Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

Sasuke looked puzzled upon hearing this.

"After that guy became the Grand Minister of State, he started to levy exorbitant taxes under various pretexts. We farmers who toil in the fields have to pay for 70% of our annual harvest," the old man sighed.

"Seventy percent?" Sasuke was stunned when he heard this.

Don't be fooled by the fact that people in the Land of Fire pay 70% or even 90% of the taxes. Is it really the same thing to make tycoons pay 70% of the taxes as to make farmers pay 70% of the taxes?

"And that's not all. If it were just exorbitant taxes and levies, we could grit our teeth and tighten our belts to get through it. But they also come to the village from time to time under the guise of 'working for the country,' conscripting men to work in the Cloud Village's ninja tool factory. Those who are conscripted never come back. My son was one of those men who were taken away."

After hearing the old man's words, Sasuke couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "The people of Kumogakure really don't do anything human for this war."

"So, after we heard that Konoha and Kumogakure had started their war, we've been waiting for you. Not just us, but the surrounding villages are too. We all hope that you can defeat Kumogakure." The middle-aged man, with tears in his eyes, grabbed Sasuke's arm. "People of Konoha, please help us."

Looking at the old man's weathered face, Sasuke pursed his lips. He now understood why Naruto, even if it meant bearing the stigma of a rogue ninja, would still protect the civilians of the ninja world in his own way.

"Don't worry, old man, your lives will get better again after Konoha defeats Kumogakure," Sasuke said at this moment.

"Young man, you haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" After receiving Sasuke's promise, a hint of joy finally flashed across the middle-aged man's face, and he hurriedly asked, "Let me go find you something to eat first."

Without saying another word, the middle-aged man walked out of the cellar.

"Uncle, no need, we have something..." Sasuke was about to stop him, but the other person had already left the cellar.

Seeing this, Sasuke glanced back, and Aburame Yuukawa nodded. Two tiny insects, barely visible to the naked eye, flew off his body and caught up with the old man.

Although Sasuke could tell from the old man's sincere words and expressions that it seemed genuine, he was now the leader of a team and had to be responsible for the lives of every member.

Fortunately, under the watchful eye of the parasitic insects, the farmer from the Land of Lightning did not do anything unnecessary. Instead, he spent a long time preparing food in his kitchen and made a meal for each of the Konoha ninja hiding in the cellar before returning to the cellar with the food.

"We don't have much here, so you ninjas might not be used to the food, but this is the best we can offer," the old man said somewhat nervously.

Sasuke glanced back at Aburame Yuukawa. While they were talking, Yuukawa used the parasitic insects to check the food. After finding nothing wrong, he nodded slightly to Sasuke.

"Thank you." Sasuke nodded, took the food, took a big bite of the cornbread, and then said.

The food was so bad it made Sasuke's throat feel dry, let alone delicious. However, Sasuke finished the food the old man gave him with a normal expression, then gave him a thumbs up and smiled, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, old man."

According to the information brought back by Yu Nu Youchuan through the parasitic insects, these unpalatable wild vegetable buns were the few remaining foods in the old man's house, but he still took them out without hesitation so that they could fill their stomachs.

All I can say is that if the policies of Kumogakure were even slightly more humane, Sasuke and the others wouldn't be receiving the treatment they have today.

“Old man, we’ll just rest here for one night and then leave. If the people from Kumogakure find out we’ve been here, just say we were here and stole your food,” Sasuke said. “In short, your safety is the most important thing.”

"This..." The middle-aged man was puzzled after hearing Sasuke's words.

"Uncle, you must survive to see the day your new life arrives," Sasuke said with a smile, patting the middle-aged man on the shoulder.

The next day, before setting off again, the group left the old man in the cellar with enough food, which they had seized from the Cloud Village's logistics transport unit, to last him two months, before continuing their journey.

On the other hand, because Sasuke's Ghost Army, which roamed the Land of Lightning, repeatedly achieved great successes, the supply of supplies on the main battlefield was greatly affected and the morale of the Cloud Village troops plummeted. Within a few days, Konoha successively eliminated several key positions. However, at this moment, an unexpected event quietly occurred.

The second day after a regiment led by Major Shinichi Sarutobi, an elite Jonin of the Sarutobi clan, took a position and stayed to rest, they saw that the troops at the front had advanced the battle line by dozens of kilometers. So they ordered the troops to go down the mountain to cook and make a meal so that the soldiers could have a hot meal instead of eating dry rations. Only a company of about 100 men was left to guard the position. But in just a short while, enemies resurrected by Edo Tensei suddenly appeared in the position.

……

I'll update tomorrow at noon.

I went to the company to take care of some miscellaneous tasks and just got home.

Chapter 289 Sasuke: 800 it is.

The Third Raikage, resurrected through Edo Tensei, suddenly appeared on the battlefield and dealt a devastating blow to the squadron that remained there. Although the resurrected Third Raikage quickly disappeared from the battlefield, his appearance had extremely serious consequences.

Taking advantage of the brief chaos, the Cloud Village's frontline troops launched a major attack and recaptured the hilltop from the flank.

If it were just the loss of a position, that would be fine; it could be retaken. However, because of the loss of this position, a 2000-strong regiment that was attacking a hilltop position two kilometers ahead was directly surrounded by the Cloud Village and became an isolated force.

Although this regiment, led by Akimichi Ken, an elite Jonin from the Akimichi clan, decisively broke through the encirclement of Kumogakure after splitting its forces to surround them, with the weaker frontal defenses suffering losses of over a thousand men, the unit was forced to venture deeper into the Land of Lightning, becoming an isolated force.

At that moment, Kakashi, who had received the news immediately, was furious in the front-line command post.

Although the appearance of the Third Raikage's Edo Tensei on the battlefield was an unexpected event, if Shinichi Sarutobi had been more cautious, a regiment of 2000 men would have been more than enough to hold out until the troops at the front withdrew.

Inside the Konoha frontline command post, Kakashi and the others who received the battle report all wore solemn expressions, while the busy civilian staff inside the command post dared not even breathe loudly.

After a long while, Kakashi finally stood up and said, "In large-scale operations, military discipline must be strict, and those responsible must be held accountable. First and foremost, their captain will not escape punishment!"

"Then, try to establish contact with the isolated 17th Regiment and contact Sasuke to ask him to go and help the remnants of the 17th Regiment as much as possible."

"Yes!" Yamanaka Inoichi nodded.

Just then, a kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God Technique symbol stuck in the command post emitted a spatial fluctuation. The next instant, Uchiha Touko, wearing a combat suit covered by a divine robe, appeared in the command post, surrounded by two masked ANBU ninjas.

"Lord Hokage!" Everyone in the command post stood up and bowed.

Uchiha Touko nodded to everyone, then looked at Kakashi and asked, "Are you sure it's the Third Raikage's Edo Tensei?"

“That’s right.” Kakashi nodded.

"That Orochimaru guy really knows how to cause us trouble," Uchiha Touko casually remarked. "I'll go check out that position myself, and as for Sarutobi Shinichi's matter, I'll handle that too."

"Yes." Kakashi nodded.

After arranging things at the command post, Uchiha Touko also set off for the front lines.

However, after leaving the command post, Uchiha Touko did not rush to the site of the incident. Instead, he first inspected the other camps before heading there.

"Fifth Hokage, you don't seem to be in any hurry at all." At this moment, the masked ANBU member behind Uchiha Touko suddenly asked.

The identities of the two people following Uchiha Touko were self-evident; they were the reanimated forms of the First and Second Hokage of Konoha, who had remained in Konoha and had not gone to the front lines.

“We have to give them some time to take back the position,” Uchiha Touko laughed. “The time is almost up. I’ve already given them two hours. If they still haven’t taken back the position, then it’s not my fault.”

After saying that, the three of them headed towards the front line.

After losing the front-line position due to his own negligence, in order to make up for the mistake, Shinichi Sarutobi led the Sarutobi clan's allied ninja army. With their fearless fighting style, they finally regained the position after suffering serious injuries to several Sarutobi Jonin.

At this moment, the news of Uchiha Touko's arrival made him genuinely nervous.

When Uchiha Touko arrived at the position, Sarutobi Shinichi stood awkwardly to the side.

Uchiha Touko glanced at the other person, then reached out and brushed the dust off the other person's shoulder that had accumulated from the battle. He then gestured for the other person to follow him into the battle area.

"Although no one can predict matters related to the Impure World Reincarnation, your negligence has led to the possibility of an entire regiment being wiped out," Uchiha Touko said calmly.

"Lord Hokage, I deserve to die!" Sarutobi Shinichi bowed his head and admitted his mistake.

"Fortunately, you reported it in time, allowing the command to react immediately. Furthermore, you were able to recapture the position before I arrived, which can be considered as making amends for your mistake," Uchiha Touko said.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama, for personally coming from so far away. This gives me more time to retake the position before I have to hand over my duties," said Sarutobi Shinichi.

"It seems you're already mentally prepared. You know very well what kind of punishment your negligence will bring, and you don't intend to forgive yourself. In that case, I won't take any organizational action against you." Uchiha Touko said, patting the other's shoulder. "Alright, go back and think about it, quickly adjust your plans, and at the same time learn from this lesson. In the battles to come, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to make amends."

"Yes!" Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Shinichi's face flashed with disbelief. He originally thought that for the mistake he had made this time, not only would he not be able to continue serving as the regimental commander, but he would also deserve to be executed on the spot. But now Uchiha Touko was actually willing to give him another chance.

After saluting, Sarutobi Shinichi turned and walked into the position.

"Wait a minute," Uchiha Touko called out to the other party.

Shinichi Sarutobi stopped and turned back, a look of confusion in his eyes.

"Just like that? Not even a handshake?" Uchiha Touko said with a light laugh, extending his right hand.

Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Shinichi was taken aback at first, and then his eyes seemed to well up with tears. He came to Uchiha Touko and took Uchiha Touko's right hand in both of his hands.

"Lord Hokage!"

"Have someone take me to the place where the Impure World Reincarnation first appeared," Uchiha Touko said.

"Yes!" Shinichi Sarutobi saluted and nodded.

A Jonin led Uchiha Touko, Senju Hashirama, and Senju Tobirama to the battlefield, the place where the Third Raikage's Impure World Reincarnation appeared.

"You never intended to punish him severely from the beginning, did you?" After the person who led the way left, Tobirama Senju, who had been holding back for a long time, asked.

“Yes.” Uchiha Touko nodded. “Although his mistake could be taken directly to a military court, changing commanders in the middle of a battle is a major taboo. Every regimental commander has undergone a long period of training before the war to become the capable person who can stand alone. His ability is definitely sufficient. The fact that he was able to recapture the position in two hours is proof of that. Even if he is dismissed, it will be difficult to find a suitable replacement for him in a short time. Therefore, it is better to let him make amends for his mistakes.”

“That’s true.” Tobirama Senju nodded. “If it were me, I would have done the same thing.”

There's something Tobirama Senju didn't say: while he might make the same choice as Touko Uchiha in this matter, he couldn't achieve the same effect as Touko Uchiha, who seemed to have done nothing, yet accomplished everything.

After this incident, the regimental commander named Shinichi Sarutobi will surely fight even harder in future battles.

"Let's put that aside for now. Judging from the traces of the battle, it is indeed the Third Raikage." Uchiha Touko arrived at the location mentioned by Sarutobi Shinichi, where the Third Raikage's reanimated body appeared, and after a careful examination, he spoke.

"Judging from the traces he left behind, it is indeed the Impure World Reincarnation technique." As the creator of this technique, Tobirama Senju also carefully examined the area and found a corpse that had been mostly corroded among the rubble.

As the Edo Tensei was a village secret, most Konoha ninjas were unaware of the traces left behind. This corpse, left as a sacrifice for the Edo Tensei, was mistaken for a Kumogakure corpse by those cleaning up the battlefield because it did not bear any Konoha insignia, and they planned to dispose of it all at once after a period of time.

"Can you trace the origin of the caster? Or confirm the identity of the sacrifice?" Uchiha Touko asked.

“The chakra remaining on the corpse has mostly dissipated, making it difficult to pinpoint the source of the technique. However, judging from the relatively intact skin of this corpse, which is dark in color and shows signs of long-term exposure to wind, the owner of this corpse is very likely from the desert region of the Land of Wind.” At this moment, Tobirama Senju demonstrated a wave of traditional ninja insight to Touko Uchiha.

"The Land of Wind?" Uchiha Touko nodded. With that, they could roughly pinpoint the location of Otsutsuki Isshiki's hiding place.

"After we get back, let the Kazekage search carefully." Uchiha Touko nodded, then said to the two former Hokage, "However, since there are already reanimated ninjas, then you two should stay on the front lines. After all, Second Hokage, you know that ordinary ninjas are at a huge disadvantage when facing reanimated enemies."

"Okay, what about the Land of Earth?" Tobirama Senju nodded and then asked.

"As for the Land of Earth, let's leave it to the First Hokage. It just so happens that Director Tsunade is there too," said Uchiha Touko.

"I'm fine," Hashirama Senju nodded.

“Then I’ll send someone to take you there in a bit,” Uchiha Touko said.

……

Within the Land of Lightning, the remnants of the 17th Legion, led by Akimichi Ken, had been reduced to just over 800 men after several consecutive battles, a regiment that originally numbered 2000.

"Ye, have you made contact with Staff Officer Haiyi?" In a mountain cave, Akimichi Ken, while tending to his wounds, asked his deputy, Yamanaka Ye, who came from the Yamanaka clan.

"Yes, Captain, the order from headquarters, relayed by Staff Officer Inoichi, is for us to find a way to rendezvous with Captain Uchiha Sasuke, who has already infiltrated the Land of Lightning, within its borders. With his help, we'll break out from the western part of the Land of Lightning," Yamanaka Yo said, wiping the sweat from his brow after canceling his clan's secret technique.

"Should we rendezvous with Uchiha Sasuke?" At this moment, Nara Masato, the strategist of the team, stroked his chin and pondered. "If we can rendezvous with him, our chances of breaking through are very high. After all, although we only have 800 people left, most of them are elites of Chunin level or above. As long as someone can use overwhelming force to help us tear a gap in the enemy's defenses, then we can take the opportunity to rush out."

"The problem now is, where is Captain Sasuke? And how do we contact him?" Akimichi Ken asked after popping two soldier pills into his mouth to replenish his strength.

“On my way out, I left behind traces that only Konoha ninjas can understand. If Captain Sasuke can see them, he should be able to find us by following the marks immediately,” Nara Masato said. “What we need to do now is to keep going.”

"I hope he can find us soon. I don't want to die in this wretched place called the Land of Lightning. Even if I die, I want to die on the land of the Land of Fire." Akimichi Ken nodded and then made a joke to ease the pressure brought on by the continuous battles and escape.

After hiding for two days, Sasuke, having received the news, finally found the remnants of the 17th Regiment and reunited with them.

However, after the group set off westward, they encountered several Cloud Village troops heading west within just half a day.