Uzumaki's Considerations

Southeast of the Land of Fire, the Land of Whirlpool.

A country established by the Uzumaki Clan in unclaimed territory.

Its founding celebration could not compare to the inauguration ceremony of Konoha's First Hokage, but for a single ninja clan, it was still quite a grand affair.

Out of respect for Konoha and the Senju Clan, although the daimyos of various countries did not attend in person, many nations sent delegations bearing gifts to congratulate the Uzumaki Clan. They also recognized that this land would henceforth belong to the Uzumaki Clan, which amounted to international recognition.

The Uzumaki Clan accepted the goodwill of various powers and demonstrated an active, friendly attitude toward cooperation and trade with other nations.

Unlike the Senju Clan, which was hostile toward the Uchiha, the Uzumaki Clan lived in a remote corner of the Ninja World, so few ninja clans specifically targeted them.

Furthermore, as distant relatives of the Senju, they possessed powerful Sealing Jutsu. Their clansmen generally lived long lives and had immense chakra, so in the past, they had naturally been a force many ninja clans dared not provoke lightly.

Even now, they remained one of the powers many factions could not afford to offend.

"Pleased to meet you, Clan Head Ashina. I am Kakuzu, the representative of the Land of Night delegation. I have come here this time to discuss an important matter."

Kakuzu had stayed with the Uzumaki Clan for nearly a week. As delegations from other countries began to depart, he finally found an opportunity to meet the Uzumaki Clan Head—Uzumaki Ashina.

"Please, sit, Lord Kakuzu. You are not the first to come speak with me alone about cooperation."

Within a tall building in the deepest part of Uzushiogakure, Uzumaki Ashina—the Uzumaki Clan Head, already past sixty—personally received Kakuzu, the representative of the Land of Night delegation.

Looking at Uzumaki Ashina's graying hair and wrinkled old face, Kakuzu suddenly understood what it meant for a hero to reach his twilight years.

Even a ninja of such formidable strength could not escape having his vitality stolen by time as he entered old age.

The reason was Ashina's white hair, so unlike the usual red. It was a clear sign that an Uzumaki clansman's lifespan was nearing its end.

This old man would likely endure only a few more years before dying of old age.

Logically speaking, as a long-lived clan, the Uzumaki should not have lifespans of merely sixty-some years.

Kakuzu suspected that this Uzumaki Clan Head had suffered severe hidden injuries from fighting everywhere in his youth, drastically shortening his life.

In this era, such things were extremely common among ninja.

"Excuse me."

Kakuzu walked to the cushion opposite Ashina and sat down cross-legged.

Behind Ashina, a middle-aged man with long red hair was sitting in seiza.

Though he merely sat there, Kakuzu could still sense the surging, astonishing aura emanating from him.

Even though he was doing his utmost to restrain it, the smell of blood still drifted faintly from his body.

Kakuzu immediately concluded that this red-haired middle-aged man was one of the Uzumaki Clan's martial faction.

Even a ninja clan like the Uzumaki, which often sought goodwill with others, would inevitably produce many clansmen who valued force in such an era, using them to protect the clan's safety.

"Lord Kakuzu, if this old man remembers correctly, you are one of the right-hand men of that general from the Land of Night, aren't you?"

Ashina pointed out Kakuzu's high-ranking position in the Land of Night. He was core personnel among the core personnel.

"What an honor. I never expected someone as important as you to have heard my name."

Kakuzu was genuinely flattered.

Though he was one of Yayoi's right-hand men, Kakuzu knew full well that he was not a famous figure in the Ninja World at all.

The forbidden technique Earth Grudge Fear was also incomplete because he could never find suitable hearts.

Not to mention that seemingly extraordinarily powerful red-haired middle-aged man, even Uzumaki Ashina before him, who looked as if he might keel over at any moment, was probably more than he could handle.

Any old man who had fought through the Warring States Era to the very end and still survived safely would become incomparably terrifying once he revealed his true capabilities, no matter how kind and affable he seemed.

"You jest. Your country's general rose from nothing and conquered two nations. The Land of Night he established is also one of the strongest countries beneath the Five Great Nations."

Ashina's tone carried deep meaning. At the same time, he marveled that a ninja not born into a ninja clan could achieve such an enormous leap in status within barely more than a decade.

That was not something that could be easily explained away with mere luck.

He had studied some of the Land of Night's development and knew that Oda Yayoi, the puppet master general who ruled the country, was by no means a brute who only knew how to wield violence.

When it came to being a nation's ruler, Ashina felt that he needed to humbly learn from such a young man.

"It is all the general's accomplishment. We merely follow behind him and offer our meager strength as insignificant foot soldiers."

Unable to discern Ashina's intentions, Kakuzu could only answer modestly.

"This old man will not waste words. What transaction does General Oda intend to make with our Uzumaki Clan? The Land of Whirlpool has only just been founded and remains in ruins. It should not be worth the general's particular attention, should it?"

Although more powerful nations than the Land of Night had previously approached him for trade, their dealings had all been superficial, merely maintaining outward friendship.

For those exchanges, those great nations were most likely only showing consideration for the Senju Clan and the Hidden Leaf Village.

The newly established Uzumaki nation could be described as utterly impoverished. At present, there was simply no return to be seen from investing in it.

"Mm... the general hopes to form a marriage alliance with the Uzumaki Clan."

After pausing briefly, Kakuzu directly stated Yayoi's position.

There was no need to beat around the bush or speak evasively before an old veteran of the Warring States Era who had seen through the ways of the world.

"I see. Have you come for Sealing Jutsu? Could it be... to seal the Seven-Tails?"

A sharp light appeared in Ashina's clouded eyes as he tried to read something from Kakuzu's face.

"..."

Kakuzu was somewhat bewildered.

Though he was a right-hand man, he truly had no idea what Yayoi was planning.

Besides, after the Seven-Tails had been brought back, he had never seen it again and did not know its current condition.

Yayoi had only instructed him to convey the desire for a marriage alliance to the Uzumaki Clan. He had given no further instructions regarding anything else, including the Seven-Tails.

Hm? Did I guess wrong? That general has no such intention?

Unable to find any useful clues in the subtle details of Kakuzu's face and eyes, Ashina began to wonder whether the eyesight he had honed over decades had failed him.

"Clan Head Ashina, may I ask what your intentions are...?"

Kakuzu spoke softly as he carefully observed the old man's expression.

"...This old man must convene a clan meeting before giving you an answer."

Unlike the Senju and Uchiha, where many matters only required the clan head's approval to be settled, the Uzumaki Clan was different.

The Uzumaki Clan's system resembled the Hyuga Clan's elder system more closely. Though the clan head possessed the greatest authority, he could not make every decision alone. Important matters could only be settled by convening an elders' council.

"Then please act quickly, Clan Head Ashina. After all, my time away is limited."

After saying this, Kakuzu did not linger any longer. He rose and took his leave.

The next day, nine in the morning.

At Uzumaki Ashina's prompting, the Uzumaki Clan's high-ranking elders, apart from those with special duties, gathered in the large conference room of the tall building for a meeting.

"...That is the situation. Tell me what you all think."

Though Uzumaki Ashina was old, there was nothing vague about his manner of speaking.

His mind was also exceptionally clear. In concise and direct terms, he relayed the Land of Night's proposal for a marriage alliance to the Uzumaki Clan elders present.

"That puppet master? Not long ago, someone witnessed an island several kilometers wide north of the Land of Night being almost instantly frozen by a cold wave... That was supposedly the work of his puppet, wasn't it?"

"I heard that too. Some say that puppet was practically like a living human girl. It could move freely without needing chakra threads to control it."

"Yin-Yang Release? The Hagoromo Clan he destroyed was also an ancient clan. Perhaps he obtained part of their Yin-Yang Release from them."

"How impressive. He is not even thirty yet, is he? Even among our Uzumaki Clan, only the clan head can understand Yin-Yang Release formulas. If you cannot understand that stuff, you cannot even begin to learn it. It is the highest level of technique."

The Uzumaki Clan elders spoke far more openly than the Hyuga Clan, and the atmosphere at the meeting was rather relaxed rather than oppressive.

More than a meeting, it felt like they had gathered to chat.

What interested them most during the discussion was still Yin-Yang Release.

Virtually every ninja clan in the Ninja World with a history of several hundred years had records of techniques like Yin-Yang Release. The only difference was how incomplete those records were.

"Not just that. I heard that general, like Hashirama, can heal himself without hand seals. He is also a ninja with outstanding medical skills."

"It is hard to imagine that someone like that was not born into a ninja clan."

"So, what are your opinions?"

Uzumaki Ashina coughed, signaling for them to stop.

This was a high-level Uzumaki Clan meeting, not a place to chat and pass the time.

"If it is that puppet master, I have no objections, but all of my daughters are already married."

"My granddaughter is only five... that probably will not work."

"So is mine. She is not even ten yet. It is still far too early to discuss marriage."

Most of the elders leaned toward a marriage alliance with the Land of Night. Though a few remained silent, none voiced opposition, which counted as abstaining.

Such a situation was only natural.

After founding their nation, these elders quickly discovered that governing a country was truly troublesome.

They now needed a powerful outside force to make the Land of Whirlpool prosperous. Konoha was one path forward, but the more paths they had, the better.

Moreover, unlike Konoha, the Land of Night was a fully developed nation. If they could gain the Land of Night's support, the assistance they received would far exceed anything the Hidden Leaf Village could offer.

As Uzumaki Ashina listened to each elder voice their views, most supported a marriage alliance with the Land of Night, aside from a few who silently abstained.

It was just that their granddaughters or daughters were either already married or too young, which gave Uzumaki Ashina a headache.

Of course, it was not that they could not find girls of suitable age. They simply could not find one whose status was worthy of a nation's ruler.

Therefore, the marriage candidate could only be found among the direct descendants of the elders.

"Shumei, if I recall correctly, your granddaughter should be over ten by now. Her talent for Sealing Jutsu is also exceptional."

Uzumaki Ashina looked toward an elder about his own age. The man's hair was also mostly white, though a few red strands remained mixed in, proving that he was still in fairly robust health.

"Hisana? She is sixteen this year. But no matter what, we should at least wait until she comes of age in two years, shouldn't we?"

Uzumaki Shumei spoke after pondering for a moment.

On one hand, he could not bear to send his granddaughter away to marry far from home. On the other, he also considered that she was still quite young and clearly not suited to marriage at this time.

"We can try setting the engagement first, then have Hisana marry in two or three years."

Uzumaki Ashina proposed a solution.

The other elders did not object and felt the proposal was feasible.

"Then Shumei, you will handle the work of preparing her mentally. This engagement is not a private matter. It is an alliance between nations. If the Land of Whirlpool wishes to develop quickly and escape this impoverished state, it needs more support."

Uzumaki Ashina emphasized the core of the marriage alliance: it was not a private matter of personal feelings between two individuals, but an alliance on a higher level.

If they had merely established a village, the Uzumaki Clan's assets would not have left them in such straits.

But founding a nation at this time required astronomical resources and funding.

A ninja village and a nation were two entirely different concepts.

A complete nation needed more than military strength. Livelihoods, laws, economics, industry, politics, healthcare, education, and every other field needed to advance together and flourish.

Furthermore, some systems suited ninja while others suited ordinary people, and they needed to be distinguished. Finding the right balance was difficult.

After several ninja clans from small nations overthrew their daimyos, they had somehow tried to use ninja systems to govern ordinary people. The result was that their entire nations immediately exploded into chaos.

Rules meant for ninja, when applied to ordinary people, were nothing short of catastrophic.

It also served as a warning to many ninja clans: if they wanted to become daimyos, they had better first consider whether they were suited for it and whether they could bear the weight of a nation. If not, they should honestly remain village heads, or else they would end up dead and their clans destroyed.

Thus, if the Uzumaki Clan wanted to develop, what they needed to learn from next was not the Hidden Leaf Village, but a rising power like the Land of Night—a newborn strong nation that had risen from nothing yet continued to grow steadily and thrive.

(The daimyos of the Five Great Nations also had private armed corps under their command. Militarily, they did not rely entirely on ninja villages. However, compared with ninja villages, the daimyo's private corps were more like personal bodyguards and generally did not conduct military operations abroad.

Also, Uzumaki Hisana, the female lead who will soon appear, is an original character and does not exist in the original work. Her personality will not overlap with the previous female leads.

Kicho's personality is mildly yandere, scheming, fake-innocent, and lustful.

For the new female lead, I am planning something different. Tsundere? Airhead? Foolish? Emotionless? Frail? Queenly?

Her outfit also needs consideration. Samurai attire? Ninja attire? Shrine maiden attire? Kimono? Modified kimono? Or perhaps alter a sailor uniform?)