Konoha: This Uchiha is going a bit too far.

Chapter 247 The Footsteps of War

"Hello everyone, it's been a long time!"

Konoha Village, the gathering place of ninjas.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara ran over excitedly. He glanced at the crowd around him, his eyes lit up, and he waved loudly with joy.

His actions attracted the attention of the surrounding ninjas, but soon no one paid much attention to them anymore.

Everyone knows Naruto's team, and their strength is widely recognized. Everyone likes them.

What's even more touching is that they seemed to have run into classmates. While this isn't uncommon, it's rare for people to get together after three years of war.

Therefore, the vast majority of ninjas simply smiled and did not disturb them.

"Naruto, it's been a long time."

When Choji saw Naruto and the others coming, the chubby boy smiled and waved.

"Unfortunately, we're out of potato chips for you. We're leaving soon."

"Tch, who wants your potato chips?"

Naruto laughed and put his arm around Choji's neck, then said with a smile.

"I heard you've all become Jonin, congratulations!"

"This is troublesome. Being a Jonin isn't such a big deal, is it?"

Hearing this, Shikamaru couldn't help but mutter a sarcastic remark, but he deliberately kept his voice down, not wanting to become the target of everyone's criticism.

Becoming a Jonin might not be that difficult for them, but for many ninjas, it's a goal they can never reach in their entire lives.

"Sasuke, it's been a long time."

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji chatted idly, while Ino ran over to Sasuke with a smile, which made Sasuke somewhat embarrassed.

Sasuke is very handsome, and at sixteen years old, he is also very strong, which makes the girls who were already eager to date even more excited.

Previously, no one expressed their opinions, partly because Sasuke only played with Naruto and the others, and partly because Sasuke's father was the Hokage, so no one dared to act recklessly.

But things are different now. Even without encountering those infatuated girls, those affectionate gazes are still irresistible.

"Long time no see, Ino."

Sasuke forced a smile, then subtly leaned closer to Gaara's back, leaving Gaara somewhat silent.

He wasn't envious of Sasuke's popularity, but rather felt that Sasuke's handling of the situation seemed somewhat inferior to that of the Hokage.

"You're all here, why are you making such a racket?"

Just then, Neji came over with Lee and Tenten. He shook his head at the noisy Naruto.

"We're about to set off. Your behavior now makes us look like we have no professionalism at Konoha."

"It wouldn't be good if ninjas from other places laughed at us; it would embarrass the Hokage."

"Tch, you really are something."

Naruto glanced at Neji with some displeasure and pouted.

"We haven't run into those guys yet, and besides, we haven't seen each other for so long, why bother lecturing them?"

"Just a reminder so you remember this: don't wait until you encounter ninjas from other places and still be like this."

Neji was somewhat meticulous, which made Naruto roll his eyes. He found the guy rather annoying, even though he knew Neji was right.

They have carried out joint operations countless times, and after other villages were captured, they basically also abolished the original village names.

Everyone uses Konoha to refer to it, but since it's not in the Land of Fire, people still use the 'place' or the village's original name.

Konoha hasn't made this mandatory yet, because some things need to be done step by step, and war is the best way to do that.

This time, all ninjas will be called the Ninja World Army, and their headbands will all be changed to the character "Ninja," and this arrangement will continue in the future.

This would further erase the "ninja village" from everyone's memory, replacing it with the ninja world.

"Alright, Father isn't being too insistent. Besides, we haven't even set off yet, so don't rush us."

When Sasuke saw Neji acting like this, he knew that Neji was doing it for his father's honor. However, he knew his father too well, so he simply stepped in to help him out.

"Besides, if you really want to follow Father's wishes, you shouldn't use the local area anymore. After all, we are all people from the ninja world."

"Neji, don't take it so seriously."

Tenten and Lee nodded in agreement, which made Neji purse his lips. He could say a few words to others.

But once Sasuke spoke, he was helpless, and since Rock Lee and Tenten were his good teammates, he would naturally listen to them.

"Okay, my question, I just..."

"We all know you just don't want to embarrass the Hokage, Neji."

Just as Neji opened his mouth, another voice came from behind him. Turning around, he saw Shino, Kiba, and Hinata walking over.

It was clearly Kiba who spoke, smiling nonchalantly, while Hinata ran to Neji's side and whispered.

"Neji-nii-san, it's been a long time."

"Long time no see, Hinata."

When Neji saw Hinata, his tense expression immediately relaxed, and he reached out and rubbed Hinata's head.

Now, he's a total siscon.

"Why are you here too? It's so dangerous. Honestly, remember to stick with me."

"Hey, Neji, aren't you underestimating us? We can protect Hinata just as well."

Kiba rolled his eyes upon hearing this, and without saying a word, he spoke up, while Shino nodded in agreement.

"Exactly, Neji is too arrogant."

Naruto immediately fanned the flames from the side; he was the kind of guy who wasn't afraid of making things worse.

As expected, Neji, unable to hold back any longer, immediately started arguing with Naruto, making their place quite lively for a while.

But soon, the noise turned into laughter. Since everyone was in the same cohort and had a good relationship with each other, a few jokes were harmless.

"Speaking of which, it seems like none of us are leading a team of Jonin this time."

After a bit of commotion, Naruto looked around and suddenly spoke up, while Sasuke, who was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer.

"Idiot, we're Jonin ourselves, it's already a miracle we weren't separated, can't you use your brain for once!"

"Yeah, damn it, how come I always got worse grades than this idiot back in school?"

Kiba pursed his lips, while Shikamaru shrugged.

"Perhaps you're not good at remembering things."

"Tch, I'm just doing what our Jonin team leaders do."

Naruto was stubborn, but his eyes soon revealed an excited look.

"But that's fine too. We can get closer then, and we can even have a competition!"

"Let's have a contest, see who can kill more enemies!"

Kiba became interested and asked in a low voice. Neji also raised his eyebrows slightly, and Lee showed an excited expression.

Shikamaru, however, seemed rather uninterested; he didn't appear to find it particularly interesting.

woo-

But just as he was about to say something, a deep bugle call suddenly sounded, meaning they were about to march to the front lines—

"We're almost there. I wonder what we'll encounter this time."

On the high seas, countless ships headed toward the port of the Land of Wind. Kisame stood on a ship, looking at the coastline that was gradually becoming clearer in the distance, and he couldn't help but smile and speak.

"It's not going to be an easy life anyway; you might just die here."

Behind him, Zabuza couldn't help but retort when he heard this.

"You too, anyway, I have a feeling I'll die even later than you."

Kisame didn't take the guy's words to heart. After all, as ninjas, they already knew that they might die in the next second.

Even though they are now high-ranking members of the village, that won't change their mindset.

Kirigakure is the place most thoroughly changed by Konoha, and at the same time, it is Konoha's most steadfast ally.

Whether Kotoamatsukami has actually failed is unclear, but at least Master Yuan's performance has always been satisfactory.

Moreover, with the introduction of Konoha's ideology, everyone has accepted it, and they genuinely agree with Konoha's ideas.

It's genuine support; they're all the same kind of people. The previous conflicts were nothing more than disputes over interests and village choices.

Now that everyone is united and their lives are better, how could they possibly object?

Moreover, they basically don't mention "Hidden Mist Village" or "Land of Water" anymore; they just say it's an eastern island of the ninja world or the Province of Water.

And their way of calling it is the one that best reflects what Yuzhi thought and wanted.

In Yuzhi's plan, the Land of Fire will eventually cease to exist and will gradually be renamed the Province of Fire. Other places will also be changed in the same way.

"Hey, you two, what's the point of saying things like that all the time?"

Just as the two were talking, Hozuki Mangetsu came out with his little brother, Hozuki Suigetsu.

Full Moon glanced at the two guys and said unhappily.

"Besides, I also want to be the head of the ninja or the governor, so please don't disgust me."

"Are you dreaming?"

Zabuza couldn't help but roll his eyes when he heard Mangetsu's words.

"Not to mention that the head of the ninja or the governor might be parachuted in from other places, if you stay in the Ministry of Water, you can only take on other management positions."

Even if you manage to stay in the Water Province, your competitor will be Mei Terumi. Can you beat her?

"Damn it, you look down on me, don't you?"

Mangetsu couldn't hold back any longer. He stiffened his neck and stared at Zabuza, but to his surprise, Kisame nodded as well.

"This isn't to look down on you, but you really have no chance of competing with her. After all, she's the Mizukage, someone our current ninja leader values ​​highly."

"And she's a woman."

Zabuza delivered the finishing blow, looking at Mangetsu with a wicked grin as he continued.

"I don't have a boyfriend yet, and that Hokage only has one wife."

You yourself are from a large family, you should know about this kind of patriarch, this kind of powerful person.

Having more wives and more descendants is exactly what your extended family desires most, so…

"Damn it, if you two don't say anything, no one will think you're mute!"

Full Moon couldn't hold back any longer. Why can't these two bastards speak like human beings?

Although their relationship wasn't great in the past, it improved and got better as they followed Master Yuan.

Now they hold considerable power, having essentially "invested in the initial public offering" (IPO). As their status rises, they gradually widen the gap between themselves and the other ninjas.

They actually communicated more and their relationship improved, since there were only so many people to talk to.

"What are you talking about? We're about to log in, why are you still making such a racket?"

Just as the three of them were arguing happily, and Mizuki was watching the spectacle with an excited expression, Terumi Mei suddenly walked out from behind.

Looking at the three noisy people, she frowned and spoke.

"off"

As soon as she spoke, Kisame and the other two fell silent, and Mangetsu pursed her lips and whispered something.

"Tomboy, no wonder she can't find a man."

"What did you say?"

Mei Terumi suddenly looked at the full moon and then gave it a sweet smile.

"I didn't hear you clearly. Could you please repeat it?"

"I'm busy, I need to prepare for my landing."

Full Moon shivered. He couldn't be bothered with this woman; she was not easy to deal with when she went crazy.

"Speaking of which, I need to lead those squads, and where should we meet up with Konoha?"

"We were in a meeting, and you weren't listening at all? What kind of person are you?"

Mei Terumi raised an eyebrow, her sweet smile vanishing instantly, replaced by a cold and stern expression.

The speed at which they changed their expressions was truly astonishing, but none of the three dared to utter a single word.

Fortunately, at that moment, a heavy bugle call suddenly sounded, which diverted their attention.

Because they knew they had already arrived at the battlefield.

"What kind of people do you think we'll encounter this time?"

Suddenly, Man Yue turned around with a strange smile on his face.

"Like, those guys who were carrying ninja swords before?"

"If it were them, I would probably be very excited."

Zabuza stopped talking nonsense and his expression turned cold.

"I will show them that I am the one most suited to wield these ninja swords, and I will show them that they should have been eliminated by history long ago!"

"What a confident guy. Believe me, when you fight, I'll take all your ninja swords."

Mangetsu let out a strange laugh. As an elite member of the Hozuki clan, he was likely to become the clan leader, having mastered the method of controlling the seven ninja swords.

"Instead of thinking about recalling the ninja sword to disgust us, you should think about yourself instead."

Kisame chuckled disdainfully to the side; his shark-like face looked somewhat ferocious.

"For example, what if the other side summons your ancestors, like your father, or the Second Mizukage?"

"When the time comes, will you take action, or will you kowtow to them first?"

Kisame's words caused Mangetsu's expression to change, and he suddenly realized this fact as well.

Those people on the other side are capable of using the Impure World Reincarnation technique to do all sorts of things. Even though they've done a good job of protecting them, who knows if something unexpected might happen?

Then they'll be really hard to deal with.

"Are you ready?"

"As long as your materials are fine, then I don't think there will be any problems."

In a basement on the outskirts of the Land of Wind, Orochimaru watched Madara lick his lips and reveal a slight smile.

However, his attention was more focused on the person behind Madara, who was completely draped in a black robe. This person who appeared out of nowhere was the most worthy of attention.

"The materials I gave you are all fine; they were obtained from the Fifth Hokage, so don't worry."

Madara crossed his arms, completely ignoring Orochimaru's gaze, and continued speaking.

Orochimaru blinked. He wanted to remind everyone that not everyone here was "one of us," but Nagato spoke up instead.

"Let's get started and see what good stuff we have."

"If that's the case, then fine."

Orochimaru nodded, and immediately formed hand seals, his chakra surging instantly.

"The Impure World Reincarnation Technique!"

In an instant, coffins appeared one after another behind him, and figures emerged from them, their eyes beginning to shine with light and consciousness.

"Hmm, where am I? I remember I was dead, wasn't I?"

The first person to step out was a man with yellow hair and a small mustache. He looked around in confusion and asked a question.

The moment he saw Madara, he froze, then pointed at Uchiha Madara in horror.

"Impossible, weren't you killed by Hashirama Senju a long time ago?"

"Where exactly is this place, I..."

"Yes, you are indeed dead."

Ban didn't bother to answer, and behind him, a guy wrapped in bandages like a mummy walked out.

"You were killed by me, have you forgotten? You damned, short-lived bastard."

"you"

The little mustache immediately turned his head, and upon seeing the mummy in front of him, his temper flared up instantly.

"What nonsense are you spouting? I was the one who tore you apart, you damned zombie!"

This bearded man is clearly the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, who was indeed killed by the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, before he died.

These two are old rivals, so there was naturally no room for reconciliation when they met.

However, Hozuki Gengetsu was not overwhelmed by anger and his gaze still occasionally drifted towards Uchiha Madara.

This guy is the most terrifying, the most horrible!

He didn't know why he had woken up, nor why Madara Uchiha was there, but he was somewhat worried.

After all, when it comes to this guy, absolutely nothing is simple.

"Moreover, I still clearly feel like I'm being controlled."

Hozuki Gengetsu felt somewhat uneasy, and besides Uchiha Madara, he noticed that there were quite a few other people here.

Some of them could even be considered his "old acquaintances," such as the First and Second Tsuchikage, and the First, Second, and even Third Kazekage.

It can be said that he has seen all the other Kage except for the Hokage and Raikage, and he has also seen many other people come out of the coffins.

Among them were the First Mizukage, Byakuren, and that junior with his eyes closed, who became the Third Mizukage.

In addition, many ninjas wearing Kirigakure headbands appeared, which made him frown. Was this a gathering of the dead from Kirigakure?

"Alright, the work is done now, it's yours."

Orochimaru licked his lips. No matter how many times he saw this scene, he would feel excited.

However, he also knew that it was best to leave the stage to Madara Uchiha for now, as there was no need for him to steal the spotlight.

"I assume you all know each other, and you should all know me too, so I won't introduce you."

Ban took a step forward, still as arrogant as ever.

"The reason I summoned you this time is because there is a brat in Konoha named Uchiha Haori who, as the Fifth Hokage, almost swallowed up the entire ninja world."

This situation is clearly not in our interest. I think even though you deadbeats are all useless, you'd still be willing to do something for your village, wouldn't you?

Madara's words were anything but polite, but no one present dared to say a word, no matter how angry they were, because this was Uchiha Madara!

Everyone present had either been beaten by him or had seen him beat people up; no one dared to really provoke this guy.

However, they also had some doubts in their hearts: who exactly was Uchiha Haori?

Why would this Uchiha brat, whose name I've never heard of before, make Madara Uchiha summon them all?

Also, that brat swallowed up the entire ninja world?

Wouldn't that mean we'd lose our own homes?

"It's unbelievable that a brat from the Uchiha clan could wreak havoc on the entire ninja world like this."

After a long while, the First Mizukage, Byakuren, finally let out a cold snort.

"Also, what exactly is going on between us? And I'm very curious about your purpose. Why would someone as powerful as you want to come to us? Can't you handle it yourself?"

"Just a friendly reminder, don't talk to me like that."

Ban glanced at Bai Lian before continuing to speak indifferently.

"As for my decision, it's not something you can understand. That kid's strength is no weaker than mine now, and he also controls more than 90% of the resources in the entire ninja world."

I can deal with him, but others can't handle his subordinates, so I need some people who can deal with his subordinates, those ninjas, that's all.

As for my goals, this world is too small, not even big enough for me to cause trouble alone. I don't want to see someone no weaker than me appear and compete with me for control of this world!

Madara didn't really want to waste too much time talking to them, but there were some things he needed to say, and he didn't care about the final outcome.

In any case, expressing your attitude and letting them do the work themselves will be more effective, and their ability to give full play to their initiative will naturally be stronger.

Of course, if he can't, he'll let Orochimaru control him, and even if Orochimaru doesn't perform as expected, he won't care too much.

"Think it over carefully, you guys don't have much time left."

Ban turned around, glancing at everyone present out of the corner of his eye.

"Also, quite a few people from your respective villages have chosen to surrender, while almost all those willing to resist are here."

Whether or not to give them hope, whether or not to rebuild your village—the decision is entirely in your hands. Think it over carefully.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ban left without looking back, and the men in black following behind him also walked away, leaving behind a group of figures with extremely ugly expressions.

"Big brother, can you tell me what kind of person this Uchiha Haori is?"

After they left, the impure world reanimated beings in the basement immediately went to inquire about Haori and the situation in the ninja world. Coincidentally, the man in black behind Madara was also curious about Haori.

He gently removed the hood from his head, revealing his face. He was Uchiha Izuna!

"Didn't I tell you? He's a smart aleck, but he's also the most talented and promising kid since me."

Madara glanced at Izuna behind him with a puzzled look. He didn't know why Izuna was so curious about the haori, especially since he had already told her many things.

"No, what I want to know is his handling of the Uchiha clan, not his domineering behavior as a ninja or as Hokage."

Izuna shook his head and looked at Madara seriously as he spoke.

"What I'm most curious about is how the family is doing now, or rather, how it's doing under his leadership."

Instead of thinking about this, you should think about the enemy we are facing, and you should also think carefully about whether it would be better for you to stay.

Madara pursed his lips and said in a low voice, but to his surprise, Izuna laughed.

"Of course I will think about these issues carefully, but I would like to learn about the family situation first."

Actually, brother, you don't need to ask too many questions, because I've already made up my mind about some things.

"Oh?"

Madara was somewhat surprised, but quickly understood what Izuna meant. Izuna then raised his head, a fierce glint in his eyes.

"After all, I heard from my older brother that that guy has woken up. This time, I'm going to have a good chat with him!"

-

"Hurry up, I don't have time to waste with you."

"You bunch of bastards, you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later."

In a lush forest in the Land of Wind, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju were escorting a group of Jinchuriki, along with Rasa, Onoki, and the Fourth Raikage, towards the border region.

Their faces were all grim, after all, apart from the three Kage, the Jinchuriki had been imprisoned since they were defeated in the Chunin Exams and had only seen the light of day today.

Even if Konoha didn't torture them, but only sealed their chakra, it was still unimaginable torture for them.

While Rasa, Onoki, and the Fourth Raikage fared somewhat better—after all, they were Kage and their treatment was slightly better—their mental torment over the years had only intensified.

Because Yuzhi deliberately led them out when they were attacking their village, so that they could watch their village be breached!

Such a feeling is hard for anyone to bear; the fact that they haven't gone mad is a testament to their strong will.

Now everyone has been released and sent to the front lines. They don't understand what Konoha wants, but their hearts are filled with hatred.

They will never forget that humiliation, the humiliation of witnessing the destruction of their country and the loss of their home!

"Shut up, nobody cares what you say."

Tobirama Senju frowned. He was incredibly annoyed by these guys; they clearly had no ability but were stubborn as a mule.

"If you could do anything, you would have done it already. How could you have been captured by us? If I were you, I would have already killed myself in prison."

Oh, sorry, I forgot, you can't even die, how pathetic.

Tobirama.

Hashirama pursed his lips awkwardly. He felt that Tobirama's words sounded a lot like Madara's.

However, he didn't have any intention of refuting it. After all, they were enemies, and they were the ones who took the initiative to invade Konoha. It was already very lucky that they hadn't died.

Although for them, it was probably worse than death.

Their mission this time was to escort these guys to the front line, but that wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was to use these guys as bait.

Yuri said that those Otsutsuki would be interested in the Tailed Beasts and would definitely try to harm them, so they had to give it a shot no matter what.

"You're nothing but a bunch of robbers; all you do is steal from others. You..."

Onoki growled in a low voice, as if he wanted to vent all the anger in his heart, but Tobirama would not tolerate him.

With a slight tilt of his head, a powerful surge of chakra instantly erupted, slamming Onoki to the ground!

"Lord Tsuchikage!"

"Old geezer"

Han and Lao Zi's expressions changed instantly. They couldn't help but shout loudly, but they couldn't move at all and could only look on with resentment.

"Have you said enough?"

Tobirama looked at the crowd with disdain and calmly addressed them, meeting their angry gazes.

"Get one thing straight: where exactly were you captured? You were in the Land of Fire, around the vicinity of Konoha!"

It was you who launched the attack on Konoha, it was you who caused this series of incidents, and it was you who brought about this result.

Now you want to shift the blame to us? Who gave you the courage to do this? Who gave you the audacity to think this way?

Sure enough, that little rascal Yuzhi was right about one thing: "Water that is too clear has no fish, and a person who is shameless is invincible." You guys really do have some invincible confidence.

Tobirama Senju's words made everyone present blush. Being mocked so directly made them feel ashamed, but they really couldn't say anything to refute him.

It was indeed they who initiated the attack, it was indeed they who caused the trouble, it was all their doing, but...

"And do you think we shouldn't have attacked your village?"

Tobirama seemed to know what they were thinking, and he still spoke coldly and disdainfully.

"Don't joke around. To Konoha, you are nothing. Even getting compensation from you wouldn't satisfy our current appetite."

Since that's the case, then we can only take your village and land as compensation. And now I have a question I'd like to ask you.

Do you think the people live better under our Konoha rule, or under your rule?

It was another pointed question, another one that left them unsure how to answer.

"Look around you, you bunch of idiots."

Tobirama Senju continued his relentless taunts, unleashing his full power.

"This place used to be the Land of Wind. Don't you know what the Land of Wind was like?"

This place was once barren, dilapidated, and rarely had an oasis.

But look at us now, we've changed everything here in just three years, only three years!

Not only here, but also the former Land of Earth and Land of Thunder have been transformed by us. Now, the people live prosperous lives and possess resources that they once could not believe.

They live in peace and contentment, and they work diligently—something you bunch of good-for-nothings have never given them!

That's why your loyal resistance ninjas have now fled to the borderlands, to places rarely visited by humans.

Those people are just as pathetic as you, living their lives clinging to illusions. They think they're doing the right thing, but in reality, they're just a bunch of pathetic idiots.

Tobirama Senju's taunts were designed to inflict real damage; his words pierced the hearts of everyone present, turning countless faces pale.

Were we wrong?

These thoughts began to consume them madly, and this feeling caused them immense pain.

"Alright, Tobirama, that's enough."

Just then, Hashirama couldn't stand it any longer and had to interrupt.

"We have our own things to do, let's ignore them, it's pointless."

"cut."

As Tobirama was venting his anger, he seemed to understand why Haori and the others always liked to hurl insults.

He realized that this experience was wonderful, but he knew what was important and what wasn't, so he didn't bother to continue talking to these useless people.

In particular, he suddenly felt a subtle unease, as if someone was watching him.

"This is a strange and terrible feeling. What's going on?"

-

In the depths of the starry sky, a shooting star streaks across the heavens.

Before long, he came to a steady stop on the outer edge of the azure planet, and a figure appeared, gazing at the planet before him.

"I'm finally back."

The figure spoke indifferently, his voice filled with anger and murderous intent. The reflection of the halo swept across his face, revealing his features.

This guy is none other than Otsutsuki Urashiki, who was killed by Hagoromo back then!

"This time, I'm going to wipe you all out, especially you, Uchiha Haori!"

(End of this chapter)