Projection magicians starting from the Uchiha clan

He turned to Iori, his tone softening, "Is that so? You did very well. I've prepared a reward for you; come to the Hokage Building to collect it later."

After saying that, he reached out and patted Iori on the shoulder, his eyes filled with expectation, "The future of Konoha still depends on you young people, hahahaha."

If Iori hadn't known the future plot, she might have actually been fooled.

"Thank you, Third Generation Lord." Iori nodded without bowing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. He turned around and greeted the ninjas behind him, his amiable smile returning to his face.

As expected of a veteran Hokage, his prestige had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts. With just a few words, most ninjas put aside their previous doubts and began to enjoy the treatment of a hero.

Only those ninjas who wanted to follow Iori continued to watch him warily.

"Orochimaru, what happened to the advisor Mitomon?" After the welcoming ceremony, Hiruzen Sarutobi approached Orochimaru and asked.

“He was slightly injured and is still at the back, but he should arrive soon,” Orochimaru replied after looking at him.

"Why was he injured? Weren't the negotiations going smoothly?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, somewhat puzzled.

"I provoked someone I shouldn't have, so I got a lesson." Orochimaru said as he left. "Sarutobi-sensei, I'm going now."

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Orochimaru leave, puffing on his cigarette and reminiscing about the past.

Chapter 74 First Encounter with Uchiha Itachi

After the welcoming ceremony, Iori and Tsunade said goodbye and agreed to go install the appliances again the next day.

Tsunade took Shizune to the Senju clan's territory.

Iori, accompanied by Shisui, slowly walked towards the Uchiha clan's territory.

Walking along the familiar streets, Iori felt as if he had been transported to another world. Earlier this year, when he left Konoha for the Land of Earth, he was just a lowly Chunin, struggling to survive in the war.

One's fate is like duckweed, drifting with the tide, and controlled by others.

However, he is different now.

He has gained the power to control his own destiny. The One-Tailed Jinchuriki, the Five-Tailed Jinchuriki, and the Kazekage are all his defeated opponents and victims of his sword.

Even if he were to face Madara Uchiha head-on, Iori was confident he could beat him to a pulp. At worst, he could lie in bed for a month or two, and with Susanoo fully powered to supply the Ea sword, even Kaguya would have to be careful.

Passing by that familiar dango shop, Iori stopped, a warm memory welling up in his heart. One of his fondest memories with Shisui and the others was eating dango here.

"Shisui, would you like some dumplings? It's on me this time." Iori turned to look at Shisui, a warm smile playing on her lips.

In the past, when they came to eat dumplings together, it was usually Shisui, Uzuki Kaori, and Kurama Takumi who paid, and Iori would only reciprocate once in a long while.

Although he never expressed his gratitude in words, he always remembered their help deep in his heart.

"Alright, Iori-nii, I won't hold back this time." Shisui smiled, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

Thinking back to those peaceful days, his heart was filled with emotion.

On the battlefield, there is only endless killing and death. People lose everything in order to survive and become as cold and ruthless as beasts.

This is why many people returning from the battlefield suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Even though ninjas are more resilient than ordinary people, they cannot completely avoid these psychological traumas.

Iori patted Shisui on the shoulder and led him into the dumpling shop.

He still remembered his promise to bring Medea some ninja-themed desserts.

In his memory, the shop's three-colored meatballs were the most famous.

The shop was bustling with noise, as if the war outside had never affected this place, the village remained peaceful, and it was like a pure land.

Iori looked around at the happy faces and felt a sense of peace.

In this bustling place, he and Shisui temporarily forgot the cruelty of the battlefield and enjoyed a moment of tranquility.

Just as the two were queuing, a child came in from outside.

He had short, jet-black hair and deep black eyes, and despite his young age, two tear troughs were already etched on his face.

The child was wearing a ninja outfit with the Uchiha clan's fan emblem. After looking around, his gaze locked onto Shisui, who was standing in line.

A hint of joy flashed across his face as he strode over and exclaimed excitedly, "Brother Zhishui, you're back too! I heard you had a great victory in the Land of Wind!"

"Is this the senior you mentioned, Uchiha Iori?" Itachi looked at Iori with curiosity, his eyes filled with admiration and anticipation.

As for "Brother Iori" from Shizuku, a man whom he believed could bridge the conflict between his clan and the village, he had long admired him.

“Yes, Iori-nii, let me introduce you. This is my good friend, Uchiha Itachi.” Shisui smiled and pointed to Itachi, introducing him to Iori.

"Although he is only 5 years old, he is mature in his thinking and not bound by the status quo of his tribe. I treat him as a friend and a younger brother."

Iori nodded and extended her hand to him, "Uchiha Iori."

Itachi grasped Iori's hand and earnestly introduced himself: "I am Uchiha Itachi, nice to meet you."

Iori smiled slightly and said nothing more; this was not the place to talk.

He gave Shisui a secret signal, indicating that they should meet at the secret base and that Uchiha Itachi should be brought along.

Shisui saw Iori's signal, understood immediately, and responded with a gesture to indicate that he understood.

Then, he made two hand gestures to Itachi. Upon seeing this, Itachi immediately quieted down, walked to the back of the line, and began to queue.

When it was Iori's turn, Iori went to the counter and ordered a few skewers of three-colored dumplings. With her Sharingan and superhuman senses, Iori quickly understood the process of making them.

He turned to Shisui and said, "The dumplings here are still so delicious. I wish Kaori and Takumi were back too." His tone carried a hint of nostalgia and a hint of worry.

Shisui took a string of meatballs, took a bite, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips, as if he had returned to that afternoon from years ago.

After parting ways with Shisui, Iori returned home. He looked around and decided to completely renovate his residence.

Using Shadow Clone Technique, Earth Release, and Projection Magic all at once, he managed to build a modern villa in this era resembling Japan's Warring States period.

Modern appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators were also installed. The power source was his improved chakra sealing technique, which could now completely serve as a battery. The only problem was production capacity.

As the last piece of furniture was placed in place, Iori stood in the center of the living room, looking at her masterpiece with satisfaction.

He jumped onto the bed and rolled around twice before calming down.

Looking out the window at the sky, he realized it was getting late and decided to head to his childhood secret base.

As Iori followed the path, her thoughts drifted back to the past. The Uchiha clan's territory was now located in the center of the village, so naturally there wasn't much open space available.

He put a lot of thought into finding a suitable place to establish a secret base.

Finally, he arrived at a secluded corner, opened the stone door hidden under the grass, and entered the familiar underground space.

This place was once a safe haven for him and his companions, holding countless memories.

This place was originally the training ground of Shisui's grandfather, Uchiha Kagami. After it was abandoned, Iori and others dug a space underground, reinforced it with earth-style techniques, and used it as a secret base.

Upon reaching the underground area, they found Shisui and Itachi already waiting there. They had probably arrived early in the afternoon to clean up the base and replace the torches.

"It seems I'm late. Thank you for your hard work." Iori said, looking at the newly renovated base. They hadn't been here since the war began.

Logically, this place should be covered in dust, but it's so clean now, so someone must have cleaned it.

Iori projected several sofas onto the base, picked one and sat down, then invited the two of them to sit down as well.

After they sat down, Iori looked at Uchiha Itachi and said calmly, "Since Shisui treats you like a younger brother, I'll just call you Itachi."

“I’m going to take the position of clan leader from your father. When that happens, I plan to take you as my disciple. What do you say?” Iori said directly without beating around the bush.

Chapter 75 Kidnapping Uchiha Itachi

Upon hearing Iori's words, Itachi Uchiha did not directly question why he wanted to seize his father's position. Instead, he remained silent for a moment, then raised his head and asked with a deep gaze:

"Senior Iori, I'd like to know how you view your clan and the village. Is your clan more important or the village? Can the village and the clan put aside their past grievances and live together harmoniously?"

Iori smiled slightly and nodded knowingly. [So that's the problem after all? Not surprising at all.]

Iori thought to herself, "Uchiha Itachi is an unavoidable character in the main Naruto series. Half of the early plot and some important later plots are related to him."

The conflict between his family and the village was the root of his and Shisui's eternal pain and tragedy.

His reputation was also polarized in his past life. His patricide, matricide, and massacre of the elderly and children made him infamous, but his great strength and tragic desires also made some people like him.

One commendable aspect of the story is that after his resurrection, he acknowledged his mistakes, believing that his past was full of errors and that there were better ways to protect his family and village.

Moreover, he remained steadfast in his belief that no matter what, he was Uchiha Itachi of Konoha.

As an observer, regardless of right or wrong, he has consistently upheld his beliefs. Whether it's bad or stupid, at least he's not a clown.

Iori didn't have much of a liking or disliking for him, but she could never trust him emotionally. Even the lives of her parents and relatives couldn't surpass his ideals, and Iori herself certainly couldn't either.

Such people are obsessed with grand narratives, and to some extent, they are actually quite easy to deal with, as long as you are good at making grand promises. Coincidentally, Iori is one of the top masters of making grand promises in the ninja world.

In fact, the reason why Itachi Uchiha became the way he is today is due to his father, Fugaku Uchiha.

When he was four years old, Fugaku took him to the battlefield, imprinting the cruelty of war deep in his heart and making him fear war.

Afterwards, Fugaku failed to manage the relationship between his family and the village, causing him great suffering. In the end, he was even made a double agent, which led to him being completely brainwashed by the Third Hokage.

Judging from what Itachi said after being resurrected, he had actually realized his mistake, but it was too late, and nothing could be changed.

Having killed both parents and wiped out the entire clan, there's no use in regretting it now; there's nothing left but to go down this dark path.

Iori composed herself, looked at Itachi, and asked, "Whose fault do you think the current relationship between the clan and the village is, or whose problem is more serious?"

Itachi frowned, remained silent for a moment, and the scenes he had witnessed flashed through his mind.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you a member of our clan?"

He raised his head, his gaze fixed on Iori, and began to tell her what he had seen and heard.

“In the village, the way the guards acted was really too brutal. I heard many villagers talking about it in private, full of dissatisfaction and resentment towards the guards’ behavior.”

“Within the clan, I often hear people expressing their dissatisfaction with their status. They feel they have given too much and received too little. Everyone always complains that the village has not given the Uchiha clan the status they deserve.”

"But didn't the Second Hokage already give our Uchiha clan the duties and status of the Konoha Police Force?"

His voice began to tremble with excitement, and his eyes held confusion and bewilderment.

"This is an unparalleled honor! No other family has this right! We've already received so much, why aren't we satisfied?"

Itachi's words were tinged with helplessness and confusion, as if he were seeking Iori's understanding and support.

After hearing his words, Iori did not respond immediately, but instead asked him:

"If law enforcement officers cannot strictly enforce the law, then the law is just a formality. If you think they are enforcing the law roughly, have you ever tried to find out whether they have really strictly followed the rules and regulations?"