Chapter 25

A couple of months later. Hokage's office.

"So, Shimura-san, what's the reason for this urgent gathering of the four of us?" Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed his pipe meaningfully, looking at his long-time friend-turned-rival and two elder advisors - Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, settled comfortably in chairs opposite him. "I have too many concerns with the impending war to be distracted by trivial matters."

"We'd also like to hear about it," nodded the advisors.

"Before I begin, answer me one simple question - have you heard recently about a shortage of seals, any kind - explosive, paralyzing, chakra-suppressing, or any others?" the head of the Nara clan responded with a question of his own.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I did receive requests to increase seal supplies from the owners of ninja equipment shops," the Hokage answered, "but I considered it a temporary phenomenon - as before the last war, people stock up in anticipation of hard times."

"I would have thought the same, if not for the fact that my shinobi are currently receiving the last reserves of seals from the warehouses, and there's simply nowhere to replenish them," Danzo replied irritably.

"What do you mean, nowhere?" Koharu exclaimed. "We have no fewer than three real seal masters, not to mention their apprentices and those few shinobi who can make basic seals at an acceptable level!"

"In that case, I can confidently say that we no longer have any experienced fuinjutsu and kekkaijutsu masters, or even promising students," the aging veteran said in a solemn voice.

"Explain yourself, Danzo," Sarutobi said, squinting.

"All the Uzumaki who provided us with seals, just a week and a half ago, collectively packed their numerous belongings, sold their real estate, and, hiring a dozen shinobi teams to accompany themselves, their families, and their students, headed in the direction of Uzushiogakure. So now we no longer have a single truly experienced fuinjutsu and kekkaijutsu master or even a promising apprentice!"

"How?! Why wasn't I informed about this?! A whole crowd of people with their belongings couldn't leave Konoha unnoticed!" Sarutobi exclaimed.

"You forget that true fuinjutsu masters don't need carts for their belongings - a small scroll capable of holding the contents of a couple of wagons is enough," Danzo waved his hand.

"And as for stealthiness - everyone who left the village are ordinary civilians, not shinobi. Within a couple of days, they hired escort teams for one day and, showing their papers, calmly passed through the gates. I only found out about it when I checked the mission records and the list of those who passed through the gates that day. Considering that the total population of Konoha is over two hundred thousand, among which there are plenty of traders, a couple of dozen people can easily go unnoticed."

"This means they've already reached Uzushiogakure," Mitokado groaned, massaging his nose bridge in anticipation of an impending headache.

"Excellent, just excellent!" the Hokage echoed him, foreseeing new mountains of paperwork that would soon land on his desk from the shinobi who had lost their usual equipment.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg of the heap of troubles that has befallen us," Shimura sighed tiredly, temporarily shedding the almost ingrained stone mask of composure - all three present in the office knew him as a seasoned politician, but the opposite was also true.

"Knowing you, we won't hear any good news," the elder muttered, "what else happened?"

"In order to find out the reason for such an unexpected and hasty disappearance of the Uzumaki, I had to send my boys to all known red-haired masters and pull a couple of strings," the head of the Root grimaced, "I did manage to dig up the reason - they were recalled by a direct order of the Uzukage."

"Could they have sniffed out about Kumo and Kiri?" Sarutobi frowned. "If so, we may have problems!"

"A perfectly adequate reaction to the fact that we withheld vital information," Homura remarked. "And now our hopes that the Uzumaki clan would serve as a buffer against the two great villages may turn to dust."