The final Uzumaki Shrine was originally located inside a narrow cave.
However, after the reconstruction of Uzushiogakure began, rebuilding the Uzumaki Shrine was also placed on the agenda. A quiet mountain forest far away from the busy town was selected as the new location.
Following Naruto step by step into the forest, Jiraiya sighed softly, his body gradually entering a tense state.
He had never shown much hostility toward Uzushiogakure, but the village leader, Menma, obviously couldn't allow him to wander around freely. Now that they were far from the bustling areas, a fight could break out at any moment.
Still, that actually worked in Jiraiya's favor. He didn't want to hurt innocent villagers.
He had mastered Sage Techniques and Summoning Jutsu, and an open area like this was perfect if things turned ugly.
When they arrived at the Uzumaki Shrine, Shisui Uchiha and Huomen (uncertain translation — name may be incorrect) had already been waiting. Standing beside them was an old man with gray hair and a long beard, radiating a rather unfriendly aura.
Seeing Jiraiya, Uzumaki Ashina frowned.
"Menma, is this the ninja brat Konoha sent? His chakra looks pretty strong. No wonder you lured him all the way to the shrine."
Hearing this, alarm bells immediately rang in Jiraiya's mind.
He was confident he could fight Shisui and Menma. If things got bad, he could still retreat.
But with this mysterious old ninja added to the mix, his chances of winning dropped dramatically. Hell, he might even die here.
Thinking of that, Jiraiya quietly raised a finger toward his teeth, ready to summon a Sage Toad at any moment.
At that moment, Naruto shook his head slightly, walked over to Uzumaki Ashina, and said:
"There's no need to deal with a Sannin every single time. I heard you wanted to build an artificial lake behind the shrine, so I came to help."
Uzumaki Ashina stroked his beard.
"I did have that idea. But the lake can wait. Rebuilding Uzushiogakure is the real priority—I don't need to enjoy scenery right now."
"That's exactly why I came to help," Naruto replied with a grin. "By the way… I'm back."
After exchanging a few casual greetings, Naruto suddenly released Wind Release chakra, forming a small whirlwind beneath his feet. He stepped onto it and rose dozens of meters into the air above the shrine.
Then he began mobilizing the chakra of the Kurama, condensing a spinning sphere in his palm.
As time passed, the spiraling orb grew from the size of a ping-pong ball to the size of a massive millstone, radiating terrifying chakra fluctuations.
Sensing that overwhelming chakra, Jiraiya's face turned uncertain.
Shisui and Zabuza Momochi widened their eyes, a chill running down their spines.
The next moment, the massive spiral sphere shot downward.
A blinding white light engulfed the earth.
Then—
BOOM!
After the flash faded, the entire ground trembled violently. A mushroom cloud rose into the sky from the explosion site, and the shockwave blasted through the forest, sending animals flying and crashing to the ground.
A few minutes later, when the smoke finally cleared, a gigantic semicircular crater had appeared not far from the shrine.
Naruto casually created a Shadow Clone, which guided the underground river's water into the crater, slowly filling it until it formed a natural-looking artificial lake.
After showing off his "muscles," Naruto walked back to Jiraiya and said with a light smile:
"As for the question you asked half an hour ago, Mr. Jiraiya, I think you already have your answer. I wanted to build a village, so I invited the Uchiha to join me. Do you have any other questions?"
After witnessing this scene, Jiraiya slowly lowered the hand he had raised toward his mouth, abandoning the idea of summoning the Toad Sage.
The message was clear.
Menma had no intention of handing over the Uchiha, but he also didn't want to become enemies with Konoha. So he demonstrated his strength—and casually threatened a Sannin while he was at it.
Judging from that destructive ninjutsu alone, even if Konoha could defeat Uzushiogakure, the casualties would be enormous.
More importantly, with power like that, the Five Great Ninja Villages would think twice before provoking the Land of Whirlpools. No one wanted their village center blasted into a crater.
So taking the Uchiha away was impossible.
Hell, even retreating safely depended on the other side's mood.
For a Sannin like Jiraiya, that feeling was… extremely unpleasant.
After a moment of thought, Jiraiya sighed softly.
"I don't have any other questions for now."
Hearing this, Naruto smiled faintly.
The other ninjas of Uzushiogakure also quietly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they had already provoked Orochimaru. If they angered Konoha as well, life would become even more difficult.
After the others left, Naruto and Jiraiya stood beside the newly formed artificial lake.
Jiraiya spoke earnestly:
"Menma, you clearly have the strength to build a ninja village. But why go through all this trouble instead of going to Konoha?"
"Don't say it's for the Uchiha. The Uzumaki and the Uchiha were enemies for decades. In Konoha, you could develop much better. You might even become Hokage. That's a lot easier than building a village from scratch."
Naruto glanced at Jiraiya and replied indifferently:
"And then what? Be raised as a Jinchūriki and die fighting for Konoha? Maybe not even be able to protect your own village in the end? What kind of bullshit deal is that?"
Naruto was referring to Mito Uzumaki.
But Jiraiya immediately thought of Kushina Uzumaki.
Kushina had originally been an orphan from Uzushiogakure. After living in Konoha for more than ten years, she eventually accepted the Will of Fire, married Minato Namikaze, and became a true member of Konoha.
For Jiraiya, who was also a war orphan, the Will of Fire had been the reason he recognized Konoha as home.
But in some ways… Uzushiogakure had done better.
The Will of Fire in Konoha no longer seemed as pure as it once was.
After a long silence, Jiraiya finally said slowly:
"I'll explain the Uchiha situation to the Hokage and persuade him not to pursue their defection anymore. But there's one thing I need to confirm."
"Go ahead," Naruto replied. "I'm listening."
Jiraiya's voice grew more serious.
"Will Uzushiogakure become a threat to Konoha in the future? Will it covet the Land of Fire like other ninja villages?"
Naruto glanced at him and sneered.
"As long as Konoha doesn't attack Uzushiogakure first, we won't be enemies."
"But that's all."
"Uzushiogakure will no longer be Konoha's ally… and we definitely won't die for Konoha either."
Jiraiya let out a long breath.
"That answer is enough."
"I can guarantee that the Hokage's direct forces won't attack Uzushiogakure. If someone does attack your village, then they're acting on their own—not on behalf of Konoha. You can deal with them however you like…"
So… does that mean expelling Danzo Shimura from the equation? Naruto thought silently.
At that moment, Jiraiya suddenly added:
"And if you ever get the chance… go back to Konoha and take a look. It's not as bad as you think."
"At the very least, it's still better than most other ninja villages."
Naruto looked toward the distance.
"If there's a chance… I will."
"But not now."
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