Uzumaki Clan's Clan Meeting

"The Land of Water's actions have become increasingly brazen lately. They're practically making a move against our clan in broad daylight."

This was the meeting place for the Uzushio Village Elder Council, and also the ancestral hall of the Uzumaki Clan. It was exceptionally simple, with just a few low wooden tables placed on tatami mats serving as the meeting grounds. Clan members, men and women, old and young, sat on two sides, currently troubled by the fate of their clan.

The Uzumaki Clan was once a renowned and powerful clan in the Ninja World, dominating through their formidable Sealing Jutsu.

As the saying goes, no flower blooms forever, and no person enjoys good fortune for a thousand days. Even the Senju Clan, which once stood at the pinnacle of the Ninja World, has faded into obscurity. The Uzumaki Clan has also been in decline. Endless wars have continuously depleted the clan's vitality, like multiple cuts to an artery, and now they are squeezing out the last vestiges of strength from this once-great clan.

Uzushio Village, unlike other ninja villages, is solely inhabited by the Uzumaki Clan. One village, one clan. Currently, the entire village, men, women, old, and young, numbers no more than two hundred people, and the majority of them are elderly. The new generation is pitifully scarce.

"Let's fight them! We, the Uzumaki Clan, have never feared provocation."

The Land of Water, as one of the Five Great Nations, reigns supreme over the sea and is the undisputed maritime overlord. When it comes to naval warfare, even the Land of Fire, with its most formidable strength among the Five Great Nations, wouldn't dare claim victory. The Land of Uzushio is close to the Land of Fire, yet it's isolated overseas, making it a delectable piece of meat for the Land of Water, which has long plotted to devour this large, juicy morsel.

The Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques are revered by the world, and equally coveted. The Mist Village of the Land of Water is one such entity. The powerful sealing techniques capable of controlling Tailed Beasts are truly tempting!

The Uzumaki Clan has suffered no small amount of harassment from the Land of Water. Among the younger generation present, almost everyone has parents or elders who died at the hands of Mist Ninja. At this moment, it was as if a floodgate had opened, and the tone of some of the younger members began to lose control. They were on the verge of insulting the direct relatives of the current Water Daimyo and the Third Mizukage...

Youth is wonderful... Speaking so willfully!

In the lower seats, a six-year-old boy frowned, looking at the clamoring young men. He grumbled inwardly, no wonder the Uzumaki Clan had fallen so far. These guys had only inherited the Uzumaki Clan's fiery temper, completely lacking the wisdom and shrewdness of their ancestors.

In short, they were all hotheads with muscles for brains.

"Enough! All of you shut your mouths! Is this ancestral hall a place for you to make noise? If you keep arguing, I'll kick you all out."

The Great Elder, who was over fifty, couldn't hold back and slammed his hand down. The low wooden table in front of him instantly shattered into pieces, but it successfully stopped the young men from going off-topic. Insulting the Water Daimyo and the Mizukage's relatives was something that could be done in private; shouting it out in the ancestral hall showed a distinct lack of decorum.

"It's not that I don't want to fight the Mist Ninja, but what do we fight with? Besides the clan members stationed at the border, this is all that's left of the Uzumaki Clan. Are you planning to let the Uzumaki clan be wiped out? The Mist Village has tens of thousands of ninja, not to mention the many ninja families under the Water Daimyo in the Land of Water. Can't you use your brains? Besides fighting and killing, what else can you do?"

The Great Elder had intended to use a carrot and stick approach to discipline these young men. The stick had already been wielded; it was time for the carrot to soothe them. However, the old man lost his temper and swung the carrot like a stick.

A dozen or so young men immediately deflated and shrunk back, their heads throbbing from the Great Elder's barrage of blows. They truly lacked the courage to say anything more.

Seeing the dejected young men, the Great Elder's momentary regret was immediately extinguished by disappointment. If they had been able to maintain their defiance, perhaps they would have earned a little more respect. Such a show of bravado followed by a weak finish was truly useless.

A sense of sorrow welled up within him. The younger generation, who were meant to carry the future of the clan, were all like this. How could they bear the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the clan?

"Great Elder, has Konoha responded yet?"

Seeing the Great Elder's expression change, an elder beside him quickly changed the subject. If they continued, this clan meeting would be renamed a critique session.

With a long sigh, the Great Elder's attention was successfully diverted. A bitter smile appeared on his face, "The Third Hokage has replied. The Land of Fire cannot spare any resources to support us right now. The Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning to the north are watching us covetously, the Land of Wind to the west is also restless... and that 'Demigod' in the Land of Rain is also acting up..."

As he said this, the surrounding elders' expressions changed drastically. Did the Third Hokage's words imply that they were abandoning the Uzumaki Clan?

"However, the Third Hokage said we can send one or two 'seeds' to Konoha to preserve our clan's bloodline." The Great Elder's voice was extremely low. These one or two 'seeds' were not just to ensure the continuation of the Uzumaki bloodline, but also because Mito-sama, the wife of the First Hokage, was too old and urgently needed a successor. However, this kind of secret didn't need to be told to the clan members.

Hearing the Great Elder's words, the elders breathed a sigh of relief. If Konoha truly abandoned the Uzumaki Clan, then there would be no hope left. But soon, they felt a sense of unease. Back then, the Uzumaki Clan had established its own village and was an ally of Konoha Village, standing as equals, with neither looking down on the other.

Yet, they had fallen to a point where the Uzumaki Clan's survival depended entirely on Konoha's goodwill. How could they not feel heartbroken? Especially the elders who had experienced the glorious days of the Uzumaki Clan, they lamented the beautiful times that would never return.

"Today's meeting is to select a few seeds, younger ones. In a few days, Konoha ninja will come, and then they will be sent to Konoha! If something truly happens to the village, at least some bloodline will remain." The Great Elder looked exhausted, as if his spine had been removed after speaking, and he slumped down.

The Uzumaki Clan had truly fallen!

The elders present also had complex expressions. However, the necessary tasks still had to be done: selecting one or two outstanding juniors and sending them to Konoha for protection...

Looking at all the clan members gathered in the ancestral hall, the elders forced smiles that were uglier than crying. At most, there were only two little sprouts sitting in the lower seats. There were no other clan members under ten years old. What was there to choose from!

The six-year-old boy felt the elders' gazes and inwardly grumbled. His sister, a year older than him, sat rigidly, her right hand tightly gripping his left, making his fingers ache.

However, due to his sister's fiery temper, he didn't dare to make a sound and could only endure it silently. At the same time, he wondered what these old men were planning. Their gazes were so intense that a chill ran down his spine; it was a little scary.