Qing Si's Thoughts

"Grandpa, this is what I think." Qing Si gathered his thoughts, then said, "I don't think the factors determining a jinchuriki's condition are entirely related to sealing techniques. Although I don't know what types of ninja the predecessors from Hidden Mist who participated in jinchuriki experiments were, I'd guess none of them possessed exceptionally vast chakra or vitality far surpassing that of ninja at the same level."

Yuan Shi froze for a moment, then began recalling each ninja who had been considered as a candidate for the Three-Tails and Six-Tails' jinchuriki.

After thinking it over, Yuan Shi was surprised to find that Qing Si was right.

The ninja who had previously volunteered as jinchuriki experiment candidates ranged from Genin, Chunin, Elite Chunin, Special Jonin, Jonin, and Elite Jonin all the way to Kage Level. Yet without exception, they had all been ordinary civilian-born ninja with no special talents.

Qing Si was actually working backward from conclusions he already knew. Isshiki had once set his sights on the nine tailed beasts in the Shinobi World that had been split from the Ten-Tails belonging to Kaguya, so Qing Si had done considerable research into how to create jinchuriki and achieve a perfect jinchuriki.

Before reaching a reconciliation with a tailed beast, if one wanted to use its power without suffering backlash or losing control, the jinchuriki needed an unwavering will that could not be eroded by the malice contained within tailed beast chakra; immensely powerful vitality far beyond that of ordinary people; and chakra vastly greater than that of normal ninja, enough to contend with the tailed beast chakra entering their body. Only with suitable sealing techniques could it be done.

One reason the previous experiments had failed was that Hidden Mist Village's sealing techniques were not merely somewhat lacking—they had absolutely no foundation whatsoever!

The other problem lay with the candidates themselves. The predecessors who had willingly taken on tailed beasts were indeed worthy of admiration, but most of them did not even possess the qualifications to become jinchuriki.

In Qing Si's view, unless a civilian ninja was extraordinarily gifted and possessed the traits he had just described, then within Hidden Mist Village, only members of the Hoshigaki Clan, Karatachi Clan, and Kaguya Clan had the potential to become jinchuriki.

"Go on!" Yuan Shi had begun to understand Qing Si's meaning and motioned for him to continue.

"Why has the Shinobi World always said that the Uzumaki Clan are the most ideal jinchuriki candidates? They themselves are proficient in all kinds of sealing techniques and possess a complete inheritance of sealing arts, allowing them to suppress tailed beasts anytime and anywhere. At the same time, Uzumaki Clan ninja possess vitality and chakra far beyond other ninja. No, that stuff could practically be called chakratons." Qing Si continued, "They can even survive for a while after the tailed beast inside them has been extracted. So not only do we need to obtain their sealing techniques—the best plan is actually to bring back both the people and their techniques in one package!"

"But there's no way to guarantee that. Hidden Cloud and we are going to seize their sealing techniques, which means digging up their roots. How could they possibly let it go? It could very likely escalate into a war of national extermination. With that hatred between us, even if we brought back members of the Uzumaki Clan, they would never work for Hidden Mist," Yuan Shi raised his objection.

"Grandpa, that's what I was about to say next." After pausing for a moment, Qing Si revealed his plan. "Although we're acting together with Hidden Cloud, that doesn't mean we're allies. Besides, even if we are allies, Hidden Mist's interests must come first. Hidden Cloud's ninja can basically all be called reckless brutes. Although the Third Raikage is calm and quite wise, what he believes in most is still his own fists and strength."

"We can reach an agreement with Hidden Cloud in advance and attack the Land of Whirlpools from two different directions. Their target is only the sealing techniques anyway. As long as they can obtain them, I don't think they'll care about the other details. So there's no need for us to form a joint army with them. We can act separately without interfering with one another, then rendezvous at Whirlpool Village, where the Uzumaki Clan is gathered. The Third Raikage will most likely agree."

"Hidden Mist can land on the southern side of the island where the Land of Whirlpools is located, then voluntarily head west to intercept any reinforcements Konoha might send. I believe Konoha, already deeply mired in the quagmire of war at that time, won't dispatch too many ninja to help. But we aren't truly aiming to wipe out a country. We can find excuses to delay our attack and let Hidden Cloud make the first move against the Uzumaki Clan. Then we can see how things develop and pick up the leftovers. At the same time, we can send people to negotiate with the Uzumaki Clan about relocating part of their people to Hidden Mist. So long as we don't truly strike against them and create irreconcilable hatred, whether through threats or an exchange of benefits, I think that if we make them see that Konoha simply cannot save them, then faced with the prospect of their clan and country being destroyed, they may be willing to compromise." Qing Si laid out his entire plan to Yuan Shi in one breath.

"Of course! The worst-case scenario is that the Uzumaki Clan refuses Hidden Mist's goodwill and resists to the very end. Then we'll have no choice but to act ourselves and obtain what we want." Qing Si added afterward. He wanted to help out his distant relatives, but if they truly failed to recognize the situation, he would not mind taking action against them. After all, Hidden Mist was still his foundation; he could not take the wrong side.

"Not bad, very good! Hahaha!" After hearing Qing Si out, Yuan Shi laughed heartily. "Little Qing Si already has the mindset of a qualified Kage. He knows how to fight for Hidden Mist's interests at every turn! Your ideas are still immature, and the process needs further consideration, but your plan is indeed feasible. And if it truly succeeds, Hidden Mist will not only obtain sealing techniques and successfully gain jinchuriki capable of taking the battlefield, but also allow the Uzumaki Clan to take root and flourish in Hidden Mist."

In truth, this was a matter of an information gap. In this era of the Shinobi World, every village was still in the exploratory stage when it came to jinchuriki.

So after hearing Qing Si's analysis of jinchuriki, Yuan Shi immediately realized that Qing Si was probably correct. He therefore accepted Qing Si's plan without hesitation.

(Could no one in Hidden Mist Village have thought of this? I think there probably were people who did, but their words carried too little weight—or their status was too low—to convince the militant Third Mizukage. Secondly, in the original work, the Third Mizukage sent the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to launch a surprise attack on the Land of Fire. Although that order may have been issued under Madara Uchiha's control, no one objected to such a brainless command. All that can be said is that Hidden Mist's traditions were no better than Hidden Cloud's reckless brute mentality. They were the same in one word: fight!)

(So without Qing Si's intervention, Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud had originally intended to destroy the Land of Whirlpools, wipe out the Uzumaki Clan, and then seize their sealing techniques.)