They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 44 Hozuki Shingetsu: Why not surrender with courtesy, so as not to lose the status of the ninja clan?

Takumi Uzumaki was unaware of what was happening in Konoha. He was currently organizing the Uzumaki clan members to rush to the battlefield while anxiously awaiting reinforcements from Konoha.

According to intelligence from the front lines, the invading allied forces were mainly composed of Iwagakure and Kumogakure, led by Hunter, the leader of the Explosives Squad, and Modevy, the adopted brother of the Third Raikage, along with their elite troops. Despite years of preparation by Uzushio Village, they were still forced to retreat under the enemy's fierce offensive.

In less than two days, the battle line had been pushed to the border of the Land of Whirlpools. Meanwhile, there was no word from Konoha. Even if a large army needs time to travel, they could use ninja hawks to send messages in advance! Konoha's silence was already causing the worldly-wise Takumi Uzumaki to have a bad feeling.

Faced with this situation, he could only notify his clansmen again to prepare, and at the same time screen the hopes of the Uzumaki clan, hoping that Konoha would consider the long-standing friendship between the two clans and preserve the last flame of their Uzumaki clan.

"Clan leader, an envoy from Kirigakure requests an audience."

Just as Takumi Uzumaki was busy with his own affairs, the guards notified the envoy from Kirigakure that they were requesting an audience. Only then did Takumi realize that he had forgotten about the people from Kirigakure because of the war.

Having long since lost the will to deal with the other party, he originally intended to send him back directly. However, after hearing that Hozuki Shingetsu was determined to meet him, he decided to see what profound insights he had to offer.

Unexpectedly, his first words broke his composure.

"We have come specifically to save the lives of over a thousand members of the Uzumaki clan." Ignoring the shocked looks on the faces of Yagura and Yukinagi, Shingetsu Hozuki continued to calmly play the role of "persuader," just like he had when he read Romance of the Three Kingdoms in his previous life.

"Is Your Excellency troubled by the current predicament? I have three strategies—superior, middle, and inferior—that can easily defeat the enemy. Would Your Excellency be willing to hear them?"

"Oh? Tell me about it." Uzumaki Takumi chuckled in exasperation. He wanted to hear what this kid had to say, and if he continued spouting nonsense, he wouldn't hesitate to turn on him. Anyway, Uzushio Village was already in this state, and with so much debt, he didn't care about adding another Kirigakure Village to the mix.

"The worst option is to keep the enemy outside the country's borders and wait for Konoha's reinforcements to arrive. With their help from within and without, the crisis will be resolved on its own. However, this is only a temporary solution. As long as Uzushio Village exists, similar things will happen again sooner or later."

Takumi Uzumaki nodded to himself; that was indeed the truth. The moment he learned the enemy's identity, he knew why they had come. Like Kirigakure, they were after the sealing technology for the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki.

However, compared to Kirigakure, which wanted to trade peacefully, the Raito Alliance didn't even want to pay a hundred dollars; they wanted to get something for free.

However, judging from Konoha's reaction, this is probably in jeopardy.

Sensing Takumi Uzumaki's feelings, Shingetsu Hozuki chuckled to himself, then said, "The best course of action is simple: hand over all of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, sever the alliance with Konoha, and declare the Land of Whirlpools to be a permanently neutral country, just like the Land of Iron. That way, nothing like this will ever happen again."

Takumi Uzumaki frowned. What he said made sense, but as a member of a thousand-year-old ninja clan who had lived through the Warring States period, he understood that there was no such thing as a permanently neutral country in this world.

The Land of Iron is a neutral country because it is a gathering place for samurai, a different entity from the mainstream of the ninja world. In fact, whether a country is neutral or not is not something that can be decided by its own words, but also depends on how others perceive it.

If they hand over all their sealing techniques and sever their alliance with Konoha, what if someone denies it later? Wouldn't Uzushio Village be cutting off its own escape route?

Looking at Shinjuku Hozuki, Takumi Uzumaki said, "The worst strategy is too slow, the best strategy is too hasty, is there a middle strategy?"

"Of course there are middle strategies." Hozuki Shingetsu chuckled, finally managing to steer the conversation around the topic. It seems that Romance of the Three Kingdoms is indeed useful! It's just that in his previous life, he admired Romance of the Three Kingdoms so much that he read it as a military treatise.

"The best course of action is to choose a worthy master and follow him. In this way, the Uzumaki clan can protect itself without worrying about being coveted by external enemies. This resolves the dilemma itself. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"A lord?" Takumi's first thought upon hearing this was Konoha, but he quickly realized something was amiss. Shingetsu Hozuki had gone to so much trouble to persuade him to lead his clan into Konoha, so the lord he was referring to must be…

"Hidden Mist Village?"

"Exactly!"

Hearing Hozuki Shingetsu's shameless reply, Uzumaki Takumi was so angry he laughed. Asking him to lead the Uzumaki clan to join Kirigakure? What a joke!

"If this is all the esteemed envoy has come here to say, then you may leave now." Takumi Uzumaki no longer wanted to entangle himself with Shingetsu Hozuki; all he wanted now was to quickly send some of the children from his clan out of the Land of Whirlpools.

"Your Excellency, setting aside our respective prejudices, isn't Kirigakure a strategically advantageous location that's easy to defend and difficult to attack?"

Hozuki Shingetsu couldn't afford to fail at this crucial moment, so he quickly explained the advantages of Kirigakure.

"Yes."

Takumi Uzumaki thought about it and realized that what he said made sense. The Land of Water is essentially an island nation, and anyone who wants to attack Kirigakure must first cross the sea—but how can you fight Kirigakure on the open sea?

With its far superior naval technology, a large number of Water Release ninjas, and a smaller but extremely elite number of Bloodstained Ninjas, Kirigakure could be said to be more than capable of defending, even if it lacked offensive capabilities.

"In today's ninja world, it is an era dominated by ninja villages united by multiple ninja clans. I wonder if Your Excellency agrees with this view?"

"……yes."

"The Uzumaki clan's decision not to join Konoha was probably partly due to their aversion to war and their desire to live in seclusion and cultivate themselves, right?"

"Yes."

"Objectively speaking, Kirigakure should be a good place to recuperate and rebuild, right?"

"Yes."

"Assuming the Uzumaki clan joins Kirigakure, Kirigakure, in terms of strength, should be able to withstand the pressure from various countries and protect the Uzumaki clan, right?"

"……Can."

"Konoha doesn't actually plan to rescue Uzushio Village, right?"

"Yes or no!"

Takumi Uzumaki instinctively answered yes, but immediately changed his mind after realizing something was wrong, but it was clearly too late. Looking at the smile on Shinju Hozuki's face, Takumi couldn't help but sigh.

"There is actually no old grudge between Kirigakure and Uzushio Village, and there are no emotional obstacles between them. Perhaps Your Excellency has heard some rumors in our village that we are not on good terms, but these are just rumors. At most, it is a conflict of the level between the Uchiha and Konoha."

"Most importantly, our Hidden Mist Village has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Uzumaki clan! The Mizukage specifically instructed that as long as the Uzumaki clan enters the water, all Jonin will retain their identities and will all be members of our Hidden Mist Jonin team!"

Hozuki Shingetsu, using Ren's name, keeps making empty promises.

It's important to understand that the status of a Jonin isn't just a ranking of strength; it's also a reflection of political status. The Jonin Council can theoretically decide whether to dismiss the Mizukage. With so many Jonin, it's inevitable that the political situation in Kirigakure will become unstable. In Uzumaki Takumi's view, Kirigakure is indeed showing great sincerity.

Seeing that Takumi Uzumaki was interested in Shingetsu Hozuki, he immediately struck while the iron was hot.

"Since the Warring States period, the world has been in turmoil, the state has been on the verge of collapse, and the people have been in dire straits. My First Mizukage rose to power, uniting all the clans, and was revered by all. This was not achieved through power, but by the will of Heaven! The Second Mizukage, a master of both literature and martial prowess, inherited the great lineage, acting in accordance with Heaven and the people, following the example of Yao and Yao of the Six Paths. He resided in the Hidden Mist Village to maintain order, and settled the hearts of the people in his small corner. Is this not the will of Heaven and the will of the people? Moreover, the fate of the world is changing, the ninja world is in turmoil, and war between the nations is imminent! Wise men are all yielding and waiting for the opportune moment. Why does the Uzumaki clan choose to defy the laws of Heaven and act against human sentiment? Have they not heard the ancients say: those who go against the tide perish, those who go with the tide live, those who ride the tide rise, and those who create the tide become powerful?"

"Why doesn't Your Excellency surrender with courtesy, thus preserving the dignity of the ninja clan?"

(End of this chapter)