＊＊＊

Reincarnation was not something he had ever believed in. Which made it all the more ironic that he of all people had been reincarnated. Not only did he get a second life, but he had been born in the world of Naruto. An amusing anime he had once watched for a while due to its new and interesting concepts.

How he wished he had been born to a world the anime had described. A mostly peaceful village, at least for a time… A benevolent dictatorship that seemed for the most part able to protect its citizens. He had only followed the anime until the time skip, losing interest soon thereafter, but despite an invasion from Orochimaru, Konoha hadn't seemed that bad.

Now, hours away from his home's destruction, he didn't feel as wistful of Konoha. Their allies were a no-show as the forces of Kiri, Iwa and Kumo were all descending on his home, Uzushiogakure.

Having been born just a couple of years after the end of the first war, as the son of the first Uzukage, called such although he wasn't so recognized in the elemental nations due to Uzushio's smaller stature. He had been a determined and devoted child, desperate to grow stronger.

He didn't know what fate Uzushio suffered, other than that the only Uzumaki mentioned in the anime was Naruto, jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, living alone in Konoha. A Konoha that had the Uzumaki swirl on their flak vests. He'd known that his village no longer existed at that point. He had hoped he'd have more time. That at least they had lasted until the third Shinobi war. Maybe by then he'd have been able to put more in place.

More protection for his beautiful home. The white watchtowers that overlooked the ocean where he had spent so much time as a child, gleefully watching the orcas, the summons of one of their clans protecting their coast and playing in the water to amuse the children.

The eternal gardens, crafted by clansmen to be living art, sealed into its forms forever, an entire garden of artform in flora, a truly wondrous sight. The giant trees criss-crossing Uzushio, its branches another highway for their Shinobi, a gift from the Shodai Hokage upon marrying Mito Uzumaki to solidify their alliance.

The canals that flowed through their village, bringing the smell of the ocean, the sound of the waves all over Uzushio, water in their souls, the ocean the bringer of life for which Uzushio came from. All for naught now.

Konoha wasn't coming. All his plans except for the last resort were in too early stages to truly protect them. He was only 16, his father willing to humor his son had allowed some of his ideas to be put into motion. Allowed him to occupy several of their seal masters despite how needed they were for other work. He had thought he still had years... He couldn't imagine that Uzushiogakure would be destroyed when little Kushina had just been sent to Konoha, still a likely two decades away from having Naruto.

And now here he stood. On the first watch tower of Uzushio's coast. His sensing ability was strong enough he could feel the raging storm of chakra signatures coming towards them. Iwa and Kumo from the north and west, Kiri from the east and south. The chaotic signature of Jinchuuriki amongst them. One village they could repel. Two they could survive perhaps, while heavily diminished. Three was the end of the Uzumaki as they knew it.

"It's my fault." He croaked out, tears falling down tanned sunny skin, red hair plastered to his face from the water that fell from the sky as if already mourning Uzushio.

A large hand fell heavily on his shoulder. Squeezing it. "No, this couldn't have been predicted, son, as Uzukage, the blame for not protecting our people falls on me. " The weary voice of his father failed to absolve him of his own failure. He shook his head mutely, staring in horror at the horizon. The death that came for them. And for what? For what purpose?

Uzushiogakure had not been an offensive threat to any of the other villages. They simply defended themselves, their alliance to Konoha similarly was one of trade and defense. If no one attacked, Uzushio wasn't liable to cause any harm to any of them, other than perhaps in providing seals for Konoha. Even then none of the seals given to Konoha held a candle to real Uzushio seal work.

Uzushiogakure were protectors! Artisans! They didn't take on the kind of dirty missions the other villages did. They protected, built, crafted. What justice was there in being doomed to be destroyed because you didn't sink to the same evil the rest of the world did? What had happened to Hashirama's vision!

"If only Konoha would come!" He cried out, "Father why wouldn't they come! Why are they leaving us to die!?" The Konoha he had seen in his previous life had not seemed such a bad place. Loyal to their friends and preaching team work, how could they abandon their allies? Growing up on stories of Hashirama, of the peace loving Senju - feeling the soothing chakra in the mokuton crafted trees in Uzushio, he couldn't even imagine how Konoha would betray their loyalty like this. Had they not supported Konoha since their inception, had they not given them their princess Mito-sama, had they not sacrificed little Kushina-chan for their alliance? Why? Why were they not coming?

Uzumaki Arashi, his father and Kage, sighed heavily, stroking his graying red beard, a nervous habit of his that he had always teased his father about before. Now it just felt… Sad. That his last moments with his father would be more ingrained in his mind than all the habits and traditions they shared together.

"Even with your last resort leaving us less forces to defend with, by saving them instead, we still stand strong enough, especially with your diligent work on traps and Ninjutsu seals.” His father mused out loud.

The waves crashing into their island sounded like wailing cries, as if even the seas cried for their coming passing.

“While we are lost to this force, we will no doubt make them pay a heavy toll, perhaps as much as ten of theirs for each of us. Perhaps Konoha see's a chance to gain an advantage in this second war at our expense, weakening their enemies enough they'd be forced to accept a peace treaty, or weakened enough Konoha can defeat them and dictate terms. With Senju Tobirama dead and Sarutobi Hokage, there is no more Senju loyalty, who knows what the new Hokage is thinking…" The Uzukage didn't even sound upset as he explained the logic behind their destruction.

As if a non-senju being Hokage for the last almost two decades would suddenly invalidate our alliance, the Senju had diminished under Sarutobi, but surely Uzushiogakure were still of worth to the leaf.

"I can't accept that, my whole life I have worked for Uzushio to survive, I won't accept that!"

Arashi smiled proudly, even as his eyes drowned in regret, drawing his son into a hug. "And thanks to you, Uzushio will live on, my son. Do not despair, you have saved us. We, the older generation, will go to war, proud and happy in facing death, knowing you all will be safe. That Uzushio will never die."

"You'll die…" he whispered into his father's chest. This second life, this amazing village and family he had received, this amazing man who had taught him more then a lifetime had taught him before. It wasn't fair! They didn't deserve this!

"Kaido… You are everything a father could want for a son. I love you, don't ever forget that, do not mourn me too harshly, You are the heart of the storm, you have the soul of the ocean." The Uzukage repeated what he had told him since he was a small child, before gently pushing him away, laying a hand on his heart, tears in his eyes even as he smiled proudly. " Take care of our people Uzumaki Kaido, Niidaime Uzukage-Sama." He turned away, his chakra violently churning with emotion. "ANBU take him to the vault."

Kaido couldn't even speak as he was rushed to the underground vault - whose creation had taken him the last 4 years and several seal masters to perfect. A last resort, a way to preserve Uzushio in the worst case scenario.

Their culture, their knowledge, their people. Once the vault was sealed, it would be its own pocket dimension for a decade, unseen and unapproachable by anyone else. Even other Uzumaki… Even with how hard they had worked though, the vault only had enough space for a third of the shinobi population of Uzushio. While managing to save half of the civilian population. Maybe all the Shinobi could have been saved, if Uzushio was such a cruel place as to sacrifice its entire civilian population.

As it was, the clans of Uzushio sealed their knowledge in the vault together with its children and a few adults for each clan to raise and teach said children and youths. The rest of the older generation would fight for every inch of Uzushio and make their enemies bleed. Even when the enemies eventually won, there wouldn't be any substantial loot for the bastards, Uzushio's secrets lost to them. Ready to rise from the ashes and rebirth their village.

As Kaido was dropped off to the vault, he stumbled inside full of tears, shame and guilt. He had future knowledge, Kami, why couldn't he have prevented this? If only he had started a few years earlier!

The vault began its sealing off sequence. The last of the Uzumaki seal masters were all safe in the vault, their expertise needed to keep their location secure for the decade, needed to teach them all, needed to secure the new Uzushio once they all came back. They had ten years to train, to work together, to prepare for their return - to never let Uzushio die. As he could feel the warping of chakra preparing to seal them off, his chakra sense could feel the first echoes of battle as the three major villages hit the shores of Uzushio.

"You will all pay…" he swore, before the last of Uzushio disappeared from the elemental nations.

＊＊＊

Unknown to the survivors, several days later, thousands of Shinobi lay dead, each of Iwa, Kumo and Kiri, having lost a jinchuuriki as well as Kumo losing the second Raikage to the wrath of the Uzukage.

The temporary alliance left the ruins of Uzushiogakure, dissatisfied at finding nothing but blood, basic trinkets style seals and whatever weapons and seal work they could loot of the bodies of the dead. Hardly worth the thousands dead and the loss of a kage and 3 jinchuuriki.

While the second shinobi war would rage still for several years, this loss of forces would let Konoha take advantage of the weakened villages to force an eventual peace. The loss of forces suffered by the allied villages making Kiri withdraw and Iwa and Kumo together be at a level playing field with Konoha, even Suna joining in to attack both Konoha and Iwa didn't change the war effort, the God of Shinobi and the soon named Sannin turning the tide in Konoha's favor.

As Uzumaki Kushina cried herself to sleep in her new village with her new status as a prison and human sacrifice. Konoha celebrated their victory, applying the Uzumaki swirl to their uniforms to honor their fallen "allies". No more words were spoken of Uzushiogakure, Konoha practically wiping out history in their academy, the Hokage burying their duplicity whether through shame or practicality.

Maybe if Tobirama had lived, Uzushio wouldn't have fallen. No one would ever know, Sarurobi Hiruzen would soon be labeled the god of Shinobi as Uzushiogakure's sacrifice allowed Konoha to win as a lone village against several enemies. Solidifying their reputation as the strongest village and Sarurobi's reputation as the strongest Kage. Whether by design or not, the Senju slowly eroded, disappearing completely from Konoha except for the lone Senju Princess Tsunade. To the world, Senju and Uzumaki were both practically extinct.

For the first few years many would attempt to pillage the bones of Uzushio, until the traps, the unpredictable whirlpools and storms and the lack of loot ended the practice for even the most reckless of hunters. Uzushiogakure quickly fell to the annals of history, no one paying any more attention to the island or its ruins.

Which is why no one noticed when after ten years exactly after the invasion, a portal swirled into being by the remains of what once was the Uzukage tower in the center of Uzushiogakure.

"Ten years… Let's begin." Uzumaki Kaido said, the sadness in his heart was only beaten by the absolute rage he felt, as he looked out over the ruins of his home, the bones of the fallen laying there like trash.

Behind him Shinobi rushed out, seal masters and their escorts all quickly heading to all corners of the island and Uzushio itself. To plant seals to hold up the illusion that Uzushio was gone, and to draw the whirlpools and storms around their home country into attacking anyone that approached the island.

Let them think a vengeful god or spirit is protecting the ruins - they'd find something much worse when Kaido was ready. Uzushiogakure would not rest, would not grow complacent, would not depend on allies. They would never again be destroyed, never again broken. This time, their enemies would feel it. The Uzumaki were back.

"The Storm is coming for you" Kaido promised with gritted teeth as his people continued to pass him by, entering the hellscape that was their home, that contained their families and clans remains. "And there will be no mercy." He no longer cared about that silly anime he had once watched. Uzushiogakure was his home. He would not allow anyone to ever threaten it again, and if Konoha got in his way…. He'd destroy them.

＊＊＊

The first few days were hard on them all. The Shinobi sent out to search the island to find if any civilian settlements existed or perhaps surviving farming communities, had it easy comparatively. They simply had to search for if there was pre-existing infrastructure or people for providing food from the land to Uzushiogakure still around.

The people that remained had to deal with going through the remains of their people... No demolition or rebuilding could be done while their people's bones were spread around the village. Nor would anyone be willing to work on such a thing before they had paid proper respect to their ancestors and buried their remains. Work that took a lot of man hours for their sensors, as no one was willing to bury enemy scum amongst the bones of their people.

Only their best sensors could still feel which bones were native to Uzushiogakure, of which he himself was one of the best. His protection detail was not pleased at him walking around the ruins and identifying remains, bodies could be trapped after all. Luckily being Uzukage meant no one could stop him.

It was emotional and painstaking work. Made even worse by the inability to find his father's signature on any of the remains. The fire of his rage was fed even more as he postulated that his father's body had been taken as some sort of war trophy... It took several days to gather up the remains of their fallen, done with utmost care - they would be burnt to ashes together in the presence of their people, their sons and daughters and a monument built to honor their sacrifice.

As for the enemy remains, they were deposited in storage scrolls, Kaido wouldn't let something useful be destroyed. Maybe one day he could return the bodies, raining them over their shit-stain villages…

The ceremony for their fallen lasted all night, the pyre kept burning as prayers were said, tears fell, and revenge was sworn. The ashes were collected and sealed inside an ocean coloured crystal basin right in the main square.

Several clan members with crystal release from the Tokoro clan, created it, ensuring it was hard enough to be almost impossible to destroy. Uzumaki seal masters further strengthened the structure. Flares of chakra could be felt by all the people standing outside the main square as the Tokoro beautifully crafted a Uzu kunoichi and Shinobi, standing back to back over the basin, ocean waves lapping at their feet, protectors of Uzushiogakure. All around the statue slabs of crystal came into being, rising up. The light shimmering from the ocean blue crystal structures making the main square seem as if underwater.

Kaido stepped up to the first slab, head bowed in solemn prayer. "We will always honor them. The sacrifice they made. Their last stand to protect our home and our children. Forever they will stand here, watching over Uzushiogakure." He used chakra to project his voice to reach everyone. "Uzumaki Arashi… We remember you, rest in the safety of your people." As he spoke, his father's name was carved into the slab of shining crystal by the Tokoro clan member.

Kaido stepped back and waved his protection detail forward. Normally their identity would be hidden, but ten years together in a seal space made hidden identities pointless.

A purple haired kunoichi reverently touched the crystal slab, tears running down her face. "J-Junichu Tochiro… Junichu Inoko. I will always remember." As the names were carved the people of Uzushio watched in solemn silence, as one by one, the survivors immortalized their fallen family and comrades.

Only those out protecting their coasts and searching the island were missing, they'd all get to perform the same ritual upon returning. Kaido would make sure the space had greenery and benches and fountains to give the space some life, the monument being raised in front of the Uzukage tower and in the main square - making sure that one day, once Uzushiogakure had foreigners traveling to it's soil for trade again, that no one could ever miss the monument or its meaning. That no one could ever forget what three monstrous villages had done on this soil.

It took well into the morning before every name was carved, Kaido didn't move for a single moment, watching and listening as his people cried and mourned their relatives and comrades like that night ten years ago. Feeling their hearts settle just a little bit, to have their ashes laid to rest, their names forever remembered.

He was bullied into a small nap by his guards at that point, he had so much that needed doing, sleep was not something he could afford to spend a lot of time on. His guards disagreed vehemently and he negotiated down to 4 hours of sleep before returning to work. They had a lot of resources to gather if they were to live and rebuild.

＊＊＊

Thanks to storage scrolls they did have a large amount of equipment and supplies available. They wouldn't live well until farms and fishing could be set up properly, but they wouldn't starve either. The biggest problem lay in materials… They'd recover some in the demolition of most of the village, being able to repurpose some of the materials - however it wouldn't be enough to rebuild an entire village on its own.

Ten years was a lot of time, and they had been very motivated to design a village that would be pure murder on any invaders - while still having the Uzushio aesthetic and cultural significance attached. Demolition of all standing structures would be necessary for the rebuild, especially as his Shinobi created tunnels deep under the village for emergency evacuation, as well as storage vaults, and quick response avenues for ANBU. It would be slow going as earth nature was one of those which his Shinobi had the fewest of. Water and Wind being the more common one, with lightning next, followed by fire and earth.

Kaido sat in a tent just off the main square, receiving constant reports on the demolition as well as the process of setting up a tent village for the population for now. Getting reports on the work the seal masters were performing on the coast, as well as reports on the survey of the island.

They wouldn't be able to get things done without gaining some method of getting building materials from the mainland. Unfortunately, although they had a small segment of Senju who had been married to Uzushio citizens, enough to have a Senju clan in Uzushio now, none of them had the mokuton skill. Which would have been damn helpful right about now… He thought irritability.

They were helpful in digging out the planned tunnel and cave system deep underground - as they for the most part did have an earth affinity. And their loyalty had been appreciated, Konoha's betrayal having made the Senju swear loyalty to Uzushiogakure as they had been equally horrified by the betrayal. With the death of both Hashirama and Tobirama, their loyalty to Konoha had been shaky to begin with as they intermingled with Uzushio. When the betrayal and invasion came, the Senju as well as the Yamanaka, who had 9 people of the clan in Uzushio, had been allowed into the safety of the vault, dependent on an oath of loyalty. One they had no problem swearing, absolutely dismayed that Konoha would leave them and their ally to die.

Of course Kaido didn't just trust their word for it. Each of them had accepted a seal on their bodies that prevented betrayal - A seal that eventually had been applied to every member of Uzushio including the civilians. No one wanted any chance of failure, any weak point exploited, anyone tortured to expose them. Kaido had reluctantly agreed in the end, having felt the foreigners seal was for safety, but that inking the entire of his village to a loyalty seal was a step too far. In the end, he was talked into it, his inner circle arguing that all steps to protect themselves were needed. That betrayal could not happen, that it would possibly destroy them before they were ready.

The seal was the only reason he was thinking of deploying Shinobi to the mainland. If captured and tortured, they could not reveal anything about Uzushio. It's unlikely any of the other villages would be able to undo the seal work, and in the worst case scenario, if captured, the Shinobi would be able to use the seal to self-destruct.

He stopped hesitating, and glanced to the corner of his tent where one of his ever present guards was invisible, using her water affinity to completely refract light and gain almost perfect invisibility. It only showed a slight shimmer at high speed movement, otherwise it was almost impossible to detect. "Get me Yamanaka Hattori and Senju Tokara." He ordered calmly.

Only due to his chakra sensing could he sense the woman acknowledging the order and disappearing out of the tent. He smiled lightly, oh he couldn't wait until the other villages got a taste of that jutsu, fearing constant assassination from the Uzushio Shinobi would serve them all right. Not that they were really in the assassination business. Not for contracts anyway, village safety was another thing.

Within minutes the requested Shinobi arrived and kneeled before him with a quiet and respectful, "Uzukage-Sama" being uttered.

Yamanaka Hattori was a man in his early forties, the oldest of the Yamanaka in Uzushio. Tall and lanky, his blonde hair cropped short, he had turquoise eyes with deep bags under them. The man had managed to father 6 children during their ten years of hiding, so it really was the man's own fault that he now looked constantly sleepless.

Senju Tokara was his complete opposite, short and slim with dark hair, mischievous eyes and a boisterous personality. Only 17 she was a competent Jounin, if somewhat childish in contrast to Hattori's quiet professional attitude. She had a very strong fire affinity which would work well with Hattori's well developed wind affinity.

"We need information. We're ten years out of date. We don't know if the nations are still at war, who's fighting who, and what the threats facing us could be. To add to that, we can't rebuild properly without being able to buy materials. We have the resources to buy, but we can't afford to draw attention to ourselves." Kaido explained the background of what their mission would be, taking in Hattori's quiet acceptance and Tokara's bouncing eagerness.

"Hattori you're familiar with the land of Fire, and Tokara has the looks and feel of a native. I need you both to go into the land of Fire, remaining undetected - and scope out the situation. If possible, travel to the capital and negotiate trade with the merchants there. I will leave it up to you Hattori, in making up a cover that will stand scrutiny."

Hattori pursed his lips, "If we remain within the civilian sphere, we should be able to remain undetected. However if there is a war going on there will likely be Konoha Shinobi in a greater number even in the civilian cities. What are our orders if we attract their attention?"

Tokara mock punched the air sending off a jab and then another, bouncing on her feet. "Easy old man, we give them the one, two, just pow!"

Kaido chuckled, "It is good to see you're eager Tokara. In essence you are right." Kaido turned to Hattori, expression closing off as he knew the order he was about to give was likely painful for the former Konoha Shinobi. "Konoha can not know we have returned. If at any point Konoha Shinobi tries to detain you - they must die."

While the loyalty seal prevented things like releasing information about Uzushio or betraying or sabotaging the village. It didn't force anyone to obey every word out of their Kage's mouth. Tokara was only 7 when Uzushio died, she hardly had any memories of Konoha at all. Hattori on the other hand spent most of his life there before marrying a Uzushio civilian he met while on a diplomatic posting to Uzushio.

Hattori bowed his head solemnly, "If it becomes necessary I shall do so Uzukage-Sama. You do not have to worry, my family is Uzushiogakure through and through, I will not hesitate."

Kaido nodded with a fleeting smile, "I know you'll both do Uzushiogakure proud. Mito will give you the rest of the mission details at the administration tent." Uzumaki Mito, perhaps living under unfair pressure to live up to her namesake, was one of the more skilled Shinobi in the village, and most trusted.

She was running the administration as well as being the Uzumaki clan head in Kaido's stead due to his Kage position. All this at the age of 24. Sadly she was part of the older third of the Uzumaki alive, if one discounted the seal masters who's fanatic devotion to their art made them unsuitable to such a thing as being a clan head. Over half the Uzumaki left had been small children when the invasion happened.

Kaido and Mito were both excellent combat fuinjutsu users, but they paled in comparison to the knowledge and skills of the true masters of the art. They were the reason Uzushiogakure had been able to hide their survivors for ten years, they were the reason they'd still be able to hide now, giving them time to rebuild. Their seals whipped up the storms and oceans around Uzushio, their seals created the illusion of a remaining ruined village.

These were the masters that had, at the end of the warring clans era, in the birth of the Shinobi villages, created the legendary weapons of Kiri's seven swordsmen. Something that had made Kiri's betrayal hurt all the more.

How many of their people had fallen to the legendary weapons their seal masters had innovated? One day there would be a reckoning Kaido swore, but now, there was no time for thoughts on revenge. He had reports of arable farm land to read, updates on the building of fishing boats, the demolition of the village, the digging of tunnels and a thousand other things. If he didn't have shadow clones he'd probably be buried with no way out and no time to make decisions on everything. Their tiny administration was not enough to take over any of the drudge paperwork, having enough to do with just keeping everyone fed and healthy and writing up missions. Mostly C and D rank at this point.

It would be months before even a basic infrastructure was built, no one willing to rush the build or the seal work. Everyone making sure that any future invasion would be entirely thwarted.

"Wait… did the paperwork triple?" Kaido looked suspiciously at his pile of paperwork that had seemed to have procreated without anyone entering the tent. He groaned, "Why anyone would willingly choose to be a Kage escapes me." He muttered, reaching for the next report.

＊＊＊

2 weeks later

Kaido thrummed his fingers on the table, waiting for the last of his inner circle to arrive. The tent was barely large enough to fit them all. Not at all appropriate for a clan head meeting, nor a war council. They had to make due with what they had, however - at least some of his subordinates had found a decent rug and a table large enough for the meeting. He'd feel ridiculous as a Kage if he couldn't even seat everyone.

"Late as always." Senju Hikama muttered shaking his head, the Senju clan head, one of the oldest in the village at 44 scratched his scarred face, dark eyes sharp, with a face only a mother could love - with his nose showing the signs of having been broken and healed incorrectly several times. His clan was one of the smallest in the village with only 58 people in it. 38 of those born in the last decade.

"You're just impatient cuz you're so old, Hikama." Yamanaka Inohana mocked teasingly. The 25 year old was the prodigy of the new Yamanaka clan, Uzushio style. Taking over the clan head position from a relieved Hattori, who had too many children to take care of to want to also deal with politics and paperwork.

The beautiful Yamanaka kept her blond hair in a sensible braid, poisoned senbon placed throughout, she also wore a set of coloured beads in Uzushio tradition when not on a mission, the other popular accessory being actual sea shells in their hair. Her cute face hid extremely intelligent turquoise eyes and a devious mind.

Even with Hattori's efforts the Yamanaka were the smallest clan in Uzushiogakure with 28 members, 19 of those being under ten years old. Even though the clan was small, Inohana was probably one of the top 5 Shinobi in the village when it came to deadliness.

"Brat," Hikama, said long sufferingly. "Show some respect in front of the Uzukage."

Inohana winked at Kaido with a teasing grin, "Uzukage-Sama likes me more than you, Hikama, that's why I can have fun, and you sit there with a frown all the time. Dontcha know your face can get stuck like that?" She finished, feigning concern.

"Uzukage-Sama just finished puberty, I'm sure it's not your shining personality he was so attached to Inohana." Uzumaki Mito said dryly, although her lips twitched slightly as her eyes shifted to Kaido. She made a cupping motion in front of her chest with a raised eyebrow, making Inohana give out a tinkling laugh.

Inohana was without a doubt not only the most beautiful kunoichi in the village but the curviest as well. And she knew it and loved using her womanly wiles against everyone in her sight. Kaido had spent several years a blushing stuttering mess to Inohana's and Mito's delight.

Kaido covered his face with his hands. "This is why Kage do not grow up around their advisors. For Kami's sake, Mito, I'm 26."

"Of course Uzukage-Sama." Mito said innocently. Mito had the customary red hair of the Uzumak, messily made into a haphazard bun, hair sticking out everywhere, she also wore beads interwoven in her hair as most Uzushio women did. She had a lithe 'differently sized' build that made her look younger then her age. Kaido did not use the word short or small, never those words. Not even in his mind.

The Uzumaki were the second largest clan with 206 members. They would have been the largest, except they'd also have had the largest number of members that stayed behind to fight. They'd once had triple the number of members, Uzushiogakure being primarily an Uzumaki village.

"And this is why people should be on time for meetings, to avoid these talks." Tokoro Mamoru, the clan head of the crystal release clan, spoke up, leaning his chin in his hands. The young man, only 22, still managed to be one of the oldest of his clan left alive. The Tokoro had never been particularly plentiful, only 26 of them had gone into the vault, the baby making in preparation for the future the reason for the larger size of the clan now. He had silver hair that he for some inexplicable reason kept in a ridiculous man bun hairdo, a hawk-like nose and equally sharp brown eyes. He led a clan with 82 members.

They'd all had been forced to limit some of the amount of babies made due to size constraints in the pocket dimension, or they'd all likely have even more children.

"You know you love me, Mamoru-kun." Inohana giggled, "I bring some class to the table."

"I think you have a different definition of class then the rest of us." Hikama muttered, earning an agreeing nod from Mamoru and a pout from Inohana.

Kaido sighed irritatedly and glanced towards his Jounin commander who had kept silent during the light teasing going on. "Well, Shinji, any idea when your clan head will grace us with his presence?"

Kawigaza Shinji was a mountain of a man, with short blueish dark hair and almost seven feet tall and all muscle. A taijutsu and kenjutsu beast that terrified lesser Shinobi with ease with his stature, scarred face and cold green eyes. It was hard to imagine that this demon of a fighter held a keen strategic mind and excellence in logistics and subterfuge. The Kawigaza clan was special in the way that there wasn't really anything special about them.

"I'm not his keeper, Kaido-Sama." He rumbled, lips pinched, his clan head was always causing the Jounin commander stress. The whole Kawigaza was really, it took a special kind of dysfunction when the Uzumaki clan wasn't the largest troublemakers in the village.

Back when Uzushiogakure first was built - which really, screw you Konoha - Uzushio were first! Just because they didn't draw in a dozen clans didn't make the village lesser!

The Uzumaki had lived in Uzushio for generations already, turned from just a clan compound to an actual village with civilians and clans a generation before Hashirama. Never recognized as such due to their focus on crafting and being artisans, instead of assassin's and butchers.

Much of the vaunted landmarks in the capitals across the elemental nations were once built by Uzushio shinobi. Of course because of this they weren't considered a proper village until after Konoha was built. Absolutely ridiculous, but such was the power of Hashirama's charisma. The world just agreed he did it first because who would argue with him?

Around the time Hashirama and Madara began making googly eyes at each other, Uzushio had already begun training civilians wanting to be Shinobi, refugees and clan less ronin or Shinobi wanting a proper home. Still the clan mindset had been strong. And thus the creation of the Kawigaza clan.

Lumping all the ronin, civilians and clan-less Shinobi into one clan together for safety and shared concerns - although eventually the practice stopped and there were now hundreds of clanless Shinobi in Uzushio, born to civilians but joining the academy and becoming Shinobi.

Still the Kawigaza clan - although with no bloodline to set them apart - had kenjutsu traditions from the ronin, they had tricks and jutsu developed by their own members and taught only to their own members. Expertise in trapping, tracking, taijutsu and kenjutsu. Even some handy Genjutsu capable members.

Every new jutsu or technique one of their clans members created, was added to the whole and allowed to be learned by all members. The Kawigaza were the largest clan now by far, with over 300 members, they tended to plateau at Chuunin or tokebetsu Jounin however. Their few Jounin though, tended to be monstrous, Like Shinji, and the still absent clan head.

Shinji currently was the only person in the village who could possibly take Kaido out if the circumstances were favorable to him and he had a bit of luck. There were several A-ranks amongst the survivors, including all the clan heads. Kaido, Mito and Shinji were the only S-ranks currently. And even then it was all in supposed skill, almost everyone in Uzushio now lacked combat experience. There was only so much you could perfect your skill in friendly spars instead of deadly combat.

Finally the tent flap was pushed aside and the last one called for their meeting arrived, Kawigaza Kitama. Short and bald with a small graying mustache, a round nose and beedy blue eyes, he looked comical next to the giant Shinji. Yet Kitama had led his clan for the last 4 decades, and while perhaps the weakest of all assembled due to reduced abilities because of his age, nearing his sixties - he had what they all lacked. Experience. Of helping to run a village, a clan, fighting in a war. All of it.

"Thank you for joining us so promptly, Kitama." Kaido said sternly, the older man just squinting at him with a frown. "We have assembled to discuss the situation in the elemental nations as reported to me by Yamanaka Hattori's first report."

"Aww, I missed the dove summons arriving, they're so cute, totally not appropriate summons for uncle Hattori. He should pass them on to me already." Inohana complained, laying her head down on her arms, sinking down onto the table with a dreamy sigh.

"So who's at war with who?" Kitama scoffed, groaning as he slid into a chair. "Never get old, it's not worth it." He muttered, as he usually did. And as usual, they all ignored it, Kitama was an obsessive complainer.

"Konoha against everyone apparently." Kaido said, feeling somewhat bemused. Because really, what were they doing? Had their leadership all gone mad?

"Of course they are." Kitama grumbled. Mito and Inohana shared a wide eyed look, both surprised, while Kaido could see that Hikama and Shinji's minds were working fast. Mamoru was mumbling to himself, mostly expletives.

"Even Konoha can't survive that. You're leaving something out." Shinji said, crossing his arms. "Konoha does not have the ability to survive all the major villages attacking them."

Kaido nodded slightly, "It is a strange kind of war. Iwa and Kumo both fight Konoha, but aren't exactly happy allies. Suna is fighting Iwa, but is also skirmishing along the border with Konoha, although full war there hasn't arrived as they are both fighting Iwa and Suna doubtlessly prefers Konoha waste manpower on killing Iwa nin."

"You didn't mention Kiri." Mito pointed out, looking disturbed at the current state of affairs.

"Kiri's apparently being…Weird." Kaido paused for a moment, having made no headway of what's going on with their closest adversary. "They have attacked both Konoha and Iwa, as well as had run-ins with several minor villages. Yet there are also reports of different Kiri teams fighting each other, no one on any side seems to know what Kiri is going to do next."

"That's good for us, but also makes it imperative we do not get found out. Or Kiri will focus entirely on us as they aren't completely embroiled in the mainland." Hikama said sourly. Any mention of Kiri usually brought out bad feelings with all of them, for good reason.

Fellow daughters and sons of the sea, and they had betrayed them…

"Although war is bad for the nations, it is actually good for us. This general confusion and war between all major villages will help hide our movements." Mamoru pointed out.

Inohana wrinkled her nose, "Or really bad for us, because everyone will be paranoid as hell, and we'll have a hard time moving around without attracting attention and losing Shinobi, no matter where we operate, they will think us the enemy infiltrating their land."

Mito rubbed her forehead, "What is Sarutobi doing!? How has he fucked up this badly!" She exclaimed with pure frustration. Konoha might have betrayed them, but they had been a sister village, they still held some feelings for the village. Or the ideal of it they had believed in.

Kaido's face grew dark, as he tried to find the words for the rest of the disgusting report. "Sarutobi has done a lot worse than embroiling Konoha in a continent-wide war." He growled furiously.

The ambient chakra in the tent grew cold as all his comrades, his friends, prepared themselves for what could possibly be worse than an all out existential war.

"The Senju are practically extinct." Kaido said bluntly, soothing his churning chakra by force, as he felt the spike in Hikama's chakra and the disbelief and sorrow. Kaido bowed his head slightly to the Senju clan head, "I am sorry to be the bearer of this kind of news, but according to the report, only Senju Tsunade remains, and she has abandoned Konoha. For reasons unknown."

Or maybe she had simply caught on to the Senju eradication and left before her sensei did her in. Kaido didn't believe for a second that the Senju could fall so low without Sarutobi being involved.

"How…? Hashirama and Tobirama would come back from the grave and wring that monkey's neck if they knew! How could Sarutobi manage to get every Senju killed! At the very least when they dwindled he should have stuffed them into the clan compound and put round the clock ANBU on protection detail!" Kitama hissed out between clenched teeth, chakra almost visible in the air as the old man raged. The old man being the only one among them to have actually met both Hashirama and Tobirama other than Hikama.

"Tsunade-chan, I don't blame her for running away. To feel that you're the last, to have outlived everyone… How broken she must feel." Hikama said with horror, Inohana reaching over to squeeze the man's hand, turquoise eyes sympathetic, her empathic abilities no doubt feeling the deep pain in the now only Senju clan head.

"There is more…" Kaido spoke up reluctantly. Not missing how Shinji closed his eyes in reluctance and how Mito's chakra stilled in disbelief. The way Hikama, Mamoru and Kitama braced themselves and Inohana started sending out a soothing wave of chakra, leaking understanding, comfort and camaraderie.

"Konoha… Has betrayed Hashirama's vision completely." Kaido began, himself struggling with the bad news all around that Hattori and Tokara had found. "Hatake Sakumo, was found dead by his 5 year old son, having committed suicide, due to being frozen out, ridiculed and shamed by the entire village. The Hatake name now less then dirt in Konoha"

"Sakumo…" Kitama turns his head away, his voice filled with emotion, "What could he possibly have done to deserve that?"

"He didn't, you and I both knew the man, Kitama, he could not have been more of an exemplary Konoha Shinobi. The man should have been Hokage." Hikama gritted out between clenched teeth, having gone from grieving to furious.

Kaido gripped the table so hard his fingers cracked the wood, "He was shamed because he chose his teammates' lives over the mission!" He watched the absolute shock and rage in his subordinates eyes. "He did what any Konoha Shinobi following Hashirama's will would have done! The village that was born in hope for peace, and preached teamwork as the ultimate pathway - and Sarurobi allowed him to be pushed to suicide for saving his team's life!"

"That man needs to die." Kitama said flatly, hands in fists as Inohana worked overtime to keep everyone somewhat calm, the rage boiling under the surface.

"We can't." Shinji said simply, shaking his head. "Uzushio comes first." The way he clenched his monstrous fists showed that the man wished he could say otherwise.

Kaido nodded slowly, looking each of his subordinates in the eyes. Acknowledging their pain at feeling loss once again, this time the complete loss of the vision that had made them sister villages. "Uzushio comes first." He said seriously, "One day, there will be a reckoning, when we can stand on our own." He promised, removing his fingers from where they were indented into the wood.

"What about Tsunade?" Mito said after a few minutes of silence, as everyone came to terms with the new reality.

"What about her?" Kaido asked, feeling drained, to have his view of Konoha so further shattered, the feelings of his friends making it so much more real than just reading a report. The village he had once felt so attached to in another life showing it's true self, the reality so incredibly disappointing.

Hikama sat up straight, hope radiating from him, "Tsunade-chan thinks all the Senju and Uzumaki are dead! We could bring her here!"

Shinji immediately shook his head, "Our only hope for survival is to remain hidden for another minimum of five years, preferably ten. There is too much of a risk that she'll alert Konoha."

"She's one of us, she's Senju and Uzumaki!" Hikama protested fiercely, face drawn and fists shaking. Hearing about the death of the Senju had shaken the man hard.

Kitama sunk down in his chair, as if to hide from his friend, "We can't trust Konoha, not this new Monkey deviled Konoha, and that means we can't risk it." He said grimly. "It was bad enough they betrayed us, at least we could have still counted on them being, well, them. Teamwork and peace and all that, now it seems they want war with every comer, kill their own people for being loyal to their team, and drive even their strongest and loyal Shinobi out of the village. How can we trust them?"

Inohana gave Hikama a sympathetic look, "I would love to have Tsunade here, she's a role model for any kunoichi and she's family. Maybe in a few years." When it's safe, went unsaid.

Mamoru sighed, head resting on a fist, eyes closed. "I can't speak as to Tsunade, so I'll defer to whatever Uzukage-Sama decides."

Every eye turned to Mito who bit her lip, she shook her head, eyes a bit glossy, "We're not like Konoha, we're family. Tsunade is family - We should bring her here." She said softly, earning a thankful nod from Hikama.

Kaido thought it over. He knew what an absolute boon to the village the Sannin could be. Yet she'd also be a risk, not only in the possibility she'd turn them down and inform Konoha. Which by itself was very risky in the middle of the third war.

The fact Uzushio might at some point find themselves not on Konoha's side if they continue to devolve under Sarutobi was an issue. Tsunade might have left the village, but he doubted she'd be all that happy if Uzushio and Konoha ended up opponents. Yes, her medical knowledge was an amazing advantage, yet Uzushio intended to remain hidden for years more, perhaps once they were safer, once her skills could be useful, the risk would be worth it.

He sighed and gave Hikama an apologetic look, "I am sorry, but she is too much of a risk at this time. We can revisit after the village has been rebuilt and the defenses finalized."

Hikama gave a stiff nod. Kaido knew the older man would understand the logic of it, once his emotions had calmed down.

"To move things away from Konoha, somewhat… Hattori has managed to create several contracts in the capital for lumber, stone and building materials." Kaido could see the change in the room as everyone professionally put away their feelings from the emotional discussion and focused on business.

"He has remained undetected?" Shinji wanted to know. His eyes focused and sharp.

"He did several smaller contracts over a period of a week using different personas, contact information and methods of payment for each, to avoid drawing any attention from Konoha Shinobi." Kaido replied, "He believes he has so far avoided detection, but the pickup will be the answer to that most likely." Perhaps due to the war the Shinobi in the capital would be more focused on defending against attack or infiltration than anything else... Forces did tend to stretch thin in war.

"If Konoha has any brains, purchases of large amounts of building materials by any unknowns within the land of Fire would be tracked." Mamoru pointed out, frowning, no doubt thinking Konoha was more difficult to predict now that their every move was such an antithesis to the Konoha most of them had known or heard stories about.

If they had no problem getting rid of their own Shinobi, what was their policy on civilians? Would they torture and interrogate them? Sick Yamanaka's on them?

"If they don't have eyes on the pickup, they will in the future after it gets reported several large orders of building materials got picked up by storage scrolls." Mito pointed out dryly.

Shinji scratched his chin, "That won't be as much of an issue as you think, the mission requested a large enough amount to build half the village on its own, we can avoid the land of Fire for any other purchases in the near future." It would make things more difficult, but it would have never been very likely they could get all they needed from one location. The risk of discovery would be too great.

"Besides, my uncle is probably ordered to mind wipe everyone after purchase?" Inohana asked cheerily, seeing Shinji and Kaido both nodding, she continued, "So no tracks leading to us, if Konoha investigates it will seem like an inside job."

"If they're being mind wiped, why are we bothering to pay them in the first place, we could use those resources." Hikama asked tonelessly, having regained some equilibrium.

"We won't be like the others." Kaido said firmly. "We are protector's first and foremost. Yes, for safety reasons we will need to remove their memories of dealings with us. We will not leave them to lose their business by not paying them." Uzushiogakure had been different from the rest, although they now had to face reality and be more martial and defense conscious, they would not stoop to the level of villages like Kiri. And perhaps now… Konoha even.

"We can't afford to take the ideal of a protector too far, this is how we got destroyed in the first place." Kitama warned, playing devil's advocate as was his habit in council meetings.

Mito gave him an irritated look, "Kaido-Sama knows how to balance the needs of the village, aren't we already training every child to fight, building a village so focused on the defense a Bijuu would run away rather then approach our walls?" Perhaps an exaggeration as not much could stop a Bijuu, but if all went to plan they would be the hardest village in the elemental nations to attack or infiltrate.

"You don't need to defend me, Mito. Everyone here knows that we are all working for the same goal." Kaido chided his clan member.

Mito bowed her head deferentially but still held a stubborn look on her face and stared down Kitama until the older man rolled his eyes and looked away.

"The question is, should we move forward with these purchases as is? Or provide backup to Hattori in case of discovery." Kaido laid it out there. Although he was in every way a dictator whose word was law. He preferred to make decisions - when possible - through advice by his closest circle, to prevent getting stuck on only following one solution and never hearing any others.

"If they are discovered, any backup would just risk losing more Shinobi. If they aren't discovered then there isn't a need for backup." Shinji said laconically.

"My uncle appreciates your undying support." Inohana said with a roll of her eyes, "I know my uncle, I say they're fine as they are." She finished with a shrug and a bob of her head.

"No objections?" Kaido asked, seeing none he nodded to Shinji, "Send his summon back with approval to finish the mission, reiterate that worst case I'd rather have them back alive then the supplies." It would be a heavy blow, but they could not afford losses right now either.

"It will be done Uzukage-Sama." Shinji acknowledged.

"Let's pivot to our own circumstances, Shinji, what does our current forces stand at?" Kaido ordered, already knowing the numbers but needing to go over with his council how to improve their dire situation.

Shinji closed his eyes and sighed, leaning forward slightly, his chair creaking as he shifted his massive weight. "The good news is that the baby boom have ensured our future is looking brighter than a worse case scenario, if we can survive a decade and a half to two decades." He stated calmly.

"Yeah, everyone's been fucking like crazy, I can't tell you how many times I've walked in on some action." Inohana said cheekily, "Not alot of room in that seal space, eh Mito?" She smirked at the Uzumaki with mirth dancing in her eyes.

Mito blushed and sent an absolute death glare against the Yamanaka.

Kaido pinched his nose, feeling a headache oncoming, "I do not want to know, continue Shinji."

"Currently with clan Shinobi we stand at around 700 clan Shinobi, with over half of those being under 12 years of age and only counting as potential Shinobi. As for non clan Shinobi the number is slightly higher at around 800, again with the assumption that 40-50 percent of that number, those counting as children, will graduate to become Shinobi. Count in the estimate that perhaps 300-500 civilian children will pass the academy over the next decade and we land at a total around 2000 Shinobi within a decade and a half. That is if we avoid being discovered and don't lose people in large numbers to war."

"That's… Not enough." Kitama said tiredly. It would be more than Uzushio had during their destruction, but wouldn't match a major village.

"It's not half bad." Mamoru said, trying to be positive, "Better than what we are, and more kids will pop out during that time and some will certainly graduate early, so it will probably be a higher number."

"The major villages have peacetime forces of around 4000-5000 Shinobi. Counting all their career genin and paper ninja into the count." Shinji stated. "War always lower the numbers somewhat, but the major villages have always been able to fill numbers back up quickly due to their larger populations and number of clans."

"We can't be safe at 2000, and a decade and a half is the most optimistic outlook on how long we can remain hidden, based on the other villages being busy with war for probably another few years at least and then licking their wounds for another half decade to a decade." Kaido said seriously. "We need ideas on how to safely boost that number by at least 2000 Shinobi." Ideally the quality of their seals and protective measures meant that even while shorter on manpower then most of the five, they'd still be on a level playing field.

Inohana let out a breath, "Never an easy task." She whined a little bit, but her expression was thoughtful.

"Boosting our forces runs into the problem of how to have them gain experience while we're in hiding." Hikama pointed out, "It's all well to have 3000 or 4000 Shinobi, but if we're not running missions, how will we pay for them, equip them, blood them?"

"That's another thing we need to work out, yes. I know we all had tentative discussions on these things in the seal space, but now we need to actually come to a plan that can be implemented." Kaido said calmly, meeting the eyes of his closest advisors.

"Absorb another minor village." Kitama stated bluntly. "There is no other possible way to gain the amount of Shinobi you're thinking about."

"That is not an easy task, nor one well suited for staying hidden. A minor village disappearing will be noticed." Shinji said but noticeably, he did not disagree.

Inohana tilted her head making a humming sound, "You know, with the loyalty seal, it wouldn't be too hard to integrate another Shinobi force. Especially if the leadership could be convinced to come somewhat willingly."

"What village would give up their home that easily?" Mito scoffed, the one looking the most skeptical about the idea.

Inohana stuck her tongue out at Mito as Mamoru tapped his fingers on the table, speaking up, "It is not impossible that in this war one or several minor villages could find themselves on the brink of destruction and find the hidden nature of Uzushio a benefit, not to mention the sealing knowledge we possess that the major villages are willing to kill for."

"It's just as likely the fact that 3 major villages were willing to kill us for it is what will scare any minor village away from the risk of joining us." Hikama stated, but he looked thoughtful, "That said, if we could find out the status of some… Takigakure might have suffered mightily being allied to a Konoha that keeps drawing in enemies and not being able to protect an ally. For one we could point out that we were once an ally and Konoha did not protect us from invasion."

"Think smaller." Shinji said quietly, "Unless much has changed, Taki was not that far behind the major villages and also had a jinchuuriki. In all likelihood unless war has severely decimated them, they would outnumber us, and refuse to become subordinate to Uzukage-Sama."

"If we all believe that an attempt to draw in a minor village might be a worthwhile task to attempt, we'd first have to send out a lot more Shinobi on spying missions to find out the lay of the land in the actual Shinobi villages." Inohana said seriously. "This is not something possible without very good information and quickly. A minor village disappearing during war will have the major villages pointing fingers at each other, after the war it's more likely someone would actually investigate and follow the trail."

The meeting continued for hours and much was agreed on in the end. The minor villages would be spied on to ascertain if any would be able to be bribed or coerced into joining forces.

Incentives were laid out in future tax reforms for when the village was on its feet, to continue the baby boom among their Shinobi during a time where most of them wouldn't face deadly missions and had time at home. As for giving their Shinobi experience, it was reluctantly agreed to pose as a mercenary company, something mostly staffed by non clan Shinobi and Kawigaza clan members.

Bloodline abilities were too noticeable. They'd offer their services to minor villages plagued by the war, gaining experience without hopefully having too many losses - as well as using it to scope out the other minor villages. And lastly Yamanaka Inohana offered her services in infiltrating Konoha, to find out the status of Kushina, their Shinobi forces and the effects of the war on Konoha.

Dangerous times lay ahead. Uzushiogakure would stand strong.

＊＊＊

Two weeks later.

Hattori and Tokara had been successful in their mission and had returned without any Shinobi aware of their coming and going from the land of Fire.

This meant the construction could kick into high gear in the areas already demolished. The western corner of the village, having been demolished first, was the site that would be rebuilt first. The tunnel and cave system already finished underneath the district - allowing for the civilians and Shinobi to work together to build housing, and finally get some of their people out of their tents. The Shinobi were more adaptable, but for the civilians it was hard to not have their homes and businesses, now that they were back in Uzushio and could almost taste it.

As before, Kaido was on scene in kage bunshin form, the real him too busy with paperwork and security and mission concerns to be present and assist.

He was currently walking in the new canal system criss-crossing the western district, using his ability to form seals just by touch with his chakra to stabilize the canal and make it practically impossible to touch with Doton, either to move through, or to sabotage - hardening the rock immensely as well as blocking chakra usage through the stone.

The canals had once upon a time been their last line of defense, a water affinity being the strongest amongst much of Uzushio. So ready-made waterways throughout the village would ensure their Shinobi always had water for jutsu on hand. It had backfired when they had been invaded by Kiri Shinobi however. The only village where a water affinity was more common than Uzushio.

Ten years of working on the issue amongst others had led to an innovative seal. One Kaido applied every few meters in the canal - it was tied into the seal every citizen of Uzushiogakure had on their body, civilian and Shinobi alike.

The water flowing through these canals could only be manipulated by someone who's chakra was attached to the Uzushio seal. An invader would never again turn the ocean against them inside Uzushio. The seals were powered by natural chakra, taking it in and then releasing it again having been empowered by the short duration it held the mystical chakra. Tests had shown that taking in natural chakra without releasing it back would affect nature adversely - as well as risk the seals malfunctioning due to a saturation of nature chakra. It really was a genius seal, proving once again that the Uzumaki could do anything with a seal once they put their mind to it.

Once the canal was sealed he flared his chakra, and Shinobi at the coast destroyed the last foot of rock holding the ocean back from the tunnel that would funnel the water to the canal. Civilians and Shinobi alike cheered as the rushing ocean water filled the canal, Kaido lightly jumping up to end up standing on the water as it slowly settled into a slow lapping movement as the canal filled completely. He closed his eyes, taking in the familiar smell of salt water, the movement of the water against the walls of the canal. He could almost picture Uzushio whole, as it was back then.

He almost wished there were enemy infiltrators ready to try and use the ocean tunnel to sneak into Uzushio. The seals that would be placed at the mouth of the tunnel would incinerate anything living or even not living. (Thank you Tobirama for creating that creepy as fuck Edo tensei so even death wasn't final, you fucker!) Anything that was over the size of plankton would be destroyed entering the tunnel.

With a sigh the kage bunshin left the newly built waterway and headed to the coast. While the civilians mostly worked on the housing, he and his Shinobi had a more important task ahead, starting the build on the outer wall, and rebuilding the watch towers.

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He felt great pride seeing homes being built, already the walls were being carved in the culture of their people, great reliefs of pods of whales, barrier reefs and frolicking dolphins, savage looking sharks and dancing crabs. Once painted it would feel like home again, wildly colorful, not a boring spot in sight, flags and colored strips of fabric flying from windows again, curtains of beads instead of doors leading into restaurants and bars, inviting and welcome.

He slowed down on his way to the location of the first section of the wall as he felt a speeding kunoichi come his way, chakra intent on interception.

"Report." He barked as she came into speaking distance, fearing bad news. Seeing the dusty and sweaty kunoichi showing signs of recent tears.

"Uzukage-Sama, it's the eternal gardens… Toriko-Sama requests your immediate presence."

At least it isn't an actual emergency situation then. He thought, feeling somewhat melancholy at the thought of the eternal gardens. A place where tourists from all over the elemental nations had flocked to, where Uzushio's artisans had created something extraordinary.

And it was all ruined in the invasion. The mokuton trees that had risen high above the village were all gone now, the craftsmanship of mokuton created art in the gardens - either stolen or desecrated. And there was no more Hashirama to return that splendor to them, it was lost forever.

"Lead me to Toriko." He spoke finally. A quick hand seal creating another clone to continue on towards the wall. They'd both have less chakra than ideal now, but worst case, the original could create more clones if he had to disperse.

The eternal garden lay to the south east, closer to the center of the village. It was a matter of a few minutes of shunshin to arrive at its entrance. Kaido waved off the kunoichi as he arrived, noting Uzumaki Toriko waiting at the entrance. The white haired seal master and artisan having been sent to take stock of the damages. Kaido was curious what would entail being called in instead of reading about it in a report.

"Tell me it's good news." He said without preamble as he walked up to the stocky Uzumaki.

Toriko's bushy eyebrows were drawn together as the man looked up at him, eyes sparkling. "Uzukage-Sama, for once I am glad to say it is good news!" The man was almost vibrating on the spot.

"What is it then?" Kaido asked, hope blossoming in his chest. Could something have survived of their heritage after all?

"It's better that I show you, Uzukage-Sama." Toriko said and immediately started walking into the gardens.

Kaido followed, somewhat annoyed at his subordinates' lack of explanations recently, but willing to let it be due to their excitement and hope in returning to their home. His mood darkened as he walked through burned and butchered sculptures, destroyed fountains and rubble.

His breath hitched as he walked by the destroyed glass waterfall, a beautiful piece of crafting and seal work that had created a multicolored festival of lights as water passed through the hovering glass panes - and creating beautiful haunting melodies through the glass wind chimes and beads that were woven throughout, striking different tones depending on the rush of water and the changes of weather.

A masterpiece created in the beginning of the gardens, in the then Uzumaki compound over 400 years ago. They had the knowledge to rebuild it, but would it ever be the same? The magic would be lost. He tore his head away from the broken glass pieces and the burned seals and followed after Toriko, towards the center of the gardens.

"We were looking for anything that survived, not having much luck to be honest." Toriko mumbled, shoulders hunched somewhat as the man stared solemnly back at the destroyed glass waterfall. He took a breath, then walked forward at a greater clip. "When we reached the center we thought it was all lost, it looked like the earth had exploded, been turned over and destroying everything."

"I gather that you found something." Kaido said tightly, walking in such destruction, inflamed his anger.

Toriko gestured to the large earth mound they were coming up to. Several Shinobi milling about looking teary eyed. "What we thought was upturned and exploded earth. Was a protective dome." He said, a slight hitch to his voice. "The center is still intact!"

Kaido almost stumbled, "What!?"

Toriko hastened his steps further, leading Kaido to a tunnel that had been painstakingly opened up, Kaido could feel it now that he was getting closer. That chakra signature. He took a deep breath. This was… Honestly incredible news. "Someone must have gone through some effort to make it seem like the site of battle instead of a means of protection." He said softly. One of their people had managed in the last - to protect one of their most important symbols.

"One of our people could do no less." Toriko said reverently, eyes on the centerpiece.

Kaido followed Toriko into the center of the dome. Taking a long deep breath. Feeling the chakra in the Hashirama trees surrounding the center piece. Their only surviving trees now. The soothing chakra in the trees were a balm on his soul. A reminder of home as it was, the trees were added some 40 years ago, but the centerpiece was centuries old.

A circular pool of crystal clear liquid, natural energy somehow collected into a liquid form, figured out from studying the seals - centuries old that was covering sides and bottoms of the pool - the birthplace of the art of sealing.

Crystal sheets from the Tokoro clan of old hovered around the pool, reflective as mirrors, ethereal light shining from them. In front of the pool stood a pedestal with a touch stone, the stone worn with time, yet never crumbling. This miracle that had been the centerpiece of the eternal gardens. An Uzumaki creation so amazing that even now hundreds of years later their seal masters couldn't create something comparable.

Toriko hung back respectfully as Kaido walked forward and with a shaking hand touched the touchstone. Immediately there was a hum in the air, a feeling like electricity passing through him. The pool lit up, the mirrors sinking down until their bottoms touched the liquid natural energy. The crystal showing swirling mist for a few moments until they changed. And Kaido could see his father. It was the two of them laughing and teasing as his father had been teaching him to fish, and he had been impatient, a youthful energetic brat. He snorted as he saw his younger self get his hair tousled and then unceremoniously shoved into the lake as his father laughed uproariously. Hearing his father's laugh again, his voice. His hand trembled on the touchstone. No greater gift had Uzushio received then for this to survive being despoiled by their enemies. He stepped away, the memories disappearing as the pool reset.

He turned to Toriko. "Set up a guard rotation, let people know they can make an appointment for time in here. We can't deal with the rush of every citizen at once." He shook his head in amazement as he stared back at the pool, chest heavy with emotion. "Everyone will get a turn. Everyone that wants one."

This was a good day.

＊＊＊

The clone working on the walls wondered what could possibly be going on at the eternal gardens, even from here at the exterior of Uzushio he could feel the other clones chakra fluctuating.

Either way he had his own work to do. They were only doing 100 meters of wall at a time due to the complicated process they were using. They could slap up an earth wall like Konoha and slap some seals on it, sure. Kaido didn't want to go in that direction. It's what Uzushio had before. It was not enough.

Also, Uzushio would once again - when they stepped out into the light, be known as artisans and craftsmen. It required something special. Something that together with the beauty of the rest of Uzushio and the craftsmanship of their sealers, their blacksmiths and artists - would bring civilians and merchants and Nobles in droves to the village. Perhaps even the various Daimyo would visit. The money from tourism and Nobles making up for the shortfall in Uzushio not taking genocide or assassination missions.

It did mean that it would probably take years to finish the entire wall to achieve the effect he wanted. They started with an earth wall, and did indeed add seals for durability and the usual. Then the Tokoro clan members came into play covering the wall in crystal. Again seals for durability and chakra absorption and such were placed. Also several highly complex seals that would interact with the outer portion of the wall instead of the crystal. Kaido watched as his Shinobi carefully utilized water release against those high level and very expensive and experimental seals.

There was a muted cheer as the water began to swirl along the outside of the wall, until it was several feet deep, the crystal underneath shimmering in the churning waves of moving water that kept moving like the ocean along their wall. If their seals worked as theorized the water would be immune to further jutsu manipulation, was chakra absorbing and would shred anything that entered it.

Several Tokoro clan members slowly inserted crystals covered in seal work into the churning waters. The seal work was to empower the chakra absorption properties of the water. No one would climb up these walls, and theoretically it would take several dozen S-rank jutsu at one portion of the wall to chance destroying it. Which would also need to mean their barrier department was all dead. The other point of a moving water defense was the fact it was liquid - and if one section was weakening it could literally be moved around by the barrier team and water from another section, fully empowered, took its place.

He nodded to the Shinobi next to him and soon several fireballs flew against the water. There wasn't even any steam as the jutsu was immediately absorbed by the glowing water, the light fading as the chakra was dispersed from the site of the attack.

They'd have to test it more of course, much more. But it looked good. Their plans the past decade were all coming together so nicely. Even if they had years to go before it would all be built up properly.

Being a Kage definitely had its disadvantages, how he wished he could do a real mission like Inohana. Have the blood pumping due to the excitement and risk of discovery. Perhaps getting to fight an enemy Shinobi? But Kage does not get to have the excitement of a Jounin… It really was unfair.

Whelp, more walls to build, more seals to place, work, work, work and no fun.

Being the clone of a Kage sucked!

＊＊＊

Inohana was utterly terribly inconsolably bored out of her fucking mind. Getting into the land of Fire undetected, piece of cake. Traveling towards Konoha as a wide eyed pathetic looking civilian refugee, easy. There were plenty of them to hide amongst. Inohana wasn't overly picky about things but… Really, next time she'd pick another infiltration means, the smell, oh kami the smell!

The Inuzuka clan could probably be destroyed just by sending them against the sad little train of refugees moving deeper into the land of Fire from some border dispute that had totalled their village. There were rivers on the way, why couldn't people wash their bodies and clothes once in a while? She might be permanently nose blind now.

She'd faked disease and been left behind once she was behind the likely outer limit of regular Konoha patrols, the outer limits patrols would be more frequent and heavily staffed with veterans then the ones closer to Konoha, which would have a mix of clan rookies and genin, easy pickings. Taking to the trees and putting on a Konoha headband, she did look like a Yamanaka after all, being one, so she'd use what she had. It would give her precious seconds if one of the inner patrols would have caught her. Which at least would get her blood pumping some.

Just… They hadn't. She had been sitting in a tree for days now, flitting back and forth between different resting spots about 12 miles away from Konoha. Waiting to find someone from a patrol that she could impersonate to get into the village. Once in, she could look like herself and draw no suspicion, everyone just going, oh, a Yamanaka.

But she doubted any of her clan's old registration numbers would be enough to get her through the likely stringent security at the entrance to Konoha. She'd need a patsy to mind walk, and impersonate, preferably one returning from a mission. And no one had been coming through for days! More importantly, because of this she hadn't had a bath for over two weeks now, with the refugee train and now this.

Dipping into a river quickly sooo didn't count as a proper wash. Kami her hair will take weeks of pampering to get back to its luster. Not to mention the lack of companionship, Inohana was a people person, she'd also probably not gone this long without getting laid for years, so that was definitely annoying. The positives of being in an enclosed space for years with not much to do other then train or fuck.

She pouted as she supped on squirrel, chakra tightly held and almost completely unnoticeable even as her chakra sense gently stretched out to find anyone. Like literally she'd take anyone at this point. She'd even impersonate a Hyuuga if she could get out of here. She'd have to find a big stick for her butt first, but it's a forest, she'd manage.

She tilted her head and imagined the mission report. Dear Uzukage-Sama, I successfully infiltrated Konoha thanks to butt stuff. She huffed at herself in amusement taking another bite of her not very tasty meal. She'd totally write it like that too if only she could be sure Mito got to read it first. The Uzumaki clan head was adorable when she blushed. And she was so used to Inohana now she rarely did, half the time joining in on her teasing of Kaido-Sama.

She perked up as she felt chakra two miles out and approaching. Team of three… She closed her eyes as it usually helped her sensing to focus entirely on her chakra. Likely Chuunin, possibly one genin, two Chuunin - due to a much weaker chakra signature in the third. Two fire affinities, likely the Chuunin as the lower signature does not ping a developed affinity at all. So likely genin then for sure.

She slid down her tree and moved to intercept the team casually, finishing her squirrel so as to not leave anything behind. Her mind focused and sharp, eager to begin and beyond ecstatic she could finally get out of these woods. It wouldn't matter if none of these Shinobi were ideal. She'd make it work.

The three were coming down one of the roads leading to the main road to Konoha. Whatever mission they had been on had definitely not been peaceful. She clocked both Chuunin males with injuries, a broken arm on the blonde one, several bandaged wounds and a significant limp on the dark haired one. And would you look at that? The little genin was a Yamanaka. 14 maybe, not as injured as the others, probably support, long distance Genjutsu, definitely not a medic with those injured comrades. And very underdeveloped muscles and chakra coils. Was she along as a bed warmer or what? Had her clan completely dropped the ball in Konoha?

She dropped down from the tree onto the road ahead of them, a stern look on her face. A subtle henge had changed some aspects of her face and body, making her more slim, jaw more defined, nose more prominent. "Identify yourselves!" She barked authoritatively. Little Chuunin and genin so used to jumping when yelled at.

"Ah, Yamanaka-san? Has something happened? We usually don't need to show identification until the main gate?" The blond Chuunin asked sheepishly, and with some worry. Probably assuming Konoha itself had suffered an attack if security was tightened.

The little Yamanaka was looking at Inohana suspiciously, probably wondering why she can't recognize me, Inohana thought wryly. Or if she's actually the bed warmer, wondering if she's out of a job…

Inohana put on a suspicious look and took two quick steps forward, "Failing to identify yourselves will lead to your detainment." She said flatly. She did the superior look really well. It was all in keeping her eyes cold, her tone steady and strong.

The blonde Chuunin looked unsurely towards his Chuunin comrade and she struck immediately. Senbon taking him in the neck immediately paralyzing him, his limp body falling to the ground as the Yamanaka squeaked in shock.

The dark haired Chuunin tried to draw a kunai, Inohana already too close, a long leg snapping up under his chin, throwing his head upwards with a crack to his jaw, before he could attempt anything else or even think of a kawamiri she'd already twirled around and slit his throat. One hand reached out with the blunt end of her kunai right after and braining the Yamanaka with it. Her limp body falling uselessly to the ground.

A quick application of Doton and the body was buried ten feet underground. Any Inuzuka or Aburame would find it if they came along the road, that's fine, she'd be long inside Konoha by then.

She grabbed the girl and the paralyzed Chuunin and took to the trees, heading for the little safe area she had made, seals preventing any chakra from being sensed. Within twenty minutes she arrived, having taken it fairly slowly, sensing for any other patrols or returning Shinobi the entire time.

She tied the girl up completely in ninja wire just to be on the safe side, and then took a comfortable seat, to mindwalk her little Chuunin captive.

Oh what a bad bad boy, the girls only 14 and you're 27, you pervert. She thought tsking in his mind as she dug up everything on current Konoha procedures, passwords or chakra pings needed to enter, finding it pathetically lax, only needing their identification number and a chakra ping in the correct sequence for this month. Once she had that and the mission information she left his filthy, filthy mind and slit his throat clinically. Although the Yamanaka wasn't a bed warmer and actually was Genjutsu support apparently, it hadn't stopped the man from perving on her and making advances. No great loss there. She felt she was doing Konoha a favor, really.

She turned to the Yamanaka, cooly regarding her features. There were ways to hide the chakra emissions of a henge. Most of them were very unpleasant. For one she definitely wasn't going to be wearing the girl's skin. Just yuck. Her uncle's stories about Orochimaru just furthered her belief that Konoha was all kinds of ways of fucked up. She dove into the girl's mind, casually batting away her genin level Yamanaka mind defenses. It was cute, but she got better then that when she was like 8, so the girl was just kind of pathetic.

The girl's mind confirmed what the Chuunin had about sign in procedures. She also took the time to have a gander for where the Yamanaka compound was, what she knew of its members, guard rotations and where their elders lived, and their archives were located. Sadly the girl had no idea about the archives. Oh well, she'd make do. The Yamanaka in Uzushio were missing a lot of the information the clan had gathered over centuries. She might as well go shopping if she was going to be hanging around.

She left the girl's mind and without a care slit her throat as well. They might have once been family. But Inohana had seen what Konoha had wrought in Uzushio as a child through their betrayal - and the war coming to their home due to Konoha's warmongering. She'd read the reports that were coming in on the horrible things Konoha were doing to its own people.

She had no sympathy for an enemy and these Yamanaka that cowered behind Sarutobi and let atrocities go by without lifting a finger were no family of hers. Sending girls like this out during a war and children as young as 6 and 7 proved beyond any doubt that Konoha deserved her disgust.

She used the girl's blood and formed seals carefully. A blood henge would only work for a few hours when the sacrifice had been fresh. Still an unpleasant jutsu, but needs must. Minutes later the whole camp was buried with the bodies, the seal tags removed, and Inohana moved towards the gates of Konoha to report mission success but two unfortunate casualties. In the end her crying cute little genin face had the Chuunin guards let her in with no issues. The ANBU she could feel watching over the entrance had completely lost interest the second she had performed the chakra ping to the correct sequence. The sloppiness of this village would certainly make it easy for her. She sneered inwardly, doubtlessly they counted on the barrier corps to notice if there was an infiltrator. The barrier constructed by Uzushio…

Too bad for them the blood henge mimicked even chakra signatures. And without Uzushio expertise she doubted they'd be able to ever fully understand or upgrade the barrier. She'd have to remember to report to Uzukage-Sama how easy it would be for Uzushio shinobi to take advantage of that fact in the future.

Once she never showed up at the Hokage tower or the Yamanaka compound - no doubt someone would figure out that they had been fooled somehow. It wouldn't be too hard for Konoha to find the bodies. If they moved fast enough their Yamanaka might even be able to pull her henged appearance from the corpse's minds. For experts like the Yamanaka Jounin, it would be obvious she was henged, and they'd assume enemy nin using a henge to take on a Konoha clan's appearance. No one would suspect a real Yamanaka, no one would think an infiltrator would continue to henge as a Yamanaka either. And of course she no longer wore a henge at all. So if they looked for one she'd come across as 100 percent native Yamanaka. Sometimes it was just too easy.

Once she was sure she wasn't followed, she simply dropped the blood henge and moved forward as just any random Yamanaka one might see on the street. Infiltration success.

＊＊＊

Senju Tokara really really wished sometimes that she wasn't so impulsive or nice or a sucker for an adorable face. It's what made her so super awesome and kickass. But it also landed her into so much hot water with Hikama-jiji and Kaido-Sama. She had a feeling she was going to end up yelled at. Alot. Like reeaally a lot.

To begin with she was kind of technically supposed to be in the land of Fire, on her way to Takigakure, but there had been a bunch of buzzing Aburame annoyances everywhere she went, so she took to the ocean to avoid all that.

And she might have possibly ended up in the land of Water. Which was like, oops. Also she had totally maybe had to kill a couple kiri nin who noticed her enter their borders. So… That was bad. Not unfixable but she'd definitely get the tired, just why, eyes from Hikama-jiji.

Then on her way out of the land of Water she'd gotten slightly turned around due to all the chakra laden mist and all the fighting going on. And she'd accidentally headed further in instead. Even the civilians were fighting each other and the Daimyo's forces. It was super weird. Maybe the information would make her bosses less mad at her though. Kiri was just messed up.

And well there had been sooo many poor starving kids, she'd really had no choice at all. Which of course led to her current tiny little problem. Hiding in a village not too far from the hidden mist village, occupying a warehouse with almost 40 children in various states of seriously not okay.

So her mission to spy on Takigakure Shinobi patrols and caravans to try and figure out how they're doing in the war was kind of totally a failure right now.

That… And she was in a bit of a tiny bind. She didn't feel like leaving the kids to die. But she was definitely noticed and she could feel the signatures slowly starting to encircle the warehouse. Decisions, decisions. She tapped her head with a frustrated scowl. Think Tokara! She scolded herself.

"Miss… You should just leave us behind." Came the all too serious and dead tone of a small child behind her. His clothes were threadbare and his face gaunt. Purple hair falling limply down, covered in sweat and grime.

Ignoring the grimy hair, Tokara squatted down and grinned at the kid as she tousled the hair, ignoring his face scrunching up. "Sooooo~ cute~" She sing-songed. She pushed his cheeks together, "No kid should be this grumpy!"

"You'll die. And we'll die anyway." He said, an annoyed furrow in his brow. Trying to push her hands away. Tokara squished his cheeks an extra two times just cuz she could. Alright, that does it, Imma gonna make this kid smile even if it kills me! Uhhh, hopefully Uzukage-sama doesn't kill me…. Tokara thought as she stepped away from the kid and winked at him. "Nee-san is going to do something pretty cool, so pay attention!"

She sped through the seals, having used a canine to spread blood onto her fingers, no doubt the enemies would come quicker now that she would be spending a whole quarter of her chakra stores. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Seal script spread across the warehouse floor and in a poof of smoke a huge Orca almost fully white with just patches of black around the eyes appeared. And flopped down onto the ground sending a reproving look Tokara's way.

"Tokara-chan… What have we told you about summoning us outside of water." The orca spoke with the air of someone who had to often repeat themselves.

The kids all huddled behind her as she laughed nervously scratching her head. "Can't be helped, Tono-sama! Got all these kids that need me!"

The orca summon sighed, but thankfully didn't spend time arguing with Tokara, as she could feel the Shinobi moving in. "Quickly now cutelings, go inside the Orca."

The kids, starved and half dying, did not move. Watching the orca in trepidation.

Tokara huffed, "Come on, she's a summon, she has like a ton of space in her belly."

"I think that's what they're worried about." The grimy purple kid said in a deadpan.

Tokara sent a spread of shuriken, defly parrying a spread sent towards the kids from the other end of the warehouse. "It's the Orca or these guys!" She shouted, sending fire chakra blaring through her fists as she punched a hole through the Kiri Shinobi that tried to move in close when she defended the kids.

The kids finally started moving, as mist started seeping into the warehouse, a loud chuckling voice projecting throughout the space. "That's some fire affinity you have… Leaf ninja."

Tokara frowned, well if they thought she was a Konoha ninja that was better than what she was. Hopefully she didn't like, make Kiri go after Konoha or anything. Oh she was so going to be in the shit for this. D-ranks for like a year. She groaned quietly, keeping half an eye on the kids, half of them having made it inside her summon.

She should have trash talked or something, what a time to suddenly not be a blabbermouth as the Kiri Shinobi suddenly attacked, and she was busy throwing weapons, sliding under swords and disabling joints and knee caps, trying to not get caught in one place too long.

A quick fireball bursting out of her mouth dispersing her immediate opponents. She huffed, feeling several nicks where she got cut. But knew she had put at least three Shinobi out of this fight. And with the fire chakra she used, they'd probably die if they didn't get treated quickly or had an amazing water affinity.

The Shinobi who had talked walked into sight chuckling, "So you have some bite, little leaf."

"Wow, a fat ninja." Tokara said wide-eyed. Putting a hand to her mouth in shock. The Shinobi was heavyset with long reddish orange hair, green fangs tattooed on his face and an ugly bulldog like face. He was wearing a regular gray Kiri Shinobi uniform and had a large wrapped sword on his back.

Said fat ninja twitched, eyes enraged. "Do you know who I am, you little shit!? I am Fuguki Suikazan of the seven swordsmen!"

Tokara gave an awkward applause after a few seconds of silence. "Good for you?' she said not sure if she was supposed to know who he was. Like, she knew about the swords and everything. But were the guys using them famous? She'd never heard of any of them as Kage or anything. So they couldn't be that strong.

"Kill this bitch!" Fuguki growled as several more Shinobi moved forward. Forcing Tokara to spend more chakra than she'd liked on forcing her legs to move faster, being a fist fighter really didn't put her in a good position against a bunch of kenjutsu users. Hence why she was supposed to be in the land of Fire, which didn't really do swords much.

Tch! Situation's not looking good, She thought as she twisted in the air to avoid two sword strikes, one striking low, one going high, her body twisting almost unnaturally in the air in between them, striking out with a finger blaring fire chakra and exploding out the Kiri ninja's knee cap at the same time as she kicked the other ninja in the face - rolling off the cement floor and barely avoiding some sort of water drill jutsu perforating her head, strands of hair shorn off as she bounced back up.

A bloody knee cap rolled past her as the bleeding out Kiri ninja wailed and was ignored by all the combatants. There's only two ninja left now, besides Fuguki, who would be a problem whenever he got involved, she could literally feel his chakra and he wasn't even doing anything with it, it was that potent.

Warily eyeing the confident Fuguki and determining he seemed to be in no rush to help his men, she flashed through hand seals as the three remaining ninja rushed her. A veritable fire storm erupted in front of her, a dense wall of fire, slowing down two of her opponents as they jumped back to not get burnt.

Tokara immediately fell on the ninja that had been trying to go around to take her in the back as the other two rushed her front, engaging in a vicious taijutsu fight, needing to end this quickly before the other two realized she had used a Genjutsu and not blown her entire reserves on a big ass fire jutsu. She'd need her chakra for Fuguki if she was to stand a chance.

She smiled with bloody teeth as she took a strike to the mouth but managed to crush her opponent's throat in return. And just in time. She could feel her Genjutsu unraveling and the telltale sounds of sandals on cement heading her way. She was glad this kill team only had Fuguki appear to be a Jounin, the rest must be Chuunin, because no Jounin ever would make that much sound on approach. Maybe that's just her Uzushio sensibilities talking.

She dodged a strike to her throat by a hair's breadth, punching the flat of the sword forcing the man's arm upwards, having to abandon her killing strike against his now open ribcage as his remaining comrade shunsined behind her, slashing towards her back the second he came out of the high speed movement. She revised her earlier thoughts to maybe borderline Jounin, that quick reversal out of a Shunshin wasn't small potatoes. And she was going to pay for it now.

Suddenly the grumpy kid was at her back, and she took the opportunity, as much as it galled her to potentially lose the kid, and killed her opponent with a chakra enhanced punch to his chest, putting enough chakra in there to push his sword back, breaking his arm and continuing on, crushing his sternum.

She then twirled around desperately, furious at the kid for possibly dying for her and trying to be fast enough to prevent it. Blinking in surprise as the blade sliced into the kid only to have him turn into water, wincing as it still cut into her, opening a wide gash in her back and side as she twisted, but not penetrating deep enough to get her kidneys. The Kiri Shinobi snarled in anger as Tokara got over her surprise and pain and without hand seals fired a fire jutsu into his face. Yuck, melty.

The kid reformed with a stubborn look on his face. Obviously a Hozuki which, oh boy. She was going to be in a heap of shit. "Get to the summon now!" She shouted at him, creating an earth wall just in time to protect both of them as Fuguki practically rushed through it, his bandaged sword smashing it like it was nothing.

She picked the kid up by his collar and threw him away as she dodged the sword, letting out a shocked breath as she felt it suck up her chakra, stumbling a bit as she rolled away, tossing three kunai to limit his avenue of attack.

The sting in her side made her wince in pain, the constant blood loss not making this easier for her. She bit her lip, she needed to either finish this fast or somehow get time to treat her wound. Somehow I don't think I'll get either. She thought, mind flitting between plans and finding none that enthused her.

"You stand no chance against Samehada you brat." Fuguki said, sneering as he walked slowly forward. Tokara warily watched him, crouched low and thinking fast. He was slow and overconfident, but yikes that sword sucked! Jutsu would be pointless unless she got him by complete surprise. Genjutsu would unravel by Samehada, and wasn't that a surprise and a half to run into, Taijutsu was literally impossible as Samehada would shred her or suck her dry. She didn't do Kenjutsu.

"I notice that you say I can't defeat your sword, instead of saying I can't beat you, fatty." She said, immediately cursing herself and her big fat mouth. Her chakra reserves were pretty big, but a major summons, several jutsu, the extra cost of a seal-less jutsu and having her chakra sucked up - hadn't left her in optimal condition.

"I'm a veteran, you won't force me into a mistake with insults." Fuguki growled, eyebrows twitching and his face red. He then eyed her summon who couldn't use any jutsu with the children in her belly. And Tokara knew she had to move, and really, a veteran? He wasn't much older than her! She'd have one chance to save her summon - which would also save the kids. And all in all, that wasn't such a bad death. There just wasn't a way for her to win this fight, she braced herself.

As he laughed cruelly and rushed towards her summon with Samehada raised and ready to devour, she put as much chakra as she could afford into a shunshin, even knowing this was a trap meant for her, she couldn't let him drain her summons chakra and risk the kids, even if it was her life.

She felt her chakra draining fast on arrival out of the shunshin and she gasped out in pain, her coils protesting as she held Samehada back with two kunai crossed. Being pushed to her knees by the much stronger Shinobi. Tears coming into her eyes as the excruciating pain of her own chakra coils being sucked dry.

"You're dead you foolish kunoichi, we all know your weakness for comrades, leaf scum!" Fuguki leered, pressing down further. Taking enjoyment out of her suffering. Through blurry eyes, Tokara saw movement and prayed to the sage, let it work please!

"And I have your sword occupied." Tokara snarled viciously, blood dribbling down her lips as she spat up at Fuguki, trying to keep all his attention. Relief hitting her at seeing Fuguki's brow tighten in confusion, before Tono bit his head off, blood spraying into the air as Samehada fell to the ground and Tokara collapsed bonelessly into the puddle.

"Eww…" she complained, mostly to keep herself from sobbing in relief. Grateful that it worked, because no matter how she looked at it, she was going to lose that fight. It wasn't even close, she was going to die. So she wasn't dead, so that meant everything was just peachy. Only nightmares yay, she thought tiredly.

"Are you okay? Tokara-chan?" Tono asked, not able to move very well on land, really she was lucky Fuguki ended up close enough to her head for a quick bite. And Tokara knew she'd owe her summon sooooo much TLC for this.

"Absolutely, I'll just uh… lie here… For like ten hours." Tokara groaned, feeling absolutely depleted. If this is what chakra exhaustion felt like, then she was really glad she was a Senju and normally didn't have any issues in that department. She had never felt her coils protest like that, it felt like being turned inside out to be honest and she really didn't want to ever experience it again.

"You're an idiot." The deadpan Hozuki kid complained. Before poking her head gently with his foot. "I'm not picking you up." He decided. Which really, he was like 5, and she was a beautiful fully grown kunoichi, how did he expect to do that in the first place. Kids were just so cute. She wanted a hundred of them. Unfortunately Uzukage-Sama had forbidden her from reproducing until he retired. Also, "Why the FUCK aren't you in my summons yet you little brat!" She yelled at him, possibly not looking very authoritative slumped in a big puddle of blood.

"Because you were losing." He said matter of factly, "I wanted to see if you'd lose your head." She groaned, Kiri people were just the worst!

"Can you use chakra?" She asked with another tired groan. She rolled her eyes as the kid just stared at her, he could turn into water so he probably could since like birth or something. "Fine, fine. Go into my pack, ugh, it's all covered in blood, gross. Do you know what a storage scroll looks like?"

"Like a scroll, probably." The kid snarked, and she really wanted to say something but that's the most alive he'd sounded so far and it was absolutely adorable. He rooted around in her pack completely nonchalant about the blood and pulled out her storage scroll. Kiri people were kinda gross, she decided.

She eyed Samehada, at least if nothing else she'd return a weapon created by the Uzumaki sealmasters and blacksmiths. "Put it on that freaky sword and pulse your chakra once."

The kid eyed the sword warily, which okay, she definitely understood. But did what he was asked, and she slumped down in relief when it worked. She definitely did not want to try and drag that thing with her. Good luck to whatever poor bastard had to use that. And if they ever came near her with that sword she'd totally run the other way. After nutshotting them.

"Anything else?" He asked sarcastically.

Tokara studied her own state and hummed, before giving the kid a bright grin. "Please drag me into my summon." Clasping her hands together and making her eyes go wider.

"Ugh." The kid scoffed, having to use both hands to drag her by her arms into her summons. When they were both safely ensconced, her summon poofed into smoke. Another summon would be sent to Uzushio to have another summoner call for Tono and deposit them all on Uzushio soil. Oh, and she possibly, maybe, needed to fix herself a bit before she bled to death too.

Tokara reeaally wouldn't mind staying with her summons a few days first. Her report this time was going to be… Complicated…

And a Hozuki… like the second Mizukage who probably killed bunches of Uzumaki, at least it had been the third who took part in the invasion since the second had been dead for a while by then. Like pretty much all the seconds died around the same time, which was weird. Yeah, she might be doing d-ranks for a lot longer than a year. Maybe the fact it was the third who was a complete butthole would give her a break for the Hozuki thing.

Now if she could only come up with a really good reason for the whole accidentally in the wrong country thing….

You know… this was all really those Aburame's fault. Fuck Konoha, really.

＊＊＊

Kaido, or more correctly his clone, surveyed the land in front of him. He had gone out with one of the teams that were readying the island of Uzushio itself for habitation and a return to farming and living. The scouts had predictably reported that there were no living souls on the island upon their return. Whether Kiri, Iwa and Kumo killed them all, or brought home civilians in hope one would have enough Uzumaki blood, he didn't know.

It did mean that the small villages and farms that dotted Uzushio needed repair, and preparation for more of Kaido's diversification strategy. He had pondered the invasion, once the anger and grief had gone from a boil to a simmer. He'd decided that Uzushiogakure had been too isolated. Allied with Konoha, yes. But barely an afterthought to the various Daimyo for anything but the occasional vanity project they paid so handsomely for.

Uzushio had no real ties to the daimyo other than as occasional contractors. No ties to the mercantile sectors of the world that moved billions of Ryo each year. The noble courts and the civilian business sectors, even just the everyday civilian in their neighbors didn't care for or know their name.

He was already working on making Uzushiogakure not only the most well defended, but also the most beautiful and attractive village, to bring in the fickle Nobles. To make Uzushiogakure their favorite vacation spot.

He'd worked hard with their seal masters to develop more mercantile seals. Ones he could sell, ones civilians could use. Something he could use to forcefully bend trade routes to see Uzushiogakure as a natural stop. He had continued to push his people to not let go of their artisan ways in their grief and anger. Knowing crystal figurines and even such things as crystal goblets and plates would sell, that artwork by crystal release would sell.

That the rugs, weaves and colorful, artful banners they made would sell. And now that they had some Yuki picked up from Mist, the eventual potential for ice sculptures sealed to last forever, bringing in more revenue to the village and more merchants and nobles. All these were just one small cog in a wheel. To bind merchants, Nobles, the daimyo, and yes, even regular civilians to his cause.

The civilians would hear about the fantastic beauty, art, music and food of Uzushiogakure. That their Shinobi were protectors, not assassin's. Their entire culture would seep into the lives of other nations, and as more stories spread, as Uzushiogakure's literature spread, more people would wish, hope, think.

This was not a democratic world. Yet… How much further ahead of the rest had Konoha risen on the laurels of being the "nice" Shinobi village? If the daimyo favored Uzushiogakure for its beauty and culture, if the merchants wove Uzushio into a vital part of their trade networks. If civilians everywhere idealized Uzushio. Then half the battle was won.

Even Kage have to work with public opinion and Nobles to some extent. Allying again to crush Uzushio would not be an easy task this time. The defenses would be daunting enough. He intended to make sure Uzushiogakure's products, food, music and art, spread so far and wide, even the Shinobi would not want to destroy them. He had the advantage of a different world of memories to add to it all.

He'd already taken the time to adapt several pieces of literature under a pen name, once Uzushiogakure came out in the open, Uzushio literature would be a thing. New foods, new music and instruments. He'd even crafted a sporting event for Shinobi specifically which he knew would draw in the adrenalin junkies and the nobles who so loved to bet on anything Shinobi. Well he had stolen it wholesale to be fair. Blitzball would be interesting as a Shinobi sport. Maybe eventually a way to peace it the other villages got drawn in to try and compete.

All of this was why he was inspecting land. Potatoes and grapes both existed in this world, and were both heavily underutilized. If he could draw in the Shinobi it would be with spirits. Alcohol was probably the second largest expenditure in a Shinobi's entire life, behind equipment. Uzushiogakure brand alcohol, whiskey and the like, would just be another of the little cogs making it that much harder to even think of destroying them. Kaido had ten years to just think up more ways of protecting his people. There was nothing he wouldn't do, no avenue he wouldn't find to ensure they would never again suffer the threat of complete eradication. Potatoes and grapes were just tiny small parts of those plans.

Besides, he'd gone almost three decades without fries or a baked potato. What was the point of having unlimited power over a people if you didn't indulge in a bit of a satisfactory personal project.

He smiled in satisfaction as he saw his people repairing farms, preparing the soil. It was a small step. They didn't know it yet, but these small steps would do more to protect Uzushio in the coming years than their walls would. The best way to avoid a fight wasn't to be so scary no one would fight, inspiring that kind of fear made it more likely someone would lash out. No, removing their will to fight you is how you ended a fight.

They wouldn't be toothless, they'd gladly take their revenge where they could get it as long as it didn't inspire another continent wide war. They were still Shinobi. Yet, their village wouldn't be made just to do that. They wouldn't exist just to make money to slit throats.

Uzushiogakure was going to become the beacon of what a peaceful prosperous shinobi village could be, enjoying art, sports and music when not doing missions. And hopefully just as Konoha dragged the world out of the warring states era, Uzushiogakure would drag them all out of this wasteful mentality of willing to destroy anything and everything just to call yourself the strongest village.

Kaido would gladly kill the likes of Onoki if he could. He wouldn't sacrifice his village on that altar of revenge though. If he never got revenge, if that would be the cost of protecting Uzushiogakure, he would take it and swallow his hatred. For the future generations.

＊＊＊

"Inoichi-kun, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Yamanaka Inoichi grimaced as he stood awkwardly at the door of his elder cousin, he hated having to do these kinds of things. His father had insisted that he'd needed to get used to it if he was ever going to take over as clan head. And he agreed with the necessity, he just hated it.

"Ikana-baasan, could I come in for a minute?" He said delicately, noticing her raised eyebrow and tired sigh. The problem with being Yamanaka was that you were too skilled in reading people's faces and chakra, Ikana-baasan no doubt already knew exactly what he was here for.

Inoichi followed her into the kitchen, debating how exactly to begin this conversation. Raising an eyebrow seeing two cups of tea prepared already, surely she hadn't known he would be coming?

Ikana-baasan noticed his confusion and smiled slightly, albeit sadly. "Ah, one of my granddaughters that have been on diplomatic missions for years now has finally returned to the village, it's her cup, not yours." She raised her usually bent back slightly and huffed, "No matter what anyone says Inoichi-kun, we aren't psychic." Her lips twitched as she shuffled to sit down.

Now that he was focusing on it, he could feel another signature in the house, clearly Yamanaka in flavor. He hadn't known about Ikana-baasan having more granddaughters but if she had been on foreign missions for years it's likely her file had been buried.

"Ino is dead I take it?" She said in a shaky voice as Inoichi sat down across from her. Her weathered face was resigned, eyes already accepting. Ikana-baasan had already lost her kids to the second shinobi war, and now 6 grandkids to the third already. There was talk about limiting Yamanaka presence on the battlefield as their mortality rate was increasing substantially.

Inoichi sighed and nodded his head wearily. "Someone used her face to infiltrate the village after her mission, a scouting team found her and her teammates bodies about 12 miles outside Konoha shortly thereafter."

Ikana-baasan stiffened, hands shaking slightly. "Torture?' she asked, struggling to keep it together.

Inoichi shook his head quickly and reached forward and grabbed one of her hands, squeezing it gently. "No. It was quick." Seeing her skeptical look he kept eye contact, reiterating, "I wouldn't lie about this, it was quick, she didn't have time to suffer."

"Baasan? What's wrong, I could feel your chakra from upstairs?" A female voice cried out as another Yamanaka rushed into the kitchen, long blonde hair still wet from the shower. Inoichi blushed and looked away, Ikana-baasan's granddaughter was absolutely beautiful and only wearing a thin robe that with her body still being wet from the shower did not adequately cover her body.

He concentrated on the table keeping his eyes low as the granddaughter consoled her grandmother, some tears falling. He felt supremely uncomfortable, not only because of the situation, but because he had a very observant mind which frankly had observed way too much about the kunoichi and now he couldn't stop picturing it.

"Ah, Inoichi-san? Would you like a cup of tea?" The younger Yamanaka asked sweetly.

Inoichi briefly looked up, noticed the swell of her breasts pressing against the thin fabric and the outline of nipples and red faced brought his gaze down to the table again, mumbling a quick assent.

Kami, he felt like such a tool, ogling ikana-baasan's granddaughter while here to inform her of the death of another. Maybe he wasn't ready to be a clan head yet. He heard the clinking of a cup, but refused to look up, not wanting to be caught staring again.

"Here you go, Inoichi-san." The Yamanaka girl said, and he could definitely hear an amused tilt to her voice. He felt resigned, of course she had noticed. Yamanaka after all. He quickly took a sip of the tea, trying to hide his embarrassment. He frowned. The tea tasted… he dropped the cup, his fingers suddenly losing feeling. He looked up in shock seeing Ikana-baasan sitting perfectly still and unseeing, and the Yamanaka kunoichi smirking at him. "What?" He managed to say through half paralyzed lips before darkness took him.

Yamanaka Inohana giggled as the heir to the Yamanaka clan fell over. She ran a hand down her wet hair, honestly, men were too easy. Show some boob and they didn't even notice what you're doing to the tea.

It had been easy to find an elder who lived on their own and rarely had visitors. She'd had several to pick from, and then she had stumbled across one who's granddaughter she had just killed. She figured someone high in the clan hierarchy would eventually show up to inform her of the kid's death. So she inserted herself in her life. It was a day of careful work to seamlessly become family to the old woman. Inserting memories and feelings of familial love. Aching heart for the poor granddaughter never home due to diplomatic missions to far away lands.

Honestly it was almost too easy. The treasure trove of information on clan history and jutsu she had found in the old woman's head was just the cherry on top. And now she had the clan heir. Who knew what juicy secrets he would have. She crouched down, uncaring of how her robe opened completely, she opened Inoichi-kun's eyes and performed the hand seals to invade his mind, no doubt his defenses would be an actual challenge for once.

Several hours later Inoichi left the house of his elder cousin with a pep in his step. He had spent longer than he had planned to, but after breaking the news to Ikana-baasan he had sat down to talk with her granddaughter Inohana-chan. And time had just flown by. He touched his cheek and blushed. The beautiful kunoichi had even pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before he left and asked him to not be a stranger. He resolved to find a reason to come visit again tomorrow. He rubbed his forehead slightly, a sudden headache making itself known. Probably too much tea, he hadn't been able to say no whenever the cute Inohana-chan had offered him a refill.

Watching her get up and turn to make it had certainly shown him that she definitely kept a well trained and firm body. His father would definitely tease him, and his teammates would be a pain if he told them. As he walked out of the Yamanaka compound to head off and see his team he decided it was best he kept Inohana-chan a secret for now. It must have been a good decision because he felt his headache lessen and his steps felt lighter as he continued on.

Back in the house he had left, said Inohana-chan couldn't stop giggling, the amount of information she was able to pull out on Konoha, the Torture and interrogation division and even on the Akimichi and Nara clans due to his closeness to his teammates had been an incredible find.

That's not even mentioning his almost complete knowledge of the Yamanaka compound, its defenses and seals and his knowledge of where they kept their archive. At this rate she might even give him what he desired and fuck him, because honestly she felt he deserved something for giving her literally everything Uzukage-Sama would want and more.

And he wasn't too bad looking either. She did have an itch to scratch, and it would be easier to get him to access the archives if he was subconsciously happy with her. And he would definitely be very happy after a roll in the sheets. She giggled again, as Ikana-baasan sat stiffly in her chair, staring ahead unseeing, her mind locked down whenever Inohana had no need of her. Now she just needed to get eyes on Kushina-chan and this mission was practically over.

Konoha was just too easy.

＊＊＊

Sarutobi Hiruzen was tired. He was tired of war, of death, of losing comrades and friends and family. Yet, he still was needed in his position. Maybe soon he could retire, after the war. There was a promising Jounin… And there was always Orochimaru, although his withdrawal from the rest of the forces lately and his obsession with research was beginning to give him doubts.

He looked out the window smoking idly, this informal meeting with his teammates and Danzo coming to an end. One of his ANBU was giving a report he was barely paying attention to while appearing to be listening intently. There was a temporary lull in the war as everyone tested the boundaries and figured out what the next step would be.

"Repeat that." He said suddenly, surely he hadn't heard that correctly.

ANBU Crane didn't show any sign of discomfort as his monotonous voice repeated his words. "The Jounin commander received a note from Kiri an hour ago demanding the return of the sword Samehada, of the legendary seven swords of Kirigakure."

"And why are they demanding this from us?" Hiruzen asked, eyes sliding towards Danzo questioningly. Root did operate in the land of water. Danzo shook his head minutely. So not him then. Possibly. It was hard to tell with his old rival nowadays. Yet… Stealing one of the swords of Kirigakure, while they were beset with enemies, didn't seem like Danzo's style.

"The note claimed a Konoha kunoichi stole the sword and disappeared within an Orca summon." Crane reported, disappearing in a swirl of leaves as Hiruzen made a motion with his hand. Eyes meeting Danzo's lone one. Both Homura and Koharu seemed unsettled. They all knew when they had seen Orca summons last.

"No Konoha Shinobi has that contract." Danzo said with a scowl.

"Is it possible they have found a new summoner? It could possibly be another Kiri Shinobi, they are having troubles at home." Homura mused out loud stroking his beard.

Danzo looked skeptical but kept quiet as Koharu scoffed and answered. "We can count out it being an Uzumaki, they would have definitely mentioned that. Going after one of the swords and using a summoning contract likely looted from Uzushiogakure. This has a rebel faction of Kiri written all over it."

"You think they're bluffing us?" Hiruzen asked, "Why admit losing one of the swords. The strongest one at that if they weren't confident we held it?"

"They're simply trying to take advantage of our situation. Refuse them." Homura said simply. Koharu nodded along with him. Danzo said nothing but disagreement practically wafted off him to Hiruzen's senses.

Uzushiogakure was Hiruzen's greatest shame. How his sensei would turn in his grave if he knew his students' failure. When they had learned of Uzushiogakure's pending attack his students had begged him to be allowed to go. Hiruzen knew that with the forces involved the death toll would be catastrophic. So he saved his students from the massacre and sent Danzo with his root forces and a battalion of regular forces under his command to aid their ally.

When Danzo returned to report that they had been too late and could only kill some straggling looters he could literally feel Tsunade lose her will, with the death of her brother and fiance it was too much and she left within a few years.

Orochimaru turned manic, retreating from his comrades, only coming out for missions. And Jiraiya…. Became a complete man whore, spending less and less time in Konoha.

All of them had great ties with the Uzumaki. Not to mention the Senju that had been stuck there for the invasion. Danzo had saved what relics or knowledge he could from Uzushio and his forces had returned, tight-lipped about what they had seen. It hadn't helped any of his students' mental health to see the Senju practically eradicated in the first two years after the death of the Uzumaki.

Hiruzen still didn't know how every mission with a Senju on it had ended so catastrophically. Eventually he had been forced to protect the last dozen with ANBU and refused to send them on any more missions. Only to find the ANBU team and the Senju slain, in the heart of Konoha without anyone having noticed a thing.

It's one of the only times he and Danzo had been of the same mind. Furiously turning over every stone and leaf they could to try and find the culprits. Which in their zeal had only gathered Konoha more enemies and had led to the start of the third war so soon after the second had ended, and they had never found out for sure who had killed the Senju. Although some ties to the Uchiha had been found. Hiruzen didn't believe it, it was too convenient, but his rival had been watching them with suspicion ever since.

Hiruzen dismissed his teammates soon after. Just him and Danzo in the office. A hand seal from him and his ANBU protection detail left the room and silencing and anti-byakugan seals lit up and sealed his office. "You don't believe it was an internal Kiri spat." He asked simply. Neither did he, his experience as Hokage said that it just didn't fit.

"Whatever the Uzumaki did to destroy it, none of their proprietary sealing knowledge or summoning scrolls were looted. We would have seen the Orca summons sooner if Kiri had them." Danzo said assuredly, and with some bitterness leaking through. Hiruzen sadly figured his rival was more upset about losing out on the plunder then the death of their ally in this case. How had they grown so different from being such idealistic kids?

"You think it could be a surviving Uzumaki?" Hiruzen asked, probing his rival. Danzo received a lot of information from his network, and sometimes Hiruzen felt that he barely saw a third of it. And dragging information out of Danzo was always time consuming and irritating.

Danzo seemed to think about it before shaking his head slowly. "No… An Uzumaki would be too noticeable, besides, whatever survived the invasion was hunted down religiously." He tapped his cane on the floor firmly. Sure of his answer. "One of their non-clan members most likely. Hidden all this time, and holding onto the summoning scroll."

Hiruzen nodded slowly, it seemed more likely. "One with a fire affinity perhaps, since Kiri seemed to believe it was us." He paused, "Perhaps not even that. It's logical to assume that if no contract was found in Uzushiogakure, it could be with its allied village." Not that they had been much of an ally in the end… He did not look forward to facing Arashi-kun and Mito-sama in the afterlife.

"Perhaps." Danzo answered. "We must respond." He pointed out calmly. Eye focused on Hiruzen's with intensity.

Hiruzen sighed, they had too many enemies to gather more, but they literally didn't have the sword to appease Kiri with. War made monsters out of them all. "You have free hands in the land of water." He said finally with a heavy voice. Root would ensure Kiri was too much of a mess to intervene on the mainland for a while.

Danzo being Danzo didn't even seem pleased. He just nodded slowly. No doubt plans upon plans already running through his mind. Hiruzen might dislike some of his methods. But without Danzo he would have never been able to run these wars. Root was a necessary evil.

"Turn their squabbles into a civil war." Hiruzen ordered with a heavy heart. Knowing he was ordering the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. Yet as Hokage he had to weigh his own people's lives higher. And they could not afford Kiri allying with Iwa and Kumo.

He couldn't wait to give this hat up.

＊＊＊

Junichu Yui was unused to being away from her Kage for this amount of time. The purple haired kunoichi with the severe face of a consummate professional and muscular stocky scarred body of someone who worked hard to be the best they could be, was usually part of the Uzukage ANBU protection detail.

Her high affinity for water jutsu had been too useful for the latest bunch of assignments however and she had been sent out. She must have annoyed someone, because she had been sent all the way to the land of snow. Her mission had been to find and then spy on their hidden village. A minor village that had never been of any consequence on the international stage.

Yui had been sent due to her high water affinity enabling her to hold the water refraction jutsu for hours at a time. Becoming practically invisible, only high speed movements revealing a tell tale shimmer. With seals to hide her chakra presence and religiously washing with scent blocking soaps - the likelihood she'd be found out was extremely low. She did note that the freezing temperatures did appear to force her to put more chakra into the Jutsu, something to make note of to those at home in case others who could use it were ever sent to a similar climate.

The village hidden in the glaciers had been pathetically easy to find. Due to the climate, much of the food was imported and there just wasn't any good way to hide all those supply trips. Perhaps if they had acquired sealing knowledge to use storage scrolls for all of their supplies they could have avoided detection.

Yui was getting the idea that Uzumaki sealing was very different from what the rest of the world was capable of. As it was she had simply followed a caravan of food supplies to a hidden entrance in the mountains. Her jutsu had become necessary at that point. Not because of the escorts of the caravan who were only genin after all.

It was because of the fact that the hidden village was underground and the entrance was a tunnel - which made it unlikely she could infiltrate without having to silence any guards if she hadn't had her jutsu. As it was she had to silently creep through the tunnels having to pause and hide periodically from patrols and Shinobi exiting for missions.

When she finally made it inside she was somewhat disappointed in what she found. Although there were perhaps 500 Shinobi in total and three times as many civilians in the village, their level was… Unsatisfactory. Going by chakra levels was not always reliable, but unless they had several masters at hiding their chakra, the village had less than a dozen Jounin. The majority of their forces felt like genin or low Chuunin at best.

Further spying revealed nothing spectacular about their Shinobi. Some jutsu use she had never seen before, utilizing snow and ice and a few bloodline users that probably could be something if properly trained. It wasn't anything that would keep any other minor village from crushing them. Their isolated spot was probably the only reason they still existed.

They should be fairly easy to intimidate into folding into Uzushio. Albeit not very useful for years of retraining. What they did have however Yui had found, was a very interesting research department, staffed mostly with civilians, with a few Shinobi on staff to provide chakra and test inventions. They were working on a chakra armor that would absorb Jutsu, from what she could gather it barely worked on D-ranks right now, but the fact they'd made it work at all without specialized sealing knowledge was impressive. They had also invented something no Uzumaki seemed to have ever thought of. A sealing press. A machine that could press the sealing ink of an exploding tag into sealing paper, and get it right every time and at a speed that beats any sealing expert.

Yes it was just exploding tags, she doubted it would work for too many complicated seals. Yet, it was impressive. And the Shinobi did not realize at all what they had. From what she'd gathered, after Uzushio fell, sealing tags of any kind rocketed in price, including the simple exploding tag.

Uzushiogakure could sell exploding tags to every village in the nation with this kind of press, undercutting their own village sealmakers, outproducing them and being able to sell it for cheaper too. Killing sealing as a profitable skill in the other villages. Forcing them to utilize Uzushiogakure for their sealing needs. Making Uzushio indispensable. This was huge. She'd need to report and they needed to assimilate this village now. Before they realized what they had.

She stole away in the night, one of the prototype seal machines stolen with her, a manufactured accident ensuring no one was aware one had been stolen and that they thought it destroyed.

If they could improve on the design to make simple barrier tags, smoke tags, medical seals… There would be no second invasion. The elemental nations would need them too much to dare. She felt elation as she rushed back home, Yui would be able to make Uzukage-Sama smile. There had been so many years with just a grim resigned feeling from her Kage, now there was hope, she prayed this would brighten that hope into a bonfire.

They needed their Kage more than anything. He had kept them together through the horror and heartache of losing everything and everyone. He would be the greatest Kage in the nations. She swore it. Picking up extra speed as she moved homewards.

＊＊＊

It had been two months since they decided on a course of action and here they were again. Things were looking up, there was more hope and positivity all around with the western district being almost fully rebuilt.

None of their Shinobi had yet to die in their spying missions or supply runs. There had been hiccups of course, but all in all it was a much more relaxed atmosphere as they gathered again, to go over the latest developments. Everyone had a cup of sake in front of them, and they sat in an actual building this time. Only Yamanaka Inohana was still missing due to her infiltration of Konoha. They had her reports however. Kami, he loved being an Uzumaki and being able to get reports from those of his people skilled enough in seals to utilize them to send reports directly on active missions.

"I suppose since we are all relaxed and have had some drinks it is time to bring up the mission report of Senju Tokara…" Kaido said, starting the meeting and having to hold back a smirk at the aggravated sighs of both the Senju clan head Hikama and the Jounin commander Shinji.

"She achieved the return of Samehada, and recruited two Hozuki and four Yuki amongst the orphans she sheltered." Mito the clan head of the Uzumaki said mildly, peering at them all over her cup of sake. Of course her support had nothing to do with the fact that she absolutely adored the young Senju girl.

"She killed one of the seven swordsmen on Kiri soil, displayed her abilities to the Kiri survivors she left behind, showed off the Orca summons, risking our discovery and was a literal hair's breadth away from dying instead." Shinji countered with a displeased frown.

"You forgot the fact she was in the land of water when her mission was supposed to be in Takigakure." Kitama pointed out with a snicker, the older man finding the whole thing hilarious. He'd always had a soft spot for Tokara. Which Kaido had to admit he had as well, when she didn't irritate him to the point of homicide.

"Mistakes were made, you can't complain about the results." Mito argued with a pointedly raised eyebrow. "Samehada returned" She stressed. "Two Hozuki and four Yuki taken from Kiri and added to our future arsenal."

Mamoru, the clan leader of the Tokoro clan frowned at her, "You shouldn't talk about kids like that." He chided uncomfortably, understandably, as his clan currently constituted two thirds of kids one third of teenagers and adults.

Hikama scoffed, "You're lucky so many see them as future weapons, instead of seeing children of invaders." Hikama had been the one least impressed with Tokara's report. The girl hadn't been let out of the Senju tent encampment since she returned.

Mito shrugged, "They've taken the seal." As far as she was concerned they were one of their own now. And although she felt for both Tokara and the children, she was a clan head and kunoichi first. And she couldn't argue against how useful the Hozuki and Yuki would be in the future. Uzushiogakure was by the ocean, the hydration and ice bloodlines were perfect for their own defenses.

"Only the fact Kiri had suddenly decided to explode and start killing themselves is stopping me from requesting the girl censured for her carelessness in risking compromising our return." Shinji said testily, the muscular Jounin commander had already banned the girl from any missions to the land of water for the next decade. He'd also begrudgingly added a completed S-rank mission to her file. Infiltrating a hostile nation, killing one of their most important Shinobi, returning a national relic, as well as bringing 6 bloodline capable children with her back. He honestly wanted to class the damn mission SS if they had such a rank.

"That is what we are here to discuss…" Kaido broke in, the mission was done, what had happened had happened. Now what they were to do next needed to be dealt with. "With the land of water falling into disarray do we try to take advantage?"

"Absolutely not!" Hikama said, slamming a palm down on the table for emphasis, "Uzukage-Sama, we were already almost discovered. It is simply not worth the risk!"

Kaido calmly nodded to the Senju clan head showing he'd take his opinion under advisement. His eyes slid to the rest of the gathering.

Kitama scoffed, leaning back in his chair, resting his creaky bones; he'd no doubt joke, if it wasn't a serious council meeting. "I'd say it's foolhardy business if I wasn't already sure you've made up your mind already."

Mamoru shook his head, "This has bad idea written all over it." Yet he leaned back in his seat and didn't argue against it.

Shinji kept quiet, but his displeased frown showed his opinion and he had no doubt already tried to argue the question in private.

Mito smiled, saccharin sweet. "I'll follow whatever Uzukage-Sama wants of course." She tapped her sake cup with a well manicured finger. "If Inohana was here I'm sure she'd say the same, just with more innuendo."

Kaido nodded, "Normally I would agree with the majority opinion on this subject. However things have changed drastically in the last two months." He held up a finger, "One, there is never going to be a better time, Kiri is killing each other, clans attacking clans, civilians attacking clans, clans attacking civilians. The confusion is perfect to obfuscate our presence." He held up a second finger, "Two, we need more future Shinobi, skilled shinobi. And the land of water is currently mass producing orphans, including those with bloodline abilities." He raised a third finger, "Three, with Yui's discovery in the land of Snow we now have a tool that would make us indispensable to enemy and ally alike if our presence was discovered early. This war they are fighting across the elemental nations would make us better suppliers then enemies, for a time." He raised a fourth finger, "Fourth, with Kiri in disarray and Konoha fighting on several fronts, two major villages are already taken off the field as likely enemies if we are exposed early, we can likely count out Suna as well due to geographic location and their tiff with both Iwa and Konoha keeping them busy. This leaves only Iwa and Kumo as likely enemies. Both are fighting a war, both will remember the losses they took against us if we are exposed. The signs are all lining up for us right now, if we wait, this war could finish and we'd have lost our opportunity."

"Well said, Uzukage-Sama, and of course there is the chance that any action in Kiri will be taken as enemy action from the other major villages or as rebels. And not as the dead Uzumaki village." Mito said, providing support.

"Well, you can't argue with that," Kitama stated bluntly, although Hikama's and Shinji's expressions said they would if the decision hadn't already obviously been made. "Now more to the point, what exactly are we going to be doing in water?"

"Recruiting." Kaido said simply. He waved a hand towards Tokara's mission report on the table. "We need Shinobi in the future, we have the teachers to train them, we need those orphans, if they have a bloodline all the better. If not, we'd still make something out of them. And loyalty won't be a problem, even if we didn't have the seal, kids being saved from being starved, raped, abused and killed is going to be loyal to us to begin with. As an added bonus, we are strong in water affinity, so we won't have much issue teaching children from the land of water, their affinity is even more common there than it is for us."

"You've failed to mention how the population will feel about an influx of natives from one of our destroyers. Especially clans such as Hozuki." Hikama countered, still not sold on the idea.

Kaido acknowledged the Senju clan head with a tight nod, he wasn't wrong on that being a possible complication. "It will need to be monitored, the fact these will be starving kids being brought over and not adult Shinobi will mitigate that somewhat."

Mamoru ran a hand over his hair, sighing explosively, "Well, if it all works it's all well and good. It wouldn't hurt to eventually have another clan or two. We need to be careful on a timeline here, the population needs to know before we're bringing hundreds of brats over. There needs to be preparations, our medical division will be strained."

"Our supplies will be strained as well, we just moved our Shinobi off rations, they will not be well pleased to go back to them because of a bunch of mizu orphans." Hikama said icily.

Kaido would have to come up with something to throw the Senju as appeasement. Learning their clan had died in Konoha, refusing them the chance to go after Tsunade, now prioritizing foreigners. He could ill afford to alienate the Senju. Hikama was a steady man but a prickly one. He would not take constant failure to be heard well.

Shinji nodded, "Plans have been drawn up by the Strategic intelligence division for a one month, two month and three month plan. They have stressed that if put in motion, the three month plan before implementation is the most likely to achieve the effect we want with the general population and avoid a strain on supplies and medical personnel."

"Uzukage-Sama, is there any need to implement a timeline sooner then recommended?" Mito asked, as everyone around the table, grudgingly in Hikama's case, seemed to lean towards the longer wait time.

Kaido thrummed his fingers on the table as plans flitted through his mind. "No," He decided. "Kiri won't have peace for at least a year or two at the earliest. The timeline of 3 months is fine." And to be honest, he didn't think Kiri would settle down after that either. But he couldn't count on it for a strategy either.

"What about the swords? Or an opportunity to raid Kiri itself for its secrets?" Kitama asked with a shrewd look on his face. The Kawigaza clan would be the most impacted beneficially by adding more jutsu to the village, having no bloodline abilities. And on average being very skilled Kenjutsu users, were the most likely recipients of the seven swords.

Shinji made an aborted movement to protest, but Kaido stopped him with a raised hand, "That will not happen." He said firmly, allowing his Jounin commander to relax slightly. "Kiri has lost the strongest of the seven swords. Anytime we would see a possibility of acquiring another, it would doubtlessly be a mirage, a trap, to try and catch those that stole Samehada. That is what I would do in such a situation." He explained to Kitama who looked slightly mullish.

"Any infiltration or attack on Kiri itself might band them together and stop this civil war. The risk is not worth it, we're already risking too much." Shinji finished for his Kage with a firm voice.

Kitama acknowledged the point and they all enjoyed some sake and refreshments for a few minutes before moving on to the next topic, everyone already drawing up plans in their head for what to inform their clans of about the influx of orphans and the further plans for the land of water. While Kaido thought of what he could offer the Senju to soothe Hikama a bit.

"Now… The land of snow and their minor village." Kaido said slowly, shaking his head wondering how they had never thought of an automated seal press. Sure, someone had to still be there to insert chakra into the process, but it was still many times quicker than drawing up a seal tag.

"We need to take them in, the sooner the better. By force if necessary." Mito said sharply, surprising the others at the table. "Oh, don't give me those looks, the things they're doing with chakra armor and this seal press is absolutely revolutionary, and it's mostly civilians working on it. We absolutely can not allow any of the other villages to take this opportunity from us!"

"Teaching civilians chakra theory and letting them put their ideas into motion, no village would have ever thought of something like it, not even us." Mamoru said with a chuckle, "I guess they didn't have the manpower to have their Shinobi waste time being researchers."

Shinji lent forward, "I have already sent feelers out to civilians within Uzushio with expertise in sciences. Our research and development division has already enthusiastically supported this after seeing the work the seal press is capable of."

"Is that necessary if we are to incorporate the hidden glaciers research department?" Hikama asked, having always been a warrior first, politician second, he had never put much stock in sciences, civilian or Shinobi.

Mito pursed her lips, "it might lead to an overly large research division for a while, but our own citizens might have ideas that hidden glaciers have never thought of because of our own unique experiences with seals."

"Everyone is getting ahead of themselves, hmm?" Kitama said jeeringly. "I for one would have fought to the death happily rather then see defeat, or even imagined joining another village. What says we achieve anything but hidden glacier's destruction and some cowed prisoners forced to work for us?"

"A valid point." Kaido said, "This is why I intend to enter negotiations with their head ninja myself, on location."

He smiled wryly as every single one of his inner circle predictably exploded and all made strong objections. Coming up with a multitude of reasons why he should obviously not ever go into hidden glacier personally. Eventually he put his foot down and quieted all objections, he was the Kage. And he would be going. This was too important now to risk failing.

The seal press itself was too useful a tool to fall into enemy hands. He'd put the entire village to the sword himself if he had to take that step, as much as it felt like a betrayal of who they were. They could not allow such a useful machine to become common practice.