Glancing suspiciously at her nephew, who had only just calmed down, Aloe Uzumaki said nothing at first, then spoke firmly: "Hidden Cloud Village will deploy their fleet to evacuate some of our clansmen by sea. But the Mist ninja—those of Kirigakure—are unmatched on the ocean."
"We must coordinate with Hidden Cloud to eliminate the Kirigakure navy first. Only then can the children safely embark toward the Land of Lightning."
She explained the consensus reached with Tutai and Tamura Hao. Though lacking intricate tactical plans, the core principle was clear: secure the retreat route.
Once the Kirigakure advance force was destroyed, the remaining forces from Sunagakure and Iwagakure posed little threat on sea—those two forces were landlocked, untrained in maritime warfare.
"I've already reached an agreement. If we repel the Mist tonight, we'll stay and defend Uzushio. If not, we'll send our underage children and single clan members to Kumogakure for protection."
"In return, I'll share segments of our sealing techniques—the ones usable by non-Uzumaki—as compensation for Cloud's military aid."
She made no attempt to hide the exchange with Hidden Cloud. Asking them to intervene without compensation was unrealistic. Their only true bargaining chip was their inherited fuinjutsu legacy.
"Fine."
After a long silence, Uzumaki Masahiko nodded grimly, jaw clenched. There was no better option left.
Damn it… If I survive this war, I'll strangle that damn kid first thing when I arrive in the Hidden Cloud.
As the clan leaders voiced their consent, the four elders had no further objections. In today's dire landscape, having even one potential lifeline was a blessing.
Meanwhile, Tutai caught up with Tamura Hao and a group of four—or maybe five—at their designated extraction point.
"What the hell did you do?"
Surrounded by masked ANBU, two enormous scrolls, and a red-haired girl, Dodai was dumbfounded.
I've been gone for less than an hour. What kind of chaos did you cause already?
Tamura Hao responded innocently, "Don't blame me. After you went in, Hiruzen Sarutobi's son came out of Uzushio. We nearly fought right there. I had to pretend to be a Senju, stall with words, and sneak into the city."
"I met the clan patriarch—Masahiko. We talked. He entrusted me with this girl and the Uzumaki's heritage. Apparently, she's the designated Nine-Tails jinchūriki."
As he spoke, Hao grew reflective. Turns out, Master Lu was right: sincerity leads to ruin. Only cunning wins hearts.
Being honest just gets you robbed—or dismembered. Deceit brings rewards.
Dodai's eyelid twitched. The sheer scale of what he was hearing overwhelmed him.
"You've really crossed the line this time."
His voice was dark. Tutai regretted bringing this kid more with every passing moment.
Too troublesome!
"I've already considered the risks," Hao shrugged. "Even if they discover the trick, the worst they'll do is detain you. Uzushio won't dare kill a Kumogakure envoy and spark all-out war."
He looked pleased, like he had things completely under control. This had been calculated from the start.
"I swear, I'll kill you someday," Tutai snapped—and thumped Hao on the head, sending him reeling.
"You're leaving with the scrolls and the girl immediately. Intact. No screw-ups. This is critical for the village."
He then barked orders at the ANBU unit.
These were his most trusted operatives, top-tier even among Kumogakure's elite. The hidden tunnel below gave them a safe extraction route.
"Yes, sir!"
Three masked shinobi secured the girl and scrolls, entering the tunnel. One with Earth Release collapsed it afterward, sealing the path.
Once the decoy team had split off, Tamura Hao and Dodai veered down a secondary route, followed by three disguised ANBU who'd swapped their Leaf-style uniforms for neutral black gear.
They resurfaced quietly and made haste toward the agreed rendezvous.
As they neared the forest clearing, Tutai halted and gave Hao a fierce glare before turning to his men.
"Watch this brat. Don't let him screw up anything else."
"Yes, sir."
Though their tone was firm, the three bore no ill will toward Hao. On the contrary—they admired him.
This unexpected windfall might count as an S-rank mission in the records. A clean success like this was rare. Honestly, they wouldn't mind letting Lord Tutai suffer a little more if this was the reward.
Hao scowled at being targeted but kept his mouth shut, scribbling vengefully in his little black book.
The five finally entered the shaded glade—a secluded meeting point hidden by thick forest.
Representatives from the other three villages had already arrived. All eyes turned to the five approaching shinobi.
"Has Kumogakure run out of adults? You send children to speak for you now?" sneered Kizuki Hōdō, Mist's envoy, smiling with malice.
"He's far too green to trust," Chiyo added coolly, disappointed at Kumogakure's tardiness and unimpressed by the apparent youth of their delegate.
A small boy, and a teenage escort—truly shameful.
"Seems the Cloud still hasn't recovered from its internal conflict years ago," said Xi Shiren of Iwa, piling on. "If so, perhaps they should sit this war out."
The three formed a united front, pressing hard on the Kumogakure group.
Behind Chiyo, however, Rasa and the two elite guards studied the young man behind Dodai with narrowed eyes. Despite his changed hair and armor, his build was unmistakable.
Ye Cang's eyes locked onto Hao with venom, silently cursing the pervert from their last encounter.
Tamura Hao said nothing. He just memorized their faces, mentally drafting methods of wiping them out one day.
I, Tamura, hold no grudges. But I do believe in revenge, fast and direct.
"No point talking then. Let's all give it our best tonight."
Tutai's voice was cold and clear as he turned away.
They had arrived on time—half an hour early, in fact. Still, they were being singled out. Clearly, the other three had reached a backroom understanding before the meeting.
Well then. If they wouldn't allow Kumogakure a seat at the table, there was no point in playing nice.
Hao and the others followed Tutai without a word, slipping back into the trees.
Before leaving, Hao glanced once more at Rasa. The man's killing intent had only grown since their last encounter.
None of the others were surprised by Dodai's swift exit. This was typical Cloud behavior—direct, proud, and unwilling to bend.
"You really are too young," Chiyo muttered, smiling faintly.
The Hidden Cloud's anger was irrelevant now. The attack would begin tonight—there was no time for them to reconfigure their forces.
Initially, she'd resisted allying with the Rock and Mist to suppress Cloud. But after hearing Luo Sha's intel, her thoughts shifted.
Rasa saw Hidden Cloud as the greatest threat to the Sand. She agreed.
Given the chance, she wouldn't hesitate to annihilate the Cloud's expeditionary force.