Konoha Year 49, Red Year 21, Late June...
The Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure stepped forward and publicly announced the Land of Whirlpools' ownership of the Three-Tails.
This immediately caused an uproar throughout the entire shinobi world...
Everyone thought the Fifth Mizukage had lost her mind. Otherwise, why would she inexplicably cede the Three-Tails to the Land of Whirlpools?
As long as she didn't formally declare the Three-Tails belonged to the Land of Whirlpools, then the Land of Whirlpools' actions were simply theft, unethical!
Although this didn't mean much to shinobi, after all, could matters between shinobi really be called theft?
As long as ownership of the Three-Tails remained with Kirigakure, even if the Land of Whirlpools possessed the Three-Tails now, if Kirigakure became powerful again in the future, they could still take it back. But once ownership was handed over to the Land of Whirlpools, if they tried to reclaim the Three-Tails later, it would be Kirigakure stealing, because the Three-Tails would already belong to the Land of Whirlpools...
However, just as everyone was still processing this...
All the major shinobi villages received intelligence from their spies: The Fifth Mizukage was leading the entire Kirigakure to formally join the Land of Whirlpools.
"???"
When they heard this news, everyone wore expressions of disbelief?!
Had the Fifth Mizukage truly lost her mind? Otherwise, why would she do such a thing?
Or perhaps...
The intelligence was wrong?
Just as they were shaking their heads in denial, thinking the Fifth Mizukage couldn't possibly do something so brainless, the Land of Whirlpools' noon news broadcast reported the news of Kirigakure's formal incorporation. Especially when they saw the Fifth Mizukage and the Land of Whirlpools' Daimyo shaking hands and smiling at the Land of Whirlpools' Central Square, they understood...
It was all true!!!
Immediately...
Everyone began cursing Kirigakure for having no shame. As one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, they actually chose to become a subordinate?!
This Fifth Mizukage truly lived up to being a woman. How could her actions honor the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Mizukage who sacrificed themselves to protect Kirigakure?
Even if the Third and Fourth Mizukage had been used to fill the sea, but, but... but couldn't this Fifth Mizukage feel their burning hearts that protected the village?
And even if you wanted to find a backer, to avoid fighting for power with the Land of Water, you could have come to us!
We are exactly lacking strong individuals like you, why go to that shameless country, the Land of Whirlpools?
It is truly too hateful, too hateful!
But now, what's done is done, what more could they say?
As all authority was reclaimed by the Land of Water's Daimyo's court, and with no shinobi village left to cause trouble, although this significantly reduced the Land of Water's military strength, the Land of Water's Daimyo was still not worried...
Their country could still defend itself now, especially since these smaller shinobi villages were also in a period of change, their own domestic situations were still unstable, so they couldn't possibly deploy significant forces against a country that had already achieved peace.
This scene just made the Daimyo courts of the other countries green with envy and resentment!
Back when the war started, why didn't the Land of Whirlpools use all the shinobi from every village to fill the seas to the east, south, west, and north?
Then things would be easier for them now, but it was too late for any of that now.
They continued to defame the shinobi villages, while also continuing to wage war against them!
The Daimyo courts would absolutely not be reduced to puppets!!!
However, no one knew...
The Hidden Stone Village, aiming for a decisive victory, had quietly come to the Land of Whirlpools, hoping the Land of Whirlpools would return the Hidden Stone Village's prisoners of war. They were also willing to officially announce, in the name of the Hidden Stone Village, the Land of Whirlpools' ownership of the Four-Tails.
But...
Get lost!!!
It was refused outright, with no room for discussion.
"These people really think I did it for the Three-Tails!" Uzumaki Jun sighed, shook his head, and said with emotion, "Actually, what I wanted was just the shinobi of Kirigakure."
Especially those clans with Kekkei Genkai...
They would all become part of the Land of Whirlpools sooner or later.
Look at the Yuki clan now, weren't they doing quite well?
"They actually still think about getting something for nothing!"
Was he that stupid?
Not only did the Four-Tails not originally belong to the Hidden Stone Village, but even according to inheritance laws, it should be inherited by him, the husband, or that kid Black Zetsu!
Moreover...
The original owner was still alive and well, just currently asleep.
He looked up at Uzumaki Hibiki in front of him and said, "No one is causing trouble over in the Kirigakure area, right?"
"None at all." Uzumaki Hibiki shook his head, looking strangely at Lord Jun. "Following your instructions, we sent all the Kiri-nin to the Land of Whirlpools' subsidiary continent, assigned them suitable jobs and housing, and also had members of the Yuki clan guide them to familiarize themselves with the Land of Whirlpools."
Besides, with the Fifth Mizukage there to keep them in check, they didn't really cause any trouble. Working so hard every day, then going home at night, where would they get the energy to cause trouble? As for the younger children...
They were currently attending school here in the Land of Whirlpools proper!
It was believed that after a few more years, they would surely forget Kirigakure and become part of the Land of Whirlpools...
"Of course, the Clan Leader also assigned over a dozen ideological instructors to that area, the ones who previously educated the Kirigakure prisoners. Presumably, they are already accustomed to teaching Kiri-nin."
"That's good." Uzumaki Jun nodded, a smile on his face. "I believe with so many shinobi joining, the construction of the Land of Whirlpools will definitely speed up!"
This was why he accepted the Kiri-nin...
Although the Land of Whirlpocks proper was already quite densely populated, the population on the subsidiary continent was still too small. So, seizing this opportunity, he packaged up and took in the Kirigakure shinobi. Although quite a number of shinobi chose not to come and remained in the Land of Water, he was still very satisfied with this outcome.
To be honest, Uzumaki Jun never expected Kirigakure to make this choice. He originally thought Kirigakure would fight the Land of Water to the death, as that was the spirit of a major shinobi village!!!
If their reform succeeded, Kirigakure could survive in a different way, just like Konoha.
Uzumaki Jun shook his head and murmured with emotion, "Life is always full of surprises!"
Somehow, the Land of Whirlpools just gained a bunch of shinobi out of nowhere...
Instantly widening the gap with the Five Great Shinobi Villages again.
Looking at the intelligence reports on the desk...
"The war is almost over!"
He expressed a sigh of feeling...
"This era, after all, is still the era of the shinobi!"
No matter how much the new era developed, it was still just in its initial stages. The shinobi era had been developing for over a thousand years. For the various countries to think they could take on a major shinobi village using only the remaining rogue ninjas was simply a pipe dream. Perhaps some countries succeeded, but those were the minority.
The longer time dragged on, the more advantageous it was for the shinobi villages. As for hoping to win relying on the Land of Whirlpools' scientific ninja tools, maybe Kakuzu would be happy about that, but...
That was merely a glimmer of hope.
After all...
Most of them were just outdated goods phased out by the Land of Whirlpools. The shinobi village ninjas had already tried them before. Why do you think they gradually stopped using them later?
It was because they were too expensive. If those Daimyo courts all relied on these scientific ninja tools, it would inevitably place a severe burden on their countries. Then, amidst widespread hardship, the major shinobi villages could顺势 force the Daimyo courts to agree to their terms, reducing the criticism against them.
Uzumaki Jun sighed, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly into a faint smile, and said, "It seems I've inadvertently done another good deed!"
Indeed...
His heart was always full of kindness. Otherwise, why did he always, unintentionally, promote change throughout the entire shinobi world?