Chapter 128: The Council of the Crimson Tide
After 1st Uchiha and Hyuga clan members came to Uzushio Uzumaki elder and Patriarch Rimon held a meeting.
The meeting did not take place in a dusty tent or a traditional tatami room. Instead, it was held in the Aegis Spire, the highest point in Uzushiogakure. The walls were composed of a singular, transparent material that could withstand a Tailed Beast Bomb, offering a 360-degree view of the neon-etched city below and the dark, churning ocean beyond.
At the center of a circular table made of shimmering white jade sat Rimon the Patriarch of the Uzumaki. Beside him were Ashina Uzumaki, the previous clan leader now The Head of High Council (Judiciary & Sovereignty).
Enzo Uzumaki The Director of National Security (Strategy & Intelligence Oversight).
Kenshin Uzumaki previously sealing master, but after rimon see his potential for sword and after training with Zoro now a swordmaster and The Dean of the Maritime Defense Academy (Training the Navy).
Genji Uzumaki The Chancellor of Clan Heritage (Culture & Sealing Traditions).
Tokimitsu Uzumaki The Finance Advisor (Mentoring the new Bankers). Now work with Kakuzu(New Finance Minister).
Their faces etched with the scars of the era when Uzushio was nearly extinguished.
Rimon Uzumaki walked into the room, the sliding doors decompressing with a soft hiss. Nawaki followed a step behind, his presence now normalized among the Uzumaki elite as the "Living Bridge."
"The first seeds have been planted," Rimon Uzumaki began, his voice rasping like grinding stones but carrying a deep pride. "Fifty Uchiha and twenty-one Hyuga. For the first time since the founding of the Hidden Villages, the Great Dojutsu are under one roof that isn't the Leaf's."
"It is a start," Rimon Uzumaki replied, taking his seat. "But it is a drop in the ocean. There are still hundreds of Uchiha in the Police Force and Branch of Hyuga and nearly the entire Main House of the Hyuga to extract. Not to mention the remaining Senju, who are being watched by the Root like vultures over a dying lion."
"The problem," Elder Genji interrupted, leaning forward and tapping a holographic display on the table, "is focus. Hiruzen Sarutobi is a so called 'God of Shinobi,' but he is a man of peace. If he senses the foundation of his village is rotting away, he will consolidate. He will pull his forces back from the borders to investigate the internal silence. We cannot allow that."
Kenshin Uzumaki nodded, his eyes cold. "Exactly. Konoha must be kept busy. If they have time to breathe, they have time to think. And if they think, they will find the path to the sea."
He swiped his hand across the table, and the map of the Elemental Nations erupted into a web of red and blue lines. "The Second Great Ninja War is currently a stalemate between the Leaf, the Sand, and the Stone and the Rain. It's a slow-burning fire. I want to turn it into an inferno."
"How?" Ashina asked, his brows furrowing. "We are a neutral power. If we intervene directly, we become the target."
"We don't intervene," Rimon Uzumaki smirked. "We supply. Using the System's blueprints, we will begin 'leaking' low-tier sealing tech and high-grade medical supplies to the Hidden Stone and the Hidden Sand and Hidden Rain through black-market channels. Not enough to let them win, but enough to ensure they don't lose. If Konoha feels they are on the verge of losing the Land of Rain or the borders of the Land of Wind, Danzo and Hiruzen will throw every available Shinobi into the meat grinder."
"Old-man Enzo, Kenshin, Genji you three along with Ren Konan's father who is National Security Intelligence & Counter-Espionage will start doing it." Rimon advised.
"Other than that we will continue our extraction from Konoha. While they are fighting for inches of dirt," Rimon continued, "we execute the Broken Sword Protocol. Every time a major battle occurs, our 'Recovery Units'—led by Nawaki and his Mokuton—will infiltrate the chaotic zones. We will target the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga units specifically. We fake their deaths in the heat of battle. A landslide here, a 'missing' squad there. To Konoha, they are heroes who fell for the Will of Fire. To us, they are new citizens of Uzushio."
"And Mito-Sama?" one of the female elders, Seiko, asked. "She is the anchor of the Nine-Tails. If she dies while the village is at war, the Leaf will descend into madness."
"Mito-Sama is the final piece," Rimon Uzumaki stated firmly. "She stays in the Leaf to maintain the illusion of stability. As long as the Kyuubi is in Konoha, Hiruzen believes the village is safe. We will extract her and the Fox only when the Uchiha and Hyuga populations in Uzushio reach critical mass. We aren't just moving people; we are moving the very soul of the village."
"Mito will not come. I know her from when we ware little. I also see her love for Hashirama and also for Konoha. Even after Hiruzen and Danzo disappointed her she will continue to protect Konoha till her death." Ashina Uzumaki said.
Enzo Uzumaki asked, "Did you got any massage from her?" Ashina Uzumaki nodded.
The room went silent. "Anyway, we will see." Rimon said. "For now let's follow the plan."
As the gravity of the plan settled everyone became silent again in thought. They weren't just rebuilding a clan; they were engineering a world war to serve as a distraction.
The System Points required for the Gravity Manipulation towers and the stealth cutters will be immense Rimon thought. But it's an investment. Every Dojutsu that steps onto this island increases our collective chakra output and research potential. Within a year, Uzushiogakure will be so far ahead of the Five Nations that their 'Ninshū' will look like children playing with matches.
He turned back to the Elders. "Begin the production of the 'Cursed Seal' dampeners for the next Hyuga extraction. And tell the Uchiha craftsmen to start integrating their fire-style theory into our thermal power generators. I want this city humming with the power of the clans they tried to discard."
Ashina stood up, slamming his staff against the jade floor. "Then it is settled. Konoha will fight for the past. We will build the future in the shadows of their war."
Author's Note:
This chapter was all about the "Cold War" vibes. Rimon isn't a hero in the traditional sense; he's a sovereign who is willing to let the world burn if it means his people are safe and his village is the strongest. The "Broken Sword Protocol" is going to be the main driver for the next arc—expect lots of "fake" deaths and mysterious disappearances on the battlefield!
I'm also having a blast writing the "Football: The Last Kings' Legacy" alongside this. The tactical mind Rimon uses here to move clans is the same one he uses in that book to move a defensive line. If you like the "Big Brain" plays, definitely check it out.