The overwhelming excitement and wild ecstasy previously shining in Uchiha Setsuna's aged eyes slowly subsided, gradually replaced by a look of profound, heavy contemplation.
He didn't immediately voice his inevitable questions; instead, his sharp gaze, which had just been burning intensely with the reflection of the Mangekyo, was now fixed completely and intently on Hiro's young, yet exceptionally calm and stoic face.
He intimately knew this specific young man and fully understood that he was absolutely by no means impulsive or reckless; purposefully choosing to flee to the Hidden Cloud Village of all places absolutely must possess a deeply profound, calculated strategic reason behind it.
"The Hidden Cloud Village..."
Elder Setsuna very slowly and methodically repeated the name of their long-time enemy, his calloused fingers unconsciously and nervously twisting the tea-soaked, dark fabric of his sleeve.
"Hiro, tell me honestly, exactly why there? The Cloud is incredibly far from Konoha, possessing vastly different, brutal cultural customs, and our shared history is absolutely soaked in blood and constant friction between our two peoples. To deliberately choose a path that outwardly seems the absolute most difficult and politically incomprehensible... your underlying reasons must be incredibly solid. They must be enough to completely convince not only me, but also these ten loyal children who have just entrusted their very lives and futures entirely to your command."
His raspy voice was incredibly steady yet inherently carried a massive, undeniable political and emotional weight. Inside the cramped stone house, Renka and the other nine elite shinobi practically held their breath in the tense silence, absolutely every single pair of glowing red eyes entirely focused on Hiro.
They naturally and understandably harbored deep-seated, historical estrangement and profound, logical doubts toward the notoriously aggressive Hidden Cloud Village. At this highly critical moment in time, they desperately needed the young leader they were actively about to follow into treason to provide a rock-solid answer—an answer that would powerfully ignite their new, dangerous direction rather than fatally dampen their soaring spirits before they even began.
Uchiha Hiro fearlessly met Elder Setsuna's intense, scrutinizing gaze head-on and distinctly felt the heavy weight of the ten burning, expectant stares boring into his back. His calm, collected expression did not waver or crack in the absolute slightest, and the beautiful Mangekyo Sharingan active in his eyes, with its ethereal, flowing belts of strange, divine light, somehow seemed to grow even deeper and more profound.
He finally spoke, deliberately ensuring every single, calculated word struck a powerful, resonant chord deep within everyone's anxious hearts.
"Elder, everyone, please understand this: my calculated choice of the Hidden Cloud Village is absolutely not a blind, impulsive act of desperation, nor is it a foolish disregard for our bloody historical grievances. On the absolute contrary, this specific destination is entirely based on a highly calculated, cold analysis of the current, volatile geopolitical situation gripping the Ninja World, the objective military and economic status of each major hidden village, and our own, highly precarious predicament. There are two primary, undeniable reasons for this choice; please listen closely as I explain them to you in detailed order."
He calmly held up his first index finger into the air between them.
"First and foremost: raw strength and future potential. We are taking this massive risk to defect not merely to barely scrape by and survive as hunted dogs, and we are most certainly not leaving our home just to pathetically live under someone else's oppressive roof and beg for discarded scraps like starving beggars."
"What we absolutely, fundamentally require is a highly powerful, militarily secure platform where we can firmly establish a permanent foothold, aggressively accumulate our lost strength, and perhaps even possess the realistic, tangible chance to completely turn the political tables in the distant future."
"Looking objectively at the political landscape of the Five Great Nations today: Konoha is entirely too busy cannibalizing itself with internal, paranoid affairs and fundamentally views our very existence as a major, existential threat, so staying or returning is completely excluded; the Hidden Sand is drastically impoverished, militarily weak, and constantly suffering from severe internal instability; the Hidden Stone is incredibly conservative and deeply xenophobic, and the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, is far too scheming and calculating to ever be truly trusted with our lives; and the Hidden Mist's current, horrific 'Blood Mist' policy is entirely eerie, unpredictable, and highly self-destructive—it is absolutely no good place for us to thrive."
Hiro deliberately did not speak fast, ensuring his pacing allowed them to absorb the information. His geopolitical analysis was incredibly clear, cold, and entirely logical, causing the once-doubting crowd of young warriors to subconsciously nod slightly in reluctant agreement.
"Only the Hidden Cloud Village," he paused for emphasis, his vocal tone naturally growing heavier and more commanding, "is the sole hidden village that currently possesses the absolute strongest overall military strength, the most vigorous, aggressive upward momentum, and a relatively united, highly stable internal political structure outside of Konoha's rotting walls."
"The Third Raikage, Ay, universally known and feared across the continent as possessing both the 'strongest spear' and the 'strongest shield,' personally possesses a level of individual martial valor currently unsurpassed in the active Ninja World. He inherently acts with extreme firmness and absolute decisiveness, and the Raikage's loyal faction currently holds absolute, unquestionable authority within their village. Their internal power structure is vastly clearer and infinitely more efficient than Konoha's incredibly complex, paralyzed, and constantly bickering High-level Council. This political reality fundamentally means that as long as we successfully manage to gain his personal approval, our living situation and status within the Hidden Cloud will be vastly much more secure and stable than anywhere else on earth."
Seeing Elder Setsuna's sharp eyes actively flicker with understanding, Hiro astutely delved even deeper into the strategic logistics.
"Furthermore, the Hidden Cloud's active reserve of top-tier, strategic combat power is absolutely staggering. The current Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Camilla, and the active Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Blue B—according to my highly reliable, internal intelligence sources, both of these specific individuals are incredibly rare, fully realized 'Perfect Jinchuriki'!"
He heavily emphasized the terrifying, legendary term.
"The catastrophic power of their respective Tailed Beasts is completely, seamlessly fused with their own human consciousness, making their output entirely controllable and unbelievably explosive. This strategic reality means the Hidden Cloud Village currently possesses two massive, walking super trumps capable of single-handedly changing the entire course of massive, localized battlefield engagements."
"A unified hidden village actively possessing one of the world's absolute strongest, physically imposing Kage and two fully operational Perfect Jinchuriki... this absurd level of high-end, strategic combat power is something the other three rival villages can honestly only desperately dream of ever achieving, with honestly only Konoha's ancient, established heritage currently being able to put up a viable fight against them in a full-scale war."
Renka honestly couldn't help his shinobi instincts, and he quietly interjected in a low, highly respectful voice.
"Perfect Jinchuriki... that is truly, undeniably terrifying to face on a battlefield. Konoha's current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki..."
He slowly shook his head; absolutely everyone in the room intimately understood the heavy, unspoken weight behind his words. Konoha's absolute control and practical, battlefield utilization of the catastrophic Nine-Tails currently rested entirely with the aging Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Mito—no, considering her marriage, it should rightfully be Senju Mito.
The current, aging Uzumaki Mito can easily be considered the absolute strongest, most terrifying individual presently alive, second only perhaps to the legendary, underground Uchiha Madara and the still-wandering, mythical Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. Even the supposedly 'God of Shinobi', Hiruzen Sarutobi, entirely in his absolute physical prime, would undeniably be absolutely no match for her raw, devastating output; the terrifying, world-ending extent of her sealed strength is self-evident to anyone with eyes.
Hiro gave a single, firm nod of agreement and continued his analysis.
"That is absolutely not all. From the very top of their leadership down to the lowest Genin, the entire culture of the Hidden Cloud Village aggressively worships raw martial prowess, constantly strives for efficient, strong governance, and has absolutely never once slackened in their aggressive, constant military preparations. Their trained ninja possess an incredibly fierce, brutal fighting style and extremely strong, unquestioning execution of orders. Their unique, signature 'Nintaijutsu' is incredibly powerful and actually perfectly complements our own Sharingan-based genjutsu and precise ninjutsu combat systems."
"By actively joining such a fiercely proud village that is currently on the rise, deeply craves greater military power, and fundamentally respects only the truly strong, we can rapidly obtain the vast development space and high-level resources we most desperately need to grow, rather than slowly, painfully wasting away in a stagnant place or getting caught in one riddled with endless, petty internal strife."
He confidently held up a second finger.
"Second, and arguably most important: demand and mutual acceptance. Exactly why in the world would the proud, xenophobic Hidden Cloud Village ever willingly accept a group of rogue Uchiha? Precisely because of their inherent strength and their massive, unyielding ambition."
"The Third Raikage, Ay, is an incredibly ambitious, exceedingly bold military leader. He deeply, actively yearns to make the Hidden Cloud significantly stronger, to forcefully gain much more political say in the affairs of the Ninja World, and perhaps... he even secretly harbors the massive, ultimate ambition to completely surpass Konoha as the absolute premier military power. And as for what we bring to the table—"
Hiro's piercing gaze slowly and deliberately swept over the crowd of young, elite warriors before finally returning to rest squarely on Elder Setsuna's weathered face.
"We Uchiha, although currently being forcefully pushed out to leave Konoha, absolutely do not carry weakness or shame with us into exile, but rather immense, invaluable capital! Eleven highly trained, elite Uchiha warriors who have all fully awakened the Sharingan, including three seasoned Jonin, seven highly elite, combat-ready Chunin, and..."
He slowly and deliberately pointed a single finger up to his own glowing, evolved eyes.
"A fully awakened pair of Mangekyo Sharingan. This specific level of raw, legendary power would easily be more than enough to cause a massive, political earthquake in absolutely any hidden village on the continent! The Hidden Cloud Village fundamentally worships raw strength and inherently respects only the truly powerful."
"By proactively seeking refuge entirely of our own accord, we freely bring them an absolutely invaluable, legendary bloodline limit, incredibly rich, high-level combat experience—especially our intimate, highly classified tactical knowledge of Konoha's internal defenses—and massive, highly powerful immediate combat strength. For a highly militarized Hidden Cloud that is actively expanding its borders and in direct, constant competition with Konoha for supremacy, this complete package is an absolutely irresistible, once-in-a-lifetime temptation."
"The Raikage may culturally be incredibly gruff and outwardly brash, but he is absolutely by no means a stupid man."
Hiro asserted with absolute, unwavering confidence.
"He can easily and clearly see our massive, strategic value. As long as we properly show him enough genuine sincerity and overwhelming martial strength, he will absolutely not only accept our presence, but highly likely grant us considerable, elevated political status and vast resources to ensure our loyalty. He desperately needs a powerful role model—a shining, highly publicized model to aggressively attract even more rogue talents and powerful bloodlines from across the Ninja World to join the Hidden Cloud's ranks."
"We will effectively become the ultimate, glorious banner he proudly raises high for the entire Ninja World to clearly see: Look, even the incredibly prestigious, legendary Uchiha clan of Konoha willingly chooses the Hidden Cloud; this is undeniably the true place where the strong belong!"
"Of course," Hiro smoothly changed the subject, his vocal tone remaining incredibly calm and realistic.
"There will most certainly be initial, highly aggressive testing, deep-seated wariness, and even significant, violent difficulties at the very beginning. The Hidden Cloud absolutely cannot be a perfectly monolithic entity; there will inevitably be loud, aggressive voices of internal opposition calling for our execution."
"But this initial conflict is precisely our greatest opportunity to prove ourselves. We can rapidly and violently win their true respect and solidify our status by flawlessly completing impossible missions, overwhelmingly demonstrating our martial might, and gradually, forcefully integrating ourselves into their power structure."
"Compared directly to the massive risk of being constantly coveted and eventually swallowed up whole by a weak, pathetic village, or getting hopelessly bogged down in endless, lethal political struggles in a highly complex one like Konoha, the relatively simple, straightforward, brutal rule of 'strength is absolutely respected' highly prevalent in the Hidden Cloud Village is actually vastly fairer and much more suited for our specific temperament. It simply gives us a significantly better, more honest chance to violently carve out a permanent place for ourselves utilizing only our own inherent abilities."
Uchiha Setsuna remained completely, utterly silent for a very long time. He simply looked directly at Hiro, his aged gaze visibly shifting from initial, profound surprise to incredibly deep, calculating thought, finally and completely turning into an indescribable, highly complex expression perfectly mixed with absolute shock and immense, overwhelming relief.
He very slowly walked back over to the heavy stone table and sat heavily down on his stool, his calloused fingers absentmindedly rubbing the rough, chipped surface exactly as if he were physically digesting Hiro's brilliant, sweeping geopolitical analysis, which honestly far, far exceeded his highest possible expectations for the young man.
After a very long while of silence, he finally let out a long, incredibly deep, shuddering breath, acting exactly as if he were physically exhaling decades of the toxic, suffocating frustration that had slowly built up over decades of uselessly guarding a decaying, hated corner of Konoha.
"Good... Absolutely, incredibly good!"
Elder Setsuna's raspy voice was somewhat hoarse yet exceptionally, undeniably powerful and full of life. He looked sharply up at the ceiling, his aged eyes shining brilliantly with an entirely unprecedented, fierce light—an incredibly excited, burning glow of a man finally seeing true, tangible hope, and witnessing a worthy successor truly, magnificently coming into his own power.
"Hiro... I originally, foolishly thought you were merely physically superior in combat strength and possessed extraordinary, perhaps slightly reckless courage. I absolutely, entirely didn't expect your grand vision, your brilliant tactical strategy, and your profound, overarching insight into the massive, complex overall situation of the entire Ninja World to have actually reached such an incredibly high, Kage-level tier!"
He reached out and slapped Hiro's arm incredibly hard, the physical blow echoing in the small room.
"Lord Madara back then absolutely possessed invincible, god-like physical power that could easily sweep through thousands of enemies, and he carried an overbearing, absolute arrogance that rightfully looked down on the entire world. But honestly, in terms of calmly assessing the complex political situation and meticulously choosing a viable, strategic path forward... perhaps even he was not quite as brilliantly clear and coldly pragmatic as you are right now!"
His glowing gaze rapidly and proudly swept over Renka and the other young warriors, clearly seeing that the previous, natural doubt resting in their eyes had long since been completely and utterly replaced by absolute, burning conviction and wild, martial excitement.
"Hiro is absolutely right! Konoha is entirely decadent, rotting from the inside out, and fundamentally views us as their mortal enemies. The other hidden villages are either pathetically weak or entirely treacherous, completely unable to take on great responsibilities or offer us true sanctuary. Only the Hidden Cloud—militarily strong, highly enterprising, and deeply craving raw power—is undeniably the absolute best, most logical strategic springboard for our Uchiha to successfully survive this desperate situation and violently reach entirely new heights of glory!"
"Seeking refuge in an enemy village? Absolutely not! This is a brilliant, highly calculated strategic transfer, intelligently choosing the absolute best, strongest tree to perch on! Dusty, old historical grievances are completely, utterly insignificant in the brutal face of sheer survival and future development, in the face of the Uchiha clan's very future! We will absolutely make the legendary Sharingan of the Uchiha bloom with even more terrifying, dazzling brilliance within the borders of the Hidden Cloud!"