Chapter 38 — Princess, Warrior, Serpent
"Kumogakure?!"
Uzumaki Chihaya frowned, his brows knitting together as his fingers tapped the tabletop unconsciously.
"Yes, Father," Uzumaki Chizawa replied with a helpless smile, his expression tinged with resignation. "Morin specifically mentioned this in his sealed letter—he was afraid that if the news became public, it would cause panic within the village."
"Kumogakure has always been aggressively expansionist in its foreign policy, and those dark-skinned barbarians have never been known for honor," Chizawa continued.
"Morin is worried that the Third Raikage might personally lead a force across the Land of Hot Water and launch a surprise naval assault on Uzushiogakure…"
Although Kumogakure had made no major moves since the so-called Alliance Ceremony, Morin had never once lowered his guard against those war-crazed fanatics.
After all—
launching a coup simply because they were dissatisfied with a ceasefire, openly assassinating another village's Kage during a major diplomatic event—and actually succeeding at it—
If the Uchiha had ever shown that level of decisiveness, they would have been wiped out long ago.
What else could it be?
Madara was already gone, and a handful of rotten garlic bulbs still thought they could become Hokage?
Putting that aside—
It was precisely because of the possibility of Kumogakure taking action that Morin had deliberately warned Uzushiogakure to heighten its defenses, preferably activating all war-prepared barrier formations in advance.
If Kumogakure truly launched an attack, Morin would certainly rush to their aid at once—but the Uzumaki clan had to be able to hold out long enough for Konoha's reinforcements to arrive.
Fortunately, the reason the Uzumaki clan had endured for so long was not merely their powerful bloodline and the Senju alliance. Their two greatest strengths were knowing when to listen and acting with caution.
Before nightfall had even arrived, layers upon layers of barrier seals lit up over Uzushiogakure. In the end, they formed a vast, translucent dome that sealed the entire village within.
From afar, it looked like a colossal crystal egg standing in the sea, shimmering with strange light beneath the setting sun.
As for the sudden activation of the barriers, Uzumaki Chihaya did not reveal the possibility of a Kumogakure attack. Instead, he cited the unfinished state of the shinobi war and the need to remain vigilant.
---
Early the next morning, an eight-person diplomatic delegation officially set out with Senju Tao's group for Konoha.
As this was a formal visit between allied hidden villages, Uzushiogakure spared no effort. In addition to Uzumaki Chizawa himself, the clan dispatched one elder and six carefully selected jōnin to accompany him.
Such a lineup more than demonstrated Uzushiogakure's respect for its ally.
---
After just a day and a half of travel, Uzumaki Chizawa once again arrived near the outskirts of Konoha.
As the silhouette of the village came into view in the distance, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure standing far ahead.
Senju Morin wore the Hokage's hat, his white ceremonial cloak billowing in the wind, the fabric snapping crisply as the crimson characters "Third Hokage" blazed like flames across his back.
Behind him, the afternoon sun gilded the ever-green forest in brilliant gold. A gentle breeze stirred the treetops, leaves whispering softly—like the earth murmuring to itself.
The sight stirred a storm of emotions in Uzumaki Chizawa.
The scenery around Konoha had not changed at all. It was still peaceful, still serene.
Yet the difference between his two arrivals could not have been greater.
Last time, he had crept in secretly—dodging patrols from the Land of Fire, constantly afraid of triggering Konoha's barrier system—slipping through the shadows like a rat crawling through a gutter.
This time, he arrived openly as a representative of the Land of Whirlpools. His closest friend had become Hokage, and Morin himself had come personally to greet him outside the village.
"Chizawa, you finally made it," Morin said, striding forward with a smile.
"Apologies for keeping the Hokage waiting~" Chizawa replied with a grin, his tone teasing.
"Oh, don't give me that," Morin chuckled, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear.
"Are you hinting that I should start preparing a congratulatory gift for your future clan leadership?"
As he spoke, Morin stepped aside slightly.
"You arrived just in time. Come—meet my newly accepted disciples."
Only then did Chizawa notice the three children standing behind Morin.
During the days Senju Tao had spent traveling back and forth between Konoha and Uzushiogakure, Morin had officially taken in three disciples and, as tradition dictated, formed Team Morin, with the Hokage himself acting as their jōnin instructor.
Morin first drew the blonde girl forward, casually ruffling her soft golden hair.
"You already know Tsunade, so I won't bother introducing her."
"Uncle Chizawa~!"
Tsunade clearly recognized him. Beaming, she waved energetically, brimming with vitality.
Morin's gaze then shifted to the child beside her.
"This is Sakumo—Shūichi's son. He's especially gifted in swordsmanship."
Chizawa instinctively looked over and saw a white-haired boy with a plain short blade strapped to his back. Though the smallest of the three, he stood straight as a spear.
"Lord Chizawa,"
Hatake Sakumo bowed politely, his movements precise and disciplined.
The last boy had pale skin and long black hair, dressed in a purple kimono like a miniature adult. His yellow, slit-pupil eyes—serpentine and unblinking—quietly observed everything around him.
Noticing Chizawa's curiosity, Morin continued,
"This is Orochimaru—the top student of this year's Ninja Academy. He resembles Lord Tobirama in his youth. A true prodigy."
"Lord Chizawa,"
Orochimaru bowed as well, perfectly courteous—though his voice carried a faint rasp and an oddly cool detachment.
"You really are something else…"
Chizawa sighed with a helpless smile, lowering his voice toward Morin.
"You didn't even warn me you'd taken disciples. I came in a hurry—how was I supposed to prepare proper gifts?"
Even as he complained, his hand slipped into his ninja pouch. After a brief search, he produced three talismans marked with the character "Seal."
"Fortunately, I still have a few custom sealing tags on me. They should be presentable enough."
At the sight of the talismans, Morin's expression turned subtly complicated, the corner of his mouth twitching.
They were excellent items.
High-grade sealing tags crafted by the Uzumaki clan—among the finest in the entire shinobi world.
It was just that…
the reason these happened to be in Chizawa's pouch—and why only a few remained—
Was because most of them had already been "gifted" during an unspeakable afternoon to a very unlucky Uchiha Kagami…
"Thank you, Uncle Chizawa~!"
Tsunade, clearly recognizing their value, lit up and accepted them eagerly with both hands.
Sakumo and Orochimaru, however, did not reach out immediately. Both instinctively glanced at Morin.
Seeing this, Morin could only smile wryly and nod in approval.
"Thank you for your generosity, Lord Chizawa,"
the two boys said in unison as they accepted the gifts.
Laughing and chatting, the group did not linger. Bathed in dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, the five of them walked together toward the gates of Konohagakure in the distance.