Kumogakure had obtained the Uzumaki Clan's legacy. They could seal the Eight-Tails, communicate with it, and tame it. What they lacked now was one crucial part.
That was why they had come here to make a deal with Senju Nawaki.
Senju Nawaki even suspected that, in the original timeline, Sarutobi Hiruzen had traded away this part of the Sealing Jutsu for the same reason: to keep Kumogakure in check.
To give Kumogakure the impression that they were weak and easy to bully.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was renowned for being incompetent in foreign wars and unrivaled in internal conflicts.
In the future, one powerful clan after another in Konoha would disappear under his schemes, including the Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, and even the Hyuga Clan.
Senju Nawaki couldn't help but wonder.
"I'll give you the complete Sealing Jutsu of the Uzumaki Clan, on one condition: you must announce to the Ninja World who was truly responsible for the Uzumaki Clan's downfall."
Senju Nawaki proposed his condition with a cold expression.
If he hadn't been vigilant, the Senju Clan would have been the next Uzumaki Clan.
He wanted justice for the Uzumaki Clan. They shouldn't have been wiped out without anyone knowing the truth.
How would the future Fourth Hokage and his wife, the Fourth Hokage's wife, face this outcome?
The Senju Clan was the Uzumaki Clan's only ally in the entire Ninja World.
"Agreed. Kumogakure hates scoundrels, too."
A was a little surprised. The condition was far too simple.
If the Senju Clan were still in Konoha, no one would believe them if they spread this information, because the Senju Clan had once sent reinforcements to the Uzumaki Clan, losing more than half their strength in the process.
Now, spreading this information could damage Konoha's prestige and cause turmoil within the village. That was something they wanted to do, too, which aligned with Senju Nawaki's goals.
The two quickly reached an agreement.
After Senju Nawaki saw A off,
the representative from Sunagakure arrived: Chiyo's younger brother, Ebizo.
Like the people who lived in the desert, his skin was dry, and a white scarf was wrapped around his head. His eyes were narrowed into slits, giving Senju Nawaki the feeling that a poisonous snake was watching him.
Ebizo was currently the head of Sunagakure's Anbu.
"Sunagakure congratulates the Senju Clan on escaping Konoha's darkness."
Ebizo said with a beaming smile, as though he were speaking to a junior. Yet a strange look in his eyes watched Senju Nawaki's reaction.
He had insulted Konoha to test Senju Nawaki's attitude and see whether he truly hated the village, as he'd claimed before.
This would affect their decisions in the coming war.
"No. It's not Konoha that's dark, but the Sarutobi Clan. Our Senju Clan is the true successor of Konoha."
Senju Nawaki shook his head, rejecting Ebizo's words.
From a particularly sharp angle, he made his current stance clear.
The Sarutobi Clan was their common enemy.
Sunagakure had previously controlled part of the grain trade in the Land of Fields, just enough to avoid a famine.
Through the influence of the ninja clans and Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen had taken control of the Land of Fields and seized the Senju Clan's supply route, infringing on Sunagakure's interests as well.
The grain trade had given the two sides a basis for cooperation.
But judging by Ebizo's attitude now, he clearly looked down on him.
"You're right. The Sarutobi Clan is our common enemy. By the way, where's Tsunade? My sister asked me to send her regards."
Ebizo changed the subject.
Before he left, his sister had specifically told him to keep an eye on Tsunade.
Chiyo and Tsunade had briefly clashed on the battlefield in the Land of Rain. Though Tsunade lacked experience in Medical Ninjutsu, her unorthodox imagination and unusual chakra had been highly effective against Chiyo.
His sister had once said that if war broke out, Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu would play a very important role.
Besides arranging a trade for daily necessities, one of his tasks this time was to find out where Tsunade was.
He was secretly pleased. This alone was enough.
The Senju Clan had broken with the Sarutobi Clan, so Tsunade wouldn't appear on the battlefield.
The grain monopoly Konoha had established would also collapse.
They would have the chance to get grain, a strategic resource, from the Senju Clan.
They would also form a united front against the Sarutobi Clan.
All of this was good news for Sunagakure.
"Are you already preparing to start a war?" Senju Nawaki asked.
He didn't believe the Senju brothers and Tsunade had a particularly close relationship. They simply admired each other in the field of Medical Ninjutsu.
They were preparing for the war that was about to break out.
"I won't keep testing you. The Sarutobi Clan's actions in the Land of Fields have harmed the interests of both our sides.
"Sunagakure can buy all the Senju Clan's grain at a low price. We have only one condition: the Senju Clan must stay off the battlefield, including Tsunade."
Ebizo stopped hiding his intentions.
He saw a careful, step-by-step pragmatism in Senju Nawaki, completely unlike the hot-blooded idiot with no cunning that the Ninja World believed him to be.
"Hahaha!"
Senju Nawaki burst out laughing.
Some people just couldn't read the situation. They still thought the Senju Clan couldn't do without them.
With war about to break out, the grain and medicine in the Senju Clan's hands were scarce resources.
Sunagakure was the weaker party here. Seeing them make demands with such confidence was truly an eye-opener.
"If Sunagakure is going to take this attitude, there's no point in continuing these negotiations," Senju Nawaki said resolutely.
Sunagakure needed the supplies in the Senju Clan's hands. It wasn't the Senju Clan that needed Sunagakure's support.
Sunagakure had no prince's fate, yet it had a prince's airs.
In every Ninja World war, they jumped from one side to another, but because they lacked strength, they were often the first to be eliminated. They never looked for fault in themselves, only blaming their bad luck.
When the Tailed Beasts were first distributed, they had made a laughingstock of themselves by trying to be clever.
They were supposed to get the One-Tail and the Seven-Tails, but they gave the Seven-Tails to Takigakure, hoping to build a close relationship with the village and even bring it under their control.
Takigakure had not only abundant water resources but also knowledge passed down from ancient times, when Asura had improved the land's desertification. These were all things Sunagakure wanted.
But they had underestimated Takigakure's strength, as well as the other countries' efforts to keep Sunagakure in check.
Sunagakure simply couldn't control Takigakure from afar, so they had to give up and demand a large sum of money from Takigakure instead.
Because of that, Sunagakure had become a laughingstock among the other four great ninja villages.
"I misspoke. I was being foolish."
Remembering Sunagakure's current situation, Ebizo could only swallow his pride and quickly apologize.
Sunagakure, starved of resources, desperately needed a supply of necessities. That was why they had started a war in the Land of Rain.
He put on a smile and asked,
"Clan head of the Senju Clan, what do you have in mind? Whatever you ask for, Sunagakure will do its best to provide."
Ebizo had recognized reality. He no longer treated Senju Nawaki like a junior, trying to fool an idiot. Instead, he treated him as an equal—if not someone with an overwhelming advantage.
His attitude was utterly humble. For the sake of his village, he could accept any humiliation.
His earlier probing had shown that he had mistaken Senju Nawaki for a political novice.
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