Tutai and the other four did not pause at all, heading straight back to the Cloud Village forces' encampment.
Staring at the two massive scrolls and the red-haired girl who was glaring viciously at a certain someone, Tutai's brows knitted tightly together.
Because of that brat's meddling, they had gained enormous benefits—but it had also introduced far too many variables into the plan.
"Tutai-sama doesn't need to worry. With these foundations and this girl in our hands, the Uzumaki clan head will inevitably lean even more toward our Cloud Village."
Tamura Zairo spoke calmly in consolation. He hadn't acted recklessly—he had thought everything through before making his move.
"You despicable villain!"
Uzumaki Kushina was even angrier, furiously cursing him.
Her grandfather had told her she was going to Konoha to meet her great-aunt—but instead, she had ended up with the Cloud Village forces. It was obvious now: both she and her grandfather had been tricked by this despicable bastard.
Hearing the girl's curses, Tamura Zairo's expression darkened. He suddenly looked past her shoulder with a face full of shock and cried out,
"Clan Head Uzumaki—why are you here?!"
"Grandpa!"
Uzumaki Kushina instinctively turned her head, joy flashing across her face. Her grandfather really had come to take her back!
But when she turned around, there was nothing there.
Before she could even process what was happening, pain flared at the back of her neck. Her vision darkened, and consciousness slipped away.
"I hate it most when people curse me."
After knocking the girl out, Tamura Zairo snorted coldly. Internally, he marveled once again at how unreasonable the Uzumaki clan's chakra reserves were.
Even though this girl was only ten years old, the chakra she could unleash was already greater than Tutai's. With that kind of chakra, her potential strength was terrifying—there was no way he could subdue her head-on. He had no choice but to rely on tricks.
Tutai and Yotsuki A both twitched at the corners of their mouths as they watched Tamura Zairo resort to deception just to deal with a little girl.
Furukai even covered his face, utterly unwilling to acknowledge that this was his student.
"Now think about how we're going to clean this mess up."
Tutai揉 his temples. The variables were too great—he couldn't adjust the plan on the fly.
Furukai and Yotsuki A had nothing to say. They were pure combat-type ninja; this sort of brainwork wasn't their domain.
Tutai hadn't expected anything from them anyway. His gaze shifted to Tamura Zairo.
This brat had plenty of crooked ideas—he might be able to provide some inspiration.
Seeing Tutai look over, Tamura Zairo spoke calmly:
"We just follow the original plan. The three major villages have already shown hostility toward us, so we should prioritize eliminating one of them first. The most suitable target is the Mist Village.
"Based on what Tutai-sama told me earlier about Kirigakure's internal situation, the Third Mizukage's faction and the ninja clans are increasingly at odds. We can take advantage of this and intensify their conflict.
"We could even identify the Third Mizukage's agents embedded in this expedition, let them return, and give them sealing techniques capable of perfectly suppressing the Three-Tails and Six-Tails.
"That would strengthen the Mizukage's faction enough for them to wipe out the clan faction within Kirigakure.
"Then we take the opportunity to absorb some of the younger clan members, integrating their kekkei genkai and secret techniques into our Cloud Village.
"We could even deliberately leave behind some female Mist Village ninja during this war, bring them back, and arrange marriages with the single ninja in our village.
"As long as children are born—and with the added hatred of their clans' destruction—they should be able to integrate into the village.
"And there are several Mist Village clans that would suit our Cloud Village very well—like the Kaguya clan.
"If Brother A here could bring back a Kaguya clan kunoichi and produce a child, then with the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku bloodline, there'd be no need for secret medicines. Pure training alone would allow that child to master the Yotsuki clan's signature Hell Stab—perhaps even surpass it."
As he finished, Tamura Zairo pointed at Yotsuki A.
Ever since deciding to use the Cloud Village as his base, he had come up with many ideas—especially after combining them with the countless Naruto fanfics he had read in his previous life.
For example, letting Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan train in the Eight Gates—given his bone strength, he should be able to withstand the explosive power of Night Guy without shattering his skeleton.
If he also learned the Lightning Release Armor and Hell Stab, he would be monstrously strong.
Kimimaro hadn't been born yet, but the Kaguya clan could be merged into the Yotsuki clan. There was no need for a complete Shikotsumyaku—just enhanced bones and physical strength would suffice.
Moreover, the Kaguya clan already possessed notable regenerative abilities. Combined with the Yotsuki clan's secret techniques, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.
Add the Eight Gates on top of that, and even Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama would be worth fighting.
"Me?"
Yotsuki A was stunned. He hadn't expected the topic to land on him.
"For the future of the Yotsuki clan and the village, Brother A, you must make a choice. This is the resolve you must have.
"Of course, if you can persuade the Third Raikage-sensei to marry a Kaguya clan kunoichi and produce a junior disciple, that would work too."
Tamura Zairo earnestly and solemnly tried to persuade him. This was absolutely a good thing.
Yotsuki A opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't dare suggest convincing his father to take another wife.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even need his father to act—his mother would be the first to chop him to pieces when he got back.
"I'll do it myself."
With no other choice, Yotsuki A accepted his fate. He just hoped he could find one who wasn't ugly.
"It's a viable line of thought."
Rolling his eyes at the boy, Tutai nonetheless acknowledged the idea.
If they simply captured female Mist Village ninja and brought them back to marry and bear children, it wouldn't guarantee their loyalty to the Cloud Village.
A ninja's will was not so easily shaken.
But if the Third Mizukage's faction wiped out the opposing clans within Kirigakure, that would sever those people's bonds with their original village.
Add marriage and children on top of that, and there would be a very high chance they would truly pledge allegiance to the Cloud Village.
Still, this plan needed further refinement—and ultimately a decision from the Third Raikage himself once he arrived.
"Aren't you afraid the Uzumaki clan head will come after you later?"
Tutai glanced at the unconscious girl. He could already imagine the Uzumaki clan head's fury—he probably wanted to tear this brat apart alive.
"The die is already cast—what can he do? And if he wants to come after me, he'll have to survive this first. I have a lot of confidence in Konoha."
Tamura Zairo truly didn't care.
Especially after confirming that the youth accompanying Sarutobi Shinnosuke to UzUzushiogakure was very likely Aburame Shibi, he became even more certain that Sarutobi Hiruzen and Lord Danzo had no intention of letting the Uzumaki clan survive.
There was a reason why the future Aburame Torune would be regarded by Danzo as a trump card—a terrifying strategic-level existence.
Those nano-scale poison insects were too stealthy, too lethal, and almost impossible to detect. Once deployed in advance—especially amid the cZairos of war—they would be even harder to notice or counter.
The Uzumaki clan wouldn't even be able to leave intact corpses behind.
"Konoha is indeed a major variable. I wonder how much strength Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo will commit."
Tutai said with anticipation. In this regard, their goals overlapped with those of the Third Hokage's faction.
The plan to deal with the Uzumaki clan was itself built upon the actions and intentions of the Third Hokage's group.
The stronger their killing intent toward the Uzumaki clan, the better—it would completely sever the Uzumaki clan's attachment to Konoha.
Then, once the First Hokage's wife passed away, the Uzumaki clan would truly and completely belong to the Cloud Village.
Recalling his earlier encounter with Sarutobi Shinnosuke and the deep killing intent the man had directed at him, Tamura Zairo spoke again:
"And that Hokage's son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke. I remember you said the Third Hokage's taijutsu mainly relies on his summoning partner, the Monkey King Enma. That Hokage's son should also have a summoning contract with the monkey clan.
"If we capture him, we can interrogate him for Konoha's secret techniques and ninjutsu—maybe even the forbidden techniques recorded in the Scroll of Seals, especially the Sarutobi clan's Fire Release: Great Flame Technique.
"Then we control him and force him to summon the Monkey King Enma, have the Third Raikage-sensei suppress him, and ask the Uzumaki clan's experts to seal the summoning contract so Enma can't escape.
"After that, we use Enma to reverse-summon to the monkey clan's territory and wipe them out entirely. That would greatly weaken the Third Hokage and the Sarutobi clan's strength.
"I think that Monkey King Enma also has some kind of indestructible Vajra form, right? That's very valuable for research… and the corpse should be usable as medicinal material too…"
The three present all felt their eyelids twitch violently as they listened.
Too sinister.
But… I like it. Let's do it.
Tutai couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
As expected of someone trained by Shimura Danzo—truly ruthless.
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