tkworld Chapter 258 Blueprint for the Future
Chapter 258 Blueprint for the Future
This sudden candor left Ninth Generation Uzumaki momentarily speechless.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him, as if he could see through all the hesitation in his heart.
"Is the concern that the Uzumaki clan will be treated as spoils of war, marginalized, and ultimately disappear silently from Konoha?"
"Are you still worried that Konoha will covet your sealing techniques and discard you after squeezing out your value?"
Every word he uttered precisely struck at the deepest worry in the heart of the Ninth Generation Uzumaki.
He only dared to say these words to himself in the dead of night, yet Hiruzen Sarutobi so casually laid them out on the table.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down the forehead of the ninth generation of the Uzumaki clan. He opened his mouth, but no words of rebuttal came out.
"It seems they were right."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, a smile devoid of any mockery, only a knowing calm.
"Lord Hokage, I..." The Ninth Hokage felt embarrassed.
"That's normal."
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his teacup and gently blew on it. "Trust isn't built on words, it's built on actions. So, I'm not here today to make promises to you, but to work with you to draw up a blueprint for Konoha's future, a blueprint that... includes an important place for the Uzumaki clan."
Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the chart table.
"First, let's talk about combat strength. As I mentioned before, the village will integrate the combat ninjas from the original Uzushio Village, as well as some Konoha ninjas skilled in sealing techniques, to form a brand new department—the Strategic Sealing Team."
"This squad is independent of the Dark Guard and the Security Forces, and reports directly to me. Its future responsibilities will be to maintain the village's strategic barrier, develop and preserve the highest-level sealing techniques, and... when necessary, handle special targets that even the Dark Guard cannot handle."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the Ninth Hokage Uzumaki.
"You will be the first class monitor of this class."
The Ninth Generation Uzumaki suddenly raised his head, his azure pupils filled with disbelief.
It is an independent organization, reporting directly to the Hokage, and responsible for strategic-level missions.
This is not simply incorporation; it is clearly granting the Uzumaki clan a pivotal core territory within Konoha's military system.
"Secondly, there is the issue of people's livelihood and development."
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "You should have heard of Danzo's Ministry of Construction."
"Konoha's future urban planning requires stronger defensive barriers and more convenient civilian facilities. Your sealing techniques can be used to reinforce buildings, store supplies, and even optimize the water system. Your talents will leave an indelible mark on every brick and tile of Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was actually internally ranting and raving.
Well, Danzo's infrastructure project is short-handed. Sending you professional sealing masters over is like putting a scope on his Italian cannon.
In the future, projects like the Nanhechuan Dam and the village-encircling defensive wall will be of excellent quality.
"The elderly and children,"
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Tsunade's Konoha Hospital will provide every clansman with the most comprehensive physical examination and follow-up medical care. The village will also allocate a special residential area with the best environment for you."
One by one, style by style.
From military affairs to people's livelihood, from the strong to the weak, it covers almost every aspect.
The Ninth Hokage Uzumaki listened with great emotion. What Hiruzen Sarutobi had described was a magnificent picture in which the flesh and blood of the Uzumaki clan were completely integrated with the bones and meridians of Konoha.
"Lord Hokage... your foresight has already..."
Uzumaki Kyudai was so excited that he was almost incoherent. He stood up and was about to bow deeply.
"sit down."
The two words from Hiruzen Sarutobi froze him in place.
"Ninth Generation, I told you, I'm not here to make empty promises."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned serious. "Everything I just said only solved the problem of survival."
"But the continuation of a group cannot be achieved by mere survival. It requires identity."
"True integration is not about turning the Uzumaki clan into Konoha people, nor is it about making Konoha people learn from the Uzumaki. It's about creating a completely new future that is both Konoha and the Uzumaki clan."
This passage is a bit convoluted.
The Ninth Generation Uzumaki tried hard to understand the deeper meaning behind it.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, walked to the window of the command room, and opened it.
The boisterous cheers from outside rushed in along with the sea breeze.
On the spacious deck, a group of children were chasing and playing.
The sunlight shone on their innocent faces, making them look incredibly beautiful.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi watched this scene, his weary soul seemed to be healed.
That's more like it... there's not that much hatred and estrangement.
Children are the easiest to raise.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stretched out his hand and pointed to the group of children laughing and playing on the deck.
"Children are blank canvases on which the most beautiful pictures can be drawn."
Following his finger, Kyudai Uzumaki felt a sudden jolt, as if something had exploded in his mind.
He saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's profile, which, under the sunlight, seemed to be coated with a sacred glow.
"I believe that this is the first and most important step in the process of integration..."
"It has to start with the children."
These calm words were like a thunderbolt to the Ninth Generation Uzumaki.
Starting with children?
He had thought about this issue before.
However, his thinking was still focused on how to ensure that the children of the Uzumaki clan could receive the best ninjutsu instruction in Konoha, how to prevent them from being bullied, and how to help them grow into the next generation of pillars of the clan as soon as possible.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi's words clearly go beyond that.
"Lord Hokage, do you mean...?" The Ninth Hokage's voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his hand, turned around, and sat back down at the command table. He didn't answer directly, but changed the subject.
"Ninth Hokage, what do you think the Konoha Ninja Academy is for?"
The question startled the Ninth Hokage for a moment, but he answered without hesitation, "Naturally, it's about training excellent ninjas who can protect the village and carry out missions."
This is the consensus of all ninja villages in the ninja world; it is an irrefutable truth.
"That's right, but not entirely." Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head slightly.
He leaned back slightly in his chair, his hands clasped together in front of him, adopting a contemplative posture.
Of course, deep down, he was frantically organizing his thoughts, trying to repackage his advanced ideas, which he had brought from another world, in a way that people of this era could understand.