However, to Genshiro, Terumi Mei, and the Hōzuki clan leader, Yu's response struck like a thunderclap.

"So this is what you meant by 'raising the price,' Yu-kun?" Terumi Mei's green eyes quivered slightly, her thoughts a chaotic mess. She looked visibly troubled.

To lose two Tailed Beasts…

What difference would remain between the Hidden Mist and a dead village?

The aged Genshiro lowered his head in contemplation. His wrinkled face made it difficult to read his expression.

Terumi Mei and Ao both looked toward him—their eyes filled with concern for the elder who now held more weight in the village than even the Mizukage.

Bang!

The Hōzuki clan leader slammed his palm onto the table, about to speak.

But just then, Suigetsu blurted out:

"Um—I know the Hydrification Technique!"

He gave a startled shiver after speaking, clearly frightened by the loud bang.

Yu's eyes lit up.

"Suigetsu, what are you doing?!" the Hōzuki clan leader's face twisted with fury. He glared at the panicked boy. "Why should we give away our Tailed Beasts, our blades, and even our clan's secret technique?! These are the treasures of the Hidden Mist! I won't allow it!"

Tamao snapped angrily, "Huh? Old man, who even asked you?"

"And who the hell are you?" the Hōzuki clan leader shot back, turning to the baby-faced youth.

His beard trembled in rage. He nearly unleashed a jutsu right then and there to teach the punk a lesson.

Genshiro's face darkened as he turned to the hot-tempered but largely powerless Hōzuki patriarch.

Terumi Mei and Ao also looked up.

Only these three truly understood why Yu dared to make such excessive demands.

The Hōzuki clan leader caught the strange looks from Genshiro and the others.

He snapped, "What? Am I wrong?! The Three-Tails and Six-Tails are the foundation of our Hidden Mist! We can't just give them away!"

He hadn't even seen Yu's full Susanoo. After being freed from the genjutsu, he was instantly sealed by the Totsuka Blade.

So now, he spoke without any fear.

"…You're right," Genshiro said quietly, "but…"

Genshiro let out a long sigh as he spoke, then fell silent once again.

The people of Kirigakure all lowered their heads in silence.

Tailed beasts were indeed the foundation.

But what could the current Kirigakure use to protect these foundations?

Kirigakure had grown so weak that even their Mizukage could be controlled by outsiders. They needed external help to quell the rampage of the tailed beasts. Keeping the beasts around only invited more threats.

Terumi Mei's beautiful face kept shifting with emotion as she silently pondered Kirigakure's path forward without the tailed beasts.

"Sigh…"

Genshiro sighed repeatedly. His earlier suggestion to gift a tailed beast to the Uchiha and to ask Uchiha Yu to only select one of the Seven Ninja Swords was simply an attempt to keep some room for negotiation.

But these Uchiha—what an appetite they had.

Before the Hōzuki clan leader could say anything more, the conference room was once again lit by orange flames as the Totsuka Blade pierced cleanly through his chest.

"You!!"

The Hōzuki clan leader turned his head, eyes wide in shock and fury, glaring at Uchiha Yu, who had ambushed him.

A moment later, his body twisted and churned, then was absorbed into the Totsuka Blade.

"Clan leader…"

Suigetsu's eyes widened, staring blankly as the entire scene unfolded. His mind instantly froze.

Uchiha Yu's expression remained unchanged. He retracted his Susanoo and slowly sat down, his calm gaze sweeping across the others.

He had released the Hōzuki clan leader only to demand a secret scroll of the Hydrification Technique.

Now that Suigetsu had already learned it, and this stubborn old man refused to comply, it was better to just seal him again—no need to waste more words.

Everyone present sighed heavily.

"Sigh…" Master Yuan sighed once again. Knowing further talk was meaningless, he said, "Fine. The internal details will need to be discussed among the Kirigakure leadership. Please, you and your party can rest in the reception room for now."

The Uchiha present all smiled.

Tsunade and Shizune exchanged a look.

Tsunade was the first to rise and leave. She found her presence at this meeting absolutely ridiculous.

A meeting between the Uchiha and Kirigakure…

And she, a Senju, was there to witness it.

What kind of situation was this?

What was even more absurd was that the Uchiha had actually succeeded in negotiations. Tsunade frowned slightly.

She turned her head to glance at Uchiha Yu, who was following behind her, and noticed he was staring at her back.

Tsunade quickly averted her gaze. She had a feeling that what Orochimaru said might be true—this man's rise could very well change the entire structure of the ninja world.

Clack, clack, clack—

Walking away in her high heels, Tsunade suddenly remembered the night she spent with Uchiha Yu, and the promise he made to her afterward.

Tsunade still didn't know how he planned to resurrect the one she cherished most.

If he truly could bring them back…

Besides Nawaki… did she also want to bring back Dan?

And was she, as she was now, even worthy of seeing him again?

Tsunade bit her lip hard, her expression somber. She stepped into the restroom, emotions surging in her heart:

"Dan… I'm sorry."

…

In the reception room, Uchiha Yu stood by the window, gazing out at the mist-covered Kirigakure, now cleared of its fog.

"Captain, are we heading back to the Land of Rice Fields next?" asked Uchiha Minami.

Everyone from the Uchiha clan, including Shizune and Nonou, perked up. Until now, they had no permanent home.

"Mhm." Uchiha Yu nodded slightly.

The others understood at once.

Uchiha Yu focused his mind and opened the main mission list to view the second main task:

[Main Mission]:

Leader – Reforge the Uchiha!

[Mission Option]:

1. Choose a territory;

Requirement: The chosen land must be sincerely accepted by himself and his fellow Uchiha.

[Reward]:

The Gedo Statue!

Now that he had collected two tailed beasts, the next step was to find a "territory" and complete the second main task—founding a new ninja village and obtaining the Gedo Statue.

After a long while, light footsteps echoed in the corridor, and the door to the reception room opened.

"Yu-kun, Kirigakure has come to a decision. I've asked Ao to arrange accommodations for you all. You've worked hard today—please rest in Kirigakure tonight."

Terumi Mei stood at the door with a smile.

She softened her gaze and looked at Uchiha Yu's back, then spoke in a low voice: "Uchiha Yu, let's return to the conference room to talk in more detail."

Among the Uchiha group, Mikoto's expression subtly changed. She watched Uchiha Yu follow Mei Terumi away, her instincts telling her that this woman seemed to harbor some kind of intention toward him.

Before leaving, Uchiha Yu turned back to the group. "Go and get some rest."

After he spoke, he cast a meaningful glance at Mikoto—tonight, he needed to continue training his spiritual power.

Mikoto lowered her head shyly, the tips of her toes curling slightly inside her ninja shoes.

"Yes, sir—"

The Uchiha were in high spirits and followed Ao down the corridor.

---

Back in the conference room—

Uchiha Yu noticed that the once-spacious room was now completely empty. Even the ANBU who had hidden in the shadows earlier had been dismissed.

This made him unable to guess what Kirigakure was planning.

Mei Terumi leaned against the door and gently closed it before walking slowly to Uchiha Yu's side.

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she pulled out a chair and asked softly, "Please, have a seat. May I… sit next to you?"

"Go ahead."

Uchiha Yu sat down, shooting Mei Terumi a side glance. She didn't seem quite right. He mentally noted that he hadn't taken any stimulants to boost his spiritual awareness.

Mei smoothed her blue skirt and took the seat to his right. Resting her hands lightly on her thighs, she remained silent for a moment before breaking the awkward pause.

"Kirigakure accepts your request. The Tailed Beasts and the Seven Ninja Swords—we'll hand them over to the Uchiha," she said. "But we have one condition."

Uchiha Yu looked at her. "Speak."

"Elder Genshiro and I both hope that the Uchiha will become allies of Kirigakure. If we are invaded by other villages in the future, we want you to support us and protect Kirigakure at the first sign of trouble."

Her eyes trembled slightly as she locked gazes with Uchiha Yu, repeating the terms she and Genshiro had previously discussed.

"Alright."

His response was swift and firm.

Mei Terumi froze for a moment, surprised by how quickly he agreed.

In truth, Uchiha Yu had far greater ambitions. Offering Kirigakure protection in exchange for their cooperation was no issue—especially since they'd just lost their Tailed Beasts.

Once the time was right, he would demand annual tributes from them, slowly turning Kirigakure—and the entire Land of Water—into a part of the new ninja village he intended to build.

°°°

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