Lips and Teeth Depend on Each Other

Mikoto heard that someone was looking for her at the clan compound entrance and hurried over.

The Uchiha Clan compound was enormous; it took more than ten minutes to walk from her home to the entrance.

When she saw Kushina and Minato at the entrance, Mikoto was somewhat puzzled. She thought something new had happened regarding the agricultural ninjutsu from earlier that day.

Kushina did not speak. Minato spoke first. "Mikoto, could you invite Fugaku Uchiha, the young clan head of the Uchiha Clan, out here?"

"Huh?" Mikoto's face immediately turned red. "I... nothing happened between me and the young clan head! We... we..."

Mikoto was terrified. Young Clan Head Fugaku was three years older than her. After graduating, he had joined the Konoha Military Police Force and had been responsible for guiding her, which was why they had some contact.

The moment Kushina saw Mikoto's bashful blush, she understood. "Oh, Mikoto, and you didn't even tell me about something like this."

Mikoto said no more and hurriedly turned to find the young clan head, not even asking why Minato wanted to see him.

Fugaku Uchiha was reading in his study.

At fifteen, Fugaku was already a jonin. He was the strongest of the Uchiha Clan's younger generation and held the most distinguished status among them.

Seeing Mikoto rush toward him, the corners of Fugaku's lips lifted in a smile before he quickly suppressed it.

"Miss Mikoto, why are you running so fast?"

Standing beside Fugaku's desk, Mikoto said, "Young Master Fugaku, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki are looking for you at the clan compound entrance."

"What is it about?"

Fugaku began considering what could have happened. He knew of Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya's disciple and one of the Three Ninja.

Although Jiraiya had taken three students, only Minato Namikaze was his disciple; the other two were merely students. As Jiraiya's disciple, Minato was also the Third Hokage's grand-disciple, one of Konoha Village's next generation of core figures.

As for Kushina Uzumaki, Fugaku Uchiha only knew that she was a surviving orphan of the Uzumaki Clan.

The matter of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was kept secret from the Uchiha Clan. The Uchiha Clan knew nothing about it. Even if they had a few suspects, they could not be certain. They had even suspected that Tsunade was the Jinchuriki.

"Fine. I'll go take a look."

When he arrived at the clan compound entrance, Fugaku Uchiha saw the blond-haired genin.

Fugaku said, "Come. Let's have a cup of clear tea in the reception hall."

Fugaku led them toward the reception hall near the entrance of the clan compound.

Mikoto kept her head lowered, feeling that she had performed terribly today. She glanced back at Kushina, who seemed to have something on her mind and did not press her about Young Master Fugaku.

After entering the reception hall, Mikoto served them clear tea.

As Fugaku sipped his tea, he waited for Minato Namikaze to speak. He did not know what the Hokage's grand-disciple before him wanted.

Minato set down his teacup, smiled at Mikoto, then turned to Fugaku.

"Young Master Fugaku, Kushina currently lives within the Senju Clan Land. Something happened today, and after giving it some thought, I realized it is important not only to Kushina and the Senju Clan, but also to your Uchiha Clan."

"What is it?"

Fugaku Uchiha felt that things were becoming troublesome. He kept guessing what matter could require the Hokage's grand-disciple to seek him out.

Although he was the Uchiha Clan's young clan head, he still wanted to lie low for a few more years and did not wish to enter the village leadership's sights too early.

Even his father, Uchiha Ishijima, the Uchiha Clan's clan head, faced all manner of suppression within the village.

There was no helping it. The death of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, was inseparable from Uchiha Madara, and many people in the village held deep grievances against the Uchiha Clan.

Minato Namikaze said:

"During the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan, the Senju Clan had committed the strength of its entire clan to rushing to their aid, and they too suffered a devastating blow.

Only a little over fifty members remained in the Senju Clan, yet they still occupied the vast Senju Clan Land.

From the village's perspective, leaving such a large area in the core district empty is an enormous waste.

The village intends for the Senju Clan to voluntarily sell some of its properties and houses for use by the village or other ninja clans."

Fugaku nodded. He had heard about this matter long ago.

Though it seemed somewhat cruel and cold toward the Senju Clan, there was nothing that could be done about it.

More importantly, this was a kind of signal. People in the village wanted to test the waters by breaking the Senju Clan's nominal position as the foremost clan, to see whether the villagers would accept it and what the ninja clans friendly with the Senju Clan thought.

Minato asked, "May I ask what stance the Uchiha Clan takes on this matter?"

"A stance?" Fugaku said:

"The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan have competed for centuries. I never expected the Senju Clan to have weakened to such an extent.

The Uzumaki Clan, the Senju Clan's greatest ally for centuries, has been destroyed, and only a few dozen Senju remain.

Within the Uchiha Clan, some believe this is finally the time for the Uchiha Clan to spread its wings, while others feel that gaining victory over the Senju Clan this way would be dishonorable."

Kushina Uzumaki's eyes reddened. The tragedy of the Uzumaki Clan was also the tragedy of the Senju Clan. They were one body; everyone was family.

A cold, sinister chakra seeped out from Kushina's body. She turned to glance at Hokage Rock outside the window.

She felt some resentment. After Lord Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, had sacrificed himself, the Uzumaki Clan had immediately faced joint destruction at the hands of the Cloud Hidden Village and Mist Hidden Village.

The Uzumaki Clan's plea for aid had reached both the Senju Clan and Konoha Village.

Yet Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had only just succeeded to the position of Third Hokage, had cited the village being surrounded by enemies on all sides and only symbolically dispatched two squads of village ninja as reinforcements.

At that moment, Minato suddenly reached over and took Kushina's hand.

Minato's palm was so warm that Kushina's turbulent heart immediately calmed.

Grandma Mito had said that after becoming a Jinchuriki, one had to fill one's heart with love rather than resentment, or the Nine-Tails would take control.

Fugaku gave Kushina another look and noticed that her chakra was somewhat strange.

Seeing Kushina's hand held by Minato, Mikoto felt a little envious and glanced again at Young Master Fugaku.

Minato continued:

"Young Clan Head Fugaku, Master Jianzhen, the Monk Who Crossed the Sea, crossed the ocean to spread Buddhist teachings in the ninja world. He not only left behind Ninja Temples such as the Fire Temple, but also many idioms.

'When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold' is an idiom that perfectly suits the current relationship between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan.

Young Clan Head Fugaku, the Senju Clan's crisis is also the Uchiha Clan's crisis."

"When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold?"

As a great ninja clan that had endured for generations, the Uchiha Clan possessed deep reserves in both ninjutsu and learning. Fugaku also knew many of the idioms left behind by Master Jianzhen, the Monk Who Crossed the Sea.

"When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold..." Fugaku seriously considered whether the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan truly depended on one another like lips and teeth.

Minato Namikaze believed his argument would certainly move Fugaku Uchiha, because according to the original story's development, after the Senju Clan was wiped out, the next great ninja clan to be exterminated would be the Uchiha Clan.

The ninja world and Konoha Village were far crueler and bloodier than the original story had shown.

Kushina looked at Minato in confusion. With the Senju Clan declining, shouldn't that have been an opportunity for the Uchiha Clan?

Several seconds later, Fugaku said solemnly, "Please explain in detail, Minato."