Preservation of Knowledge

by Athena8472

Uzushiogakure was doomed. The island nation fell under the siege of the combined armed forces of Kirigakure and Iwagakure. The Survivors flee to their sister village of Konohagakure and try to rebuild as the Second Shinobi War wages. The Uzumaki clan drifts as they try to rebuild in a village not their own, in a country not their own. ABO Worldbuilding Slow Build

2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two - Flight

ANBU Puffin and Turtle, their charge, five chūnin and five jōnin, arrived just outside a cabin in a state of disrepair. It was quiet. Only the sounds of the forest and distant ocean greeted them. The shinobi moved off the landing point. The jōnin secured the perimeter around the cabin while the chunin positioned themselves to direct the coming waves of refugees. Meanwhile, the ANBU moved into the shadows, preparing to flee with their charge if need be.

"You can see Uzushiogakure from here." Tokubetsu Jōnin Uzumaki Ryou said from his place in the massive trees common in the Land of Fire.

He was right. The cabin was only a short way from the coast and on a hill. One could see the village burning in the distance from the high vantage of the trees. The moon was only a sliver in the sky, the new moon having been only a few nights before, the night of the invasion. The sky was clear, and the light seemed to reflect off the most calm waters of the channel. Because of the excellent visibility, they could see the massive fleet of ships that had been gathered. There had to be over a thousand ships in the waters around Uzushiogakure.

Soon the second wave arrive, followed by the third and fourth. By the ninth wave, all the surviving military forces and academy students of Uzushio had arrived. Next were the civilians. Just before a flash illuminated the sky from the island, the twenty-third wave came through, and a rumble could be heard in the distance. The shinobi in the trees watched as Uzushiogakure exploded in a ball of fire. The explosion was so large that it had destroyed several of the ships in the bay as fiery debris rained down on the gathered fleet. Several caught on fire as debris caught their sails.

The explosion signalled the final death gasp of their village. Now there were only 447 people left of their clan, only eight percent of the population of Uzushiogakure.

"There will be no one coming through." Jōnin Uzumaki Misaki stated, having known the Uzukage's final failsafe.

Misaki was an older female alpha; she was the most experience shinobi left, with the exception of ANBU Turtle, and by default, was in command of their forces. She, like many Uzushio shinobi, had long red hair that was kept in neat braids keeping her hair from her face. She wore the standard Uzushio uniform of black fatigues, a marine blue flak jacket with their spiral clan symbol in red on the back, and black sandals. The brown uzu studs in her ears denoted her fūinjutsu rank.

"We're marching to Konoha. We're not stopping, so ensure you have soldier pills." Misaki ordered.

"Hai." The group acknowledged.

Within five minutes, the group was on the move. They were moving at a comfortable genin pace. Misaki was glad the Uzukage had prioritized those with the ability to mould and use charka, even though most were weighed down by children. If they had been travelling at a civilian pace, they would have surely been hunted down and killed; even going at a genin pace was a risk, but at least they could travel through the trees this way. They would arrive at the speed they were going to Konoha in a week, while if they went to a jōnin place, they would arrive within three days. They would continue at a genin pace unless they were confronted by enemies. Then the chūnin and jōnin would grab whom they could and sprint to Konoha.

Though the civilians with chakra training had been prioritized, their children weighed down many of them. By the third day of the march, they had lost 36 civilians. Some couldn't keep up with the convoy, but others had chosen to leave. Because they were civilians, the Uzushio shinobi couldn't stop them, as they were not a part of the military and had the right to go. It wasn't like they were a clan with a kekkei genkai they needed to guard. So, it was unfortunate, but they didn't have the resources or the will to force them to stay.

It was the night when they were about two days from Konohagakure when they were met by a Konoha ANBU patrol that had dropped from the trees, forcing them to stop. The Konoha ANBU seemed to be led by a male wearing a wolf mask; he was a tall man with long spiky silver hair to his shoulders tied back in a low ponytail. With him was a short busty woman in a mouse mask with short blue hair, a man in a cat mask with shaggy brown hair and was a bit shorted than Wolf, and the last member of a man with a bird mask with short dark hair and a katana on his back who was only a couple inches taller than the female in their group. All of them must have been using scent blockers because they couldn't smell their secondary genders.

"Stat your business." The Wolf masked ANBU ordered, his voice distorted by the seals in his mask.

"Uzushiogakure has fallen. We are the survivors." Misaki told them.

The Konoha shinobi stiffened in surprise before the four masked ANBU conversed silently with hand signs.

"We will escort you to the village. Cheetah will run ahead and inform the village. Does anyone need medical assistance? Mouse is a healer." Wolf said, gesturing to his team.

"We only have minor injuries. The major concern now is charka exhaustion. Many of us fought in the days before the evacuation or held the barriers. We've not stopped moving in five days, and the civilians are reaching exhaustion." Misaki informed the ANBU.

"There is an outpost about a three-hour walk from here. We should be protected enough there for you to rest." Wolf said, motioning in the direction that they had been travelling.

"Thank you, Wolf-san. My people would appreciate the rest." Misaki said, giving the ANBU a bow in thanks.

"Sparrow, run ahead and warn the outpost," Wolf ordered the last member of his team.

"Hai, Wolf-taicho," Sparrow said before sprinting at a jōnin pace, disappearing.

The group started forward, the Konoha ANBU keeping pace.

"What happened?" Wolf asked Masaki.

"Nine days ago, Iwa and Kiri invaded Uzushiogakure in the early morning of the new moon with a combined fleet of ships approximately a thousand strong. Kiri's jinchūriki were also present. The island defensive barrier fell late on the first day, and we lost the village by the end of the second. We were forced into the bunker and were trying to hold out for reinforcements. By the fourth night, we were forced to use an experimental seal to evacuate who we could. The Uzukage, the Elders, and the injured stayed behind to buy time. Only 447 made it out, and we've lost some civilians on the way here. As it stands now, we have 411 in the convoy." Masaki reported.

"Cheetah, report this to the Hokage," Wolf ordered his subordinate.

"Hai, taicho," Cheetah said before racing off towards Konohagakure.

They fell into silence as they made a quick pace to the outpost. They made it to the outpost in just under an hour, where they were greeted by Sparrow, two Konoha ANBU teams, as well as three jonin and 15 chūnin corps who maned the outpost. This particular outpost was a staging point for the war effort and had a contingent of iryō-nin on their way to the Kumo front. It was a relief to be met with open arms and warm food. The Konoha shinobi quickly handed out bed rolls and food to the refugees while their medics checked over the injured.

"We will head out at first light in about six hours," Wolf informed them.

"Thank you, Wolf-san." Misaki thanked the ANBU taicho before leaving to do rounds on her clan.

The Konoha ANBU spread out and made a perimeter around the group of refugees allowing them to rest for the first time in days. Within minutes, most civilians, academy students, and genin were asleep. It was harder for the Uzushio chūnin and jōnin, who had been on the front lines of the invasion, but eventually, they too fell into a light sleep. The only Uzushio shinobi still awake were the ANBU Turtle and the toddler in his arms.

Wolf noticed and approached the foreign ANBU, sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree beside where the other ANBU was resting.

"I can watch her so you can get some sleep." Wolf offered.

"No." Turtle refused in a low rumbling voice; he had turned off the voice distortion to not scare the child in his arms.

The pair lapsed into silence.

"Doggy?" a small voice asked, breaking the silence.

Wolf chuckled a bit before squatting down to get a better look at the toddler. He was surprised to see silver hair and golden eyes on the small girl. Wolf took a deep breath, taking in the child's scent.

"A Hatake pup?" Wolf asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"She had Hatake blood. Her maternal great-grandsire and paternal great-grandmother were Hatake. Kairi-sama takes after mother, who took heavily after them and her Senju grandsire." Turtle explained as he distracted the toddler with a cookie.

"Kairi-sama?" Wolf questioned the honorific Turtle was giving the toddler.

"Hi, doggy!" Kairi chirped up at the ANBU agent after hearing him say her name after gobbling up her cookie.

The toddler slowly crept up to the unfamiliar ANBU, fascinated with his mask and different look from her regular caretakers.

"Hello, puppy." Wolf greeted before carefully petting the soft hair, making sure to telegraph his movements so the other ANBU didn't attack.

"This is Uzumaki Kairi. She is now the head of the Uzumaki clan." Turtle introduced the toddler, surprising Wolf.

"The Uzukage's granddaughter?" Wolf questioned as the toddler took his hand and explored the thin leather glove.

"Yes. If there was still a village, she would be the Uzukage. Uzukage-sama's last order intrusted us with her care." Turtle said as he distracted the toddler with a small doll, drawing her back to his lap.

"Right, the Uzumaki is a hereditary matriarchal clan," Wolf said, thinking about his own clan.

"Yes. There is a lot of weight on her small shoulders now." Turtle said as he petted the fluffy silver hair of his charge.

The toddler was soon lulled to sleep with a full stomach and warm blanket that Turtle tucked around her.

"Let me know if you need anything," Wolf said before getting up and returning to his post.

"Hai. Thank you." Turtle said to the retreating Wolf.

Wolf only lazily waved his hand in acknowledgement before disappearing into a tree.

Halfway through the night, Turtle gently shook Puffin awake. Turtle passed the toddler over to his partner; thankfully, the child didn't wake in the transfer. Then it was Turtle's time to get some sleep.

Everyone thought the sun broke the horizon too soon, but at first light, the convoy was on the move again. The three Konoha ANBU teams stayed with the convoy. They were moving at a slower pace because they stopped for 6 hours at night to get some sleep. It took an additional three days before they arrived at the main gates of Konohagakure.

The Jōnin Commander, Senju Taijo, met the refugees at the gate. Taijo was a tall man, like most in his clan. He was an old alpha well into retirement age with brown peppered hair kept traditionally long and tied back with a leather tie and dressed traditionally.

Soon the refugees were inundated with paperwork. Unfortunately, it was unavoidable because none of them had papers, and Konoha didn't usually allow such a large number of unknowns within its walls, especially during wartime. It took about four hours to get everyone partly clear. They would all still need to be interviewed by T&I, but for now, it seemed Konoha was giving the Uzumaki clan the benefit of the doubt.

Once they were done, the Jōnin Commander addressed the refugees.

"Welcome to Konoha Uzushio-nin, though I am sorry that it's under these circumstances. My name is Senju Taijo; I am the Jōnin Commander," The old alpha as in a deep rumbling voice, "I understand that you are all tired and grieving. The Senju have opened our doors to the Uzumaki, our sister clan. Our betas will help you get settled in."

Taijo motioned to the dozen Senju clansmen standing off to the side. Everyone followed the Senju betas except the two Uzushio ANBU and Jōnin Misaki, understanding they would need to see the Hokage.

"I'm assuming that you are the commander of the Uzushio forces?" Taijo asked, looking at Misaki.

"Yes, I am for now," Misaki said, looking up at the tall man that reminded her of a tree like most Senju did.

"And those two?" Taijo indicated towards the ANBU.

"They have their own mission from the Uzukage. They will also need to meet with the Hokage." Misaki told him.

"Follow me," Taijo said before leading them further into the village.

Misaki, the Uzushio ANBU, and the original Konoha ANBU team that had found them followed the Senju deeper into the village. The Hokage Tower was the farthest point from the main gate and sat under the shadow of the Hokage monument carved into the sheer cliff the village backed onto. The trio of squat, red circular buildings that made up the tower were quite ugly to the Uzushio shinobi, but it was pretty stereotypical Senju architecture. The Senju often built their structures to reflect nature, preferring curves over harsh angles.

Of the trio of Uzushio shinobi, only Turtle had been to Konoha before as a guard for the Uzukage. They were led into the centre building, which was taller than the two to either side of it. The Uzushio shinobi were taken up to the top floor that held the Hokage's office. Once they arrived, the Konoha ANBU broke off and joined their compatriots stationed around the Hokage's office. The large office occupied most of the top floor and was sprawling and spacious, but it held several high-ranking Konoha shinobi. Unlike Uzushiogakure, which was ruled mainly by Omega and Females, Konohagakure was primarily patriarchal, meaning the Alpha pheromones filling the office where stifling. It made the large office feel much smaller than it was.

All the Uzushio shinobi recognized the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, which wasn't difficult, as his face was carved into the mountain behind them. The Alpha's commanding presence filled the room, drawing everyone's attention to him. Only Turtle had met the Sandaime before; the last time was nearly three years ago when he took office. Turtle had escorted the Uzukage to Konoha when he had come to show support for the new Hokage and the reading of the will of the Nidaime. At the time, the new Hokage still didn't have the strong aura that Kages seemed to exude, but the war had forced him to develop it fast.

The following notable figure was Senju Mito nee Uzumaki, widow to the Shodai Hokage Senju Hashirama and the kyūbi jinchūriki. The old beta still had her thick hair, but the vibrant red was overtaken primarily by grey streaks. Her appearance was startling to the other Uzumaki because she looked old, which was odd for an Uzumaki. Mito was 63 but looked like she was in her late 70s.

Most Uzumaki kept a youthful appearance; those who made it to her age looked ten or fifteen years younger. Uzumaki typically aged until their mid-20s, then it slowed significantly. While 35 was generally considered old for shinobi, it was around that age they started to look at retirement from active duty, and most elders were in their 40s or 50s. For the Uzumaki, it was different because of their extended youthfulness; many shinobi were active well into their 40s and sometimes even their 50s and most of the Uzumaki Elders were known to live until their late 90s. There had actually been some Uzumaki that had lived to be over 120. There were actually myths that Uzushio held some sort of Fountain of Youth, which in a way was right, but it was in the Uzumaki bloodline.

The third person in the room was a male ANBU in a bear mask that stood to the left of the Hokage's desk. If the Uzushio shinobi has to guess, he was most likely the ANBU commander.

Also in the room were an Aburame, a Hyūga, an Uchiha, and an Akimichi. All were alpha males and the heads of their respective clans. Turtle recognized them from his last visit: Aburame Shinji, Hyūga Takashi, Uchiha Isamu, and Akimichi Chōsuke. With those four, every noble clan of Konohagakure was represented.

The trio made their way into the clear space right in front of the desk the Hokage was sitting. While Toija moved to stand to the right of the Hokage's desk.

"Hokage-sama." They said together, bowing but not going to their knees as they would have for the Uzukage.

"I understand you are tired, but we need your report." The Sandaime ordered, but not unkindly.

"Jōnin Uzumaki Misaki reporting with ANBU agents Turtle and Puffin," Misaki said; the room was deadly quiet. "Just over a week ago, Uzushiogakure fell under the combined forces of Kirigakure and Iwagakure."

The tension in the gathered shinobi ratcheted up, and the pheromones made the Uzushio shinobi want to cover their noses, not used to Alphas not controlling their pheromones with seals. With the news, the Hokage seemed to age before their eyes. The man had only taken the mantle of Hokage three years ago, but the war and the weight of the hat had aged him.

"What happened?" the Hokage asked solemnly.

"Twelve days ago, at approximately midnight, Iwa and Kiri invaded Uzushiogakure with a fleet of ships roughly a thousand strong and shinobi from both nations. Kiri's two jinchūriki were also present. They used the jinchūriki to attack the barrier. Our seal masters were able to keep it up under the onslaught for nine hours before it crumbled. The backlash killed many Fūinjutsu Masters as well as their support units. It bought us enough time to send for reinforcements, prepare, and evacuate the civilians into the shelter. After that, it was a fight for the village. We managed to hold the village until the second day, but they kept pushing us back. They could have slaughtered us with the number of jinchūriki, but they most likely had secondary objectives and didn't want to obliterate the village. We lost the village completely after the Uzukage lost his arm in a fight with the Rokubi jinchūriki. We were forced into the bunker and were trying to hold out for reinforcements. By the fourth night, we were forced to use an experimental seal to evacuate who we could. Unfortunately, we had to lower the defensive barriers of the bunker to use the transportation seal. The Uzukage, the Elders, and the injured stayed behind to buy time so we could evacuate as many as possible. Only 447 made it out. The transportation seal was powered by the Uzukage's charka. When he was killed, it activated a Deadman switch setting off the charges in the bunker. We could see the explosion from a ways inland. We then started our march to Konoha and lost some civilians on the way there. The Uzukage told us to let the civilians go if they wanted to or could not keep up." Misaki gave a more detailed report than the summary she had given to the ANBU several days ago.

"Perhaps this explains Suna's uncharacteristically aggressive push in the Kawa front and Hanzo of Ame's participation in the last battle. As well as the alarming number of ANBU hunter teams Iwa sent out on the Kusa and Ame fronts. The level of aggression in the actions didn't make sense strategically, but it does if it was their goal to draw our attention from what was going on the coast." Taijo theorized that Iwa had stagged a large offensive just as the invasion of Uzushio occurred.

"I'm more concerned that two, possibly three of the major nations were able to coordinate an attack and move a large number of troops across the continent with not even a whisper heard from our intelligent operatives. It would mean that several nations, possibly some we are even allied with, allowed Iwa shinobi to move across their lands." ANBU Bear said.

The Hokage hummed in agreement because that was worrying.

"The Uzukage also sent a scroll with further details for your eyes only, Hokage-sama," Turtle added.

Turtle reached down into Puffin's kunai pouch and retrieved the scroll. The large ANBU agent ensured Puffin's cloak stayed secure, hiding their charge until the Hokage indicated how he wanted to proceed. Turtle then handed the scroll to the Hokage.

The Hokage looked at the seal on the scroll before he bit into his thumb with his canine. He used his blood to unlock the scroll and began to read. Though his face was impassive, the tension in his body was apparent with how his hands gripped the scroll, crinkling the paper. The scroll confirmed Misaki's verbal report.

"Is this accurate? You signalled for reinforcements?" the Hokage asked, his voice cold due to the growing implications.

"I personally released the hawks and saw the Uzukage used the emergency beacon. While it is possible that all the hawks were taken out before arriving at their destination, the beacon shouldn't have failed. Our scroll worked as it was supposed to; the matrix activated and sent the signal." Turtle told the gathered shinobi, his voice flat and careful not to be accusing.

There was dead silence in the room at the insinuation.

"Serval, bring me the beacon seal." The Hokage ordered.

One of the Hokage's personal guards in the ceiling disappeared before reappearing beside the Hokage, handing him an intact scroll. The scroll should have been partly destroyed because it was designed to ignite and make a loud continuous alarm for over an hour. No one would have missed the activation; it was kept secure in the Jōnin Standby Station, which was maned 24/7.

The Hokage opened the scroll, breaking the seal, but it showed no signs that the seals were active. The beacon scroll worked because the two sealing scrolls were linked; if the seal that held the scroll closed broke, it would set off the other one. There was no way to shut it off once it was active; you had to wait until the time ran out.

Mito made her way over to the Hokage's desk, looking over the scroll. Her impassive face was broken with a frown as she took the scroll from the Hokage to get a better look.

"Someone had altered the seals. It's subtle, but they have altered several characters rendering it useless." Mito informed them gravely.

"You're implying that we have a traitor and a high-ranking one at that." Uchiha Isamu said sourly; as the head of the military police, it rankled him that there was a traitor.

"I'm stating it. This was not done by accident, and the culprit made efforts to hide their actions. I nearly missed the alterations myself. A less experienced practitioner would have missed it." Mito said solemnly.

"That is grave news." The Hokage said before looking up at Bear ANBU, "Bear look into this with T&I and the military police."

"Hai." Bear and Isamu said together, acknowledging the order.

More was to be said on the subject, but it would happen once the Uzushio shinobi were gone.

"And what about your primary objective, Turtle?" The Hokage asked.

"She is here," Turtle said before turning towards Puffin as she pulled back her cloak.

The others in the room looked curious as Puffin opened her cloak, revealing a papoose. Turtle pulled a silver-haired toddler from the protective carrier that Puffin wore. The toddler was awake and looking around the room with large golden eyes in curiosity. The child had been subdued and quiet since the village's fall, most likely reading the mood of the adults around her.

Turtle carried the child over to the Hokage's desk, where he sat the child on the desk in front of the Hokage. The Hokage smiled down at the toddler; the alpha's aura and face softened, seeing familiar features in the small face.

"Hello, little one; what is your name?" The Sandaime asked, even though he already knew.

"I'm U-zu-ma-ki Kairi!" The toddler sounded out, smiling at the man wearing a funny hat like her grandcarrier. "Who're you?"

"My name is Hiruzen. Would you like a cookie?" The Hokage asked, pulling a cookie from his drawer. Like the previous Hokages, he kept sweets in their desk for young visitors.

"Yes, please!" Kairi said with excitement as she was handed the cookie. "Thank you, Oji-san."

The Hokage picked up the child and placed her on his lap as she ate her cookie and watched the room. The Nobel clan heads were openly curious about the child, but Taijo and Mito knew who she was and were amused. The ANBU were stoic, but the Hokage could feel the amusement in their charka.

"A child was important enough to be brought before the Hokage." Aburame Shinji questioned in his clan's flat affect.

The Hokage chuckled a bit as he petted the toddler's hair as she messily ate her cookie.

"I would say so." The Hokage said before looking over at the clan heads, basking in the mischievous feeling of the chaos he was about to create. "This is Uzumaki Kairi, now the head of the Uzumaki clan and granddaughter of Uzukage Arashi and Tobimara-sensei."

The clan heads froze in shock for a moment before the Hyūga and Uchiha heads started talking over each other while Chōsuke moved to get a better look at the child. Shinji tilted his head as he watched the child smile and wave at the Akimichi clan head.

"How can a child be clan head?!" Hyūga Takashi asked.

"Nidaime had a child?!" Uchiha Isamu asked at the same time.

The Hokage chuckled, thinking back to his own reaction when he found out his sensei had a secret family. Hiruzen hadn't realized it then, but Tobimara-sensei had trained him for years to take over the Hokage position. It had been on a diplomatic mission many years ago where he was introduced to his sensei's daughter, a female clone of her sire only with golden eyes. His sensei's genes must have been strong because Kairi looked just like her mother and, in turn, her grandfather.

"Yes, Tobimara-sensei was in a long-term relationship with Arashi-sama. It was their duty to their respective villages that stopped them from formally mating. They had a daughter Uzumaki Nariko, who was to be the Sandaime Uzukage." The Hokage answered Isamu first before turning to look at Turtle.

"I'm assuming that Nariko-hime didn't make it out of Uzushiogakure due to Kairi-chan's status and lack of presence." The Hokage queried.

"You are correct, Hokage-sama. Nariko-sama and her mate died taking out the Sanbi jinchūriki." Misaki answered.

The Hokage nodded in acknowledgement, looking down sadly at the toddler. The little girl was now having fun making faces with the Akimichi head and giggling; the large alpha seemed to melt faced with the small child. Hiruzen could only smile as the little girl climbed onto his desk and over into his old friend's arms. Chōsuke was a couple years older than Hiruzen, but they had gone through the academy together and often deployed together during the First Shinobi War. The Akimichi clan head was one of the largest shinobi in Konoha, and the toddler looked like a newborn in his arms.

"As for how she is the clan head, the position is hereditary, like all Noble and Royal clans. However, the Uzumaki are matriarchal." The Hokage answered Takashi.

"There are some other requirements, but essentially Hokage-sama is correct. With Arashi-sama and Nariko-sama gone, Kairi-sama is now our can head," Mito added, as she had been the oldest child of the Shodai Uzukage but had been passed over for clan head in favour of her youngest brother.

"How are we supposed to work with a child? We are obviously here because you want the Uzumaki to join Konoha while keeping their status as a Royal clan." The Hyūga head sneered, causing the Uchiha to roll his eyes.

"Obviously, there will be an interim clan." The Uchiha head scoffed as he mocked his fellow clan head.

Both clans had dōjutsu kekkei genkai, but they didn't get along with one another and intensely disliked how the other ran their clan. The Hyūga felt superior to the Uchiha in both their dōjutsu and status. This was an old grudge from the Warring States Era after the Hyūga was often overlooked for missions in favour of the Uchiha. The Hyūga also looked down on the Uchiha because they bought their title and were not gifted it. On the other hand, the Uchiha thought it was abhorrent that the main branch of the Hyūga suppressed the branch family and obviously felt that the Sharingan was superior to the Byakugan. The Uchiha hated how the Hyūga tried to lord over them and looked down on them. The only thing the pair constantly agreed on was bloodline-theft and dōjutsu-theft. When the pair of typically composed alphas were in a room together, they regressed to academy students and bickered.

"Will that be you, Mito-hime?" Toija asked the aged beta, trying to derail the argument between the two clan heads before it started.

"No, Toija-kun. I'm much too old and a Senju now. I'm not fit for the role, but Turtle-kun is much better suited to be the interim clan head. Don't you think so, ototo-kun?" Mito said, giving a cheeky smile to the ANBU agent.

There was really no reason now to keep their identities secret. The ANBU had completed the final mission given to them by their Kage.

"I was aware of my duty, onee-chan," Turtle said before pushing back his hood and pulling down his mask, revealing his face.

"I am glad that you survived, Raiden-hiko." The Hokage said, glad that his old friend made it through the destruction of his village.

"Thank you, Hiruzen-sama." Uzumaki Raiden said, with an incline of his head.

Uzumaki Raiden was the tallest of all his siblings at six foot six. He had the stereotypical bulky build of an alpha. He had long, thick, vibrant red hair pulled back from his face with three thick braids and a short, well-groomed beard. He only had grey hair at his temples but still had significantly less grey hair than his sister, who was 9 years older than him. Raiden was the second youngest child of the Shodai Uzukage at 54 years old; though no one would guess his actual age, he looked like he was in his late-30s. Mito was the oldest and ten years older than Arashi, the baby of the family. They had one more sibling, Satsuki, but she had died on a mission gone wrong near the end of the Warring States Period; she had been three years younger than Mito. There was less than a year between Raiden and Arashi, so they had been closer to each other than to their other siblings. When Arashi has taken over the mantel of Uzukage, Raiden has no second thoughts about joining ANBU to protect him.

All the siblings shared similar features; they had the same heart-shaped face, pale skin, and famous Uzumaki red hair. All the siblings had more pronounced canine teeth and sharper senses that they had inherited from their Hatake sire. Mito, Satsuki, and Raiden all had the same royal purple eyes that often seemed to change with emotions. Their purple eyes were unique to the family's main branch; the rest of the clan had blue, hazel, or green eyes. The only exception was those born with molten golden eyes, which denoted that they had a unique charka that allowed them to take up the mantel of clan head. Their father, Arashi, Nariko, and Kairi, all had been born with those golden eyes. Mito, Raiden, and Arashi all had red facial tattoos, marking that they had reached the highest level of mastery of fūinjutsu. Mito had a diamond on her forehead, Raiden a swirling design along his right cheekbone just above his beard, while Arashi had two thin lines on each cheek running under his eyes to his hairline.

Puffin seeing that her taicho had taken off his mask, removed her own and pushed back her hood. Uzumaki Kame, a tokubetsu jōnin, was a prodigy at inkless seals. She was a slight, short teen, barely 17 years old. She had the stereotypical red hair of an Uzumaki; it was long and pulled back into a braided bun. She had lightly tan skin and hazel eyes. She had a pretty, oval face that most would find attractive, even though it was marred by a couple of scars, one on her right cheek and one that bisected the right side of her lips. She wore red studs with the uzu swill, denoting that she was on her eighth degree of fūinjutsu mastery. The most notable feature, however, was a jagged, angry-looking scar that went from her right ear and across her neck. The distorted scar showed that it happened while she was young and still growing. It was evident that someone had tried to slit her throat. The scar was so dramatic that it was surprising that she was still alive. While she could speak with much difficulty and pain, she preferred to communicate in sign language because the wound that had almost taken her life had severely damaged her vocal cords.

Hiruzen wasn't surprised at the confusion on the clan heads' faces. Most weren't aware that Mito and Arashi were siblings; even fewer knew they had other siblings. Hiruzen thought it was because the Uzumaki kept their youthful looks that it was hard to figure out who was related to whom.

Hiruzen had first met Raiden for the first time as a genin while accompanying Tobimara-sensei on a diplomatic mission to the Fire Capitol. Raiden had taken over Satsuki's place as a diplomate after she had died and had spent most of his time in the courts of daimyos. When Arashi took up the mantle of Uzukage amid the First Shinobi War, Raiden returned and became Arashi's ANBU guard. It made sense for Raiden to take over a temporary clan head, even if he was an alpha, because he was the most aware of the clan's dealings, having been at Arashi's side for years.

"Raiden-hiko is the third child of the Shodai Uzukage." The Hokage explained.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to working with you," Raiden said to the clan heads, inclining his head slightly in greeting.

"You wish to petition to keep your clan's station within Konoha." Aburame Shinji questioned but said it as a statement in his flat tone.

"Yes, we do," Raiden said with steel in his voice.

His clan had already lost so much that Raiden wouldn't stand by and let their title be stripped from them. While there were many Noble clans in the world, having been granted the title by their country's daimyo during the Warring States Period, there were only two Royal clans. Royal clans were shinobi clans who also were daimyo of their country, and their main line carried royal titles. The Uzumaki of the Land of Whirlpool, and Takitani of the Land of Waterfall, were the only two royal clans. The Uzumaki may be homeless but wouldn't come to the negotiation table empty-handed. They were forced from their village and lost most of their people, but Whirlpool was theirs, and they still had their wealth and priceless knowledge. They may have come to Konoha for refuge because they were long-standing allies, but Konoha failed to keep their side of the treaty.

The Hokage sat back and let the clan heads negotiate. While, as Hokage, he could allow the Uzumaki refuge in the village, the Noble clans allowed a clan to join Konohagakure. Generally, a full Clan Council meeting would be called if a clan petitioned to join Konohagakure. However, because the Uzumaki was a Royal clan and had a higher status than the four Noble clans of Konohagakure, it would be up to them to decide if they wanted to radically change the landscape of the village politics. If rejected, they wouldn't be considered a clan if they stayed within the village and would have only the rights of a non-clan civilian. They wouldn't have the protections for bloodlines that other clans enjoyed. If that happened, the Uzumaki would likely leave for another village. If the clans did accept them, then the Uzumaki would start negotiations with the village, which the Hokage would have final approval of.

"The Aburame have no problem with the Uzumaki joining and keeping their Royal status. The Uzumaki have long been allies of Konoha." Shinji said in his normal deadpan.

"Thank you, Aburame-sama." Raiden said, inclining his head in thanks.

"Of course, Uzumaki-sama," Shinji said in his flat tone.

"The Akimichi also have no issue with the Uzumaki joining us nor keeping their status. The Uzumaki have always been welcome in Konohagakure and have been long-standing trading partners of both my clan and the village. Having them in the village doesn't change that." Chōsuke said as he played with the toddler in his arms.

"The Hyūga disagree. We don't argue that the Uzumaki should be able to join Konohagakure, but the Uzumaki are not a founding clan, and they have lost their land and thus are not a ruling clan anymore. They also have not been granted a title from the Fire Daimyo. They should come in as a subordinate clan." Takashi said, looking down his nose at Raiden.

Raiden had to force himself not to bare his teeth at the Hyūga for the insult.

"And that has nothing to do with the fact that they are your major competitor." Isamu sneered at the Hyūga.

Outside of shinobi work, most clans had a secondary source of income. For the Aburame, it was the production of silk; the Akimichi had their restaurants; the Uchiha was their metalwork; and for the Hyūga, it was cattle. The Hyūga didn't ranch the cattle themselves, they had vassals for that, but they owned the animals and the land. The Uzumaki had also raised cattle but on a smaller scale, and its rarity made it more desirable. Uzumaki wagyu beef was their second most important export and was sought after by the rich and nobles alike. They were in direct competition with the Hyūga. It also rankled the Hyūga that the beef industry wasn't even the Uzumaki's primary source of income, but they still outcompeted the Hyūga. It also didn't help that Uzumaki and Hyūga had been in a low-key feud for generations, rumours said it was about a theft, but neither clan was talking. However, it was well known that the Uzumaki refused to sell any of their exports directly to the Hyūga, forcing them to buy from merchants at an increased cost.

"That has nothing to do with it," Takashi said with gritted teeth as he glared at the Uchiha; there was a spike in aggressive pheromones before he forced them down again.

The Uchiha head looks so smug that he could get a rise from the Hyūga clan head. Isamu turned towards Raiden when it looked like the Hokage was about to intervene.

"The Uchiha, of course, support the Uzumaki in their petition to join Konohagakure and keep their clan status," Isamu said generously because even he knew it would be stupid to turn out such a powerful clan.

The Uchiha clan had never had any quarrels with the Uzumaki, even during the Warring States Era. They had rarely interacted with the Uzumaki, even though they were allied with the Senju, because, for the most part, the Uzumaki were happily hidden away on their island. However, because of their conflict with the Senju, the Uchiha were more aware than most of how dangerous the Uzumaki were, and the Uchiha clan head would rather them be allies than enemies.

Raiden and the others in the room weren't sure if the Uchiha truly supported the Uzumaki's petition or if they only agreed to disagree with the Hyūga. It didn't really matter because, with three to one in favour, the Uzumaki were coming into the negotiation with the Hokage as a Royal clan. With the majority support from the clans, they would only have to negotiate their contract with the village.

Raiden inclined his head in thanks to the Uchiha clan head, who returned the gesture.

"Well, now that that's settled, we will continue negotiations at a later date once you have rested and settled in, Uzumaki-sama." The Sandaime said formally.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Raiden thanked the Kage.

"On another note, I'm going to recall the detachment of Uzushio-nin deployed on the Iwa front, but it will be several days before they arrive. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that they took heavy losses in the Iwa push." The Hokage told the Uzushio-nin.

It wouldn't be a popular decision to recall the Uzushio shinobi, but it was better than having emotionally compromised shinobi in the field. Especially Uzumaki, who were known for their tempers and monstrous charka reserves, and those two things together, coupled with grief, would be dangerous for their enemies and allies.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama, for the consideration." Raiden bowed his head deeper than before to his presumptive Kage.

Misaki and Kame bowed deeper than Raiden, following their interim clan head.

"I'm sure that you are all tied. ANBU Wolf will escort you to the Senju compound." The Hokage dismissed the Uzushio-nin.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Raiden said again.

The three Uzumaki bowed again. Chōsuke ambled over and handed over the toddler to Raiden.

"Goodbye, Kairi-chan," Chōsuke said, patting the toddler on her head.

"Bye-bye, Chō-san." Kairi smiled at the large man before turning towards the Hokage and waving, "Bye-bye, Oji-san!"

"Goodbye, Kairi-chan." The Hokage smiled at the toddler.

ANBU Wolf then led the four Uzumaki from the office. Once the office door closed, the Hokage's office became solemn as the Sandaime called for a meeting of his War Council. The destruction of Uzushiogakure changed the landscape of the war because Kirigakure had just entered the war. Now almost every major village was involved in the war. The only exception was Kumogakure, who was still reeling from losing their second Raikage, who was killed in the attempted coup, and the village had devolved into a short civil war. The coup had come at the unfortunate timing of the treaty negotiations between their two villages. An ambush on their way to the negotiation table by the Kumo rebels had taken the life of the second Hokage. It was that event that sparked the current war. Iwa and Suna had attacked, believing Konoha was weak after Tobimara's death. With Kiri joining the war, new theatres opened, and a new battle line would be drawn, further stretching their already thin forces. There was also the matter of a traitor that had just cost them their greatest ally.