Three out of four were gone, and the long sail embroidered with the clan emblem hanging behind them was lifted by the evening breeze outside the door.
Wearing a white robe, Yūya Uzumaki also focused his gaze entirely on the one person who remained in the shrine.
After a long silence, his unhurried voice rang out again. " Yoshitoki Uzumaki, I'm handing over command of all the standing troops except those involved in previous missions, as well as the troops that Seishin will form later, to you!"
"We are about to face a battle that will determine the fate of the Uzumaki. I hope that after you take over the team, you can make all the necessary preparations before the battle and buy enough time during the fight!"
"Although my orders just now were all for the worst-case scenario, I still want to stay on this land where my ancestors lived."
"How to fight, how to make choices—I will leave those decisions to you."
"I hope you won't let me down..."
"Yes, clan leader!" The youngest of the four, the middle-aged man named Yoshitoki Uzumaki, responded decisively.
He is currently the youngest member of the Uzumaki Clan's middle and upper management.
However, he is one of the few commanders among the current Uzumaki Clan!
This is not only proven by the School, but also by the fact that they have already integrated what they have learned into their battles!
In times of crisis like these, age is no longer an issue.
At this moment, Yūya Uzumaki's main concern has shifted from the Council of Elders to how to ensure the Clan's survival!
Battle command...
As the Daimyō of the Land of Whirlpools, the Kage of Uzushio Village, and the head of the Uzumaki Clan, he was very clear about his own abilities.
Therefore, he doesn't mind delegating power at all.
Listen to the last, rhythmic footsteps gradually fading into the distance.
Only now did Yūya Uzumaki have time to focus his attention on the group of elders on the ground!
The capture is complete; the remaining task is to kill...
After all, they are elders; even if these people wanted to kill them...
We'll have to wait for a better time!
Night falls, and the stars twinkle.
On the eastern side of a small island not far from the Land of Whirlpools, more than forty ships were quietly moored on the shore, gently swaying with the waves and making the sound of wood rubbing together.
At the simple pier on the small island, closest to the boats, there are about a hundred white tents neatly arranged, their lights making them particularly eye-catching in the night.
"Whoosh!"
A Young Man dressed in Combat Uniform and armor suddenly emerged from the darkness, lifted the curtain of the largest tent, and strode inside!
Sitting directly opposite the tent entrance was a middle-aged man wearing a strange hat.
Startled by the sound, he looked up and, after recognizing who it was, immediately asked, "You're back. What did Mizukage say?"
Walking to the first wooden Low Table on the left, the Young Man plopped down on the Daybed, picked up the teapot and Low Table on the table, and filled them with tea.
A cup of cool tea entered his mouth and traveled along a fixed route into his body.
"Ah~!" The heat in his body was relieved by the cup of tea, Young Man couldn't help but let out a sound of comfort.
He closed his eyes briefly for a couple of seconds, put down his teacup, and then met the gaze of the head of the table with a cold laugh, saying, "What can those beasts say?"
"They haven't all arrived yet; they say they want to postpone the agreed time."
When I arrived, there was only one Large Unit setting up camp!
Upon hearing this less-than-good news, the middle-aged man in the head seat shook his head slightly and sighed, saying, "Let's wait, let's wait. When Lord Raikage arrives tomorrow, remember to help persuade him as well."
"Alright!" The Young Man slowly nodded the head with light yellow hair.
The Kumogakure initiated this battle, and the agreed-upon time for the battle to begin was the arrival of the three leaders.
For this campaign, they have abandoned some actions they would normally take and made compromises in some areas.
The attack points, timing, and distribution of benefits for all parties have been finalized.
But unexpectedly, on the eve of the event, I learned that Mizukage had pulled this stunt?
The delay by one day would not have been a problem if it had been announced earlier.
But on the eve of the battle, just as the other two leaders were about to arrive... the Mizukage really had a lot of influence!
"How are the preparations at the camp? Have you figured out the movements of the Land of Whirlpools?" Not wanting to talk about those unpleasant things anymore, the Young Man, whose face bore a resemblance to the Raikage, asked the chief.
He nodded, recalling the intelligence his subordinates had previously sent him; perhaps the comparison was helpful.
Wearing a strange hat, Dodai's face broke into a suppressed smile as he said, "The camp's needs have been prepared. As for the Land of Whirlpools, the Intelligence Department sent a report shortly before you arrived."
"So, have you noticed anything? What's the situation?" Young Man with light-colored hair and bulging muscles asked curiously.
Good news was certainly in order, for he had already seen the smile on the chief's face.
But he was very curious about what good news could make Dodai, who had just heard the Mizukage from the misty moth, so happy!
After a pause, Dodai's smile widened as he said, " The Land of Whirlpools must have been aware of our actions; it was all part of the plan."
"But their manpower doesn't seem to be unusual; a group of high-ranking officials should still be having a meeting at that shrine!"
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the Young Man's eyes.
He then smiled with satisfaction and said, "A good meeting!"
Dodai nodded in agreement.
The two exchanged a smile, both understanding the unusual situation within the Uzumaki Clan!
But the enemy's problem is good news for them.
The more chaotic things get, the greater their chances of victory will be!
As things stand, if the plan goes smoothly, the Land of Whirlpools will be theirs for the taking.
Konoha.
As night fell tonight, a long-awaited gathering was taking place inside the tallest building in the village.
Looking at his friend who had led the team back all the way, Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffing on his pipe with a smile, asked, "How does it feel to single-handedly support the department while you're out there?"
He waved his hand and drank the tea in his cup in one gulp.
Utatane Koharu, whose face still had few wrinkles and remained smooth, was already showing signs of exhaustion.
Before taking over Danzo's position, her work almost entirely involved handling unilateral affairs within the village.
She truly hadn't expected that being independent would involve so much work!
Especially a department like Root, which has already expanded to tens of thousands of people in the Land of Grass, is truly...
"That Danzo guy has a really big heart. Only after clearing out his assets did I realize just how much wealth he had in his Root."
"Aside from the people, the warehouse can only be described as completely empty. If it weren't for the support from the village, I'm wondering if it could even last a month!"
"I thought we had figured it out, but who would have thought this guy could hide so much underneath!"
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was smoking his pipe, also recalled the first report that Koharu had submitted.
Heartless, insane, insatiable... these are the most accurate descriptions of that old friend!
The village has been receiving funds since the last time.
They asked their friend to manage the Land of Grass properly, but instead, he engaged in rampant oppression and plunder!
The money stained with blood, plus the money given by the village, had to be carefully scrutinized by the old friend before it reached him!
Otherwise, the operations at the Root cannot continue...
Sigh!
Sighing, not wanting to dwell on these upsetting matters, Utatane Koharu changed the subject, asking, "How confident are you about the outcome with Kumogakure?"
Without immediately answering his friend's question, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe and thought for a moment before saying, " The Land of Wind won't participate, and we'll only provide support to the Land of Fire... The remaining Capital all contribute!"
It wasn't a direct answer, but it clearly laid out the current enemies of the Land of Whirlpools!
Upon hearing this, Utatane Koharu nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good, it seems we can finally sever the Senju One-Armed Sword this time!"
Then, remembering something they had discussed before, she asked her friend on the other end of the line, "By the way, did the plan you mentioned in Daimyō last time succeed?"
Upon hearing this question, Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile froze.
Meeting his friend's gaze, he shook his head and delivered a very bad message: "No, the Daimyō's stance remains one of non-participation."
"That guy doesn't want to take any risks or risk his reputation!"
"If all else fails, what other methods are there?" Utatane Koharu asked, frowning.
Understanding his friend's meaning, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately shook his head and interrupted his friend's inappropriate thoughts, saying, "You know that there are always troops stationed with the Daimyō."
"Even if it weren't for that, we can't do this right now. You've seen what happened to the Land of Whirlpools; those guys have considerable power!"
The fact that the Kumogakure's plan went so smoothly this time is largely thanks to the help of the Land of Fire's Daimyō.
Otherwise, how could the Senju, being the closest to the South Battlefield, not have received information about changes at sea?
These nobles may not seem like a threat in terms of strength, but their combined capabilities in intelligence and Logistics are not to be underestimated!
Hearing her old friend say this, and recalling some information she had seen about this matter, Utatane Koharu sighed helplessly.
If things don't go smoothly with the plans on the Daimyō side, then our current financial pressure is quite significant!
Especially after the Root was taken over by our side, unless we learn from Danzo, the Root's funding will at least double again!
"Don't worry, take ten billion back with you this time." Knowing why he was troubled, Hiruzen Sarutobi, thinking of the gains that weren't exactly a harvest, smiled and said, "Although this time we didn't get the Daimyō to agree to side with us and provide financial support..."
"But to ensure the smooth progress of the plan, the Daimyō also provided corresponding support. They will secretly provide us with 3 billion in funds or materials over two years!"
Hearing this not-so-good news, Utatane Koharu, who had been under immense financial pressure recently, breathed a sigh of relief.
Three billion over two years—that amount of money could fill most of the hole created by Danzo of the Root Sect.
In that case, she won't have to worry for at least two years.
Noticing his friend's change, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was smoking a pipe, smiled even more broadly.
This crisis was completely resolved by him taking advantage of both sides.
The 3 billion from the Daimyō was only a part of it; he also secretly took a bite out of the Kumogakure Village!
Although this number is not large, only a few hundred million.
However, given Konoha's current situation, this sum of money is an invaluable asset!
After chatting and resting for a while...
Hiruzen Sarutobi then got Utatane Koharu and walked to the map on the side.
Their mission this time was to create a diversion, so the team Koharu brought back and the village's internal forces needed to be carefully deployed.
They couldn't provoke the Senju's sensitive nerves, but they still needed to express their stance in a way that prevented the Senju village's troops from being mobilized at will.
As for that powerful teleportation technique that caused them trouble last time, that's a matter for the Raikage and his crew!
Of course, as allies, they will also certainly restrain a portion of the situation.
Besides bringing back the Root team to participate, Koharu's return is mainly for coordinating with Hiruzen Sarutobi an appearance and restrain others!
With all these factors combined, this Uzumaki was doomed to perish.
I wonder what that old guy's reaction will be when he finds out the Uzumaki clan was wiped out!
The next day, early morning.
Inside the Senju Clan Compound's residential area, in those only two closely adjacent houses.
On the right-hand building, the indicator has reached that familiar daily time.
Senju Toka, who was resting, slowly opened her eyes.
After changing her clothes and washing up, she went downstairs to enjoy the breakfast that the servants from the Land of Forests had specially prepared for her.
After placing the last appetizer on the table, a Maid in a pink kimono bowed to the approaching person and said, "Good morning, sir!"
"Good morning." She nodded slightly in response, gesturing for him to stand up.
Looking at the breakfast on the table, which was small in portion but plentiful, Senju Toka asked as she sat down, " Uka and the others haven't gotten up yet?"
A young Maid standing nearby bowed and replied, "Sir, the masters have not yet risen."
After picking up a small shrimp-filled bun and taking a bite, Senju Toka nodded and didn't ask any more questions, focusing on enjoying her breakfast!
The little guy only comes back once every month or two, so it's fine for him to rest more, as long as my nephew is okay.
But she, as the clan leader, couldn't have any peace; she had to go to the Government Affairs Hall on time every day!
If it weren't for Senju's current predicament, she would have resigned and been replaced long ago, but unfortunately, Senju is in a difficult situation...
She has to clean up this mess before she can hand it over to someone else!
It took me half an hour to enjoy breakfast.
After that, Senju Toka left home and went to the Government Affairs Hall to begin her daily work.
Not long after she left.
On the specially designed large bed in the special room on the second floor of the building on the left.
Uka Senju, who had rushed home last night, slowly opened her eyes and woke up from her deep sleep!
But when he woke up today, he didn't even dare to move a finger. He could only stare blankly at the wooden floorboards above his head, observing the patterns on them, idly wasting his rest time that only came once every few months!
The people around him now are not the same as before!
Three women who are seven months pregnant are all sleeping a lot, and all three of them love to use their babies as pillows!
Having been away from home for several months and unable to be with his pregnant wife, he... even though he really wanted to get up, he could only obediently continue lying down to stay with her.