Chapter 56: The Uzumaki Return—and the Power Struggle Begins

"I believe Orochimaru is a better choice than Tsunade," Danzo said calmly.

"Oh?" The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, raised an eyebrow, eyeing Danzo closely. Since when had he contacted Orochimaru?

That troubled him. He greatly admired Orochimaru's talent and feared Danzo's influence might push him down a dark path.

"I'll warn him myself," Hiruzen thought. Aloud, he nodded."You're right. Orochimaru is exceptional. I'll speak with him personally. Let's hope it works out."

Koharu Mitokado interjected, "We should order a batch of those Uchiha nutritional pills—officially, through the village. That way, we can study and replicate them discreetly."

"Agreed," Hiruzen said. "Leave that to me. I'll visit the Uchiha personally. If we gain access—good. If not, no harm done. I'll send a note with the request."

Then his gaze turned sharply toward Danzo.

"By the way, you said Mito Uzumaki fought the Raikage to a draw—or even overpowered him. Did you check her physical condition? Her chakra? Her vitality? It seems… she's recovered completely."

Danzo's face was grim."I was going to bring that up. Mito-sama may have returned to her prime—or close to it. Her life force has fully regenerated. She may not die anytime soon."

He clenched a fist behind his robe."We were fooled. She feigned weakness—likely to avoid direct confrontation when we were moving against the Senju. At the time, the clan truly was weakened, but now…"

He took a deep breath.

"…now the Uzumaki have brought the bulk of their power to Konoha. A thousand strong. With their terrifying sealing talents, no clan—perhaps not even four united—can match them outright."

"One wrong move," Koharu muttered, "and everything falls apart."

Hiruzen sighed heavily."Just as I feared…"

"What now?" she asked.

"We must separate the Uzumaki from the Senju," Danzo urged. "Assign them land far from the Senju District. It won't benefit us immediately—but it will delay Senju recovery. And that buys us time for future operations."

"Maybe…" Hiruzen considered it. "The Senju estate lies in the village center. Reassigning land nearby would be difficult, and they'd never agree to share their space. Yes, this will work—legally and politically."

"Then we should act fast," Danzo pressed.

"I'll convene a council meeting with the clan heads and active jōnin this afternoon," Hiruzen said decisively.

"Understood."

Later That Day – Council Hall

In a large hall thick with tension, clan heads and jōnin commanders gathered. The topic: the distribution of land and integration of the Uzumaki clan.

Many were displeased. The decision to bring the Uzumaki in had already been made—without their input. Now, all they could do was try to protect their interests.

Voices rose. Arguments flared. But in the end, a compromise was struck.

The Uzumaki would be granted land on the western outskirts of the village—a spacious but underdeveloped area. Additionally, they were awarded key positions in Konoha's Sealing Corps, including half of the command positions.

Given their legendary skill in fuinjutsu, it made sense. But underneath the surface, Konoha's leadership had other intentions—steal the clan's barrier seals, replicate their techniques, and slowly weaken their edge.

The Next Morning – New Uzumaki Territory

The newly assigned Uzumaki district was barren and uneven. Construction had begun, but the land was still raw.

Gin found Kushina Uzumaki standing atop a small hill, surveying the site.

"Thank you, Gin," she said sincerely. "If not for you, our clan might never have made it out."

She understood now—Gin had foreseen the destruction of Uzushiogakure. While others credited the Uchiha and Mito-sama, Kushina knew the truth. His trade with Mito, his foresight… none of this would've been possible without him.

"Ha! Don't mention it," Gin waved it off. "It was just business. Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"

He ruffled her hair.

The Uchiha had already copied most of the Uzumaki's fuinjutsu. Though the clan was still busy settling in, Gin knew it was only a matter of time before they would repay the Uchiha alliance. Interclan marriages between the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki were already being arranged—a political powerhouse in the making.

Kushina smiled under his hand, cheeks flushing."Of course we're friends."

"Come on! Time to find Minato—I'm taking you both to the Pirate World today."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "We're finally going?"

"Yup! Don't fall behind!" Gin laughed as Kushina grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the training base.

They arrived to find Minato Namikaze already training solo.

"Yo! Good morning!" he greeted them without missing a beat.

"Good morning!" both replied in unison.

"Snow White, stop training!" Kushina teased. "Gin's taking us to the Pirate World!"

"Kushina, how many times—stop calling me Snow White!" Minato groaned. "Just because I'm calm and pale doesn't mean I'm a fairy tale princess!"

"Haha! Okay, okay, I'll stop!" she grinned, then added under her breath, "Better than being called Tomato…"

Minato looked to Gin. "You're really taking us?"

Gin nodded."Yeah. I should've done it ten days ago, but that whole mess with the Wheellands delayed everything. The Pirate World has better training conditions—especially for developing Haki. You can't learn it here."

Kushina and Minato both lacked the physique to practice Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki required rare talent and guidance. But Observation Haki—that they could learn.

It wasn't flashy, but it was life-saving. In the ninja world, survival was everything.

"Haki, huh?" Minato nodded. "When do we leave? Do I need to bring anything?"

"Nope." Gin extended his hand. "I've got everything we need. Hold on tight."

Minato grabbed his hand. Kushina clung to his arm with a grin.

"All right—let's go."

With a flicker, they vanished from the Leaf Village.

Drum Island, Pirate World

In an instant, they were standing in the snow-covered courtyard of Dr. Kureha's house.

"W-what the—it's freezing!" Minato shouted.

"What the hell, Gin?!" Kushina's teeth chattered. "Why is it winter?!"

"Hahaha!" Gin burst into laughter. "Just wanted to surprise you!"

They both glared at him.

"You did this on purpose," Kushina muttered darkly, pinching his waist.

"Okay, okay!" Gin raised his hands in surrender. "I deserve that. Here—put these on."

He pulled warm winter jackets from a storage seal. No ninja tech, but thick and toasty. They changed without hesitation.

"Where do we change?"

"This way," Gin said, leading them inside. "Oh—and be polite. This is Dr. Kureha's home."

Inside, the sprightly old doctor greeted them."Hello, you two! Don't worry about formalities. If you're with Gin, you're family."

"Thank you!" Kushina and Minato bowed.

Kureha waved them off. "Go train, explore, break a leg—just don't expect me to fix it without scolding."

They laughed, relaxed now.

Soon, Mikoto Uchiha and Hikari arrived.

"Kushina, welcome!" Mikoto smiled warmly. "How do you like it here?"

"I didn't expect winter," Kushina admitted, rolling her eyes at Gin. "He didn't warn us at all. One minute it's summer, and the next—bam! Instant snowstorm!"

Gin scratched his head sheepishly."Let's call it… immersive training."