Postmortem * The Tsuchigumo Clan

By the time everyone was pulled from the sea, it was past midnight.

The dock was a mess, with fishing boats overturned, cargo containers scattered all over the ground, and wet footprints and seaweed everywhere.

All the torches were extinguished, leaving only a few oil lamps that Haruto had temporarily requisitioned to stubbornly burn.

--By the way, Haruto officially took over as the Clan Head of the Ise Clan. That's right, he took over on the spot.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to leverage his family's influence to secure supplies.

Several workers were cursing and helping each other climb ashore, while the people from Hiroyama slumped dejectedly by the pier, wringing the water out of their sleeves.

The Ninjas from the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning were carried ashore one by Tobirama using the Flying Thunder God Technique, their hands and feet tightly bound, like a string of conch shells washed ashore by the tide.

Soaked to the bone, the Ninjas, workers, Yakuza, and businessmen were divided into several groups, sitting on the ground with their heads hanging down, like a flock of quails drenched by a downpour.

Tobirama confirming that no one was still in the sea, Tobirama glanced around at the group of drenched people in front of him, and finally fixed his gaze on Izuna.

When Izuna noticed his gaze, she looked up and gave a smile that was somewhere between innocent and guilty.

Tobirama and took a deep breath. "Can anyone tell me what's going on?"

Hashirama sighed and said first, "We do need to review the current situation. Let me start. Madara and I were just gathering information near the docks because we heard, well, some bad things, and we wanted to find a few workers to ask about the situation. As a result, we were surrounded as soon as we got here. You saw what happened next."

Madara, standing beside him, looked back at Tobirama expressionlessly. "That's it."

Tobirama shifted his gaze toward Hiroyama.

Hiroyama twisted the corner of his clothes, and when he saw Tobirama, he grinned. "This is all the fault of that traitor Masato! That kid has been doing bad things in the Land of Hot Water for three years, and recently he's even hooked up with the Land of Lightning. Tonight, I finally caught him red-handed, and I was just about to strike while the iron was hot and clean up the mess, when I ran into you guys."

Tobirama then looked at the Tsuchigumo Clan.

Miss Zhen sat to the side, hugging her knees, completely soaked, while the female ninja warmed her hands with her body heat.

A seemingly simple-minded man from the Tsuchigumo Clan scratched the back of his head. "We just... came to freeload. The Clan Head said the Land of Whirlpools was doomed, so we wanted to take advantage of the situation. Who would have thought those bastards from the Land of Water would stab us in the back and capture our young lady?"

Upon hearing the words that the Land of Whirlpools was doomed, Homura, now soaked to the bone, turned around with a Himawari- like Enma and glared angrily at the man from the Tsuchigumo Clan who had uttered those words.

Izuna and Haruto couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

The people of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water remained silent, like stones in a latrine, not uttering a single word.

The old technician sighed and said, "We just want to stage a protest and take back our jobs from those outsiders. The road from the factory to the Merchants' Association of Commerce originally passed by the dock. We could have stayed out of it, but quite a few of our men have conflicts with the Merchants' Association, and we have no choice but to fight them, so..."

Tobirama finally fixed his gaze on Izuna, Haruto, and the Enma he had brought.

Haruto Dou laughed heartily, "It's my fault here. I was originally planning to escape by boat. My mother chased me, I ran, she chased, and somehow we got all the Merchants' Association involved. Then we saw a fight break out at the docks..."

His mother frowned. "You are the Clan Head of the Ise clan. Your whereabouts are very important, and everyone is concerned about you."

Haruto turned his head and muttered, "You guys are watching everything I do, that's why I don't want to be the Clan Head..."

Seeing him like this, Haruto's mother couldn't help but rub her temples in exasperation.

Tobirama, expressionless, continued, "So how did you come to know Izuna?"

"Oh, I was the one who struck up a conversation. I thought he was interesting, so I forced myself to be friends with him."

Tobirama didn't believe it. That Izuna? Became friends with someone? I think he provoked him!

But since the parties involved have said so, let's leave it at that.

One last thing.

He looked at Izuna, "What was that light just now? And what was that Wind Release or something?"

Izuna an awkward smile, "Would you believe me if I said I don't quite understand either?"

Tobirama twitched his lips, covered his face, and sighed, "Forget it, this really shouldn't be discussed in public. Let's talk about it when we get back."

So the current situation is...

Yakuza, workers, Merchants' Association, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Water, Tsuchigumo, and four people from Konoha.

So many people, so many forces, appeared at the same dock on the same night, getting caught up in the same chaotic battle for all sorts of bizarre and completely different reasons.

The most fatal flaw is that the logic behind each side's actions is actually plausible, and each can be perfectly explained by their respective positions and the old grudges behind those positions.

The Yakuza and Masato have a three-year-old feud, and tonight is a long-planned Settlement, which will also serve as a pretext to eliminate any invading external forces.

The workers have a new grudge against the people of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water who occupy the Shipyard. Tonight is a planned march and petition. They have been oppressed by the merchants for too long, and tonight they can settle their old scores all at once.

The reason the Merchants' Association got involved was because Haruto and his mother had a conflict. Haruto's escape route happened to be towards the docks, and Ise seemed to be very important to the country. Everyone followed in order to determine the final outcome, and then the workers took the opportunity to retaliate.

The Land of Lightning and the Land of Water appeared at the dock because their base was there; they had to intervene to stop Hashirama and Madara's investigation in order to force them to retreat.

The Tsuchigumo Clan wanted to take advantage of the situation, but because the affairs of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water were exposed, they wanted to leave unscathed. As a result, the young lady was taken hostage by the Land of Water and accidentally stumbled into the encirclement of the Yakuza.

As for Hashirama and Madara going to the docks to investigate at night, it was because they wanted to gather more information to deal with any potential conflicts that might arise.

And Izuna?

Izuna simply took a new friend out for a meal, and then his friend tried to run away. He chased after him, but just as he reached the dock, the dock exploded.

Unexpectedly, this guy turned out to be the most innocent person here.

My foot!

"So you mean," Tobirama said, looking at the group and emphasizing each word, "That tonight's chaotic battle involving thousands of people was purely due to a series of coincidences, and that all of you just happened to have something to deal with tonight?"

Everyone remained silent, like elementary school students being lectured by the head teacher.

Only Izuna thought about it seriously for a moment, and then replied, "It seems that... that's indeed the case."

Stop talking!

Tobirama rubbed his temples, looking troubled.

On the surface, this chaotic battle was simply an outbreak of internal conflicts within the Land of Hot Water. As someone from Konoha, he had neither the standing nor the authority to delve deeper.

However, Konoha still has to take care of the people from the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning. In any case, they will first escort them Deportation their countries.

The same applies to the Tsuchigumo Clan.

Because this concerns the safety of the Land of Whirlpools, the Hokage, as a relative by marriage from the Land of Whirlpools, must show some consideration.

Tobirama quickly drafted a plan of action in his mind.

He and Hashirama first stepped forward to deliver a formal Formal Note to the Daimyo the Land of Hot Water Konoha Special Administrative Region of the Land of Fire.

The statement explained the facts of these Ninjas illegally gathering, carrying weapons, and disrupting port order within the Land of Hot Water, and then demanded that the Land of Hot Water expel the individuals involved in accordance with local laws.

Ensure their safe return to their respective countries and that they do not remain within the territory of the Land of Hot Water.

Of course, whether the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water will acknowledge it is another matter entirely.

But at least send them out first, don't let them stay here any longer, and at least don't let the Land of Hot Water cause any more trouble while they're on their mission to the Land of Whirlpools.

The matter of Izuna also needs to be addressed.

They haven't reviewed the game since Isshiki invaded Konoha, but this time they're determined to get him to give a proper account of what happened!

Just as he was about to tell his Big Brother his thoughts, the young lady of the Tsuchigumo Clan suddenly stood up.

She was soaking wet, her long, pale golden hair plastered to her cheeks and neck, and she looked somewhat disheveled, but she stood up straight and strode toward Tamaro.

The dock fell silent, and everyone's eyes followed her. Only the sea breeze continued to howl, causing the oil lamp's flame to flicker and sway.

The petite girl stopped in front of the tall man and took a deep breath.

"My name is Tsuchigumo Makoto! Sir! Please be my friend!"

A deathly silence.

The sea breeze carried her voice, making it reach the ears of everyone present.

The Yakuza and workers forgot to shiver, the Merchants' Association forgot to dry their wet clothes, the Ninjas from the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning forgot to struggle, and even Tobirama showed a rare expression of astonishment.

Only Izuna showed a maternal smile.

Tamaro stood frozen in place for a long while before finally uttering, "Huh?"

She stood before him, soaking wet, her cheeks flushed crimson, but her gaze didn't waver. Clenching her fists, she straightened her back and faced directly at the man she admired.

Tamamo-no-Mae the first to react.

She gasped, grabbed Tamaro's arm, and exclaimed with the excitement of finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, "Oh my god! I've finally married my brother off?!"

"What do you mean by 'marrying out'?!" Tamaro snapped out of her daze and yelled angrily at her sister, "It's 'marrying'! If anyone's going to marry, it's her marrying me!"

"What's the difference? Aren't we all going to live together anyway?"

Zhen immediately replied, "Sister! I can get married first and fall in love later!"

"Oh! Very good! I agree to this marriage! By the way, my brother's name is Tamaro, and he likes Tempura and..."

"I haven't agreed yet!" Tamaro's voice rose even higher, her cheeks flushed red.

"Ahem." Hiroyama sat cross-legged on the ground, silently adopting the posture of a father-in-law. "I think this matter is worth discussing."

"Big Brother!"

Zhen's eyes lit up. "Big Brother, what are your terms?"

"Wait a minute! How old are you to want to marry me?!"

"I'm already fifteen!" Zhen stared at him. "I'm old enough to get married!"

Tamaro immediately said seriously, "Too young! I will not agree!"

Upon Tamamo-no-Mae covered her face with concern, "Oh dear... that is indeed a bit young... my brother is already twenty-four..."

"Right!"

Hiroyama, however, didn't care. "It's only a nine-year age difference, and besides, it's someone who likes her. If they think she's too young, then we can wait a few more years."

"Big Brother!" Tamaro thought his Big Brother was just making trouble. "I have no interest in such a young girl! She doesn't even have any breasts!"

The young girl retorted defiantly, "My knowledge is more than enough to make me an excellent wife! Please don't reject me, Mr. Tamaro, because of my age! Besides, all the women in my lineage have large breasts, so I'm bound to develop huge breasts too!"

Tamamo-no-Mae covered her mouth. "Oh dear, how bold!"

"Giant..." Tamaro's face suddenly turned bright red. "Don't speak!"

But the little girl wasn't intimidated at all; she just stared at him, her eyes gleaming with a determined light that made Tamaro turn his head away.

Hiroyama pulled him over and said in a serious voice, "Look, the young lady has taken the initiative to speak up, and she's the eldest daughter of the Tsuchigumo Clan."

"Tamamoya may have some standing on this street, but at the end of the day, it's just a brothel. For a debt collector like you to marry the young lady of the Shinobi Clan is incredibly lucky. Besides, she's beautiful and has a generous personality; marrying her is definitely a good deal."

The female ninja from the Tsuchigumo Clan felt as if the sky had fallen.

She practically tumbled and crawled over, grabbed Zhen's arm, and dragged him several steps away from Tamaro.

She lowered her voice and said urgently, "Young Miss! What nonsense are you talking about! How can you do this in front of so many people..."

"I'm not lying, I'm serious."

"You don't even know who he is! He just rescued you from the people of the Land of Water; this could only be considered a momentary impulse! How can you be so hasty about such an important matter as marriage!"

The female ninja's face was flushed with a mixture of sweat and water droplets. "Besides, you're the eldest daughter of the Tsuchigumo Clan, and there are so many eligible young men in the clan—"

"I hate them," Zhen interrupted her. "They have no opinions of their own. When Father said he wanted to attack the Land of Whirlpools, not a single person dared to stand up and object. But this gentleman is different. He didn't know me, yet he immediately saved me and shielded me behind him. That's exactly the kind of person I need."

The female ninja opened her mouth, but was silenced by being gagged.

Looking at Zhenna's still chubby face, she suddenly understood why she had made such an absurd choice.

Just now, because they didn't want to offend the people of the Land of Hot Water, they didn't actually take serious action against the Yakuza.

The young lady possesses a sealed Fury, but it cannot be activated by anyone else unless they use the medium of words.

Even the people of the Land of Water wouldn't dare to actually kill her because of her identity.

Therefore, everyone was mindful of something and no one actually took action.

But for a fifteen-year-old girl, this means that she is not important to her clan.

After she cried for help, no one in her clan was willing to risk their lives to save her. Just then, this man who could have easily ignored the matter stepped in.

In the entire world, only this man with a face covered in dark spots was willing to listen to her.

That's probably all.

But precisely because of this, the female ninja couldn't let her continue like this.

She was too young, too young to distinguish between dependence and liking, gratitude and admiration.

Worse still, given the current situation of the Tsuchigumo Clan, saying such a thing would only complicate matters further.

Although the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning have been subdued, the fact that the Tsuchigumo Clan was involved in the operation remains unchanged. They will be Deportation, investigated, and required to provide an explanation.

If the young lady gets involved with the Yakuza of the Land of Hot Water at this time, and the news gets back to the clan, who knows what those collateral branches, who were already restless because of the Clan Head's bad decisions, will do about it.

"Young Miss," the female ninja said, lowering her voice to the lowest possible level, "whether you want to get married or repay a debt of gratitude, you can do it all back in the clan. Look around you, so many people are watching you. You are the young lady of the Tsuchigumo Clan, you can't do this in this kind of situation—"

She didn't even look at her. She pulled away from the female ninja's hand and turned to look in Tamaro's direction.

Tamaro was still arguing with his younger sister and Big Brother.

He kept his voice low, but how could it escape the Ninja's ears?

And so those words reached the little girl's ears without being missed.

"... Ugly, young, and looks dull-witted; clearly spoiled." His voice was calm, yet one insult after another poured out. "She'll definitely be a burden to me in the future. This kind of pampered young lady is just acting on impulse. Once she returns to her clan, she'll naturally forget everything that happened tonight."

He paused for a moment, then realized that the surroundings were silent. Neither Tamamo-no-Mae nor Hiroyama spoke, but looked at him with worried eyes. Tamaro then understood that the girl was looking at him.

Tamaro clicked his tongue, as if trying to make amends or to convince himself, and continued, "That girl was just terrified by the people of the Land of Water. She was blindly clinging to a piece of driftwood, thinking she had reached the shore. If I were to agree to her request, that would be taking advantage of her vulnerability and being unethical."

As he spoke the last few words, a faint, self-deprecating smile appeared in his voice.

Finally, he said, "In short, I will not agree."

Zhen stood there, soaked to the bone, her long, pale golden hair clinging to her cheeks and slightly disheveled by the sea breeze.

As she listened to Tamaro's words, her eyes gradually reddened. "Then... what should I do to get you to give me a chance?"

Tamaro, with his back to her, said in a muffled voice, "Don't say things like that. You're going back to your hometown soon, and we won't see each other again."

"You have your people, your responsibilities, and your future there. You shouldn't have anything to do with someone like me in this lifetime."

So, forget about me. I only saved you tonight because it was a favor.

She hesitated, wanting to say something more, but she knew that what Tamaro said was true.

This time, she will probably never have the chance to leave the clan again, and she will never meet someone like him again.

The female ninja stood to the side, secretly relieved.

Although the young lady looked pitiful, it would be better for everyone if this matter could just be left alone.

The other members of the Tsuchigumo Clan exchanged glances, thinking that once they returned to the clan, the young lady would only throw a tantrum for a few days, and would naturally forget about it after a while.

Just when they all thought the matter was finally over, a clear voice suddenly rang out from the side.

"Why don't you Tsuchigumo Clan just settle down in the Land of Hot Water?"

Everyone turned to look at the person who had spoken.

Izuna stood beside an oil lamp, arms crossed, and when he saw everyone staring at him, he gave a chilling smile.