Chapter 68

Picking up the scroll from the ground, Uzumaki dropped a drop of chakra-filled blood onto the seal and unfolded the paper, quickly running his eyes over the text. Once, a second time, a third time... Just to make sure she was reading it correctly - it wasn't every day that you were informed that your home clan had defeated the forces of two great villages and fled with all the land they owned into the fold of space, effectively avoiding the consequences of that action.

- So the boy was right," Mito shook her head, remembering the note she had received from the half-breed.

- I should probably give him an invitation to come visit me, especially since Kushina-chan is bored alone. And it's worth it to improve his fuinjutsu skills. While I have time, I should take care of the bloodline.

* * *

A couple days later.

- Hokage-sama, you have a message from Danzo-sama.

Anbu appeared in the middle of Konohagakure's office, but unlike the two bodyguards hiding in the room, he wore a simple mask with a small "Ne" kanji without an animal image. The shinobi pulled a scroll from his pocket, bowed, handed it to the Hokage, and disappeared into the shunshin.

Putting aside the documents he was working on, Sarutobi Hiruzen unfolded the scroll and began to read it. The more he read, the more his brow furrowed and his face stiffened. Finally, he rolled the scroll up and put the message aside, took out his pipe, filled it with the aromatic tobacco from Kusa and smoked, trying to calm himself down. After a dozen minutes, the Hokage raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

- Elders to me at once! - He commanded the pair of Anbu that had appeared.

Just a few minutes later, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane flew into the office with a worried look on their faces.

- What's wrong, Hiruzen?! - The couple exclaimed almost synchronously.

- Anbu, get out! - Obeying the order, the guards disappeared from the office.

- And you sit down, we have much to discuss.

The Hokage took a deep drag and let out a ring of smoke.

- You know where Shimura's headed, don't you? - He asked, glaring at his longtime companions and receiving a nod of affirmation, Sarutobi continued.

- Just fifteen minutes ago, he sent me a report.

- And?

- Uzushiogakure no Sato repelled the attack of Kirigakure no Sato and Kumogakure no Sato, wiping out practically thirty thousand shinobi of all ranks from the forty thousand coalition of the two great villages, after which, their island simply disappeared.

- What? Disappeared how?!!!

- But how could they wipe out so many shinobi with just their two thousand?!!!!

Ignoring the shouts of the shocked elders, the Hokage took another drag on his pipe and tossed them a scroll. Reading it, the aging shinobi could only gulp for air, unable to utter a single word.

- But how? To raise a wave of even a couple of meters around the entire island would require an unimaginable amount of chakra, not to mention the addition of rayton chakra of immense power! - Koharu finally recovered from her shock. - Danzo, on the other hand, reports a SEVEN-METER WAVE!!!

- Which, on top of everything else, practically turned the attackers into charred corpses under the influence of the rayton! - Homura added. - Not to mention the disappearance of a huge island! What the fuck biju, disappearance?! How can a huge island disappear into thin air?! Danzo is delusional!

- 'I don't think so,' Hiruzen shook his head, 'our spies had reported Uzumaki's active movement before their revelation, I guess it was the preparation of such a trap that took a whole year.

- And what about the disappearance of an entire country without a trace!

- I don't know any more than you do! - The Hokage finally exploded. - We were lucky that the wave died out after a dozen kilometers, otherwise all the coastal settlements and our posts would have been destroyed!

There was a tense silence in the office.

- If they are capable of such surprises, then one day we might get hit by something similar simply because we tried to set them up!

- As long as the village has Senju and bits and pieces of their clan, we don't have to fear that," Sarutobi replied irritably, "and that means no plans to weaken Senju.

- Provoking Uzumaki would be suicide," the elder frowned, "I never expected Uzushio to have such power.

- Knowing Danzo, he'll put all the red-haired ones on the list of potential threats to the village and try to implement plans to destroy them," Mitokado grumbled. - If they reappear, of course.

- For now, we can only wait and see," the Hokage nodded, "and I expect you to help delay the plans to weaken Senju, if not cancel them altogether. We can't risk another betrayal just to strengthen the Hokage's position against the clans. The coming war will do that for us anyway.

- Perhaps we should send a relief squad for show? Just to show our concern over the disappearance of a former ally," Homura suggested.

- That's a good idea, at least it would take away any anger Mito-sama and Toka-sama might have at our apparent inaction in defiance of the alliance treaty," the Hokage agreed, muttering, "not that the clans have been officially notified of its breakup.