The Uzumaki Clan

Konoha

Senju Clan Compound, Uzumaki Clan Head's Residence

After Uzumaki Nao had a servant bring Uchiha Nara tea, he didn't rush to speak and simply sipped his own.

But even after a long while, Nara still hadn't said a word. Nao glanced at him and saw him sitting upright, his gaze unfocused, as though he were thinking about something.

Nao didn't disturb him. He picked up his teacup, blew on it, and leisurely enjoyed his tea.

Nara's thoughts had indeed drifted elsewhere. He had been supporting Hiruko's research into forbidden techniques.

After Nara reorganized the Police Force, the funds they saved, along with the money Uchiha ninjas contributed to the Clan Affairs Hall, had all been secretly diverted here by Nara.

He had spent it on equipment, mixing medicinal solutions, secretly posting missions, and having Uchiha ninjas capture test subjects.

In their current situation, if the Uchiha suffered a major loss of clan members, Nara would have no money to compensate them. He had nearly squandered it all.

So Nara had let his ninjutsu training slide lately, spending all day handling Clan Affairs Hall business and Police Force matters. He needed to keep things stable and prevent anything from going wrong.

Fortunately, after the Second Shinobi World War ended, although the great nations continued to have localized clashes and minor conflicts, they had shown restraint and avoided large-scale battles.

What a heavy burden. Nara sighed.

Seeing Nara sigh, Nao couldn't help looking puzzled. He was the leader of the Uchiha, the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force—someone with real power and status—yet he sighed all the time. Nao couldn't imagine what was troubling him.

"Lord Nara, you hold such a high position in Konoha. What's weighing on your mind?"

Nao couldn't help asking. He was genuinely curious.

"It's not easy being a clan head, and it's not easy leading a clan."

"Heh, that's true."

As the current head of the Uzumaki Clan, Nao had once pressed the matter after arriving in Konoha. The truth about the clan members sent to Anbu had finally come out: they had all been killed.

At the time, Nao had trembled with rage, and a deep fear of Konoha had taken root in him.

Even a powerful outsider couldn't overcome the local power, let alone the Uzumaki, a clan from a fallen nation. They weren't even a powerful snake, much less a dragon. Konoha could twist them into whatever shape it wanted.

"Lord Nara, there are over a hundred people in my Uzumaki Clan. Thirty-three currently serve in the Police Force, and six serve in the Barrier Team and Sealing Team. Thirty more work at Konoha Hospital and with the Medical Team."

"There are still over thirty clan members. I don't want them taking missions in Konoha and drawing attention to themselves. I'd like them to join your Military Police Force. What do you think?"

Nao and Uchiha Nara had a very good relationship. The Uzumaki Clan had once been allied with the Senju, another great clan of Konoha.

After the Senju Clan withdrew from public life, along with other special circumstances, its numbers dwindled. The vast Senju Clan Compound was now nearly empty, and most of those who remained were elderly, sick, or injured.

The Uzumaki Clan's arrival had brought a little life back to the Senju Clan Compound.

Tsunade, the Konoha princess and one of the Sannin, also looked after the Uzumaki Clan, taking many of its members into Konoha Hospital and the Medical Team.

With the care of Tsunade, one of the Sannin, and Uzumaki Mito, the First Hokage's wife, the Uzumaki Clan had escaped the difficulties it faced upon first arriving. Combined with its close ties to the Uchiha, it had managed to get along well with everyone.

"Hundreds of Uchiha ninjas take missions in Konoha and make themselves visible, and I've never complained. I can consider giving them posts in the Military Police Force, but they won't get salaries."

"Heh, a few hundred thousand ryo in wages is nothing, Lord Nara. Why tease me? Just give them posts, and I can pay their salaries myself."

Nao only wanted the positions. He had plenty of money.

Hearing Nao's words made Nara sigh inwardly even more. A clan with a thousand years of history like theirs simply wasn't short on money.

After Uzushio Village fell, Nao had arrived with the nation's treasures. The fact that Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't killed him and taken everything was practically proof that Hiruzen had shown mercy.

Naturally, Nara wasn't going to make excuses for Hiruzen. He said softly,

"Then that should be fine. The Police Force has many divisions, after all, and they need people to oversee them."

Most of the thirty-three Uzumaki members who had joined the Konoha Military Police Force earlier had entered the Village Management Division, while a few had joined Public Security.

The Village Management Division officially had only thirteen people: one division chief and three squads responsible for the areas they had previously covered.

The division had been overwhelmed by a lack of staff. Nara had sent them thirty people, ten to each of the three area supervisors, solving their staffing shortage.

With some ordinary villagers and Genin recruited during this period, the Village Management Division had become thoroughly civilianized, though the Military Police Force still held the leadership positions.

Nara didn't mind Nao wanting to send in more people.

If Nao was paying out of his own pocket to fill the positions, what objection could Nara have? This time, he planned to assign the newcomers to Public Security and the Security Division.

He would mix the personnel together to strengthen the Konoha character of the Konoha Military Police Force. It absolutely couldn't be an Uchiha force in character.

They should use Konoha's name when they offended people and took the blame, not the Uchiha name. Nara was very particular about that.

Hearing Nara's reply, Nao nodded and smiled.

"Then thank you, Lord Nara."

"We've been friends for years. There's no need to be so polite."

Nao still remembered how Nara had led the effort to save the Uzumaki Clan.

Nao remembered the situation clearly. Without Nara, they would have been in dire straits. The Uchiha ninjas weren't exactly nice people, either.

That was why Nao deeply respected Uchiha Nara. Nara was now the leader of the Uchiha and the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force. His status was far higher than it had been back then.

"I'm very interested in Medical Ninjutsu, but the Uchiha and Senju have too much history between them. More than thirty years after Konoha's founding, the rift still hasn't truly healed."

"If Lady Tsunade could train some excellent medical ninjas for the Uchiha, perhaps the rift between the Uchiha and Senju could finally disappear."

Nara picked up his teacup, gently blew away the steam, and took a small sip.

Hearing Nara's words, Nao fell silent in thought. He understood that Nara wanted to use his connections to smooth things over with Lady Tsunade and have her train some medical ninjas for the Uchiha.

As for the rift between the Senju and Uchiha, that was all ancient history. The Senju Clan had already withdrawn and dwindled away. Nara was obviously just making up an excuse.

"Lord Nara, it's Year 39 of Konoha, and the Senju Clan has already withdrawn from public life. What rift could there be? I'll ask Lady Tsunade the next time I see her, but I can't guarantee she'll agree."

"Even so, thank you!"

Uchiha Nara took a scroll from his clothes and tossed it to Nao.

"This contains our Uchiha Clan's techniques for using Shuriken. Our Fire Style and Shuriken are famous throughout the Shinobi World."

"Now that your clan has joined Konoha, your people will likely take on many missions for the village. Perhaps these techniques will prove useful."

The Uchiha's Fire Style and Shuriken were renowned. Nao took the scroll and glanced through it, looking pleased for a couple of seconds before composing himself.

"Lord Nara, I can't promise I'll accomplish what you've asked of me. I can't read Princess Tsunade's mind."

Nara lifted his teacup, took a sip, and replied expressionlessly, "That's all right. It's enough that you try. You gave me a Fuinjutsu scroll before, and I didn't return the favor. Thinking about it now, that was quite rude of me."

"Heh, you saved the Uzumaki Clan. A Fuinjutsu scroll was nothing, and the techniques have long since spread through Konoha. Giving you one was only right. There's no need to dwell on it. Well, I'll go visit Princess Tsunade in the next couple of days and sound her out."

Nao chuckled. The Fuinjutsu scroll had been his way of thanking Nara for saving them.

It had been years already. Uchiha Nara was just using this as an excuse to give him a gift. It seemed Nao had no choice but to make the trip.