Naruto: The Information Broker from the Uchiha Clan.

Chapter 185 The Target of the Second Transaction (12) Five Thousand Four

One month later, in Konoha, at the Hokage Building.

At this moment, Shikaku placed the four documents in front of Minato, smiled, and said, "It's been more than a month. These guys have kept their composure."

Minato glanced at the four diplomatic letters in front of him, smiled, and said, "Kumo had already killed two Raikage before this battle. We previously speculated that Uzumaki Sora might have been employed by a certain ninja village, and that he himself wanted to kill Kumo in advance."

"Based on this, one of these four letters must have been written by someone who knew the truth but still followed the crowd and inquired about it."

As he spoke, Minato opened the letters one by one, read them, and then casually put them aside.

Under this action, Shikaku finally took it and started reading.

Immediately, four similar inquiry letters made Shikaku smile: "We have heard that along the coast of the Land of Fire, Konoha's Uchiha Kumo is engaged in battle with an unknown enemy, and the resulting destruction has reduced the area of ​​the Land of Fire. The peace based on the Five Great Nations of the Shinobi World is hard-won, and if Konoha needs support, Kumogakure has an unshirkable responsibility."

"The letter from Kumogakure is quite subtle. They need support? This support is probably just a way to see who can actually stand up to Kumogakure."

Minato nodded and then said, "Kumakushi Village has been attacked once, and now they know the pain. This time, the post-war ruins along the coast have only made them realize the vast disparity in strength even more."

Shikaku smiled and looked at another letter: "A month ago, the aftershocks of a tsunami struck the coast of the Land of Fire, destroying many ports in the Land of Water. The peace established by the Five Great Nations since the Third Shinobi World War cannot be broken. Please, Hokage, clearly state who the enemy is. Kirigakure can provide support..."

"laugh!"

After scoffing, Shikaku said, "Every sentence revolves around peace, and every sentence also involves asking about Uzumaki Sora. It seems that after this, although Konoha has intimidated the other four great ninja villages, they have also made them aware of the only being capable of standing against Kumo."

Minato nodded solemnly: "The appearance of these four letters also indicates that one side that hired Uzumaki Sora seems to be unwilling to generously share information about him."

After pondering for a moment, Shikaku said, "The Kage of the Four Great Ninja Villages shouldn't be so short-sighted, right? Given the strength Konoha has shown so far, they should know that only by uniting can they possibly defend against it."

Minato shook his head slightly: "Don't forget, although we are indeed enemies with Uzumaki Sora now, they may not be so sure."

"In the battle, apart from some coastal land being sunk and the display of overwhelming power, Konoha suffered no casualties."

"In this situation, the name Uzumaki Sora, with the surname Uzumaki... just that surname alone will give everyone a different impression..."

At this point, Minato stopped speaking, then looked out the window and asked, "Has the teacher returned?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiraiya flipped over and leaped in through the window.

This scene made Minato smile wryly and say, "Teacher... coming in through the front door is also fine."

Jiraiya laughed heartily, then looked at his disciple and said, "I finally came back to check on Minato and see if you'd been slacking off, but it seems I've heard some really exciting news!"

At this point, Jiraiya asked, "Before I came back, I went to the Sea of ​​the End. I never expected that the Uchiha would be able to display such power again."

"But speaking of which, what's the deal with this 'Sea of ​​Endings'? Did you deliberately release this name?"

Minato nodded and replied, "After all, the name was chosen based on the Valley of the End, and its existence will only make those people more confused."

Shikaku, who was standing nearby, then asked, "What brings Jiraiya-sama back this time?"

As he finished speaking, Minato looked at Shikaku: "Our teacher has been investigating the whereabouts of the rogue ninja Orochimaru. Perhaps he has some new information this time..."

Jiraiya smiled and said, "There is indeed some information, but more importantly, it's about the impact of what happened at the Sea of ​​the End. After all, it concerns a village within the Land of Fire, so I wanted to come back and see for myself the details."

Shikaku, who had been silenced by Minato, remained silent, while Minato asked, "Although Konoha doesn't have a dedicated pursuit ninja force, Orochimaru's threat is not insignificant."

Jiraiya scratched his head, sighed, and looked at his disciple.

"I never imagined that in just a few years, the village would have a ninja with the fighting strength of Uchiha Kumo. But Minato, I heard the name Uzumaki Sora in what you were saying earlier, so this information might be very important to the village."

"During the years I investigated Orochimaru, I discovered that he had joined a mysterious organization. The organization's name wasn't exactly a secret on the black market: Akatsuki."

"A little over a month ago, I saw a member of Akatsuki on the black market. The black uniform with red clouds seemed to be standard issue for this organization. And that guy seemed to be one of the Akatsuki members who managed the money."

"Because of Orochimaru, I used the Toad Shadow Manipulation Technique to control an accountant and follow them. This unexpected discovery made me realize that the person I was trading with was from Iwagakure."

A month ago?

Hidden Rock Village?

The appearance of the two dots caused Minato and Shikaku, who hadn't paid much attention to them, to frown slightly.

Jiraiya glanced at the two men and then said in a deep voice the most crucial point: "The details of their transaction, due to the deposit, ended up in my hands. That is: they commissioned the Akatsuki to go to Konoha to probe the power of Uchiha Kumo."

???

As soon as he finished speaking, Minato turned to Jiraiya and asked, "Considering the connection, has Uzumaki Sora already joined this organization?"

Jiraiya nodded: "If it's not too much of a coincidence, then this conclusion should be the truth. After all, the battle at the Sea of ​​Ending broke out after that."

At this moment, Shikaku spoke up, "Let's work backward from the conclusion. Just considering Uzumaki Sora and Orochimaru, the power of Akatsuki is not to be underestimated. And the fact that Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, employs them means that Iwagakure must have more detailed information."

Minato nodded upon hearing this and immediately looked at the letter on the table: "Then we don't need to pay attention to the other three major ninja villages. As for Iwagakure, reply directly to them and ask them to provide all the information about the Akatsuki organization, and also question them about their purpose in testing Uchiha Kumo's power!"

Jiraiya, standing to the side, looked at Minato with some surprise. The current state of Konoha had actually made Minato speak in such a tone.

The attitude of those in power benefits from the strength of the village. Is it possible that the strength of Uchiha Kumo alone has formed the foundation of the village's confidence?

At this moment, Shikaku nodded and replied, "Given Onoki's personality, after obtaining information about the cloud, he will definitely become more cautious. Perhaps knowing the information, he will actually be able to send it out."

After finishing their business, Minato looked at Jiraiya and asked, "Master, are you going out to gather material again this time you're back?"

Jiraiya chuckled and replied, "Of course I have to go out! I'll definitely bring Orochimaru back. But for now, I'll stay in the village; I want to see how it's changed over the years!"

Minato nodded: "Why don't you come to my house for dinner tonight, Master? Kushina will be so happy to know you're back. Besides, Naruto only met you when he was little, you're practically Master's grandson."

Jiraiya then remembered Naruto, the protagonist he was talking about. The little guy from back then should be in school by now, right?

……

Konoha, the home of the Sarutobi clan.

"The old man is really living a leisurely life these days..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, reclining on the chair, looked up at the eaves: "It's Jiraiya, huh? I wonder how you developed this habit of never using the main entrance."

"Whoosh."

Jiraiya, who had just landed, took out a gift bag.

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment, then smiled and asked, "I didn't expect you to bring me a gift this time. That's quite rare."

Jiraiya chuckled strangely, "Icha Icha Paradise's latest manuscript, I just got it back from the publisher, they won't release it until next month..."

For a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened, but when he caught sight of Jiraiya out of the corner of his eye, he looked away again: "To actually give your teacher a book like this, it's simply..."

He then reached out, took the gift bag, and casually put it away.

The two exchanged a knowing glance.

After a moment of silence, Jiraiya looked at his increasingly aged teacher, sighed, and said, "It seems you've finally let go, old man?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said, "It's not so much that I've let go, but rather that I've chosen to trust them more than before. Whether it's the Hokage or the Uchiha."

Naruto?

Jiraiya sighed. The old man from back then, like himself, was also called Minato.

Perhaps it is because of the current Minato that he is a qualified Hokage?

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Jiraiya out of the corner of his eye, smiled, and said, "What's there to sigh about? In fact, only by looking at Konoha now can I understand my mistakes."

Jiraiya smiled and said, "As the Third Hokage, your achievements are undeniable."

"laugh!"

After scoffing, Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the pipe beside him, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled.

"Do you remember Sakumo? Kakashi's father, the man known in the ninja world as the White Fang of Konoha, the man who could choose to abandon a mission if he encountered someone on one."

Jiraiya nodded.

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Sakumo's strength lies in the battlefield; his power can strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. However, his political acumen is insufficient."

"Based on this, I didn't stop Root's actions in time. In the end, although the outcome validated my initial reasoning, Sakumo's death was the village's greatest loss."

"But now Minato's choice is to trust the Uchiha, to trust Uchiha Kumo. This outcome seems to be making the village better and better."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice faded, Jiraiya nodded beside him.

Upon their return, whether they were villagers or ninjas, everyone seemed to possess a strange sense of confidence when facing the outside world.

The Uchiha clan seems to be gradually integrating into the village.

"Did you come back this time because of the battle a month ago?"

Jiraiya was taken aback: "You know about this old man too?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi casually swung his pipe, hitting Jiraiya on the head: "I'm just retired, not imprisoned! How could I not know something so important?"

Jiraiya smiled and said, "The main reason is indeed this battle. After all, even the earth was sunk for miles, and with a name similar to the Valley of the End, it has to attract everyone's attention."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "I can roughly guess the Hokage's thoughts. With Uchiha Un already having killed two Kage, turning apprehension into fear is the only way."

"However, speaking of which, the appearance of that Uzumaki Sora, whose power can also reach such a level, will probably become the target of the other four great ninja villages in the future."

At this point, the third generation smiled and stubbed out his pipe.

As the last wisp of smoke dissipated, a child pushed open the gate to the courtyard.

"grandfather!"

A little kid came running over quickly: "Grandpa's going to play ninja games with me today!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded indulgently and readily agreed, then looked at Jiraiya and said, "Alright, don't come here unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm just a retired old man now. If you have any questions, go directly to Minato. I won't keep you for dinner, go on..."

Then, Jiraiya watched as the three-generation old man carried his grandson into the house.

Perhaps such an ending for a hero of such stoic endurance is not so bad after all.

……

Hokage Building.

Shuimen, having finished his day's work, was ready to leave.

Standing at the door, he thought for a moment, then turned around and said, "Shikaku, although my teacher is sometimes unreliable and has many flaws, my stance has always been Konoha. I hope you understand that."

Minato's words startled Shikaku, who was still organizing documents. He then nodded seriously and replied, "I understand."

After smiling at him, Minato turned and left.

Shikaku smiled, realizing he was being a bit too sensitive. After all, with a series of plans in place, Konoha couldn't do without Uchiha Kumo.

It seems to be a coincidence that the power of Konoha today is like that of the First Hokage's era, with everything based on Uchiha Kumo.

……

Meanwhile, after finishing a day of training for her students, Yun returned home.

As soon as he opened the door, he asked, "Why hasn't Nine-Tails come back yet?"

Izumi, standing nearby, retorted, "Bro... I trained with you all day, and you're asking me?"

Yun was a little embarrassed: "We played all over the village for a month and still weren't enough. After being locked up for so many years, we're probably going crazy."

Izumi was somewhat puzzled: "The Nine-Tails, which is known as the source of calamity, doesn't seem that scary. We haven't encountered any calamities in all these days... so why is it imprisoned?"

"laugh!"

Yun scoffed dismissively: "Because of unfulfilled desires, humanity has set its sights on the powerful Tailed Beasts. In this way, the calamities caused by humanity's own desires are ultimately placed upon the Tailed Beasts."

Izumi, who was a little confused, paused for a moment. Then, Uchiha Hazuki's voice came from the kitchen, and the two washed their hands and ate.

……

As night fell, Uchiha Un looked out the window.

Nagato and Konan have begun to accept the will of Sora's clone. At this point, obtaining Nagato's medium might be a piece of cake, and the Rinnegan could be acquired in a single transaction.

However... now I have two choices regarding the Rinnegan.

Possessing all the characteristics of Indra's chakra and Madara Uchiha, the Rinnegan will naturally begin to develop after obtaining Ashura's chakra.

While you could certainly obtain the Rinnegan through a deal with Nagato, Ashura's chakra was not guaranteed.

When Indra's chakra and Ashura's chakra converge, all phenomena arise. These phenomena are not necessarily limited to the Rinnegan.

Furthermore, the previous deal with Erzhuzi, and the claim about the strongest secret scroll, were also things that concerned him.

In the original story I remember, there were two main characters. If Sasuke has any of the characteristics, Naruto must also have them.

There's one more thing...

The battle between the main body and the clone allowed him to achieve most of his objectives.

However, its shortcomings also emerged.

Naruto is still young, so we should try to fool him as quickly as possible. It's likely that Minato wouldn't have bothered to explain the trading space to Naruto, who is still a child.

But the other Kakashi is now in real trouble.

Kakashi's Kamui Eye was the key to countering Obito. Even Obito, who later became the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki in the memories, had his Hollowfication ability directly reduced. If the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki also had Hollowfication, Madara wouldn't have needed to appear.

Frowning, Yun pondered what information could attract Kakashi's attention.

Just then, Izumi's voice rang out from outside the room: "Brother! The Hokage is looking for you!"

???

Looking for myself at this hour? Is it some kind of clueless idiot trying to destroy the world again?

Just outrageous!

……

Two hours ago...

Beside the river in the back mountains of Konoha, the little Nine-Tails is enjoying the freedom while lying on a rock.

Although it was annoyed that its body couldn't return to its original size, it had no choice but to abide by the conditions it had agreed to when it thought of that Uchiha brat's eyes.

After all, being able to bask in the sun, run at full speed, and roam all over Konoha for a month—Kushina's original body is probably bursting with envy right now!

You have to understand that even when he was in his perfect form back then, the first thing he did when he came to Konoha was to be beaten by Hashirama Senju. It was incredibly frustrating!

Who would have thought that now he could not only travel around freely, but that Konoha Jonin named Guy, whom he had previously fooled, would now have to call him "Master" when he sees him.

The little nine-tailed fox, who had been resting with its eyes closed, couldn't help but smile when it thought of this. Its fangs looked incredibly cute against its small size.

"ah!!"

The sudden exclamation made Kurama frown; the familiar chakra it sensed made it feel somewhat disgusted.

"Lord Fox!"

Then a blond-haired brat and two little kids arrived in front of the stone where the Nine-Tailed Fox was resting with its eyes closed.

"Lord Fox, do you remember me?"

The little Nine-Tails, its eyes slightly open, glanced at Naruto: "Kushina's son, if you have nothing to do, go away and don't bother me."

Naruto rubbed his hands together. "Um... can I hug you?"

Little Nine-Tailed Fox turned its head away, not wanting to pay attention to the little yellow-haired guy who had previously called himself a red puppy.

Shikamaru, standing nearby, rubbed his arms and said, "A talking fox? Naruto, you know one. Why are you suddenly so cold?"

Sasuke looked at Kurama and said, "It's because of its chakra. Naruto, why do you call a fox 'Fox Lord' that it possesses such power?"

Naruto scratched his head awkwardly: "I don't know either, but Lord Fox belongs to Brother Yun."

Naruto then shamelessly moved closer again: "Fox Lord, can I hug you?"

"Slap! Slap slap slap..."

With a swift, continuous swing, Kujo slapped Naruto's outstretched hand back.

This really angered Erzhuzi: "It's just Brother Yun's pet. Even though it can talk and has chakra, shouldn't it have some self-awareness as a pet?"

As he spoke, Erzhuzi reached out to grab it, but was slapped back by a claw.

"hiss!"

The slapped Zhu Zi was furious, and at that moment, the Nine-Tails also stood up.

He looked at the three brats with a mocking expression and said, "You three brats, I'm not Uchiha Yun's pet. If I weren't afraid of trouble, I would have eaten you right now!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Kurama leaped up and headed towards Konoha.

"You damn fox! Don't run away!"

"Lord Fox, don't run away..."

……

One question is, can the separated Nine-Tails share information?

(End of this chapter)