Chapter 104: The old man of the past! First meeting with Uzumaki Ashina!
"It's finally over!"
Looking at Uzumaki Meika leaving, Fujiwara Tetsuya suddenly felt a sense of exhaustion.
He didn't know whether to say that Uzumaki Meika and Uzumaki Watari, this father-daughter pair, had too good a relationship...
Or to say...
Uzumaki Meika was too difficult to deal with!
In short...
In the past few minutes...
Fujiwara Tetsuya felt quite flustered.
"However!"
"The news of Uzumaki Watari's return must have reached those people's ears!"
"Before those people come looking for me..."
"I still need to find a way to meet Uzumaki Ashina!"
Uzumaki Ashina's residence...
was the most central part of Whirlpool Village.
It was surrounded by Uzumaki Clan Ninja; trying to sneak in unnoticed...
was not an ordinary level of difficulty.
After all, while the Uzumaki Clan's sensory Ninja's perception abilities were not as abnormal as the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan...
they were definitely not to be underestimated.
As night fell...
Fujiwara Tetsuya left a water clone in his room...
and instantly reverted to his original appearance, disappearing over the low courtyard wall into the deep night.
In fact...
just as Fujiwara Tetsuya had expected...
not long after he left...
in a certain residence in the core area of the Village...
several figures, led by a middle-aged man, quickly headed towards Uzumaki Watari's residence after leaving the compound.
...Outside Uzumaki Ashina's residence...
Fujiwara Tetsuya hid in the shade of a nearby tree...
quietly observing the movements around the residence.
"As expected of Uzumaki Ashina's residence!"
"It's truly magnificent!"
Perhaps because Uzumaki Ashina was a powerhouse who spanned the Warring States Period...
in terms of architectural aesthetics...
the architectural style of Uzumaki Ashina's residence completely replicated the construction model of the Warring States Period.
It had a fundamental difference from most of the current buildings in Whirlpool Village.
"However!"
"There are too many Uzumaki Ninja hidden around here!"
"Could it be that this one is really on his last legs?"
As Fujiwara Tetsuya pondered to himself...
his gaze involuntarily darted downwards.
Counting those in the open and those hidden...
the Ninja observed and sensed by Fujiwara Tetsuya numbered over thirty.
However...
the only fortunate thing...
was probably that due to the turbulent situation in Land of Whirlpools...
most of the Elite Jonin and Jonin in the Village...
had been dispatched.
Therefore, the Ninja guarding Uzumaki Ashina were basically Elite Chunin and Chunin level Ninja.
In a sense...
it also reduced the risk Fujiwara Tetsuya would face when infiltrating.
"The time is about right!"
"It's time!"
Taking advantage of the gap in the Uzumaki Clan Ninja's shift change below...
Fujiwara Tetsuya transformed into a palm-sized migratory bird, flapping its short wings, and entered Uzumaki Ashina's residence.
However, Fujiwara Tetsuya was unaware...
that the moment he flew over the high courtyard wall...
the surrounding space...
seemed to have undergone some subtle fluctuations.
The number of rooms inside the residence was almost uncountable for Fujiwara Tetsuya.
However, fortunately, Fujiwara Tetsuya had obtained some information from Uzumaki Watari.
After flapping for several minutes...
the migratory bird that Fujiwara Tetsuya had transformed into finally landed outside Uzumaki Ashina's room.
"Since you've come, sir..."
"what are you still hesitating about? Why don't you just come in?"
Just as Fujiwara Tetsuya felt a pang of trepidation and planned to rephrase his words...
an aged voice came from inside the room.
Fujiwara Tetsuya flinched, his Chakra instantly becoming chaotic.
Amidst a puff of smoke, he reverted to his original appearance.
He hadn't expected to be discovered despite being so careful!
Should he say, as expected of a powerhouse from the Warring States Period who had survived until now?
After a moment of pause...
Fujiwara Tetsuya took a deep breath, straightened his clothes...
pushed open the door, and slowly walked in.
"Konoha Thirteenth Squad Captain, Fujiwara Tetsuya, greets the Uzumaki Clan Head!"
Inside the room...
Uzumaki Ashina sat directly in front of Fujiwara Tetsuya.
The room's decor was quite simple.
If there was anything particularly striking...
perhaps it was only the map behind Uzumaki Ashina, depicting the Land of Whirlpools's territory.
Made entirely of animal hide, it exuded the charm of the Warring States Period.
"Konoha Thirteenth Squad?"
"Fujiwara Tetsuya, I've heard of you!"
"If I'm not mistaken, the last time Jiraiya, and the only time he asked me for a favor..."
"was to rescue your Thirteenth Squad!"
"To become a Captain at this age is rare even in the Warring States Period! You're an incredible kid!"
Although Uzumaki Ashina was full of an aura of decline...
looking at this old man with one foot in the grave...
Fujiwara Tetsuya still felt immense pressure.
Of course...
this pressure was not intentionally exerted by Uzumaki Ashina on Fujiwara Tetsuya.
Rather, it was the aura formed by a person in power, a strong one...
accumulated over time.
"Uzumaki Clan Head, you flatter me!"
"The current me cannot bear such praise!"
"My unannounced visit tonight..."
"I ask for the Clan Head's understanding for any disturbance!"
Several meters away from Uzumaki Ashina...
Fujiwara Tetsuya stopped.
Following the etiquette for a junior, he respectfully bowed to Uzumaki Ashina.
"Sit down."
"For Hiruzen's sake, I won't make an issue of anything."
Uzumaki Ashina's methods were clearly quite astute.
By bringing up Hiruzen Sarutobi at that moment...
he undoubtedly put Fujiwara Tetsuya in a subordinate position.
Regarding this...
Fujiwara Tetsuya could only give a wry smile, then obediently and properly sat down on the floor.
"Speak."
"What urgent matter brings you to my door late at night?"
The dim candlelight...
flickered unsteadily with Uzumaki Ashina's irregular breathing...
stretching his withered figure long.
"I have three critical pieces of intelligence to convey to the Clan Head this time!"
"Just four days ago, Konoha's Ninth, Fifteenth, and Team Twenty-Three, who were reinforcing the Northern Sea Area, were ambushed!"
"They suffered heavy losses! Elite Jonin Senju Aoki was severely wounded! Several Chunin were killed in action!"
"And the ones who ambushed them..."
After a brief pause, Fujiwara Tetsuya's voice grew even deeper.
"were Ninja from Hidden Cloud Village!"
"Hidden Cloud Village?"
Although he couldn't see the change in Uzumaki Ashina's expression...
in this quiet room, Fujiwara Tetsuya could clearly sense...
that Uzumaki Ashina's breathing had become erratic!
Compared to before, it was even more chaotic and irregular.
"Alright, I understand."
"I will handle this matter properly."
After an unknown amount of time...
Fujiwara Tetsuya heard Uzumaki Ashina's low, hoarse voice again.
Clearly...
even Uzumaki Ashina...
felt deep pressure.
Besides the Hidden Mist Village, which was openly hostile...
another, even more terrifying enemy had appeared on the scene...
and stood in opposition to Land of Whirlpools.
"Continue."
"What are the other two pieces of intelligence?"
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