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

Chapter 56 Danzo: In times without heroes, even a nobody can rise to fame.

"Phew... I'm finally back."

Hozuki Shingetsu smiled as he looked at the towering gates of Kirigakure before him.

The trip to Wochao Village was short, only about a week, but many important things happened in that short time, especially the several reversals, which left a deep impression on him.

"Is this Kirigakure?" Kushina Uzumaki peeked out from behind Shingetsu Hozuki, looking at the Uzumaki clan's new home with a rare look of confusion on her face.

All the Whirlpool Clan members behind them, including the Whirlpool Elders, showed the same expression.

Although the Uzumaki clan ultimately triumphed over their enemies, they still couldn't help but feel a sense of displacement and dependence on others, having left their homeland far away from the Land of Whirlpools.

"Yes, from now on, this will be your home." Hozuki Shingetsu patted Uzumaki Kushina's head and said with a smile. Under Hozuki Shingetsu's deliberate guidance, Uzumaki Kushina is now increasingly accepting her new identity, and the barrier between her and Hozuki Shingetsu is gradually disappearing.

And if anything unexpected happens along the way...

"Watch out, Moon~"

That was the eerie voice that Yukinagi used to occasionally echo in Hozuki Shingetsu's ears.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Hozuki Shingetsu chose to ignore this and looked at Genji, who was smiling broadly as he approached to greet them.

"Haha... Crescent Moon, you are truly a lucky charm for my Hidden Mist Village!" Master Yuan looked at the groups of Uzumaki clan members following behind him, their families in tow, and his old face beamed like a blooming chrysanthemum.

With the help of the Uzumaki clan, the Three-Tails and Six-Tails were no longer just something to watch! Kirigakure finally had its own Jinchuriki!

Watching the scene of Genji and the new clan leader Uzumaki Yoshio exchanging pleasantries, Hozuki Shingetsu suddenly realized that someone was missing.

"Master Yuan, hasn't Lord Mizukage arrived?"

According to Hozuki Shingetsu's thinking, no matter what, the Hozuki and Yuki clans did indeed send troops without permission. Even if they had the great achievement of recruiting the Uzumaki clan, they should at least be given a symbolic punishment.

He was even prepared for the Foreign Minister to be removed from his post, but as he thought about how to deal with Lian all the way, he suddenly realized that she wasn't coming at all.

Hozuki Shingetsu, feeling extremely uncomfortable after his punch landed on empty air, couldn't understand why, no matter how hard he tried.

Master Yuan smiled awkwardly. He couldn't very well say that Lian was currently in a state where she was too ashamed to show her face, could he?

They were so arrogant and high-spirited over there, emphasizing the overall interests of the village in front of so many people, and declaring that if Hozuki Shingetsu really tried to recruit the Uzumaki clan, they would pretend this never happened. Then they were slapped in the face repeatedly. Unless they really have no shame, they should avoid people at this time, right?

"Ren... he's probably busy changing his name..."

"?"

For once, Hozuki Shingetsu's face showed a look of confusion.

-

Meanwhile, news of the many events that occurred in the Land of Whirlpools finally spread throughout the entire ninja world.

Although the Lightning-Earth Alliance was completely annihilated and the Konoha envoy was killed in a surprise attack by Hozuki Shingetsu, the Lightning-Earth Alliance's attack on Uzushio Village was already a matter of great concern in the ninja world. In addition, after the Uzumaki clan entered the Land of Water, they were witnessed by many people, and the various ninja villages gradually learned about the specific details of this battle.

The most enraged were not Konoha, but Kumogakure and Iwagakure. As the instigators of this incident, Iwagakure and Kumogakure attracted a lot of attention from the beginning. Including Konoha, most ninja believed that without Konoha's reinforcements, the Uzumaki clan would definitely be wiped out, with at most a few Uzumaki clan members scattered throughout the ninja world.

Even the Sand Village was frustrated by this—if the Stone Village and the Cloud Village gained the sealing technique for the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, they would be one of only two villages, along with the Hidden Mist Village, without a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki. They regretted not joining in and missing a golden opportunity to divide up Uzushio Village.

However, to the astonishment of the ninja world, the allied forces formed by Kumogakure and Iwagakure not only failed but were completely annihilated by the Uzumaki clan. Even the leaders of the two villages, Modevi, the Raikage's sworn brother, and Ryougi, the leader of the Explosives Squad, perished in the Land of Whirlpools. Even Iwagakure's Five-Tails was traded for one for one by the Uzumaki clan.

So, under these circumstances, how could the two villages, having lost both face and substance, not be furious?

Enraged, the two villages immediately issued a kill order against Hozuki Shingetsu. Hozuki Shingetsu's bounty on the black market was as high as three Asumas. This tempting reward also prompted many bounty hunters to travel across the ocean to the Land of Water to help build up the prison in Kirigakure.

At the same time, the news of the Uzumaki clan joining Kirigakure was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue across the ninja world. No one expected that the Lightning-Earth Alliance, after fighting tooth and nail, would ultimately be outmaneuvered by Kirigakure.

They even considered having the Uzumaki clan join Konoha, but they never imagined that the Uzumaki clan would join Kirigakure, since that would also be a form of NTR.

This undoubtedly led the various ninja villages to secretly update their impressions of Kirigakure: internally unstable, weak, fond of causing trouble, and adept at stealing.

However, the Uzumaki clan joining Kirigakure was a stroke of good luck for the other forces, at least they didn't join Konoha.

Although Kirigakure's strength increased significantly after acquiring the Uzumaki clan, making it possible for them to produce Jinchuriki of Tailed Beasts, their remote overseas location and isolation meant they were not the primary target of other forces on the continent.

Leaving aside the fact that the Land of Water doesn't have particularly abundant resources and isn't worth attacking, the most important thing is that it's common knowledge that Kirigakure and the Daimyo are at odds. And if they're at odds with the Daimyo, it means they don't have much military funding. And what good are manpower if you don't have much military funding?

Could it be that you can conjure up explosive tags and kunai out of thin air?

Therefore, their main target is still Konoha, the most fertile land in the ninja world and the most powerful village. As long as Konoha's strength does not increase significantly, everything will be fine.

While the ninja world was thoroughly mocking the two villages of Kumoi and Iwata for losing both their lives and their army, Hozuki Shingetsu's name once again appeared before everyone.

This newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kirigakure, who had only been in office for a year and was still under thirteen years old, once again demonstrated his exceptional linguistic skills and keen ability to grasp current affairs. This led the other ninja villages to truly regard him as a high-ranking member of Kirigakure, as its pillar of strength.

It can be said that from today onwards, Hozuki Shingetsu can take off the "genius" label. He has moved beyond the evaluation of "promising future" and can truly stand on his own.

Some even went so far as to call Hozuki Shingetsu "the fox spirit of ninjas" because of his talent for causing trouble, comparing him to Shimura Danzo, the "darkness of ninjas" who was also involved in dirty deeds, and calling him "the source of all evil in the ninja world's turmoil."

Danzo Shimura's assessment of this was:

"When heroes are absent, even petty men rise to fame!"

(End of this chapter)