Where the Waves Sweep, Whirlpools Thrive

In the end, Shusen could not overcome his younger brother's determined resolve to take the blame. He could only helplessly go along with him and refrain from confessing to their father.

Ashina no longer felt that he had "stolen" his second brother's credit. Instead, a glorious sense of duty to protect his second brother welled up within him. He decided to bury the secret of taking the blame deep in his heart. Heaven knew, earth knew, he knew, and his second brother knew. Other than that, he would not tell even their father or eldest sister!

"Second Brother, you may be weak, but don't worry. As long as I, Ashina, am here, no enemy will ever hurt you!"

A seed to protect his second brother was planted in Ashina's young heart, and it had already shown the potential to grow into a towering tree.

Shusen felt nothing but relief at this outcome.

Fortunately, it was his younger brother.

If he had been dealing with his shrewd and capable elder sister, he definitely would not have been able to fool her.

Ashina, forgive me. This is the last... few times.

Shusen thought silently.

As his younger brother grew older, he was becoming harder and harder to deceive. Every time Shusen fooled him might be the last.

He had no choice. For the sake of his grand plan to fuse the eyes, he had to keep a low profile and conceal himself well.

Hopefully, he could obtain the Rinnegan and Tenseigan soon. He had put in so much effort; if it all came to nothing in the end, he would be furious enough to cough up blood.

The Grand Elder and the others moved quickly. In less than half an hour, they had gathered every member of the Uzumaki Clan at the clan leader's building.

More than nine hundred Uzumaki clan members was not a large number at all. Gathered together, they looked sparse and scattered, rather desolate.

Ryū stood atop the building and solemnly announced the news of founding a village to the clan members. He also laid out the benefits and drawbacks of doing so without reservation.

"This plan was proposed by Ashina."

Ryū was fair in rewarding merit and punishing wrongdoing. He did not hide his youngest son's contribution from the clan.

"After discussing it with the elders, we unanimously agreed that founding a village is the only path for the Uzumaki Clan to rise!"

"War never ends. It only keeps sending our clan members to their deaths. We have suffered enough from war over all these years. We must change!"

"Support the clan leader! Support reform! Support founding the village!"

"What's wrong with integrating with civilians compared to going to war?"

"We just want to live peacefully. We don't want to live with our lives on the line every day!"

"Young Master Ashina is so wise to have come up with such a brilliant plan! Once we bring in the civilians, they can protect the village's peace together with us!"

"Support founding the village! Strongly support it!"

The clan members erupted in thunderous cheers. Nearly all of them approved of the village-building proposal. The few who had objections did not dare voice them amid such fervor and remained silent.

It's already the inevitable trend. There's no suspense left.

Shusen thought to himself amid the crowd.

He could understand the clan members' yearning for peace. Only those who had endured the suffering of war could understand how precious peace was.

"If it were proud shinobi clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga, they would never choose to integrate with civilians. Compared to them, our Uzumaki clan members are practically down-to-earth to the extreme. Can pride keep you alive?"

Thinking of this, Shusen felt a little disdainful toward those two clans.

Of course, what he despised was only their arrogant mentality. As for their eyes, he coveted them immensely.

With the strategic direction for founding the village decided, Ryū then discussed the new village's name with the clan members. Since the new village would integrate with civilians, it certainly could not continue to be called the Uzumaki Clan Territory.

"How about Whirlpool Village?"

Amid the noisy chatter of the clan members, the Grand Elder suddenly made a suggestion.

"It symbolizes how our Uzumaki Clan surges like the tides and waves. Wherever the waves sweep, whirlpools thrive without end."

"That name works! It sounds nice and it's lucky too!"

"I think it's a good name too!"

"..."

Listening to the clan members' chorus of praise, Shusen was utterly speechless. A long-held complaint stuck in his throat, impossible not to spit out.

He could not understand what sounded good about "Whirlpool Village." Say it a little faster, and people might think it was called "Damn Village."

"If no one has any objections, then it's settled. The new village will be called Whirlpool Village!"

Ryū made the final decision. In his view, the name was merely a trivial matter, not worth wasting time over. The matters of building the village that came next were what truly deserved their attention.

This day was destined to be unforgettable for every Uzumaki clan member for the rest of their lives. The fate of the entire clan would be completely transformed after today.

"Big Sister, Second Brother, from now on, we're people of Whirlpool Village!"

Ashina said excitedly to Shusen and Mito, "I have a feeling that our Uzumaki Clan will definitely get better and better!"

"I think so too." Mito brushed the hair from her forehead and said with a smile, "We must believe in the future. A peaceful and happy life is waiting for us ahead."

"Getting better and better..."

A barely perceptible strange glint flashed through Shusen's eyes.

He knew very well that in the original story, Whirlpool Village was destroyed not long after the founding of the country. Nagato, Karin, Kushina, and other Uzumaki descendants were forced to wander homeless because of it.

As an Uzumaki clansman himself, he naturally could not allow the tragedy from the original story to repeat itself in reality. He would lead the Uzumaki Clan toward true glory!

That evening, under Ryū's arrangements, the clan members spread the news far and wide. The news of the Uzumaki Clan founding Whirlpool Village soon spread without wings, nearly shaking the entire Fire Country.

"The Uzumaki Clan wants to provide a place of refuge for all civilians displaced by war? Is that true?"

"Absolutely true! Apparently, a group of refugees who received the news has already headed to the Uzumaki Clan Territory to seek shelter. The Uzumaki Clan is tired of war and wants to join hands with the refugees to build a brand-new home!"

"That's wonderful! The Uzumaki are a renowned shinobi clan in the Fire Country. With such a strong reputation and credibility, if it's them, they must have the strength to protect us."

"We're already drifting from place to place with no guarantee of surviving tomorrow. We might as well go to the Uzumaki Clan Territory and see what it's like!"

"..."

After many displaced civilians learned of Whirlpool Village's establishment, it was as though they had seen a spark of hope in boundless darkness. They immediately brought their families and rushed toward the Uzumaki Clan Territory, seeking only a chance to live in peace.

Within the Uchiha Clan Territory.

"Foolish! Ryū is utterly foolish!"

Uchiha Tajima scoffed at the intelligence gathered by his clansmen. "To think I regarded the Uzumaki Clan as our greatest enemy besides the Senju Clan. I never expected Ryū to dig his own grave. I overestimated him in the past."

The Uchiha elders beside him all laughed. "How many civilians have been affected by the war? Setting aside whether the Uzumaki Clan has enough food to feed so many people, even if they do, once that many civilians integrate into the Uzumaki Clan Territory, the Uzumaki Clan will be finished."

"As a shinobi clan, how can they integrate with civilians? Can they still call themselves a shinobi clan after doing that?"

"Their Uzumaki bloodline will be diluted through intermarriage with civilians. Within a few generations, there will no longer be any truly pure-blooded Uzumaki clan members in the Fire Country."