Umino Yoru wasn't particularly enthusiastic about establishing a ninja clan, especially the proposal to relocate the fishermen of the Kimihara Village to Konoha. He was deeply concerned—given the villagers' limited potential, they'd be nothing more than cannon fodder on the strategic battlefield.
This move was clearly an attempt to turn the Umino clan into a disposable force while also causing trouble for the Uchiha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's scheme was ultimately about consolidating his power as Hokage, strengthening the influence of the Sarutobi clan and his inner circle.
The so-called "favor" was nothing more than political manipulation wrapped in honey.
To secure his position as Hokage, Hiruzen had granted Konoha's ninja clans numerous privileges, nearly squandering the foundation built by Tobirama Senju. If not for Danzō Shimura's later suppression of these clans, Konoha's political landscape would have deteriorated even further.
The last time Hiruzen visited his home and casually mentioned the idea, Yoru's father couldn't stop talking about "clan glory," and even his mother was so overjoyed that her appetite doubled.
As for his foolish little brother, Tobirama (yes, named after that Tobirama), he went around boasting, "My big brother is a Konoha jonin! I'm the Umino clan leader's little brother! When I grow up, I'll be the clan's elder!"
Umino Yoru didn't refuse outright. Instead, he played the part of the loyal subordinate, thanking the Hokage for his "generosity" and declaring that compared to Danzō's petty favors, this opportunity to establish a clan was a life-changing blessing—one he'd repay with unwavering loyalty.
Hiruzen was pleased with Yoru's response and even introduced him to his most talented student, Orochimaru.
At this time, Orochimaru was strikingly handsome, didn't have that weird tongue-flicking habit, and had a magnetic, charismatic presence—flawless in every way.
During their conversation, Orochimaru picked up on Yoru's interest in genetic research. That very night, he sent his subordinate, Mitarashi Shinko, to deliver a scroll on genetic sequencing techniques.
In return, Yoru gifted Orochimaru an Earth Release scroll he'd obtained from a trade in Shōran Fortress.
With the genetic sequencing knowledge secured, Yoru set off for Kimihara with his parents, Umino Ikkaku and his wife, and the three young apprentices from Shukudō.
After nearly two decades, this return to Kimihara was a triumphant homecoming.
Since Hiruzen became Hokage, the Kimihara region had developed rapidly, with well-maintained roads allowing smooth carriage travel. His elderly parents endured little discomfort on the journey.
Along the way, Yoru made discreet stops in major Fire Country cities to exchange some of his gold and jewels for liquid cash at underground black-market exchanges.
After a week of travel, they finally arrived in Kimihara.
News of the Umino family's rise and their plan to establish a ninja clan had spread like wildfire, causing a sensation across the region.
"Ikkaku, are you sure you didn't make a mistake? How can so many people share the Umino bloodline?"
After days of genetic testing, Yoru was shocked by the sheer number of potential clan members—far exceeding his expectations.
"Clan Leader, this is just within six generations. If we go back ten, nearly everyone in Kimihara would be genetically linked to us."
Ikkaku wasn't wrong. In this world, commoners rarely had descendants who survived for long.
Even in his past life, within a single county, most people were distantly related after ten generations. In a small village, a few generations of intermarriage meant that over 80% of the population was connected within six generations.
In the ninja world, isolated regions often traced their lineage back to a single ancestor—either a samurai or a noble.
The Umino clan was fortunate to have preserved their surname, with records tracing back six generations to their warrior ancestor, Umino Takao.
"Clan Leader, more people mean greater strength. Those beyond the fifth generation can be branch family members."
Ikkaku was extremely enthusiastic about forming the clan, even suggesting expanding the genetic testing to eight generations. If they followed his plan, half of Kimihara would end up moving to Konoha.
A Reluctant Compromise
In the end, Yoru set a hard limit—no more than 100 members. Otherwise, their numbers would surpass even the Uchiha.
"Jirō, you said a great ninja war is coming. Wouldn't it be better for our relatives to take refuge in Konoha?"
Hearing his mother's words, Yoru instantly regretted giving her so much money. When they were poor, she pinched every coin, but now that they were wealthy, she wanted to help every distant relative.
He didn't mind spending to make her happy—after all, the sunken Umibōzu ship still held unimaginable riches. But bringing these villagers to Konoha wasn't necessarily a good idea.
Did they think Konoha was a charity? That they could just waltz into one of the Fire Country's premier cities and climb the social ladder?
In wartime, the village demanded private troops from each clan. A significant portion of Konoha's forces consisted of these clan soldiers.
Unfortunately, Yoru didn't have the final say in establishing the Umino clan—his parents and Ikkaku's family held more sway, especially his elders.
After genetic screening within six generations (excluding those with weak bloodline traits), they settled on 100 members. But with their families included, the total exceeded 300 people—more than the Uchiha.
"Fine. Let's treat it as an evacuation. As long as they don't become ninjas, Konoha isn't a bad place to live."
Seeing their excitement, Yoru decided not to dampen their spirits. Cross that bridge when we get to it.
The Umino Secret Technique
"If our clan's secret technique is just the Mizuame (Water Syrup) Jutsu, it feels a bit lacking."
Yoru had already decided to make the Mizuame Jutsu their signature technique, but he felt their combat system was incomplete.
"What kind of jutsu requires minimal chakra but still packs a punch?"
His first thought was weapon manipulation, but that was too expensive. Puppetry was another option, but the skill requirement was too high.
In the end, he settled on a modified weapon-control technique—not like Tenten's extravagant style, but something closer to the Nara clan's Shadow Possession Jutsu.
A "Black Rope" technique, using Yang-infused hair instead of chakra strings to manipulate weapons.
If Umino clan ninja trained in this hair-based jutsu, they could weave their living hair into black ropes, functioning like chakra threads to control weapons.
This was a recent discovery. Chakra-conductive metal was absurdly expensive, but while researching puppet alternatives, Yoru found that his Yang-infused hair was an excellent chakra conductor.
Thus, he developed the Black Rope Secret Technique, later incorporating Yamashiro Midori's Stone Needle Jutsu into it.
Once an enemy was ensnared by these hair-ropes, the user could channel chakra through them to further restrain their target.
While not as formidable as the Nara's shadow techniques, for low-to-mid-level ninja, this was an incredible asset.
Combined with the Mizuame Jutsu's immobilizing effects, the Umino clan could evolve into a formidable control-based ninja family.