When the clan head spoke, someone immediately stepped forward to answer.
This Uzumaki Suikyō had quite the pedigree—he was the younger brother of Uzumaki Mito, princess of the Uzumaki clan. His bloodline was second only to hers in purity.
But now his once-bright red hair had faded to white, the vitality of his body nearly exhausted. His strength had long since waned, his chakra reserves barely holding at mid–Kage level.
"Konohagakure has already replied," the clansman reported. "They claim they're stretched thin fighting three nations at once and have no spare forces to send! Sarutobi Hiruzen has abandoned us!"
At those words, Uzumaki Suikyō's eyebrows shot up. He slammed a palm on the table and roared,
"That old bastard Sarutobi Hiruzen! He still has the Nine-Tails sitting idle, and he dares say they have 'no spare power'!? Without our Uzumaki clan, would Konoha even be able to control the Nine-Tails!?"
Suikyō's temper was as fiery as ever; he burst into outright curses.
He continued coldly:
"What about my sister? Have we contacted her?"
Another clansman stepped forward.
"Mito-hime is unreachable. Word is… she's been completely confined."
Suikyō's fist came crashing down again, splintering the table into debris.
"Outrageous! That beast Sarutobi actually dares imprison his own master's wife!?"
At this, the entire hall broke into anxious arguments.
"Clan Head, what do we do now? The coalition forces are almost here!"
"What are we afraid of!? We're the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths! We can win!"
"With our sealing arts, their ninjutsu means nothing! Clan Head, give the order—we'll fight!"
"I heard Tsunade-hime's husband is strong—and he opposes Sarutobi Hiruzen. Why not request help from him?"
"Hmph! He's still from Konoha. Internal disputes or not, why would he come save Uzushiogakure?"
...
"Enough!"
Suikyō's shout cut through the hall, silencing everyone instantly.
When the room fell quiet, Suikyō finally spoke.
"If there is no reinforcements… then we fight on our own. Even if we die, we'll die standing! The world will remember the strength of the Uzumaki clan!"
His impassioned declaration ignited the spirits of the assembled clansmen.
Once battle positions were assigned, everyone dispersed to make preparations. And when the hall finally fell empty, Uzumaki Suikyō sat alone—his expression full of unspeakable sorrow.
His earlier words had sounded heroic, but he understood the truth better than anyone: against five Kage-level enemies and twenty thousand shinobi, even sacrificing the entire clan would not change the outcome.
Counting himself, the Uzumaki had only two Kage-level fighters. They had eight elite jōnin—and beyond that, the middle ranks were painfully thin. In total, Uzushiogakure could muster at most five thousand combat-ready shinobi.
With this disparity, not even sealing arts or bloodline suppressions could save them.
If his sister could intervene, her super-Kage power might provide a sliver of hope.
But Uzumaki Mito had been deliberately cut off from all contact. The clan no longer even knew whether she was alive.
And Suikyō could not help blaming himself—years earlier he had deliberately kept the clan distant from Mito because she had sided with Konoha. He had refused to let Uzumaki clansmen visit her. Over time, the ties between the clan and its princess had grown faint.
Now, seeking her aid only when calamity struck… even if she wasn't imprisoned, would she still help them?
Suikyō murmured bitterly,
"Maybe Sister was right… back then, I should have led the clan to join Konoha."
It was too late now. Even if he wanted to bring the Uzumaki into Konoha, would Konoha even accept them? All they needed to do was stand aside and let the coalition wipe the clan out—then adopt a few orphans afterward to preserve the bloodline.
As for sealing techniques? Suikyō had no illusions that Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't secretly involved in the coalition. After the dust settled, he would certainly snatch a share.
Suddenly Suikyō recalled someone—a name mentioned by one of the clansmen earlier.
Think carefully… yes. That was Mito's grandson-in-law—Arata Itsuki. A rising star whose exploits had already shaken the ninja world.
Some had even compared him to Uchiha Madara in his youth.
If he could be persuaded to help, perhaps there was still hope.
Suikyō raised a hand. A shadowy figure emerged behind him—a member of the Uzumaki's covert guard.
"Go to Konoha. Find Arata. Ask if he is willing to aid us. And take Kushina with you—she is the Nine-Tails jinchūriki chosen by my sister. Consider her… our offering."
The shadow nodded deeply and vanished.
Gazing out the window at the night sky, Suikyō whispered,
"Let this Arata… be someone worthy of entrusting our future."
...
At the center of Uzushiogakure, in the clan head's mansion, an elderly woman held a small four-year-old girl in her arms, quietly admiring the moonlight. The peaceful scene almost made one forget the catastrophe looming over the Uzumaki.
Suddenly, the little girl asked:
"Grandma… what's Konoha like? Is it bigger than Uzushiogakure?"
The old woman smiled gently.
"Konoha is the greatest village in the world. Of course it's bigger. I visited many years ago—by now it must be even more prosperous…"
Her expression softened with nostalgia.
The little girl pouted.
"I don't wanna go… I just want to stay with Grandma! I only like Uzushiogakure!"
The woman stroked her hair.
"Kushina… I won't be with you forever. Konoha will be better for you. And remember—if anything happens, find Mito-hime. She will protect you."
For the little girl was none other than Uzumaki Kushina. Though still young, she sensed the tension throughout the village—the tight faces, the hushed preparations—the signs of a storm soon to come.
This time, she didn't argue. She simply nodded and whispered:
"I understand… Grandma, you have to live a long, long time, okay? I'll come back to see you every chance I get."
The old woman smiled, ready to say more—when a man in black stepped forward. An Uzumaki ANBU.
"Ma'am. It's time for Kushina-san to depart."
The woman's eyes glistened, but she forced herself to stay steady. She gently pushed Kushina toward the shinobi.
"Go now… and live. Live well."
Without looking back, she hurried into the house, leaving the child in the ANBU's care.