Hozuki Shingetsu's Backup Plan

"Wait!"

Uzumaki Takumi suddenly remembered something. His face grave, he called out to the man ordered to go to Konoha and instructed him, "Hurry. You must reach Konoha before Puren does, then stop him!"

Uzumaki Puren was the man previously sent to Konoha to warn them not to make any moves in the Land of Whirlpools, then discuss how to eliminate Hozuki Shingetsu.

Several hundred elite troops might have seemed formidable, but with the Uzumaki Clan's long-standing preparations, stalling them for three to five days would not be difficult. As long as they could hold out until Konoha's reinforcements arrived, Uzushio Village would safely weather this crisis.

So under these circumstances, they could not afford to fall out with Konoha, much less turn against Kirigakure. They had to stop Uzumaki Puren before he reached Konoha!

"Yes!"

Clearly, this Uzumaki clansman had thought of that as well. He immediately hurried out the door.

"I hope there's still time!"

Uzumaki Takumi turned and looked out the window.

The sky was overcast, thick with dark clouds but devoid of even a trace of wind. Uzushio Village, like the air itself, was oppressively still.

The disturbance in Uzushio Village was quickly noticed by Hozuki Shingetsu and the others. The commotion was simply too great: the entire village had been sealed off, all unrelated personnel expelled, and Whirlpool Ninja filled the streets to maintain order amid the cries of children and livestock.

"Someone's attacking?"

Before long, an Uzushio Village ninja came specifically to brief them on the situation, then warned Hozuki Shingetsu and the other two not to wander around. Afterward, he stood right outside their door in full view of them.

It was clearly outright surveillance.

First, they were worried the three might cause trouble in the village amid the chaos. Second, they were protecting them from anyone with ill intentions taking advantage of the disorder to target Hozuki Shingetsu and his companions.

"Judging from Uzushio Village's reaction, there must be quite a few attackers. For a force this large, it would have to be something only the Five Great Shinobi Villages could deploy... Could this be Ren's scheme? Having the Uzumaki Clan kill us while they're at it?"

Yukinagi muttered to herself, then startled herself with the thought that had flashed through her mind. But she quickly realized that neither the Hozuki Clan nor the Yuki Clan could possibly be unaware of a deployment on this scale, so the attackers definitely were not from Kirigakure.

"So the key to this battle is whether those people can break through the Uzumaki Clan's defenses and storm into Uzushio Village before Konoha's reinforcements arrive," Karatachi Yagura continued analyzing.

"Don't worry. Konoha won't send anyone."

Hozuki Shingetsu smiled calmly.

Since he had personally orchestrated this entire show, he had naturally considered every aspect of what would follow. Whatever reason Konoha had in the original story for not rescuing Uzushio Village, in this world, Konoha definitely would not come to its aid.

As for why... those letters he had sent to the Land of Fire before arriving in Uzushio Village had not been written for nothing!

"After all... only a nation's ship leaks from the top down!"

Hozuki Shingetsu looked toward the Land of Fire and murmured to himself.

A day later.

In the Capital of the Land of Fire, a private banquet was underway in the Daimyo's Tenshukaku.

The current Daimyo of the Land of Fire, Himi Saki, was around forty years old, in the prime of his life. Years of pampered luxury had long since worn away his ambitions. Other than the period of fear and anxiety he had endured during the First Shinobi World War shortly after taking office more than a decade ago, the past ten-odd years of peace had completely estranged him from the very word "war."

This day was, as usual, another day of pleasure-seeking. The Daimyo and his most favored close ministers watched song and dance in the banquet hall, amusing themselves by gossiping about the private affairs of prominent officials from various nations.

"Daimyo-sama, if we're talking about who has drawn the most attention in the Shinobi World lately, it has to be that newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister of Kirigakure in the Land of Water!"

When speaking of recent news in the Shinobi World, they naturally could not avoid the mastermind behind it all. Though Hozuki Shingetsu had concealed himself well, someone at the Land of Fire Daimyo's level could certainly uncover the truth.

"Mm, that man truly is talented! The little rumors he cooked up really caught people's attention." Himi Saki nodded. He was thoroughly familiar with the recent uproar over the "Konoha Threat Theory" and the "Uchiha Human Rights Report."

The Shinobi World had been peaceful for more than ten years, and it was rare for things to get this lively. During that time, he had enjoyed an exceptionally juicy piece of gossip. As for whether he would resent Hozuki Shingetsu because the "Konoha Threat Theory" might cause others to target the Land of Fire—he was not the Hokage. His duty was simply to provide Konoha with funding, and for Konoha to go fight wars. That was all.

If Sarutobi Hiruzen was not up to the task, then someone else could replace him.

Though he normally never interfered in Konoha's internal affairs, no one could ignore the Daimyo's influence over Konoha—leaving aside financial support, the Hokage's selection ultimately required the Daimyo's approval.

"Speaking of this Hozuki Shingetsu, he just arrived in Uzushio Village recently, and then Uzushio Village was attacked by the Lands of Earth and Lightning. Isn't that quite a coincidence?" The close minister casually steered the conversation toward Uzushio Village.

"Mm... I'd guess Iwagakure and Kumogakure have their eyes on the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques, and also want to cut off one of Konoha's wings. That's why they attacked Uzushio Village. It probably has nothing to do with that boy." Though the Land of Fire Daimyo did not usually handle domestic affairs, anyone who was not an idiot would understand these basic dynamics after sitting in the Daimyo's seat for twenty years.

"Daimyo-sama is wise!" The close minister hastily offered some crude flattery.

"Haha, that's nothing! By my estimation, Uzushio Village's envoy seeking aid may already be close to reaching Konoha!" Though the flattery was crude, he still enjoyed hearing it. Himi Saki promptly showed off his intellect again and made his prediction.

"Daimyo-sama, I have something to say, though I do not know whether I should say it."

"Speak!"

Seeing the Daimyo's interest had been piqued, the close minister drafted his words in his mind before beginning.

"Daimyo-sama, forgive my frankness, but Uzushio Village must not be saved!"

"Mm?" Himi Saki turned to glance at the close minister, unsure where he was going with this.

"Uzushio Village borders the Lands of Fire, Lightning, and Water. It has always been an area rife with conflict, and the Uzumaki Clan possesses sealing techniques unparalleled in the Shinobi World. In this age dominated by shinobi villages, it is easy to imagine such incidents happening frequently in the future. Konoha can rescue them this time, but must it rescue them every single time afterward? And with every rescue, Uzushio Village will only be grateful to Konoha—but the money being spent is all yours, Daimyo-sama! Using your money to let Sarutobi Hiruzen play the good guy? Outrageous!"

"You have a point, but this is ultimately Konoha's internal affair. That alone is not enough reason to fall out with Hiruzen."

Himi Saki nodded with interest, signaling for him to continue.

The close minister sighed inwardly. He knew Hozuki Shingetsu's money was indeed not easy to earn, but he still continued his persuasion with considerable professional integrity.

"Daimyo-sama, you have seen the recent situation in the Shinobi World. Because of those rumors, the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Lightning now regard us as thorns in their sides, aside from the Land of Water. I believe war will break out before long."

At the word "war," Himi Saki's spirits immediately lifted, and he became serious at once. When he had first taken office, he had gone through the First Shinobi World War. The Land of Fire's situation had been extremely dangerous then, and even though they had ultimately survived the crisis, he could not forget those circumstances.

"Though Konoha is immensely powerful under your wise leadership, if war breaks out and those three nations shamelessly join forces to attack it, defeat is still possible." Seizing on Himi Saki's fear of war, the close minister did his utmost to frighten him.

"But at its root, this is because Konoha is too strong, which makes them afraid. If those two nations can successfully destroy Uzushio Village and obtain the sealing techniques for Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, their strength will increase dramatically, and they naturally will no longer fear Konoha. Then, even if war breaks out, there will not be a situation where three nations attack one because they fear Konoha's strength."

Himi Saki thought it over carefully and found that it did make sense. His mind, long hollowed out by wine and women, could not possibly grasp all the twists and turns behind it—this classic line of reasoning, the kind that little mustaches had made famous, was simply too effective against doves.

"Moreover, Daimyo-sama, there is another reason why you must intervene in Konoha's actions this time."

Noticing that the Daimyo was already wavering, the close minister hurriedly administered another strong dose. "The previous rumors claimed that Konoha, flush with military funds and powerful in strength, had come to despise royal authority and manipulate the Daimyo's position. Though we all know those are rumors, Konoha has never sent anyone to apologize to you, Daimyo-sama. That is... something we must guard against!"

"And this is precisely an opportunity to test Konoha. If Konoha obediently complies, it proves that they still hold you in awe. If they refuse..." The close minister's words trailed off, and he did not state the rest aloud.

For those in power, the most unacceptable thing was not being taken seriously. So long as he nudged the topic slightly in that direction, there was no need to worry that Himi Saki would fail to act as he wished.

Himi Saki's gaze sharpened at once. If he had merely been wavering before, he had now made up his mind—regardless of one's temperament, once seated in that position, one was destined to be wary of anyone who threatened it.

Thinking of the generous sum Hozuki Shingetsu had given him, the close minister followed Hozuki Shingetsu's instructions and dealt another blow.

"Also, the Uzumaki Clan cannot be allowed to merge into Konoha... at least, most of them cannot be allowed to do so. After all, the Uzumaki Clan is the imperial family of the Land of Whirlpools. It is improper, in terms of status, for another nation's imperial family to serve as ninja in our Land of Fire, Daimyo-sama."

After all, in the nobles' eyes, ninja were merely lowly tools. If members of a nation's Daimyo family became ninja, where would that leave Himi Saki? Would he, the Daimyo, have any dignity left?

"Tell Hiruzen that Konoha is not to send troops to rescue Uzushio Village, nor may it accept the Uzumaki Clan into Konoha!" Himi Saki said viciously. "Remember to tell him this is the Daimyo's order!"

"Yes, Daimyo-sama!"