Yuji led Fuma Kotaro and the others on a tour through the village, showing them around and giving them a look at what the Sand Village had prepared for their clan's residence. The Fuma clan members were visibly pleased when they saw it. Their allocated territory sat in one of the more central areas of the village, occupied a generous amount of space, and the buildings were of decent construction. This made them feel genuinely valued.
However, this reception seemed to have the unintended effect of inflating their sense of their own importance somewhat. They began to carry themselves with a degree of arrogance, as though the Sand Village needed their clan's strength rather than the other way around. The careful deference they had shown when first entering the village started to fade.
"Lord Kazekage, now that our Fuma clan has decided to join the Sand Village, what kind of official standing will the village give our clan head? Surely it needs to reflect our clan's status and importance?"
A man in the group with disheveled clothing and a mouth missing several teeth called out the question in a loud voice.
"Tetsuro," Kotaro immediately reprimanded him sharply.
"It is fine," Yuji said with an easy smile, appearing entirely unbothered.
He had already identified the man as one of Kotaro's inner circle, almost certainly acting on prior arrangement.
"The Sand Village has its own rules. Although we have reached an agreement between us and the village will provide a degree of support, you are after all newcomers who have moved here from outside. Simply having my backing is not remotely sufficient for establishing yourselves within the village on solid ground."
"After all, there are many ninja in this village beyond your clan alone. Without sufficient actual ability, even if positions and titles are handed to you, it will be very difficult to earn genuine respect from others. Would you not agree?"
Yuji said it simply.
"Since you have chosen to join our Sand Village, you will need to operate according to the village's rules and standards, not simply continue existing as a separate clan entity," Ebizo added pointedly.
"But you promised us that as long as we came, we would receive the corresponding benefits. What does this mean now? Are you planning to go back on your word?"
One of the Fuma clan's elder members spoke with undisguised hostility.
"Enough," Kotaro said sharply, his expression flashing with something that looked like genuine anger.
To Yuji and the others watching, this particular performance was transparently clumsy. It was obvious that Kotaro had coordinated with these two individuals beforehand to play contrasting roles, one aggressive and one conciliatory, hoping to quickly secure an elevated position and expanded privileges within the village.
"Lord Kazekage. I apologize for them."
After silencing his own people, Kotaro turned to Yuji and bowed in apology.
"Think nothing of it. You have only just arrived. Everyone needs time to adjust," Yuji said, waving his hand with an air of complete generosity.
But internally, his assessment of Kotaro as a clan leader had dropped noticeably.
This person was genuinely not someone who could be trusted with anything of real importance.
"You have all traveled a long way. Go ahead and get settled in. If anything comes up, contact Baki directly and he will make arrangements for you."
After that, Yuji exchanged a few brief words with the senior figures present and they gradually dispersed.
"Understood," Kotaro replied, his eyes flickering briefly.
The Fourth Kazekage had not given a clear answer to either of the two pointed questions his people had raised. Kotaro had noticed this.
The Fuma clan members then entered their prepared clan headquarters with considerable enthusiasm, beginning to divide up and settle into the available rooms. These were resources they had obtained without paying for them, and they were being welcomed into one of the Five Great Hidden Villages.
Looking around the full scope of the Sand Village's environment, the idea of becoming genuine members of this place was something none of them had dared to dream of even in idle fantasy before this.
Furthermore, the level of consideration the village had shown them was not low.
"People who join halfway are never truly reliable," Chiyo remarked calmly as Yuji walked back alongside her and the other senior figures.
Fully integrating the Fuma clan and making them genuinely loyal to the Sand Village with one heart would likely take until the next generation at the earliest.
"That is fine. What we actually wanted has already come to hand," Yuji said with a quiet smile.
He was referring to the Fuma clan's inherited secret techniques. That was the real reason their joining the village had value.
"Baki," Yuji called out.
"Lord Kazekage," Baki stepped forward immediately.
"Arrange a formal assessment of the Fuma clan members tomorrow. Have them officially enter the village's roster under Sand Village status."
"Understood," Baki acknowledged.
"While you are at it, take a proper measure of what these people are actually capable of. On the other side, have the Anbu keep a close watch on them for the time being. In the short term, maintain a degree of precautionary surveillance over the whole group."
Yuji said it with a light smile.
"Understood," Baki replied, and moved to carry out the instructions.
...
The Sand Village's senior leadership dispersed to discuss the Fuma clan matter among themselves.
Meanwhile, the Fuma clan members, having smoothly confirmed their living arrangements and resolved a series of immediate practical concerns, immediately organized an internal meeting under Kotaro's leadership.
"This Fourth Kazekage looks considerably younger than I had imagined. And he is genuinely not as frightening as the rumors made him sound. He seems quite easy to deal with."
"I looked into things beforehand. The Sand Village does not currently have any established clan comparable in size and standing to ours. Using that as leverage, we can push for significant advantages within the village's structure. At minimum, we need to position the clan head as a direct senior official. That way the clan's interests can be protected rather than us simply becoming the village's pawns."
"We do not know yet where the Kazekage intends to place us, but it absolutely must be a position of genuine authority in a department with real power, otherwise..."
The group sat gathered in a wide reception hall, everyone talking over each other with various opinions.
"Alright, everyone settle down. I understand what everyone is thinking. But we have only just arrived. Let us observe the situation first before making any moves."
Kotaro raised both hands and calmed the room.
Beyond the core members from the Land of Rice Fields branch of the bloodline, the hall also included several key figures who had been contacted through the wider ninja world network and had rejoined the clan for this occasion. These individuals were considered relatively capable in terms of actual strength.
"Looking at the current situation, the Sand Village's overall atmosphere is not bad. We have not encountered any particular hostility or rejection from the locals. But if we want to leverage the clan's strength to extract concessions, now is not the time.
In the short term, we should remain cooperative and wait until we have secured positions within the village's actual administrative structure. If the Sand Village truly fails to provide the resources we need to be satisfied, our resistance at that point will be far more effective."
"Right now they can invite us in and they can also drive us out. Once we become a genuine part of the Sand Village, removing us will not be so easy."
Kotaro spoke in an unhurried tone.
"Haha, that is exactly right."
Laughter spread through the assembled group upon hearing their clan head's reasoning.
In the center of the hall, the several Fuma clan members who had recently rejoined after being contacted through outside channels exchanged glances with each other but said nothing.
Strictly speaking, although they shared the Fuma bloodline, they were not part of this branch's inner leadership circle and were not particularly close to Kotaro personally. Their reason for coming had been to use this opportunity to reestablish themselves in the ninja world and attach themselves to the Sand Village as a major power.
To put down roots in a great hidden village and stop wandering the ninja world without stable ground beneath their feet.
Of course, they also understood that Kotaro had recruited them partly to boost the clan's overall apparent strength and attract more serious consideration from the Sand Village.
One of the recently returned Fuma members, a figure with a more reserved bearing, watched the clan's senior members openly scheming and negotiating in plain sight and frowned slightly.
They had barely arrived in the Sand Village and had not yet developed any real understanding of it, and yet these people were already impatiently calculating how to carve out the largest possible slice for themselves.
What exactly did these people think the Sand Village and the Fourth Kazekage were?
"A group of fools," the man thought quietly to himself.
...
💎
Read upto 75 chapters ahead@ keepsmiling818 p2reon