"Alright," Anri nodded. Since her health wouldn't allow for Flying Thunder God teleportation, the group took a carriage from a nearby town, traveling slowly back to Konoha.
…
The next day—while still on the road—news of what happened in Grass Village spread to every nearby nation.
Now, the other ninja village leaders realized Seiryu's previous warnings were deadly serious!
Some smaller village leaders immediately checked for any Uzumaki descendants in their territories, terrified of sharing Grass's fate.
In the Land of Rain, Nagato, upon hearing of what befell their neighbor Grass, frowned deeply—not from pity, but from history. Among the small countries sandwiched between Fire and Earth, Grass had always been hated for petty tricks on missions. Against major powers, they didn't dare, but Rain, as another small power, had suffered much from them. If not for the need to keep hidden, Nagato would have dealt with Grass himself.
Still, Seiryu's obliteration of most of Grass Village triggered unpleasant memories.
"Is this the arrogance of great nations?" Nagato's eyes were cold as he read the intel.
"A hundred-meter-tall war god…" he mused, as Konan entered.
"Nagato…"
She hesitated, but years of partnership let Nagato understand.
"Don't worry. It looks menacing, but my Shinra Tensei isn't any weaker. The Six Paths of Pain can handle him," Nagato said.
"Alright." Konan set down food for him and left.
…
In Iwagakure, Onoki nearly ground his teeth to dust as he read his report.
"Are you sure? A hundred-meter-tall, armored Susanoo?" he asked, confirming with the ANBU.
"That's what the survivors say," the ANBU nodded.
"Damn! Another Madara?" Onoki slammed the table.
He couldn't understand it—was Konoha's talent like leeks? Cut down one batch, and another grows!
For years, as Konoha's greatest enemy, he'd watched them closely. The last war's Fourth Hokage, Minato, died to his own Bijuu. Sarutobi Hiruzen, now feeble, led a floundering high command, while Konoha's last generation of geniuses were dead or missing. Under Onoki, Iwa had flourished, though they lacked a true successor—Deidara, the most talented youth, was a bit of a fool. Still, Iwa's overall strength now seemed to surpass Konoha's.
But now, out of nowhere, Konoha's Fifth Hokage had appeared—an Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Unlike Nagato, Onoki had witnessed Madara Uchiha's Susanoo firsthand as a child. That godlike power left a deep impression—if not for Hashirama Senju, Madara could have plowed through the entire world.
And now, before he turned twenty, another Uchiha with that power had taken Konoha's throne!
Onoki had once considered recruiting the Uchiha, but it was too difficult. He never imagined one would not only climb out of that pit but also become Konoha's leader.
After a while, Onoki calmed down and considered countermeasures. All previous plans for Konoha were now obsolete.
Although Seiryu had mostly fought against Kirigakure in the last war, Onoki had heard the name—a genius who terrorized Mist single-handedly. That he awakened Mangekyō Sharingan was expected.
But what Seiryu had just demonstrated in Grass was beyond even that.
Worse, if he could lead the Uchiha out of decline, his mind and skill needed no further proof.
"So, he's like a Madara with brains…" Onoki sighed, massaging his temples. "I'd better try to reach out—test his personality."
As Onoki pondered, the office door was knocked again.
"Lord Tsuchikage, Deidara has blown up the ninja academy's toilets again, and now—"
The ANBU trailed off, but Onoki could imagine the scene, his blood pressure spiking.
"That brat! I told him not to play with bombs!" Onoki roared.
"Uh, Lord Tsuchikage, this time your granddaughter put him up to it—she didn't want to go to school—"
"Kurotsuchi is involved too?!" The old man sat up abruptly—then clutched his back in pain. "My back!"
….
While chaos reigned in the Earth Country, Seiryu and company returned to Konoha.
First order of business: Tsunade examined Anri thoroughly.
Afterward, Tsunade was furious. Anri's depletion was extreme—barely a candle in the wind. The Grass ninja hadn't treated her as human at all.
"Those Grass bastards!" Tsunade cursed, then turned to Seiryu. "How did you deal with them?"
"Not a single one who drained her life got away," Seiryu replied calmly.
"Good!" Tsunade said. As a fellow Uzumaki and a doctor, she was livid at Grass's actions. She was delighted to hear Seiryu had unleashed vengeance.
"But let's focus on treatment. Is there a plan?" Seiryu asked.
"Full recovery is unlikely—the loss is too great. Only gentle medicine and long-term care can help now. Her bloodline powers can never be used again," Tsunade said gravely.
She fixed Seiryu with a hard stare.
"Do I seem like that much of a bastard?" Seiryu joked helplessly. Though Tsunade had dropped the Senju name, she'd inherited Tobirama's suspicion of the Uchiha in full.
"How do you plan to settle the mother and daughter?" Tsunade asked.
"Find them a safe place in the village. Karin will enroll in the ninja academy. She'll probably carry on the Uzumaki sealing jutsu legacy—I don't dare count on Naruto for that."
"Alright." Tsunade nodded. "There's space in the old Senju compound, and I can keep an eye on them."
"Good, I'll leave it to you," Seiryu agreed.
Tsunade was a bit suspicious at how readily Seiryu agreed.
Does he really have no designs on that bloodline? Even with my medical skills, I can't guarantee better results than just draining someone's life…
If he'd heard her, Seiryu would have cried out in protest—he really had no such intention.
His main goal was to intimidate the small countries and stir up the Fire–Earth border, rescuing Karin's family was just a bonus. While not a saint, his previous life's morals simply wouldn't allow him to do otherwise.