As top elders of Konoha, Koharu and En always had the Leaf Village's best interests at heart.
In their eyes, Konoha Shin was someone they absolutely couldn't afford to offend. After all, every ninja in the village depended on the Daimyo's Mansion for support.
So, without hesitation, the two chose to speak up in favor of Konoha Shin.
Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated, the words caught in his throat.
Caught between the Daimyo's Mansion and the Uzumaki clan, he found himself in an impossible situation.
On one hand, after the battle at Uzugakure (also known as Uzu Country), he had been striving to make amends for the losses suffered by the Uzumaki clan. On the other hand, even as Hokage, he still had to bow to the will of the Daimyo.
Faced with such a tough spot, the only option he could think of was to ask the Uzumaki clan to make some compromises—accept Konoha Shin's second proposal so they could remain in Konoha, then later compensate them financially through the village treasury.
It might not be perfect, but it could work as a middle ground.
Yet facing Heiyan directly, Hiruzen couldn't bring himself to speak.
At that moment, Heiyan—who had remained silent until now—finally stood up.
"I've made my decision."
Heiyan rose from his seat, smiling toward Konoha Shin. "Thank you, Konoha Shin, for being so direct. You've allowed our Uzumaki clan to make the right choice."
Oh? Seems like he does understand the situation after all.
Hearing this, Konoha Shin smirked proudly, leaning back in his chair and lazily fanning himself with a fan. "So then, Clan Head Heiyan, what's your final decision?"
"Hand over the money."
Heiyan stretched out his hand, staring coldly at Konoha Shin. "Three hundred million ryo (a traditional coin-based currency) seems low, but we can grudgingly accept it. Once we receive this payment, the Uzumaki clan will comply with the Daimyo's request and leave the Land of Fire within a week."
The instant those words left his mouth, everyone in the room was stunned into silence.
"What did you just say?!"
Konoha Shin's smile vanished instantly, his entire body going rigid.
Before arriving in Konoha, he never imagined that his strategy of applying maximum pressure during negotiations would fail. In his mind, the Uzumaki clan had no choice—they lacked the leverage to bargain with the Daimyo's Mansion.
But now, against all expectations, he ended up pushing too hard and losing control.
"Heiyan, don't act rashly," Hiruzen quickly interjected, hoping to salvage the situation. Behind him, Koharu and En were equally shocked, scolding Heiyan for his tone while trying to calm down Konoha Shin.
Heiyan remained unmoved.
Taking a deep breath, Konoha Shin finally stood up, speaking to Heiyan with a softer tone:
"Clan Head Heiyan, I think we should each take a step back. There's no need for things to get this tense—otherwise, nobody benefits. Don't you agree?"
At this moment, Konoha Shin had already lost the arrogance and composure he once carried.
Because according to the Daimyo's orders, ideally, not a single coin should be spent. They wanted to claim Uzu Country's land freely while keeping the Uzumaki clan in the Land of Fire to serve its interests.
If Konoha Shin failed to accomplish this mission, he would face serious consequences upon returning to the Land of Fire—he might lose the Daimyo's trust completely.
Unfortunately, it was already too late for him to lower his stance now.
"Daimyo's Representative, I believe I've made myself very clear. Since the Daimyo's Mansion clearly doesn't want us around, there's no point in sticking around Fire Country any longer, don't you think? Well then, if that's all, we'll be on our way."
After saying this with a calm expression, Uzumaki Heiyan gently took Kushina's hand and prepared to lead the Uzumaki group away.
"You...!"
Konoha Shin was instantly speechless with rage when he realized Uzumaki Heiyan hadn't given him even an ounce of face. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he shouted sternly at Uzumaki Heiyan's group:
"Wait! That little girl can't leave—she assaulted the Daimyo's son!"
"Oh?"
Uzumaki Heiyan turned around to look at the boy who had been crying nearby. Although he had suspected beforehand that the boy came from a noble background, he hadn't expected him to actually be the Daimyo's son.
Looks like he came along with Konoha Shin for a visit.
Thinking this through, Uzumaki Heiyan looked toward Kushina and asked, "Did you hit this person?"
"Yeah."
Kushina nodded before quickly pointing at the Daimyo's son, puffing up in anger as she explained to Uzumaki Heiyan, "That guy started it—he mocked my hair, badmouthed our Uzumaki clan, and even sprayed me with a water gun filled with chili water! I couldn't take it anymore, so I fought back. Plenty of people saw it happen!"
"Then all I can say is—he got what was coming to him."
After making this comment, Uzumaki Heiyan looked directly at Konoha Shin and said, "Daimyo's Representative, by calling us back, are you planning to make the young master here apologize? There's no need—we've already forgiven you all."
With that, Uzumaki Heiyan and the others turned and walked off, leaving everyone stunned.
Bang!
Back in the office, Konoha Shin exploded with rage, slamming his fist down so hard the table shook.
"Please calm down, my lord," Koharu and En pleaded fearfully, trying their best to soothe Konoha Shin's fury.
"Hokage," Konoha Shin said coldly through gritted teeth, "I demand you immediately announce the removal of Uzumaki Heiyan from his position as your advisor!"
"And on what grounds?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, nearing the limit of his patience with Konoha Shin.
"On what grounds?"
Upon hearing this, Konoha Shin sneered bitterly before replying, "Let me ask you this—if a dog kept in your house bites its owner when it's disobedient, should such a dog still be kept?"
Those words were extremely harsh, yet they perfectly revealed Konoha Shin's true thoughts.
In the eyes of aristocrats like him, whether the old warrior class or today's ninja, were nothing more than mere tools kept by the Daimyo's Mansion—just like trained dogs.
Bang!
Finally, Sarutobi Hiruzen lost his temper completely, furiously slamming his hands on the desk as he abruptly stood up. Glaring fiercely at Konoha Shin, he declared sternly,
"Konoha Shin, I must remind you—Konoha Village and the Daimyo's Mansion have always shared a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation. This has been an established fact since the era of the First Hokage. As for the appointment or removal of Heiyan, that is purely an internal matter of Konoha, and has absolutely nothing to do with the Daimyo's Mansion!"
Under the pressure of his overwhelming aura, Konoha Shin staggered backward several steps, his face turning pale with shock and rage. Even the young Daimyo beside them stopped sobbing out of fear, looking at the Third Hokage with trepidation.
"Fine. Very well."
Konoha Shin was furious. He gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a deep, resentful look before taking the child of the Daimyo with him and leaving without looking back.
Neither side left the meeting satisfied.
"It's over."
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances. Their worst fears were coming true.
In recent years, Konoha's growth had largely depended on the financial support from the Daimyo's Mansion.
After suffering such humiliation, Konoha Shin would surely report this incident to the Daimyo upon returning, which would negatively impact relations between Konoha and the Daimyo's Mansion.
It could lead to sanctions from the Daimyo's Mansion against Konoha—reducing military funding at minimum, or even more seriously, cutting off all mission assignments to Konoha, thereby removing the livelihood that ninjas depended upon.
"Hiruzen, we told you long ago that Heiyan is too young and hotheaded to handle the position of Hokage's advisor properly. Now he's offended the Daimyo's Mansion right from the start, dragging down the entire village. Do you intend to keep protecting him?"
The two men complained together to Hiruzen, demanding Heiyan be punished.
"Be quiet!"
Hiruzen roared, and the two fell silent at once.
He took a sharp puff from his pipe. Then he tapped his fingers on the table for a while in deep thought before slowly speaking:
"What Konoha Shin said doesn't necessarily represent the Daimyo's opinion. I will contact the Daimyo myself to explain what happened today. That's settled."
Hearing this, the two looked at each other in surprise before finally retreating.
Outside the Hokage Tower,
Heiyan and his group were walking along Ichiraku Street.
"Clan Leader, are we really going to leave Konoha?"
Suddenly, an elderly clansman asked. Others also turned their eyes toward Heiyan, waiting for his answer.
The Uzumaki clan had just lost their home village of Uzugakure, and now in the Land of Fire they faced suppression. This rootless, wandering life left everyone feeling unprecedented uncertainty about their future.
"Of course."
Without hesitation or a moment's thought, Heiyan answered decisively, "With such a vast world of shinobi, where can't we go? Why should the Uzumaki clan continue relying on someone else for shelter and security while enduring humiliation?"
"That's right, Clan Leader speaks truly."
Ashina Uzumaki responded excitedly, "What the Uzumaki seek isn't protection obtained through groveling, but self-reliance and strength—we want dignity! In such a vast world, I can't accept that there's no place where we truly belong."
These words instantly inspired everyone. Their eyes brightened as they resolutely declared together:
"We'll all follow the Clan Leader's arrangements."
"Ashina, please return and inform our clanspeople to pack their belongings and purchase necessary daily supplies, horses, and travel equipment. Once everything's ready, wait for my message."
After slight consideration, Heiyan instructed Ashina Uzumaki.
"Yes, Clan Leader." Hearing this, Ashina and others hurried off to handle these matters.
Watching everyone depart, Heiyan turned around and headed again toward the Hokage Tower.
However, he wasn't heading back into the tower building itself, but rather came to the cliffs beneath Hokage Face Rock at the rear of the tower.
Because the entrance to Konoha's library was built atop this cliff. The interior of the cliff had been hollowed out and housed a vast collection of ancient books and scrolls.
He came to the library to research the geographical chronicles.
In Heiyan's opinion, Uzu Country's original geographical position was severely unfavorable. Not only did it serve as a bridgehead for the Land of Fire, facing direct pressure from both Water Country and Lightning Country along with many neighboring nations, but it was also far from Konoha's mainlands. Once attacked, it would be vulnerable to total annihilation.
Therefore, the Uzumaki clan needed a new home—far removed from the chaos of the ninja world, like a utopia untouched by outsiders.
Actually, Heiyan already had a place in mind that might be the best option for the Uzumaki clan. He was reading these books to verify details and gather additional information.
That place was called Mikazuki Island.
In the original timeline, after the end of the Third Great Ninja War, several elite ninja from different villages grew weary of violent lives and fled together. They established the Moon Ninja Village on an island known as Mikazuki Island in the southern sea of the ninja world.
Over the next decade, under the protection of the Moon Ninja Village, the Country of Moon arose on the same island.
Mikazuki Island enjoyed summer-like weather throughout the year, along with abundant natural resources and beautiful scenery, so the country quickly prospered and became very wealthy.
Wouldn't such a treasure-like island be perfectly suitable for the Uzumaki clan?
Indeed, Heiyan wasn't disappointed.
After studying extensive geographical chronicles, he found scattered references to Mikazuki Island. It turned out that the island indeed existed at the southernmost sea of the Land of Fire. However, due to rough waters surrounding the island and only some impoverished fishermen living there, its economic and trade development had never taken off.
On the world map, it was considered an obscure little corner ignored by most.
Then let it be Mikazuki Island!
Heiyan immediately made this decision.
After memorizing all available information about Mikazuki Island, he quietly left the library and returned home.
Heiyan understood clearly, for the Uzumaki clan's great migration across thousands of miles to Mikazuki Island, they absolutely couldn't arrive empty-handed. Otherwise, being isolated from the outside world, it would take an awfully long time before they could develop properly.
A large sum of money, supplies, and livestock—they were all essential.
At present, the Daimyo's Mansion still hadn't transferred the three hundred million taels for land purchase, so Heiyan didn't want to wait any longer.
As the head of the Uzumaki clan, he decisively made a critical resolution—
To sell off all his personal family assets!
Heiyan estimated that proceeds from selling the family estate, plus existing bank savings, would bring in roughly seven or eight hundred million taels.
With this sum of money, the Uzumaki clan would be able to firmly settle on Mikazuki Island and construct an even more prosperous Uzugakure.
Without hesitation, he set things in motion.
Heiyan immediately arranged for someone to handle the matter.
However, making such a large-scale move was naturally impossible to conceal. Thus, within one night, rumors spread throughout the village that the Uzumaki clan was planning to leave Konoha and their clan leader Heiyan had decided to sell off his entire fortune.
The village buzzed with speculation and gossip.
Heiyan's allies – Fugaku of the Uchiha and Hiashi of the Hyuga – arrived almost immediately, showing their concern. They knew the truth behind the Uzumaki clan's unjust expulsion from Konoha, so they were outraged and wanted to use their family's power to support Heiyan and the Uzumaki clan.
However, Heiyan politely declined their offer. He was unwilling to drag the Uchiha and Hyuga clans into a conflict with the Daimyo's Mansion.
Just as he had seen them off, Heiyan's teacher, Kosuke Maruboshi, came knocking again.
"Teacher, you've come at just the right time."
Before Kosuke could speak, Heiyan jumped in excitedly, "For this great migration of our clan, I'd like to hire you as our escort on the journey. At the same time, I also hope you can teach our people knowledge and experience about living in the wild."
Upon hearing this, Kosuke Maruboshi shook his head with a bitter smile and said with resignation,
"Actually, it was the Third Hokage who sent me here to persuade you, but it seems you've already made your final decision. I accept your request, though you should still pay another visit to the Third Hokage. He's waiting for you in his office."
"Alright."
Heiyan nodded and made his way directly to the Hokage office.
"Heiyan, there's good news."
The moment he entered the office, Hiruzen Sarutobi beamed at him and cheerfully said, "I've already had a video conference with the Daimyo and we've communicated thoroughly. The latest news is that Konoha Shin has been removed from office, and the three hundred million ryo from the Daimyo's Mansion will be transferred shortly. Moreover, the Daimyo himself strongly hopes that the Uzumaki clan will stay and become members of the Hidden Leaf Village."
It seemed as if the Daimyo's Mansion had abruptly changed its stance entirely, and everything was beginning to improve.
Upon hearing this, however, Heiyan only gave a faint smirk and shook his head.
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