Uzumaki Jun saw the returning members. Only...
Twelve!!
Sixteen elite jonin had gone out, but only twelve returned. Their green vests were dusty, their faces bore joyful smiles. Though they were all slightly injured and their vests were torn, it couldn't hide their excitement.
Seeing this, Uzumaki Jun's eyes reddened. They...
Had truly carried out his mission with dedication.
"Lord Jun, we succeeded," one jonin carefully took out a scroll, his face filled with a smile as he respectfully presented it. "This is the Iwagakure's Light-Weight Boulder Technique."
"And this is the Hero's Water from Takigakure."
"Also, Sunagakure's Puppet Technique, but they only agreed to give us the basic version!"
"..."
Looking at what they had brought back, Uzumaki Jun secretly wiped away his tears and said with a smile, "You are all heroes of Uzushiogakure!"
Now that they had obtained everything...
How had they gotten injured?
"Your injuries?" Uzumaki Jun asked in confusion. He had clearly told them to retreat if the situation became unfavorable, yet they had lost four jonin. What had happened?
Had they started fighting before negotiating?
That was ridiculous!
Who conducted business like that? Fighting first, then talking?
They had already killed people. How could negotiations proceed after that?
"It was the ANBU," the Uzu-nin exchanged glances before finally deciding to speak. "Konoha's ANBU."
"They discovered us and tried to capture us. In the end..."
"To cover our retreat, they..."
Hearing the Uzu-nin's words, Uzumaki Jun clenched his fists tightly. He had never expected this. The ones who had sacrificed their lives hadn't fallen to other villages but to their own allies?
Sarutobi Hiruzen would never dare to act so brazenly. The kindly village leader image he had worked so hard to build wouldn't be ruined so easily. Then...
ROOT!
But Uzumaki Jun didn't care whether it was ANBU or ROOT. They were all Konoha's people.
The problem was...
"Sorry," Uzumaki Jun said apologetically. Now was not the time. Or rather...
Uzushiogakure couldn't afford to openly oppose Konoha, neither now nor in the future. In this shinobi world, Konoha's reputation was still formidable. But...
A price would be paid.
He would definitely make Konoha pay.
"It's fine," the Uzu-nin replied, confused. They didn't understand why Uzumaki Jun was apologizing.
"Yes, yes, Lord Jun doesn't need to apologize to us."
"We are shinobi. Our duty is to follow orders."
Seeing this, Uzumaki Jun sighed inwardly and said softly, "Uzushiogakure will become strong. And Konoha will..."
"Pay the price."
At the same time, in the Kiri-nin encampment.
"What did you say?" The Mizukage's assistant was stunned, staring in disbelief at the jonin who had rushed over from Kirigakure.
Because he had traveled by small boat and pushed himself to the limit, the Kiri-nin was exhausted. Still, he made his way to the Mizukage's tent and reported respectfully, "It's true. The Tsuchikage has brought a large force to our borders."
He was a Mizukage loyalist and didn't want anything to happen to the Mizukage. If power changed hands, who knew what the next Mizukage would do?
It was better for the current one to stay alive.
"Damn it!" The Mizukage's assistant saw the jonin's expression and immediately grew serious. This was no joke. But...
What was the Tsuchikage trying to do?
"Quick, quick, summon the Mizukage! This is an emergency!"
"Notify everyone! Emergency meeting! No matter what they're doing, they must attend!"
If this wasn't resolved quickly, it wouldn't just be a matter of being dismissed.
Damn it, why was everything going wrong?
Ever since setting foot in Uzushiogakure, nothing had gone smoothly!
"Did you find anything?" asked a Konoha ANBU captain wearing a mask.
"Nothing from their bodies," another masked ANBU shook his head. "Their memories seem to have been sealed."
The Uzumaki Clan truly lived up to their reputation as masters of sealing techniques.
"What were these Uzumaki members trying to do?"
Why had they appeared here now, and all of them jonin? Unless...
Kirigakure still hadn't succeeded?
What a bunch of incompetents!
How could they call themselves one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages if they couldn't even destroy a small country like this?
"Send the information to Lord Danzo. Let him decide what to do."
"What about the Hokage?"
"Don't worry about him. Follow Lord Danzo's orders."
"Yes!"
Seeing the return of the mission teams, the Uzumaki Clan erupted in celebration. Because they remembered...
When the mission teams returned, the war would end.
They firmly believed this because...
Lord Jun had said so.
Only the clan leader and elders noticed Uzumaki Jun's unease and sighed as they approached him.
"Jun, don't blame yourself," the elder patted Uzumaki Jun's shoulder and sat beside him. "This is the fate of a shinobi."
"But this could have been avoided," Uzumaki Jun shook his head. "It's my fault. Because of my decisions..."
"Everything could have ended sooner."
If they had just handed over the tailed beast to Kirigakure, it would have all...
Ended.
Or if they had avoided the Land of Fire, taken things slower, those four wouldn't have died.
"Hahaha!" The elder laughed. "You've done more than enough. To be honest, I thought Uzushiogakure was doomed this time. But because of you, we've won. And now..."
"Uzushiogakure will grow even stronger. We've always believed in you."
A seven-year-old Kage-level shinobi...
Unheard of in the shinobi world.
Yet, they didn't know that Uzumaki Jun was only an ordinary jonin now. That incident had been a fluke.
"So they truly believe in you," the elder said, looking at Uzumaki Jun. "More than the Daimyo of Uzushiogakure, more than the Uzumaki Clan leader, they now believe in you the most."
"You brought them victory."
"Uzushiogakure doesn't need a Daimyo who cries."
"The Uzumaki Clan has no cowards. We fear no hardship."
"So, do what you must. We old folks will support you all the way."
"As for Konoha..."
The elders' faces darkened. "Uzushiogakure will settle accounts with them later."
Hearing the elders' words, Uzumaki Jun sighed helplessly. All of this was because Uzushiogakure was too weak. If they were stronger, stronger than any other nation, who would dare to attack them so easily?
"I will make Uzushiogakure strong."
"Stronger than ever before!"
He had always believed in himself. He could make Uzushiogakure strong.
"Lord Jun, Kirigakure requests negotiations!"
Finally, the last negotiation had arrived.
The war that had begun here would now end here.