Naruto: Uchiha Youngjo's Konoha Spring

Chapter 161 Glory Belongs to the Land of Waterfalls!
Uchiha Touko's words left Iwata Sawaki stunned.

After a moment, Iwata Sawaki carefully considered his words before asking, "Um, Hokage, isn't there any more practical assistance you could offer?"

Upon hearing this, both Uchiha Touko and Uchiha Fugaku turned to look at Iwata Sawaki, and the atmosphere in the reception room suddenly became somewhat awkward. After a while, Iwata Sawaki tentatively asked, "Um, Hokage, is there no more practical help you can offer?"

"Substantial help?" Uchiha Touko asked, feigning confusion.

"For example, Konoha will send troops to help our Land of Takigakure repel the invading ninjas from the Land of Earth?" Iwata Zeki said, forcing a smile. "Of course, our Takigakure is willing to join the Konoha Pact, and we are willing to fully cooperate with all aspects of cooperation that the Hokage mentioned earlier."

“I see.” Uchiha Touko stroked his chin, lost in thought. “If Iwagakure hadn’t gone to war with you, this agreement would have been easy to make. But now that Iwagakure’s invasion of your Takigakure is a fait accompli, we can’t just include you in the alliance.”

"This... how could this be?" Iwata Zeki panicked immediately upon hearing Uchiha Touko's words.

“Mr. Iwata, I understand your feelings. However, the purpose of this treaty is to unite the strength of our allies for the peace of the ninja world. To include a country currently at war in the treaty, and for Konoha to send troops, would be to drag the country that previously signed the treaty with us into the war. This is completely inconsistent with the purpose of our initiating this treaty,” Uchiha Touko said with some difficulty.

"But, Hokage, you are the only one who can help our Land of Waterfall right now." Iwata Sawaki was almost in tears.

"Rest assured, we will definitely do our best to help your Land of Waterfalls," said Uchiha Touko. "Although Konoha cannot send troops directly for the time being, we will provide you with the greatest possible assistance. Whether it is daily necessities or military supplies, we will provide them to you at the lowest possible price based on humanitarian principles. Our allies will do the same."

Hearing this, Iwata Zeki felt a little better. Then, Uchiha Touko continued, "However, in the matter of confronting Iwagakure head-on, only your Takigakure ninjas can accomplish this."

"This..." Iwata Zeki looked troubled upon hearing this. "Although I really don't want to boost the morale of others, as you know, the quality of our Takigakure ninjas is indeed much weaker than that of Iwagakure. In a head-on confrontation on the battlefield, our chances of winning are not very high."

“Mr. Iwata, there’s no need to be so pessimistic,” Uchiha Touko said. “In the end, war is a contest of a nation’s logistical capabilities. Right now, you have the support of all the allied nations of the Konoha Pact. As long as you can hold off Iwagakure’s first wave of attacks, you will definitely be the ones to win the rest. As for the quality of the ninjas…”

Uchiha Touko looked at Uchiha Fugaku and asked, "Class President Fugaku, how's the research on that technique going?"

"Does the Hokage mean that combined Lightning Release ninjutsu?" Fugaku Uchiha asked. "The most crucial part of the research on that technique, the linking of different chakra, has been solved. Only some details need to be optimized."

"That's good." Uchiha Touko nodded, then looked at Iwata Zeki. "Mr. Iwata, you can bring back to the Land of Waterfall the multi-person combination lightning release ninjutsu that we developed in Konoha to counter the combined earth release ninjutsu of Iwagakure. This technique can concentrate the power of Chunin and Genin, about fifteen fire release ninjas, fifteen water release ninjas, plus fifty lightning release ninjas, to release a combination ninjutsu similar to my Lightning Release: Kirin. We originally developed this technique to deal with the threat from Iwagakure, and now it can come in handy."

"Really? Then thank you so much, Hokage." Iwata Zeki's face lit up with joy. You see, Iwagakure's overall strength ranks among the top three in the ninja world, even though there aren't many truly strong ninjas in the village. This is all thanks to their combined Earth Release ninjutsu. Now, Uchiha Touko is willing to provide Takigakure with a method to deal with this ninjutsu, and what he's providing is Lightning Release, which is the most effective counter to Earth Release ninjutsu. With the logistical support from the Land of Fire, Iwata Zeki felt a surge of confidence in withstanding the Land of Earth's attack.

"In addition, we can provide you with high-quality ninja tools such as explosive tags, and we can even give you priority access to our Konoha ninja tools," Uchiha Touko continued.

"Thank you so much, Hokage!" Iwata Sawaki said gratefully.

"Don't rush to thank me," Uchiha Touko waved his hand instead. "I can give you the combination ninjutsu for free, considering our personal relationship. However, you will still need to purchase these ninja tools and supplies yourself. After all, these are the livelihoods of millions of civilians in the Land of Fire. I hope Mr. Iwata can understand."

Upon hearing this, Iwata Sawamoto thought for a moment and then gritted his teeth and said, "We, the Takinokai, will pay, but regarding the price..."

“Mr. Iwata, you can rest assured,” Uchiha Touko said. “Our Land of Fire is not a country that takes advantage of others’ misfortunes. We can provide you with the supplies you need during your war with the Land of Earth at 80% of the market price. Furthermore, considering your difficulties, you can also pay in advance in the form of a loan to get through this crisis first.”

"Thank you, Hokage," Iwata Zeki said. "Now, there is only one last question: what should we do if Onoki or the Jinchuriki of Iwagakure personally intervenes? We in Takigakure do not currently have any strong enough to withstand them."

“That is a problem,” Uchiha Touko said, stroking his chin. “Although I don’t think Onoki will personally intervene, if the siege drags on for too long, I can’t rule out the possibility that he will personally lead the attack. Moreover, their Jinchuriki are indeed a troublesome matter for you.”

"By the way, how old are your Jinchuriki this year?" Uchiha Touko asked.

“She’s 13 years old, but she’s still like a child who never grew up,” Iwata Sawaki said with a wry smile. “If she were more mature, we wouldn’t be in such a passive position.”

"Don't say that. A 13-year-old is still just a child," Uchiha Touko said. "Did you try out the sealing technique you brought back last time?"

"Speaking of which, we have to thank the Hokage for this. Last time, the Hokage provided us with sealing techniques, which stabilized the Seven-Tails' seal a lot and at least temporarily resolved the risk of the tailed beast going berserk," Iwata Zeki said. "But it will still take a long time before the Seven-Tails can play a role on the battlefield."

“That’s troublesome,” Uchiha Touko said. “We can help you with the logistics, but the lack of high-end combat power is a real problem. I can’t take action myself, since we have a non-aggression pact with the Land of Earth.”

Upon hearing this, Iwata Sawaki fell silent again. Yes, even with the logistical support of the Land of Fire, what could Takigakure possibly do to resist once Onoki or one of the two Jinchuriki from Iwagakure were mobilized?

"In that case, I wonder if Mr. Iwata has ever heard of an organization called Akatsuki?" Uchiha Touko then asked.

"The Akatsuki?" Iwata Sawaki shook his head blankly. Although the Land of Rain and the Land of Waterfall were very close, he knew nothing about the Akatsuki.

"This is a mercenary organization in the ninja world. There are many strong individuals among them. While it might be difficult for their strong members to defeat Onoki or the Jinchuriki of Iwagakure, I think it shouldn't be too difficult for them to hold off their high-level combatants for you."

"Really?" Iwata Zeki exclaimed excitedly. "But, asking such a powerful expert to help must be very expensive..." "The Land of Fire and our allies can provide you with low-interest loans," Uchiha Touko reminded him. "After you survive this war, you can pay them back slowly."

"This... I wonder how much our Takigakure can borrow?" Iwata Sawaki asked.

“If you are willing to offer your mineral resources as collateral, Konoha can provide you with this amount of loan.” Uchiha Touko held up five fingers.

"Five hundred million?" Iwata Sawaki asked tentatively.

“Fifty billion!” Uchiha Touko said. “We’ll only charge 3.3% interest, and you can wait two years before you start making repayments.”

Upon hearing this, Iwata Sawaki fell into deep thought, while Uchiha Touko remained silent, quietly waiting for him to make a decision.

After much deliberation, Iwata Zeki finally made up his mind. Uchiha Touko's aid was already quite sincere. As for the loan and interest? If he won, everything would be fine. If he lost, the Land of Waterfall would be gone, so there would be no need to repay it.

"Thank you, Hokage. When will the aid you mentioned arrive?" Iwata Zeki asked Uchiha Touko.

"Mr. Iwata will be able to leave with the scroll of combined ninjutsu shortly, and the aid in terms of weapons and supplies will be delivered to the front lines in Takigawa within three days after you sign the contract," Uchiha Touko said with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll sign!” Iwata Sawaki nodded.

Soon, Uchiha Tokō had someone draft the mortgage loan and aid contract, and he was the first to sign his name on it, along with the seals of the Hokage and the Grand Minister of State.

When Iwata Sawaki took the contract and picked up the pen, he found that his hand was trembling slightly, and the pen in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Hokage, we will win, right?" Iwata Zeki raised his head and looked at Uchiha Touko.

"Of course, this war launched by the Land of Earth is an unjust war. I believe that everyone in the Land of Waterfall will be able to persevere to the final victory, and glory will belong to the Land of Waterfall!" Uchiha Touko encouraged Iwata Sawaki.

“Yes, that’s right, the glory belongs to the Land of Taki!” Iwata Sawaki took a deep breath, signed his name on the contract, and stamped it with his own seal and the seal of the daimyo of the Land of Taki that he brought with him.

After Iwata Zeki signed, Uchiha Touko nodded to Uchiha Inahisa, who was standing to the side. Inahisa, having received the instruction, presented a scroll with both hands.

“This is the training method for combination ninjutsu. As for the Akatsuki, we can help you make connections, but you will have to negotiate with them yourself,” Uchiha Touko said.

"I understand." Iwata Zeki nodded.

"Furthermore, regarding your village's Jinchuriki," Uchiha Touko looked at Iwata Sawaki with sincere eyes, "in this war between you and Iwagakure, Jinchuriki will definitely be their primary target. If your village trusts us, you can temporarily send her to Konoha. While providing her with protection, we will also teach her how to use the power of the Tailed Beasts. In a maximum of two years, she should be able to master the power of the Tailed Beasts and contribute to the defense of your country's territory."

Upon hearing this, Iwata Zeki pondered for a moment and then nodded. Uchiha Touko was right. After the war began, Onoki would definitely try to kill their village's Jinchuriki directly. After all, the Tailed Beasts were their village's only trump card. Once the Jinchuriki was killed, their village would be completely hopeless. Uchiha Touko's words undoubtedly solved their immediate problem. Although this would leave them in a huge debt of gratitude to Konoha, Iwata Zeki suddenly felt a sense of indifference to the debt.

“I will send someone to bring our village’s Jinchūriki to the border of the Land of Fire tomorrow,” Iwata Sawaki said.

"No need to see me off. I'll have someone accompany you. We'll use the Flying Thunder God Technique to send you to the border between our two countries. This way, you can quickly return to your village to take charge of the overall situation. Also, we can bring your village's Jinchuriki to Konoha as quickly as possible to ensure everything goes smoothly," said Uchiha Touko.

"Thank you so much," Iwata Sawaki said.

"It's all for the peace of the ninja world." Uchiha Touko waved his hand. "Then, I wish everyone in the Land of Waterfall a victory in this war in advance. I believe that glory will surely belong to the Land of Waterfall!"

“Yes, the glory belongs to the Land of Waterfalls!” Iwata Sawaki nodded, his eyes filled with determination.

Soon, Genma Shiranui and the others prepared the Flying Thunder God Formation, and together with Kakashi and Iwata Sawaki, who were on their way to pick up the Jinchuriki of Takigakure, they took them to the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Takigakure, and then headed towards Takigakure Village.

Meanwhile, the ninja forces at the Takigakure front were already suffering repeated defeats under the Iwagakure offensive and had to cede a large amount of territory.

After everyone in the office left, Uchiha Touko stretched. Iwata Sawaki was too easy to fool, which made Uchiha Touko feel a little bored.

Meanwhile, in the office, Black Zetsu and Tobi emerged from the ground together. Black Zetsu looked at Uchiha Touko with the expression of someone looking at a monster.

Over the years, he had been plotting for so long but had not been able to capture a single tailed beast. However, Uchiha Tokō managed to get his hands on a tailed beast simply by planning and scheming.

(End of this chapter)