Chapter 61: Did You Sell Me Out?

Damn it, that sinking feeling of being played again!

As Akaba felt the Daimyo's gaze upon him, he immediately suspected that the Third had tricked him once more.

"Big brother Akaba, they're looking at us..." 

Little missy whispered.

Not just the Daimyo, but his guards too.

Akaba swept his eyes across the surroundings. Seeing the Uzumaki kids gathered around Kyoyuki and the red-wrapped carts confirmed his suspicion.

He'd been had—badly.

All that talk about staying over and switching names...

His heart was aching, but there was no turning back now. Seeing the anxious look in little missy's eyes, he still had to comfort her: "It's okay. Hokage-sama is introducing you all—guests from the Land of Whirlpools—to His Majesty the Daimyo."

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Kyoyuki Uzumaki was the daughter of the clan leader of the Uzumaki, and in a way, also the princess of both the Uzumaki clan and the Land of Whirlpools.

This explanation worked well enough for status purposes, and since little missy trusted Akaba quite a bit, she didn't ask anything else.

Soon everyone watched as the Third stepped out of the carriage and stood aside.

Shortly after, the Daimyo's procession headed toward Fire Temple—the two sides seemingly reaching a mutual understanding before heading off to their separate destinations.

"Let's go. Back to the village."

Hiruzen Sarutobi returned, speaking casually and relaxed.

Akaba followed behind without a word. With so many kids around, now wasn't the time to ask unnecessary questions.

They kept quiet until finally, outside Konoha Village, the group slowly began to relax.

Within Konoha territory, this was their domain. Any foreign ninja foolish enough to attack would face not only the fury of the Ninja Professor but also the overwhelming firepower of Konoha.

A dying camel is still taller than a horse. And Konoha hadn't borne all the scars of the First Great War alone—no Hidden Village dared challenge them right now.

At this point, Akaba moved forward slightly and quietly asked: "Teacher, exactly what did you bargain with Uzumaki Shuhai, the clan leader?"

"Hmm… Just a nominal lodging arrangement. Since the Daimyo needed a graceful way out, we gave him an excuse—and a guarantee as well."

Hiruzen exhaled smoke slowly as he walked ahead.

"So...you sold me out?!"

Akaba gritted his teeth.

"In a sense, yes."

Hiruzen smiled brightly. "But you're not getting nothing out of it either. Remember what I told you about the Uzumaki clan's specialties?"

"Eh? Could it be that..."

Akaba widened his eyes, almost unable to believe it.

"That's right. You guessed it. Sealing Techniques."

Sarutobi turned serious. "That's the Uzumaki price."

"Hmph! …Wait—what?!"

Akaba sharply sucked in a breath through his teeth. This was one of the Uzumaki clan's most fundamental treasures—they were actually willing to hand it over.

Yet thinking carefully, it made perfect sense—it opened another path for survival for the Uzumakis.

With Sealing Techniques and Uzumaki bloodline, even if the Land of Whirlpools fell, they could take root under Konoha and regrow into another Uzumaki clan.

Compared to total destruction, this price wasn't bad at all.

Realizing this, Akaba couldn't help but silently admire Uzumaki Shuhai.

"You Sakuma have a powerful Kekkei Genkai," Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly, "but you should know what happens when it matures to a certain stage—the mental monsters it creates."

"Yeah, essentially it's because the mental strength becomes too great," Akaba answered with his own understanding, "combined with misuse of abilities, causing personality fragmentation. In a way, you could call it an inner demon."

"Precisely. However, with Sealing Techniques, your clan's problem could be significantly alleviated," Sarutobi continued.

Akaba understood his meaning immediately. Every clan had its own secret techniques—for instance, the Nara's Shadow Imitation Technique or the Inuzuka's Beast Mimicry Ninjutsu. Konoha might possess the right to learn about these traits and capabilities, but not the right to seize them for itself; otherwise, they would oppose every ninja clan in existence.

The new "Uzumaki clan" consisted of only a dozen children, but that didn't affect their rightful privileges.

Without formal intermarriage as justification, the Sakuma clan couldn't obtain the Sealing Technique.

There's no substitute for experience! Though still young, the Third Hokage already possessed the skill to manipulate Akaba like a puppet.

Akaba loathed this feeling, yet he had no choice but to acknowledge—this partnership benefited him exclusively.

"You're truly wise," he gritted his teeth while offering the compliment.

"Heh, just grew older, that's all," Sarutobi chuckled, puffing on his pipe without addressing the hidden resentment in Akaba's tone.

Slowing his pace, Akaba passed Tsunade. He overheard her quietly ask, "What were you two talking about? Did the teacher make some kind of deal?"

"You can ask the teacher yourself," Akaba sighed helplessly, unsure how to face her, before returning sorrowfully toward Uzumaki Kyoyuki.

The little girl didn't know what had happened, but she could sense Akaba's sadness—and it made her sad too, too afraid to ask why.

Only at the village gates did Akaba finally recover his composure.

He'd figured it out—after all, it was just a formality. When the time came, he'd ask his parents to formally adopt her.

That would solve everything—she could change her surname and live with them!

Nailed it!

"Kids, ahead is our Konoha Village," Sarutobi turned and pointed at the gates while speaking to the children.

"Hey, that symbol looks similar to ours!"

"And the center has a spiral too!"

"So Konoha really does look exactly like the one in Brother Akaba's sketch!"

Each child held a manga and had already become curious about Konoha. Seeing the familiar spiral symbol made them feel an even stronger sense of connection.

Although this wouldn't fully integrate them into Konoha, it certainly helped prevent resistance or homesickness.

Moreover, all the children looked at Akaba and began chattering excitedly, asking him what the symbol meant.

"The emblem of Konoha was established by the First Hokage," Akaba said with a gentle smile, "symbolizing the inseparable bond between Konoha and the Uzumaki clan."

"Really?"

Even Uzumaki Kyoyuki sounded surprised now.

"It's true!" Tsunade proudly added, "My grandmother's name was Mito Uzumaki."

"I see. That explains it."

"Tsunade's grandmother."

"Do you think Mito is pretty, Tsunade?"

The children quickly forgot about their recent arrival and joined the conversation.

That's exactly why they chose kids. They were still young and open-minded—even though they had their own opinions, they were easy to guide and influence.

"We're about to meet Grandma—don't freak out when you see her, okay?"

Tsunade wore a warm yet mischievous smile.

She had great tolerance and patience for these kids because she clearly understood—they could never return to the Land of Whirlpools. In the future, they would become part of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Yay! Yay!"

Kids always seem so carefree. Akaba sighed quietly in his heart while feeling slightly uneasy.

Akaba, serving as Kyoyuki's "guardian," had been ordered by The Third to come along. Meeting Mito Uzumaki hadn't felt strange before, but now a vague sense of unease kept rising within Akaba's chest.

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