realizing something, he turned to look at Jiang Si. At that moment, a faint, sinister look appeared on Jiang Si's face, and he uttered in a low voice, "Sharingan!?"

Intelligent people often don't need many words. These three words, spoken directly, caused Mammoth, sitting on the left, to change his expression drastically. He subconsciously stood up, his face showing a look of rage. Just as he was about to say something, he met Jiang Si's deep, unfathomable gaze, and like a deflated balloon, he slumped back into his seat.

The gaze that comes from looking back.

Jiang Si's lips curled slightly, revealing a hint of sarcasm as he said, "It's best if the leader understands. You should know that in front of the eyes of the Uchiha clan, any falsehoods are useless!"

"So, Chief, could you explain some of your village's actions more than a year ago when our Uchiha clan went to the border of the Land of Grass, and later when we went to the Land of Earth? Please don't tell me that these were all just misunderstandings, Chief. In this world, misunderstandings can come at a very heavy price!"

At this moment, Jiang Si completely dropped his fake smile, his face turned icy cold, and the invisible pressure emanating from him made Pu Lu, who was in the opposite position, feel immense psychological pressure, and all the muscles in his body tensed up at this moment.

"Shoji-kun! Can I take this as a threat to Kusagakure!?"

With a dangerous glint in his eyes, Pu Lu spoke through gritted teeth, his expression turning sinister.

The sudden change in atmosphere made the three little ones sitting behind Jiang Si look somewhat solemn. But when they saw their captain's broad back, their tense nerves slowly relaxed. They believed that as long as their captain was there, there was nothing to worry about.

"A threat? If Your Excellency wants to see it that way, that's fine too, but it all depends on Your Excellency's attitude, isn't it?"

Jiang Si placed his hands on the table, looking at Pu Lü across from him with a sharp look in his eyes. Pu Lü's appearance was clearly a bit fierce but actually cowardly, and Jiang Si even wanted to laugh a little.

Pu Lu was once again speechless by Jiang Si's words. His fist, which seemed to clench unconsciously from below, was clenched tightly. He wanted to order the guards outside to be called in, but reason prevailed over him. Not to mention, given Jiang Si's rumored combat prowess, his own ninja village might not be able to defeat him.

Even if it were possible, it would come at a terrible price. How many of the two thousand warriors from Kusagakure would die is an unknown number. Not to mention that it would almost certainly provoke retaliation from Iwagakure and the Uchiha clan. There is a pair of Mangekyou Sharingan here, but Uru has not forgotten that there are two other pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan in their clan!

Unless Pulu has lost his mind, he wouldn't choose to take action here.

This anger had to be forcibly suppressed.

"Shoji-kun, if you really came here for revenge for what happened back then, you wouldn't be here today, would you? Just state your conditions. As long as it's within the power of my Kusagakure village, I can agree to it on behalf of Kusagakure!"

Pu Lu took another deep breath, composed himself, and then spoke.

"Hehe, that's right, Chief. My request, or rather, our Iwagakure's request, is very simple. We'll do what you did before, just with a different target and double the effort. And this will absolutely not harm Kusagakure's current interests. I think this request isn't difficult for you, Chief, is it?"

Jiang Si said slowly.

At this moment, Pulu's expression turned somewhat ugly.

They couldn't even restrain themselves from cursing out loud from the depths of their hearts.

What does it mean to simply change the object and double the amount?

If these conditions aren't considered difficult, then he'd like to ask this detestable Uchiha genius what constitutes difficult conditions!

Unfortunately, Pulu cannot do that.

On the surface, the conditions were not difficult and did not really harm the interests of Kusagakure. However, many things cannot be judged by appearances alone, not to mention that Uru's previous actions were merely a trial balloon.

It does not possess any real value or meaning.

But now it's clear that Shoji wants him and Kusagakure to truly take sides, which is a huge problem!

311. A Helpless Situation (Third Update)

I was very irritable, and also felt a little scared.

This was the truest reflection of Pu Lu's heart at this moment. He really did not expect that a momentary lapse of judgment in January last year would lead to such a terrible situation. Heaven have mercy. Although he did have a slight covetousness for the Uchiha clan's bloodline at that time and wanted to obtain the Sharingan's bloodline limit, his motivation was more out of self-preservation.

Everyone knows how powerful the Uchiha clan was. Back then, when the Uchiha clan had completely severed ties with Konoha and separated from the village, not only Uryu but many others, including those from Konoha, speculated that the Uchiha clan would establish their own 'nation'! This was because they had once occupied a large area of ​​power with the strength of their clan. This was the common situation in the ninja world before the era of the ninja villages. Even now, some ninja clans still live in seclusion in a certain place, controlling a region on their own.

Given the Uchiha clan's immense power and pride, they would most likely make such a choice. Furthermore, their Land of Grass is a country whose prosperity is second only to the Five Great Nations, with a pleasant climate. At that time, Uryu wouldn't have considered that his country's geographical location was so poor, sandwiched between powerful nations. Even if the Uchiha clan were to establish a separate country, they would never choose a dangerous region like the Land of Grass.

Upon simply seeing the Uchiha clan arrive at the border of the Land of Grass with their families, alarm bells rang deep within the heart of this leader of the Hidden Grass Village, forcing him to view the event from the worst possible perspective!

It was under these circumstances, coupled with a slight hint of greed, that this was the basis for it.

This prompted Uryu to send someone to proactively contact Konoha. Uryu believed that with the Uchiha clan being hunted by Konoha, they would definitely be coveted by other ninja villages. Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure would all want to obtain the Uchiha clan's bloodline. If these major ninja villages took action, Kusagakure might be able to follow suit and get a share. Uryu's requirements weren't high; he would be satisfied if he could obtain a dozen or so Uchiha corpses, several infant Uchiha, and Uchiha women. In this way, Kusagakure might be able to cultivate their own Sharingan bloodline limit in the future!

In fact, the Kusagakure village has now acquired the blood of the Uzumaki clan. This is the work of Ura-gakure. He plans to use this method to gradually grow stronger in the future. At most, in thirty years, Kusagakure will have a certain probability of being comparable to the five great ninja villages!

Could I even become a 'grass shadow' in the future?

This is Pulu's ambition.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. The Uchiha clan had no intention of staying in the Land of Grass and reached an agreement with the Hidden Stone Village. Konoha even abandoned their pursuit.

These amazing maneuvers truly left Pulu dazzled.

He was very worried that his intentions would be exposed. It was precisely because of this concern that many people in the village were unaware of Pulu's decision. To be even more certain, Pulu sent his most trusted person to carry out the plan, and that person was his son, Mammoth!

Now, all the information in his son's brain has obviously fallen into Jiang Si's hands, which has put Pu Lu and even the entire Kusagakure in a very embarrassing situation. He wanted to explain something, but when he saw Jiang Si's icy face, Pu Lu could only move his lips slightly and finally let out a low sigh.

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

After quickly weighing the different harmful consequences of various decisions in his mind, Plu had to admit that choosing to give in was the option with the least loss, but Plu still wanted to try his best to achieve a better outcome.

"Jiang Sijun, I know it's no use saying anything now, but that's not only a thing of the past, but it also didn't cause any real damage. It was just a superficial act. Don't you think your demands are a bit too much?"

Pu Lu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and looked directly at Uchiha Shoji in front of him, speaking in a deep voice.

"Excessive? No, I think this is the most reasonable approach. In my opinion, while outcome-based reasoning is sometimes necessary, it seems ridiculous in this type of situation. Just because no damage was caused doesn't mean we can ignore it. It's not because of anything else, but simply because our Uchiha clan is powerful enough. That cannot be used as an excuse. Chief, I've already laid out my words here. You only have two choices: agree or refuse. Of course, I think you, Chief, will understand the final consequences better than anyone else!"

A blatant threat.

Although the leader of Kusagakure ultimately rejected his conditions, and Shoji wouldn't do anything in the short term, that doesn't stop him from putting pressure on Ura now. The key to negotiation is to seize the opponent's weaknesses as much as possible and not let them see your own trump card. This is the most direct and effective method!

However, this is generally a difficult thing to do.

Therefore, in many negotiations, both sides need a long period of probing and contact, and a gradual back-and-forth before a final conclusion can be reached.

Could Pulu see through Jiang Si's trump card? No, but Jiang Si could grasp Pulu's weaknesses with absolute certainty, which gave him a huge advantage in negotiations. Of course, the most important point was that Jiang Si himself, as well as the Uchiha clan and Iwagakure behind him, were powerful enough. This was Jiang Si's greatest source of confidence, and it was also what Pulu and even the entire Kusagakure village needed to fear the most.

Negotiations between the strong and the weak are inherently unfair, because they are in an unequal position from the outset.

And this feeling of being cornered.

It's really not good at all!

A hint of crimson light flickered in Pulu's eyes.

And it was precisely at this moment.

"Yes, this is indeed a major matter. Your Excellency should consider it carefully for a day. I hope to hear good news from Your Excellency tomorrow!"

The general, who had been so aggressive before, suddenly slowed down. This deliberate pause caused Pulu's expression to freeze, as if he was somewhat taken aback.

But only a second later.

Puluna seemed to realize something again, and gave the general in the opposite seat a deep look. At this moment, he truly realized how terrifying the general was.

Deep down, the thought involuntarily surfaced: 'Is this guy really only seventeen?'

312. The key is to alternate between relaxation and tension.

Therefore, this somewhat calmed down the emotions.

Pu Lu had to admit that in the conversation just now, the young man opposite him had held all the initiative, and he had been completely manipulated. The more this was the case, the more uneasy Pu Lu felt. He had a premonition that he might really find it difficult to refuse Jiang Si's conditions, but even if the outcome was as he expected, he still had to make one last struggle.

Anyway, they gave us a day to think about it, didn't they?

Pu Lu thought to himself with a hint of self-mockery.

"Yes, that's true. Well then, let's call it a day. Mammoth, take Shoji-kun and the others to rest. If you don't mind, you can take a stroll around our village. Although it can't compare to the prosperity of Iwagakure, our Kusagakure has its own unique scenery!"

"Oh? Is that so? Father!"

Since they offered him a way out, even if he was unwilling, Pulu had to grit his teeth and take it. He didn't know what would happen if he resisted, but he knew for sure that his village's situation would be terrible. In the end, it might not change anything, but at least he could analyze the current situation and perhaps find a way to break the deadlock.

This can be considered Uru's last act of defiance as the leader of Kusagakure.

"Yes, then we'll excuse ourselves!"

Jiang Si smiled slightly, stood up, and the three little ones followed closely behind. Then, led by Mammoth, the group left the reception room.

Pu Lu watched Jiang Si's departing figure, and as the door to his reception room closed again, he couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile.

'How could the Uchiha clan produce such a monster?!'

The perfect balance of tension and relaxation has placed Pulu in an awkward, unbalanced position. However, this situation is entirely of their own making, and Pulu has no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.

We can only take it one step at a time.

Pu Lu couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.

The difficulty in making a judgment is what Pu Lu faces, but for Jiang Si, this trip to Kusagakure Village is a test, and he came with the mindset of making a big profit if he succeeds, and not losing anything if he fails.

Therefore, Shoji felt no pressure at all, and it was impossible for him to feel nervous.

Besides, at worst, he would still gain the benefit of scouting enemy positions and making a show of force. It seemed like a win-win situation. The more relaxed the commander was on this point, the more pressure he would put on the other side.

Pu Lu was nervous and even frightened because he couldn't see through Jiang Si's true nature.

But that's Pulu's business.

Jiang Si didn't care at all, and leisurely followed behind Mammoth to the building that Grass Village had built specifically for foreign guests.

"Lord Jiang Si, please stay here for the time being. If you need anything, please feel free to ask the servants. If you are interested, you are also welcome to take a stroll around the village. However, there are some areas that are off-limits. Please be mindful of this, Lord Jiang Si."

Mammoth coughed lightly and said with an awkward but polite smile.

Perhaps because of the immense psychological pressure Jiang Si had placed on him, Mammoth's face would now show obvious fear whenever he made eye contact with Jiang Si.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Mammoth. I naturally understand these things, so you don't need to worry."

The general replied with a smile.

"Um, cough, then I'll excuse myself."

Mammoth seemed somewhat uneasy. After saying that, he vanished in a flash, as if he were a ferocious beast that would devour people, unwilling to stay for even a second longer.

Jiang Si subconsciously touched his cheek, wondering if he was really that scary.

Hei Tu, sitting behind him, also burst out laughing.

"That guy will probably live in Jiang Sisang's shadow for the rest of his life, right? He's like a mouse in front of a cat. Hey, Jiang Sisang, what exactly did you do to him those few days? It was just defeating and interrogating him, it shouldn't be like this, right?"

Heitu tilted his little head, a look of great curiosity on his face, and asked with a grin.