The external threat from the Konoha high-ups was temporarily stabilized due to a carefully orchestrated internal conflict. The internal preparations for Project Divine Concealment were finally able to shed their heaviest shackles and advance at an unprecedented speed.

However, during a core meeting regarding resource statistics, Qi proposed a point of view that surprised everyone.

His finger tapped lightly on a scroll recording the clan's population. The numbers marked in cinnabar on it were cold and glaring.

"Our Uchiha clan's biggest shortcoming is not top-tier combat power, nor is it wealth reserves."

Qi's voice echoed in the secret chamber of Naka Shrine, clearly reaching the ears of Uchiha Fugaku, Shisui, and Uchiha Itachi.

"It is population."

His gaze shifted from the scroll, as if piercing through the stone wall, seeing the C-rank rating representing 【Clan Population】 on the system panel. That rating was like a needle, stinging his nerves.

"Our population base is too small." The voice became heavy. "A war, a plague, or even a wrong decision could plunge our already scarce clan into a hopeless situation. This greatly limits the clan's potential and binds our future."

Uchiha Fugaku, Shisui, and Uchiha Itachi were all lost in thought. They were used to thinking from the perspective of combat power, calculating the number of Mangekyō Sharingan and the proportion of Jonin, but they had never raised "population," this seemingly most basic number, to the strategic height of deciding the clan's survival. In the world of Ninja, people paid more attention to powerful individuals but often ignored the most fundamental cornerstone that determines whether a civilization can continue.

Qi did not give them too much time to digest this point of view, and immediately promulgated a series of "population doubling plan" that seemed shocking at the time.

"I announce that, effective immediately, all members of our Uchiha clan who get married and have children will receive a huge reward of 50,000 contribution points at once!"

50,000 contribution points!

Once this number was out, even Uchiha Fugaku, who had been trying to remain calm, couldn't help but gasp. His fingers tapped the table unconsciously, his mind rapidly calculating the value of this number. In the contribution point system, the reward for an A-rank mission was only about 10,000 points. This meant that giving birth to a child was equivalent to completing five A-rank missions with nine deaths and one life on the battlefield!

This was no longer a reward; this was using the clan's future to pay the highest tribute to the birth of every new life.

And this was just the beginning.

"The clan will immediately prepare to build a unified, highest-standard nursery and early education center." Qi's voice was without a ripple, as if stating a fact that had already been planned. "All newborn Uchiha, from birth to six years old, will have all their upbringing, food, clothing, and basic education expenses covered by the clan!"

"Not only that, all pregnant female Ninja will enjoy full paid leave with contribution points during pregnancy and for one year after childbirth. They can receive a fixed contribution point subsidy from the clan treasury every month to ensure their physical and mental health and family income!"

This series of policies, like heavy bombs dropped into a calm lake, completely overturned everyone's traditional cognition of clan management.

The clan of the past was more like a military alliance, with all resources tilted towards combat personnel. And what Qi was doing now was transforming the clan, this cold war machine, into a warm, vibrant prototype of a "nation." This was no longer just encouraging childbirth; it was using the resources of the entire clan to "beg" the clansmen to sow more seeds for the future of Uchiha.

To ensure that this plan, which concerned the century-long strategy of Uchiha, could be implemented perfectly, Qi's gaze turned to a special woman in the clan.

Uchiha Shigure.

She was not a powerful combat Ninja, and had not even awakened the Sharingan. But her exquisite attainments in Medical Ninjutsu, as well as that innate gentleness and patience, gave her a very high reputation and trust within the clan, especially among women and children.

At a core meeting, in front of all the high-level officials, Qi personally appointed Uchiha Shigure as the head of the newly established "Maternal and Infant Health Department," fully responsible for the medical security aspect of the "population doubling plan."

Facing this sudden heavy responsibility, Uchiha Shigure seemed a bit at a loss. She was wearing a clean Medical Ninja uniform, her face delicate, and looking at the young man in front of her who was younger than herself but was already the actual leader of the entire clan, she nervously clenched the corner of her clothes.

"Qi... Lord, I... I am just an ordinary Chunin, I am afraid I won't do well." Her voice was very soft, with a hint of self-doubt.

"You will do well." Qi's tone was gentle, but carried a convincing power.

He took out a special scroll engraved with a constant temperature formula from his robes and handed it to Uchiha Shigure.

"This is my improved version of 'Cell Activation Fluid,' diluted a hundred times, the medicinal properties are extremely mild and will not cause any burden to the mother and fetus. You lead the medical squad to use it to condition the bodies of all pregnant women, ensuring their Chakra is stable and nutrition is sufficient during pregnancy."

"At the same time, use it for medicinal baths for all newborns, which can greatly enhance their vitality and resistance to common diseases."

Qi looked into Uchiha Shigure's eyes, and in those deep eyes, there was no oppression of orders, only a solemn entrustment.

"What I want you to do is only one thing. Reduce the mortality rate of our Uchiha newborns to zero. Not a single one can be missing."

Uchiha Shigure looked at Qi blankly, looking at the extreme emphasis on "life" in his eyes. That was not the coldness of treating clansmen as combat tools, but a true expectation and protection for the future. In her heart, a warmth like never before surged, dispelling all uneasiness and panic.

"Yes!"

Uchiha Shigure nodded heavily, a firm light flashing in her eyes. She took the scroll with both hands, as if accepting a heavy mission concerning the future of the entire clan. Because of this trust and heavy responsibility, her feelings for the young man in front of her, besides admiration, quietly added a different kind of emotion.

This plan, through the Council of Elders, quickly spread throughout the Uchiha Clan Compound.

At first, some clansmen were skeptical, thinking this was just a pie drawn on paper. But when the first pair of newlyweds really received that thick stack of bills representing 50,000 contribution points from the trembling hands of the financial elder Uchiha Inabi, the entire Uchiha was completely boiling!

An unprecedented hope and enthusiasm for the future rose in the hearts of every clansman. Young Ninja no longer just thought about missions and fighting; they began to plan their families, looking forward to the birth of their children.

On Qi's system panel, the indicator in the 【Clan Population】 column, although growing slowly, showed a stable upward green arrow representing hope for the first time.

And his total Chakra also gained a permanent, albeit slight but significant, increase because of this.

The future of the clan was quietly gestating under this oppressive land.

And the current material reserves needed to support this future must also keep up immediately.

Qi said to Uchiha Shigure: "The cry of a child represents our future more than a thousand grand words. This future is entrusted to you to protect."