172. Revival Plan
Added 2024-11-06 06:53:42 +0000 UTC
"Elder Akemi, did you say you captured an intruder?"
In a grand palace not far from where Uchiha Gin was being held, Otsutsuki Akemi—who just moments before had been smiling—now stood drenched in sweat, nervously facing a slender figure on the high platform.
Her body trembled, but she forced herself to answer respectfully, “Clan leader, I did capture a stranger, but he's just a defenseless young man.”
Despite her fear of the clan leader, Akemi—who had a good impression of Uchiha Gin at first glance—forced herself to advocate for the young man, saying, “I don’t care if he's young or old, male or female. If he came from Earth, he can’t be allowed to stay!”
The figure on the platform slowly turned, revealing cold, indifferent eyes that were white as the moon. Looking at the shivering Akemi kneeling below, she declared Uchiha Gin’s fate.
Upon hearing the leader’s words, Akemi's fear was finally overcome by her own desires. She gritted her teeth, bowed her head, and pleaded, “Clan leader, but he’s a man! A strong, sturdy man!”
The clan leader remained unmoved.
"We have a lot of men."
Akemi took a deep breath, lifted her head, and spoke with urgency, “But the men in the clan are too old. They’re no longer capable of bearing the responsibility of our clan’s continuation.”
The figure on the platform showed no reaction, not even raising her eyes, and turned away, saying coldly, “Then take their eyes and find replacements.”
Standing on the high platform, gazing at the blue Earth, the current Otsutsuki clan leader declared the fate of her kin with a chilling indifference.
To her, men were simply tools.
Hearing the heartless command, Akemi felt a chill down her spine as beads of sweat dripped onto the polished stone floor.
“Clan leader,” she began, her voice shaking, “it’s been a long time since you last left the palace.”
She thought of the clan’s dwindling numbers, and not wanting to see the Otsutsuki fade away, she summoned all her courage, raised her head, and stared intently at the clan leader.
The leader, frowning slightly, asked in a cold voice, “What do you mean by that?”
“Clan leader,” Bilu continued, “it’s been over ten years since we had a healthy newborn.”
With her heart set on preserving the clan, Akemi started to explain the dire situation to her reclusive clan leader.
Centuries ago, during the Great War, most of the clan’s members had sacrificed themselves to activate the Tenseigan, which had ultimately allowed the branch family to triumph over the main family.
However, their own population was left critically low, reduced to less than 20%.
In response to the population crisis, the branch family leaders had implemented policies encouraging childbirth, awarding titles like “Honored Mother” and “Heroic Mother” to women who bore multiple children.
A woman with five children was called an “Honored Mother,” while one with ten was a “Heroic Mother.”
But over the years, this policy didn’t produce the expected results. After an initial population increase, growth stagnated, and unexpected issues began to emerge within the clan.
“Ninety percent of our newborns die at birth, and of the surviving 10%, seven out of ten are deformed.”
Seeing that the clan leader had not shown anger but instead seemed thoughtful, Akemi continued her analysis, saying, “This is all due to our breeding program. At first, the clan members weren’t closely related, so the children were born healthy. But by the third generation, failed births and deformities started increasing.”
The Otsutsuki, with their longer lifespans, had maintained a relatively pure bloodline, which contributed to their vitality. But this genetic purity was now proving detrimental.
“And what about the men? Are there no more left?”
The clan leader’s voice, though cold, revealed a hint of curiosity.
“Clan leader, there are only a few elderly men left,” Bilu replied, nearly on the verge of tears. “Since you retreated into seclusion decades ago, you haven’t been involved in clan affairs. It’s now a crisis—our numbers have dwindled to the brink of extinction.”
The clan leader, now visibly anxious, furrowed her brows. She hadn’t realized that the clan had fallen into such a state under her neglect. Resolved to act, she asked, “Elder Akemi, do you have a solution?”
Akemi's eyes sparkled with hope, and she declared confidently, “Yes, clan leader! That young man from Earth—he could be the key to reviving our clan.”
“But the ancient texts say that those from Earth are impure. Only fire can cleanse their souls,” the clan leader mused, tilting her head thoughtfully.
“Ah, clan leader, this is no time to cling to outdated ideas!” Akemi pleaded. “We need to open our eyes to the world!”
“Fine, then,” the clan leader replied, finally yielding. “What do you propose?”
“Simply put, we let the women in the clan breed with this young man from Earth to produce healthy offspring. These children could then interbreed with suitable members of our clan.”
Akemi, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm, wiped the drool from her mouth as she continued her explanation, “There are 66 women left in the clan, including you, clan leader.”
Having prepared her data meticulously, Akemi swiftly provided a full report, “There are only eight men left, all elderly and no longer viable.”
The clan leader, hearing this report, showed a rare moment of urgency.
She tightened her fists, realizing that her inaction had led the clan to the verge of collapse. Determined, she ordered, “Very well! Elder Akemi, I’ll leave this matter entirely in your hands.”
With immense relief, Akemi bowed, her chubby form practically bouncing with joy as she promised, “Yes, clan leader! I’ll draft a plan for you immediately.”
“Do it quickly,” the clan leader commanded, regaining her usual cold demeanor as she dismissed Akemi with a wave.
Akemi left the palace, thrilled. She muttered to herself with a grin, “Finally! This handsome young man is safe!”
As she planned her next steps, her small eyes glinted with cunning. “This precious seed shouldn’t go to waste. I’ll take second place—no need to push myself to the front.”
With her mind already scheming, Akemi mumbled darkly, thinking of those old elders wasting resources. "Let them contribute to the clan one last time.”
Meanwhile, in Akemi's palace, Uchiha Gin sat in a massive dining hall, surrounded by young servants placing fragrant dishes before him, while others danced stiffly nearby. Two female attendants in kimonos carefully set his utensils.
“Wow, this isn’t bad!” Yin commented after a taste. Although the food was somewhat mass-produced, it was still high quality.
“Play the music! Keep dancing!” Unafraid of poison, he continued to devour his meal.
After all, he hadn’t eaten since arriving on the moon and was ravenous.
“Service here is on point—I might come back again!”
After a feast, Uchiha Gin who has eaten until full, took a toothpick handed by the attendant next to him.
"The palace is quite big, but its so desolate."
Despite the bustling crowd around Uchiha Gin, the steady stream of busy figures coming and going, under the shroud of his powerful perception, he discovered that apart from himself, there was no other trace of life within the palace.
"Can I take a stroll?"
Uchiha Gin stood up, ready to take a walk to digest his food, and scout the environment along the way.
"Lord Gin, please don't wander off. Lady Akemi instructed me to be your guide."
Just as he was about to step forward, a dark figure appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
It was a man wearing a black face cloth, his lifeless yellow eyes devoid of any vitality.
A cold voice emanated from beneath the face covering.
Lady Akemi? So that scary woman is really named Akemi. Fate truly works in mysterious ways.
"A guest abides by the host’s rules. Lead the way, then."
Not looking for any conflict, Uchiha Gin spread his hands to show he had no other intentions, gesturing for the figure to lead the way—he was just here to look around.
"Lord Gin, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I know far more than humans do."
The black puppet leading the way spoke in a considerate tone while guiding him.
"Tch! Impressive. If I'd known, I would have asked Great Ancestor for that puppet technique. The automation level of the Ōtsutsuki Clan's puppets is so high, those sand manipulators back home couldn't even come close!"
"So, how big is the moon?"
Raising an eyebrow, Uchiha Gin sneered, challenging the puppet.
The Uchiha Clan despises anyone showing off in front of us.
"Approximately 3.79 million square kilometers."
Without hesitation, the black puppet immediately responded with an answer.
Damn, that’s the first time I’ve heard that. Is this guy just spouting random numbers to fool me?
Though shocked inside, Uchiha Gin maintained a "I knew that, just testing you" expression.
Failing with one question, he moved on to another.
"So, who is your master?"
"My master is Lady Ōtsutsuki Akemi, an elder of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, overseeing all matters within the clan, great and small."
The black puppet answered honestly, without any hesitation.
Is that something it’s allowed to say? Or does this information not count as confidential, available to anyone?
Unexpectedly, the puppet seemed to have no reservations about selling out its master.
Uchiha Gin's eyes sparkled with interest as he seized the moment to press further.
"Where is the Ōtsutsuki Clan's Eye of Reincarnation(Tenseigan) ?"
"The Eye of Reincarnation is locat... Beep beep beep."
Expecting to hear the answer, Uchiha Gin watched as a blue light flashed in the black puppet’s eyes, and the latter half of its sentence turned into a series of beeps, rendering it unintelligible.
"Ha! I knew it. No way an advanced AI like this wouldn’t have some kind of confidentiality mechanism"