Tutai spoke calmly:
"Senior, there's no need to test this junior with such questions. If Konoha truly could accept the Uzumaki clan, you wouldn't have rejected the Third Hokage's invitation three times.
"If the Uzumaki clan really migrated to Konoha, many people there would lose sleep—including that Third Hokage himself.
"This junior suspects that what the Third Hokage truly wants is a new Nine-Tails jinchūriki, one who can replace the aging wife of the First Hokage—preferably someone with no relatives or backing, so that he can control them more easily.
"For many years, because of the First Hokage's wife, the Senju clan has been extremely strong within Konoha, causing the Third Hokage no small amount of trouble.
"The coming Shinobi World War will inevitably be a great calamity for the Senju clan. Once the First Hokage's wife dies, the Senju clan will surely be wiped out amid the war. All four of our great villages share the same tacit understanding—we do not wish to see another Senju Hashirama appear.
"Even the Senju clan, which once possessed the first Nine-Tails jinchūriki, was intolerable to them—let alone the Uzumaki clan.
"We have intelligence that more than a hundred ninja have secretly left Konoha and are rushing toward the Land of Whirlpools. Judging by their speed, they are all jōnin.
"Senior might consider this: are these Konoha ninja coming to rescue UzUzushiogakure… or to annihilate the clan entirely?
"Moreover, Konoha recently discovered that ninja from our four great villages were active along their borders. In advance, they dispatched elite forces from each major clan as vanguards to the borders.
"The Senju clan was sent to the Land of Earth—the farthest battlefield from the Land of Whirlpools. Even if they receive news, they would be unable to return in time.
"Senior wouldn't think all of this is just coincidence, would you?
"In truth, the current predicament of the Uzumaki clan was something that should have been foreseen back when the First Hokage's wife became the Nine-Tails jinchūriki."
Uzumaki Ashina's expression grew darker and darker, especially at the words annihilate the clan, which struck painfully close to the heart.
"How many of our clansmen can your Cloud Village take in?"
After a long silence, Uzumaki Ashina finally compromised.
The situation was clear: Konoha was no longer an option. Among the four great villages, only the Cloud Village had extended an invitation so far.
At the very least, it was a path forward.
What the young man from the Cloud Village said was correct. Back then, when he learned that Mito had sealed the Nine-Tails into herself for Konoha and become a jinchūriki, he had already sensed impending disaster—he had even gone personally to Konoha to scold that foolish niece.
She had brought calamity upon the Uzumaki clan.
Seeing Ashina relent, Tutai quietly breathed a sigh of relief and replied with full sincerity:
"Minors and unmarried Uzumaki clansmen—those who are not ideologically extreme—can all be accepted by the Cloud Village. The unmarried can even immediately marry single ninja from our village and form families.
"Our Cloud Village sincerely hopes that the Uzumaki clan can take root, flourish, and fully integrate with us.
"We are the only one of the Five Great Villages that has consistently recruited talent from the outside. The Uzumaki clan will receive corresponding benefits and treatment, absolutely without discrimination.
"Moreover, several of our village's development plans urgently require Uzumaki talent. Your future status within the village will certainly not be low—some of you may even rise to high-level positions.
"In addition, we guarantee that Uzumaki clansmen will not be sent to the front lines. We have other arrangements for you—ones that will be extremely safe."
They could not possibly accept the entire Uzumaki clan—that was unrealistic.
Many of the adults had deeply rooted beliefs, and some even harbored hostility toward the Cloud Village. Bringing such people over would only create hidden dangers.
Ashina was not surprised by this at all. On the contrary, it made him trust Tutai more.
From this, it was clear that the Cloud Village truly wanted the Uzumaki clan, and their sincerity was genuine.
"Do the 'development plans' you mentioned include tailed-beast jinchūriki?"
Ashina pressed further.
The current catastrophe facing the Uzumaki clan had originated from that foolish niece. The four great villages' covert alliance and assault were likewise aimed at creating perfect jinchūriki—and the Uzumaki were the most suitable candidates.
"Our use of tailed beasts follows a different plan," Tutai replied, shaking his head.
"There is no need for Uzumaki clansmen to become sacrifices. For you, that would be misfortune, not blessing."
They had no intention of making Uzumaki members into jinchūriki—at least not until the clan was fully integrated into the village.
Besides, they no longer needed complete jinchūriki anyway. The split-tailed-beast plan worked perfectly; even if something went wrong, suppression would be much easier and losses far smaller.
As long as those split jinchūriki could condense and fire Tailed Beast Bombs, their individual strength didn't matter.
"How much strength can you provide to help us survive this calamity?"
Ashina asked further. Becoming jinchūriki was not the key issue—the Cloud Village's attitude was.
"We have assembled one hundred jōnin and one thousand chūnin, all ready to enter battle at any time. In addition, the Third Raikage himself will descend and join the war at a critical moment."
Tutai revealed the forces they could commit, which greatly satisfied Ashina.
"Abandoning a homeland that has stood for a thousand years is not easy. At the very least, we must fight here once.
"Your Cloud Village may join us in battle. Some of our clansmen still harbor illusions about Konoha—they need to be awakened.
"If, in the end, the situation becomes untenable, we will send the children to the Cloud Village.
"In that case, this old man will prepare for you a complete set of Uzumaki sealing techniques, including the sealing method Mito developed specifically for the Nine-Tails."
"We respect the decision of Senior and UzUzushiogakure,"
Tutai replied solemnly.
This was exactly what he had hoped for—they had to fight a battle here in the Land of Whirlpools.
Only then could Konoha be forced to reveal its hand, sever the bond between the Uzumaki clan and Konoha, and also use the war to exhaust the Uzumaki clan's adult combatants. Only after that could they bring the children away.
Cruel—but this was the reality of the shinobi world.
At the same time, Tutai understood that the Great Elder still held a faint hope for Konoha—or rather, for the Senju clan and the First Hokage's wife.
Unfortunately, the ones in power in Konoha now were neither the Senju clan nor the First Hokage's wife, but the faction led by the Third Hokage.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō Shimura truly intended to destroy the Uzumaki clan, they would certainly have made every arrangement necessary. They would never allow the Senju clan to come to the rescue—at least not in time.
Otherwise, if the Senju used this opportunity to bring the Uzumaki clan into Konoha, their strength would grow dramatically—something Sarutobi and his allies would never tolerate.
"There is one more matter," Tutai added.
"Senior, have you heard of the Six Paths Tools?"
"About those tools, the Uzumaki clan knows far more than you do,"
Ashina replied, raising an eyebrow.
After all, they were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. Their clan records even documented the era of Ninshū itself—naturally, the Six Paths Tools were described in great detail.
"Four of the Six Paths Tools were sealed away via summoning seals by their previous two wielders before death. If Senior can break those seals, those four tools may be lent to your clan for use in this war."
As he spoke, Tutai took out a sealing scroll, released it, and revealed two hearts preserved in nutrient containers.
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