For five long years, Hidden Stone Envoy teams had trickled into Kumogakure, with their mission always the same: demand the return of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki. And every single time, Kumogakure had turned them away.
But Iwa had managed to capture the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, while Konoha and Kumo were busy signing peace treaty. Though they desperately tried to keep the identity of their new weapon a secret, the major Shinobi nations weren't blind, they knew Iwa possessed a new powerhouse. On the Konoha front, the Leaf was already making aggressive moves, led by the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya and bolstered by the terrifying, reanimated Dan Katō and Sakumo Hatake, which forced Onoki to deal with the immediate threat.
Yet, it was the news brought by the latest Iwa envoy that truly shifted the dynamic. This time, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was personally leading the delegation.
Given Iwa's geographic proximity to Kumo and Onoki's legendary ability of flight, he would arrive in a one day. Kumo could not afford to ignore him this time.
~~
Benihime sat firmly in the Raikage's chair. Her husband and son had been teleported by Renga to the far reaches of Kumo instead of Konoha, leaving her to anchor the village's internal defense for awhile. Standing by her side was Renga. On the front couch sat Kaien, flanked on his left and right by Kushina and Aya.
On the adjacent couch, Killer Bee shifted restlessly, looking profoundly bored. Beside him sat En Oyashiro. This marked Oyashiro's first major executive council; though he had participated in numerous past discussions, those had been minor logistical debates regarding funding and territory allocation for the Chinoike clan. Today was different, the room was filled with new faces... the leaders of the clans who had pledged their allegiance to Kumo.
Benihime scanned the room, her eyes lingering on each clan head as they were introduced to the high council.
The Jugo Clan
First was the head of the Jugo clan. They possessed an innate, passive ability to absorb nature energy directly from their surroundings due to their unique physiology. However, without proper training or external stabilization, this constant influx of senjutsu chakra caused sudden, uncontrollable surges of homicidal madness, forcing them into sporadic, berserk rages.
Thanks to Benihime and the specialized herbs harvested from Genbu Island... the very same herbs used against the Uchiha clan in the last war to suppress the awakening of the Mangekyou Sharingan... the Jugo clan were finally able to calm themselves. Once a dying lineage of only thirty members, they had flourished to fifty, fully capable of maintaining their composure without the fear of involuntary madness.
The Iburi Clan
Beside him stood the leader of the Iburi Clan. Their bloodline allowed them to transform their physical bodies into smoke, granting them the unique advantage of physical interaction while remaining practically immune to standard physical attacks. Yet, the gift was cursed. The transformation was imperfect, occasionally triggering involuntarily. Worse still, in their smoke form, a strong gust of wind could permanently disperse their essence, resulting in a agonizing death.
Only the select few who mastered the ability at will were ever allowed to see the sky. They brought a tight-knit force of sixty members to Kumo's ranks.
The Hagoromo Clan
The head of the Hagoromo clan, their hatred for the Senju ran deep, having fought fiercely alongside the Uchiha in the warring era. They did not rely on flashy kekkei genkai, but rather on immense, meticulous chakra control, highly coordinated military tactics, and brutal survivalist combat. They had joined Kumo under a singular, burning promise: that they would eventually be reunited with the Uchiha clan, whom Kumo assured would soon join their grand coalition.
The Tsuchigumo Clan
Representing a more tragic fall from grace was En no Gyōja, the head of the Tsuchigumo clan. Before the last great war, he had struck a secret pact with Hiruzen Sarutobi, promising to seal away their Forbidden technique, "Fury," in exchange for the Leaf's protection. However, with Hiruzen's death, that pact had turned null. Sensing the shifting tides, the Tsuchigumo willingly joined Kumo after their victory in the last war. Though their lineage had withered to a mere ten members, their destructive potential remained immense.
The Shiin Clan
Sitting quietly was the head of the Shiin clan. Though small in number... with only ten active members... their utility was undeniable. They specialized in erasure and meticulously altering the memories of their targets, making them the ultimate tools for counter-espionage.
The Fūma Clan
From the Rice Fields came the head of the Fūma Clan. Devastated by regional conflicts and desperate to restore their family's lost prestige, their elite members... including the prodigies Arashi and Kagerō... had previously pledged themselves to the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields before recognizing Kumo as their true salvation.
They were masters of Chakra Threads and high-level combat archery, they were renowned for their terrifying hidden jutsu: the Curse Mandala. Furthermore, they held the secrets to the forbidden Ephemeral technique, a jutsu that sprouted magnificent, butterfly-like chakra wings that granted god-like power at the direct cost of the user's life force.
The Yota Clan
Finally, there was the leader of the Yota clan, their bloodline granted them the bizarre ability to manipulate the weather based purely on their emotions, capable of summoning localized downpours, lightning storms, or parching heat waves on a whim.
~~
Killer Bee leaned back, rhythmically tapping his fingers against his knee as he broke the silence in his trademark rap cadence:
"Ichi, Ni... Hachi. A total of eight clans joined Kumo, see? Standing strong, wild and free!"
Benihime sharp eyes swept across the gathered leaders, cutting through Bee's rhythm.
"I see you have pledged your allegiance to Kumogakure," Benihime spoke, her voice carrying absolute authority. "But let one thing be perfectly clear: in Kumo, titles are not given; they are earned. You will have status here only by demonstrating strength and being undeniably useful to this village. To show you what that means, I officially name the Chinoike clan as a Noble Clan of Kumogakure. They have successfully completed a total of two hundred S-rank and five hundred A-rank missions to earn that seat."
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the heavy oak desk.
"If the rest of you wish to attain that same glory, the path is simple: be entirely loyal, and be useful. I strictly prohibit any form of sabotaging between clans. Anything that causes our collective strength to plummet will be treated as high treason. I will personally execute every single one who breaks my word. Am I understood?"
A collective, tense nod rippled through the new clan heads.
~~
A/N: Thank you @Adiablo123 for compiling the clans.
Upto 20 Advance chapters available @ patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0