Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

"Yes!" The secret agent accepted the order and left.

After that came the time to tally the results of the battle and treat the wounded. This time, the Konoha troops who came across the sea were exhausted when they joined the battle, just like the Hidden Mist Village and the resistance forces. The Konoha ninja who were well-rested and ready for battle suffered no casualties and very few injuries.

Among the remaining Kirigakure ninja, the losses of Chunin and Genin were not too severe, since they had not fought with all their might when facing the rebels. However, the casualties among Special Jonin and above were particularly heavy. After Konoha ninjas counted the number of people, the intelligence they submitted to Uchiha Touko showed that Kirigakure now only had 3 elite Jonin, 19 Jonin, and 27 Special Jonin left. In other words, these 49 people were all the high-end combat force that Kirigakure had left.

"Reporting to the Hokage," at that moment, an Anbu member rushed into the tent where Uchiha Touko was resting. "A surviving Jonin from Kirigakure has been executed on the spot by our Third Company Captain, Jonin Higashino Ryosuke, for using rather harsh words to insult you."

Okay, now there are only 48 left.

Uchiha Touko put away the battle report and asked seriously, "What happened?"

"When we were assisting Kirigakure in gathering up the remaining troops and receiving the villagers who had previously evacuated, this Jonin was rude and dissatisfied with our Konoha's assistance. He even used rather harsh words to insult you and Lord Kakashi. Jonin Higashino was so enraged that he executed him on the spot."

"How could he do this?" Uchiha Touko said, frowning. "I know Higashino Ryosuke. He's one of the Jonin promoted to the Security Force this year. I even personally signed his promotion documents. How could he do something like this? Kirigakure is our ally now! How is he?"

"Jonin Higashino has been detained and placed in confinement. As for what to do with him, it's up to you, Hokage," the ANBU member who came to report said.

"This matter must be dealt with seriously!" Uchiha Touko said. "To actually attack friendly forces, I think he hasn't quite remembered the Will of Fire."

"Now send him back and demote him to Chunin. I'll restore him to Jonin rank when he can memorize the Will of Fire."

"Huh?" The Jonin who came to report was also taken aback by the final outcome. He was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and nodded, "Yes, I'll arrange it right away."

After that Jonin left, Guy found Uchiha Touko.

"Kai, how was the mission?" Uchiha Touko greeted Might Guy with a smile and was the first to ask.

"That was fantastic!" Might Guy grinned, showing his big teeth and giving a thumbs up. "It's been so long since I've had such an exhilarating battle! That was awesome..."

Might Guy started scratching his head halfway through his sentence, and it was clear that he was really trying hard to remember Kisame's name.

“Kisame Hoshigaki,” Touko Uchiha reminded him.

“Yes! Kisame Hoshigaki! He’s a formidable opponent!” Might Guy exclaimed.

"Hehe, whatever makes you happy," Uchiha Touko laughed.

Uchiha Touko gave Might Guy a lot of face. After becoming the Fifth Hokage, Might Guy was among the first batch of people he promoted. Originally, Might Guy had barely become a Jonin by accumulating a lot of missions because his ninja skills were not up to par, but he was directly promoted to an elite Jonin by Uchiha Touko.

Many people think that his promotion was because of Kakashi, but even if Kakashi hadn't said anything, Uchiha Touko would still have done it anyway, since Uchiha Touko is probably the only person in the entire Hidden Leaf Village who knows just how high this guy's potential really is.

"Kai, what brings you here?" After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Uchiha Touko finally got down to business.

"Um, Hokage-sama, may I go back to the village first?" Might Guy scratched his head and said somewhat embarrassedly, "After all, I can't be of much help here, and if I stay out for too long, I'm afraid I'll delay Lee's training."

“Okay.” Uchiha Touko nodded. “I heard you got seasick when you came here, right? Well then, how about this? I’ve already sent word to Shiranui Genma and the others. They’ll be sending Yamato and the supplies to help rebuild Kirigakure this afternoon using the Flying Thunder God Technique. How about you go back with them?”

"That's fantastic!" Might Guy grinned. He was a little embarrassed when he came to find Uchiha Touko, since even the Hokage was busy in Kirigakure, and he had asked to go back early. But he didn't expect that the Hokage would not only not mind, but also consider his seasickness problem, which moved him greatly.

"This is youth! Hokage-sama!" Might Guy said excitedly to Uchiha Touko, his eyes filled with tears.

Uchiha Touko: ...

Respect is one thing, but Matt Kay is really having a hard time keeping up with him.

"Alright, Guy, if there's nothing else, call Kakashi over for me." Uchiha Touko wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Might Guy.

……

After Kakashi was summoned by Guy, Uchiha Touko asked, "How are those two Jinchuriki?"

"The Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails has awakened, but under the seal you personally set, he can't even refine chakra now, and his connection with the Six-Tails has been completely severed," Kakashi said.

Kakashi considered himself to be quite skilled in sealing techniques, as his teacher was a master of sealing techniques and his teacher's wife was a sealing technique expert from the Uzumaki clan. However, the sealing technique that Uchiha Touko used on Utakata just a few hours ago left him in awe.

Uchiha Touko used the same sealing technique that the Fourth Hokage used to seal the Nine-Tails into Naruto: the Bagua Seal, which is a combination of two Four Symbols Seals. However, Uchiha Touko added a Three Powers Seal between the two Four Symbols Seals, and also placed a Five Elements Seal on the outermost layer of the seal.

This series of combined seals is no less than a fine work of art in the eyes of those who understand sealing techniques. Generally speaking, only sealing masters from the Uzumaki clan could have created such an exquisite seal. However, Uchiha Tokō was a member of the Uchiha clan.

If it weren't for Uchiha Touko's Mangekyou Sharingan, Kakashi would have suspected that this guy was a member of the Uzumaki clan, given his appalling level of genjutsu.

“That guy isn’t important. We can just have Guy bring him back to Konoha later,” Uchiha Touko said. “The important thing is Yagura. Has he woken up yet? I can’t be the Hokage forever living in the Mizukage Building.”

“That guy’s condition isn’t good,” Kakashi sighed. “He was controlled by the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan before, and the mark of the power has been consuming his life. Now he’s on his last legs. The medical ninjas we brought have been keeping him alive, but it’s probably unlikely that he will wake up. The best thing to do now is to extract the Three-Tails and then select a new Jinchuriki.”

"Alright." Uchiha Touko nodded. "How much longer can that guy stay alive?"

"It'll be at most a month," Kakashi said. "Should we send a message to Genma Shiranui and the others to bring Karin over? Right now, she's the only one on our side suitable to become a Jinchūriki."

"Have you never thought about becoming a Jinchūriki?" Uchiha Tokō asked. "Once you become a Jinchūriki, the problem of your maximum chakra reserves will be solved."

“If it were any other tailed beast, that would be fine, but the Three-Tails…” Kakashi smiled wryly as he pulled up the headband covering his left eye, revealing the Mangekyou Sharingan crest. “I reckon the Three-Tails would lose its mind the moment it sees those eyes.”

“Alright.” Uchiha Touko nodded. “As for making Karin the Three-Tails’ Jinchuriki, let’s not rush it. Let’s ask Karin’s opinion first before making a decision. You’ve seen Naruto’s experience. Becoming a Jinchuriki isn’t all good things.”

"Okay, I understand." Kakashi nodded.

……

In the following days, the Hidden Mist ninjas and the remaining villagers, with the assistance and supervision of the Leaf Village ninjas, began the reconstruction work.

However, perhaps because of what happened a few days ago, the villagers and ninjas of Kirigakure were quite emotional and their attitude at work was not very positive.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Touko, who lived in the Mizukage Building, which was the first to be repaired, carefully reviewed the information of the three elite Jonin from Kirigakure who had survived the previous battle, and then summoned them separately.

The three of them didn't exactly treat Uchiha Touko well, only maintaining basic politeness. Uchiha Touko didn't mind, since the entire Hidden Mist Village probably wanted him dead, and it would be difficult to find someone who didn't hate him.

However, after carefully observing the three for a period of time, a suitable candidate was finally selected from among them.

Takagi Seiwan, an elite Jonin of Kirigakure, participated in the Third Shinobi World War and was one of the few Kirigakure ninjas who saw Uchiha Touko on the battlefield and survived.

However, the reason he survived was not because of his strength, but because his bottom line on the battlefield was much lower than Uchiha Touko had anticipated.

Back in the Third Shinobi World War, after seeing that he was no match for Uchiha Touko, this person abandoned an entire squad to delay Uchiha Touko's advance and fled alone. Uchiha Touko had never seen anything like this before, which is why he was able to escape.

However, because of this, Takagi Seiman, an elite Jonin from Kirigakure, was not very popular in Kirigakure. Apart from Obito Uchiha, who controlled Yagura Karatachi and promoted him to a higher position to disgust Kirigakure, the other high-ranking officials of Kirigakure, especially Genshi, who served as the Mizukage's assistant, disliked this kind of ninja who abandoned his comrades and ran away.

"So, this is someone who puts his own interests first in everything?" Uchiha Touko chuckled as he looked at Takagi Seiman's file. "However, as a puppet, this kind of personality is just right."

Soon, Takagi Seiwan was invited to the Mizukage's office by Uchiha Tokō.

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Takagi." Uchiha Touko greeted him with a light smile after the other party arrived.

"I wonder what business the Hokage has with me?" Takagi Seiwan said with a stern face.

"After we received your Mizukage's plea for help, we dispatched troops to your aid as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we were unable to rescue your Mizukage from the rebels. The Fourth Mizukage probably won't last much longer."

Upon hearing this news, Takagi Seiwan's expression remained calm and composed. As long as he was alive, the fate of the Mizukage was of no concern to him.

“However, your ninja village can’t continue like this forever, so I plan to help you become the Fifth Mizukage,” Uchiha Touko said.

After Uchiha Touko finished speaking, Takagi Seiman's expression finally showed a slight change.

"Well, Mr. Takagi, do you have the same idea?" Uchiha Touko asked with a smile.

"I'm going to be the Fifth Mizukage?" Takagi Seiwan asked incredulously.

“Of course,” Uchiha Touko said.

Chapter 177 How come the vast Water Kingdom can't accommodate two Water Shadows?

"Can... I really do it?" Although Takagi Seiwan said this, Uchiha Touko saw a look of excitement in his eyes. Uchiha Touko was not surprised by this. As long as you are a ninja from a major ninja village, who didn't grow up listening to the legends of their own Kage?

Although he might come to terms with reality as he grows up due to his talent and background, the opportunity is now in front of him, and Takagi Seiman's ambition has been ignited.

“Why not?” Uchiha Touko said, “Your Hidden Mist Village only has three elite Jonin left, and you are the strongest among them. Furthermore, as a responsible major power in the ninja world, Konoha will naturally help your Land of Water restore order. Therefore, Mr. Takagi only needs to consider whether he is willing to be the Fifth Mizukage, or whether Mr. Takagi lacks the confidence to be the Fifth Mizukage well?”

"Hokage! I really want to improve!" Upon hearing what Uchiha Touko said, Takagi Seiwan immediately lost his composure and slid down to his knees in front of Uchiha Touko.

"Hehe, it's good that Mr. Takagi has this confidence," Uchiha Touko said with a smile.

"As the leader of the ninja village of the five great nations, the Mizukage is one of the few people in this ninja world who can be called a Kage." Uchiha Touko stepped forward, patted the other man on the shoulder, and then said, "Mr. Takagi, after you become the Mizukage, you must take on the responsibilities of the Mizukage."

"I will." Takagi Seiwan was overjoyed by Uchiha Touko's words and had already begun to imagine his wonderful life after becoming the Mizukage.

"However..." Uchiha Touko changed the subject, "There's an old saying that goes, 'There's no such thing as a free lunch.' I wonder if Mr. Takagi agrees with that?"

Upon hearing Uchiha Touko's words, Takagi Seiman's face also showed a troubled expression. He knew that the time to negotiate terms was coming up. If he wanted Konoha to support him in becoming the Mizukage, he would have to pay a huge price.

However, the thought of being able to sit in the supremely glorious position of the Water Shadow quickly caused Takagi Seiwan's rare rationality to vanish completely.

"Hokage! I'm willing to do anything to become the Mizukage!" Takagi Seiwan said excitedly.

"Hey, what you're saying." Uchiha Touko waved his hand. "Although we, Konoha, and you, Kirigakure, have had friction in the past wars, I don't think we can't be friendly neighbors. This time, our sending troops to help Kirigakure quell the rebellion is a good start, isn't it?"

“Yes, yes,” Takagi Seiwan said. “Kigakure will forever remember your kindness and the kindness of Konoha.”

"I wouldn't call it a favor," Uchiha Touko said. "After all, our Konoha's troops were hired by your Fourth Mizukage at a high price, and now that your Fourth Mizukage hasn't woken up, I'm worried about who to ask for this debt."

"Don't worry, Hokage. Kirigakure is not the kind of village that doesn't pay its debts. We will take full responsibility for all of our debts," Takagi Seiwan said through gritted teeth.

"Let's talk about that after you've seen the conditions offered by your Fourth Mizukage, Mr. Takagi," Uchiha Tokō said, taking out a list bearing the seal of the Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, from his sealed scroll and handing it to Takagi Seiman.

When Takagi Seiwan took the list, he was shocked. The various military expenditures on it were all in the billions, and the list also included the Rokuo, a member of the rebel army.

"This...this is too much." Although Takagi Seiwan had never been involved in the high-level affairs of Kirigakure, he knew that this amount of debt was definitely not something Kirigakure could easily pay off at present.

“That’s why I told you to make a decision after you’ve seen the conditions offered by your Fourth Hokage,” Uchiha Touko said. “It’s clear that these rebels are putting a lot of pressure on your Mizukage, and they’re even using the Tailed Beasts as leverage to ask for help.”

Looking at the list, Takagi Seiwan hesitated, glancing at it every now and then, and then looking up at Uchiha Touko.

Takagi Seiwan was well aware that this was probably the condition Konoha and Uchiha Tokō would use to push him to become the Fifth Mizukage.

Uchiha Touko noticed Takagi Seiwan's gaze, but didn't say anything. He simply smiled warmly, took out a spare tea set from the sealing scroll, and brewed tea on the Mizukage's desk.

Uchiha Touko wasn't worried that Takagi Seiwan would refuse the list. After all, based on his personality as described in the intelligence, this guy was an absolute sophisticated egoist. If he were to repay the debt himself, he probably wouldn't agree to the terms. But since the debt was now on the shoulders of the entire Kirigakure, it wouldn't have any impact on him as the Mizukage.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Takagi Seiwan nodded in agreement to the list.

"The Hidden Mist Village will repay Konoha for their assistance on time and as promised," Takagi Seiwan said.

"I knew I wouldn't misjudge people. Mr. Takagi is indeed a man of his word," Uchiha Touko laughed. "Come, come."

Uchiha Touko smiled and sat up from the Mizukage's desk, pulling Takagi Seiwan towards the Mizukage's office chair.

“Mr. Takagi is about to take office as the Fifth Mizukage. Why don’t you get a feel for what it’s like to sit in this position beforehand?” Uchiha Touko said with a smile.

"No, no, no, you mustn't, you mustn't." Takagi Seiwan waved his hands repeatedly, but he was no match for Uchiha Touko. It could be said that he was almost forcibly dragged to the Mizukage's office chair.

"Hey, what's wrong with it? It's just a matter of sooner or later." After saying that, Uchiha Touko pressed Takagi Seiwan down into the Mizukage's office chair.

Ah~~~

The moment Takagi Seiwan's buttocks touched the office chair, he let out a long, comfortable moan.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Takagi?" Uchiha Touko asked with a smile.