Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

The power of dragon veins

Minato Namikaze took a deep breath as he watched this scene unfold.

"So, this is the true power of the Nine-Tails?" Minato Namikaze sighed softly. It was hard to imagine that the Nine-Tails, which could be manipulated and wrung out of Kushina's sealed space without any resistance, actually possessed such terrifying power.

A moment later, amidst the smoke and dust of the explosion, Naruto slowly dragged the unconscious An Lushan out and then threw him in front of Minato Namikaze.

“I’ve already taken care of this guy, but just in case, Dad, please seal his chakra,” Naruto said.

“Naruto…” Minato Namikaze looked at Naruto, his lips moved for a moment before he spoke, “You should learn some sealing techniques, after all, your surname is Uzumaki.”

"What's the big deal?" Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Even the head of the Uchiha clan doesn't know genjutsu."

"Naruto! Don't reveal the village's secrets!" At this moment, Jiraiya, who had taken Shion to close the Dragon Vein, returned to everyone's side. However, as soon as he returned, he heard Naruto casually revealing important village secrets, so he quickly reminded him.

"Isn't Fugaku's genjutsu very powerful?" Minato Namikaze glanced at Jiraiya with some puzzlement, but seeing the other's evasive manner, he gave up the idea of ​​delving deeper. After all, he already knew enough secrets today.

"Now that things have been resolved, when do you plan to go back?" Minato Namikaze asked at this moment.

"Let's wait a bit longer. We still have some things to do before we go back," Naruto said. "Gaara, didn't you want to go to Sunagakure? I'll go with you."

"Is this... alright?" Gaara was taken aback when he heard this, then a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Naruto, you should understand, right? You are people from the future, so it's best not to have too much contact with people from this era," Minato Namikaze reminded him.

“Before we leave, wouldn’t it be better to have Grandpa Jiraiya seal away the memories of everyone we’ve met?” Naruto said. “Since we have this opportunity, I think we should let Gaara meet his mother, whom he has never met.”

“Alright.” Minato Namikaze nodded, then looked at Jiraiya. “Then, let’s say goodbye here. Jiraiya-sensei, please seal this memory of ours.”

"Are you really just going to watch him run wild?" Jiraiya asked before sealing the memories of the three of them, seeing that Minato didn't seem to intend to stop the two brothers from going to Sunagakure.

“I believe he will know what he's doing,” Minato said with a smile.

Jiraiya: ...

If you knew this kid was a rogue ninja, I wonder if you would still think this way?

Jiraiya, with these thoughts in mind, set up a spell to seal the memories of Minato, Akimichi Choza, and Aburame Shiki.

Before the technique took effect, Minato smiled at Naruto and waved to him: "Well then, Naruto, see you in the future."

"See you in the future, Dad, if there's a chance." Naruto smiled and waved to Minato.

……

While Naruto was resolving the enemy's situation in the past, A, who was seriously injured, regained consciousness in Kumogakure after receiving medical treatment.

After waking up, Ai looked at the empty sleeve on her right side, took a deep breath, and then called for her secretary.

"Lord Raikage, you're awake!" Upon hearing the news that the Raikage had woken up, Mabui rushed to the hospital.

“Mabuyi? Why are you here? Where’s Xi?” Ai frowned when she saw the person who came, and then asked.

"Lord Xi... was defeated and captured, and is currently being held at the Konoha garrison base in the Land of Hot Springs." After hesitating for a moment, Mabui reported the situation truthfully to Ai.

"Xi was captured?" A look of disbelief appeared on Ai's face, but he quickly calmed down and said to Mabui, "Tell me everything that happened after that day."

Mabuyi dared not hide anything and told the whole story.

Upon hearing the news that Yugito had been killed in battle, Killer Bee had been seriously wounded, and that the border army had been almost completely captured, Ai coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Lord Raikage! Please take care of yourself. The village can no longer withstand any more turmoil." Seeing this, Mabui quickly stepped forward to help stabilize Ai's injuries.

"Uchiha... Doukage!" A gritted his teeth, his remaining hand clenching tightly.

"How is the village doing now?" Ai took a deep breath and asked after calming herself down.

"The village..." Mabuyi hesitated after hearing Ai's question.

"What happened in the village?" Ai asked hastily, thinking something bad had happened, when he saw her like this.

"Ever since your defeat, many people in the village have been dissatisfied with you. Now they gather in front of the Raikage Building every day to protest, demanding... demanding that you resign!"

"Protest? Who are the leaders?" Ai asked in a deep voice, his face expressionless.

"The protesters are led by Jonin Donald, Jonin Airon, Jonin Freig, and others. They have been standing in front of the Cloud Village Building for several days. They want you to take responsibility for this defeat, especially after the Daimyo's envoy to the Land of Fire brought back Konoha's terms," ​​Mabui said.

Upon hearing these people's names, Ai's face darkened. Sure enough, they were all white people.

"What conditions did Konoha offer?" Ai asked hurriedly.

After hesitating for a while, Mabui told Ai about the conditions offered by Konoha. After listening, Ai slammed his left hand heavily on the bed, "That Uchiha Touko is going too far!"

"What did the lord say? Did he agree to their conditions?" Ai asked again after venting her emotions.

“No.” Mabui shook his head. “The daimyo has not agreed to their conditions and is currently preparing to send a new envoy to discuss the matter.”

"Let's go back to the Raikage Building first." Ai took a deep breath and then sat up from the hospital bed.

This time, he was defeated by Uchiha Touko because he misjudged the opponent's strength. However, Ai also understood that he had to be more determined in times like these.

"Perhaps... you should wait a little longer," Mabuyi said hesitantly upon hearing this.

"Hmm?" Ai frowned upon hearing this.

“There are quite a few people gathered in front of the Raikage Building right now…” Mabui said.

……

"Fellow villagers of Kumogakure! This defeat is entirely the result of that guy A's reckless actions, disregarding peace and the lives of our comrades! Because of his impulsiveness, we have lost nearly a thousand comrades! In addition, nearly a thousand more are imprisoned! We cannot let him continue his warmongering! These black men will only lead our village into the abyss! The village now needs a wise white Raikage to lead everyone out of our current predicament!"

In front of the Raikage Building, a white ninja with golden hair resembling corn cobs was giving a speech. His speech was passionate and rousing, his lips pursed in rhythm with his words, and his hands were constantly making gestures, as if he were playing some kind of musical instrument.

"Now, our village, our country, needs a white Raikage! Only then can Kumogakure be made great again!" After saying this, the Jonin named Donald raised his arm and shouted, "Fourth Raikage! Step down!"

As he shouted his slogan, the white ninjas around him, wearing distinctive red headbands, joined in, chanting repeatedly, "Fourth Raikage! Step down!"

"Fourth Raikage! Step down!"

The Anbu members in front of the Raikage Building were at a loss for what to do in the face of the agitated crowd.

Ai, who had just arrived from the hospital, was furious when she saw this scene.

At a time like this, they still have the mind to play these tricks! If people like them were in Konoha, they would be fiercely loyal to Ikkuri-rat that comes out of its hole!

However, Ai did not have the confidence to directly suppress the protesting crowd at this moment. After all, they were right about one thing: he had to bear the main responsibility for their defeat in this battle.

Chapter 254 No one understands Konoha better than me

“Lord Raikage, perhaps you should go back and receive treatment first,” Mabui said to Ai after hesitating for a moment. “After all, your current physical condition probably isn’t enough to suppress them.”

Ai looked deeply at the group of people gathered in front of the Raikage Building, then turned and left without saying a word. Mabui was right. He had lost an arm, and his strength had already declined. Moreover, his injuries had not fully healed. If he rashly showed his weakness, it would be difficult for him to keep his position as Raikage.

After all, he was the one who bore the main responsibility for their Cloud Village's crushing defeat this time.

After all, Kumogakure is a ninja village founded on the core of martial arts. For Kumogakure, the Raikage can be tyrannical, dictatorial, or even incompetent, but he absolutely cannot fail!

Sunagakure suffered a defeat in the war. After the Kazekage returned to the village, he could continue to serve as Kazekage without any problems. However, once the Raikage fails, the trust of the village's ninjas in him will immediately drop to zero. At this time, if he appears in front of the villagers in such a weak state, he will probably be directly removed from the position of Raikage.

Therefore, he must now find a way to hold on until his injuries heal and his sworn brother Killer Bee regains consciousness.

However, when Ai returned to his place of recuperation in the Cloud Thunder Canyon, another piece of bad news followed: the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning had, under pressure from his ministers, passed a motion to re-elect the Fifth Raikage.

Under pressure from Konoha's war order, the Land of Lightning's court was forced to sign the reparations treaty. As a result, not only did Kumogakure suffer heavy losses, but the entire Land of Lightning's economy would also be severely damaged by this huge reparations. Therefore, the Land of Lightning urgently needed a scapegoat, and A, who was still not fully aware of the situation, was chosen by the Land of Lightning's officials as the scapegoat. After all, this whole thing was ultimately caused by A misjudging the difference in strength between himself and Uchiha Touko.

Upon learning this news, Ai slammed his one arm heavily on the table and sighed. He knew that in the village, his power was gone. If he could still control the court of Thunder Capital as before, then none of this would be a big problem. However, during the time he was unconscious, the civil officials of Thunder Capital had already gained the upper hand.

After pondering for a while, Ai looked up at his secretary and asked, "Mabui, I plan to nominate you for the fifth generation leader."

"Me?" Mabui froze on the spot after hearing Ai's words. "I can't do it, can I?"

“Why not?” A said. “Your strength is among the top in the village’s elite Jonin, and you’ve been by my side all these years, so you’re very familiar with the village’s affairs. If you’re willing, I can send a message to have the Anbu and Jonin team members who support me stand behind you.”

“But…” Mabui hesitated, but Ai waved her hand and said without waiting for a reply, “You just saw it yourself. Donald and his group have gained the support of many people. If no one steps forward, he has a high chance of becoming the fifth Raikage of the village. But don’t you know what Donald and his group were like before? They were just a bunch of idiots who only talked big and made a lot of mistakes when they did things! If he becomes the fifth Raikage, he will destroy the village sooner or later! So, for the sake of our village, you must step forward now.”

Upon hearing this, Mabuyi also fell silent. As Rayleigh's secretary, who needed help handling many documents, she was familiar with Donald and the others' resumes.

First is Donald. This guy has always tried to squeeze into the inner circle of power in Kumogakure. His strength has barely reached the level of an elite Jonin. However, in all the records of him leading his team to carry out missions as a captain, his success rate is close to the bottom among all the Jonin in Kumogakure. However, the casualty rate of his team has also been consistently high.

Furthermore, this person's behavior has always been flamboyant, and Ai had warned him about this many times before.

However, after the trend of black-white division in the Land of Lightning reached the Hidden Cloud Village, this guy seized the opportunity and transformed into the leader of the white ninjas in the Hidden Cloud Village. After the Hidden Cloud Village suffered a big setback in Konoha, he was the first to shout the slogan of impeaching the Fourth Hokage and making a white person the Raikage. In a short time, there were many people responding.

His supporter, Airon, is a famous ninja tool merchant in the Land of Lightning who has risen to prominence in the past two years. After the largest ninja tool factory in the Land of Lightning was attacked, his family's ninja tool business took the opportunity to seize a large share, becoming a rising star among the merchants in the Land of Lightning. As a ninja, although his success rate in leading his team to complete missions is not bad, the casualty rate of his team is extremely high.

The reason this guy supported Donald was probably because he realized that if his ninja tool business wanted to go further, he would have to get official support. And Ai had always been cold to him, so after Donald came forward, he was the first person in the village to openly support Donald.

The last of the three, Freyg, is the strongest of the three. He once competed with Killer Bee for the title of Bee, but lost to Killer Bee in the end. This has become his obsession ever since. During this time, he has publicly declared more than once that after Donald becomes the Fifth Raikage and inherits the title of A, he will become the Bee of the new era. The two of them will lead the Land of Lightning out of its current quagmire and create a new era for the Land of Lightning.

Under the operation of the three, taking advantage of the nearly one week that A was in a coma, they used the slogan of making Kumogakure great again to win over a large number of white ninjas who were already dissatisfied with A. They gathered together and made a show of support for Donald by replacing their headbands with red ones.

Thinking of this, Mabui realized that the other party had become a force to be reckoned with. If she didn't want the Raikage's authority to fall into the hands of this group, then she had no choice but to stand up and compete with them for the position of the Fifth Raikage.

“I understand, Lord Raikage.” Mabui nodded to Ai.

"The future of the village is in your hands. At the very least, you must hold out until Kirabi wakes up," Ai said, her eyes filled with longing.

"Understood!" Mabuyi nodded heavily.

……

The news that the Daimyo had approved the decision to re-elect the Raikage quickly reached Kumogakure. Upon hearing this news, Donald felt that victory was just around the corner. After donning his red headband, he and his supporters took to the streets of Kumogakure to spread their ideals.

"Villagers!" In a prominent spot in the Cloud Village square, as Donald's supporters played upbeat music, Donald made his grand entrance, swaying his body slightly to the rhythm of the music.

"Donald!"

"Donald!"

The white ninjas and ordinary villagers who had gathered there kept calling out his name.

Donald strode to the high platform in the center of the square, his signature blond hair particularly striking in the sunlight. He was dressed in a magnificent ninja outfit bearing the insignia of the Hidden Cloud Village, waving to the crowd with an air of confidence, his voice loud and resonant, carrying a distinctive intonation:

"Fellow ninjas of Kumogakure! Great ninjas of Kumogakure! Diligent ninja tool merchants! And our best, strongest, and most loyal ninjas of Kumogakure! How are you? Listen, today is an important day, a very important day. The Daimyo has passed the resolution to re-elect the Fifth Raikage. We will elect a new Raikage, the Fifth Raikage!"

Donald clenched his fist tightly and waved it a few times at the supporters who had gathered below, all wearing red headbands.

"We were once very strong, extremely strong! The First, Second, and Third Raikage were all powerful figures, and I respected them deeply. But look at us now! Our Fourth Raikage launched a war! A war launched without careful consideration! And the consequence of this war is that nearly 1000 of our comrades are imprisoned, and our country will have to pay a heavy price to bring them back! And another 1000 comrades have lost their lives forever in the Land of Fire! Is this right? This is not right!"

A look of deep anguish appeared on Donald's face.

"The Fourth Raikage, A! When he tried to kidnap the children of Konoha, did he consider the consequences? What did his actions cause? He caused a war that led to the complete defeat of Kumogakure! He caused the decline of Kumogakure! He is a loser, a complete and utter loser! We need a winner! Someone who can make Kumogakure great again!"

After saying that, Donald pointed to himself!

"That person is me! Donald! No one understands Kumogakure better than me! Nobody! I know our Lightning Release, our ninjutsu and taijutsu, I know our mountains, our thunderclouds! I even know the price of every single Lightning Plate! Do you know why? Because I'm a doer! I've built the best Lightning Release training grounds, I've negotiated the best ninja tool deals—of course, the best for Kumogakure! Very good! Very good!"