Naruto: The Information Broker from the Uchiha Clan

"Don't we need to verify the other person's identity?"

"Since Iwagakure hasn't come, the other four great ninja villages will surely feel the same apprehension. Let's wait for Iwagakure's intelligence."

Upon hearing this, Qing looked around and, to his dismay, found no one from Iwagakure.

Normally, such an unbridled gaze would inevitably cause trouble.

But now... it's clear that nobody cares about these trivial details anymore.

Konoha...like a huge shadow, enveloping everyone within it.

……

Chapter 183: The Target of the Next Transaction

One month later, in Konoha, at the Hokage Building.

At this moment, Shikaku placed the four documents in front of Minato, smiled and said, "It's been more than a month, these guys have kept their composure."

Minato glanced at the four diplomatic letters in front of him, smiled, and said, "Kumo had already killed two Raikage before this battle. We previously speculated that Uzumaki Sora might have been hired by a certain ninja village, and that he himself wanted to kill Kumo in advance."

"Based on this, one of these four letters must have been written by someone who knew the truth but still followed the crowd and inquired about it."

As he spoke, Minato opened the letters one by one, read them, and then casually put them aside.

Under this action, Shikaku finally took it and started reading.

Immediately, four similar inquiry letters made Shikaku smile: "I have heard that along the coast of the Land of Fire, Konoha's Uchiha Kumo is engaged in battle with an unknown enemy, and the destruction caused by the power has reduced the area of ​​the Land of Fire. The peace based on the Five Great Nations of the Shinobi World is hard-won, and if Konoha needs support, Kumogakure has an unshirkable responsibility."

"The letter from Kumogakure is quite subtle. They need support? This support is probably just to see who can actually fight against Kumogakure, right?"

Minato nodded and then said, "Kumakushi Village was attacked once, and now they know the pain. This time, the post-war ruins along the coast have only made them realize the vast disparity in strength even more."

Shikaku smiled and looked at another letter: "A month ago, the aftershocks of a tsunami struck the coast of the Land of Fire, destroying many ports in the Land of Water. The peace established by the Five Great Nations since the Third Shinobi World War cannot be broken. Please, Hokage, clearly state who the enemy is. Kirigakure can provide support..."

"laugh!"

After scoffing, Shikaku said, "Every sentence revolves around peace, and every sentence also involves asking about Uzumaki Sora's information. It seems that after this, although Konoha has intimidated all the other four great ninja villages, it has also made them aware of the only existence capable of resisting Kumo."

Minato nodded solemnly: "The appearance of the four letters also indicates that one of the parties who hired Uzumaki Sora does not seem to be generously sharing information about him."

After pondering for a moment, Shikaku said, "The Kage of the Four Great Ninja Villages shouldn't be so short-sighted, right? Given the strength Konoha is currently displaying, they should know that only by uniting can they possibly defend against it."

Minato shook his head slightly: "Don't forget, although we are indeed enemies with Uzumaki Sora now, they may not be so sure."

"In the battle, apart from some coastal land being sunk and the display of formidable power, Konoha did not suffer any casualties."

"In this situation, the name 'Uzumaki Sora' has the surname 'Uzumaki'... Just that surname alone will give everyone a different impression..."

At this point, Minato stopped speaking, then looked out the window and asked, "Has the teacher returned?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiraiya flipped over and leaped in through the window.

This scene made Minato smile wryly and say, "Teacher... coming in through the main entrance is also fine."

Jiraiya laughed heartily, then looked at his disciple and said, "I finally came back to see if you'd been slacking off, Minato, but it seems I've heard some incredible news!"

At this point, Jiraiya asked, "Before I came back, I went to the Sea of ​​the End. I never expected that the Uchiha would be able to display such power again."

"But speaking of which, what's the deal with this Sea of ​​Ending? Did you deliberately release this name?"

Minato nodded and replied, "After all, the name was chosen based on the Valley of the End, and its existence will only make those people more confused."

Shikaku, who was standing nearby, then asked, "Is there something you need to do upon returning, Jiraiya-sama?"

As he finished speaking, Minato looked at Shikaku: "Our teacher has been investigating the whereabouts of the rogue ninja Orochimaru. Perhaps he has some new information this time..."

Jiraiya smiled and said, "There is indeed some information, but more importantly, it's about the impact caused by the Sea of ​​End. After all, it concerns a village within the Land of Fire, so I wanted to come back and see for myself the specifics."

Shikaku, who had been silenced by Minato, stopped talking, while Minato asked, "Although Konoha doesn't have a dedicated pursuit ninja force, Orochimaru's threat is not insignificant."

Jiraiya scratched his head, sighed, and looked at his disciple.

"I never imagined that the village would have a ninja with the fighting power of Uchiha Kumo in just a few years. But Minato, I heard the name Uzumaki Sora in what you said earlier, so this information may be very important to the village."

"During my investigation of Orochimaru over the past few years, I discovered that he had joined a mysterious organization. The organization's name is not exactly a secret on the black market: Akatsuki."

“A little over a month ago, I saw a member of Akatsuki on the black market. The black uniform with red clouds seemed to be standard equipment for this organization. And that guy seemed to be one of the Akatsuki members who managed the money.”

"Because of Orochimaru, I used the Toad Shadow Manipulation Technique to control an accountant and follow him. This unexpected discovery made me realize that the person I was trading with was from Iwagakure."

A month ago?

Hidden Rock Village?

The appearance of the two dots caused Minato and Shikaku, who hadn't paid much attention to it before, to frown slightly.

Jiraiya looked at the two of them and said in a deep voice the most crucial point: "The details of their transaction, because of the deposit, ended up in my hands. That is: to entrust the Akatsuki organization to go to Konoha to test the power of Uchiha Kumo."

???

As soon as he finished speaking, Minato looked at Jiraiya and asked, "Considering the context, has Uzumaki Sora already joined this organization?"

Jiraiya nodded: "If it's not too much of a coincidence, then this conclusion should be the truth. After all, the battle at the Sea of ​​Ending broke out after that."

At this moment, Shikaku spoke up, "Let's work backward from the conclusion. Just considering Uzumaki Sora and Orochimaru, the power of Akatsuki is not to be underestimated. And since Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, hires them, they must have more detailed information there."

Minato nodded upon hearing this and immediately looked at the letter on the table: "Then we don't need to pay attention to the other three major ninja villages. As for Iwagakure, reply directly to them and ask them to provide all the information about the Akatsuki organization, and also question them about their purpose in probing Uchiha Kumo's power!"

Jiraiya, standing to the side, looked at Minato with some surprise. The current state of Konoha had actually made Minato speak in such a tone.

The attitude of those in power benefits from the strength of the village. Is it possible that the strength of Uchiha Kumo alone has formed the foundation of the village's confidence?

At this moment, Shikaku nodded and replied, "Given Onoki's personality, after obtaining information about the cloud, he will definitely become more cautious. Perhaps knowing the information, he will actually be able to send it out."

After finishing their business, Minato looked at Jiraiya and asked, "Master, are you going out to gather materials again this time you're back?"

Jiraiya chuckled and replied, "Of course I have to go out! I'll definitely bring Orochimaru back with me. But I'll stay in the village for a while; I want to see how much the village has changed in the last few years!"

Minato nodded: "Why don't you come to my house for dinner tonight, Master? Kushina will be very happy to know that you're back. Besides, Naruto only met you when he was a child, and you're practically Master's grandson."

Jiraiya then remembered Naruto, the protagonist he was talking about. The little guy from back then should be in school by now, right?

……

Konoha, the home of the Sarutobi clan.

"The old man is really living a leisurely life these days..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, reclining on the chair, looked up at the eaves: "It's Jiraiya, huh? I don't know how you developed this habit of never using the main entrance."

"Shh."

Jiraiya, who had just landed, took out a gift bag.

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment, then smiled and asked, "I didn't expect you to bring me a gift this time. That's quite rare."

Jiraiya chuckled strangely, "Icha Icha Paradise's latest manuscript, I just got it back from the publisher, they won't release it until next month..."

For a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened, but when he caught sight of Jiraiya out of the corner of his eye, he looked away again: "To actually give your teacher a book like this, it's simply..."

He then reached out, took the gift bag, and casually put it away.

The two exchanged a knowing glance.

After a moment of silence, Jiraiya looked at his increasingly aged teacher, sighed, and said, "It seems that you've finally let go, old man?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said, "It's not so much that I've let go, but rather that I've chosen to trust them more than before. Whether it's the Hokage or the Uchiha."

Naruto?

Jiraiya sighed. The old man from back then, like himself, was also called Minato.

Perhaps it is because of the current Minato that he is a qualified Hokage?

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Jiraiya out of the corner of his eye, smiled, and said, "What's there to sigh about? In fact, only by looking at Konoha now can I understand my mistakes."

Jiraiya smiled and said, "As the Third Hokage, your achievements are undeniable."

"laugh!"

After scoffing, Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the pipe beside him, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled.

"Do you remember Sakumo? Kakashi's father, the man known in the ninja world as the White Fang of Konoha, the man who could choose to abandon a mission if he encountered someone on one."

Jiraiya nodded.

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Sakumo's strength lies in the battlefield; his power can strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. However, his political acumen is insufficient."

"Based on this, I did not stop Root's actions in time. In the end, although the outcome validated my initial reasoning, Sakumo's death was the village's greatest loss."

"But now Minato's choice is to trust the Uchiha, to trust Uchiha Kumo. This outcome seems to be making the village better and better."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice faded, Jiraiya nodded beside him.

Upon their return, whether they were villagers or ninjas, everyone seemed to possess a strange sense of confidence when facing the outside world.

The Uchiha clan seems to be gradually integrating into the village.

"Did you come back this time because of the battle a month ago?"

Jiraiya was taken aback: "Old man, you know about this too?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi casually swung his pipe, hitting Jiraiya on the head: "I'm just retired, not imprisoned! How could I not know such an important matter?"

Jiraiya smiled and said, "The main reason is indeed this battle. After all, the earth was sunk for miles, and the name is similar to the Valley of the End, so it has to attract everyone's attention."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "I can roughly guess the Hokage's thoughts. With Uchiha Un already having killed two Kage, turning apprehension into fear is the only way."

"However, speaking of which, the appearance of that Uzumaki Sora, whose power can also reach such a level, will probably become the target of the other four great ninja villages in the future."

At this point, the third generation smiled and stubbed out his pipe.

As the last wisp of smoke dissipated, a child pushed open the gate to the courtyard.

"grandfather!"

A little kid came running over quickly: "Grandpa's going to play ninja games with me today!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded indulgently and readily agreed, then looked at Jiraiya and said, "Alright, don't come here unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm just a retired old man now. If you have any questions, go directly to Minato. I won't keep you for dinner, go on..."

Then, Jiraiya watched as the three-generation old man carried his grandson into the house.

Perhaps such an ending for a hero of such endurance is not so bad after all.

……