I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is the leader of Uzushio Village?!

As a wealthy magnate who monopolized the maritime trade of the Land of Waves, Kado's wealth ranked among the highest in the entire shinobi world.

Kado was no fool. The enigmatic masked shinobi standing before him had brought him into this secret chamber. Aside from setting up a scheme to swindle his fortune, there was only one other plausible explanation.

His opponent and the ninja who had attacked him were competitors—perhaps even mortal enemies.

Realizing this, Kado regained his composure as the influential businessman he was. His gaze toward Obito sharpened as he considered how to manipulate the situation to his advantage and regain control.

After all, what he feared most was a man with nothing to lose—someone who was utterly without desire or ambition. Such people were unpredictable, making them impossible to control.

Obito, hidden behind his spiraled mask, observed the flickers of calculation in Kado's eyes but made no move to expose his thoughts. He had no interest in wealth or status—his only goal was to throw the shinobi world further into chaos.

After the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, had been freed from genjutsu control, Obito had covertly visited Kirigakure multiple times. However, the results of his observations left him somewhat disappointed.

The leader of the newly formed Uzumaki nation had not executed Yagura or installed a puppet Mizukage in his place. Instead, Kirigakure was gradually stabilizing. This ran completely counter to the interests of the Akatsuki.

Thus, after leaving the Mist Village, Obito began searching for alternative ways to stir up turmoil, eventually setting his sights on Kado.

Kado was effectively the ruler of the Land of Waves, yet he lacked formidable shinobi as his personal guard. This made him an ideal target for subtle manipulation. If genjutsu proved ineffective or was eventually detected, then direct interference was a more viable option.

Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Obito spoke in a low, deliberate tone:

"I will give you two choices. First, surrender to the Land of Whirlpools and relinquish all your assets. Perhaps then, the leader of Uzushio will forgive your transgressions."

"You must be joking!" Kado immediately rejected the idea.

"Then your only alternative is to seek protection from one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. However, Sunagakure and Iwagakure are too far, and Kirigakure stands on equal footing with the Land of Whirlpools. Your only viable options are Kumogakure or Konohagakure. I suggest Konoha."

"Why Konoha?" Kado's sharp eyes locked onto Obito. "Are you a Konoha shinobi?"

"You may think of it that way. I do serve under a high-ranking Konoha official. However, those Uzumaki shinobi are rogue elements—traitors whom Konoha is actively hunting. That is the most crucial point."

Kado sneered. "So it's just another ninja conspiracy. You shinobi only know how to fight and plunder. You're nothing but a pack of bloodthirsty scavengers."

"Say what you will. In the end, weakness is your original sin. And Mr. Kado, your wealth is hardly clean, either. Do you even know how many lives you've taken to amass your fortune?"

Kado's smirk faltered slightly, and he muttered, "I'll send a request to Konoha. But first, take care of those rogue shinobi who infiltrated my estate. I will compensate you partially in advance."

"My mission is to ensure your survival. Everything else must wait for an official contract."

With that, Obito tossed Kado a sample commission form. Kado scowled. "You people are disturbingly thorough. How soon can reinforcements arrive once the request is made?"

"Don't worry, preparations are already in place."

With those parting words, Obito vanished, leaving Kado with an expression of seething resentment.

He had believed that with his empire built, he no longer needed to bow to anyone. Even the daimyōs of various nations treated him with deference. Yet today, he had been extorted and humiliated by not one but two factions of shinobi.

He would not forget this disgrace. One day, these meddling shinobi would pay.

His eyes cold, Kado activated a hidden switch behind his bookshelf, picked up a telephone receiver, and instructed his most trusted aide:

"I am President Kado. Contact the daimyō of the Land of Fire and find a suitable rogue ninja on the black market. I have a use for them."

"Is this about suppressing the unrest in the Land of Waves?"

"No, no, no… I need personal protection. There's a notorious mercenary group on the black market—Akatsuki. Find them. I don't care about the cost. I want these shinobi to understand who they're dealing with."

---

Hours later, at the Hokage's office…

Obito had already prepared a commission in advance.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, examined the contract and frowned. An S-rank mission—an exceedingly high-level request—with a reward of tens of millions of ryō.

Yet, the mission itself seemed rather straightforward: eliminate a group of rogue ninjas in the Land of Waves. Why such an extravagant bounty?

If the risk was minimal, he considered assigning the mission to Asuma. Making connections with an influential figure like Kado could benefit Asuma in the long run.

Hiruzen was well aware that his youngest son lacked ambition and that his combat abilities had never reached the heights of his prime. However, for the Sarutobi clan to maintain its influence, they needed high-ranking officials, if not Hokage candidates, among their ranks.

Not to aim for the Hokage seat—but to secure key advisory positions. That was Hiruzen's vision for his heir.

Just as the Third Hokage deliberated, the office door swung open. Danzo Shimura entered, his sharp gaze scanning the commission document. His brow furrowed.

Half an hour ago, his informants had intercepted intelligence regarding an attack on the Land of Waves—perpetrated by Uzumaki shinobi.

The timing of this commission coincided perfectly with that report. A connection was obvious: this was no mere mission but an overt ploy against Konoha.

If news of an "Uzumaki-led" assault on the Land of Waves reached the other major villages, they would inevitably assume that Konoha was behind it. And in return, Konoha would reap nothing but suspicion and diplomatic fallout.

After contemplating the implications, Danzo declared:

"Hiruzen, this is a trap set by the leader of Uzushio Village. The attackers are rogue shinobi. If word spreads that they were acting on Konoha's behalf, we will face widespread condemnation."

He then shared his analysis of the situation.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "And how are you so certain that the attackers were Uzumaki shinobi?"

He regarded the Uzumaki leader, Fukaku Uzumaki, favorably and was skeptical of Danzo's immediate accusations. "Besides, if Uzushio were staging this entire scenario, what would they gain? They could simply annex the Land of Waves in secret."

Danzo scowled. "Hiruzen, are you and Jiraiya truly unaware of the identity of Uzushio's leader? A missing-nin, no doubt."

Orochimaru? Or another rogue Konoha shinobi? Had the Land of Whirlpools been established under Sarutobi's own directive?

Danzo swiftly dismissed two of these possibilities. Orochimaru had been in contact with him before—if he had planned to seize the Land of Waves, he would have involved Danzo. And Sarutobi lacked the audacity for such a maneuver.

That left only one possibility, however unlikely it seemed.

The leader of Uzushio Village was a missing-nin from Konoha—one whose potential and strength made such an outcome inevitable.

A defected Jinchūriki. The Nine-Tails' host.

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