Chapter 97

This time, the Land of Whirlpools was facing serious trouble, with signs of activity from various Anbu teams from other villages within its borders. This situation had raised alarms in the Land of Whirlpools, and it had also caught the attention of Tobirama Senju.

Although the Land of Whirlpools hadn't officially requested Konoha's help, the Second Hokage was concerned and decided to send Hui to investigate. However, Hui already had a good idea of what might be causing the trouble.

In fact, the trouble in the Land of Whirlpools was most likely related to the tailed beasts.

Yes, the tailed beasts!

Since ancient times, the ninja world had known of the nine tailed beasts, each an incredibly fearsome existence. 

How terrifying were they? Terrifying enough to make people tremble just at the mention of their names, terrifying enough to quiet a crying child! Each tailed beast represented one of the pinnacle forces in the ninja world.

And yet, these nine ferocious beings were captured by Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama…

After that, they were sealed away by Konoha…

Then, they were even distributed to other villages…

They became weapons of war for the great nations…

This outcome might have been unfortunate for the tailed beasts, but it didn't diminish their importance.

Once sealed, tailed beasts became formidable weapons. The human vessels who contained them were called jinchūriki.

Konoha kept the Nine-Tails for itself, so its jinchūriki was known as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

The current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was none other than Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, and the grandmother of Tsunade. She was also a princess of the Land of Whirlpools.

But Uzumaki Mito was now quite old and likely wouldn't be able to contain the Nine-Tails much longer. This had become an issue over the past couple of years.

Konoha needed to find a successor for the position of Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, or else when the seal on the Nine-Tails broke, without Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara around, the Nine-Tails would be incredibly difficult to deal with.

And the best candidates for containing the Nine-Tails would come from the Uzumaki Clan, found in the Land of Whirlpools.

Thus, the Land of Whirlpools was extremely important to Konoha.

If Hui recalled correctly, the Land of Whirlpools would be destroyed around this time. Afterward, the surviving members of the Uzumaki Clan would split into two groups.

One group would scatter across the ninja world, living in secrecy—like Nagato's parents.

The other group would remain on the islands of the Land of Whirlpools, living through constant strife and hardship—like Uzumaki Kushina, who was later brought to Konoha due to her special nature.

As for the Land of Whirlpools itself, it was located on a small island off the eastern coast of the Land of Fire, surrounded by the sea. Being so close to the Land of Fire, it maintained a close relationship with Konoha.

The Uzumaki Clan, which ruled the Land of Whirlpools, was a powerful clan dating back to the Warring States Period, famed for their expertise in sealing techniques, which were unrivaled in the ninja world.

The Uzumaki Clan lived on the mainland of the Land of Whirlpools, in a village known as Uzushiogakure. 

Like the Senju and Uchiha clans, they were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, inheriting the Sage's powerful life force.

The Uzumaki Clan was known for their large chakra reserves and unique physiques, which made them the perfect jinchūriki. 

They were also the creators of various sealing techniques, including those that could suppress tailed beasts.

After Hashirama and Madara established Konoha, the Warring States Period ended, and the Uzumaki Clan founded the Land of Whirlpools, flourishing in their ancestral land. 

Thanks to their favorable location and strong relationship with Konoha, they thrived, becoming a prosperous nation at peace with the world.

However, the original Naruto story barely touched on the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. 

No exact date or culprits were mentioned. All that was said was that the nation was destroyed because of its powerful sealing techniques.

As Hui pondered the situation, he began to analyze the likely causes.

Before the Second Shinobi War, many of the war factions in the ninja world sought to expand their territories by force to secure national interests. This led to the development of powerful jutsu and the training of elite ninjas in preparation for war.

The tailed beasts, as weapons comparable to nuclear bombs, naturally became a key part of these preparations, leading to the creation of jinchūriki.

However, to create a jinchūriki, two conditions were necessary:

First, powerful sealing techniques were needed to seal the tailed beast inside a human host.

Second, a suitable host with the right physical traits was required to contain the beast.

From this, one can deduce a likely scenario: the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed because other nations coveted the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques, which were crucial for creating jinchūriki.

The Uzumaki Clan, after all, was unrivaled in the art of sealing. Throughout history, members of the Uzumaki Clan had been chosen to serve as jinchūriki.

Furthermore, the Land of Whirlpools was rich and prosperous, making it an attractive target for nations seeking war resources.

As for why Konoha didn't come to their aid? There were two possibilities:

First, Konoha may have been unable to help due to being embroiled in its own conflicts.

Second, Konoha may not have had enough time to respond.

The first possibility seemed unlikely, given that the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed between the First and Second Shinobi Wars, a period of relative peace for Konoha.

That left the second possibility: the attack on Uzushiogakure had been a coordinated effort by several nations, who struck suddenly and swiftly before either the Uzumaki Clan or Konoha could react.

By the time Konoha realized what was happening, it was already too late.

The forces involved in the attack must have been many, and they must have been powerful.

In Hui's mind, this destruction of the Land of Whirlpools and the downfall of the Uzumaki Clan were the result of a carefully planned robbery—a brutal act of murder and theft by the various nations as they prepared for war.

When Hui and his team finally arrived in Uzushiogakure, they were greeted by a bustling and prosperous scene. Buildings stood tall and crowded together, and the streets were packed with people going about their day, shoulder to shoulder. The place was filled with life and energy, making it hard not to admire the peaceful, thriving atmosphere.

Walking through the lively streets, Hui couldn't help but marvel at the development of the Land of Whirlpools. The village had truly prospered.

Had the Uzumaki Clan chosen to adopt the ninja village system like the great nations, Uzushiogakure could have grown into the sixth great hidden village within a decade or two.

But as Hui looked up at the sky, a feeling of unease settled in his chest.

Something was wrong.

There was an oppressive force in the air, something he couldn't quite place. It wasn't just a barrier—it was a sealing barrier.

This barrier wasn't just for defense. It had offensive capabilities as well.

It was this very barrier that had saved the Land of Whirlpools during the last Cold War.

With such a powerful barrier, it was no wonder that the ninja of Uzushiogakure seemed so carefree, completely unaware of any looming danger.

However, Hui knew better. Beneath this peaceful surface, there were dark forces at work.

After the last Cold War, three years of stability had lulled the Land of Whirlpools and the Uzumaki Clan into a false sense of security, making them forget the brutal reality of the ninja world.

The Land of Whirlpools had become a juicy target for many nations—a piece of fattened prey, ready to be devoured.

join my patreon for 70+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL