Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 358 Backdoor Listing
"Transferring the Tailed Beast?!"

The Cloud Village envoy could no longer remain calm. The Land of Waves was trying to create its own Jinchuriki weapon, and the target was none other than the Uzumaki clan's elite ninja who possessed the strongest sealing technique. Given the Uzumaki clan's expertise in sealing techniques, it was possible that it would become another Uzumaki Mito!
Once the Land of Waves possesses the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, its strategic position will undergo a dramatic transformation, leaping from a wealthy commercial ally to a regional power wielding nuclear weapons.

This is a disaster for the Hidden Cloud Village, as it means they have permanently lost the Eight-Tails and have gained a potential adversary with strategic deterrent power right on their doorstep.

Moreover, because of the Eight-Tails, the Land of Waves will definitely be an enemy country, and it is very likely that it will completely side with the Land of Fire, or even form an alliance with the Land of Fire.

At the same time, the merchants of the Land of Waves have extremely close ties with the nobles of the Land of Earth. It's possible that they might be influenced by the Land of Earth and secretly form an alliance with it to oppose the Land of Lightning!
The Cloud Village envoy suppressed the turmoil in his heart and immediately used the highest level of encrypted communication to send this "bad news" back to the Cloud Village, which had just suffered heavy losses and was shrouded in gloom.

When the news reached back, the entire Cloud Hidden leadership was in an uproar.

The Cloud Village elders argued incessantly, and the acting Raikage, Aiolos, smashed his newly repaired desk in a fit of rage. Anger, humiliation, and panic swirled within him, leaving him at a loss. Should he continue to be defiant? The Land of Waves might actually take the risk of creating a Jinchūriki! Compromise? That would mean paying an exorbitant sum in compensation and ransom to the greedy Kakuzu, and acknowledging their annexation of the Land of Whirlpools—an utter disgrace!
However, the harsh reality was staring them in the face. The village's wounds needed time to heal, and they absolutely could not stand by and watch Brubi die. The Eight-Tails could not be lost either. After repeatedly weighing the pros and cons and even assessing the possibility of a successful raid, they discovered that the success rate was extremely slim, given that the Land of Waves had a powerful navy, the veteran Kage-level ninja Kakuzu in charge, and was already prepared. The key issue was that Iwagakure had also amassed troops in the Land of Frost. Although the Iwagakure ninja were somewhat weak, their numbers were overwhelming. In the end, the Cloud Village leadership had no choice but to make a difficult decision.

A few days later, the Hidden Cloud Village sent a higher-level negotiation delegation, carrying a secret order from the acting Raikage, Aiolos, and a new proposal that significantly increased the amount of "war reparations"—in reality, a ransom—to the Land of Waves once again.

This time, the Cloud Envoy adopted a much more humble stance. Although he still couldn't hide his toughness, his tone was full of "sincerity."

Kakuzu's eerie green eyes swept over the new list, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as if he were working on an abacus.

He sneered inwardly, knowing that the power of the "transfer of the Eight-Tails" bomb had fully met expectations and had already triggered panic in the Hidden Cloud Village. After a period of "arduous" bargaining, an agreement was finally reached.

The main terms include: First, the Hidden Cloud Village will pay a huge sum of compensation that will be "barely satisfactory" to Kakuzu. Considering the monetary policies of various countries during the Shinobi World period, the entire amount will be delivered in the form of a large amount of gold, rare minerals, and rare medicinal herbs from the mountains.

Secondly, the Hidden Cloud Village officially acknowledged that the entire territory of the Land of Whirlpools had been incorporated into the Land of Waves in accordance with the wishes of the Uzumaki clan and international treaties.

Thirdly, on the southern coast of the Land of Lightning, an important port will be opened to the Land of Waves as a permanent trading port, granting certain tariff preferences to merchant ships of the Land of Waves.

Finally, the two sides signed a ten-year peace treaty of non-aggression.

The signing of the agreement was fraught with twists and turns, but for the Hidden Cloud Village, being able to redeem Burubi, prevent the Eight-Tails from falling into the hands of the Land of Waves, and keep the Land of Waves neutral to avoid siding with the Land of Fire was the best outcome they could achieve under the current circumstances.

The reason why the Land of Waves was able to sign these seemingly equal treaties was because it seized the opportunity very well. It was right at the end of the Second Shinobi War, when the major powers were too busy to crush the small country of the Land of Waves. Through alliances and maneuvering, the Land of Waves managed to seize a large piece of the spoils.

However, the Land of Waves' favorable situation is unlikely to last long. Once the Ninja War ends, the Land of Waves will inevitably be suppressed and courted by the Fire, Water, and Lightning Nations. Whether it can still play both sides remains to be seen.

The handover of Brubi went smoothly. However, the eyes of the Cloud Village ninjas towards the Land of Waves ninjas were filled with hostility, but also mixed with a trace of barely perceptible fear.

On the Kirigakure side, they had already learned the general terms of the agreement between the two countries through secret channels. Elder Yuanshi breathed a sigh of relief. Even the usually tough Kumogakure had signed such a treaty, so Kirigakure was not to be ashamed. Moreover, in order to redeem the Third Mizukage and maintain the balance of power in Kirigakure, it was understandable to pay a price.

Signing such a treaty with the two great powers of water and thunder will not have a significant impact on the two great powers, but it will bring about a major change for the Land of Waves.

In such a short period of time, the Land of Waves forced the two powerful nations known for their toughness, Water and Lightning, to acknowledge its annexation of the Land of Whirlpools, open its ports, and sign treaties. The tactics and strength it displayed made the entire ninja world take notice.

Even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire reassessed the Land of Waves.

A few days later, the special envoy from the Land of Waves, carrying the official treaty text with the ink still wet and stamped with the seals of the daimyo of the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning, as well as the legal document for the Uzumaki clan to join the Land of Waves as a whole under the name of "Uzushio Village," stood politely yet firmly at the imperial conference of the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

The daimyo of the Land of Fire and his high-ranking officials fell into an awkward silence.

Konoha's inaction and "betrayal" during the Whirlpool Country incident were already an open secret, and the high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire were well aware of this, and to some extent, they were even the ones who facilitated it.

Now that the aggrieved Uzumaki clan has "accepted their fate" and joined the Land of Waves, and both the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning have recognized the Land of Waves' sovereignty over that territory, the Land of Fire, which has a closer relationship with them, can't possibly openly oppose it, can it?
At this moment, Finance Minister Minamoto no Mitsuaki coughed lightly, breaking the silence: "Your Excellency, esteemed lords, things have come to this point. We were in the wrong first, and the outcome is already decided. Although the Land of Waves is a small country, it has recently gained the power of the Uzumaki clan of Uzushio Village, and together with the Umino clan, it has repeatedly defeated the two great ninja villages of Kirigakure and Kumogakure, forcing them to bow down and sign an agreement. Moreover, its navy is powerful, with a Kage-level ninja like Kakuzu in charge..."

Regardless of how the Land of Waves achieved this situation, we must admit that it is now a foregone conclusion.

If my Fire Kingdom refuses to acknowledge this, firstly, it will lose the trust of the world, confirming its reputation as a 'betrayal of its allies,' and chilling the hearts of other vassal states.

Secondly, it will completely push the Land of Waves into the embrace of the Lands of Water and Lightning. This will weaken the Land of Fire and weaken the Land of Water, which will bring no benefit whatsoever.

Thirdly, the Land of Waves is isolated overseas, facing the Land of Fire across the sea. Although there may be friction, it is not a powerful land enemy that is directly adjacent to it. Its threat is far less than that of the Land of Earth to the north or the Land of Lightning across the sea.

Conversely, if its status is recognized and good trade is maintained, its geographical advantage could make it a vital hub for trade between our Fire Kingdom and the Water and Thunder Kingdoms, with promising tax revenue.

After analyzing the pros and cons, Yuan Guangming glanced at everyone and concluded, "Rather than creating a powerful enemy, it is better to go with the flow, acknowledge its laws, appease it, and bring it into the order dominated by our Fire Country. Therefore, acknowledging the annexation of the Whirlpool Country by the Wave Country is more beneficial than harmful."

The lord stroked his beard and pondered for a long time.

Konoha representative Koharu Utatane looked grim, but Konoha's dereliction of duty was an undeniable fact that could not be refuted at this moment.

Finally, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire slowly nodded and stamped the treaty text submitted by the Land of Waves with the seal symbolizing the highest authority of the Land of Fire.

With the seal of the Fire Country Daimyo falling, the Land of Waves' annexation of the Land of Whirlpools was legally recognized by the three strongest nations in the ninja world!
Subsequently, through lobbying the nobles of the Land of Earth, the Land of Earth also recognized this legal principle.

As for the Land of Wind, although it was filled with envy, jealousy and hatred, considering the pirate problem in the southern part of its country, and the fact that the other four major countries had already agreed, it was only natural to also acknowledge the fact that the Land of Waves had annexed the Land of Whirlpools.

The news sent shockwaves through the ninja world!

The Land of Waves, an island nation that was once unknown and known for its poverty and weakness, rose like a comet. It broke the ironclad rule that small countries had never achieved territorial expansion since Hashirama Senju established the ninja village system and demarcated the spheres of influence of major powers!

Through a series of dazzling alliances, precise and ruthless military operations, and masterful diplomatic blackmail, with the Umino clan and Kakuzu also playing a crucial role, it managed to snatch the rich Land of Whirlpools from the jaws of the two great ninja villages and successfully get the five great nations to acknowledge the result!

Subsequently, the territory, population, and especially its strategic position and military strength of the Land of Waves experienced a qualitative leap.

Its influence has risen rapidly, and it has become the most popular country in the world. It has even begun to replace the Land of Rain, which has been shrouded in the shadow of war for many years and was struggled to support by the demigod Hanzo of the Salamander, and has become the new "leader" and "hope" of the small ninja country Third World.

However, it is clear to anyone with discerning eyes that the Land of Waves is in a similarly delicate situation.

It is surrounded in a triangular shape by the three great powers of fire, water, and thunder in the central sea area.

However, unlike the Land of Rain, which suffered a tragic fate of being directly squeezed by the three great powers and becoming a battlefield buffer zone, the Land of Waves possesses a vast ocean as a natural strategic buffer.

Its formidable naval power meant that any major power wishing to wage war against it would have to pay an extremely high price. The ability to project power across the ocean was a huge obstacle in itself; moreover, the Land of Waves' naval strength had already been proven, and with the presence of a Kage-level powerhouse like Kakuzu, along with the formidable sealing abilities of the Uzumaki clan, the Land of Waves became a far tougher nut to crack than the Land of Rain. With the Fire Country Daimyo's seal, symbolizing supreme authority, falling heavily, the Land of Waves' annexation of the Land of Whirlpools' territory received unanimous recognition from the five great nations, and the history of the ninja world was quietly rewritten at that moment.

A newly emerging maritime power, founded on commerce yet possessing formidable military might and Kage-level guardians, has officially entered the historical stage of the ninja world.

Moreover, territorial expansion was only the first step; what truly propelled the Land of Waves into the ranks of maritime powers was the newly established Sound Village.

The ninja world's structure has been solidified since Hashirama Senju established the ninja village system. Large countries have powerful ninja villages as their military backing, while small countries either rely on them or struggle to survive.

For a newly emerging small country to establish its own ninja village is by no means easy. It not only requires strong strength as a foundation, but also the tacit approval or even recognition of the five great nations' daimyo. Otherwise, it would be challenging the tacit rules and order of the entire ninja world and would easily invite encirclement and suppression by the great nations.

Sasuke Umino was well aware of this. The Land of Waves had long been secretly cultivating a considerable number of ninja forces in the Angkor Fortress Islands, but they had always existed under the name of the "Merchant Alliance Guard Team." Their core training base was also hidden deep within the islands, kept secret for this reason. After all, rashly establishing a ninja village would undoubtedly challenge the order of the ninja world and expose their ambition to rise to power. It would be illegitimate and would easily make them the target of everyone's criticism.

The Uzumaki clan joined in the form of Uzumaki Village, providing the Land of Waves with a once-in-a-lifetime "shell resource".

Subsequently, witnessed by high-ranking officials of the Land of Waves and envoys from various countries, the Uzumaki clan chief solemnly announced that the Uzumaki clan would relinquish its independent sovereignty over the Land of Whirlpools and merge into the Land of Waves as a whole, under the name "Whirlpool Village," accepting the jurisdiction and protection of the Land of Waves. At the same time, in order to symbolize the rebirth of the Uzumaki clan and its complete integration into the Land of Waves, he took the initiative to propose that the newly established ninja village be named—Otogakure (Sound Village)!

The word "sound" seems to imply both the geographical features of the Land of Waves, located on the ocean, where the sound of waves is ever-present, and the cry for rebirth uttered by the Uzumaki clan after experiencing the agony of national annihilation.

In reality, it was just a name that Umino Sasuke casually came up with.

The Land of Waves thus achieved a backdoor listing and acquired its own ninja village. On the surface, the ninja village of the Land of Waves is located on the site of the old Land of Whirlpools, symbolizing the inheritance of the old laws and principles; but in reality, the military core, research and development center and the most elite forces of the Sound Village are still firmly rooted in the Angkor Fortress Islands, which are easy to defend and have complete facilities.

The five great powers have recognized the Land of Waves' sovereignty over the Land of Whirlpools' territory, which naturally implies that the Land of Waves also inherits the right to establish military forces on its territory.

The establishment of the Sound Village was a natural and inevitable process, without any overt obstacles.

The Land of Waves cleverly pried open a crack in the gates of the ninja world's rules.

This newly established Sound Village is by no means just a pretty face; its foundation and strength are enough to make any major power that underestimates it pay a heavy price.

As a veteran Kage-level powerhouse, Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear technique granted him a near-immortal body and powerful destructive force from five chakra natures. After consuming a large amount of Life Yang No. 1, his strength has improved significantly. Even if his strength is not as good as Hanzo of the Salamander Village in Amegakure, it should not be far off.

After successfully absorbing and fusing with the Dark Release technique, Hiruko's strength increased by leaps and bounds, and he has firmly stepped into the threshold of the Quasi-Kage level. The Dark Release gives him the ability to absorb chakra and even ninjutsu. Combined with the potential of his Demon Sprout Technique, his promotion to Kage level is just around the corner.

With the addition of the Kage-level summoning beast, Umibozu, which has always been stationed near the coast of the Land of Waves and can lend a hand in critical moments, the top combat power of the Land of Waves is no weaker than that of the other four major ninja villages besides Konoha.

As for the mainstay of high-end combat power, the Land of Waves is not lacking either.

Although the Uzumaki clan suffered heavy losses in the war that destroyed their country, their profound sealing techniques and massive chakra reserves remained. After joining the Sound Village, they could quickly become the core force of the sealing and barrier teams, and shoulder the responsibility of training the next generation of ninjas. Many experienced senior jonin and a large number of mid-level chunin and special jonin constituted a part of the Sound Village's high-end combat power.

Before the Uzumaki clan joined, the Land of Waves had been recruiting talented young ninjas during the Ninja Wars, including some declining ninja clans. Among them, the Fuma and Iburi clans were the strongest. With the full support of the Land of Waves, these two clans, apart from having fewer people than the Uzumaki clan, were no weaker in strength.

During the Warring States period, the Fuma clan was a powerful ninja clan renowned throughout the ninja world for its secret techniques and weapon manipulation, comparable to the Hagoromo clan. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, they had declined. Under Sasuke Umino's special instructions, Kakuzu easily found them without needing to search for them and successfully brought them to the Land of Waves.

The bloodline talent of the Fuuma clan is quite remarkable, with average talent quality almost no weaker than that of the Sarutobi clan of Konoha. Although they do not have a bloodline limit, their inherited secret techniques are all-encompassing, unpredictable, and they are also exceptionally talented in weapon handling.

With the resources of the Land of Waves and the partial catalysis of the life-giving potion, a group of elites quickly emerged from the Fuma clan. Among them, the outstanding one, Fuma Mei, possesses rare spatial ninjutsu talent and an amazing affinity for summoning beasts. He has great potential and was privately praised by Umino Sasuke as "a promising future Kage-level candidate".

Several Wind Demon Ninjas who had been unable to break through their bottlenecks for many years also broke through their long-standing limitations and were promoted to "mediocre Jonin" after taking a secret wind attribute medicine extracted from Shukaku's flesh and blood. With their powerful secret techniques and weapon manipulation skills, they became one of the sharpest blades in the Sound Village's combat lineup.

If the Fuuma clan was a fallen powerful clan in the ninja world, then the Iburi clan, before joining the Land of Waves, were practically "monsters" living in the shadows of caves.

Their unique Smoke Release Kekkei Genkai allows them to transform their bodies into chakra smoke, giving them extremely strong infiltration, binding, and assassination abilities.

However, such a powerful ability has a fatal flaw: when in a smoke-like state, their bodies will irreversibly dissipate and die if they encounter strong winds. This forces them to live like gophers in dark caves, leading a miserable life that is neither human nor ghost.

Even after joining Orochimaru, they couldn't change their predicament of living in a cave until they encountered Sasuke Umino's shadow clone, which completely changed their situation.

When they found them, Sasuke Umino's shadow clones gained the allegiance of the entire Iburi clan almost effortlessly.

The appearance of Life Sun One completely changed the fate of the Ibli clan!

The powerful Yang Release vitality perfectly compensates for the fatal weakness of Smoke Release, greatly enhancing the cohesion and wind resistance of the smoke-formed body.

Even more surprisingly, the combination of Hashirama's Yang Release and Yin Release with smoke transformation produced an unexpected positive change. A large number of Iburi clan members experienced a surge in strength, and dozens of special Jonin-level smoke ninjas emerged in a short period of time. Their smoke transformation ability is virtually unbeatable in the dark or in complex terrain, making them especially suitable for joining the Sound Ninja Anbu to carry out high-risk missions such as infiltration, assassination, and intelligence gathering. Their efficiency far exceeds that of regular Jonin.

It's no wonder Orochimaru recruited this clan to conduct experiments on Wood Release fusion; the Iburi clan is indeed extremely compatible with Wood Release.

To save Yukimi, Yamato later used Wood Release to combine with the smoke formed from the souls of the Iburi clan to create a tree, thus successfully allowing Yukimi to be reborn from the tree after her death. This shows the influence of Wood Release on the Iburi clan.

Life Essence No. 1 is the life essence extracted from Hashirama's cells, which explains its enormous boost to the Iburi clan.

With the addition of the Iburi, Fuuma, and Uzumaki clans, and Kakuzu's years of experience in the bounty hunter business, which has also brought together some top-notch fighters with considerable strength and good reputation, the Sound Village can make up for its lack of high-end combat power.

As for the issue of low- to mid-level combat power, the Land of Waves can use the Life Star series of secret medicines to mass-produce them. Although their individual strength is generally weak, and their combat experience, skills, and chakra control are far inferior to those of traditionally trained ninjas, their advantage lies in their large numbers. After undergoing rigorous military training and being equipped with weapons, they are capable of performing patrol, guard, and basic combat missions.

Once these substandard ninjas don flying armor and take to the air to fight, their mobility, vision, and tactical flexibility will experience a qualitative leap. Combined with specially designed aerial weapons such as chakra crossbows, bombs, binding nets, poison mist bombs, and other bladed weapons, their threat level will far exceed that of ninjas of equal strength on the ground, and they can even effectively harass and kill regular Jonin.

Donning their flight armor, their combat prowess is enough to rival that of the "inferior" ninjas of Iwagakure, who rely on sheer numbers. In fact, they might even have a slight edge due to their superior mobility, and they could almost hold their own against Konoha's regular core forces in certain situations.

As for the future potential of the Sound Village, it is no less than that of some major ninja villages.

The pseudo-Jinchūriki, Natsumi, Nightingale, and Shizang, are steadily increasing in strength under the catalysis of the continuous growth of Tailed Beast Chakra and the Black Jade Crystal. Once they can stably master the Tailed Beast Cloak or even some of the Tailed Beast Transformation forms, they will instantly become the strategic nuclear bomb of the Sound Village.

Young geniuses like Fuuma Mei, Momiji, and Uzumaki Kana are growing at an astonishing rate thanks to the abundant resources and guidance from renowned teachers in Otogakure. They are strong contenders for the Kage rank in the future.

Therefore, the moment the Sound Village was officially established, its overall strength had already surpassed that of the Rain Village, firmly placing it at the top of the first tier below the five great ninja villages. In some aspects, such as special ability units, air force, and naval fleet, it could even have a local advantage over the great ninja villages!
Before anyone could react, a new ninja village, richer, more technologically advanced, with more luxurious high-end combat forces, and protected by a vast ocean, had quietly risen in the East China Sea.

(End of this chapter)