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

Chapter 47 A Show of Force

"Is everything resolved?"

Hozuki Shingetsu carefully wiped the bloodstains off the kunai with Hyuga Muneto's clothes, then turned to ask Yukinagi and Yagura.

"Easy peasy! Without the combined Ino-Shika-Cho trio, they're practically defenseless," Yagura Karatachi replied.

If the individual combat power of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio is one, then their combined combat power is enough to reach ten. The three races complement each other's strengths and make up for each other's weaknesses, which is why they are such a troublesome combination on the battlefield.

But being all alone is just like that.

So even though the ninjas from the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans were all Jonin, they were easily defeated by the two of them.

"Two minutes have passed. Let's go, let's go out and greet Chief Whirlpool!"

Hozuki Shingetsu estimated the time and went out first, followed closely by Yagura Karatachi and Yukinagi, leaving behind only the raging fire and the unseeing eyes of Nara Shikanobu and Hyuga Muneto.

-

When Takumi Uzumaki arrived with a group of Uzumaki experts, he saw a group of Uzumaki ninja helpless against the fog that shrouded the Konoha embassy district.

"Clan leader, this fog is really strange. It must be some kind of large-scale illusion. Everything we see after we go in is fake, and many people can't find the location of the Konoha envoy at all," a vortex guard reported with a troubled expression.

"This is... a mirage."

Takumi Uzumaki, who was from the same era as Gengetsu Hozuki, naturally recognized this move. Upon seeing it, he had a bad feeling.

With this move, combined with the Hozuki clan's water transformation technique and ice release, how could those few Konoha ninja possibly withstand it?

However, clinging to a sliver of hope, just as Takumi Uzumaki was about to force his way in, the fog suddenly dissipated, and Hozuki Shingetsu and the other two emerged from the lingering mist.

"Could it be that Chieftain, like me, couldn't sleep and was drawn out by this beautiful scenery to admire the moon?"

Hozuki Shingetsu looked at Uzumaki Takumi and asked with a smile.

Yukinagi and Yagura, who were standing to the side, looked up at the moon, which was obscured by dark clouds, and then looked back at the embassy behind them, which was engulfed in flames. They nodded and remained silent.

"Great, very good!"

Looking at the burning embassy behind him, Takumi Uzumaki knew that it was too late. If the Konoha envoys were still alive, they would have come out on their own. In the current situation, they were all dead. Otherwise, what would they be doing inside, warming themselves by the fire?

His face immediately turned ashen as he ordered the surrounding Uzumaki clan members to capture Hozuki Shingetsu and the other two.

Hozuki Shingetsu smiled and offered no resistance. He knew that as long as Uzumaki Takumi didn't kill them immediately, it meant that Uzumaki Takumi was also hesitant. Since he was hesitant, there was room for Hozuki Shingetsu to make his move later...

-

After a brief outburst of rage, Takumi Uzumaki had come to understand the situation. With Konoha confirmed to be without any support, the only way for the Uzumaki clan to survive, if they didn't want to be wiped out, was to seek refuge with Kirigakure.

But if they just slink away and surrender like this, wouldn't that make them look incompetent? Especially after Hozuki Shingetsu forcefully killed the Konoha envoy, wouldn't it make outsiders think that the Uzumaki clan had submitted to power?

Therefore, even if one wants to join Kirigakure, there are still rules about how to join and in what manner.

Takumi Uzumaki carefully considered the current situation of the Uzumaki clan, then suddenly remembered something and gestured to the Uzumaki ninja beside him to do it.

"Go and select a few children to send to Konoha."

Although he was determined to join Kirigakure, things had come to this point, and even if it was simply to avoid risks, he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket.

With the care of the Senju clan, the Uzumaki bloodline can at least survive in Konoha.

Several children flashed through Takumi Uzumaki's mind; they were all renowned geniuses of the Uzumaki clan, and Kushina Uzumaki was among them.

Just as he was thinking of sending Kushina Uzumaki to Konoha, the news that Shingetsu Hozuki had given Kushina something suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

"Let Michiko and Sankai go!"

After hesitating for a while, Takumi Uzumaki finally made up his mind.

-

After Hozuki Shingetsu and the other two were captured, they were not imprisoned in the dungeon by the Uzumaki clan. Instead, their ability to refine chakra was sealed using a sealing technique, and then they were separated and imprisoned.

The detention facility was a normal residence, and apart from not being able to leave the house and use chakra, it was no different from before.

Seeing this, Hozuki Shingetsu, whose suspicions were further confirmed, waited quietly. In any case, the war on the front lines in the Land of Whirlpools was urgent, and the Uzumaki clan was the most important party.

Sure enough, just one day later, Hozuki Shingetsu was taken away. On the way, they met Yukinagi and Yagura Karatachi. The three of them were escorted to the castle tower.

However, the gate was locked. Hozuki Shingetsu looked at the ninja who was leading the way and saw him pointing to a dog hole, clearly indicating that he wanted the three of them to enter through there.

"Only distinguished guests can enter through the main gate; you can only enter through that gate."

Yukinagi and Yagura were furious. This was incredibly disrespectful!

"But we entered through the main entrance last time!"

"That was last time. Last time you were guests of Uzushio Village, but now..."

The guard glanced at Hozuki Shingetsu and the other two, shook his head, and said nothing more.

Hozuki Shingetsu smiled calmly, "People use human doors, dogs use dog holes. This one uses a dog hole as a door. I wonder if the owner of this castle tower is a human or a dog? If he's a dog, then it wouldn't be so bad for us to enter from here."

The guard was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.

"He's certainly sharp-tongued; no wonder he's managed to stir up such chaos in the ninja world." On the castle tower, a group of high-ranking Uzumaki members, including Takumi Uzumaki, were watching this scene from afar, and one of the Uzumaki elders commented.

Takumi Uzumaki nodded noncommittally, gesturing for his men to open the door and let him in.

The guard, who was sweating profusely and unsure of what to do, was relieved and quickly opened the gate to let the three of them in. The three then stepped into the first floor of the castle tower.

This time, entering the castle tower was different from before. On the first floor of the castle tower, the Uzumaki clan members were lined up in two rows, each with a murderous look on their face. They were all wearing armor, and there were even bloodstains on the armor, which clearly showed that they had just withdrawn from the battlefield.

"The front line has fallen!"

The moment Hozuki Shingetsu saw these people, he understood. The Uzumaki clan couldn't simply recall these elites just to gain an advantage; this was a true matter of life and death for the Uzumaki clan. They were about to confront him directly! That's why they acted this way earlier—to deflate his ego.

However, the more critical the moment, the more Hozuki Shingetsu realized that he couldn't back down. At times like these, it's all about momentum and confidence.

So he immediately stood tall and proud, hands behind his back, a smile on his face, and strolled through the gap in the middle.

"ha!"

When he had gone halfway, the ninjas on both sides shouted in unison, drew their standard ninja swords, and pointed the blades directly at Hozuki Shingetsu and the other two.

Yukinagi and Yagura were terrified, thinking the Uzumaki clan wanted to kill them. They immediately tried to fight back, but suddenly realized they were still sealed by the Uzumaki clan's sealing technique and couldn't refine their chakra at all. Just as they were extremely anxious, they saw Hozuki Shingetsu in front of them remain calm and unfazed by the scene, continuing to walk forward leisurely.

Standing atop the castle tower, Elder Uzumaki witnessed this scene and couldn't help but sigh, "They do have some guts."

Takumi Uzumaki's face darkened. Wasn't that obvious? Did they lack the guts to launch a sneak attack on the Konoha team last night?

However, it would be too beneath him to speak disparagingly at this point, so he could only snort coldly and say, "Let's see how he performs next!"

Under the watchful eyes of numerous Uzumaki ninjas, the three of them calmly walked across the first floor and climbed the stairs to the second floor.

There weren't as many Whirlpool Clan members on the second floor, only a large cauldron glowing red from the flames, with boiling water churning inside and emitting bursts of steam.

A Uzumaki clan member dressed as a butcher was sharpening his knife, glancing at various parts of Hozuki Shingetsu's body from time to time, chuckling as if he was thinking about where to make his cut.

"Go up from there and you'll reach the third floor. The clan leader is waiting for you... Hehehe, but we might see each other again soon." The vortex clan member reminded him in a hoarse voice, and then continued sharpening his knife.

Upon witnessing this scene, Yukinagi and Yagura instinctively tensed their muscles. It was hard not to associate this scene with the torture of being boiled in a cauldron.

Although as ninjas they were already mentally prepared to die in battle, and especially after following Hozuki Shingetsu to kill the Konoha envoy, they had considered what to do if the Uzumaki clan went berserk and tried to kill them. But being mentally prepared is one thing, but how one dies is another. Being killed with a single kunai and being boiled alive in boiling water are completely different experiences.

Just as the two were trembling with fear, Hozuki Shingetsu did not go around to the third floor via the stairs, but went straight to the cauldron. He even stuck his head out to look inside, making tsk-tsk sounds as he looked, appearing quite dissatisfied.

"This plain water won't do! Remember to add some chili peppers later, I like it spicy." Hozuki Shingetsu pulled a handful of chili peppers from his pocket, handing them to the butcher while reminding him, "Oh, and remember to marinate the meat before you put it in the pot! Use cooking wine, scallions, ginger, and garlic to remove the fishy smell, and remember to prepare some sesame paste and chive blossoms for the dipping sauce, thanks!"

After saying that, ignoring the dumbfounded butcher, Hozuki Shingetsu pulled Yukinagi and Yagura, who were also stunned, up the stairs.

I never imagined that the chili peppers I had hidden away to prevent myself from being unable to cry would have such a use.

Hozuki Shingetsu thought to himself with a sigh that he had originally intended to use the chili pepper to win over the Uzumaki clan when he was recruiting them. His plan was to smear some chili pepper in his eyes when Uzumaki Takumi decided to bring the clan to Kirigakure, then feign a tearful, emotional display, hold Takumi's hand, and say with deep feeling, "To have the Uzumaki is like a fish having water!"

Wouldn't this scene perfectly save face for both sides?

The butcher glanced at the chili pepper in his hand, then at the knife in his own, and fell into deep self-doubt.

No way, who carries chili peppers with them when they go out?

Upstairs, the many high-ranking members of the Vortex organization who had noticed this scene fell silent once again.

(End of this chapter)