Uzumaki Survival 010

After a productive morning, Oden was busy at a desk within his room. Whilst Suzuki was exercising in the background, he was organizing his thoughts on a piece of paper. 

To survive in this new world, he had set a few goals for both himself, and the clan survivors. 

1) Increase Personal Strength

2) Increase Prestige

3) Increase Clan Strength

For goal number one, he intended on acquiring more yokai to place within Noh masks or sealing into scrolls to be unleashed later. Like a gamer collecting all the rare loot, he could swap between the right masks at the correct time to counter the enemy. Basically, he would have an ability similar to Kakuzu. That might not seem great on the surface, but if he could make a mask with elemental release, that meant he didn't have to learn the ninjutsu himself. That was time saved better spent on fuinjutsu research. Which led to his next topic, improving the Adamantine Chains. 

Adding elemental release-such as fire, lighting, etc-to them was a no brainer. However, his own chakra nature-and that of most Uzumaki-was Yin & Yang release. The Uzumaki bloodline was so impossibly broken because of this ‘perfect’ kekkai genkai. The reason why their bodies were so strong, was because of this overwhelming amount of Yang. And the reason why they had such fine chakra control, and could create seals with ease was because of the intelligence/mental strength granted by Yin. In short, pursuing Ninjutsu would take a lot of effort when-in theory-he should learn Taijutsu & Genjutsu with ease. Although he never intended to become like Rock Lee, he would have to man up, and practice Taijutsu with Suzuki when he wasn't working on Fuinjutsu. 

As for his Yin chakra nature, from what he could tell, that corrosive chakra unique to yokai seemed to be related to Yin chakra, and instead of pursuing lighting chains-which would look badass-he'd rather practice on the yokai, as they were perfect research materials. 

Lastly, the yokai would act as perfect summons. He was certain that if he could collect 100 of these demons, then no one in Yuki would dare to openly fuck with the Uzumaki. 

This directly tied into part two of his plan. Increasing Prestige. By showcasing his talents, and helping both ninjas & commoners alike, he intended to make the Uzimaki an indispensable necessity. The more Heat seals that are distributed, the more ninja who have their corrosive yokai chakra cleansed, the more yokai portals he closes, the higher his reputation would rise. 

As far as Oden was concerned, he would love to act low-key, and develop slowly. But the world was in turmoil, and whilst he would hide some trump cards, and wouldn't act like an idiot making enemies everywhere, he had to stand strong, and act as a deterrent. Reputation was a weapon of its own. 

After all, how many times did people look at Naruto's spiky blonde hair, and get PTSD thinking about the Yellow Flash? How many people cursed the USA, but wouldn't ever dream about the people more concerned with spending their budget on the military than health care? Hell, Hanzo sat out the entire third Ninja World War precisely because no one wanted that smoke! In this world, becoming well known might make you a target, but only an idiot would discount the benefits of deterrence. 

For goal number three, he already planned on teaching everyone the Rasengon, and equipping them with Noh masks, but that would have to wait. This was a long term plan, but at least half of them were motivated by his speech for revenge, so he wouldn't mind taking a couple hours each day instructing them in the finer intricacies of the Adamantine Chains. Virtually any Uzumaki who learned that technique instantly became a Chunin level combatant. It was no exaggeration to say that this ability was invincible against anyone without a kekkai genkai or prodigal genius. So long as an Uzumaki wasn't arrogant, falling into an ambush, they possessed an ultimate defense, and should be able to flee from anything. 

Finishing up his development plan, a sudden knock at the door broke him out of his reverie. 

“Come in.” 

Nozomi entered the room, and glanced at Suzuki practicing frog hops on the side, then wrinkled her nose as if she had smelt something foul. 

Oden was slightly embarrassed, as the room did have some of that post coitis scent wafting about. 

“During your absence, I organized everyone to start making explosive tags, as you had previously mentioned. Here's what we have so far.” Nozomi-speaking in her quiet, mouse-like voice-said, handing over a large stack of palm-sized paper. 

Oden stood from his seat, then ruffled Nozomi's hair. The shortie didn't know whether she should lean into it, or pull away, and was momentarily frozen, her face practically saying ‘404 press reset.’ 

“Look at you, my little go-getter. How many do we have here? Are they all C rank?” Oden praised, and then took the stack from her hands. 

Nozomi puffed up her cheeks at the sudden loss of contact, then began to speak. 

“457 in total, we would've had 500, but a few of the younger clanmembers messed up their calligraphy. They're all C rank, but we need more paper & ink if you want to keep this up…we also need more food, and a few extra pairs of clothes would be nice.” Nozomi faithfully reported, but as she spoke the last sentence, she hung her head in shame, and mumbled quietly. 

Looking at this tiny slip of a girl act all ashamed over this, Oden couldn't help but smile, and muss her hair up even more. 

“Hmm, you've done well, Nozomi! I never expected this! Don’t you worry about the supplies, with these explosive tags, there isn't anything we can’t barter for.” Oden confidently stated. 

Privately, he was quite pleased. The sale of so many weapons of war would be extremely helpful in establishing their prestige, and making them appear indispensable to the locals. 

“Hmph, that Koga Kakuyoku-that pink haired brat-said his family were the only paper and ink suppliers in town. I'd rather we make our own supplies then rely upon scum like him.” Suzuki finally spoke up from her side of the room. 

Glancing to the side, he saw the busty woman doing squats whilst she spoke with a violent look on her face. A thin sheen of sweat was dripping down her smooth skin, and Oden found himself unconsciously pursing his lips. 

“That isn't impossible, after all, we all learned how to make paper from seaweed, and the ocean is less than half an hour away from this hidden cave.” Nozomi stuck a tiny finger on her cheek, and nodded along. “The ink…we can make that too, but we need soot & animal glue. I've made plenty of ink with my mom, but the good stuff takes 3 to 4 years to dry.” 

Oden nodded along to what Nozomi was saying. Whilst other ninja academies taught stuff like making traps or wilderness survival, the Uzumaki taught everything related to calligraphy. As an island nation, seaweed had become the paper of choice, and with their vast wealth, most ink was simply purchased. Making ink was a lesson everyone learned, but it was like one of those cultural classes a modern person might take to remember their roots.

“Hmm, I like your idea, Nozomi. I think we should take those of our clan who are more proactive to the beach, and scavenge for seaweed, and search for food.” Oden stated, stroking his chin in thought. 

Privately, he hoped to meet some yokai along the way, and also improve the image of the Uzumaki amongst the local fishermen. Any new captures would go towards improving his strength, and making inroads with the fishermen meant he didn't have to personally scavenge for food. 

As for the ink…it would be best to buy it from the Kakuyoku Clan. By exchanging the Explosive tags for something tangible, this would create a codependence binding their interests together. It was important to note that the Fuyukuma Clan was onboard with the Uzumaki, but the other two major clans had to give their input. Oden hoped to preemptively secure their approval before the other two Clan Leaders returned from the capital. Of course, he still intended to produce his own ink, but as Nozomi said, the high quality stuff took a couple years of drying. Whilst publicly buying from the Kakuyoku, he'd have his own private reserves. Afterall, whilst this would be an alliance built on sharing benefits, there could easily come a day where they threatened to cut off the ink supply. This world wasn't some shounen friendship, where once an alliance was struck, everyone would be super loyal to one another. Back on Earth, brothers had sold one another out for a fistful of dollars. These were super powered killers he was dealing with. Maintaining caution was the prudent thing to do. 

Whilst Oden was thinking about the intricacies of their future survival, Suzuki had finished with her exercise, then came up to him for a bone crushing, suffocating hug. 

“Alright! I can't wait to get out of this cave!” Suzuki exclaimed with great cheer, then pushed Oden back with a grin that said later. 

Adjusting his collar, and straightening out his clothes, he turned to Nozomi. 

“Let's get a move on.” He clapped his hands, and urged. 

“Y-yes!” Nozomi-blushing like mad-saluted, and ran from the room. 

“It's fun to bully people smaller than you, isn't it?” Suzuki said from behind him, the tall girl rested her bust on his neck, and wrapped her arms around his chest. 

“Mnn. Thanks for your continued protection.” Oden ignored her playfulness, and leaned back into her strong arms. 

“So long as you know.” Suzuki dropped her grin, and looked to the side in embarrassment. “Ahem, so you said you wanted to get started on Taijutsu training?” She said, quick to change the subject. 

“Not just me, but I want you to lead a class. For one hour every day, I want every Uzumaki to be doing high intensity workouts. We're blessed with endless stamina, but have lived like relaxed homebodies for all our lives. I'd be honored to have you as a teacher.” Oden said in a serious tone, and turned around, cupping her chin. 

“Slick tongued sweet talker.” Suzuki rolled her eyes in complaint, but didn't resist the kiss the touched upon her lips. 

“I hope my Suzu isn't paralyzed.” Oden joked as he pulled away towards the door. 

Suzuki blinked, then chased after him into the hallway. 

Walking into the open area, Oden counted 13 people gathered. The group of red heads were all dressed like some rich, prodigal young masters and dashing ladies. Wearing silk robes with Heat seals slapped on the clothing, he could imagine that this group would make quite the sight treading across the boundless white expanse of Snow Country. With their flawless skin, and piercing amethyst or azure eyes, the Uzumaki teens & children were future bombshells in waiting. If he taught them how to sing, Oden was half convinced he could conquer the world through music, and entertainment. People love, and envy the beautiful, so it wasn't that far-fetched of an idea. 

Narrowing his eyes, he ultimately sighed. Thirteen people was kind of small considering there were 28 survivors. Hopefully when the Taijutsu training kicked in, and more people learned the Adamantine Chains, they would be less timid. 

“Alright, everyone, thank you for coming today, and for your contributions. As you know, we are in need of supplies. I have made contact with the people of Yukigakure, and made initial inroads with their leadership. We are somewhat accepted, but to make our mark, and establish ourselves, expeditions such as this will become commonplace, so get used to it.” Oden briefly stated their goal, and let everyone in on what had taken place. “Before we head out, are there any sensors amongst you, or anyone who has scouting skills such as the Listening seal, or Farsight seal?” 

Two teen Genin, and a 10 year old stepped forward. 

“I know the Listening seal.” A Genin stated. 

“I'm a sensor, but I haven't mastered the Mind's Eye of the Kagura yet.” Another Genin stated. 

Nodding his head, filing away their skills, he was going to make plans for them, but noticed the 10 year old boy who stepped forward hadn't said anything. Before he could tell him to go back, the kid pulled out a brush, and began to scribble on some paper. Tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, and brow scrunched, he drew several birds. Then performing several handseals, he slapped the paper, and six fist-sized inky birds flew out of the scroll. The entire process took five minutes, but the results were extraordinary. This was the same jutsu Sai would use in the main series! It was an OP support skill that could grant flight, and superb scouting. Although these creations were very fragile, and could break in one hit, there were a few drawings that were decent at offense as well. 

“Kid, what's your name?” Oden asked, his tone of voice was joyful, like a man who had just unearthed an unexpected treasure. 

“Hekutoru.” The boy calmly replied, as if he were disinterested. 

Oden narrowed his eyes, appraising the kid. He wondered if the little genius had a special personality, like Itachi, or Sasori. 

“Hmm, very well, Hekutoru, you three will follow Nozomi's lead, and be responsible for four separate quadrants of observation. If you notice anything abnormal-sush as a yokai or ninja-notify me immediately. Everyone else, let's head out!” 

In his hand was a primitive stone carved Noh mask prototype that he had worked on after having fun with Suzuki. He couldn't wait to try it out!