From a personal safety standpoint, there was no need for Mito Uzumaki to do something that would expose her location like this—it was even kind of reckless.
But in the end, no one could afford to act purely out of fear for their own safety, constantly hesitating and backing down. Mito had only wanted to make one thing clear—that she was still around.
So anyone thinking of targeting the Uzumaki clan should think twice before making a move.
As currently the most prominent figure within the Uzumaki clan, these words were something Mito had to voice publicly.
With the combined chakra of both jinchūriki and tailed beast released together, the sheer force of it made Haseo feel startled—even though he'd faced the Eight-Tails before, now he felt his earlier remarks to Sakumo Hatake were somewhat arrogant. After all, he himself was merely a younger brother.
After walking about halfway, Mito gradually withdrew her chakra, returning once more to her usual "unremarkable" self.
Hidden within the joint forces of Konoha and the Uzumaki clan, Haseo mused silently, "Water Country don't panic, Mist don't panic either—this isn't meant to threaten you, nor is it really about you at all. This… yeah, it's just a formality, a respectful gesture, like paying your respects. After all, you've just lost your leader; naturally, we should offer our condolences from a human perspective."
Yet by now, the corpse of the Second Mizukage had long since decayed. He needed neither mourning nor grief, especially not sympathy from Konoha. In truth, dying while managing to take down the Second Tsuchikage with him meant the Second Mizukage had actually gone out quite contentedly.
The group crossed the sea surface without incident, entering the Land of Whirlpools—a fitting name given its powerful currents—and proceeded straight toward the Uzumaki village.
Tracing their bloodline back to the Sage of Six Paths, the Uzumaki had always been considered a relatively mysterious clan, and their village should logically be quite enigmatic as well... yet at first glance, there was nothing particularly unusual about it visually.
However, if considering infiltration difficulty, unless using brute-force entry, sneaking into the Uzumaki village undetected was practically impossible. In this regard, they surpassed even Konoha or any other major ninja village. Their expertise in barrier techniques, sealing arts, and sensory abilities made their vigilance—and defenses—easy to imagine.
On the other hand, the Uzumaki village was small but efficient, built upon a tiny island nation, never reaching the massive scale of Konoha with its tens of thousands of residents. A smaller population naturally made defense easier.
Judging from the architectural scale, Haseo estimated the village's population to be no more than a few hundred—certainly nowhere near a thousand. Based on such a total population estimating the number of combatants... probably between one to two hundred at most.
For a ninja sect, that number of shinobi wasn't small by any means. However, as the full fighting strength of an entire country—a complete ninja village—in this era where the Five Great Ninja Villages had already formed, the Uzumaki were too weak.
In essence, though named a ninja village, the Uzumaki settlement was little more than a ninja village in name only.
A ninja village composed of a single clan was not fundamentally different from the clan system during the Warring States era—it was merely renamed.
Consider this: if even powerful clans like the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga had to merge into one village, it was clear that the global balance of power had undergone drastic change. Under such circumstances, it became nearly impossible for the Uzumaki alone to preserve their own ninja village. Its destruction, in fact, seemed almost inevitable.
Since Mito Uzumaki's chakra surge could be detected by Hidden Mist ninja in the Land of Water, those in the nearby Land of Whirlpools would naturally sense it even more acutely. However, compared to the former's alertness and concern, members of the Uzumaki clan were obviously very familiar with that particular chakra presence.
It was as though she had sent an advance announcement before returning to her birth family's home.
When Mito Uzumaki and her group entered the Uzumaki village, practically every clan member turned out to welcome her. In an instant, Mito found herself surrounded several layers deep—elderly folks whose expressions brimmed with excitement and who looked even older than she did, younger people who had long heard legendary tales of her feats, and even young children too young to understand what was happening—all gathered together, turning the entire village into a roaring tide of red hair.
Mito greeted everyone warmly, whether she knew them or not. She exchanged pleasantries with genuine grace. Here in the Land of Whirlpools, she naturally carried herself differently than when she was in Konoha.
In Konoha, Mito bore many burdens, but here in the Land of Whirlpools, she was free… No matter one's age, the place where one grew up will always feel like their truest and most beloved home.
Haseo and the other Konoha ninja now felt somewhat like outsiders, though patiently, they simply stood aside and observed this touching reunion unfold.
It took nearly half a day for the Uzumaki people to finally begin dispersing.
"Haseo, come with me."
As guest followed host's lead, evening approached, and while the other Konoha ninja were taken away to be entertained, only Haseo remained by Mito's side.
"Is this *that* young man?"
"Yes, Elder. It was all by his suggestion."
Alongside Haseo and Mito Uzumaki, another person remaining was the head of the Uzumaki clan—an elderly man visibly older than Mito.
Haseo politely bowed respectfully toward the elder; as a younger generation, making a good first impression was important. While he didn't sense anything particularly powerful about this clan leader and village chief, since the man was the clan head, surely he was no ordinary figure. Even the Uzumaki clan, which inherited the Sage's physical constitution, normally wouldn't casually reveal their chakra.
"Well… you did well." After confirming his identity, the elder said to Haseo.
Haseo went over it in his mind a few times before deciding the elder wasn't being sarcastic—it was just straightforward praise.
At this point, the Uzumaki clan's decision to align with Konoha had already become a fixed plan. Though Haseo proposed the idea first, his role was only advisory—the final decision belonged to the Uzumaki themselves.
It was somewhat similar to the Senju's political withdrawal.
The Uzumaki understood their own crisis and knew they had to change—even if that meant leaving behind the homeland they had lived in for generations.
But in truth, this wasn't such a big deal. Anyone who had lived through the Warring Era would be all too familiar with this feeling… When war forced a clan to abandon its home, naturally they had to relocate elsewhere.
"This way, please."
The Uzumaki clan leader and Mito Uzumaki led the way forward. Haseo didn't yet know where exactly they were going but still followed closely behind. The Uzumaki village was small, so it didn't take long before the three reached their destination.
"If the Uzumaki clan is to align with Konoha, then we should move this ancestral shrine along with us as well."
The clan leader stopped right in front of the Uzumaki clan's ancestral shrine. He looked up at the most distinctive structure in the village as he spoke—no, this wasn't just a building; it was proof of the Uzumaki clan's enduring bloodline.
"That goes without saying, clan leader," Mito Uzumaki replied with a nod.
Their own people talked among themselves—Haseo clearly didn't have a say here. Still, he felt that although the sadness of these two individuals was only natural, it was also somewhat unnecessary… In Haseo's memory, the Uzumaki clan's ancestral shrine did eventually get moved to Konoha too—and what happened afterward?
The ancestral shrine remained, but the people were gone. Wasn't that even more tragic?
Compared to that, this was already a much better outcome.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>