The Uchiha and Root members escorting the women, children, and elderly of the Uzumaki Clan finally arrived at the gates of Konoha.
The gate guards saw them and immediately stepped forward to ask about the situation.
Aoki said in a low voice.
"The Uzumaki Clan survivors have been brought back. We need to report to the Hokage immediately."
Aoki glanced at the Uzumaki clan members behind him, then turned to Kiki and said.
"Thank you all for the escort along the way."
Kiki's brow furrowed slightly.
They had just brought the Uzumaki Clan members back, and now he was being told to leave with his people?
Was this guy afraid he would steal the credit?
Kiki thought about the instructions Hatake Sakumo had given him before departure.
He gave Aoki an indifferent look and said nothing more.
He led the Root members and vanished in a body-flicker.
Aoki paid no attention to his attitude.
The Hokage had already promised him before that after entering Root, he would be given his own squad to lead.
This mission involved both Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan.
It was an excellent opportunity to distinguish himself.
The mission had come at such a great cost, so naturally the credit could not be shared with others.
"What happened to you all?"
Just then.
Five members of the Uchiha Clan's patrol and security team noticed the situation here and quickly walked over.
Uchiha Aoki looked at the five security team members, and a trace of wariness appeared in his eyes.
"This mission was difficult. Quite a few clansmen were lost."
Hearing this, the five of them turned serious.
"What do we do about the clansmen who were lost?"
Uchiha Aoki's gaze swept across his team.
"Masaki, take the security team brothers and bring the fallen clansmen back to the clan. While you are at it, inform the clan head of how things turned out here."
A dust-covered Uchiha stepped forward and nodded.
He looked at the fallen clansmen, his face full of grief.
"I still have a mission. I need to go to the Hokage. I am heading out now."
Uchiha Aoki did not give the security team members a chance to object.
He directly ordered his subordinates.
"Move out."
Taking the Uzumaki Clan members with him, Uchiha Aoki went straight to the Hokage Building.
Inside the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, smoke drifting slowly from his pipe.
When Aoki and the others entered the office, he raised his head and let his gaze rest on them.
He then looked at the Uzumaki clan members standing to the side, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"Hokage-sama."
Aoki knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and reported.
"Sixteen Uzumaki Clan survivors have been safely brought back."
Hiruzen stood up and walked past him quickly.
He approached the Uzumaki clan members and a deep look of emotion appeared on his face.
He reached out and helped a frail elderly Uzumaki man to his feet, his voice gentle and solemn.
"Welcome to Konoha. The Uzumaki Clan will always be allies of Konoha. Konoha will always be your home."
Tears shimmered in the eyes of the Uzumaki clan members. The old man said in a trembling voice.
"Hokage-sama, thank you for your kindness."
Hiruzen patted him on the shoulder, then turned to the Root ninja at the doorway and said.
"Go and inform Lady Mito and Uzumaki Kushina. Tell them that members of the Uzumaki Clan have arrived."
The Root ninja received the order and left.
Not long after, the office door was pushed open forcefully, and a red-haired figure rushed in like the wind.
"It is really you all!"
Uzumaki Kushina's eyes were red, and tears streamed down her face without stopping.
She hurried over to the clan members and pulled the old man into a tight embrace, her voice choked with emotion.
"Thank goodness. You are all still alive."
The Uzumaki clan members saw Kushina and crowded around her, all speaking at once about their experiences over the years.
"Kushina, we have been looking for you all this time."
"Thank goodness for the Uchiha ninja. Otherwise we would have."
Kushina heard the word "Uchiha" and her body trembled slightly. The image of Chiya flashed through her mind instantly.
She had only told Chiya about this matter.
She snapped her head up and looked at Aoki and the others, her eyes full of gratitude.
"Was it you all who saved them?"
Aoki nodded.
"We went to search along the coast, and we never expected to actually find survivors."
Kushina's tears became even harder to hold back.
She bit her lip. The last time she had been kidnapped by Kumogakure ninja, it was Uchiha Chiya who had brought her back. Now he had helped bring some of her clansmen to Konoha as well. Her feelings toward Chiya surged with warmth in that moment, and her eyes were filled with deep gratitude.
Her emotions rose and fell like a rollercoaster.
Just then, the office door opened again, and Lady Mito walked in at a steady pace.
Her face carried a gentle smile, and her gaze swept across the Uzumaki clan members as she let out a quiet sigh.
"You are here."
Her voice was calm and steady, as if it could ease any unrest.
The Uzumaki clan members saw Lady Mito and knelt down in respect.
"Lady Mito."
Mito raised her hand gently.
"No need for formalities."
She turned to look at Hiruzen and gave a slight nod.
"Leave these people to me. I will arrange housing for them."
Hiruzen nodded.
"Of course. With Lady Mito making the arrangements, they will certainly receive the best care."
Mito smiled, then turned to the Uzumaki clan members.
"Follow me."
Kushina wiped her tears, took the arm of an elderly clan member, and left the Hokage Building together with Lady Mito.
Aoki watched them leave, then turned to Hiruzen and said.
"Hokage-sama, the mission has been completed. I will take my leave."
Hiruzen looked at him for a long moment.
"Wait."
"Write up a full report on this mission and hand it in."
"Well done. You may all go rest now."
After bowing, Aoki led the Uchiha ninja out of the Hokage Building.
After they left.
A look of worry crept onto Hiruzen's face.
'Is this also part of the Uchiha's calculation?'
Security Team Headquarters.
Chiya sat in front of his desk, listening to Uchiha Masaki's report, his expression dark.
"Nine elite Uchiha died to bring back the Uzumaki clan members?"
Masaki lowered his head.
"Along the way, we were ambushed by ninja from another village."
Chiya's fingers lightly tapped the desk.
"Ninja from another village? Were any of them Root?"
Uchiha Masaki's face filled with sorrow. He was silent for a moment.
"We encountered them."
"Did I not say before that you were not to get into a conflict with Root ninja? Every Uchiha who can go outside the village on a mission is an elite. How did we still end up with this many casualties?"
Chiya's calm gaze made Uchiha Masaki's heart tighten.
"It was Captain Aoki who ordered us to protect the Uzumaki clan members. Root went mad. They did not just come after us. They went after the Uzumaki clan members too. If the Root ninja had not shown up in time, we probably would not have made it back."
Root?
Something clicked in Chiya's mind.
No wonder.
"You all have really disappointed me."
Chiya cut him off.
"Back when I held the clan meeting, what did I say? Outside of wartime, no matter what mission you are on, if there is any danger, your own safety must come first. What did you all do this time? To bring back a few survivors of a destroyed clan scattered across the land, you sacrificed this many Uchiha lives? Are the lives of our Uchiha clansmen worth less than the elderly and weak of the Uzumaki Clan?!"
"Answer me."
Masaki heard these words from Chiya.
Doubt about the mission began to creep into his heart.
Was this mission really worth more than the lives of their clansmen?
Chiya looked at Uchiha Masaki sinking into conflict, and a flash of contempt crossed his eyes.
The Uchiha ninja who died this time were all followers of the "Will of Fire."
Uchiha who could not be used by him might one day become obstacles to his leading the clan forward.
He felt no grief for this group.
As long as the mission to rescue the Uzumaki Clan members was completed, that was enough.
However, as the Uchiha Clan head, the things that needed to be done still had to be done.
The act still had to be performed.
He could make use of these fallen Uchiha to serve a purpose.
Whether it was to unite the clan's resolve, or to raise his own standing in the village, these were all things Chiya needed to do right now.
As for this batch of idiots who had let the Will of Fire go to their heads.
If this had been during wartime, dying to protect the village would have made them heroes of Konoha. Their names would have been carved into the Memorial Stone.
But right now, just to bring back a few more Uzumaki clan members. Besides earning a word of praise from the Third Hokage, what else could they gain?
"Pass the word down. Clan meeting tonight."
Chiya said coldly.
"Some people do not treasure the lives of our clansmen, but we must. Tonight, we send off the clansmen who were lost."
Yashiro and Fugaku, standing at the doorway, straightened up and nodded solemnly.
"Yes!"