Under the night sky, the sea was as black as ink, with only specks of broken moonlight rising and falling with the tide.
Senju Mori and Uzumaki Mio walked side by side on the shallow beach by the sea, the damp sand making a faint sound under their feet, and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the shore in the distance added a touch of depth to the quiet night.
Suddenly, an Anbu appeared and whispered, "Hokage-sama, Uzumaki I requests an audience. She is at the reef beach ahead."
Senju Mori and Uzumaki Mio exchanged glances, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes, which quickly turned into understanding.
The two said nothing more, but tacitly changed direction and continued walking along the coastline.
On the moonlit shore, Uzumaki I stood alone, the sea breeze stirring her red hair, revealing a delicate face. Her figure, between the vast night sky and the sea, appeared both lonely and frail.
"Your Excellency, the Hokage."
Uzumaki I's voice was clear and cold, "What you said during the day was very interesting."
She turned around, her gaze sharp as she looked directly at Senju Mori:
"You said that Chizawa's gentleness is the bond that maintains the alliance, but what if the alliance itself becomes a shackles that restricts the development of our clan?"
Senju Mori met her gaze calmly, stepped forward, his voice steady and full of power:
"A true alliance means common strength and prosperity, not one-sided demands. Konoha has always been willing to share technology and achievements with Uzushiogakure, and to jointly resist external enemies."
"If what you seek is a stronger future for the Uzumaki Clan, then wouldn't a stable, friendly Konoha provide a better environment for your development than facing the four great nations, who are eyeing you covetously, alone?"
"The Uzumaki Clan transformed from a family into a Village, with the elite Ninja of the family occupying most of the core positions in the Village, giving them extremely strong control over the entire Uzushiogakure, but this also limited the Village's development."
"The Land of Whirlpools is small in area, lacking in both resources and population, and the number of Ninja is even scarcer. Even with the full strength of the entire Village, it can only muster a few hundred Ninja at most."
"No matter how outstanding your talent is, do you still intend to lead the Land of Whirlpools to contend with the Five Great Nations?"
"Have you ever considered whether Uzushiogakure, with its population and foundation, can withstand the consequences of even a single war failure?"
In Uzumaki I, Senju Mori vaguely saw the shadow of one person, that is, the future leader of the Land of Rain—Hanzo the Salamander.
In the Second Ninja World War more than ten years later, Hanzo, who attempted to lead Hidden Rain Village to rise and become the sixth great Ninja Village, was jointly attacked by the three great nations: Wind, Earth, and Fire.
The three great nations directly used the Land of Rain as a battlefield to start the Ninja World War, wearing down the population and war potential of the Land of Rain through brutal warfare, while Hanzo angrily led the Amegakure Ninja to resist.
Geniuses are always a bit arrogant.
But even if Hanzo defeated the Sannin with his individual strength, he still could not reverse the overall situation of the Ninja World War due to the excessive weakness of the overall strength of the Land of Rain.
He was eventually forced to back down, only earning the unclassifiable title of "demigod."
To shake the now stable pattern of the Five Great Nations, one must reach the level of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, becoming a truly invincible "god of shinobi" to achieve it.
In Senju Mori's view, Uzumaki I's strength and talent were even inferior to Hanzo's during his peak. Her attempt to lead Uzushiogakure to rise with her own strength was somewhat ignorant of her own limitations.
He paused, then extended an olive branch:
"The Uzumaki Clan's exceptional talent should not only bloom within the family. Konoha's Sealing Jutsu barrier squad will always reserve a place for a genius like you."
"Your power, only when used in the truly correct direction, can emit the most dazzling light."
"The Land of Fire and Konoha have abundant resources and population, with thousands of Ninja, enough to support a full-scale war against any great nation or great Ninja Village."
"While the Uzumaki Clan possesses a small number of elites and the most powerful Sealing Jutsu in the Ninja World, the combination of the two is truly complementary, enough to create a whole new era."
Uzumaki I was silent for a long time, finally nodding slightly:
"...I will consider it."
With that, her figure melted into the night and disappeared.
Uzumaki Mio gently held Senju Mori's hand: "Did you persuade her?"
"Not necessarily completely persuaded."
Senju Mori looked at the dark sea, "But at least, she wavered. Geniuses are often lonely; she needs to see a broader stage, and we can give her that. That's enough."
The next day, in front of the solemn Uzumaki Shrine, under the illumination of the rising sun, Uzumaki Chizawa's status as heir was officially confirmed, witnessed by both Uzumaki Chihaya and Senju Mori.
During the ceremony, Uzumaki Ashina, who had been so vocal the day before, was now unusually silent.
He stood expressionlessly at the front of his faction's ranks, his gaze downcast, not saying a word, as if he had suddenly lost interest in this important moment that would determine the family's future.
Only his slightly pursed lips betrayed a hint of inner turmoil.
Waking up this morning, he was shocked to find a letter, without any markings, silently placed on his desk. The cover bore only a simple signature, but it sent a tremor through his heart—Uzumaki Mito.
What made him feel a chill was that he, who had always been confident in his strength, had been completely unaware of when or by whom this letter had been placed there. If the sender had taken his life at that moment, he probably... He suppressed his humiliated anger and opened the letter, but its contents instantly made his face turn pale, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Uzumaki Mito's tone was calm but undeniable. She clearly stated that she was pleased to see Uzumaki Chizawa succeed and appreciated his wisdom in deepening the alliance with Konoha.
She hoped the Uzumaki Clan would remain united, rather than weaken its strength due to internal strife.
At the end of the letter, Mito, in the tone of an elder, reminded him that true family glory lay in leading the clan towards a brighter future, not in dwelling on past bloodline glory.
The letter itself contained no threats, but Uzumaki Ashina read the most severe warning into it.
His greatest reliance—his blood relation to the esteemed First Hokage's wife—was now not only gone but had become a sword hanging over his head.
Once the contents of this letter were made public, those clan members and elders who supported him because of Lady Mito would likely abandon him immediately.
The power he had gathered through bloodline would also crumble instantly due to the will of this higher bloodline.
Recalling the contents of the letter, Uzumaki Ashina bitterly admitted in his heart that he had lost all capital to openly object.
In the face of Senju Mori's absolute strength and political acumen, and Uzumaki Mito's silent yet weighty stance, any struggle seemed futile and foolish.
Therefore, throughout the ceremony, Uzumaki Ashina and his faction, though unwilling, ultimately dared not utter another word.
A potential storm thus dissipated into thin air.