Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 49: S Rank Secret
---Uzumaki Residence---
Raiken smiled as he watched the Hokage and the other higher-ups leave one by one.
His plan had succeeded. Now, even if they suddenly can use Wood Style, Konoha could not accuse them of stealing the first hokage corpse because this wood style is belong to the White Zetsu.
"Raiken," called Mito. "If you need help, just call me."
"Thank you, Lady Mito," replied Raiken.
Mito looked at him one last time. She understood why Raiken reacted that way. On one side was Konoha, the village her husband had built, and on the other was her bloodline. She was not foolish like Itachi, who had chosen the village over his clan. Konoha was no longer the same after Tobirama death.
That was why she decided to remain on the sidelines, watching the two sides clash without interruption. She also noticed how the Hokage attitude had shifted after learning that the Uzumaki Clan had survived.
At worst, the Uzumaki would simply leave Konoha and settle on Mount Myoboku.
Mito then departed with the other Senju Clan elders.
"Everyone, go inside. We have something important to do," ordered Raiken. He also instructed Arata to bring the corpse to the meeting hall.
Every single Uzumaki shinobi above chunnin level was summoned.
Inside the meeting hall, Raiken activated a new sealing barrier to prevent any Zetsu from eavesdropping, though he suspected they might already have learned something from earlier. Fortunately, not a single Zetsu could be detected nearby. It seemed they had taken precautions and no longer dared to come too close.
"Before we begin this meeting, let me introduce a new sealing detection," said Raiken.
Everyone, except those who already knew of it beforehand, was visibly shocked.
"Clan Leader, do you mean the earlier commotion was caused by this sealing detection?" asked one of the Uzumaki shinobi.
"Yes... we discovered an intruder who had infiltrated Uzushiogakure using this sealing detection," explained Raiken.
His words made the entire hall fall silent. Suddenly, the doors opened, and Arata entered, dragging a White Zetsu inside.
Gasps escaped from several people, though fortunately, everyone present at the meeting was at least chūnin level and above.
"We captured this intruder," said Raiken once more, presenting the full body of White Zetsu.
They all stared in shock at the creature. Part of it was disbelief... because for years they didn't noticed any intruder in Uzushiogakure.
"What is this, Clan Leader?" asked another of them.
Raiken did not answer. Instead, he allowed them to touch and feel the structure of the White Zetsu so they could become familiar with it.
"What do you feel after touching it?" asked Raiken.
Some of them hesitated, unsure if they should answer, though they sensed a trace of yang chakra within it. The older ones, like Hiroki, recognized it immediately, it was Wood Style.
"We sense Wood Style," said one of them. His words left everyone in the hall stunned.
"Wood Style? Did I hear that correctly?" asked another. For a moment, the hall filled with nervous murmurs, but Raiken quickly silenced them.
"Enough." His single word was enough to stop the commotion. "You are correct. This creature truly carries the Wood Style kekkei genkai. But do not worry, it does not belong to Konoha. The Hokage and Lady Mito came earlier to verify the intruder identity, and we have confirmed that this is neither a failed experiment nor connected to the First Hokage."
"Really?" Raiken could hear some of them whispering to each other.
"Yes, it is true. The reason we discovered this intruder is because of the new sealing detection I activated earlier," said Raiken.
"Clan Leader, is this sealing detection powerful?" asked one of them.
"Compared to before, yes. But in truth, the mechanism is very simple. It allows us to detect all types of chakra, whether yang or yin. That is how we managed to locate the intruder," explained Raiken. "Remember this well, this sealing detection is our clan secret weapon. It is an S-rank secret and no one outside this hall must know of it."
"Yes, Clan Leader," they all answered in unison.
Afterward, they continued discussing the events that had taken place in the Uzumaki Clan. Their talks lasted for about half an hour.
When everything was settled, Raiken formed a team dedicated to researching White Zetsu. If possible, he wanted to begin experiments with injecting its cells as quickly as possible.
---Iwagakure---
"Tsuchikage-sama, Konoha has released a new product that is greatly impacting their own industry," reported the Anbu before the old man, onoki.
Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, raised an eyebrow. "A new product? Is it something from their merchants?" he asked.
"It is called the Fire Stove Sealing Scroll," the Anbu explained. "The item is being sold directly by Uzumaki shinobi. It completely replaces the need for firewood and coal. Because of this single invention, many noble families in the Land of Fire are already facing bankruptcy or almost bankrupt."
For a moment, silence lingered in the room. Then Onoki leaned back in his chair, a crooked smile spreading across his face before it broke into laughter.
"Hah! So, even Konoha's own brilliance turns against them. I always hear of their prosperity, their inventions, their so-called strength, but rarely do I hear of the cracks forming in their foundation. This… this is truly amusing." His laughter echoed in the room. "It is good that a few of those Uzumaki Shinobi managed to survive."
The Anbu remained silent until Onoki laughter subsided, then continued with his report. "The situation has become even more complicated, Tsuchikage-sama. The nobles have begun to pressure the Daimyo directly, demanding that he act. And it is not just them. According to reliable information, the Daimyo himself has suffered heavy financial losses, for some of his businesses were closely tied to the coal trade."
Onoki stroked his beard thoughtfully. The room grew heavier. "So even the Daimyo bleeds from this little invention. Interesting. Very interesting."
"Yes," the Anbu confirmed. "Unfortunately for the Daimyo, the sealing scroll is registered under Konoha military division. And according to the agreement signed when it was introduced, no tax or levy can be imposed on its sales. In short, the profits remain entirely with the shinobi who produce and distribute it. The Daimyo cannot claim even a single coin from the trade of these Fire Stove Scrolls."
Onoki let out a low hum. "That explains why the nobles are in uproar. To see their fortunes vanish while shinobi grow wealthier… It must be unbearable for them." His lips curled again into a wry smile.
The Anbu gave a slight nod. "Shall we take action, Tsuchikage-sama? The instability could be used to our advantage. If the nobles and Daimyo of the Land of Fire grow resentful of Konoha, they may be more open to… outside influence."
Onoki chuckled once more, though his tone was sharper this time. "Patience. Let us watch carefully."
He leaned forward. "We will wait and see just how much damage this Fire Stove Scroll can cause to the Land of Fire. If their foundations continue to crack, Iwagakure will be ready to take advantage of every weakness."
The Anbu said deeply. "Understood, Tsuchikage-sama."
Onoki waved his hand dismissively, though his smile remained. "Go. Continue gathering information."
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I am sorry guys, I got sick after playing PICO 4 ULTRA which i just bought this week. It become really unbearable and forced me to sleep that is why I didn't update daily for this week.
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Author Notes: To read advanced chapter you can go to my patreon.
Chapter 77: Membership POV
Chapter 78: New Police Force
Chapter 79: Now You Regret It
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