Before long, the group arrived at the Light Shadow Tower.
Ordinarily, attendants from both sides would remain in the reception hall, since what followed was meant to be a relatively confidential discussion. Yet Uzumaki Shinji insisted on bringing a girl with him.
She looked rather cute—large, bright eyes, long red hair tied in a high ponytail that made her seem lively and youthful. From time to time, she even blinked at Makoto, stealing glances at him.
Given the sensitivity of the upcoming talks, this was… questionable.
However, Uzumaki Shinji showed no intention of backing down, and Makoto chose to tacitly accept it. After all, the guest had the upper hand in etiquette.
After some basic pleasantries, the atmosphere between the two remained cordial. Uzumaki Shinji then got straight to the point:
He was here on behalf of the Uzumaki clan and Uzushiogakure to form an alliance with Amegakure.
Hearing this, Makoto felt a faint sense of disappointment.
Deep down, he had harbored a slim hope that the Uzumaki clan might consider joining Amegakure—though he knew that expectation bordered on wishful thinking.
Even so, the Uzumaki clan still qualified as a high-quality potential ally.
Konoha, when allies were in trouble, tended to sit immovably like a mountain.
The Uzumaki, on the other hand, were the type to truly step in when things mattered—fighting alongside Konoha in both the First and Second Shinobi World Wars, until they ultimately destroyed their own country and clan in the process.
That kind of ally inspired confidence.
Makoto did not immediately agree.
Things obtained too easily were rarely cherished.
Moreover, even if the Uzumaki clan head had come in person, simply opening his mouth and asking for an alliance—
That was still far too little.
After all, within the Land of Fire, Amegakure already stood on equal footing with Konoha.
And unlike Konoha—where the Senju and Uzumaki shared deep personal and historical ties—Amegakure had no such emotional bonds.
So if the Uzumaki clan wanted an alliance, they needed to offer tangible benefits.
Naturally, Amegakure would reciprocate—providing real financial and material support to Uzushiogakure. That, too, was one of Uzumaki Shinji's reasons for coming.
Uzushiogakure desperately needed funds.
A small country with a small population simply couldn't sustain a ninja village easily—especially now, when the Warring States Era had only just ended and every nation was still struggling to recover.
"Light Shadow-sama… I won't hide it from you," Uzumaki Shinji said after a pause.
"Uzushiogakure is in dire straits. If you could extend a helping hand—"
He wanted Amegakure's financial support to develop his village.
As for why he didn't ask Konoha—
The reason was simple: pride.
They had rejected Konoha's invitation multiple times. Turning around now to beg Konoha for money would be unbearably humiliating.
And even within Konoha, opposition would be fierce.
Every clan's attempt to secure funding had been rejected without exception—yet the Uzumaki, who hadn't even joined Konoha, would get aid just by asking?
That would be absurd.
Of course, if the Uzumaki clan truly swallowed their pride, they could probably obtain a free subsidy.
But that would come at the cost of shame—and a heavy debt of favor owed to the Senju and Konoha.
Everyone knew this:
Debts of favor were the hardest to repay.
One misstep, and you might pay with your life.
Asking Amegakure for funds was different.
This was business—an exchange of interests between allies.
No favors owed.
"I understand Uzushiogakure's difficulties," Makoto said calmly.
"Amegakure's finances are indeed more comfortable than yours—but even so, our funds don't fall from the sky."
"I understand," Uzumaki Shinji replied without hesitation.
"What does the Light Shadow wish to obtain from the Uzumaki clan?"
"I want the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques inheritance."
Makoto stated his demand bluntly.
The Uzumaki clan's true treasures were few—the clan itself, and its unparalleled mastery of fūinjutsu, renowned throughout the ninja world.
"Impossible!"
"The sealing arts are the Uzumaki clan's most precious legacy!"
"We will never hand them over!"
The one who spoke wasn't Uzumaki Shinji—but the girl beside him, Uzumaki Tsubaki.
She clearly understood just how important sealing techniques were to her clan.
"Tsubaki…"
Uzumaki Shinji forced an awkward smile.
For a young girl to interrupt talks between leaders was undeniably rude—yet he didn't refute her words.
In fact, he felt that Makoto had no intention of negotiating seriously at all.
"Light Shadow-sama, although Tsubaki's interruption was improper, you know very well that such a request is impossible for us to accept."
Makoto paid no mind to Tsubaki's outburst.
He knew exactly how excessive his demand was.
But no one revealed their true bottom line at the start of negotiations.
It was nothing more than a basic bargaining tactic.
"My apologies," Makoto said smoothly.
"That was my oversight."
"Then let us change the condition."
"When Amegakure requires sealing techniques, the Uzumaki clan must provide support at any time. Ideally, several skilled sealing specialists should be stationed in Amegakure long-term."
This time, Makoto stepped back, proposing a far more reasonable demand—one he believed Uzumaki Shinji could accept.
Amegakure truly needed Uzumaki expertise.
The clans currently within the village possessed only rudimentary sealing knowledge, leaving the surrounding area without proper barrier formations.
And there was another critical matter—
The Hyūga clan.
Makoto had already secretly contacted members of the Hyūga branch family, hoping to persuade them to defect and join Amegakure.
Every attempt had failed.
The Hyūga main family appeared to possess a method to remotely trigger the Caged Bird Seal, even from great distances—specifically to prevent branch members from defecting.
Out of a warped obsession with bloodline control, the Hyūga conducted regular population checks. Anyone who disappeared without authorization for an extended period faced execution.
Without this system, the branch family would have defected en masse long ago.
Breaking the Caged Bird Seal was extraordinarily difficult.
But designing a sealing technique to temporarily suppress its self-destruct function?
That might be possible—at least long enough for certain… seeds to be planted.
"That would be acceptable," Uzumaki Shinji said after a moment's thought.
"But I wish to add one more condition."
"Marriage alliance."
He spoke the words plainly.
Uzushiogakure was small and weak—it needed powerful allies.
Eggs could not all be placed in one basket.
The Uzumaki already had Konoha.
Now, they needed Amegakure as well.
And the young Uchiha prodigy standing before him—Uchiha Makoto—was an ideal candidate.
Besides—
Hmph.
If the Senju clan could entangle itself with the Uchiha…
Why couldn't the Uzumaki do the same?
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