This world is never short of people who imitate crimes or blindly follow trends. So even if Haseo was being overly cautious, it was still better for the Uzumaki clan to complete their relocation plan sooner rather than later.
Safety came first, so he would head to the Land of Whirlpools next to oversee the coordination of this matter.
The Jonin exam ended with a satisfying and smooth outcome in Haseo's eyes—the four shinobi affiliated with Kagenami, including Sakumo Hatake, had unquestionably passed.
This result had been entirely expected. The exam required each candidate to fight seven opponents at once to pass, and the Kagenami shinobi handled it flawlessly.
After all, having Hatake and three Uzumakis facing off against other Chunin was practically unfair—though the number of enemies was considerable, for such a well-coordinated team made up of both control and damage specialists with above-average abilities, victory was nearly just a matter of time.
The squad barely met the passing timeline, a reflection of Sakumo Hatake's fighting style—if these were truly enemies, they could have eliminated them much faster. However, since their opponents were fellow village shinobi rather than wartime foes, his efficiency inevitably dropped somewhat during the exam.
For certain ninja like him, neutralizing an opponent was often more complicated and time-consuming than simply killing them outright.
Although their opponents were by no means weak themselves, anyone without at least a three-tomoe Sharingan wasn't really qualified to use the term "Sharingan" yet; as for the Hyuga known for Byakugan and Gentle Fist techniques, they faced inherent disadvantages—they simply couldn't match Sakumo Hatake's innate talent in close combat.
After his battle with Hanzo of the Rain Village, Sakumo Hatake had experienced rapid growth in strength. Now, it could truly be said: "[The Legend of the White Fang] has finally shown his true form."
Even before Sakumo Hatake had fully recovered from the fatigue of the Jonin exam, the very next day after its conclusion, Haseo had already set out with him toward the Land of Whirlpools. There was no exploitation involved here—shinobi must always adapt to operating under exhaustion.
Much like programmers working overtime, this kind of thing was completely normal.
Moreover, Sakumo Hatake was someone who had personally experienced the Great Ninja War.
The affairs of Kagenami had temporarily been entrusted to Uzumaki Shikou. And slightly earlier than Haseo's departure, news had already reached the Land of Whirlpools through faster communication channels.
One day later, Haseo and his two-person team arrived at the Land of Whirlpools. After entering the Uzumaki village, they soon met with the Uzumaki clan leader himself.
Compared to the last time Haseo had visited, the village now looked visibly more run down. There were fewer people and the buildings appeared more dilapidated. Naturally, this situation would make those living here feel disheartened—but for Haseo, it was actually good news. It meant the relocation plan had been progressing steadily.
"Haseo, we've already received word about what happened in the Land of Rice Fields… Such is fate…"
The old man, the Uzumaki clan leader, had already been informed of the intelligence transmitted from Konoha. This was his reaction—a sentiment perhaps best described as, "When even those who don't suffer still feel sorrow for others' loss."
This was the difference between a major ninja village and a smaller one. When Konoha received intelligence about Tajikune's destruction, its first reaction was to analyze the cause and consequences. The Uzumaki, however, responded with a deep sense of kinship and dread.
Konoha knew well that an event like the annihilation of another village could never happen to them, but for the Uzumaki clan, if Tajikune could be destroyed, then their own village could suffer the same fate.
"Since such an incident has already occurred, and considering our own safety, if there are no objections from Konoha, I believe it is time we abandoned this place and carried out our relocation plan as quickly as possible."
With these words, the clan leader gently tapped the ground with his cane, lowering his eyes—abandoning one's homeland was a bitter taste only understood by those who had experienced it themselves.
Haseo nodded. He could sense the elder's emotions, but now wasn't the time to dwell on sentimental feelings.
"Hokage has clearly expressed his support. Konoha will fully cooperate with our relocation plan. Once the Uzumaki cross the sea, Konoha will meet us at the shorelines and dispatch Anbu ninja to escort everyone all the way until reaching the village.
He also promised to invest resources into constructing the Uzumaki residential district within Konoha. There's no need to worry about what lies ahead. Konoha is no different from the Land of Whirlpools—after all, Lady Mito Uzumaki remains among us."
Yes, that last sentence was key.
For Hokage to fund the Uzumaki's rebuilding efforts in Konoha was only natural; originally, that money had been raised by the Uzumaki themselves. As the ruler of Konoha, Hokage had the authority to allocate funds freely. But if he took the money yet withheld all support from the Uzumaki, then Third's judgment and sensitivity to social matters would certainly be called into question.
Fortunately, the Third Hokage lacked only power—not wisdom. In fact, he might even possess the highest emotional intelligence among all the Hokage, enough to make both First and Second look like complete failures.
After all, the First was a bit slow in the head, the Second loved scheming, while the Third... was the only one who acted like a real leader. Thus, he could truly empathize, understand the joys and sorrows of ordinary people.
The Uzumaki clan leader felt reassured by Konoha's arrangements. This proved the bond between the Uzumaki and the Senju, between the Land of Whirlpools and Konoha, had not faded… relocating to Konoha was truly the right choice.
"After years of gradual relocation, fewer than a third of our people are left here now. I intend to have everyone out within a week.
As of today, the Uzumaki village will be nothing more than history."
Though the clan leader still displayed emotion, hesitation didn't hinder his decisiveness when making the call.
"Yes, this would be best, but… I hope none of our neighbors decide to overreact," Haseo remarked.
Previous scattered migrations of the Uzumaki had been manageable, but such a large-scale movement all at once was sure to draw attention from those watching—within small villages, places like Tajikune, which were not valued by major nations, formed one category, while Amegakure and the Uzumaki village formed another category—those perpetually under watch.
Haseo's words brought a smile to the Uzumaki Clan Head's face. He shifted his cane from one hand to the other and stroked his graying beard before speaking again, "Haseo, remember—we're Uzumaki. Retreating doesn't mean we've forgotten how to move forward."
"…"
Haseo stayed silent—*as long as you get it and are ready, I suppose.*
...
At the same time Haseo arrived in the Land of Whirlpools, the final evacuation of the Uzumaki clan began, with the entire village mobilized.
Considering the urgency, everyone had tried to cut down on luggage, carrying only the most essential belongings. Even so… they still ended up overloaded.
After all, moving always meant extra weight.
During the evacuation, the biggest challenge was crossing the sea… not everyone could run across the ocean like ninja did. For ordinary people, stepping on water like that would only end in sinking.
The number of civilians far exceeded that of ninja, which is why the clan leader reserved a full seven days to handle the evacuation of just several hundred people.
That very night, Haseo and Sakumo Hatake stood at the base of a seaside lighthouse, watching the lights flicker from within the Uzumaki village as the members of the clan orderly exited the village, heading toward the beach, crossing the pier, climbing aboard small boats, and then rowing into the vast darkness of the sea.
Fortunately, beyond that dark expanse lay land still glowing under the sunlight.
"Sakumo," Haseo suddenly asked, "aren't you worried that Mist or another village might try something against us? Would they really just let the Uzumaki go so easily?"
The Uzumaki were a unique force—if kept under watchful eyes, peace might be maintained. But once they attempted to disappear, considering their potential threat, no third party would likely ignore it.
Yet when faced with this question, Haseo merely smiled, showing none of the concern and tension Sakumo had expected.
"You know, Sakumo," he said, "maybe you haven't realized something. In fact, throughout the whole Ninja World, aside from Lady Mito Uzumaki, there are only two kinds of ninja."
"Two kinds? What kinds?"
"One kind knows they're weak. The other doesn't realize they're weak—they think they're strong, but they really aren't."
This made Sakumo fall into deep thought. He had never witnessed the strength of Lady Mito Uzumaki himself, but now he understood Haseo's meaning: she was an exception among exceptions, an overwhelmingly powerful ninja, while practically everyone else—including Haseo himself—was weak.
Since everyone else is weak anyway, why fear competition? Who should be afraid of whom?
"Europe?"
Then suddenly, Sakumo reacted—the term sounded unfamiliar.
"Ahem, I mean the whole ninja world. The Ninja World."
Haseo hastily corrected himself, thinking, *Why did I say that out loud?*
My apologies—it was just a slip of the tongue, really just a slip.
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