Projection magicians starting from the Uchiha clan

They didn't say much, but silently followed Iori to Minato's house.

Iori gently knocked on the door, and a response came from behind it: "Please wait a moment, I'll open the door."

After a series of hurried footsteps, the door was opened, and Kushina appeared in the doorway, her eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

"It's been a long time, young lady," Kana Uzumaki said in a hoarse voice.

"Kana, is that you? It really is you, you survived!" Kushina rushed over excitedly and hugged Kana tightly.

Kana Uzumaki froze for a moment, then, remembering her childhood experiences, she didn't push her away but instead reached out and hugged her.

After venting her emotions, Kushina gradually calmed down and realized that she had lost her composure and should not have greeted everyone at the door.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down, and then quickly ushered them into the house.

After everyone was seated, Kushina couldn't wait to ask, "What exactly happened back then? Why did the Land of Whirlpools perish so quickly?"

"The situation was extremely chaotic at the time. The ninjas from the four countries attacked Uzushio Village without interfering with each other."

Kana Uzumaki's gaze became distant, as if she had traveled through time and returned to that day.

Recalling what happened that day, a hint of fear flashed in her eyes; that period was like hell for her.

"I hadn't graduated from the Ninja Academy yet, and I heard a lot of things from my father."

"At first, we thought it was just a sneak attack by the Hidden Mist Village, so although we asked Konoha for help, we weren't too worried."

"But during the battle, we gradually discovered the problem: there were just too many Jonin on the other side, and they were spread across four different areas without any coordination, and sometimes they even fought amongst themselves."

"Only then did everyone become alert and send out their elite troops to report to Konoha."

"But Konoha betrayed us. We held out for almost a week, and countless clansmen died on the front lines. They never received reinforcements before they died."

Kana Uzumaki was furious at the thought of what happened back then. She slammed her hand on the table as if it were her enemy.

Hiroaki Uzumaki held his wife's hand and whispered comfortingly, "It's all in the past now, and you're carrying the baby."

Kana Uzumaki took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her eyes gradually shifted from anger to calm as she continued speaking.

"After realizing that they would not receive reinforcements, disputes began to break out within the clan. Some wanted to break out towards Konoha, while others wanted to scatter and flee."

"In the end, neither side could convince the other, so they decided to do both at the same time. The clan chief led the clan's Jonin to block the enemy, while the rest of the clan members scattered and fled."

"As you probably already know, our clansmen grandfather and the others held off most of the enemies, and many of the clansmen who didn't flee towards Konoha should have survived."

"As for the clansmen who fled to Konoha, you should understand their fate now, right, Kushina?" Kana Uzumaki looked at her with a hint of mockery.

Kushina couldn't look her in the eye; her heart was filled with guilt.

Although my life in Konoha wasn't great at the time, compared to theirs, it was like living in paradise.

"Because of Konoha's betrayal, we were unwilling to contact them, so we all went into hiding and stopped being ninjas."

"Kushina, I hate that you can live peacefully in Konoha, but I still have to thank you now."

"If you hadn't asked the adults to come find us, our fate might have been worse than death."

"Thank you."

Kana Uzumaki and Hiroaki Uzumaki stood up and bowed to her.

Kushina quickly helped them up, her eyes blurry with tears, her voice choked with sobs as she said:

"I should be the one saying thank you. It's because you're alive that I have the opportunity to make amends."

Konoha's betrayal was largely due to Kushina's father's decision.

Kushina's arrival meant that Konoha no longer needed the Uzumaki clan to provide Jinchuriki, and the secrets of the sealing techniques were completely extracted by Konoha.

After Mito Uzumaki's death, the Uzumaki clan, having lost their usefulness, was discarded by Konoha's F4.

Faced with the possibility of simultaneously confronting four ninja villages and the daimyo behind them if they sent troops to provide assistance, the Konoha leadership refused to send troops, citing insufficient military strength and time.

As a Jinchūriki, what could Kushina do to resist? During that painful time, it was Minato who stayed by her side, which helped her get through it.

"What are you planning to do next? Why don't you settle down in Konoha? I know you don't like Konoha, but it is indeed the safest place."

Kushina held Kana's hand, her eyes filled with expectation and pleading.

"Haozhang and I plan to join Lord Iori's ranks to repay his life-saving grace. My child also needs a stable environment to grow up in, so we will stay in the Uchiha clan and serve him."

Kana Uzumaki said calmly, emphasizing that she was under the command of Iori and the Uchiha clan, and had nothing to do with the Konoha leadership.

Kushina breathed a sigh of relief and said to them with a sense of relief, "That's great, I'll come to see you more often."

"Okay, see you next time."

The group said their goodbyes and left, their figures gradually disappearing from Kushina's sight.

Kushina stood frozen at the doorway, unable to find peace for a long time. Konoha bore an undeniable responsibility for the annihilation of the Uzumaki clan, but she was powerless to seek justice for her people.

Iori led the group back to the Uchiha clan's territory and temporarily settled them in his home.

Iori sat in the living room and began to talk to them about the future plans.

"Then, Hiroaki and Kana, you two will join Orochimaru's sealing technique research team. Kana can go to Tsunade for some check-ups later to see if there are any problems with the child."

"As for the Dragon Tongue, I'd like to study the principles of the Dragon Life Reincarnation Technique. I don't need you to release it; I just need to sense it."

Chapter 144 Dragon Reincarnation and the Hokage Election

Longshe nervously approached. She didn't actually know the specific effects of the spell, but her mother had told her about the method and taboos before she passed away.

She closed her eyes and began to mobilize her chakra according to the methods passed down in the tradition.

As her chakra flowed, a soft white light gradually emanated from her body. Iori reached out and grasped her hand, covering it with her own chakra.

Unlike the cold chakra when the Mangekyou Sharingan is activated, Iori's chakra normally gives people a warm feeling, and this effect becomes more and more obvious after the transplantation of Hashirama's cells.

"So comfortable, it feels like my mother's touch," Longshe thought to himself, squinting his eyes.

[Unsurprisingly, this technique differs from typical medical ninjutsu; its principle isn't healing, but rather the sharing of life.]

[The Ryuze clan, like the Uzumaki, is a distant relative of the Senju clan. However, they did not inherit the powerful chakra, but instead gained abilities similar to physical healing and connection to the Pure Land.]

“Alright, let’s stop.” Iori said to Ryuzetsu.

"Sigh, is that all?" Ryuzetsu said in surprise. Although she knew Iori wouldn't hurt her, she didn't expect the so-called research to be so easy.

"Don't treat me like some kind of mad scientist. Besides, this is just preliminary research; there's more to come." Iori smiled slightly, as if she could see right through Ryuzetsu's thoughts.

"Yes, I will try my best to cooperate." Longshe's small face tightened as she answered seriously.

"Alright, it's getting late. Everyone should rest now. Tomorrow I'll have someone show you around Konoha. There's plenty of time; there's no rush."

The three responded in unison, then returned to their respective rooms, where they tossed and turned, wondering what the future held for them.

But at least Iori's gentle attitude reassured them.

next day

Early in the morning, Shisui arrived at Iori's house and shouted loudly.

"Iori-san, Iori-san, get up quickly, the Third Generation is about to start speaking."

"Oh, is it about to begin?" Iori walked out of the room and looked at Shisui.

After the war is basically over, the Third Hokage will likely formally announce his abdication and elect a new Hokage.

"Let's go take a look."

Iori, accompanied by Shisui, headed to the plaza in front of the Hokage Building.

The square was bustling with people. Although the villagers already knew that Konoha had basically won, they still hoped to get an official announcement from the Hokage to put their minds at ease.

The Third Hokage stood on the high platform, his figure appearing exceptionally solemn under the morning sun.

Looking at the crowd gathered in the square, he began his speech, praising the ninjas who had contributed and sacrificed in the war.

After a series of platitudes, the third generation finally got to the point: "After countless people's struggle, we have won!"

"I made many mistakes in the previous wars, and I feel that I am no longer up to the task. I have decided to step down as Hokage and hand over this heavy responsibility to the younger generation."

"The election for the new Hokage will begin in a week, and the candidates will be announced tonight. Please take your votes seriously."

Iori stood at a distance, watching the Third Generation's grand and dignified words, and a cold smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Iori knew all too well the shady dealings surrounding the Hokage election, having, after all, a god-like perspective.

The First Hokage's ascension to the throne was entirely legitimate. Hashirama Senju single-handedly pacified the ninja world, first defeating the Uchiha clan, and then uniting the major ninja clans near the Land of Fire, including the Hyuga and Sarutobi clans.

As the founder and leader, it was only natural for him to serve as the first generation.

There were some suspicious things starting with the second generation, but Tobirama Senju's strength and prestige were enough to convince everyone, but it still led to the unfortunate outcome of Madara Uchiha's departure.

Even if Madara had become Hokage, he might not have stayed, but failing to be chosen as Hokage was still a major reason for his disappointment with Konoha.

When the Third Hokage came to power, the process of taking office became even more frivolous. Forget about an election; it was practically a direct appointment by the Second Hokage. Although there were reasons related to the political situation, it was still unsettling to see.

Not to mention that they were supposed to be the guards protecting the Kage, but they abandoned the Kage and returned alone, and later became the Hokage.

Iori wasn't sure if this was reasonable or not, but it was clear from the fact that the Third Generation couldn't control the situation on his own in the early days and had to form an elders council to jointly take power that many people didn't actually approve of this outcome.

The elder council policy left by the Third Hokage also acted as a shackle, troubling subsequent generations of ninjas.

The rise of the Fourth Hokage was shrouded in mystery. While it cannot be denied that the Fourth Hokage was indeed outstanding, with both popularity and strength, he was the best choice. However, the biggest problem is that he should have been the Fifth Hokage, not the Fourth.

From any perspective, passing the leadership to a successor is a poor strategy. It would be one thing if the previous generation didn't have an outstanding candidate, but the previous generation of the Sannin had made a name for themselves in Konoha.

As a result, Tsunade was rendered useless, Orochimaru was caught in a moral dilemma, Jiraiya left, and what remained was the young Fourth Hokage, whose prestige was insufficient to drive the older generation of ninjas and who needed the support of the older generation of Hokage.

It wasn't mentioned in the original work, and Iori wasn't sure whether the Fourth Hokage was a puppet or not, but judging from the Nine-Tails Night and the Third Hokage's rapid takeover of the ninja village after taking power, the Third Hokage still possessed considerable power at that time.

As for the Five Dynasties, they were appointed to power during a time of crisis, and their rise to power was a matter of emergency.

If Tsunade hadn't been exceptionally strong in terms of ability, experience, and family background, her rise to power would likely have been even more controversial.

The situation became even more ridiculous with the Sixth Hokage. Danzo's rise to power as acting Hokage essentially shattered the notion of a popularly elected Hokage. He was directly appointed by the Daimyo, and even the Jonin had no right to object.

Kakashi, on the other hand, was the one most people expected to become Hokage, but he was only a stepping stone. Everyone knew that his rise to power was only because Naruto was too young and not yet suitable to become Hokage.

"Let's go, Shisui. Soon the position of Hokage will be the Uchiha's. No matter what the Third Hokage does now, it will only benefit us."

Iori turned and left. It wasn't his time to make his appearance yet, but the day of reckoning was drawing ever closer.

On that day, their mistakes will be settled, and the flames of revenge will burn away the evil before them.