The two of them walked toward the command tent together.
Yoru continued reading through the scroll while listening to Mei's strategic breakdown and analysis. He nodded from time to time in agreement.
But when she mentioned the destruction of Uzushio Village, he couldn't help but nearly lose his composure.
The Uzumaki Clan had once been overwhelmingly powerful.
They had ruled an entire nation with the strength of a single clan. Their clan princess, Uzumaki Mito, had even married the God of Shinobi himself—Senju Hashirama.
With their mastery of fūinjutsu and barrier techniques, and their uniquely powerful constitution, the Uzumaki stood at the very pinnacle of the shinobi world—both in terms of status and strength. No one dared underestimate them.
Most crucial of all was their knowledge of Jinchūriki sealing techniques—something that made all the other great villages green with envy.
When the First Hokage distributed the Tailed Beasts among the villages, everyone except Sunagakure received one or more. Naturally, the other major villages coveted such power.
But outside of Konoha, they all faced the same problem: they had the beasts, but lacked the key—no sealing techniques, no way to use their "treasures."
So finally—
During the Second Great Ninja War, the other great nations could no longer contain their greed. While Konoha was locked in battle with Sunagakure and Amegakure, the other villages struck a secret deal and jointly annihilated Uzushio!
How else do you think the other villages suddenly figured out how to control Jinchūriki right after Uzushio's destruction?
Of course, the truth behind it wasn't as simple as "everyone just teamed up."
The Uzumaki had risen to such prominence not just due to their raw strength, but also because of their tight alliance with Konoha.
And yet—when the Uzumaki were under siege, Konoha chose to sit back and watch. They claimed they were bogged down in war and couldn't spare the troops.
Everyone knew that was utter crap.
The scale of the Second Great Ninja War wasn't even half that of the Third. A single White Fang was enough to make Sunagakure retreat in panic. The not-yet-fully-grown Sannin alone had stopped Amegakure in its tracks. Konoha's core forces hadn't even moved!
"Bogged down in war," huh?
More like—afraid.
Afraid Uzushio would grow too strong, become a threat, and challenge the Land of Fire's dominance.
So they cut ties early.
Hell, it wouldn't be surprising if Konoha had even dispatched a few "undercover" shinobi to help push things along behind the scenes.
Plenty of major forces in the ninja world knew the truth… but since they all got their slice of the pie, no one spoke up.
Politics.
Everyone plays dirty. No exceptions.
"Lord Yoru!"
As Mei continued explaining the intel in the scroll, Hiromi entered the tent.
The moment she saw Terumi Mei leaning casually on the table, Hiromi's brows furrowed slightly. She kept her expression calm as she greeted her:
"Captain Terumi."
Women were strange creatures.
They had a terrifying sixth sense, especially for things men often missed.
In that instant, Terumi Mei picked up on the hostility coming from Uzumaki Hiromi. Her brows arched subtly, and a teasing smile played at the corner of her lips.
She shifted slightly—resting her slender waist and hips directly against Yoru's shoulder.
The soft pressure made Yoru's body freeze for a moment.
"You bastard…"
Hiromi's brows twitched, her chakra surging. Even her red hair began to sway from the rising heat, like a cat bristling in fury.
Sensing Hiromi's chakra flaring, Yoru finally looked up, grabbed Mei by the waist, and—amid her surprised yelp—smacked her firmly on the rear before standing up and handing the scroll to Hiromi.
"Take a good look at this intel."
"Yes, Lord Yoru."
Hiromi pressed her lips together at his bold move but said nothing, focusing her attention on the scroll.
After just a glance, her expression changed. She instinctively looked up at Yoru.
"She should be a little older than you," Yoru said quietly. "Do you… know her?"
"Mm. Uzumaki Kushina."
Hiromi softly spoke the name:
"She was considered a genius in Uzushio. Her talent for sealing jutsu was so remarkable that even the clan head praised her highly. But because of that, she was sent to Konoha at a very young age. I never met her personally."
"After Uzushio fell… I never heard from our clan again. I didn't expect her to become a Konoha jōnin… and a Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, no less."
"Then again… with the Uzumaki's unique body constitution, she really is the ideal vessel for a Tailed Beast."
"No one is a vessel."
Yoru gently pinched Hiromi's cheek.
"Not while I'm around. You'll never be treated as one."
Hiromi, who had just been overwhelmed with painful memories of Uzushio's fall and her tragic childhood, instantly flushed red. She stammered, her cheeks steaming like a kettle.
Terumi Mei crossed her arms, letting out a cold scoff.
She still felt the sting on her backside, and this jerk was already sweet-talking another girl in front of her?
"According to the intel," Mei suddenly said, "the Uzumaki's powerful sealing jutsu gives them overwhelming suppressive power over Tailed Beasts."
"If the Nine-Tails goes berserk… can you restrain her?"
Huh?
Yoru turned to Mei with a baffled expression.
What are you on about?
She's Uzumaki Hiromi, not Ōtsutsuki Hiromi. How is she supposed to restrain the Nine-Tails!?
Hiromi also picked up on the odd implication in Mei's question. But instead of backing down, she turned to Yoru, her eyes resolute.
"I don't know how strong the Nine-Tails is…
But if you need me, Lord Yoru—I'll give it my all!"
"Don't listen to her nonsense," Yoru said, ruffling Hiromi's hair.
"But I really do need your sealing skills."
"The Nine-Tails' power is too destructive.
If it's allowed to rampage freely on the battlefield, no matter how big our advantage, it could all be reversed."
"So if I manage to gravely injure the Jinchūriki, I'll need you to perform a secondary seal—locking the Nine-Tails inside her and stopping it from breaking loose."
"Which means… you'll probably be fighting alongside me in the next battle."
"Fight… together with Lord Yoru…?"
Hiromi's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Really?!"
"No choice," Yoru said. "It's dangerous, but I'm counting on you."
"Not dangerous at all! I can do it!"
"Aah…"
Seeing her grinning from ear to ear, Terumi Mei let out a dark laugh from behind them.
Scumbag!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin