That, however, was only the first stop. After leaving the Uchiha Clan, Mito took them to the Hyuga Clan, the allied Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, the Aburame Clan, the Inuzuka Clan, and others. The entire visitation process, with Mito leading the way, went as smoothly as it had with the Uchiha.
Some of these clans, such as the Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho, had interactions with the Uzumaki Clan during the Warring States period, so they appeared a bit more amiable during the visit. Of course, this was also related to Elder Masaaki's thoughtful gesture of presenting each clan with a sealing jutsu scroll. Although the later scrolls were not as valuable as the one given to the Uchiha, they were all sealing techniques tailored to each clan's characteristics, capable of enhancing their respective foundations. Therefore, regardless of whether there was a prior friendship, the sincerity shown by the Uzumaki was generally met with a welcoming smile.
Kyuushin, as a junior and the implicitly acknowledged next head of the family, naturally received many return gifts. These were mostly ninjutsu scrolls; for example, the Uchiha gave them their signature C-Rank ninjutsu, the Great Fireball Technique. The Yamanaka gifted a mental strength training technique, the Nara gave a Yin Release training method, and the Akimichi provided various pills with different effects. The other clans offered either scrolls, special local products, or custom-made ninja tools. In short, although none of them were the most essential secrets of each clan, they were all quite practical for Kyuushin. Even if some weren't suitable for him, they could be useful for Nawaki and Kushina.
By the time all the visits were completed, it was already evening. This was even after Mito declined several dinner invitations; if meals were included, the process would have taken two or three days. Although it felt troublesome, even Kyuushin knew it was necessary. A large clan couldn't just arrive in Konoha without building good relationships with the existing families.
The most obvious issue was money. A large clan cannot support its entire population solely on the income from ninja missions; it's simply not feasible. They needed their own industries, like the Nara Clan's medicinal herb business or the Akimichi Clan's pharmaceutical and catering businesses. By now, the most profitable businesses in Konoha had been monopolized. For a new clan to interfere with established interests required goodwill.
Previously, in the Land of Whirlpools, the Uzumaki lived quite comfortably. The tax revenue alone was enough to support the entire clan. In addition, they excelled at sealing jutsu, producing indispensable strategic materials like explosive tags and storage scrolls. However, now that their homeland was destroyed, they had lost their largest source of income.
Fortunately, Konoha's rescue was timely, and the enemy had not had time to plunder their wealth. The centuries of accumulated wealth of the Land of Whirlpools remained and had been entirely brought to Konoha. This was enough to support the Uzumaki for several decades. But they couldn't just sit back and do nothing; finding new ways to generate wealth was crucial. With today's visits, if they really wanted to do business in Konoha, everyone would have a good basis for discussion.
Fortunately, these matters currently didn't trouble Kyuushin. After returning home, he meticulously sorted and stored the return gifts. Mito allowed him to handle these gifts himself, without questioning him. First was the Uchiha's Fire Release, which he was most interested in. However, he didn't even know his own chakra nature yet, so he couldn't learn it. The Yamanaka's mental strength training technique was also very useful, but its effect on him was limited, as his mental strength was already far beyond that of a typical adult. The Yin Release technique from the Nara was also quite profound, but it was beyond his current level.
After reviewing everything, the most useful items for him turned out to be the ninja tools. There were quite a few, enough for him to use for a long time and share with Kushina and the others.
In the evening, after Kushina and Nawaki returned from school, Kyuushin told them about his day. However, upon hearing that he had only visited various clans, they immediately lost interest.
The next day, he resumed his normal schooling. But as soon as he arrived in the classroom, Sachiko secretly pulled him aside. Kyuushin thought she was going to tell him some secret, but she pulled out a bag, carefully opened it, and inside was a small cat, appearing to be only a few months old.
"Why did you bring a cat to school?" Kyuushin asked, a bit surprised.
"Hehe, didn't you say last time that you liked cats? My cat just had a litter of kittens, so I can give you one," Sachiko said, looking a bit smug.
"Ah... this..." Kyuushin was speechless. Although he liked the creamy white kitten, he was currently living in someone else's house.
Seeing his hesitation, Sachiko thought he felt the gift was too precious and was embarrassed. "It's okay, this isn't a ninja cat, it's just a house cat."
Kyuushin was about to explain when Kushina, who was nearby, saw them whispering and came over. She immediately noticed the cat in Sachiko's hands.
"How cute!" It seemed Kushina also had no resistance to such furry creatures.
Hearing that Sachiko was going to give the cat to Kyuushin, Kushina was also tempted. "Why don't you go back and ask Grandma?"
"Alright, I guess," Kyuushin said, unable to refuse the little girl's kindness. He also really liked the kitten, so after a moment of hesitation, he agreed. He channeled his chakra, formed the "Ram" hand sign, and created a Shadow Clone, leaving it in the classroom while he himself took the cat back to the Senju Residence.