The sea under the night sky was as dark as ink, with only scattered fragments of moonlight rising and falling with the tide.
Senju Mori and Uzumaki Rei walked side by side along the shallow coastline. The damp sand gave off faint sounds beneath their feet, and in the distance, the rhythmic crashing of waves against the shore added a subtle depth to the tranquil night.
Suddenly, an ANBU member appeared and spoke quietly:
"Hokage-sama, Uzumaki Iori requests an audience. She's waiting at the rocky shore ahead."
Senju Mori and Uzumaki Rei exchanged glances—surprise flickering in their eyes, followed by understanding.
Without speaking further, they wordlessly changed direction and continued walking along the coast.
Under the moonlight by the shore, Uzumaki Iori stood alone. The sea breeze lifted her red hair, revealing a finely shaped face. Against the vast night sky and endless ocean, her figure looked both solitary and fragile.
"Hokage-sama."
Uzumaki Iori's voice was cool. "Your words earlier today were… interesting."
She turned, locking her sharp gaze onto Senju Mori:
"You said Chisawa's gentleness is the bond that holds our alliance together. But what if this alliance itself becomes the shackle that restrains the growth of my clan?"
Senju Mori met her gaze calmly and stepped forward, his voice steady and full of power:
"A true alliance means growing stronger together—prospering together—not one side exploiting the other. Konoha has always been willing to share its techniques and advancements with Uzushio, to face our enemies side by side."
"If what you seek is a stronger future for the Uzumaki clan, then tell me—does a stable, friendly Konoha not offer far better soil for your growth than facing the four great nations alone, all of whom watch for weakness like tigers?"
"The Uzumaki clan built a village from a single family. Your elite shinobi hold nearly all central positions in Uzushiogakure, giving you tight control—but at the same time, limiting the village's potential."
"Uzushiogakure is a small island nation. Its land, resources, and population are all lacking. Your number of shinobi is even fewer—at most, a few hundred even under full mobilization."
"No matter how outstanding your talent is, do you truly intend to lead the Land of Whirlpools in defiance of the Five Great Nations?"
"Have you ever considered whether Uzushio's population and foundation could withstand even one lost war?"
In Uzumaki Iori, Senju Mori faintly saw the shadow of another person—the future leader of Amegakure, Hanzō the Salamander.
Over a decade later, during the Second Great Ninja War, Hanzo attempted to lead Amegakure to rise as the sixth great hidden village—only to be simultaneously suppressed by the combined forces of Wind, Earth, and Fire.
The three nations made the Land of Rain the battlefield, grinding down its people and war potential through brutal combat. Hanzo fought back in fury, rallying his shinobi.
Geniuses are always somewhat arrogant.
But even though Hanzo defeated the Three Sannin by his own strength, the overwhelming weakness of the Land of Rain meant he could not change the overall outcome of the war.
In the end, he was forced to retreat, earning only the somewhat ironic title of "demigod."
To shake the current balance between the Five Great Nations would require a power on the level of Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara—a true "God of Shinobi."
In Mori's view, Uzumaki Iori's talent and strength were not even equal to Hanzo in his prime. For her to imagine single-handedly leading Uzushio to rise… was simply naïve.
He paused, then extended an olive branch:
"The Uzumaki clan's exceptional talent should not bloom only within your own walls. Konoha's Seal and Barrier Corps will always have a place for a genius like you."
"Your power will only shine its brightest when used in the right direction."
"The Land of Fire and Konoha possess vast resources and a large population, with thousands of shinobi—enough to support a full-scale war against any great nation or major hidden village.
The Uzumaki, on the other hand, possess a small number of elite fighters and sealing techniques unmatched across the shinobi world. It is only when these strengths are combined that true synergy is created—enough to usher in an entirely new era."
Uzumaki Iori remained silent for a long time, then finally gave a slight nod.
"…I'll think about it."
With that, her figure melted into the night and vanished.
Uzumaki Rei gently took Senju Mori's hand.
"You convinced her?"
"Maybe not fully," Mori replied, staring out at the dark sea. "But at least she's wavering. Geniuses are often lonely. She needs a broader stage—and since we can offer her that, it's enough."
The next day, before the solemn Uzumaki Shrine, under the light of the rising sun, Uzumaki Chisawa's position as successor was formally confirmed, witnessed jointly by Uzumaki Chihaya and Senju Mori.
During the ceremony, Uzumaki Ashina—who had argued fiercely the day before—was unusually silent.
He stood in the foremost row of his faction, expression blank, eyes lowered, not uttering a single word, as though he had suddenly lost all interest in this moment that would determine the future of the clan.
Only the tight press of his lips revealed his inner turmoil.
That morning, when he woke, he discovered a letter placed silently on his desk—without any seal or identifying mark. Only a simple signature on the front froze his heart:
Uzumaki Mito.
What chilled him even more was this: though confident in his own strength, he had no idea when or how the letter appeared in his room. If the sender had intended to take his life instead…
Suppressing the humiliation of being outmatched, he opened the letter—only for his face to instantly drain of color, as though plunged into ice.
Mito's tone was calm yet unquestionable. She stated clearly that she was pleased to see Chisawa become the successor and admired his wisdom in strengthening the alliance with Konoha.
She expressed her desire for the Uzumaki clan to remain united, rather than weakened by internal conflict.
At the end of the letter, Mito reminded him—as an elder would—that true clan pride lies in guiding the clan toward a brighter future, not clinging to the fading glory of bloodline.
There were no threats written in the letter.
But to Uzumaki Ashina, it carried the weight of the severest warning.
His greatest support—the fact that he was related by blood to the revered wife of the First Hokage—was not only gone, but had become a sword hanging over his head.
If the contents of this letter were revealed, the elders and clansmen who supported him because of Mito would abandon him instantly.
The power he gathered through bloodline prestige would collapse in a single moment under the will of a higher bloodline.
Thinking back on the letter, Ashina bitterly admitted to himself:
He had lost all grounds to oppose publicly.
Faced with Senju Mori's overwhelming strength and political skill, and Uzumaki Mito's silent yet crushing endorsement, any further resistance would be futile—worse, foolish.
Thus, throughout the entire ceremony, Uzumaki Ashina and his faction, though visibly resentful, did not dare speak another word.
A conflict that might have erupted into a major storm—
dissolved completely and invisibly.