NoviceAuthor
patreon
[NTU] [ARC-13] Chapter : 181
🕑 Added 2024-09-29 18:04:56 +0000 UTC"Oh! I'm not sure what you want to discuss, Kushina-senpai..." Toshiro turned his head toward Kushina, curiosity evident in his tone. While they shared some connections through Minato and his students, they had little direct interaction with one another.
"It's from the Third Hokage. He entrusted me to deliver this scroll from the Uzumaki clan to you," Kushina explained. She performed a series of hand seals effortlessly, summoning a scroll nearly thirty centimeters in diameter and sixty centimeters long into her hands.
"Uh..." Toshiro was momentarily taken aback.
It was an awkward situation for him. After all, Kushina was the rightful heir of the Uzumaki clan, and here he was, seeking the jutsu of her clan. The circumstances made him feel a bit uneasy.
What is the Third Hokage trying to imply? Letting Kushina hand over this scroll—was it his way of reminding me that besides Jiraiya, Konoha has the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki to keep me in check?
"Toshiro, there's no need to feel uneasy," Kushina reassured him. "The Uzumaki clan has been wiped out, and it's a personal wish of mine to pass on these secret techniques."
She smiled faintly with melancholy in her eyes, her fingers brushing the Uzumaki symbol on the scroll. "You’re also a Konoha ninja, so I trust you with it."
With a glance at the old and worn scroll, Toshiro met her gaze. "Thank you," he said, accepting it.
"As far as I know, there are still remnants of the Uzumaki clan scattered across the ninja world... Now that I’ve accepted this treasure, I’ll do what I can to seek them out."
If the Third Hokage had handed him the scroll directly, Toshiro wouldn't have had much to say. But since it came from Kushina, the rightful owner, taking it left him feeling slightly uneasy.
Kushina's eyes brightened briefly at his words, but quickly dimmed again, as if lost in memories. The destruction of the Uzumaki clan lingered heavily in her mind.
"Well then... I’ll thank you in advance," she said, offering her gratitude.
In truth, the blame couldn't entirely rest on the Third Hokage. The roots of the disaster stretched back to the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama himself. By distributing the tailed beasts to other ninja villages, along with the Uzumaki sealing techniques, he had inadvertently set the stage for the Uzumaki clan's downfall.
The ninja profession is steeped in deception and shadows.
Regardless of the village, each was wary of the First Hokage’s generosity, suspecting that Konoha might have ulterior motives. Rather than using the sealing techniques provided by the First Hokage, many villages opted for their own less refined methods to avoid the risk of manipulation.
However, incidents of tailed beasts breaking free still occurred frequently.
In response, especially among the Water, Lightning, and Earth nations, a new plan emerged: instead of relying on their faulty sealing techniques, they sought out experts in the art, eliminated them, and stole their methods for themselves. Well, the Uzumaki clan too denied any trade for the secrets of sealing to the other nations…
For this reason, several of the major ninja villages—rarely united in purpose—launched a joint operation to destroy Uzushiogakure, dividing up the village's valuable sealing techniques among themselves.
Notably, the Land of Wind, situated in the desert, did not participate. They believed their Ninja Temple possessed unique sealing methods, and with only one tailed beast to manage, they didn't see the need to involve themselves. However, this decision contributed to the later decline in the strength of Sunagakure, as they struggled to keep Shukaku under control.
As for the Third Hokage, his failure lay in not providing refuge for the displaced Uzumaki Clan when they were scattered and on the run. Of course, he had his reasons for this decision as well.
Who could tell if spies from other villages had infiltrated the remnants of Uzushiogakure? It's naïve to rely solely on bloodline as a safeguard—there are countless ways to manipulate or control someone into working against their own.
—-
In the Cloud Shinobi camp, Raikage, who had been unconscious for a full day and night, finally opened his eyes.
"Lord Raikage! You're awake!"
"Where is Dodai? And what's the current situation?"
Without even acknowledging his own injuries, Raikage immediately questioned Motoi, who stood by his side.
"Dodai is organizing the camp’s defenses... As for the current situation..."
When it came to discussing the current situation, Motoi hesitated, unsure how to put things into words.
"What's the issue? Has Konoha attacked?" Raikage asked sharply.
"That seems unlikely. Haven't the Third Hokage always preached his 'Will of Fire' nonsense?" Raikage continued. "They allowed us to retreat without pursuing. It doesn’t seem like they want to escalate the conflict."
"No, no, Konoha has been very quiet." Motoi quickly shook his head, denying the suggestion, though his unease grew more visible.
Raikage's expression darkened. "Is it that old bastard Onoki?"
Seeing Motoi's troubled expression, Raikage first assumed Iwakagure might be taking advantage of his injuries to make a move, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Motoi's face told a different story.
"Could it be... those idiot factions back in the village?" Raikage asked.
When Motoi nodded frantically, Raikage, normally as steady as a mountain, felt a sharp headache coming on. The realization of his situation—his injuries, the time spent in a coma, and the news of Eight-tails’s capture reaching the village—hit him hard. He could easily imagine the chaos now brewing among the war-obsessed factions of the village.
Kumogakure prided itself on strength, and with him incapacitated and the Eight-Tails captured, Raikage knew without a doubt that the village was in an uproar.
'If we seek revenge through an all-out war with Konoha or if others feel our strength is lacking and try to stir up chaos, we’ll be facing all sorts of opportunists and troublemakers. The cowards and schemers will come crawling out of the mountains.'
With this thought, Raikage couldn't stay in bed any longer. He threw off the blanket, rose to his feet, and headed for the door.
"Take me to Dodai!" he commanded, determination in his voice.
"Lord Raikage... your body still needs rest!" Motoi called after him, rushing to his side in an attempt to dissuade him from pushing himself too hard.
"I'm fine!" Raikage dismissed Motoi's concerns with a wave of his hand, striding confidently toward the center of the camp. He knew he couldn't afford to show any sign of weakness now. Kumo Shinobi needed a strong Raikage, not one who appeared frail or vulnerable.
—-
"Hokage-sama, Kumogakure is clearly at a severe disadvantage. How can they still have the audacity to make such outrageous demands?"
Hyuga Hiashi, usually composed and respectful, struggled to maintain his usual dignified demeanor, his frustration seeping through as he addressed the Third Hokage directly.
"We, the Hyuuga clan, shed our blood to protect the village. But when something like this happens, shouldn’t the village stand up for us?"
News from the front lines had already reached him—Uchiha Toshiro had defeated the Raikage, and even the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki had fallen into Konoha's hands. For Hiashi, this was more than enough leverage for Kumogakure to concede and for Hizashi's life to be spared.
But reality had delivered a harsh blow. The situation wasn’t playing out as he had anticipated.
Comments
I_Don’t_Believe_It
If they hyuggas give it they’ve cowards
