Arrival of the Uzumaki Clan

Arrival of the Uzumaki Clan

"Hey, who are those redheads? Why are so many Sand Shinobi escorting them?"

"No idea. They must be some large clan."

"That's the Uzumaki Clan, people from the Land of Whirlpools. I've been to the Land of Whirlpools before and saw them there."

At the canyon entrance to Sunagakure, the passing merchants witnessed quite a spectacle.

First, the Uzumaki Clan appeared. Then, a hundred-man Sand Shinobi unit came out to welcome them.

Ignoring the merchants, Ebizo forcibly suppressed his doubts and greeted the sister who had come to receive him. "It's been a long time, Sister. It seems Sunagakure has changed a great deal."

Chiyo nodded and gave him a look that said they would talk after returning, then turned toward Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki.

"Greetings, young friends of the Uzumaki Clan. I am Chiyo, an Elder of Sunagakure, here on Lord Kazekage's behalf to welcome you.

Please come with me. The rest of your clan members will be led away to rest by other Sand Shinobi."

"Greetings, Elder Chiyo. We will follow your arrangements."

Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki exchanged glances and saw the helplessness in each other's eyes.

Then, they had one Uzumaki clansman lead the others to follow the Sand Shinobi's arrangements.

They followed Chiyo, Ebizo, Suke, and Bunpuku toward the Kazekage Building.

As they walked, Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki stared wide-eyed.

The bustling streets gave no sign of the title of poorest Ninja Village.

"It seems Sunagakure's changes only happened recently."

After recovering from his shock, Aizawa Uzumaki began observing the expressions of Ebizo, Suke, and Bunpuku.

Ebizo gave nothing away, but Suke and Bunpuku showed obvious surprise.

Clearly, before they had left, Sunagakure had not undergone these changes.

At the very least, it had not been this prosperous.

"Overall, the Third Kazekage is quite capable. His ability to govern a Ninja Village cannot be underestimated.

"If we follow him, our road to rise will not be too difficult."

Aizawa Uzumaki's mind raced, countless thoughts flashing through it in an instant.

"Friend Uzumaki, I heard that you plan to research Medical Ninjutsu?"

While Aizawa Uzumaki was distracted, Chiyo's voice reached him. It was cold and revealed neither joy nor anger.

"Yes, Elder Chiyo. Although the Uzumaki Clan has a fiery temper, we do not like war.

"That is why we chose this cowardly course of action."

With the attitude that it was better to avoid trouble in an unfamiliar place, Aizawa Uzumaki lowered his stance considerably.

"Heh, there is no need for that. I merely wanted to tell you that Sunagakure has already established part of a medical system. I hope you can integrate into it as soon as possible.

"That will benefit you."

Chiyo shook her head and gave a faint laugh, carrying a trace of disdain.

She, Elder Chiyo, the Flower of the Hidden Sand, could not be bothered to make things difficult for the old, weak, sick, and disabled.

"Thank you, Elder Chiyo."

Aizawa Uzumaki felt delighted. He instinctively ignored Chiyo's disdain, or perhaps he simply did not care.

Chiyo had once broken through an entire city alone. If they truly fought, the Uzumaki Clan's ninja might not be able to defeat her.

Besides, she had plainly said that they could join Sunagakure's medical system.

That meant they would be allowed to study Sunagakure's Medical Ninjutsu. Likewise, they could not keep their own knowledge hidden.

But would the Uzumaki Clan keep secrets?

Of course not. They had nothing worth hiding. As one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, Sunagakure's foundations far surpassed theirs.

Inside the Kazekage's office, Yunqing and Sāmon received Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki.

"Welcome to Sunagakure, friends from the Land of Whirlpools."

Yunqing stood and welcomed them with a smile.

"Greetings, Lord Kazekage. Greetings, Lord Sāmon."

Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki returned the greeting respectfully.

"I already know of the Uzumaki Clan's decision. For research into Medical Ninjutsu and the medical system, you may simply seek out Elder Chiyo.

"I have already set aside an area for the Uzumaki Clan. As for your housing, the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools has already provided it, so you need not worry.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Yunqing thoroughly demonstrated what it meant to be a gracious host.

Rather than welcoming his own direct subordinates first, he was instead concerned about the newcomers.

"Lord Kazekage, our clan members need places to work.

"After all, we cannot support so many people in the early stages. I wonder if you have any solution."

A pleading note entered Aizawa Uzumaki's voice.

The exhaustion on his face was plain to see. After this journey, he was nearly unable to hold on any longer.

Seeing the plea in Aizawa Uzumaki's eyes, Yunqing's gaze filled with approval.

"Don't worry, it is nothing. If you lack money, Sunagakure can loan you a sum to settle down.

"As for work, Sunagakure currently has many factories looking for workers. The hours are nine to five, and food and lodging are provided."

Yunqing made it clear that they did not need to worry about any of that. Sunagakure had everything arranged for them.

Under the puzzled gazes of Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki, Yunqing gave Pakura a look.

Pakura understood at once and spent two hours explaining Sunagakure's loans and employment opportunities to them.

Leaving aside the scattered jobs offered by roadside shops, even Sunagakure's newly built mines and manufacturing factories were recruiting large numbers of workers.

There were also good positions within Sunagakure itself. Hospitals serving the residents of Sunagakure were hiring nurses and doctors.

The military that protected Sunagakure and the Land of Wind was recruiting ninja specialized in combat.

Maintaining public order required police officers.

Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki felt as though their minds had crashed.

They felt that Sunagakure was simply too good. There were far too many positions waiting for them to fill.

Or rather, there were a great many positions waiting specifically for them.

Those who researched Medical Ninjutsu could go to hospitals. Those who wanted to fight could join the military. Those who wished to realize their personal value could become police officers.

And those civilians no longer needed to be supported by them. They could work for themselves, earn money, and spend it themselves.

The two Uzumaki men left the Kazekage's office in a daze.

Just moments ago, they had received a baptism from an advanced society.

"En, I think we should change the clan's way of living."

Aizawa Uzumaki's eyes lit up as he spoke excitedly to En Uzumaki.

"Tell me about it. I have some ideas too."

En Uzumaki said the same excitedly.

"We can turn the Ninja Clan into separate households. That will reduce the pressure and allow everyone to make their own choices."

"And we only need to grasp the general direction. Let the clan members choose the rest for themselves."

"Yes, yes. That way, we can improve our ability to withstand risks. Everyone can help each other while also reducing interference."

Aizawa Uzumaki and En Uzumaki exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.

They were young people and did not like the old practice of eating from the same communal pot. They preferred to have their own separate kitchens.

Everyone could provide for themselves. How well you lived depended on you, and if you did poorly, your relatives could lend you a hand.

As clan leaders, they only needed to manage their own households and control the clan's overall direction.

Every month, each household would receive basic supplies. The rest would depend on themselves and be distributed according to their contributions to the clan.

This was also relatively simple.

Thank you all for your support. I will do my best to keep writing.

If you have any opinions, feel free to raise them, as long as you do not insult anyone.

If you have any ideas, please share them. I will incorporate them as much as possible.