Promoting the Konoha threat theory, and talking about the Hidden Mist Belt!

Clearly, this member of the Whirlpool Clan had also considered this point, and immediately pushed open the door and left in a hurry.

"Hopefully, everything will be alright in time!"

Takumi Uzumaki turned around and looked out the window.

At this moment, the sky was overcast, covered with dark clouds, yet there was not a breath of wind, and the entire Wochao Village was as oppressively still as the air.

-

The unusual activity in Uzushio Village was quickly noticed by Hozuki Shingetsu and the others. After all, such a commotion had led to the entire village being sealed off, and all unrelated personnel were cleared out. The streets were filled with Uzumaki ninjas maintaining order, and the shouts of children and livestock filled the air.

"Someone called?"

Soon, a ninja from Uzushio Village came over. After briefly explaining the situation, he warned Hozuki Shingetsu and his two companions not to wander off, and then stood at the doorway in front of them.

This is clearly blatant surveillance.

Firstly, they were worried that the other party might take advantage of the situation to cause trouble in the village. Secondly, they wanted to protect the other party and prevent any ill-intentioned people from taking advantage of the chaos to harm Hozuki Shingetsu and his companions.

"Judging from the reaction of Uzumaki Village, quite a few people have come. In that case, their forces must be at least at the level of the Five Great Shinobi Villages to be able to mobilize... Could this be Ren's scheme? To have the Uzumaki clan kill us while they're at it?"

Yukinagi muttered to herself, suddenly startled by her own fleeting thought. But she quickly realized that the Hozuki and Yuki clans couldn't possibly be unaware of such a large-scale troop deployment, so it definitely wasn't from Kirigakure.

"Therefore, the core of this battle lies in whether that group can break through the Uzumaki clan's defenses and storm into Uzushio Village before the Konoha reinforcements arrive," Yagura Karatachi continued his analysis.

"Don't worry! Konoha won't send anyone."

Hozuki Shingetsu smiled calmly.

Having orchestrated this whole affair, they naturally have to consider all the subsequent consequences. Regardless of the reasons why Konoha didn't rescue Uzushio Village in the original story, in this world, Konoha definitely won't rescue Uzushio Village.

As for why... those letters he sent to the Land of Fire before arriving at Whirlpool Village weren't just random writings!

"After all... only the ship of the nation is leaking from the top!"

Hozuki Shingetsu looked towards the Land of Fire and muttered to himself.

-

after one day.

In the Land of Fire, in the capital city of the daimyo's castle tower, a private banquet is being held.

The current Daimyo of the Land of Fire, Hijimi Saki, is about forty years old, in the prime of his life. His long-standing life of comfort and ease has long since dulled his ambitions. Apart from the period of fear and anxiety he experienced during the First Shinobi World War when he first took power more than a decade ago, the peaceful years of the past ten years have made him completely immune to the word "war."

This day was, as usual, a day of revelry. The daimyo and his most favored close advisors enjoyed singing and dancing together in the banquet hall, taking pleasure in gossiping about the private information of important ministers from various countries.

"Lord Daimyo, if we're talking about who's been making the biggest splash in the ninja world lately, it has to be the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs from Kirigakure in the Land of Water!"

When discussing recent news in the ninja world, one cannot ignore the mastermind behind it all. Although Hozuki Shingetsu is well-hidden, someone of the caliber of the Fire Country's Daimyo can certainly uncover his activities.

"Yeah, that guy is really something! The rumors he makes up are really eye-catching." Himi Saki nodded. He was very familiar with the "Konoha Threat Theory" and the "Uchiha Human Rights Report" that had been making headlines recently.

The ninja world had been peaceful for over a decade, and this was a rare moment of excitement. He got to enjoy some juicy gossip during that time. As for whether he would harbor resentment towards Hozuki Shingetsu because of the "Konoha threat theory" which led to the Land of Fire being targeted—he wasn't the Hokage. His job was simply to allocate funds to Konoha so that Konoha could go to war; it was that simple.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi isn't up to par, then we can just find someone else to take his place.

Although he generally does not interfere in Konoha's internal affairs, no one can ignore the Daimyo's influence on Konoha—regardless of financial support, the Hokage's choice ultimately needs the Daimyo's approval.

"Speaking of this Hozuki Shingetsu, he recently arrived at Uzushio Village, and then Uzushio Village was attacked by the Tu and Lei kingdoms. Isn't that a coincidence?" The close advisor subtly brought up the topic of Uzushio Village.

"Hmm... I reckon it's because Iwagakure and Kumogakure coveted the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques and wanted to eliminate Konoha's influence that they attacked Uzushio Village. It shouldn't have anything to do with that kid." Although the Fire Country Daimyo doesn't usually deal with internal affairs, as long as he's not brain-dead, after serving as Daimyo for twenty years, he should understand these basic political situations.

"Your Excellency is wise!" The close advisor quickly offered a crude compliment.

"Haha, what's so special about that! I reckon the messenger from Uzushio Village is probably already on his way to Konoha!" Although the flattery was crude, the person loved to hear it. Seeing this, Himi Saki once again showed off his intelligence, speculating as he went.

"My lord, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

"speak!"

The close retainer became interested upon seeing the daimyo, and after mentally rehearsing his remarks, he began to speak.

"My lord, if I may be so bold, this Uzushio Village is truly beyond saving!"

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Himi Saki turned his head and glanced at the close retainer, wondering what he was going to say.

"This Uzumaki Village, bordering the Fire, Lightning, and Water regions, is inherently a place of intense conflict. Add to that the Uzumaki clan's unique sealing technology, and it's easy to imagine how frequently such incidents will occur in this era of powerful ninja villages. Konoha was able to provide aid this time, but does that mean they'll have to go every time? And every time they do, Uzumaki Village will only be grateful to Konoha, but all of this is being spent on your money, Daimyo! Using your money to play the good guy for Hiruzen Sarutobi? That's outrageous!"

“What you say makes sense, but this is ultimately an internal affair of Konoha. It’s not worth making things difficult for Hiruzen over such a small matter.”

Himi Saki nodded with interest, signaling him to continue.

The close advisor sighed inwardly, knowing that it was indeed difficult to get money from Hozuki Shingetsu, but he still continued to deceive him with a high degree of professional ethics.

"Lord Daimyo, you have seen the recent situation in the ninja world. Because of those rumors, apart from the Land of Water, the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning all regard us as a thorn in their side. I believe that war will break out soon."

Upon hearing the word "war," Hijimi Saki's spirits lifted, and he immediately became serious. He had experienced the First Shinobi World War early in his reign, when the situation in the Land of Fire was extremely dangerous. Even though things eventually turned out well, he could not forget the circumstances.

"Although Konoha's strength is immense under your wise leadership, it is still possible for it to be defeated if war breaks out and it is attacked by three shameless nations." The close retainer seized on Himi Saki's fear of war and tried to intimidate him.

"But ultimately, it's because Konoha's strength is too great that they are afraid of it. If the two countries can successfully destroy Uzushio Village and obtain the sealing technology for the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts, their strength will increase greatly, and they will naturally not be afraid of Konoha. At that time, even if a real fight breaks out, there will be no situation where three people fight one due to fear of Konoha's strength."

After thinking about it carefully, Himi Saki realized that it made sense. His brain, which had been emptied by wine and women for a long time, couldn't understand the intricacies behind it at all—this mustache's classic argument, which made him famous, was incredibly effective against the doves.

"Moreover, Lord Daimyo, there is another reason why you have to intervene in Konoha's operation this time."

Noticing that the daimyo was already wavering, a close advisor quickly added another strong dose of remedy: "Previous rumors included claims that Konoha, due to its ample military funds and strength, was disregarding royal authority and manipulating the daimyo's position. Although we all know these are rumors, Konoha has consistently refused to send anyone to apologize to Your Majesty. This... is something we truly must be wary of!"

"And this opportunity is precisely a chance to test Konoha. If Konoha obediently listens, it proves that they still have a sense of awe towards you; if they don't..." The close advisor's words stopped abruptly, without going into details.

For those in power, the most unacceptable thing is not being valued, so as long as the topic is steered slightly in that direction, there's no need to worry that Himi Saki won't do things his way.

Himi Saki's gaze suddenly sharpened. If he was only wavering before, he had now made up his mind—no matter what kind of personality they had, once they sat in this position, they were destined to be wary of anyone who threatened their position.

Thinking of the generous sum of money Hozuki Shingetsu had given him, the close advisor, following Hozuki Shingetsu's instructions, added insult to injury.

"Furthermore, we cannot allow the Uzumaki clan to be incorporated into Konoha... at least not most of them. After all, the Uzumaki clan is the royal family of the Land of Whirlpools. It's against the rules for a member of another country's royal family to be a ninja in our Land of Fire, Daimyo."

After all, in the eyes of the nobles, ninjas were nothing more than lowly tools. How could a daimyo of a country become a ninja? Where would that leave Himi Saki? Would he even have any dignity left?

"Tell Hiruzen that we cannot send troops to rescue Uzushio Village, and we also cannot allow the Uzumaki clan to enter Konoha!" Himi Saki said fiercely. "Remember to tell him that this is the Daimyo's order!"

"Yes, Lord Daimyo!"

Chapter 43 Only the half-dead Senju is a good elder brother!

In Konoha, the second Uzumaki clan member finally caught up with the first Uzumaki messenger after a long and arduous journey. He then delivered Uzumaki Takumi's latest instructions and plea for help to Hiruzen Sarutobi, but Hiruzen Sarutobi delayed the delivery, citing the importance of the matter.

He intended to plead with Mito Uzumaki as instructed by the clan leader, but to his surprise, Mito Uzumaki disregarded the bonds of kinship and declared that she was now a member of Konoha and that everything was for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Having no other choice, the two could only take turns trying to persuade some of the major clans in Konoha, hoping to convince one or two of them to plead for the Uzumaki clan.

Most ninja clans, such as the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, adopted a wait-and-see attitude, but a small number of ninja clans had other ideas.

In the quiet room of the Hyuga clan, the main branch, including the clan head and five elders, had all gathered.

"According to reliable intelligence, Uzushio Village is currently facing the combined forces of the Lightning and Earth armies. Unless the village sends a large force to its rescue, Uzushio Village will definitely not be able to withstand this calamity." Hyuga Mitsufumi, the current head of the Hyuga clan, briefly introduced the situation.

"Based on my understanding of our Hokage, he might not risk starting a second Shinobi World War by directly confronting the combined forces of the Lightning and Earth Alliance. Our Hokage is good in every way, except that he is too cautious. He is always indecisive before the situation deteriorates to a certain extent."

Hyuga Tofumi understood Hiruzen Sarutobi very well, and immediately saw the root cause of Hiruzen's hesitation. If the village were truly facing a crisis, this "hero of the ninja" would certainly step forward without hesitation and confront the crisis head-on; but if it hadn't reached that point, he would hesitate and try to resolve the conflict through appeasement.

Moreover, sending troops to provide aid may not necessarily be approved by the major clans—Uzushio Village is an ally of your Senju and Konoha, not my ally. Asking me to send people to a foreign land to protect someone else's homeland? Sorry, I don't have such noble sentiments.

As for what to do if Uzushio Village is destroyed and Iwagakure and Kumogakure obtain the sealing technology for the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki—that's a problem for the Hokage to consider, not for me.

They still clearly distinguish between those from their clan and those from their village.

This is different from the First Shinobi World War. When Konoha was invaded, they would definitely fight back fiercely—they were already bound to Konoha. But this kind of rescue operation that has no benefit is another matter.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi would carry out the order if requested, whether it was worth it was up to Hiruzen Sarutobi to decide.

"In that case, we have to consider the possibility of the Uzumaki clan entering Konoha," the Hyuga clan elder concluded.

If Konoha doesn't send troops, then it's quite simple. Considering the alliance between the Uzumaki clan and Konoha, Konoha will definitely do something. Without direct confrontation, bringing the Uzumaki clan to Konoha is actually the best solution.

If the Lightning and Earth Alliance continues to harass Konoha even after Konoha makes a concession, then even Hiruzen Sarutobi will not tolerate these two countries defecating and urinating on Konoha's head—after all, his title of "Hero of the Ninja" was not truly earned through "endurance."

but……

"The Uzumaki clan must never be incorporated into Konoha!"

Without prior arrangement, everyone present said the same thing.

The logic is simple: Konoha today is not the same Konoha it was when it was first founded thirty years ago. Now that the interests of all parties have been divided, and a powerful clan that is no less powerful than the Hyuga or Uchiha has suddenly emerged, where is there room for them to gain any benefits?

In the end, won't we just have to take a piece of their flesh?

Leaving aside some industries and money, how should the positions and duties in those core departments be divided?

Each person has their own role, so who should take the job?

and……

"I'm afraid that the Senju might have a chance to rise again!" Hyuga Mitsufumi couldn't help but think of this.

To be honest, Tobirama Senju was a very competent Hokage, but he was by no means a good clan leader. In order to dispel the prejudices between the various ninja clans when the village was first founded, he ordered all the collateral branches of the Senju clan, except for the direct line of the Senju, to change their names and surnames, and to completely integrate the Senju bloodline into Konoha Village.

This move benefited Konoha, but deeply hurt the Senju.

After the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the new Hokage assisted Danzo Shimura in taking office, whether out of consideration for their own clan or the desire to expand their own prestige, they both suppressed the Senju clan—not by directly stripping Senju members of their positions, but by constantly promoting the noble character of the Senju clan and then removing them from core positions.

In short, the existing Senju should just act as their mascots; you don't need to worry about the specific administration.

As the saying goes, "When a whale falls, all things are born; when a thousand hands fall, all races are fed."