I, Naruto Uzumaki, don't need your approval.

It seems Naruto must have been very busy back then, hiding many secrets. I finally caught up with him.

……

Inside the Sarutobi Garrison.

The Third Hokage, now retired, is tending to the flowers and plants in his yard. After passing the Hokage position to Jiraiya and Tsunade, he no longer concern himself with the important affairs of the village, focusing instead on nurturing young people and caring for his elders.

Just then, a Jonin from the Sarutobi clan appeared before the Third Hokage and reported, "Lord Hiruzen, this is a summary of the major and minor events that have occurred in the village over the past few days. Please take a look."

The Third Hokage turned around and looked helplessly at Jonin Sarutobi: "How many times have I told you, I am no longer the Hokage. Don't send me this information. If you have any problems, go to Jiraiya. He is the Hokage."

Jonin Sarutobi kept his head down, making it impossible to see his expression.

"Clan leader, after the Fifth Hokage took over, he reformed the Anbu. Many of the clan's ninjas were squeezed out of the Anbu and now have to take on missions to make a living. If this continues, the Sarutobi clan will be reduced to a second-rate ninja clan."

The Third Hokage continued tending to the flowers and plants, saying dismissively, "Those positions are only for the Hokage's trusted confidants. You are too greedy. The Sarutobi clan should be restored to their original positions."

Sarutobi Jonin's expression changed slightly, and he continued, "But the Fifth Hokage was your disciple. It was you who gave up the position of Hokage so that Jiraiya could become the Fifth Hokage. This position was given up by us, Sarutobi!"

"enough!"

The Third Hokage's expression softened: "The position of Hokage does not belong to the Sarutobi clan, but to the entire Hidden Leaf Village. If we must say that it was given away, it was the Second Hokage who gave it away to someone other than the Senju clan."

"That's true, but isn't what the Fifth Hokage did too much? He and Tsunade wanted to carry out reforms in the village, suppressing various ninja clans, supporting commoner ninjas, and even threatening the Daimyo. If they continue with these reckless reforms, the village will inevitably descend into chaos sooner or later."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jonin Sarutobi left the courtyard on his own, leaving only the leaves that had been lifted up behind him.

The Third Hokage frowned and pondered for a long time before finally picking up the intelligence sent by Jonin Sarutobi and carefully reading through it.

Jiraiya and Tsunade's reforms are a good thing. Konoha has reached a point where reform is needed. However, the reforms cannot be too radical, otherwise they will cause a backlash from the ninja clans, especially those clans that have gained huge benefits.

However, after reading the intelligence, the Third Hokage fell into deep thought and could no longer remain calm.

Chapter 218 Nagato Breaks Free from Control

The Jonin Sarutobi sent a lot of information.

From the reforms initiated by Jiraiya and Tsunade to the confirmation of the Hyuga clan's successor, it covers all aspects of Konoha.

These clansmen, who once served in the Anbu, were able to obtain intelligence through various channels. This was his reliance during his tenure as Hokage to control the Anbu and other departments, and they still play a crucial role today.

The Third Hokage only glanced at Jiraiya's reforms and the confirmation of the Hyuga successor, without paying much attention to them.

However, one piece of news caught his attention: members of Root who had followed Danzo in his defection had been captured in the Land of Fire and brought extremely important intelligence to the Sarutobi clan's intelligence agency.

Several months after his defection, Danzo was attacked by several mysterious ninja groups and his whereabouts are now unknown.

Logically speaking, Konoha ninjas should all be able to kill a rogue ninja like Danzo.

However, the Third Hokage's feelings for Danzo were complicated. They were close friends who had been together since their ninja academy days, and had been together for decades. Although they had some differences in their ideals, everything they did was for the sake of Konoha.

It's just that at some point, Danzo developed an ambition to become Hokage and began to resort to any means necessary.

Those insidious methods, originally used to deal with enemies, became weapons against their own people. They even went so far as to violate prohibitions by conducting human experiments and attacking their comrades in the village who possessed bloodline limits, gradually heading down a path of no return.

And those mysterious ninjas who attacked Danzo were undoubtedly enemies Danzo had accumulated over the years.

This might even include the Uchiha clan within Uzushio Village, as well as other ninjas within the village. While they might not necessarily take action, they would certainly provide assistance to Danzo's enemies.

If Danzo really dies, what will become of him, the former Hokage?

The Third Hokage himself didn't know, but he had completely lost control and could only silently accept the arrangements of others, because Jiraiya would no longer listen to his advice.

……

More than a month has passed since Nagato's return to Amegakure.

The village of Amegakure has undergone a dramatic transformation compared to six months ago. Using the Rinnegan's abilities, Nagato has constructed numerous water conservancy projects near the village to prevent natural disasters such as floods.

It also occasionally changes the local weather, allowing the rain-soaked village of Yuyin to feel the warmth of the sun.

Such a miracle made the residents of Amegakure even more devoted to the gods Pain and the angel Konan, believing that they were the saviors of Amegakure.

Compared to the situation in Amegakure, Konan could better sense the changes in Nagato.

After her last trip, Nagato became much more cheerful. In her spare time, she would appear at the tower in the Land of Rain, looking down at the construction site below.

Was the change in Nagato due to Danzo, their enemy who killed them?

Konan was somewhat unsure, but since Nagato wouldn't say anything, she didn't feel comfortable asking. However, today, she couldn't suppress her curiosity any longer and asked:

"Nagato, what exactly happened to you on your last trip?"

Nagato paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "I met Yahiko, and I told him about the project we're currently undertaking. Yahiko is very supportive of our current decisions."

"?" Konan was speechless. What was going on with running into Yahiko?

Didn't Yahiko die ten years ago? Could it be that Nagato was under a genjutsu? But surely no ninja in the ninja world has been born yet who can use genjutsu to control Nagato.

Nagato didn't hide anything from Konan and told her about his time-traveling experience.

After hearing this, Konan frowned deeply. Nagato had returned to the past, but having changed the past, shouldn't the present be changed as well? Yahiko should still be alive now.

Could it be that Nagato really fell under a genjutsu, and that the genjutsu meant he had returned to the past?

After pondering for a moment, Konan couldn't come to a specific conclusion and could only sigh helplessly. Nagato's current state was much better than before, so it didn't matter whether it was an illusion or a real return to the past.

If Yahiko could see Amegakure now, he would probably smile with satisfaction.

Without further thought, Xiao Nan began her work report, especially regarding the Akatsuki organization's activities in recent months. The Akatsuki's bounty hunting operations on the black market were still ongoing, but many members were showing signs of impatience.

Perhaps it was the masked man who was causing trouble, disapproving of their focus on Amegakure and Kusagakure.

Upon mentioning the masked man, a hint of displeasure flashed in Nagato's eyes. The masked man was the initiator of the Tailed Beasts Project and also one of the suspects in the killing of the first Akatsuki members.

However, Nagato recalled that when he returned to the past, he met the old man Uchiha in the underground of the Land of Grass.

The old Uchiha was connected to the Gedo Mazo. Who exactly was that old man? If it was Madara Uchiha, then who is the masked man now?

He spent a month investigating, but didn't uncover much of the intelligence he possessed.

The only thing that can be confirmed is that the masked man has control over the Gedo Mazo. In other words, even if you collect all nine tailed beasts and revive the legendary Ten-Tails, the masked man may still reap the benefits.

If he gives up collecting the tailed beasts, the masked man may secretly continue collecting them.

His immediate priority is to lull the masked man into complacency and find a way to eliminate him, thus removing this major threat to the Land of Rain. However, he may only have one chance.

Inside the sewers of Amegakure Village.

Obito leaned against the pipe, looking at Black Zetsu with displeasure, and slowly said, "Black Zetsu, why did you call me here?"

Black Zetsu said expressionlessly, "Obito, Nagato has escaped our control. He has no intention of collecting the Tailed Beasts now and has focused his attention on Amegakure."

Obito glanced at Black Zetsu and moved to a more comfortable position: "I told you, everything is still under my control. Nagato won't escape my grasp. Sooner or later, he'll have to go back and collect the Tailed Beasts obediently."

"You want someone to attack Amegakure? Nagato and Konan aren't stupid."

Obito shook his head: "I won't attack Amegakure, but Iwagakure and Kumogakure might be different. They won't let the Land of Rain rise, and they'll make a move against Nagato sooner or later."

“It will be more difficult for us to capture Jinchuriki during the war, so you should give up this unrealistic idea.”

Obito snorted coldly and said contemptuously, "Yes, do you have a better idea? Even if Nagato agrees to join forces with us, the leader of Uzushio Village is a formidable enemy that we can't get around no matter what."

Black Zetsu slowly said, "Obito, we can find a way to revive Madara Uchiha. As long as Nagato uses the Rinne Rebirth technique, Madara Uchiha can be revived, and he can help us deal with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

When Madara Uchiha was mentioned, Obito's face turned ashen beneath his mask.

The Eye of the Moon plan did include reviving Madara Uchiha, but he had no intention of reviving Madara Uchiha at all. That self-important old man should be buried in the ground.

After pondering for a moment, Obito said disdainfully, "Then how should we deal with Nagato? Getting Nagato to voluntarily revive Uchiha Madara won't be easy."

Black Zetsu didn't reply and disappeared underground.

After Black Zetsu left, Obito pressed his hand to his heart, where Madara Uchiha had planted a cursed seal. If he didn't find a way to remove it, he would be at the mercy of Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu.

Chapter 219 Two Years

"Hinata Hyuga's affection for you is unwavering until death. You have gained the bloodline limit 'Byakugan,' a pair of Byakugan with a purity comparable to that of the Otsutsuki clan. If you collect more pairs, they may have other uses."

Inside the Uzushio Village office, Naruto, who was leisurely idly playing, heard the system notification sound after a long time.

After hearing the message clearly, Naruto smiled and looked towards the Land of Fire. He also began to miss the soft and sweet Hinata.

After all, during the days when he was treated as a demon fox, only Hinata was able to put aside her prejudices and take the initiative to seek his help.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have given Hinata the Corpse Bone Pulse, which is a nearly extinct bloodline limit.

After his reflections, Naruto did not immediately claim the high-purity Byakugan, and ignored the subsequent hints, showing no immediate intention to collect Byakugan.

As a transmigrator, he knew that the Byakugan, like the Sharingan, could evolve.

The evolution of the Sharingan is driven by mental stimulation. After evolving into the Mangekyou Sharingan, it can be fused with another pair of close relatives' Mangekyou Sharingan to reach the final form, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

The evolution of the Byakugan is even simpler and more brutal. By piling up a large number of Byakugan, one can fuse them into the Great Tenseigan, a powerful eye comparable to the Rinnegan, but with a greater focus on destruction.

Collecting Byakugan was not difficult for Naruto, but he had no way to fuse the Byakugan.

It's hard to say whether the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan, which was restricted by the Caged Bird Seal, can be fused. Perhaps the only way to obtain the Tenseigan is to go to the moon.

If given the opportunity in the future, he might go to the moon, but for now, he should slowly build up his strength.

Although he has mastered Sage Mode, there is still room for him to grow physically. In terms of strength, he is still not as good as the original Naruto during Boruto's timeline, and he is far from being invincible in the ninja world.

Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Naruto looked at the Flying Thunder God kunai on the table, as well as the information Kakashi had sent him.

The content of the intelligence was not important to him. Although he was familiar with the plot, he would not completely believe it, but he could still make a general reference and predict the future development of the ninja world.

Importantly, Kakashi's behavior clearly indicates his dissatisfaction with the current state of Konoha, which is why he has been contacting me.

After burning the letter, Naruto looked at the other documents on the table. After his day of slacking off, he had to get back to his busy and fulfilling life as the village secretary.

……

Time flies, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye. Naruto is turning thirteen.

Thirteen is a very special age. Obito launched the Nine-Tails attack at this age, killing his master and mistress. Itachi Uchiha killed his parents at this age, leaving only two people on the clan's census register.

Naruto could only quietly serve as the village head of Uzushio Village, with only a few hundred ninjas under his command.

In the past two years, Naruto frequently contacted the Fifth Hokage, Jiraiya, in the name of the leader of Uzushio Village. The two exchanged ideas in the economic and commercial fields, transforming the originally impoverished Land of Waves into a prosperous port city.

As for the Land of Whirlpools, Naruto has transformed it into a sacred training ground, using the Dragon Vein and the Cursed Seal to promote the training of natural energy. A dozen or so ninjas have mastered the power of the Cursed Seal and reached the level of Jonin.

All of this is thanks to Orochimaru's technology and the research and development of Ashina's team.