Land of Water Compromises, Danzo Arrives

Uzumaki Shori pondered the opponent's vulnerabilities in his mind.

"Envoy of the Land of Water, I believe that Kirigakure possesses a great number of ninja, but why did you not exert your full strength to suppress us from the very beginning?"

"The Land of Lightning lies right next to the Land of Water; if the ninja of Kirigakure were to leave in full force, your homeland would be left wide open for Kumogakure to invade at will."

The smile on Wuming's face gradually faded.

The threat of using sheer numbers had failed to take effect.

"You are quite right, Uzukage. As one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it is impossible to sign a letter of surrender to a small nation. Sometimes, honor is more important than life itself."

Uzumaki Shori knew the strength of the Land of Whirlpools; if the Land of Water truly fought to the death, it would result in mutual destruction.

"The Mizukage is ten million ryo, a jounin is two million, a chunin is two hundred thousand, and a genin is ten thousand per head."

Wuming stared at Uzumaki Shori for a long time before a smile returned to his face, and he extended his right hand.

Seeing the gesture, Uzumaki Shori realized the other party had accepted, and the two shook hands.

Wuming of the Land of Water strode into the celebration hall.

"It seems the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Water have reached a reconciliation."

"I wonder which side got the short end of the stick."

"The Land of Water has stopped sending more ninja; it appears they have compromised."

The envoys from various nations sighed in admiration, amazed that the young Second Generation of the Land of Whirlpools could lead his nation to stand against the Land of Water.

A chunin in the venue shouted aloud.

"The inauguration ceremony for the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools officially begins."

Uzumaki Ashina was dressed in the magnificent, traditional ceremonial robes of the Uzumaki Clan.

He walked slowly from the center of the venue and ascended a platform raised ten centimeters high.

Uzumaki Shori stood to the side, aimed at the band, and shouted.

"Let the music begin!"

The envoys from various nations watched the scene, stunned that the inauguration ceremony of the Land of Whirlpools was being held with such grandeur.

"Please, Daimyo, issue the first decree."

Uzumaki Shori then issued the command.

He took out the seal and stepped forward to hand it to Uzumaki Ashina.

Uzumaki Ashina took the seal and pressed it onto the document that had been prepared in advance.

Uzumaki Shori took the document and began to read it aloud on the spot.

"The new Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools, facing a severe shortage of manpower, hereby establishes the Daimyo Palace, divided into civil and military officialdoms."

"Civil officials are not limited to the Uzumaki Clan within the Land of Whirlpools; anyone with specialized skills who passes the assessment may serve as an official."

"Military officials are not limited to those who are ninja; anyone may enter the selection process and, upon entry, enjoy the benefits of the Land of Whirlpools."

At this moment, the envoys from various nations looked at one another in confusion; as a small nation, the Land of Whirlpools was attempting to maintain both a shinobi village and a samurai force, causing their functions to overlap.

The Land of Whirlpools still needed to increase its population from other regions; it seemed the Second Generation intended to overhaul the entire nation upon taking office.

This was a major event for the entire shinobi world; for now, they would just eat and drink, then go back and let their own Kage deal with the headache.

As Uzumaki Shori finished his speech, the members of the Uzumaki Clan at the scene let out a cheer.

"Long live the Land of Whirlpools! Long live the Land of Whirlpools!"

The inauguration ceremony concluded.

In the reception hall, the two sat together, savoring the tea in their cups.

Uzumaki Shori spoke up.

"I wonder, Danzo, is there anything else?"

"I shall not beat around the bush. Regarding the Rocket Launchers your country used when battling the Land of Water, could you teach the production methods to Konoha?"

"Our two sides have been firm allies since the time of the First Hokage."

Danzo sipped his tea and spoke slowly.

Uzumaki Shori gripped his cup tightly, looked at the serious face across from him, and said softly.

"The Land of Whirlpools and Konoha are allies, so teaching you would be the right thing to do."

"However, the Rocket Launcher requires an extremely high level of sealing jutsu mastery. Currently, I am the only one in the Land of Whirlpools capable of crafting them. It seems I must disappoint you, Danzo."

A smile had already appeared on Danzo's face, but as he heard the latter part, his expression gradually darkened.

"Uzukage, have you considered the consequences of saying those words?"

Uzumaki Shori met Danzo's gaze and spoke.

"Konoha has many ninja clans, and even the Third, who is known as the Professor of Ninjutsu."

"Every generation produces its own geniuses. Danzo, you are welcome to purchase the Rocket Launchers we produce; whether or not you can replicate them will depend on your own capabilities."

In the eyes of Shimura Danzō, Konoha was the strongest force in the entire ninja world, and purchasing Rocket Launchers was merely for the sake of imitation.

Success was one hundred percent guaranteed; it was simply a matter of changing the method.

This approach was one that would satisfy both parties.

"Uzukage, let us celebrate our pleasant cooperation."

Uzumaki Shori had complete faith in his +1 Sealing Jutsu; the other party could neither break it nor would they dare to bring up the issue again, as Konoha could not afford to lose face like that.

The two sides shook hands, bringing the conversation to an end.

Walking out of the reception hall, Uzumaki Shori looked up at the clouds in the sky, drifting freely, a stark contrast to his own life, where one matter followed another.

"Record this: arrange for the civilians of the Land of Whirlpools to continue working in the Rocket Launcher factory. The situation between the nations is tense right now, and we need to maintain sufficient firepower."

"Notify Uzumaki Jiro to continue production of the Weasel Tanks. Recruit strong, healthy commoners and begin tank training early to establish at least a basic level of combat capability."

Uzumaki Shori spoke to the Chunin responsible for recording as he walked.

He spotted Tsunade sitting up ahead, watching the scenery while eating an ice cream.

She looked sullen, and her mood did not seem very good.

Uzumaki Shori dismissed his subordinate.

He walked over, sat down beside Tsunade, and snatched the ice cream to take a bite.

Tsunade noticed Uzumaki Shori sitting next to her and snatching her ice cream, so she immediately threw a punch at him.

Uzumaki Shori had no choice but to clutch his arm and beg for mercy.

"I just thought you were in a good mood, so I wanted to tease you."

"I'm teasing you back with this punch, then."

Tsunade said through gritted teeth.

"Why are you in a bad mood? Tell me, and I'll see if I can help you," Uzumaki Shori said.

Upon hearing Tsunade's explanation, it turned out the reason for her bad mood was Shimura Danzō.

It turned out that during the Jonin conference, Tsunade had proposed the establishment of Medical Ninjas.

Each squad would be equipped with one to reduce casualties.

The Medical Ninja proposal had absolutely nothing to do with Shimura Danzō.

Yet, Shimura Danzō had vetoed the Medical Ninja proposal during the Jonin conference, and the proposal had been dropped thereafter.

Seeing him here today, anyone would be angry.

The Medical Ninja proposal required a lot of resources, and Konoha was in a standoff with many nations.

The Third had a conservative personality.

He lacked confidence in himself.

Even the slightest change could alter the course of the war.

By making no changes, he would make no mistakes.

It seemed the Third had instructed Shimura Danzō to do it, so as not to affect the relationship between master and student.

"Shimura Danzō is truly despicable. I'll find a chance to deal with him later, don't you agree, Tsunade?" Uzumaki Shori chimed in.

"It seems all you can do is say nice things to coax me."

Tsunade continued to strike out with several more punches.

"After a few punches, I feel much better."

"There is one more thing that makes me sad."

"The battle between Konoha and Sunagakure is about to begin, and I have to return to Konoha."

Tsunade looked up at the sky as she spoke.

"Hearing you say that, my mood has soured as well."

"In a little while, I will head to Konoha to propose to you."

Uzumaki Shori said earnestly.