Whirlwind of Trouble

Uchiha Ying Yue nodded slightly. "Lady Mito, I believe the most important thing now is to take action as quickly as possible. Perhaps you could use your influence to sway the Hokage and the village's high-level officials to mobilize Konoha's strength to assist the Land of Whirlpools. At the same time, I suggest you write a letter to the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools, letting him know of the impending crisis."

A flash of resolve crossed Uzumaki Mito's eyes, and she quickly made up her mind. "Ying Yue, you are right. I will immediately seek out Hiruzen and the other high-level officials to discuss requesting their aid for the Land of Whirlpools. Furthermore, I will write to the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools—my younger brother—to inform him of the coming crisis so he can prepare his defenses."

Mito paused for a moment before continuing, "Additionally, Ying Yue, you have close ties with the Senju Clan. Although the Senju Clan has disbanded, they are distant relatives of the Uzumaki Clan and share a similar bloodline. I believe they will not stand idly by while the Uzumaki Clan faces a crisis. If you can persuade them to lend a hand, it might secure more aid for the Land of Whirlpools."

Ying Yue nodded in agreement. "Lady Mito, I will do my utmost to contact the members of the Senju Clan and mobilize their strength to help the Uzumaki Clan."

Mito offered a grateful smile. "Thank you, Ying Yue. I am truly grateful that you have stepped forward at this critical moment to fight for a glimmer of hope for the Uzumaki Clan."

Ying Yue said sincerely, "Lady Mito, this is my duty as a Konoha ninja. The Uzumaki Clan and Konoha share deep historical ties, and the survival of the Land of Whirlpools is vital to Konoha as well. I hope to do everything in my power to prevent this catastrophe from occurring."

After bidding farewell to Uzumaki Mito, Ying Yue immediately began his operations. He first utilized the Shadow Curtain Organization's intelligence network to send a plea for help to the members of the Senju Clan, hoping they would extend a helping hand to assist the Uzumaki Clan in overcoming this difficulty.

Meanwhile, Uzumaki Mito personally wrote a letter and dispatched a messenger to the Land of Whirlpools with all haste. The letter detailed the potential crisis the Land of Whirlpools faced, urging her brother—the Daimyo—to prepare defenses as quickly as possible and to maintain close contact with Konoha so that aid could be provided when the crisis arrived.

Uzumaki Mito also immediately went to find the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, to request that Konoha send troops to assist the Uzumaki Clan.

After Uchiha Ying Yue reported the intelligence regarding the impending crisis in the Land of Whirlpools, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, quickly summoned the high-level officials of Konoha for an emergency meeting.

Present at the meeting were the Hokage's advisor, Shimura Danzō, and the two consultants, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

The theme of the meeting was clear: to discuss the intelligence reported by Ying Yue and how to respond to the potential crisis.

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke first, his expression grave and his tone carrying a sense of urgency. "According to the intelligence provided by Uchiha Ying Yue, the recent troop movements and weapon procurement of the major ninja villages have been highly abnormal, especially those of Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and the Rock Village. Based on Ying Yue's deductions, they may be conspiring to launch an attack on the Land of Whirlpools, and we cannot rule out that they have designs on the Land of Fire as well. We must act as soon as possible; we cannot sit idly by."

Upon hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's analysis, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

Utatane Koharu said, "Sarutobi is right. The Uzumaki Clan has deep ties with our village, Konoha. Especially since Lady Uzumaki Mito is the wife of Senju Hashirama, we are obligated to help when her kin face a crisis."

Mitokado Homura echoed this sentiment. "Indeed. If the Land of Whirlpools is attacked, it is not only a blow to the Uzumaki Clan but also a provocation against our Konoha. We must respond with concrete action."

However, at this moment, Shimura Danzō spoke up, his attitude starkly different from the others. "Hiruzen, I do not believe we should be so hasty to take action. While Uchiha Ying Yue's deductions have merit, we cannot simply conclude the intentions of the major ninja villages based on this. Perhaps these are merely routine troop movements and may not pose a direct threat to the Land of Whirlpools or the Land of Fire. I suggest we observe for a while longer and see how the situation develops before making a decision."

Shimura Danzō's statement made the atmosphere in the conference room subtle.

Though his tone appeared calm and rational, the other high-level officials present could sense a certain hesitation in Danzō's attitude.

In truth, Danzō already had his own plans.

As the Hokage's advisor and the controller of Root, Shimura Danzō had long since noticed the unusual movements of the major ninja villages.

He knew full well how powerful the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques were, and he understood that if the Land of Whirlpools were destroyed, the inheritance of those sealing techniques would become ownerless.

Danzō calculated internally that if he could seize these sealing techniques amidst the chaos in the Land of Whirlpools, Konoha's strength would be further enhanced, and his own position within the village would become more secure.

More importantly, Danzō had always viewed the influence of the Senju Clan as a threat to himself.

Now that both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama had passed away and the Senju Clan had disbanded, Uzumaki Mito was of advanced age. As distant relatives of the Senju, the existence of the Land of Whirlpools meant that the influence of the Senju Clan had not yet completely vanished.

Danzō feared that if they continued to support the Land of Whirlpools, the remnants of the Senju Clan might rise again, which would be detrimental to him and the future of Konoha.

Therefore, Danzō decided to conceal the intelligence regarding the impending attack on the Land of Whirlpools, even considering using the power of Root to seize the inheritance of the sealing techniques during the chaos.

However, just as he intended to further persuade Sarutobi Hiruzen, the door to the conference room was suddenly pushed open.

Uzumaki Mito, prompted by Uchiha Ying Yue's warning, realized that the crisis in the Land of Whirlpools was imminent.

She knew that she had to step forward personally to ensure that Konoha would provide timely assistance.

Thus, disregarding her advanced age, she resolutely barged into the ongoing high-level meeting.

When Uzumaki Mito's figure appeared at the doorway of the conference room, everyone's attention was drawn to her.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other high-level officials immediately stood up and bowed to express their respect for this spiritual pillar of Konoha.

"Lady Mito, why have you come here yourself?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked first, his tone filled with concern.

Mito's expression was solemn as she stated her purpose directly. "Hiruzen, I heard from Ying Yue that the Land of Whirlpools is facing a massive crisis and that the major ninja villages may be joining forces to attack. I am here to demand that you immediately dispatch troops to assist my homeland and protect the Uzumaki Clan."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sensed the firmness and resolve in Mito's words and immediately declared his stance. "Lady Mito, please rest assured. We were already discussing this issue, and I also believe the situation is urgent. We must immediately rush to the aid of the Land of Whirlpools."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also expressed their agreement. "Lady Mito, we will fully support this decision."

Shimura Danzō's expression shifted slightly; he had not expected Uzumaki Mito to intervene personally.

Seeing that Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others had already reached a consensus, Danzō knew he could no longer persist in his opposition, so he had to reluctantly agree. "Since Lady Mito also believes we should dispatch troops, I naturally have no objections."

Uzumaki Mito's arrival completely changed the atmosphere of the meeting, and her decisiveness strengthened Sarutobi Hiruzen's resolve to send troops to aid the Land of Whirlpools.

Under Uzumaki Mito's forceful intervention, the high-level officials of Konoha finally reached a unanimous agreement.

Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately issued orders to begin preparations for dispatching troops to assist the Land of Whirlpools.

He knew that time waited for no one, and any delay could potentially leave the Land of Whirlpools in an irredeemable situation.

"Immediately mobilize all available ninja units and prepare to support the Land of Whirlpools," Sarutobi Hiruzen commanded the high-level officials present, his tone filled with decisiveness. "No matter what, we cannot let the Uzumaki Clan face this catastrophe alone."

Uzumaki Mito nodded in satisfaction, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen with gratitude. "Thank you, Hiruzen. I believe that with Konoha's aid, the Land of Whirlpools will have a glimmer of hope."

Sarutobi Hiruzen said firmly, "This is what we must do, Lady Mito."