Ever since Uzumaki Kushina was taken by Konoha as the successor for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the village's attitude toward the Uzumaki clan and the Land of Whirlpools had shifted from alliance to cold indifference—even to the point of allowing the nation to fall into ruin during the wars.
This indifference stemmed from a deep-seated fear of the clan's sealing prowess and vitality. Thus, when Uzumaki Tomoki appeared in Konoha as a representative of the Hidden Sand, the village leadership found themselves in an awkward and defensive position.
The survivors of the Uzumaki clan had long since seen through Konoha's hypocrisy. Tomoki remained stoic, calmly paying his respects at the Memorial Stone dedicated to the Fourth Hokage and Uzumaki Kushina.
As the current patriarch of the fragmented Uzumaki, he felt a genuine pang of grief; with so few of his kin left in the world, the loss of someone like Kushina was a blow to the entire bloodline.
Although Tomoki had not formally announced his status, his commanding aura and the deference shown to him by two elder Uzumaki survivors made it clear to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura that this was no ordinary refugee, but the legitimate heir of the main Uzumaki line.
Rain began to fall, soaking Tomoki's shoulders. Beneath his handsome features, his expression was solemn as he placed a bouquet of flowers upon the stone.
"Hmph. Since when has the Uzumaki clan become a lapdog for the Sand?"
The sinister voice of Danzo broke the silence, instantly turning the atmosphere toxic. Tomoki's expression didn't flicker. He finished the ritual, then slowly turned to face Konoha's intelligence chief.
The Land of Whirlpools had been destroyed during the chaos of the Great Ninja Wars. As Konoha's staunchest ally, Uzu no Kuni had been besieged by the Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud.
Throughout that slaughter, Konoha had offered zero reinforcement. The "tragedy of the whirlpool" occurred because the Senju clan had once pressured the Uzumaki to fully integrate into Konoha rather than remaining an independent ally; when they refused, they were left to rot.
Tomoki was no longer a naive child. He understood Konoha's duplicity perfectly.
"When the Land of Whirlpools met its end, the remnants of our clan wandered the nations as pariahs," Tomoki replied sharply.
"It was the Fifth Kazekage who provided us with shelter and protection. It is out of gratitude for that grace that the Uzumaki chose to join the Sand."
"He only took you in to fuel his own ambitions," Danzo countered, his voice dripping with spite. "Besides, since when does a brat like you represent the entire clan?"
Tomoki narrowed his eyes. "Whether I represent my people is not for a man of Konoha to decide."
Tension at the Memorial
As the confrontation escalated, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized he couldn't let Danzo continue to provoke the envoy.
With sixteen Sand combat battalions stationed in the Land of Rivers ready to strike the heart of the Land of Fire, Konoha was in no position to start another war.
"Danzo, enough!" Hiruzen barked.
"Hiruzen! You're retreating again?" Danzo gripped his cane. "The Uzumaki appearing here likely means they have designs on the Nine-Tails. Letting them into the village is a security failure."
A powerful, surging chakra began to radiate from Tomoki. His Uzumaki constitution, combined with Shiraishi's unique training methods, caused his strength to skyrocket.
"I have no interest in the Nine-Tails," Tomoki stated coldly. "But I wish for us to take custody of the Uzumaki heir."
"Naruto Uzumaki is the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. I'm afraid that's impossible." Hiruzen interrupted, revealing the infant's status.
Tomoki was stunned. "You sealed the beast inside a newborn? A child just born?"
"It was the choice of Minato and his wife."
"I respect her choice," Tomoki said softly, "but I expect your village to treat Kushina's child with the respect he deserves."
As the standoff continued, the two Uchiha cousins, Shisui and Kaede, arrived. The crowd's resentment immediately shifted to them.
Because the Police Force had stood down during the Nine-Tails attack under Danzo's orders, the Uchiha were being scapegoated by the grieving populace.
Fugaku had chosen not to attend to avoid a riot, sending the younger generation instead.
As Kaede and Tomoki brushed past each other, Tomoki sensed something "off" about the young Uchiha. However, Kaede showed no reaction, simply moving to the stone with Shisui.
The Triple Alliance
Meanwhile, back in the New Hidden Sand, reports flooded in. The Land of Artisans had fallen; the Takumi Village was dismantled, and the Four Celestial Symbols Men were eradicated.
Surprisingly, the Hidden Mist remained silent despite the loss of their greatest maritime buffer. The decay of the Mist was worse than anyone had imagined.
However, the Sand's rapid expansion had finally terrified the other Great Nations. Envoys from the Hidden Rock and Hidden Cloud were already en route to Konoha to discuss a formal alliance.
The "Triple Alliance" of the Great Three was forming to suppress the Sand's meteoric rise. Even the Cloud's plan to steal the Hyuga's Byakugan was put on hold to avoid agitating the Leaf.
On the road back to the Sand, Tomoki found himself surrounded by Danzo's Root agents.
"Uzumaki Tomoki, we must ask you to return to Konoha for questioning."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then we have no choice!"
Tomoki's face remained impassive as a massive electromagnetic field erupted around him. Two shimmering energy shields manifested around his forearms.
"Your Lord Danzo truly is an irredeemable fool," Tomoki whispered.
The shields surged with rotating air currents. This was a specialized Jutsu granted to him by Shiraishi—a technique that only a member of the Uzumaki clan, with their "luxurious" chakra reserves, could afford to maintain.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 60 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.