Swish! Swish! Swish!
Dozens of Uzumaki Clan Members who had been lying in wait leaped out and joined the fight.
"There's no need to let the Uzumaki Clan Members suffer heavy casualties. I should step in too."
Ziyun appeared as well, flashing like lightning to a spot in front of several ninjas.
"You disguised yourselves as Hidden Cloud ninjas to wipe out the Uzumaki Clan and ruin Hidden Cloud's reputation, and now you think you can just leave?"
"Divine Judgment, precision strike!"
Using Observation Haki, he sent several bolts of lightning crashing down from the sky, striking the "Kumogakure ninjas" fighting over the scroll with precision and incapacitating them.
"Kill them!"
Zō Uzumaki gave the order without mercy.
If not for Ziyun, the Uzumaki Clan Members would have died at these ninjas' hands, so Zō Uzumaki showed no leniency. That was something only a saint would do.
Several Uzumaki Clan Members charged forward and killed the ninjas paralyzed by lightning.
"Y-Yeyue Ziyun!"
Recognizing the familiar lightning attack, the remaining ninjas widened their eyes, their voices trembling.
They exchanged glances, each seeming to understand what the others meant.
"Retreat!"
They retreated without hesitation.
They knew they had no ability to stand against a Kage-level powerhouse.
"Don't think you can escape!"
Zō Uzumaki sneered. The other Uzumaki Clan Members lurking in the shadows charged out again, catching the fleeing ninjas off guard.
The Uzumaki Clan was not particularly strong, but with their secret Sealing Jutsu and natural constitutions, even a Chunin could unleash considerable power against a Jonin.
Moreover, these people were enemies who had come to wipe out the Uzumaki Clan. With hatred fueling them, the Uzumaki Clan Members unleashed even greater strength.
"Don't kill them all... Leave one alive and ask who sent them."
Seeing that the Uzumaki clansmen were getting carried away with killing, Ziyun reminded them in time.
It would be best to have definite proof that Konoha had sent these ninjas. Otherwise, Konoha might deny it later, and the Uzumaki Clan might waver. Ziyun did not want to leave any hidden dangers.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Hearing Ziyun's words, the enemy ninjas acted without hesitation, all attempting suicide.
They did this to avoid capture and leave the enemy no evidence.
"A suicide squad?"
Ziyun sneered at the sight. From their methods, he was almost certain they were ninjas from Root or Konoha's Anbu.
Fortunately, the Uzumaki Clan Head remained calm. He used another secret Sealing Jutsu to catch a ninja who was trying to kill himself.
The powerful Adamantine Sealing Chains could even subdue a Tailed Beast, so restraining a ninja below Kage Level was easy.
A few minutes later, with Ziyun's help, the Uzumaki Clan Members dealt with all the invaders, leaving only the one Zō Uzumaki had restrained alive.
Ziyun walked up to the survivor and removed his mask.
"Heh... An old acquaintance. Konoha Jonin, Dan Katō."
Ziyun was amused when he saw the man's face.
Silver-haired, cheerful and handsome, he was none other than Konoha's Jonin, Dan Katō!
"Hmph. Who told you I was a Konoha ninja?"
Dan Katō sneered coldly. As a member of Root, few people even in Konoha knew him, much less a Kumogakure Ninja like Yeyue Ziyun.
He was obviously trying to trick him!
"Uzumaki Clan Head, have your people check whether there's a Cursed Seal on his tongue," Ziyun said with a sneer, not bothering to entertain Dan Katō.
He had never expected a Root member to reveal secrets willingly.
Danzo Shimura had thoroughly brainwashed these people into believing their acts of murder and arson were all for Konoha. They were utterly foolish.
The Uzumaki patriarch nodded and motioned for a clansman to check.
The clansman pried Dan Katō's mouth open and pulled out his tongue.
Sure enough, there was a Cursed Seal on it: the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal Danzo had placed on every Root member.
Anyone marked with the Cursed Seal would be unable to speak or move even if they wanted to inform on him.
"With this seal, he can't tell the truth even if he wants to," Ziyun told the Uzumaki Clan Head.
"Leave it to me." Seeing the markings that resembled a Sealing Jutsu, Zō Uzumaki volunteered.
The Cursed Tongue Eradication Jutsu was a type of Sealing Jutsu, and for Zō Uzumaki, who specialized in Sealing Jutsu, undoing it was not too difficult.
After some effort, the Cursed Tongue Eradication Jutsu was undone.
Ziyun then took out a control talisman, which he had just purchased from the system space for 20,000 points.
Although the cost stung a little, with this talisman he could make Dan Katō tell the truth.
It was equivalent to exchanging 20,000 points for the Uzumaki Clan's loyalty, which was well worth it.
Dan Katō then revealed the truth.
"So Konoha really did arrange this operation? Besides Danzo, even the Third Hokage gave the order!"
Zō Uzumaki broke out in a cold sweat when he heard the truth.
It was one thing for Danzo to have such intentions, but Hiruzen Sarutobi had never seemed like that sort of person.
He had never imagined that Hiruzen wanted to wipe out the Uzumaki Clan behind their backs.
"Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi are in it together. There's nothing strange about it. Don't forget, the reason Danzo can command Root, which is no weaker than the Anbu, is that Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him all that authority."
Ziyun spoke calmly.
In a sense, everything Danzo did had Hiruzen Sarutobi's tacit approval. There was no reason to doubt it.
"I was naive... I thought Konoha would be the Uzumaki Clan's ally forever."
Zō Uzumaki muttered to himself, his resolve growing firmer.
It was time for the Uzumaki Clan to seek shelter with a major power. Otherwise, in the vast Shinobi World, the clan would struggle to protect itself.
"There are no eternal allies in this world, only eternal interests," Ziyun said with a smile.
The Uzumaki Clan had spent too long in an ivory tower and had too little political sense. No wonder they had been wiped out without a sound in the original story.
As long as it benefited Konoha, even the Senju and the Uchiha Clan could be wiped out, let alone the mere Uzumaki Clan.
"You're right. Without your warning, Lord Ziyun, the Uzumaki Clan would have become history today."
With that, Zō Uzumaki looked at Ziyun, his eyes full of gratitude.
"Thank you for saving the Uzumaki Clan, Lord Ziyun. From this day forward, I am willing to lead my clansmen in joining Hidden Cloud Village. We will go through fire and water for the village without hesitation."
Zō Uzumaki knelt on one knee and bowed to Ziyun.
Although Hidden Cloud Village was not particularly strong at present and ranked among the weaker Five Great Shinobi Villages,
with a genius like Yeyue Ziyun, who had reached Kage Level at only ten years old, its future could be said to be the brightest among them.
Thus, Zō Uzumaki did not hesitate much before pledging his loyalty to Ziyun.
"Then there's no need for us to stay here. If Konoha realizes something is wrong, it will soon send more people."
"I've already made the arrangements. Let's go."
Ziyun smiled. A wise man knew when to adapt, and Zō Uzumaki was indeed a clever man.
Ziyun then led the Uzumaki Clan Members to the coast of the Land of Whirlpools, where three large ships flying Hidden Cloud Village's flag were anchored in the harbor.
Dodai and Yotsuki A, the Third Raikage's son, were standing on one of them.
Ziyun had arranged this in advance. Given his speed, a round trip between the Land of Whirlpools and Hidden Cloud Village took at most half a day.
Naturally, Dodai and Yotsuki A had not questioned Ziyun's orders.
The moment Ziyun led the Uzumaki Clan Members aboard, a system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the S-rank mission: Participate in the night of the Uzumaki Clan's destruction. Rewards: 30,000 mission points; the Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit; Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame; Strength +10, Stamina +3.]
The moment the notification sounded, a Devil Fruit imbued with the profound aura of the sea appeared in the system space.
The Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit!
Ziyun had been looking forward to this fruit for a long time. Without hesitation, he took a small bite and threw the rest into the sea.
Even that one small bite tasted so awful that Ziyun nearly vomited.
A wondrous power immediately filled his body. It had to be the power of the Door-Door Fruit entering him.
Ziyun examined his system panel again.
[Host: Yeyue Ziyun] Constitution: 78 (ordinary human limit: 10) (Uzumaki Sage Body bonus not included) Strength: 69 (ordinary human limit: 10)