A Meeting Moving Forward Smoothly
"Ahem, let's talk about that later. The most important issue right now is whether or not to agree to let the Uzumaki, Yuki, and Kaguya clans join the village." The Third Hokage coughed lightly, nipping the budding discussion in the bud. Otherwise, who knows how far the meeting would have gone.
"The Uzumaki Clan goes without saying; they were originally allies of Konoha. They were kidnapped by the Land of Water, and now that they've escaped this calamity, joining the village is naturally no problem. But what about Yuki and Kaguya... these two clans have always been powerful ninja clans of the Land of Water, haven't they? Putting aside the issue of their loyalty upon joining the village, we also have to consider the reaction of the Mist Ninja, right? It hasn't been many years since the end of Second Shinobi War; are we really going to start another war with the Mist Ninja?"
Finally, one of the elders raised an objection.
"This is indeed a somewhat problematic issue... The Mist Ninja didn't participate in Second Shinobi War, so their strength remains intact. If we were to go to war with the Mist Ninja now, I'm afraid the Stone Ninja and Cloud Ninja to the north would become restless..."
"That's right! Yuki and Kaguya... no matter what, they are ultimately ninja clans belonging to the Land of Water. For them to migrate here as a whole will likely create a blood feud with the Mist Ninja..."
A chorus of agreement rang out, and the meeting finally entered a heated phase, with buzzing arguments echoing throughout the room.
Of all the speakers, about 80% expressed concern about the Yuki and Kaguya clans joining the village, while no one from the Uzumaki Clan made things difficult or objected.
"About what I expected..."
His gaze swept over those who had not yet spoken. The Hyuga Clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, the Inuzuka Clan, and the Aburame —the core families of the village—had not yet expressed their opinions. Their opinions were of utmost importance. Compared to the retired Senju and the ostracized Uchiha, this group was the most core family of the village at present, and could be said to be the backbone supporting the village.
Whether things will succeed largely depends on the opinions of these people.
The people who had spoken earlier gradually quieted down and looked at the representatives of the Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho -Cho families.
"The Hyuga Clan has no objection."
The young head of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hiashi, said calmly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. His "no objection" meant "do whatever you want, I don't care. The final result is irrelevant; the Hyuga Clan only supports the outcome."
Maintaining their neutral stance, as long as it doesn't involve the Hyuga Clan's interests, they consistently prioritize results and won't actively oppose any side; they simply support the final outcome.
Of course, the Hyuga Clan also has the right to remain neutral. No one would dare to underestimate the Hyuga Clan because of this. The irreplaceable importance of the Byakugan to the village gives the Hyuga Clan an extremely superior status, which is something that the Senju and Uchiha cannot compare to.
However, this expected answer still disappointed many people, who lowered their heads in dismay.
Besides the Third Hokage's fellow disciples and a few other high-ranking leaders and members of the Elder Council, the rest of those qualified to sit here for the meeting are representatives from various clans. These are basically ninja clans with considerable strength. Konoha has its own set of evaluation criteria, such as the number of ninjas in a clan and the number of Jonin. These criteria determine the strength of a clan.
However, without Kekkei Genkai and Secret Technique, it is easy to lose too many experts in a war and be defeated. It is normal to be hostile to the addition of Kekkei Genkai clan like Yuki and Kaguya. Having Kekkei Genkai means that once they join the village, they will inevitably squeeze out the status of many families and take away the already small share of the pie.
Top clans like the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga have the confidence and resources to ignore these issues, but other mid-sized clans cannot remain indifferent.
The Nara Clan agrees.
A particularly lazy voice rang out. Shikaku Nara, the next head of the Nara clan, with his pineapple-shaped haircut, was attending the meeting as the family representative. After speaking, he winked at Katsuki with a smile.
Katsuki nodded in return.
The Nara Clan was a powerful supporter that Sakumo helped to win over. Although Konoha's White Fang came from a commoner background, he was worth more than a large number of ninja clans. Top-tier combat power in the Shinobi World cannot be ignored anywhere. Although he did not attend this meeting, he did his homework.
Sakumo had fought in foreign wars for many years, and he was the highest-ranking commander on the front lines throughout Second Shinobi War. The Nara clan members were his most capable assistants, and that's how their friendship developed.
Moreover, it is well known that the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans have always been united in their actions and retreats. Winning over the Nara Clan means gaining the support of the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans.
"The Yamanaka Clan agrees."
"The Akimichi Clan agrees."
As expected, the representatives of both families voted in favor without hesitation.
Now, those who had previously opposed Yuki and Kaguya joining the village turned green with Kaguya. The Hyuga Clan neutral was one thing, but how could the Ino -Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who should at least be neutral, support Yuki and Kaguya joining the village? Did they think these two Kekkei Genkai clan wouldn't threaten their position?
Shikaku Nara squinted, observing the changes in the expressions of everyone present. Noticing the anxious and resentful faces, a disdainful smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
A bunch of brainless idiots, completely unable to see the situation, thinking that having a dozen Jonin in their clan gives them the right to cause trouble here. These clueless fools are doomed sooner or later. Do they really think that the top ninjas in the Shinobi World can be compared to ordinary Jonin?
Every Jonin is a legend, but every top ninja in the Shinobi World is capable of crushing even the so-called legends.
Since the battle in Sunagakure five years ago, Katsuki has steadily entered the top circle of the Shinobi World. His reputation as the "Disaster of Konoha" resounds throughout the Shinobi World. Not only that, he also has a teacher who is also in the top circle. The two of them support half of Konoha with their absolute personal strength.
Who would offend such a master? The Shinobi World is a place where strength reigns supreme. One of the reasons why the Five Great Ninja Villages are superior to those smaller ninja villages is because they have a continuous stream of top masters, which allows them to steadily maintain their respective positions.
Even with Hanzō -tier ninja like Amegakure, Amegakure could not escape its status as a small ninja village. One reason for this was the lack of a second top-tier ninja to succeed it. Amegakure's prosperity was ultimately short-lived, and once Hanzō grew old, Amegakure would inevitably decline as well.
Controlling top-tier experts is also a major issue. It's manageable for someone like Sakumo who follows the rules, but what about Katsuki?
Shikaku Nara was uncertain. Katsuki was too young, about the same age as him, yet possessed such terrifying power. Such geniuses were the most difficult to deal with. Young and impetuous geniuses were often very immature, like powder kegs that could explode at any moment. Just a tiny spark could trigger a massive explosion.
To be honest, he didn't want to get involved with such troublesome people at all, but unfortunately, his family had a very close relationship with Sakumo, and some things couldn't be avoided just because you wanted to...
Faced with a choice, and after careful consideration, the Nara clan decisively sided with Katsuki.