Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

When he saw the figure wearing the Fourth Hokage's robes, with radiant blond hair and a warm smile, his only exposed black eyes widened instantly, filled with extreme shock and disbelief!

"Minato-sensei!?" His voice was dry and hoarse from shock. He had assumed only the First to the Third Hokage were present! Because he knew better than anyone that Minato-sensei had used the Reaper Death Seal to seal the Nine-Tails, sacrificing his own soul to be forever trapped in the stomach of a Shinigami! Theoretically, this couldn't be summoned back through the Impure World Reincarnation!

Seeing Kakashi's shocked expression, Uchiha Touko calmly explained, as if he were talking about something trivial: "I tried to study and break the formula of the Reaper Death Seal."

This explanation, though seemingly simple, contained a power powerful enough to shake the entire sealing jutsu system of the ninja world. Yet, coming from Uchiha Touko's mouth, it seemed so convincing—after all, in the current ninja world, no one could surpass him in the mastery of sealing jutsu.

Kakashi stared blankly at the smiling Minato, then at the calm Touko. For a moment, the immense shock left him frozen in place, a thousand thoughts surging through his mind, and he didn't know how to react.

"Kakashi, you've grown so much in the blink of an eye... You've changed so much, I almost didn't recognize you." Minato Namikaze smiled slightly, his gaze gentle, as if looking through time at the boy who used to always hide behind the mask. "It seems that you've finally slowly moved on from those things from back then."

Kakashi, facing his former mentor's gentle gaze, moved his lips slightly, as if wanting to say something but unsure where to begin. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "After all... you've been gone for so many years, teacher. People always change, don't they?"

“Yes,” Minato Namikaze repeated softly, as if talking to himself, or perhaps lamenting his fate, “People always change.”

He paused, then turned to look at Kakashi, his tone still gentle, but with a hint of barely perceptible expectation: "I heard that Naruto has been... being taken care of by you all these years, is that right?"

Kakashi's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Oh no... what if the teacher finds out that Naruto has become a rogue ninja...?

Although Naruto is currently staying in the village, in a penthouse suite at the Nakagawa Grand Hotel—ostensibly under house arrest, but in reality under tight protection.

Regardless of the reasons or his predicament, the fact that he crossed out his headband and betrayed Konoha is an indelible record. Even now, his name and the bounty on the Exchange Bureau's wanted list still appear.

“…Uh, yes.” Kakashi managed to maintain his composure and quickly decided to downplay the issue. “Naruto has been living in my house since he was eight years old.”

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you." Minato Namikaze smiled and shook his head, his tone filled with sincere apology and gratitude.

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all..." Kakashi subconsciously raised his hand to wipe away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead and quickly replied, "It's all I should do."

"Alright, Kakashi, you can sit here too. As the future Sixth Hokage, you are also qualified to participate in this meeting," Uchiha Touko said at the right moment, easing Kakashi's embarrassment.

"Isn't that a bit much? The Sixth Hokage's plans are still far from being finalized. Doesn't it sound like you're making a decision on his behalf?" Kakashi seized the opportunity to change the subject.

“Since Touko has said so, then you may sit down,” Hashirama Senju said with a carefree laugh. “You are all good children with the Will of Fire. Since Touko has decided to let you succeed him as the Sixth Hokage of the village, there must be a reason for it. We, the departed souls, respect the decision of the living.”

Chapter 310 Open and Honest

After a few lighthearted laughs, the slightly awkward and tense atmosphere in the secret room eased considerably. Kakashi sat down in the empty seat next to Minato Namikaze. With his seat, the highest meeting, which spanned life and death and eras and brought together the first four Hokage of Konoha and the current Fifth Hokage, finally officially began.

Uchiha Tokō sat in the main seat and slowly began to speak: "Logically speaking, after the Fourth Shinobi World War, I should have lifted the Impure World Reincarnation and allowed the souls of our predecessors to return to the Pure Land and rest in peace. However, things are unpredictable. Although the shinobi world has been initially unified on the surface and the flames of war have temporarily subsided, the real threat we face does not seem to originate from within the shinobi world itself."

His gaze finally settled on Hashirama Senju: "Regarding this, the First Hokage fought him head-on on the Land of Earth front and should have the most direct experience with it."

"Ah, yes." Upon mentioning that terrifying enemy, Hashirama Senju's cheerful smile vanished instantly, replaced by a rare and extremely serious expression, even tinged with lingering fear. "That guy... was very strong. Absolutely ridiculously strong, completely unlike someone who could have grown up in the ninja world. The current strength of those two kids, Nagato and Neji, in terms of chakra reserves and the application of certain traits, is already not much weaker than mine at my peak."

He paused, his tone becoming even heavier: "As for me, although I was unable to unleash my full strength from before birth due to the limitations of this reanimated body, even if the three of us joined forces and gave it our all, we could only barely repel him, and couldn't even inflict any effective damage on him. What's even more terrifying is that I could clearly sense that his condition was very abnormal at the time, as if he had suffered some kind of hidden injury that had not yet healed, and his strength was far from his peak."

Hashirama Senju raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said, word by word, each word like a heavy lead weight: "If he could fight at his peak... frankly, I think even I at my peak would be no match for him."

"Is there anyone in this world stronger than you at your peak, brother?" Upon hearing this, Tobirama Senju, who had not personally experienced the battles on the Land of Earth, showed an expression of disbelief for the first time. In his deeply ingrained understanding, his elder brother, Hashirama Senju, was the ceiling of ninja strength, a true "God of Shinobi." How could there be an individual stronger than his elder brother at his peak?

“Tobirama, you don’t understand,” Hashirama Senju shook his head, trying to describe the indescribable feeling. “It’s not just about the amount of chakra or the strength of techniques. What I felt from that guy was an absolute pressure from the level of life itself. It was an instinctive fear, like a herbivore seeing its predator, an irresistible tremor from the depths of its blood.”

"Pressure from the level of life itself? Is it really that exaggerated?" Tobirama Senju still found it hard to believe, his brows furrowed. He had always believed in data, logic, and analyzable principles of ninjutsu, and this kind of mysterious statement made him instinctively skeptical.

"Second Hokage, what the First Hokage sensed was not an exaggeration, but the truth." Uchiha Touko spoke up at the right time, providing solid evidence for Senju Hashirama's senses and revealing the truth, "That enemy was named Otsutsuki Isshiki. He was not from the ninja world, but came from a distant realm, from a race called 'Otsutsuki'."

"The Otsutsuki clan?" Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffing on his pipe, frowned as he caught the somewhat familiar term. "I remember, those who infiltrated Konoha and tried to kidnap Hinata and Hanabi from the Hyuga main family were supposedly from this clan? From the moon?"

“The Otsutsuki Toneri on the moon is merely a descendant of the ninja world who has luckily continued the surname. His bloodline is no longer pure.” Uchiha Touko gently shook his head and explained, “The power and will he inherited are incomplete. Strictly speaking, he cannot be considered a true, pure-blooded member of the Otsutsuki clan.”

"They continue the Otsutsuki bloodline?" Tobirama Senju astutely grasped the key point and pressed further, "Who is the source of their bloodline? What is their connection to the Hyuga clan?"

"The Otsutsuki Toneri on the moon shares the same bloodline as the Hyuga clan of Konoha, both originating from an ancestor named Otsutsuki Hamura." Uchiha Touko began to recount the long-forgotten secrets of history. "In contrast, the common source of power for our Uchiha clan and your Senju clan comes from Otsutsuki Hamura's elder brother—Otsutsuki Hagoromo."

"You mean, our Senju clan and your Uchiha clan share a common ancestor? How is that possible!" Tobirama Senju instinctively retorted with a cold snort. Although his opinion of Touko Uchiha's personal abilities and achievements as Hokage had improved somewhat, his stereotypical view of the Uchiha clan as "inherently evil" and his long-standing antagonism towards them couldn't be erased overnight. Hearing Touko Uchiha say that the two clans were originally from the same root was as absurd as eating a thesis defense to him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"That is the truth, whether we like it or not." Uchiha Touko's tone was calm but undeniable. "And our shared ancestor, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, the name he left behind in the ancient history of the ninja world, I'm sure you've all heard of—"

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping across the instantly silent conference room, before slowly uttering that shocking name:

"The Sage of Six Paths".

"The Sage of Six Paths!?" Hiruzen Sarutobi exclaimed in shock, nearly dropping his pipe. This title was like a myth to any ninja, a figure who founded the Ninja School and was almost a god!

"So, the Senju and Uchiha clans are actually... descendants of the Sage of Six Paths?" Minato Namikaze digested this astonishing information, his shock actually less pronounced. During his long and tedious years inside the Shinigami's belly, he had engaged in numerous conversations with Kurama, learning from the Nine-Tails that all nine tailed beasts were creations of the Sage of Six Paths. Therefore, he was more accepting of the fact that these two top ninja clans were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths—after all, aside from being direct descendants of the Sage, it was indeed difficult to find any other reason to explain the two clans' terrifying strength and bloodline limits that far surpassed ordinary people.

“That’s right.” Uchiha Touko affirmed, and continued to dig deeper into the origins, “The bloodline of the Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, comes from an even higher level of existence—that one who truly descended to this world from the other side of the starry sky and is known as the progenitor of chakra, Otsutsuki Kaguya.”

His words led everyone's thoughts to a more vast and unknown realm.

"The Otsutsuki clan is a race with a highly advanced civilization and immense power. They possess the ability to freely travel and navigate the vast universe. Their ultimate purpose in constantly searching for and descending upon life-bearing planets is to sow their seeds." Uchiha Touko's voice turned icy. "On the chosen planets, they will plant a terrifying plant called the 'Divine Tree.' The Divine Tree will take root in the core of the planet, frantically absorbing the energy of all life on the entire planet, eventually condensing into a crystal called the 'Chakra Fruit,' which becomes the ultimate nourishment for their clan's evolution and longevity."

“A thousand years ago, Kaguya Otsutsuki, as a ‘Guardian,’ descended upon our planet along with another member of her clan, ‘Isshiki Otsutsuki.’ She planted the Divine Tree here, but ultimately betrayed her mission and her people, taking the Chakra Fruit that should have been handed over to her for herself. She gained invincible power and left her bloodline on this land—the later Sage of Six Paths brothers.”

"And the Otsutsuki Isshiki who is now our enemy was a companion who descended with Otsutsuki Kaguya. He almost lost his life due to Kaguya's betrayal, and only survived by relying on a special secret technique. He has been lying in wait in the ninja world, waiting and planning, just so that one day he can replant the Divine Tree, complete the original mission of his clan, and harvest all the life in this world."

The secret chamber was deathly silent, save for Uchiha Touko's calm narration. The scale and cruelty of this millennium-long secret far exceeded the imagination of most of those present. All their past wars and grudges seemed insignificant internal conflicts in the face of this cosmic-scale plundering plan.

“So… that’s how it is?” Hashirama Senju murmured to himself. He recalled the primal fear he felt when fighting Isshiki Otsutsuki, and now he finally found the answer. He nodded vigorously, his eyes becoming incredibly determined: “So, that guy named Isshiki is an enemy we must defeat no matter what, right? To protect all life in this world.”

"Yes, this is a battle for survival, and there is no room for compromise," Uchiha Touko solemnly confirmed.

“However, Touken,” Tobirama Senju spoke again, always the calmest and most adept at spotting inconsistencies among them, “where did you obtain this information… especially regarding the core objectives and ancient secrets of the Otsutsuki clan from beyond the heavens? It’s so detailed, as if you saw it with your own eyes.”

Uchiha Touko seemed to have anticipated this question. He didn't answer directly, but instead waved his hand lightly.

In an instant, the shadows in the corner of the conference room began to ripple. A viscous liquid, seemingly composed of pure darkness, silently emerged from the floor, slowly rising and eventually coalescing into a blurry humanoid silhouette. It had no distinct features, only a humanoid outline, exuding an ancient, chilling, and mysterious aura.

"Who is this?" Apart from Uchiha Touko, all the Hokage present showed expressions of surprise and uncertainty, their gazes instantly focusing on this strange black shadow. Senju Tobirama immediately went on alert, his fingers twitching as if he were about to form hand seals at any moment.

“No need to be nervous, everyone,” Uchiha Touko calmly introduced. “This is Indra, the eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths, the original bloodline of our Uchiha clan. Before his death, he left behind a wisp of his will to protect the possible future of the ninja world. All the history and information about the Otsutsuki clan that I just told you were given to me by him.”

After careful consideration, Uchiha Touko decided not to tell the others present the truth about Black Zetsu's true identity.

After all, the Hokage present here all share the ideal of protecting the real ninja world, and they absolutely cannot agree with or allow the implementation of a world-destroying plan like "Infinite Tsukuyomi".

Black Zetsu, perfectly disguised as Tobi, nodded slightly to the Hokage present. His movements were a little stiff, but they carried a calm and mysterious air befitting his identity as an "ancient will".

"The will left behind by Indra, the ancestor of the Uchiha clan?" Tobirama Senju's eyes instantly sharpened, staring intently at Tobi's disguise as Black Zetsu like a scalpel, filled with scrutiny and distrust.

"Asura's direct descendant, you needn't harbor such hostility towards me." Afei's acting skills, honed under Uchiha Touko's rigorous guidance and years of infiltration, had reached a level of perfection. He perfectly portrayed an elder who, due to differing ideals, had parted ways with his brother's descendants, yet was forced to set aside his prejudices and silently watch over the ninja world for a thousand years when its survival was at stake. His voice was hoarse and aged, carrying the weight of years. "Even today, I still cannot accept my brother Ashura and the path and ideals he chose, which you have inherited. However, when facing an extraterrestrial enemy attempting to destroy our shared world, our stance and goals are aligned. Protecting this land is an inescapable responsibility for those born here."

"Tobirama, if Toukoku is right, this... uh, this senior, could he be considered our patriarch?" Hashirama Senju looked at the dark figure and tried to smooth things over. He scratched his head and forced a friendly smile. "Um... how should we address you?"

“According to seniority, you can just call me Great-Uncle.” Black Zetsu, played by Afei, responded in a deep voice, his tone flat and even carrying a subtle sense of estrangement befitting an elder. “Your personality is quite similar to that of my naive younger brother, Ashura…” This statement was meaningful, both clarifying the relationship and hinting at past ideological differences.

"Ah, really? Hahaha..." Hashirama Senju scratched his head and laughed somewhat embarrassedly, seemingly feeling a little strange and awkward about being told he looked like an "ancestor".

“Doukou,” Minato Namikaze, who had been listening quietly, spoke again, bringing the topic back on track. His mind was always very clear. “According to what you said before, the enemy we need to deal with shouldn’t be just Isshiki Otsutsuki from outer space, right? You also mentioned ‘the avengers who returned from hell’…”

“That’s right, the Fourth Hokage.” Uchiha Touko nodded, a hint of solemnity, even a fleeting…regret?, on his face. He sighed softly and uttered the name that made at least two people present instantly change their expressions: “The other enemy is someone you all know—Uchiha Madara.”

"spot!?"

Upon hearing this name, Hashirama Senju reacted the most intensely. He almost instantly stood up from his seat, his face filled with shock, complexity, and an indescribable anticipation. "He... he's back too?"

“Yes, he has been resurrected and has a real, living body.” Uchiha Touko sighed deeply, his tone filled with obvious self-blame. “To be honest, the responsibility for this is mine. I thought that Madara would be on our side in the matter of fighting the Otsutsuki clan, which is a matter of life and death for the ninja world. So, when we were gathering our forces, I also resurrected him using the Impure World Reincarnation technique.”

His expression turned somber: "However, I misjudged his obsession and his true goal. What he wanted was not cooperation, but exploitation. After being resurrected by Edo Tensei, he seized the opportunity to suddenly attack me, forcibly taking the Rinnegan I had obtained from Nagato, and successfully resurrected himself using the forbidden technique, Samsara Tensei, restoring his power to its peak."

"Douguang, you really didn't think this through! It was too risky!" Tobirama Senju immediately criticized in a deep voice, his face very unpleasant. "I've said it before, Madara Uchiha is evil by nature and extremely stubborn. His world only contains his own ideals and ambitions. It's impossible for him to stand on the same side as us or Konoha! Cooperating with him is like asking a tiger for its skin!"

"Second Hokage is right to reprimand me." Uchiha Touko accepted the criticism frankly, his tone sincere. "In handling this matter, it was indeed a major mistake and misjudgment on my part, and I am willing to take full responsibility. Fortunately, however, I am not without a backup plan. Currently, I have successfully trapped him in a special alternate dimension, where he is temporarily unable to perceive the true situation outside and cannot escape to pose a direct threat to us."

"Where exactly is Madara now? Is that alternate dimension safe?" Hashirama Senju hurriedly asked, his tone urgent, his eyes flashing with a complex and unfathomable light.

"Big brother!" Tobirama Senju, seeing his older brother's obvious concern and even hinting at being "obsessed with that beautiful Uchiha," couldn't help but emphasize, "Wake up! The current Uchiha Madara is undoubtedly the enemy!"

Hashirama Senju opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't refute it. He simply sat back down, his brows furrowed, and fell silent, clearly undergoing a fierce internal struggle. The atmosphere in the secret room became incredibly heavy once again because of Madara Uchiha's name.

Chapter 311 Madara Uchiha Dancing

“So, Touko,” Minato Namikaze’s clear and calm voice rang out in the heavy silence, drawing everyone’s attention back to reality, “what are your specific ideas? How should we deal with two enemies so powerful that they are beyond imagination?”

In an instant, all eyes were focused on Uchiha Touko.

Uchiha Touko met everyone's gazes, pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes and slowly revealed his audacious, even insane, plan:

"My idea is very simple, it can be summed up in one sentence - let Uchiha Madara fight Otsutsuki Isshiki."

"Let them...fight each other?" Tobirama Senju immediately grasped the key point. He habitually began to analyze, his brows furrowed. "Right now, both sides are eager to bring the Ten-Tails back to the world, but their ultimate goal is to acquire the Ten-Tails' power and become the new Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. This means..."

"This means there is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict of interest between them." Uchiha Touko picked up where the Second Hokage left off, his tone cold and certain. "There is only one Ten-Tails, and only one Chakra Fruit. They both want to become that one and only god, so a conflict between them is inevitable, and it will be a life-or-death, most brutal conflict. We just need to create a suitable opportunity to ignite this fuse."

"So, you mean, you want to incite them to 'fight like dogs'?" Tobirama Senju concluded, the word carrying a chilling cruelty and precision. Though harsh, it hit the nail on the head.

“Yes.” Uchiha Touko readily admitted that although the plan sounded somewhat “unprincipled,” in the face of such a desperate situation, any effective means were worth considering. “Although I am very reluctant to admit it, at present, Uchiha Madara, who has been resurrected with a young body, a complete Rinnegan, and terrifying combat experience accumulated from countless battles that allows him to unleash his full power, is very likely the only one in the entire ninja world who is qualified and capable of confronting Otsutsuki Isshiki on the front lines.”

"Damn it!" Tobirama Senju couldn't help but lightly slam his fist on the table, his face filled with resentment and confusion. "Logically speaking, Madara Uchiha shouldn't have become this strong! Back in the battle at the Valley of the End, although my brother won with difficulty, he did kill him with his own hands. At that time, although he was strong, he was far from reaching the level you described... almost monstrous!"

This was not only his question, but also the question of everyone present except for Uchiha Touko. Uchiha Madara's power seemed to have exceeded the scope of what could be explained by common sense.

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Touko sighed deeply and revealed a truth that had been buried for decades: "The problem lies precisely here. First Hokage, you... did not truly and completely kill Uchiha Madara back then."

"How is that possible!?" Tobirama Senju questioned, his tone resolute. "My brother and I personally confirmed that his vital signs had completely disappeared, and we even witnessed the burial! How could he not be dead?"

Faced with the doubts, before Uchiha Touko could explain, the silent shadowy figure—the "Black Zetsu" disguised as Tobi—speaked slowly in his hoarse, aged voice, his tone carrying a sense of vicissitude as if he had witnessed history firsthand:

"A descendant of Ashura, that is indeed the case. As the embodiment of Indra's will, I have been silently watching the changes in the ninja world, especially those descendants like Uchiha Madara who inherited pure Indra's chakra and possessed extraordinary talent. Back then, I witnessed him using a special forbidden Izanagi technique to alter his own 'death' reality on the verge of death. He quietly awoke in his grave, then dug up the soil and returned to this world."

"Izanagi..." Tobirama Senju's expression turned extremely grim. He naturally knew about this forbidden Uchiha technique, which sacrificed the light of one Sharingan in exchange for a temporary alteration of reality. He never expected that Madara Uchiha could have pre-programmed this technique under those circumstances!

“And that’s not all,” Black Zetsu continued, stating an ancient fact, his gaze fixed on Hashirama Senju. “More importantly, he didn’t leave empty-handed in that earth-shattering battle with you. Through that battle, he successfully… obtained the most crucial thing from you.”

"The most crucial thing on my body?" Hashirama Senju was taken aback upon hearing this, and subconsciously touched his body, his face full of confusion.

“Yes, your flesh and blood.” Afei slowly revealed the terrible secret hidden beneath the dust of history. “He deliberately collected the blood and cellular tissue splattered from your wounds during the battle. From then on, he gathered the power of the Thousand Hands, representing the ultimate in ‘physical strength,’ and the power of the Uchiha, representing the ultimate in ‘spiritual strength.’ When these two powers, which originated from the Sage of Six Paths but were mutually opposed, merged within him, he was able to glimpse the principles of all things in the universe, and finally… awakened his own Rinnegan.”

"The Rinnegan!?" Hashirama Senju was shocked again. "In the ninja world... isn't the only one who possessed the Rinnegan, Nagato?"

"The Rinnegan that Nagato possessed was personally transplanted to him by Madara Uchiha before his own lifespan was nearing its end and his body was on the verge of collapse," Uchiha Touko sighed.

"Moreover, in the long years between his feigned death and his actual death from old age, he secretly laid out countless contingency plans and pawns in the ninja world. The Akatsuki organization was just one of them. His ultimate goal from the beginning was to wait for the perfect opportunity to resurrect himself in his prime. He had long anticipated this day of his return and had been planning for it for decades."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi, who had remained silent, unconsciously clenched his fists under the table, his nails almost digging into his palms. He knew that his once best friend, Obito Uchiha, was one of Madara Uchiha's most important and tragic pawns, ultimately manipulated and reduced to a grotesque, inhuman form, destined for destruction in endless pain and distortion.

“That’s right,” Black Zetsu let out a heavy, helpless sigh at the opportune moment, his acting skills impeccable. “Shortly after he fused his power and awakened the Rinnegan, I appeared as the will of an ancestor to try and dissuade him, hoping he wouldn’t embark on this obsessive and dangerous path. But… unfortunately, he was completely trapped in his obsession with his ‘Eye of the Moon,’ and he wouldn’t listen to me at all.” This speech perfectly portrayed him as a helpless elder who had tried but failed.

"As expected! Uchiha Madara is evil by nature! He is paranoid and arrogant! For his own ambition, he has schemed to this extent, playing with life and death, and even regarding the entire ninja world as his chessboard!" Tobirama Senju made his signature summary at the right time, his tone cold and piercing, full of extreme disgust and vigilance.

"Doukō," the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been listening calmly, exhaled a smoke ring and raised the most crucial practical question, "So, how exactly do you plan to ensure that these two powerful enemies can clash head-on as we wish, rather than joining forces against us first, or one of them being quickly devoured by the other?"