Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

"Yes, I will obey Lord Tsuchikage's command!"

194. Changes within a Clan

As if nothing had happened, Jiang Si bowed respectfully and replied with a very respectful expression.

"Ok!"

Then.

After a brief pause of two or three seconds, it was clear that Onoki had no other plans.

"Then, I'll excuse myself from my rudeness!"

"Go!"

After Onoki smiled and waved gently.

Shoji took two steps back, then turned and strode away from the Tsuchikage's office. Watching Shoji's departing figure, Onoki's eyes revealed a hint of extreme admiration and relief. He was able to see such an outstanding young man emerge in the village in his lifetime, and there was a high probability that he could lead Iwagakure to the pinnacle of the ninja world, reaching the heights that the previous two Tsuchikage had failed to achieve!

This was something that deeply touched Onoki, who was already sixty years old.

He couldn't wait to see that future; in fact, he could already foresee the future of Uchiha Shoji, a genius boy, wearing the robes of a god, bearing the title of 'Tsuchikage', leading Iwagakure, and truly dominating the ninja world!

"My silly son! If you really don't work hard enough, then don't blame me for not giving you a chance. The village will eventually be handed over to someone more capable and outstanding to lead! Only in this way will I not fail the trust of the first and second generation leaders!"

Suspended in mid-air, Onoki gazed at the uniquely styled landscape of Iwagakure outside the window, a smile appearing on his aged face as he murmured softly.

For this Third Tsuchikage, the development of the village far outweighs everything else. Even though he really hopes that his son can inherit his position, Onoki will not hesitate at all if Tsukasa really shows qualities far superior to Koto.

As he himself said.

He cannot betray the trust and expectations placed upon him by the first and second generation masters!

On his way back to his clan's stronghold, Shoji was truly unaware that his status in the heart of the Third Tsuchikage had been elevated to a level almost equal to that of his own son. This wasn't about the degree of closeness; how could anyone be closer than his own son? From the perspective of village justice alone, when discussing and considering the issue of who should be the 'Kage,' Shoji's priority had reached a level similar to that of Tsuchikage.

Shoji, who planned to gradually make everyone in the village feel that the Uchiha clan could bring great benefits to the village, had already achieved more than half of his goal thanks to Onoki's extraordinary recognition and appreciation. The Third Tsuchikage represented the strongest and largest force in Iwagakure. Not to mention himself, the subordinates, such as Kotsuchi, Akatsuchi, Bunga, and Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, all of whom were definitely led by Onoki.

If the Third Tsuchikage is truly willing to accept and trust the Uchiha clan, then those under him will also show the appropriate goodwill towards the Uchiha clan. As things stand, Huang Tu goes without saying, and those who go on missions with him, such as Wen Ya, Shisui, and the Iwa ninja from various other departments, are all influenced by Onoki.

Some of these people did begin to regard the Uchiha clan as comrades, while the worst-case scenario was that they maintained a neutral and indifferent attitude towards the Uchiha clan.

It can be said that in just three months, the Uchiha clan's situation in Iwagakure has been getting better and better.

The dozens of children studying at the Ninja Academy, led by Itachi, were not isolated or ostracized. Some of them even made friends. In particular, when Shoji heard that a little girl and a little boy named Kurotsuchi and Deidara had recently become attached to Itachi, a strange smile appeared on his face.

One is the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, and the other is someone who once regarded Itachi Uchiha as his lifelong rival in the original work. Although he always said that art is an explosion, he truly regarded Itachi's Sharingan as the highest art.

The three of them together really do look different from the style in the original work.

Moreover, in terms of age, the three are almost the same age. The oldest, Itachi, is seven years old this year, which is two years older than the youngest, Kurotsuchi, and a little over a year older than Deidara. All three can be considered geniuses among ninjas.

Although Kurotsuchi may not seem to have a strong presence in the original work, and is even called the weakest Kage by some fans, she still inherited the title of 'Tsuchikage'. In terms of ninja talent, although she may be a little weaker than Itachi and Deidara, she is still an undisputed genius.

Itachi and these two were clearly the most important young leaders of the next generation in Iwagakure before the arrival of the Uchiha clan. Bringing them together was really beneficial for the clan to integrate into the village. It can be said that even if Shoji did not fully understand Onoki's true thoughts.

But he was already quite satisfied with the current situation of his clan.

Keep in mind that they had only been in Iwagakure for a little over three months.

Watching his people gradually settle down and their smiles slowly return, Jiang Si strolled along the main road of the tribe's settlement, his expression softening considerably.

Along the way, all the clansmen who saw Shoji would greet him. No one can be liked by everyone, and Shoji was no exception. Even after he led his clan away from Konoha and settled in Iwagakure, there were still some people in his clan who did not like him.

It wasn't for any other reason than that these clansmen always felt they shouldn't have left the village so 'cowardly'. In their eyes, the Uchiha clan was proud, and leaving Konoha was like deserting.

This is something they despise.

However, having experienced numerous difficulties in the war of escape, these people realized that if they stayed and fought head-on, their clan might face the worst outcome of annihilation. Therefore, while they disliked Jiang Si, they were also very grateful to him.

However, these words are never spoken aloud.

If these clansmen felt this way, then the ordinary clansmen, especially the older generation and the women, were truly grateful to Jiang Si for leading them and their families away from the suffering in Konoha.

These past three months in Iwagakure Village.

From initial anxiety to present stability and harmony.

The tribespeople have finally found their familiar rhythm of life.

The tribespeople are still the same, but now not only has their place of residence changed, the atmosphere of the tribe has also become much brighter due to this great change.

General was even more delighted to see such a change in his clan.

Only in this way can our race truly usher in a bright future that belongs to us!

As Jiang Si smiled and responded to the greetings from the tribespeople, he was silently thinking to himself.

195. Settlement and Conversation (Third Update)

The original plan was to go on a mission that would take more than a month.

Shoji returned in just eleven or twelve days. When he saw his older brother appear, Saki and Yo showed their joy and excitement. Shoji was also much more relaxed. Although he still had the work of a Jonin to handle, he had just finished a high-level mission. According to the village's rules, ninjas should have a short rest period of two or three days. No matter how strong a ninja is, he is still a human, not a machine. Not to mention that even machines can be overloaded and need to stop for maintenance and repair.

To ensure ninjas are always in peak condition, they need necessary breaks. Furthermore, and most importantly, Shoji believes his submitted plan will reach key members of the Jonin team tonight, such as Huangtu, Date, and Iwazumi. He's determined not to get involved; Shoji plans to wait until his superiors and colleagues have clarified the details before awaiting Huangtu's summons.

This is the perfect time for me to make my appearance.

Even if Shoji knew that Onoki already valued and trusted him to a high degree, he wouldn't change his mind. Others' respect and trust are not something he can rely on to act recklessly.

Their clan has come a long way to get to where they are today, and Jiang Si will never let his guard down. Taking each step steadily is the right choice. It may seem a little cowardly, but as long as the result is good, why bother with these details?

Shoji also believed that the Third Tsuchikage could understand his 'good intentions'!

The matter was clearly unfolding according to Shoji's wishes. After seeing Shoji's subtle but unwavering determination, Onoki's previous thoughts faded somewhat, and he decided that letting things take their natural course was the best course of action.

If Shoji truly possessed that ability and prestige, everything would naturally fall into his lap. His own body was still quite robust, so there was no need to be in such a hurry. After Shoji returned home and planned to rest for a day or two, Onoki assigned the tasks of manufacturing the chakra armor and communicating with Yukigami Village to his subordinates.

The former is of great practical significance, while the latter is viewed from the perspective of the overall strategic planning of Iwagakure. With the Daimyo of the Land of Snow, Kazahana Hayate, cooperating in everything, what Iwagakure needed to do was to consider the candidates for communication and the appropriate level of consideration for certain issues.

When Huang Tu received this mission from his Tsuchikage father, he was first taken aback, but after thinking about it for a while, he realized that the five great ninja villages were all very familiar with these things. Even Takigakure, which had a tailed beast, could not escape a similar fate among the surrounding countries.

Over the years, among the small countries sandwiched between the five great powers, only the Land of Rain, thanks to the fame of Hanzo the Salamander, had a brief period of so-called 'peace'. In reality, none of these small countries could avoid becoming vassals of the five great powers and were destined to become battlefields during major wars.

It's not that these countries are strong enough to survive, but rather that the five great powers need them as buffer zones. If one day a great power truly possesses the strength to break the balance of power and also has that ambition, these small countries will be the first to be destroyed. The Snow Country was neglected by none of the five great powers before because it was far from the mainland.

Now that Jiang Si has intervened, although the geographical location is not really strategically valuable, if you include the chakra armor, it is worth trying. Moreover, another important point is that, unlike the small countries on the continent, which cannot and dare not completely side with a major power, and can only waver between the major powers.

In the Land of Snow, if Iwagakure acts swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly, without giving Kumogakure and Kirigakure a chance to react, they can completely swallow Iwagakure whole, turning it into a strategic base that is 100% inclined towards Iwagakure.

As an experienced ninja, Huang Tu certainly possessed this insight.

Although they had some concerns about the costs and potential risks to future returns, just as their Tsuchikage father had said, even if they failed, they wouldn't lose much. Besides, with the Chakra Armor, Iwagakure was already making a huge profit.

When the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, taking certain risks is perfectly acceptable. Everything is based on a well-defined plan, and adjustments can be made to suit the specific circumstances and geographical location of the Snow Country.

In this regard, Date, who has served in the Jonin class for more than ten years, is more experienced than Huang Tu. These two are also the only two people in the Jonin class who know all the details of this special plan. Iwaze, as the head of the Kamisumi clan, is qualified and has the channels to obtain some important information, but if Onoki is determined not to let a certain message in the village spread, no one can get it!

This is the demeanor and ability that a Kage who has ruled Iwagakure for thirty years should possess. As Onoki's closest confidants, Hijikata and Date were able to quickly understand Onoki's meaning. Thus, in less than a day, the Jonin team formulated a more comprehensive plan for this proposal.

There were no doubts about the main topic, but when it came to some details, especially those related to the General, Huang Tu hesitated slightly. This was not to say that Huang Tu had any ulterior motives.

Instead, it was during Onoki's confession that he was faced with questions from his own son.

He simply said, "You handle it according to the regulations," and then there was no further comment. This left Huang Tu somewhat unsure of what his father meant, but he clearly couldn't ask directly.

Onoki wasn't deliberately messing with his son; rather, he hoped to use these events to assess Yoto as much as possible. As the village's leader, Yoto's vision was extremely important. Compared to most ninjas in the ninja world, Yoto was already quite outstanding, but in Onoki's eyes, he still wasn't good enough.

Capacity, methods, and vision—these are the most indispensable qualities for a Shadow!

Despite his honest and simple nature, Huang Tu is quite self-aware in this regard. This is not the first or second time he has encountered such a situation. Huang Tu is well aware of his father, Tu Ying,'s high regard and expectations for him.

That is precisely why.

Often, the loess soil can actually restrict one's ability to function.

Fortunately, he wasn't without anyone to consult with this time.

Deputy squad leader Yida was someone Huang Tu considered a trustworthy source of advice.

196. Arrangements made in advance

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Under normal circumstances, Huang Tu would not easily talk about this kind of thing with others. One reason is that he is no longer a teenager, but a father, and one of the most important people in Iwagakure after his own father. He needs to learn to have independent thinking. The other reason is that many times this situation is a test given to him by his father. If he does not rely on his own independent understanding of the test given by his father, then the meaning will be discounted.

Therefore, in many cases, even if it takes a little more time, Huang Tu tries his best to see and understand the things in front of him from his own perspective. But this time is slightly different. The key point is that this not only involves foreign strategic configuration, but also affects the pre-war position of Iwagakure in the future Fourth and even Fifth Shinobi World War!

Do not underestimate the impact of this.

In the three previous Shinobi World Wars, strength was certainly the most important factor, but advance deployment, geographical location, and strategic and tactical choices could also greatly influence the outcome of the war. For example, in the First Shinobi World War, the Second Hokage and the Second Raikage both died, and the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers, who were then known as the strongest under the Five Kage of Kumogakure, also died under the desperate counterattack of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

The Hidden Cloud Village was in an unprecedented period of weakness, as was the Leaf Village. At that time, Hiruzen Sarutobi had only just entered the Kage level, and the remaining Mitokado Homura, Koharu Utatane, Danzo Shimura, Kagami Uchiha, Torifu Akimichi, and others were at most at the level of elite Jonin. Considering their age, they should be considered geniuses.

Unfortunately, war doesn't care if you're a genius; it only cares about strength.

If Iwagakure had seized that opportunity, it would have been an exaggeration to say they could have won the war in one battle. However, if they had secured their own village's advantage, they would have had a good chance of winning. But they missed that opportunity, which led to them being limited by Sunagakure and even Kirigakure, a village that was thousands of miles away from Iwagakure, in the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars. I don't have any memories of further back, but in the Third Shinobi World War, which was very close, Iwagakure was the main force of the village.

He personally participated in that great battle that besieged the Third Raikage, A.

He was well aware of his own village's current situation, so Huang Tu had a deep understanding of these strategies. Not to mention that this strategic plan also involved the Uchiha clan. Huang Tu could grasp some of the hints immediately, but some things were difficult to understand in a short time. Especially this trip to the Land of Snow, which was clearly a mission completed by Shoji alone. Whether it was the chakra armor or the subsequent village exchange and training, it was clear from his father that it was Shoji's suggestion.

But it seems that during the Jonin team meeting, they were going to temporarily 'exclude' them?

This seems to be somewhat different from what my father had expected and planned, doesn't it?

Completely perplexed, Huang Tu, after the day's overall meeting concluded, when only he and Date remained in the Jonin squad's meeting room, watched Date organizing meeting materials to be submitted to Onoki for review. After careful consideration, he asked, "Date-san, what do you think of Father's arrangements in this regard? In my opinion, it seems more appropriate to leave the relevant details to Shoji-kun, wouldn't it? Not only is he more familiar with the situation in the Land of Snow, but he is also the vice-captain of the Jonin squad, which falls within his responsibilities?"

Hearing the words of the loess.

Date paused slightly, and after a few seconds of silence, he put down the documents in his hand, looked up at Huangtu, and said calmly, "Huangtu, what's your opinion? Do you think the Tsuchikage is wary of the Uchiha clan?"

In terms of age, Date is more than ten years older than Huangtu and has been a trusted confidant of Onoki for many years. Therefore, in private, Date is generally more casual in his speech. After all, when Huangtu was just born, Date was already fighting on the front lines for Iwagakure as an Iwagakure ninja. Over the years, he has been one of the most senior Jonin in Iwagakure, holding a high position in handling the overall affairs of the village.

"No, if we're talking about precautions, I don't think it's that exaggerated. If it were really that serious, Father wouldn't have made those arrangements in the first place. But this time, I feel something is off about the plan. If we're really looking at it from the perspective of the village's overall interests, wouldn't it be more appropriate to involve Mr. Jiang Si? At least it would make things smoother when coordinating with the Snow Country."

Huang Tu frowned and pondered for a while, then gently shook his head and said.

Suspicion and wariness towards the Uchiha clan? To be honest, based on Huang Tu's understanding of his Tsuchikage father, he would never resort to such a low-level tactic. It's not that he would never do it, but rather that if he were going to do it, he would have used the most ruthless and decisive methods from the very beginning, instead of waiting until now and using this somewhat 'foolish' approach.

So, this is the contradiction. Huang Tu didn't think his old man would do such a thing, but things seemed to be developing in this direction. Huang Tu, who was a little confused, was completely bewildered.

"Yes, you're right. Although Lord Tsuchikage may have intended to test and probe the Uchiha clan, he didn't harbor any wariness or suspicion. If he had held such intentions, Lord Tsuchikage wouldn't have chosen to accept the Uchiha clan. The reason Lord Tsuchikage did this was actually to protect the Uchiha clan!"