For a moment, the meeting room echoed with one thud after another as the Uzumaki leaders toppled over in disbelief.
Shigure stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
“Elder Shigure…” Hironari’s face twitched.
“Surely you aren’t claiming that you’ve never even heard of the Body-Strengthening Flower?” As far as Hironari was concerned, Shigure was deliberately making things difficult for the Uzumaki Clan.
He almost grabbed the chair behind him and hurled it at the man.
This Senju Shigure was utterly shameless!
It was bad enough that he had repeatedly humiliated Hironari, but now he was pretending that he had never heard of the Body-Strengthening Flower—a treasure coveted throughout the shinobi world.
Could he come up with a more ridiculous lie?
If the Uzumaki had not discovered that Shigure seemed interested in taijutsu training, they would never have offered such a precious resource.
They had already paid an enormous price in the hope of obtaining his so-called tactical knowledge.
The Senju Clan would never allow one of its senior elders to remain with the Uzumaki indefinitely.
For the sake of the clan’s future security, they had to learn Shigure’s strategies before he departed.
That was the conclusion the Uzumaki leaders had reached after discussing the matter.
They had ultimately selected Uzumaki Masaki, Uzumaki Ryōta’s intelligent grandson, which had led to the young man kneeling before Shigure today.
After listening to Hironari ramble on about the flower’s wondrous effects, Shigure curled his lips dismissively and raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve already lived for fifty years.
Why would I still bother training in taijutsu?” He glanced around the room before abruptly changing his tone.
“Still, since this Body-Strengthening Flower is apparently so impressive, I suppose a hundred flowers will do.
I can give them to the younger members of my clan.” With that, Shigure turned away and ignored them.
“A hundred?
Have you lost your mind?” Hironari’s fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
His bloodshot eyes glared furiously at Shigure.
“Elder Shigure, that demand shows no sincerity whatsoever,” Ryōta said with a deep frown.
“That’s right!
Our clan doesn’t even have that many in storage!” “This is outright extortion!” “Hmph!” The Uzumaki leaders shook their heads emphatically, refusing outright.
Shigure clapped his hands and rose from his chair.
“If we cannot reach an agreement, I’ll be taking my leave.” He immediately began walking towards the door.
Hehehe… Let’s see how long you can resist taking the bait.
Shigure was extremely tempted by their offer, but the Uzumaki were the ones asking for his help.
Naturally, he intended to demand an outrageous price first.
“Please wait, Elder Shigure!” Shigure had taken only a few steps when Takamasa’s voice rang out behind him.
Since he had never truly intended to leave, Shigure came to a natural stop.
“Oh?
Does Clan Leader Takamasa have something else to say?” Takamasa had never imagined that Shigure could possess not only such extraordinarily thick skin but also such boundless greed.
However, once he remembered Shigure’s almost miraculous tactical abilities, he forced down his displeasure.
“To tell you the truth, our clan currently possesses fewer than seventy Body-Strengthening Flowers.
That is everything we have accumulated over the years.” Now that Takamasa had revealed their limit, Shigure decided not to press them much further.
He immediately adopted an agonised expression.
“Very well.
Since this young man has approached me in good faith, I’ll make a concession.
Hand over sixty Body-Strengthening Flowers, and I will teach you the Senju Clan’s Thirty-Six Stratagems.” Sixty Body-Strengthening Flowers?
Takamasa nearly cursed aloud.
Shigure was demanding almost their entire stock!
However, his anger subsided slightly when he heard the words “Thirty-Six Stratagems.” “The Thirty-Six Stratagems?
Does that mean his tactical system contains thirty-six different strategies?” “Who knows?
He might have invented the name just now.” Ignoring Hironari’s quiet muttering, Shigure stared directly at the gloomy-looking Takamasa.
“Fine!
I accept your terms.” The moment Takamasa agreed, Shigure’s heart nearly exploded with excitement.
He was so delighted that he could hardly think straight.
“In that case, I’ll write down the Thirty-Six Stratagems right now.” Shigure pointed towards the young man kneeling on the floor.
“You there—come over here.” He pulled his writing materials from inside his robes.
They were the same tools he had used to take notes on the sealing arts the previous night, and they had now found another use.
“Greetings, Master!
My name is Uzumaki Masaki.” The young man possessed refined, handsome features.
He carefully approached Shigure and stood beside him with an exceedingly respectful expression.
“Mm.” Shigure spread a sheet of paper across the table and began writing.
The surrounding Uzumaki leaders immediately crowded around him, unable to contain their impatience.
Hironari arrived a step too late.
Without hesitation, he dragged Masaki aside and squeezed into the opening himself.
Escape by Leaving a Decoy.
Trade Something Small for Something Greater Use Another’s Hand to Strike Let the Enemy Exhaust Themselves Exploit the Chaos Provoke a Reaction Conceal the True Objective Turn Enemy Agents Conceal Hostility Behind Friendliness One cryptic maxim after another appeared on the paper.
The Uzumaki leaders stared with widened eyes and furrowed brows, desperately trying to decipher them.
The titles alone left them completely baffled.
Shigure did not merely list the stratagems.
He also wrote a brief explanation beneath each one.
Before long, he finished the final entry and handed the completed document to Takamasa.
“Make several copies.” After giving his instructions, Shigure took his newly accepted disciple and headed towards the Uzumaki Clan’s storehouse.
Back inside the meeting room, the Uzumaki leaders continued staring blankly at the words on the paper.
Suddenly, Nagakaze slapped his forehead as enlightenment dawned across his face.
“Incredible… Absolutely incredible!” Everyone immediately turned towards him.
“Second Elder, have you understood the meaning behind the Thirty-Six Stratagems?” The others hurriedly crowded around him.
“Hehehe… I’ve only understood three of them,” Nagakaze replied excitedly.
“They are the same three stratagems Elder Shigure used yesterday!” “Which three?” Everyone urged him to continue.
“Provoke a Reaction, Conceal the True Objective, and Remove the Source of the Threat!” The Uzumaki leaders sucked in sharp breaths.
They hurriedly located the three stratagems and read the explanations Shigure had written beneath them.
“Incredible!” “So that’s what he was doing!” “He achieved such a devastating victory by combining only three stratagems.
These methods are truly extraordinary!” “As expected of one of the Senju Clan’s most closely guarded secrets!” While the Uzumaki leaders marvelled at the extraordinary depth of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, Shigure had already returned to his room with sixty Body-Strengthening Flowers.
He had dismissed the disciple he had acquired at practically no cost.
Before Masaki left, however, Shigure had assigned him his first task: Copy the Thirty-Six Stratagems one thousand times.
“Hehehe… Being a teacher really is wonderful.” Shigure stared at the Body-Strengthening Flowers spread across the table, his eyes shining brightly.
His excitement was impossible to describe.
He knew that his two greatest weaknesses—his Strength and Constitution Attributes—would finally cease to be a problem.
Add to library.
Send some Power Stones.