"I do not care in the slightest about your lives or your usefulness. The only people I care about are those who are useful to me."
Uchiha Yū did not force Uzumaki Xiangyi to make a choice, nor did he kill those who had targeted her. He merely spoke of a trivial matter in an even tone.
"You are the first village to pledge allegiance to us, so I will give you an opportunity. Everyone will be dispersed and assigned to different ninja units, then sent to the front lines to carry out missions alongside the ninja of our village. Younger genin may join Dawn Hidden Village's academy. From then on, they will be part of our village."
"The other choice is for everyone to head to the borderlands. Whether you survive will depend on your luck."
His words determined the fate of everyone present. Kusagakure's submission meant annexation; from this day onward, Kusagakure officially became history.
The village chief chose the first option without hesitation. At the very least, this way, he would not have failed the people of his village. As for the village itself becoming history amid the changes sweeping through the ninja world, that was inevitable. If they could join Dawn Hidden Village and give the next generation a better environment, then even if they became part of another village, they could accept that reality.
It was far better than having everyone go to the battlefield as cannon fodder, as they had initially expected.
"I will send someone to arrange your next assignments. You may leave the conference hall now."
His mention of leaving did not mean Uzumaki Xiangyi could leave. From this point on, her fate would be completely different from theirs. Only a few people remained in the vast hall. Seeing the evasive, timid