The news hit Konoho and other villages shocked and nervous, the power shown by uzumaki at another level.
The Five Kage — the leaders of the strongest ninja villages — had fallen in battle. But no one knew who had beaten them. No one knew how. Only that they were dead or broken, and the world had changed overnight.
In the dark war room deep inside the Hokage's building, Danzo leaned over a scroll. His one good eye was sharp. Cold. Calculating.
Opposite him, Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temple. His face was lined with worry.
"What power could fell so many Kage?" Danzo asked. His voice was low and full of suspicion.
Hiruzen looked up. His eyes were tired, but steady. "If we must guess... only Uzumaki sealing jutsu has that kind of power. But how could they use it so fiercely? We thought their clan was nearly gone."
Danzo cracked a thin smile. It did not reach his eyes. "At least the Jinchuuriki were moved before the war started. That was wise."
He paused, thinking.
"Tsunade was sent to the island, wasn't she? Perhaps she can calm the Uzumaki. Keep our alliance alive."
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "Let us hope so. We cannot afford to lose that bond."
---
On Uzumaki Island, the air was thick with fear and hard resolve.
The clan elders moved fast. Their hands flew through seals, and barrier after barrier rose around the island. The seals glowed red and white, humming with old power. They formed walls that no ordinary shinobi could break.
Inside the barriers, some clan members whispered in dark corners. They wanted to send secret messages out, to make deals, to save themselves. But Manda and several snakes watched closely.
The great serpent had called up hundreds of small, poisonous snakes. They hid everywhere — in the grass, in the cracks of walls, under floorboards. If anyone tried to run or betray the clan, the snakes would find them.
People whispered about traitors who had been swallowed whole. Gone. No body. No grave. Just a lump sliding down a serpent's throat.
---
At the newly sealed gates, Konoha's group stood waiting.
Tsunade led them. Her back was straight. Her chest was out. Her eyes burned with the fire of her bloodline.
"I am the granddaughter of Uzumaki Mito," she called out, voice strong. "I demand to enter. I want to speak with the elders of my clan."
The seals on the gate glowed brighter. But the gate did not open.
From behind the barrier, an elder's voice came back. Cold. Sharp.
"Tsunade. Your blood may come from Uzumaki Mito. But you are a Senju now. You do not carry our name."
Tsunade's breath caught. She had not expected that.
The elder kept going. "Our bond with Konoha is broken. Your village turned away while our people bled. From this day, Uzumaki Mito's line is no longer part of our family."
Curses and angry murmurs rose from the other side of the gate.
Another elder spoke, voice full of spite. "If you still believe you are Uzumaki, then you will no longer use our sealing arts. Neither you. Nor Konoha. You have no right to our power anymore."
Tsunade's face went pale. Her lips shook.
"You can't do this," she said.
"We already have."
The seals shimmered. Strong. Final.
With heavy hearts, the Konoha team turned and left. Tsunade looked back once. Then she walked away.
---
Far from the gates, on a high ridge overlooking the sea, a figure stood in the shadows.
Uchiha Indra watched the Konoha group retreat. His Mangekyō Sharingan glowed faintly in the dark, two red points of light. His face was calm. His voice was cold and quiet.