Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

Uchiha Touko had already seen this intelligence report beforehand, so he calmly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled, "I really didn't expect that the Hidden Cloud Village would actually let that black guy find the only way to break the deadlock."

Now, after Donald lost control of his Fifth Hokage Rock before he could even begin carving it, and after A regained power, Kumogakure has essentially stepped on the gas and is racing headlong down the path of militarism.

First, after Ai took over as Grand Minister of State, in order to prevent similar things from happening again, he directly stripped their daimyo of their power. Their daimyo also wisely relinquished all power and only acted as mascots at each court assembly.

From then on, the military and political power of the Land of Lightning was completely in the hands of A. In fact, his power was even greater than that of Uchiha Touko in the Land of Fire. At least Uchiha Touko had to give some face to the nobles and merchants in the Land of Fire who were willing to cooperate with him in reforms, and he had to make a lot of money with them every year.

Ai, on the other hand, was even more ruthless than him in using a tangible kunai to rub against an invisible giant hand.

The civil officials and nobles who had attacked A after the Land of Lightning's defeat were all wiped out by the Cloud Village ninjas according to their family genealogies after A's triumphant return. All their property was confiscated, and nearly half of the reparations owed by the Land of Lightning were repaid.

In fact, this money was enough to pay off all the indemnities at once, but Ai deliberately withheld more than half of it and used it to expand the military. Moreover, this huge sum of money was not enough. After taking office, Ai directly increased the tax revenue of the Land of Lightning under the pretext of preparing for war.

Moreover, when collecting taxes, he stated directly that he was forced to do so by the reparations from the Land of Fire.

Inside Kumogakure, when faced with racial tensions within the village, A no longer hesitated. Including Donald, A directly dealt with several leaders of white ninjas who attempted to cause trouble, and then promoted several previously relatively obedient white ninjas. He also made it clear that in the future war with Konoha, as long as they could achieve meritorious service, their skin color would absolutely not be an obstacle to their advancement to a higher position.

With this series of maneuvers, he successfully shifted the internal conflict within the Land of Lightning, which Uchiha Tomitsu had painstakingly ignited, outwards.

In the Land of Lightning, even a dog harbors extreme hatred towards the people of the Land of Fire. Among those most affected are the merchants from the Land of Fire who have businesses in the Land of Lightning. Gato has reported to Uchiha Touko more than once that his and some of his business allies' businesses in the Land of Lightning have been directly seized by those bandits.

"You don't seem to be in any hurry at all?" Tobirama Senju asked, looking at Touko Uchiha's leisurely demeanor. "At the current rate of development of the Land of Lightning's military, it probably won't be long before it catches up with Konoha."

“Since the Land of Lightning has already embarked on such a wicked path, then this rate of development is to be expected.” Uchiha Touko handed a cup of tea to Senju Tobirama and said unhurriedly, “Although doing so can narrow the gap between our Konoha and us in terms of military equipment in a short period of time, the most fundamental problem has not been solved, which is that their Raikage is no match for me.”

"Moreover, and more importantly, by doing this, they are undoubtedly handing over the greater good to us," Uchiha Touko said.

“The Land of Lightning may seem to have suppressed its conflicts, but it’s like a balloon. All their internal conflicts can be suppressed when facing a huge enemy like me, but once the war really starts and their Raikage loses to me again, then this suppressed resentment will destroy the entire Land of Lightning’s belief in an instant,” Uchiha Touko said.

"Furthermore, compared to ninjas, their civilians are currently suffering real oppression from high taxes," Uchiha Touko said. "With this approach, when we attack the Land of Lightning in the future, we won't have to bear the name of invaders. At that time, our Konoha ninjas will be the liberators who have come to liberate the mountain that oppresses them!"

"Is the righteous cause you're talking about really that important?" Tobirama Senju couldn't quite understand Touko Uchiha's words. According to his ninja mindset, what they should be doing at this time was sending an elite squad to sabotage the enemy's military factory.

“Of course, Second Hokage.” Uchiha Touko said with a smile, “The reason why the First Hokage was able to successfully establish this village under our feet was because most of the clans in the Warring States period were tired of the endless war. And that was the great cause of that era.”

Chapter 267 Naruto's Attack

"Indeed, that's true." Tobirama Senju nodded after thinking for a while.

Uchiha Tokō was right. When Konoha was founded, the Senju and Uchiha made peace and then extended invitations to the ninja clans that had close ties with them.

He and his elder brother originally thought that it would take some effort to persuade the clan leaders of those ninja clans, since many of the ninja clans in Konoha had ancestral feuds.

At that time, Hashirama Senju visited each household one by one, and all he received were affirmative answers.

While the overwhelming power of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha played a part in this, Tobirama Senju now realized that Touko Uchiha's words made more sense. After the long period of fighting during the Warring States period, the various ninja clans were in dire need of a period of peace to recuperate.

And this is probably the righteous cause that Uchiha Touko spoke of.

"With righteousness in hand, the general trend will naturally be on our side. I once heard a saying: 'When the time is right, heaven and earth lend their strength; when fortune turns, even heroes are powerless.' The so-called war is about fighting for this general trend." Uchiha Touko poured water into a teacup, and the aroma of tea spread throughout the staff headquarters.

"So, Fifth Hokage, you mean that even if we do nothing now, we, who have the moral high ground, will have an innate advantage in the future war with the Land of Lightning, right?" Tobirama Senju looked at the cup of tea that was brought to him, then looked up at the map of the ninja world hanging in the General Staff Office, which was covered with fine lines, and asked.

It's clear that although he had been in the General Staff for some time, Tobirama Senju still hadn't accepted the fact that an Uchiha had become Hokage. When communicating with Touko Uchiha, he preferred to call him the Fifth Hokage instead of calling him by his name like Hashirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi did, as if that made him feel a little better.

“That’s both right and wrong,” Uchiha Touko said. “If Konoha is no match for Kumogakure, then the existence of righteousness is useless. However, even if we don’t gain the upper hand, or even if we only reach a stalemate with Kumogakure, this righteousness will become a sharp blade that pierces the heart of the Land of Lightning.”

“And their Raikage is no match for me, which means they are doomed to have no chance of gaining the upper hand in this war,” Uchiha Touko said. “At that time, this righteous blade will surely pierce the heart of the Land of Lightning at a critical moment. Right now, Konoha is at a critical period of reform. Developing itself is the top priority right now.”

Tobirama Senju gave Uchiha Touko a deep look, remained silent for a while, and then revealed a relieved smile.

He was now very grateful that the naturally evil Uchiha brat in front of him was born in this era. If he had been born in the Warring States period, his intelligence combined with Madara Uchiha's power would probably have made the Senju clan a thing of the past during that time.

"It's good that you know what you're doing. But when do you plan to bring back that disciple of yours who's been wandering around?" Tobirama Senju said. "The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, the Fourth Hokage's son, and the Fifth Hokage's personal disciple, bearing the title of a rogue ninja, doesn't that sound a bit unpleasant?"

"This problem doesn't seem that big, does it?" Uchiha Touko shrugged. It's a matter of perspective. For older generation ninjas like Senju Tobirama, betraying the village and becoming a rogue ninja was a very serious matter. But after the three disciples of the Third Hokage set a good example, it didn't seem so serious about this matter anymore.

After all, of the three disciples of the Third Hokage, one openly betrayed the village, and the other two, although they did not wear headbands, were not much different from the other two. Moreover, one of them was the First Hokage's granddaughter.

Compared to the Third Hokage, he, the Fifth Hokage, only had one disciple who ran away, which already shows that he was a very good teacher.

"That's the Nine-Tails! The strongest tailed beast!" Tobirama Senju frowned. Although he was confident he could defeat and seal the Nine-Tails when he was at his peak, it was still the strongest tailed beast. If Naruto were to fall into the hands of the enemy, it would cause them considerable trouble.

“Aside from that guy who stole the Edo Tensei and is hiding in the shadows, no one in the ninja world has the guts to attack him but can’t beat him. Anyone with a modicum of sense who could pose even the slightest threat wouldn’t bother with him,” Uchiha Touko said. “However, just in case, I’ve already sent a message to Jiraiya, telling him to keep an eye on that kid and make sure he doesn’t head towards the Land of Lightning. Besides, he has a backup plan that I left behind, so there’s no need to worry about his safety.”

“Alright.” Tobirama Senju sighed, picked up the teacup on the table, and shook his head. “I really don’t understand the rules of ninjas now. I’ve only been dead for less than 50 years.”

“That’s natural,” Uchiha Touko said with a smile. “The trend of the times is constantly accelerating. Ninjas in the Warring States period may have followed the same rules for thousands of years, but now, after all, it is the era of ninja villages. In this era, everything is developing too fast, and you will fall behind if you are not careful.”

“I think you, Fifth Hokage, were quite involved in accelerating this process, weren’t you?” Tobirama Senju said.

"Perhaps." Uchiha Touko smiled and shook his head, not giving a direct answer to the question.

……

"So this is the Land of Rain!" Naruto, Gaara, Jiraiya, and their group looked up at the persistent dark clouds in the sky after crossing a large mountain range and sighed.

"Yes, because the mountain range we just crossed wraps around the entire Land of Rain like a pocket, moisture from the north can't get through, which is why it rains all year round here. Meanwhile, the Land of Wind on the other side of the mountain has a continuous desert climate." Jiraiya gave Naruto a quick geography lesson.

"The common people here must be having a very hard time," Naruto remarked, looking at the dense rainforest around him.

The climate here makes it difficult to grow crops on a large scale. Furthermore, the miasma and poisonous insects that thrive in the humid climate make life extremely difficult for the local people.

“That was indeed the case before,” Jiraiya said. “Among the small countries between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, the Land of Rain was the poorest. The three great powers used this place as a battlefield during the Second Shinobi World War, which greatly weakened them. In addition, the land was not suitable for cultivation, and they had not recovered until a few years ago.”

"However, the situation has improved considerably in recent years. After your teacher reached an agreement with the current leader of Amegakure, he also began to provide aid to the Land of Rain. Every year, a large amount of grain is transported into the Land of Rain at extremely low prices. Furthermore, the Land of Rain has also begun to cultivate rain-loving cash crops in large quantities in cooperation with the Land of Fire. Overall, the lives of ordinary people in the Land of Rain are much better now than before," Jiraiya said.

"Naruto, should we stay here and help the civilians build houses and repair roads?" Gaara asked.

Having wandered for more than half a year, the two had grown their hair quite long because they had nowhere to get it cut. To avoid obstructing their vision, they tied their hair back. Furthermore, because they worked and practiced every day, their clothes, though clean, had become tattered.

However, compared to when he left Sunagakure, Gaara's entire demeanor was completely different. Not only had his dark circles disappeared, but the cold killing intent emanating from him had also melted away. He looked like an ordinary boy. If Temari were here, she probably wouldn't recognize him as Gaara.

“That’s right.” Naruto nodded. “Although the living conditions of the common people here have improved a lot with the help of the teacher, there are still many small details that need our help. Besides, the leader of Amegakure is my clansman, so it is only right for me, as the clan leader, to help them.”

……

Rain-Hidden Village.

"Nagato, intelligence from our scouts in the south indicates that Jiraiya and his two children are active in a southern village." Inside the tower of Amegakure, at the Akatsuki's routine meeting, Konan handed a report to Pain.

"Jiraiya-sensei and the two children?" Pain picked up the intelligence report, glanced at it, and shook his head helplessly. "It should be the head of our Uzumaki clan's Jinchuriki and the One-Tailed Jinchuriki that he kidnapped some time ago. Are they helping the civilians in the south repair houses and build bridges? Let them be. It's ultimately something that benefits the Land of Rain."

"Those are two Jinchūriki, are we really not going to worry about them?" Hidan, who had recently joined Akatsuki and become Kakuzu's long-term teammate, asked.

As Hidan spoke, a strange light also shone in Kakuzu's eyes.

Although Naruto and Gaara only have symbolic bounties from Konoha and Sunagakure, less than a tenth of Asuma's, they both possess tailed beasts! Capturing them and taking them to a major ninja village could probably fetch a large sum of money.

"Kakuzu, shut up your little schemes!" Konan, who had been squeezing money out of Kakuzu for years, could tell from his eyes that he was up to no good, so she warned him, "They are allies of the Land of Rain. Forget it, you and Hidan shouldn't go on any missions for a while. Just stay in the village."

"Nan-jie!" Deidara suddenly raised his hand from the corner. "Can I go see my little brother?"

"No way!" Konan glared at Deidara and refused outright. "If you dare to approach the southern border of the Land of Rain again without my and Pain's permission, I'll send you back to Iwagakure right now!"

"Don't be like that, it's been a long time since I've seen my little brother," Deidara said innocently.

"Are you sure you're going south to see your friend, and not to bomb the Wind and Rain Mountains?" Sasori, Deidara's mission partner in Akatsuki, though the two weren't exactly on good terms—one a mechanical dog, the other a chemical dog—said without any change in tone.

"I just don't understand! If we blow up that mountain, the climate of both our Land of Rain and the Land of Wind will become normal. Why can't I try it? Give me two months to scout out the blasting point, and another six months to manufacture the bomb. I'm 80% confident that I can uproot that mountain that's hindering the development of the Land of Rain!" Deidara argued.

"Besides, I heard you, Boss, discussing with the Hokage about blowing up the mountain! Why won't you let me try?" Deidara argued.

To be honest, if any other Akatsuki member had spoken to Nagato and Konan like that, Nagato would have already launched a Shinra Tensei. But Deidara was entrusted to them by Uchiha Touko, so Nagato could only patiently explain, "Now is not the time to blow up the mountain. If we make too much noise in the Wind and Rain Mountains, it will easily trigger the nerves of the Land of Wind and make them think that we are declaring war on them."

“But, the blasting of this mountain is a good thing for them too!” Deidara asked, puzzled.

“Deidara, that’s not how it works,” Konan joined in trying to soothe the child. “Although everyone knows that the disappearance of the Wind and Rain Mountains would be of great benefit to both our countries, you can’t be sure what Sunagakure is thinking. Moreover, it’s not time for our Akatsuki organization to reveal our strength yet. If you show that you can destroy a mountain range at this time, our Akatsuki organization will attract the attention of the entire ninja world in the next moment.”

"What a nuisance!" Deidara said, pursing his lips.

“If you want to blow something up, that’s perfect. In a few days, the Yamato Construction Group from Konoha will be developing an industrial area in our Land of Rain. You can go and be in charge of the demolition work there.” After Konan finished speaking, she exchanged a helpless glance with Pain. The two of them were now really starting to regret bringing Deidara back.

They originally thought that a teenager couldn't cause much trouble, but who knew that this kid had big projects on his mind!

After the meeting, Pain finalized his stance on Naruto and his group's activities in the southern part of the Land of Rain, and issued a warning to those in the organization who were causing trouble, he ended the meeting.

After the meeting, Konan also took food to the tower where Nagato's main body was located.

After a simple meal, Nagato glanced at Konan, then smiled and said:

"Konan, why don't we go take a look in the south? After all, Jiraiya-sensei has come all this way, and it wouldn't be right for us disciples not to go and see him."

"If you want to go, then go ahead." Konan nodded with a smile. Since fully cooperating with Uchiha Touko, Nagato no longer had to think about the plan to capture the tailed beasts all day long, and his complexion had improved a lot in the past few years.

"Hehe, speaking of which, this is the first time I've met the patriarch of our Uzumaki clan. What kind of gift do you suggest I bring?" Nagato looked at Konan, who was smiling in front of him, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face as well.

……

Two days later, Naruto used the Shadow Clone Technique to help a village in the Land of Rain build a bridge across a river, leaving behind the mark of the Ninja Cult.

Having done all this, the three set off for another village upstream on the river.

Halfway there, the group heard Kurama's voice suddenly in Naruto's ear.

"Kid, be careful, he might be up to no good."

Chapter 268 Shell VS Akatsuki

As Kurama finished speaking, a layer of golden flames instantly appeared on Naruto's body. Two large chakra hands reached out and grabbed Jiraiya and Gaara on the left and right, respectively, before turning into streaks of light and disappearing from the spot.

The next instant, the area within a hundred meters of where Naruto had been standing was engulfed by a series of explosions.

Once he was taken to safety, Jiraiya looked at the site of the explosion, first letting out a sigh of relief, then revealing an expression of disbelief.

It's important to understand that Jiraiya had been fighting in the ninja world for many years and had faced countless sneak attacks. However, no matter what form the sneak attack took, it was impossible for him to be completely free of any chakra fluctuations. Moreover, the scale of the explosion in front of him required at least a thousand explosive tags to achieve. The chakra fluctuations caused by the detonation of such a large number of explosive tags would not have given him any time to react.

Naruto, having entered perfect Kurama Mode, instantly pinpointed the source of the malice, and then a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

The reason is simple: the dozen or so enemies he targeted had chakra fluctuations at the same level as Kakashi's. Among all the ninjas Naruto had ever seen, apart from Kakashi, their chakra levels were at most at the level of an ordinary Chunin, yet they had just caused such a large-scale explosion.

"Could they all be geniuses like Kakashi?" Naruto wondered.

As the smoke from the explosion slowly dissipated, Jiraiya looked at the several figures gradually emerging from the smoke and shouted, "Who goes there?"

The newcomers were all dressed in white robes, and on their bodies were various mechanical devices. Their high-tech goggles shimmered with red light, and each of them had a seashell-like pattern on their chest.

Faced with Jiraiya's questioning, the other party seemed to have no intention of answering. The leader spread his arms, and after a series of clicking sounds from the mechanical armor on his arms, two dark cannon barrels appeared in Naruto and the others' eyes. The next moment, the energy storage device on the back of the mechanical armor crackled, and the dark blue energy gathered into the cannon barrels along the pipes on the armor.

"What is this? What is it?" Jiraiya's eyes widened. This energy was unlike any he was familiar with. However, even from a distance, he could feel the terrifying power it contained.

"Grandpa Jiraiya! Stand behind me!" Naruto shouted, and the golden aura around him suddenly expanded, and a huge golden fox rose from the ground. The fox opened its mouth wide, and violent chakra condensed and compressed in its mouth.

As the opponent pulled the trigger, dozens of surging energy beams shot towards the giant nine-tailed fox, while the nine-tailed fox also spat out its Tailed Beast Ball.