Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 280 Deceiving Minato

After completing the discussions, the four-village allied forces did not split up and return home. In particular, the three thousand engineering ninja from Iwagakure, who had never been sent to the battlefield, took action to help the Sunagakure ninja rebuild Kikyoyama Castle, making it easier for Sunagakure to station there.

The Land of Rivers no longer exists; this is now the territory and border of the Land of Wind.

After working for more than a week, the group finally boarded the Magnet Release sand mat of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and flew to the Land of Iron to begin the Second Five Kage Summit.

The general of the Land of Iron was very pleased with this and personally came out to greet them, and even hosted a banquet for everyone at the city's food and entertainment center.

To maintain impartiality, Mifune did not contact Tamura Hiroshi privately, but he repeatedly gave him approving looks.

After the banquet, Tamura Hiroshi arrived at his teacher Kusayama Ichiro's residence.

"Teacher, this is my work!"

After meeting, Tamura presented his swords, Masamune and Zangetsu.

Kusayama Ichiro excitedly took the twin swords and examined them carefully, his old eyes glistening with tears.

"Good! Good! Good!"

After confirming that they were all famous swords, Kusashi Ichiro excitedly exclaimed "Good!" three times.

He knew from the beginning that this disciple would definitely surpass him in the future and forge a famous sword, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

"I apologize, but I have not been able to master the ancient method of forging legendary swords. I can only use a shortcut to forge this unique sword that belongs exclusively to me."

Tamura Hao showed a regretful expression. He really couldn't understand how those legendary swords could create sword spirits. He could only create these exclusive swords.

Fortunately, these exclusive famous swords can be mass-produced to a minimum, which is much better than those few legendary swords passed down through generations.

"There's nothing to apologize for. People today aren't necessarily inferior to those of the past. Thousands of years from now, you will be the progenitor of the swordsmith lineage."

Kusayama Ichiro shook his head slightly, still proud of this disciple.

There's no need to be fixated on ancient, legendary swords; reaching that level is sufficient.

"How is your swordsmanship progressing?"

He then inquired about the origins of the Way of the Sword. He had not only taught this disciple the art of sword forging but also guided him in the cultivation of the Way of the Sword. Moreover, the boy had put forward a grand vision.

Last time, when Mifune returned from the Land of Hot Springs, he told him about the Thunder Blade Technique created by this child. With so much time having passed, there must be many more works to come.

"There are twelve basic sword techniques at the D level, twenty-four at the C level, thirty-six at the B level, forty-eight at the A level, six at the S level, and one double S-level sword technique. These are still being further improved."

I am here today to discuss with Admiral Mifune the possibility of inviting young samurai from the Land of Iron to our Hidden Cloud Village for exchange and learning, so that we can all make progress together.

"It's just that I'm currently representing Kumogakure at the Five Kage Summit, so it's inappropriate for me to meet with Admiral Mifune privately. Please convey my message, Master."

Tamura Hiroshi recounted his achievements over the past few years and extended an invitation.

Of course, the number looked neat, but he actually just made it up by hand; it wasn't difficult for him.

With his current foundation, he can easily create sword techniques below S-rank, especially the lightning-attribute sword techniques he is most proficient in. He has too many inspirations to refer to from the novels, anime, and movies in his previous life, and some of them can be completely realized in the Naruto world.

As for the S-rank difficulty, I only have a few sword techniques that meet the standard, such as Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique, N-Sword Flash, Crescent Moon Sky Rush, and Sword Qi Storm. I haven't been able to create any fire-attribute sword techniques yet due to time constraints.

Only the fusion of the N-sword Flash and Crescent Moon Sky Slash can achieve a double S-rank sword technique; that move is truly powerful.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Kusashi Ichiro excitedly exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row. He had some understanding of the ninja's ninjutsu system and knew the classification of those ninjutsu levels. Since his disciple had created so many sword techniques, this path could be considered complete.

"I will discuss the exchange and learning opportunity with Admiral Mifune, and I don't think he will refuse."

Having accepted the invitation to exchange and learn, Kusashi Ichiro wanted to visit Kumogakure, which was the ninja village that best suited their samurai style.

The master and disciple talked like this all night. The next morning, Tamura Hao went to the venue. Sarutobi Hiruzen also arrived, but he only brought Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato.

After the Third Raikage entered the meeting hall with his Raijin clone, Tamura Hiroshi greeted Minato Namikaze, who had also been left outside, with his signature gentle smile.

"Minato-kun, we meet again."

"I don't want to see you!"

Minato Namikaze was still full of resentment; nothing good ever came of encountering this guy.

"Don't be so formal!"

Tamura Hao enthusiastically put his arm around Namikaze Minato's shoulder. Minato struggled for a moment, but after feeling the brute force on that arm, he had no choice but to give up, though he wasn't afraid.

If this guy dares to use chakra, he will immediately use the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave.

He has now mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique to the point where he no longer needs to form hand seals, at least not for short-distance teleportation.

"You have to look on the bright side. If it weren't for me, you could have become the Fourth Hokage smoothly under Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrangement, but you would have just been a puppet."

Their true colors have been out there all along; they just disguised themselves well before. Given your personality, once you know about those hidden dark secrets, you certainly won't stand idly by.

For example, the things Danzo Shimura did in secret, the cruel experiments Orochimaru conducted on living people, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's use of living people as sacrifices to create an army of the dead and his plot to persecute fellow ninjas—which of these can you turn a blind eye to or a deaf ear to?

So it was inevitable that you and Hiruzen Sarutobi would break up; it was just a matter of time.

Of course, given Lord Tsuchida's understanding of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he will most likely only pass the position to you after confirming that Uzumaki Kyuuhou is pregnant, so that he can use the child to control you two.

Even if you are very dissatisfied at that time, you will have no choice but to give in.

If you don't want to submit, they have ways to control you. For example, a Jinchuriki is in the worst condition during childbirth and it's the hardest for them to suppress the Tailed Beast inside them. With just a little manipulation, they can kill your wife.

"Given your personality, I reckon you'll most likely die for love, and seal the Nine-Tails inside your son as a weapon of war for Konoha. That way, Hiruzen Sarutobi only needs to fool your son..."

Tamura Hiroshi was earnestly trying to fool Minato, who initially didn't want to listen, but the more he listened, the more something seemed off, and eventually his face turned pale.

Although I don't want to admit it, the possibility is indeed not small. If Jiupin were to die a miserable death, he would most likely be so heartbroken that he would commit suicide.

Thinking of this, I broke out in a cold sweat.

"Don't even think about sowing discord!"

Stubbornly replying, Minato Namikaze really didn't want to believe in that kind of future.

"This is the result of Lord Tutai's deduction, so it can't be wrong. Besides, given your current state, do you really need me to sow discord among you?"

I'm telling you this so you'll be more careful in the future and won't get taken advantage of.

We don't care whether you live or die, but Jiupin is a member of the Uzumaki clan, and Kushina and I don't want to see her get dragged down and killed because of you."

Tamura Hao skillfully shifted the blame to Lord Tsuchida. Lord Tsuchida is now the wisest man in the ninja world, recognized by the entire ninja world and the daimyo of the five great nations. His bounty is the highest in the world; even the Raikage's bounty is only a fraction of his.

As expected, after being affiliated with the earthen platform, Minato Namikaze stopped arguing.

These words made Ye Yue Ai, who was standing next to him, grin and silently mourn for Tu Tai for a few seconds.

With Xiao Hao's painstaking and persistent promotion, it would be difficult for Lord Tutai's reputation not to rise.

Perhaps after the next Shinobi World War, Lord Tsuchida's bounty will exceed 5 billion.

"Don't scare Minato."

At that moment, a gentle and kind voice rang out, and a figure emerged from the seal on Minato Namikaze's abdomen, transforming into a blurry silhouette—it was Mito Uzumaki's chakra projection.

Then the figure solidified, transforming into a shadow clone.

"Grandma Mito!"

Tamura Hao quickly bowed and greeted him, and Yozuki Ai, who was not far away, also came over to pay her respects.

Tamura Hao was not surprised by this chakra, after all, Minato Namikaze sealed his own chakra and Kushina Uzumaki's chakra into Naruto Uzumaki in the future, so Mito Uzumaki could naturally do the same thing, and do it even better.

"I heard that Rope Tree had appeared in the village before."

Mito Uzumaki nodded to the boy, then asked him a question.

She could understand and even agreed with Tsunade going to the clan's territory, but Nawaki's appearance surprised and delighted her.

She was heartbroken for a long time when she heard the news of her grandson's death, but she never expected that he would survive.

Minato Namikaze was also puzzled by this. The news of Senju Nawaki's death didn't seem fake, especially considering Tsunade's behavior at the time.

"It was Tsunade who restored him."

Tamura Hao promptly shifted the blame to Tsunade. After all, most of the Senju ninja on the front lines had died, and most of the clan members in the clan's territory had moved to Kumogakure. There weren't many people who knew the truth back then.

Moreover, Tsunade is now a ninja of their Hidden Cloud Village, so it's up to her to decide what to say.

"It's good that you're still alive!"

Mito Uzumaki was very pleased. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I'll go to Kumogakure with you. Tsunade isn't good at persuading people. I'll go and talk to the clansmen."

She knew that Tsunade had taken away many people, some of whom exceeded the Cloud Village's standard for recruiting people from the Uzushiogakure.

Moreover, the situation of the Senju clan is different from that of Uzushiogakure back then. There must still be some clansmen who don't understand. It would be good for me to go over and enlighten them.

"That would be perfect!"

Tamura Hao was delighted. With this powerful figure involved, the Senju clan members would surely be more likely to submit. As for those who were unwilling to integrate into Kumogakure, they could simply be sent back to Konoha.

I'm sure Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others will treat them well. Orochimaru and Lord Danzo are also looking for test subjects to further explore the mysteries of the Senju clan's bloodline.

It seems that those Senju clan members who were unwilling to leave have already been accepted by Orochimaru and Lord Danzo.

"Grandma Mito!"

Minato Namikaze, however, was reluctant to part with him. After spending so much time together, he had come to regard him as family. He was able to grow so quickly thanks to Minato's guidance.

"I'm sorry, Minato, it's unfair and too heavy a burden to entrust the future of the village to you."

If things become unavoidable in the future, don't force it. Protect yourself and the Ninth Rank.

With a loving and apologetic touch, Mito Uzumaki gently stroked the boy's head, feeling a pang of regret.

Perhaps she shouldn't have entrusted her and Hashirama's will to this child in the first place. Now, she only wants this child and Kyuubi to have a better future.

"I know, I will definitely protect the Ninth Rank!"

Nodding seriously, Minato Namikaze indicated that he had made a mental note.

"Make good use of that big fox. Our previous understanding of him was wrong. He is not a mindless beast."

As a final reminder, Mito Uzumaki can't do anything more right now; the child will have to walk her own path from now on.

"Um!"

Nodding, Minato Namikaze indicated that he understood.

He also understood the importance of resolving the hatred in the Nine-Tails' heart. Only in this way could he obtain that power. He needed invincible power to fulfill his wishes, and he had to find a way to get his hands on the Nine-Tails' power.

"How are Yu Ye and the others doing now?"

Mito Uzumaki looked at the boy beside her, eager to hear about the current living conditions of her clansmen.

"Everything is fine. Aunt Yuye and Lord Tutai got married and had a daughter."

Tamura Hao mentioned that Uzumaki Tamayori was getting married. It was fortunate that the Uzumaki clan had disbanded, otherwise Lord Tsuchidai would have had to change his surname to Uzumaki, which would have been considered marrying into the Uzumaki family.

"That Raikage as an assistant? That's good."

Mito Uzumaki was surprised. She had heard of the name of the Raikage's assistant. It was said that the incident in Uzushiogakure was orchestrated by him, and many of the subsequent plans for Kumogakure, as well as its own reforms, were also his doing. He was known as the greatest strategist in the ninja world, and it was said that his bounty was over two billion ryo.

It's a good thing that Yu Ye was able to marry that person, not to mention that they had a child. This means that Uzumaki has truly taken root in Kumogakure, and I can finally rest assured.

"Mito-sama!"

At this moment, several figures walked out of the conference hall, including Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya. When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Mito Uzumaki, his eyes flickered, but he still stepped forward to greet her.

He guessed that this was just a trace of chakra left behind by that person, who was truly dead and could not be resurrected. Judging from the appearance, this one was not in the state of Edo Tensei, but could only be a form transformed by chakra.

Onoki and the others were quite surprised by Mito Uzumaki's presence, and they all greeted her politely.

Although they were enemies, they respected him greatly. His intervention to end the First Shinobi World War had benefited their village. At that time, the war was basically out of control, and one or two Kage had died. Continuing the war would have resulted in even greater losses.

"You'd better watch yourself!"

Mito Uzumaki glanced calmly at Hiruzen Sarutobi and did not blame him.

There's no right or wrong in power struggles; it's just a matter of perspective. Since the Senju family decided to fight for power, they naturally had to be prepared for the consequences, and they can't blame anyone else.

Moreover, the internal affairs of Konoha are not yet over.

Konoha is the village with the most powerful ninja clans, which has made it strong, but it has also become a fatal hidden danger.

To resolve internal conflicts, either another invincible powerhouse like Hashirama emerges, or the ninja clans are weakened or even wiped out, or reformed like the Hidden Cloud Village, disbanding the ninja clans and fully integrating them into the village.

She couldn't see the future of Konoha anymore, and she didn't want to care anymore.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, and Jiraiya behind him could only follow suit.

Onoki and his companions on the side wore mocking sneers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have prepared a feast. Please follow me."

Mifune, who was the last to emerge, noticed the strange atmosphere, but didn't pay much attention and invited everyone to the banquet.

The Five Kage Summit is of great significance to their Land of Iron. It can further solidify their status as a neutral country, and there are other benefits as well. It's definitely worth it.

The group did not refuse and followed Mifune away.

Mito Uzumaki followed Tamura Hao away, chatting as they walked and asking about the specific situation of those clansmen, leaving only Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two behind, who seemed quite out of place.

"Teacher, why is it over so quickly?"

Minato Namikaze asked in confusion. He had originally thought the discussion would drag on for several days and was prepared for a protracted battle.

"I'm not sure either; the conditions offered by the four great ninja villages aren't considered harsh."

Speaking of this, Jiraiya was full of doubts, not understanding what the four great ninja villages were up to.

Before they arrived, they had discussed the terms of the ceasefire agreement several times, had a bottom line in mind, and were prepared to engage in a protracted struggle with the four great ninja villages.

However, to everyone's surprise, the conditions offered by the four major ninja villages did not exceed their bottom line, and the ceasefire agreement was successfully signed.

It was all done in less than ten minutes, which he found incredible, but he couldn't understand what the four great ninja villages were up to.

Not to mention Jiraiya, even Hiruzen Sarutobi was quite puzzled, unable to understand what the four great ninja villages were up to.

Even the four great ninja villages did not forcefully demand the return of the stolen tailed beasts; they merely issued verbal condemnations.

"Hokage-sama, should we return to the village immediately?"

Minato Namikaze suppressed his doubts and asked if they should return immediately.

"Let's go back. I need to study their intentions carefully."

Nodding, Hiruzen Sarutobi urgently needed to go back and discuss the matter with his old buddies, as he had a feeling that something was amiss.

Minato Namikaze didn't say much. He activated the Yin Seal, placed his hands on Hiruzen Sarutobi and his teacher's shoulders, and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take the two away. After passing through the Flying Thunder God Technique seals left along the way, he returned to Konoha in a short time, even at the cost of chakra.

Upon returning, Hiruzen Sarutobi went to the Hokage's office and first summoned the reanimated Tobirama Senju, letting him sense that Minato Namikaze had not left any Flying Thunder God Technique seals on his body before he could relax.

He was also very wary of Minato Namikaze and the Flying Thunder God Technique. If he were to be branded with it, he would have to sleep with his eyes open from now on.

He really didn't want Minato Namikaze to come into contact with him this time, unless absolutely necessary.

Fortunately, the second-generation teacher could sense Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique, so at least he could take precautions.

After confirming that there were no problems, Hiruzen Sarutobi put away the Second Master and sat down in his office chair to wait quietly.

Not long after, hurried footsteps were heard, and two figures pushed open the office door and walked in. It was Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

"Danzo didn't come?"

Seeing that only two people came, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt dissatisfied.

After arriving at the Hokage Building, he ordered that Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo be summoned, but only two of them have come.

"Danzo never returned to the village."

Koharu Utatane said that they knew Danzo Shimura had left the battle midway through and had been waiting for his old friend to return, but they had never seen him.

"That kind of power is indeed not that useful."

Hiruzen Sarutobi had a rough idea of ​​what was going on. He had sensed that Danzo Shimura's power was extremely extreme, even more sinister and evil than the tailed beast chakra.

While that power greatly increased Danzo's strength, it must also have hidden dangers; otherwise, he would have already jumped out to compete with me for the Hokage position.

"We can't wait for him. This is a ceasefire agreement signed with the four great ninja villages. The conditions on it are the original conditions proposed by the four great ninja villages. Something seems wrong. Take a look."

Hiruzen Sarutobi then took out the signed contract and showed it to the two of them.

The two took the scroll, unfolded it, and after reading its contents, they both frowned and looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi with puzzlement.

"Are you sure these were the initial conditions set by the four great ninja villages, and none of them have been changed?"

"Not a single one has been changed!"

(End of this chapter)