Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

Chapter 68 Today was the happiest day.

Kakashi was a little confused by Uchiha Touhuan's words. The Land of Waves? Did the Uchiha clan have some businesses there?

Kakashi wanted to ask more questions, but a series of loud calls suddenly rang out from the doorway, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

"Kakashi! Kakashi!" A man in a green suit with a beanie-shaped haircut kept waving at him at the entrance of the banquet.

Seeing this, Kakashi could only facepalm, not knowing what to say. He had told him yesterday that he should wear something more formal today, and Guy did listen to his advice, but this guy just couldn't stand this color.

Moreover, it's clear that this guy didn't come all the way upside down because he was being considerate of the Uchiha clan.

In addition to the Inuzuka and Aburame clans and former members of the Fourth Hokage, some members of the Anbu and some Jonin were also invited to the banquet. They were all those who chose to give up during the martial law incident last night.

After the banquet began, the Uchiha clan, as the hosts, quickly demonstrated their generosity, serving dishes made with various expensive ingredients that even many of the Jonin present had only heard of.

Among these items were specialties from the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Water. It's worth noting that the price of these items was secondary; the most important thing was that Uchiha Touhuan had just told him last night that he was going to hold this banquet, and in less than half a day, the Uchiha clan had gathered so many things. Seeing this, Kakashi couldn't help but marvel at the wealth of his ally once again.

Naruto was overwhelmed by the sheer number of options and didn't know where to begin.

At this moment, Uchiha Touhuan, holding a wine glass, came to the front of the long banquet table and raised his glass.

Upon seeing this, everyone at the banquet turned to look at him.

"We are honored to have you all here today. The Uchiha clan has nothing much to offer, but we have managed to purchase these items overnight from all over the ninja world through our clan's summoning beast, the ninja cat clan. We hope you enjoy your meal and are satisfied with what you have tonight," said Uchiha Touhuan.

"Thank you for the hospitality of Clan Chief Touhuan and the Uchiha clan! To Clan Chief Touhuan!" Inuzuka Jaw, who was not far from Uchiha Touhuan, took the lead in raising his glass.

"Cheers to Patriarch Dou Huan!" In the Anbu team, Seiichi Nagai also raised his glass.

"Homage to Clan Chief Dou Huan!" Upon seeing this, the Jonin from the Jonin team who had come to the banquet also raised their wine glasses.

Kakashi then raised his glass and said loudly, "To Clan Chief Tohwan!"

The fourth generation's former subordinates who came with him, along with Kai, raised their glasses together: "To Chief Doo-hwan!"

"It's all thanks to your kindness, everyone." Uchiha Touhuan smiled brightly, raised his glass, and drank the wine in one gulp.

Everyone raised their glasses and drank the wine in them.

After finishing his drink, Uchiha Touhuan looked at Kakashi not far away and said with a smile, "Well then, let's have our three World War heroes, the legend of the Anbu, Hatake Kakashi, say a few words to everyone."

Kakashi, who had been called out, walked over to Uchiha Touhuan very naturally and refilled his empty wine glass.

"It is an honor to stand here with you all," Kakashi said. "As the center of this incident, I did not expect things to develop to this point. As things unfolded, I felt very helpless. Fortunately, at the critical moment, the Security Department intervened in time to stop this farce. With the trust and help of my colleagues, I was able to successfully weather this storm. I toast to you all."

After Kakashi raised his glass and drank the wine in it, everyone else raised their glasses again.

After a round of drinks, Uchiha Touhuan spoke again: "The purpose of this operation by the Security Department is to purge those who collude with enemy villages and attempt to tarnish the purity of the Will of Fire by smearing the heroes of their villages. This is all to ensure the purity of the Will of Fire! The village owes its current status to the spiritual legacy left by the First Hokage, the Will of Fire. It is under the guidance of the Will of Fire that the village exists today. Therefore, the Security Department has zero tolerance for any behavior that tarnishes the Will of Fire!"

"And the reason why you all lent a helping hand yesterday was because of that noble Will of Fire in your hearts, wasn't it? It was the Will of Fire that united us and helped us thwart this conspiracy!" Uchiha Touhuan continued.

After speaking, Uchiha Touhuan smiled and looked around at everyone at the long table: "To be able to drink with so many colleagues who share the Will of Fire, today is the happiest day of my life!"

"Chief Douhuan's words are so profound!" At this moment, Kakashi also stepped forward and said, "I propose that we raise a glass together to the Will of Fire!"

"A toast to the will of fire!" Everyone raised their glasses in unison, and another round of drinks followed.

"Everyone, enjoy your meal and drinks today!" Uchiha Touhuan chuckled as he put down his wine glass, announcing the official start of the banquet.

……

After the banquet ended, the attendees gradually dispersed, while Kakashi and Uchiha Touhuan went to the banks of the Naka River, with Yamato following far behind them.

After arriving at an open area on the riverbank, Uchiha Touhuan called Yamato over, handed him a blueprint, and pointed to the open space, saying, "Please build a building here for me. Just make it the same size as the current prison of the Security Department, but please make sure the internal facilities are good. After all, this is not a place to detain ordinary criminals."

Yamato approached the two, appearing somewhat reserved in front of Uchiha Touhuan. However, Uchiha Touhuan simply patted him on the shoulder with a friendly expression and said, "Relax. You didn't really have a choice about what happened before, but the person who forced you is dead now. As long as you hold the Will of Fire in your heart, then we can all be good partners, right?"

"Yes, I understand." Yamato nodded, took the blueprint from Uchiha Touhuan, looked at it carefully, then gestured for the two to step back a little before rapidly forming hand seals.

"Wood Release: Linked Pillars!" After forming the hand seals, Yamato placed his hands on the ground. After a surge of chakra, clumps of saplings sprouted from the open ground, quickly grew into giant trees, and then gathered together, beginning to transform into the shape of buildings.

"Are you planning to lock those two advisors up here?" Kakashi asked.

“Yes, after all, the Third Hokage has spoken up, so we have to consider his feelings. We can’t just lock the two advisors up with those ordinary criminals,” Uchiha Touhuan said. “By the way, how about we take up a temporary post here?”

"Want to work here?" Kakashi glanced at the building that was taking shape. "Sure, as long as you don't mind me being late every day."

Chapter 69 Hiruzen Sarutobi's Night Visit to Kakashi

With the help of Konoha Village's top civil engineer, Uchiha Tohkan's Namaka River Grand Hotel project was quickly and perfectly completed.

Yamato is indeed exceptionally gifted in this regard; this building constructed with Wood Release perfectly meets Uchiha Tohsen's requirements.

After the inspection, Uchiha Touhuan immediately gave Yamato a large red envelope.

Yamato hesitated at first. It was clear that both the imposing ninjutsu he had used that day and the beatings he had suffered in the security department over the past few days had left him with a lot of trauma.

“You should keep what Chief Douhuan gave you,” Kakashi said. “Chief Douhuan doesn’t have the habit of making people work for free.”

"Thank you." Yamato accepted the red envelope.

"What are you thanking me for? It's all for the sake of the village!" Uchiha Touhuan said with a smile, patting Yamato on the shoulder.

……

When Kakashi returned home, the first thing he saw upon entering was a pair of shoes in the entryway. He called out to his family, "Naruto, do we have guests?"

Not long after, Naruto's little head popped out from the living room: "Brother Kakashi, the Third Hokage is here."

The Third Hokage? Kakashi frowned slightly upon hearing this news, but quickly regained his composure.

Kakashi changed his shoes and went into the house. As soon as he entered the living room, he saw Naruto and the Third Hokage, who was dressed in casual clothes, each with a cup of instant noodles. There was also a pot of freshly boiled water on the table.

"Naruto, you're serving this to the Third Hokage while I'm not here?" Kakashi said helplessly, rubbing his forehead.

"These are all limited editions that I treasure, they're very expensive!" Naruto retorted. He wouldn't have taken out his treasured limited edition ramen to eat if it weren't for the Third Hokage visiting him.

"Kakashi, if Naruto likes it, it's fine. This old man of mine should try things that young people like from time to time."

Since the Third Hokage himself had said so, Kakashi couldn't say anything more. Naruto then made him a bowl of ramen.

The three of them slurped their noodles in this eerie atmosphere, and soon Naruto was the first to finish.

"I'm full," Naruto said, putting down his chopsticks, full of energy.

"Naruto, go take a shower and rest after you finish eating. I still have things to discuss with the Third Hokage."

"Huh? But it's still early." Naruto asked, somewhat puzzled.

“You have to go to school tomorrow,” Kakashi said.

"Naruto, listen to me, go to sleep." At this moment, the Third Hokage also spoke up.

"Alright." Naruto stood up dejectedly, but as he turned his head, a sly glint flashed across his face.

Naruto walked out of the living room, closed the door, and immediately pressed his ear against the door, intending to eavesdrop.

But his little tricks couldn't fool these two. Kakashi turned around and used a simple hypnotic genjutsu, and Naruto fell to the ground and fell fast asleep.

Kakashi got up and escorted Naruto back to his room before sitting down in front of the Third Hokage and asking, "What brings you here so late, Hokage-sama?"

"Kakashi, you've been retired from the Anbu for a while now, how are you settling in?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a smile.

"It's alright. Since we can't go out anyway, I guess I've had a good rest," Kakashi said.

Kakashi's words plunged Hiruzen Sarutobi into silence. After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his pipe, intending to have a bag of tobacco, but only realized when he was filling it with tobacco that he was in someone else's house.

"Third Hokage, please do as you please," Kakashi said considerately.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't mince words. He filled his pipe with tobacco, lit it, took a deep drag, and slowly said, "Kakashi, what happened before was due to my negligence as Hokage. If I had discovered it earlier and intervened immediately, things wouldn't have escalated to this point."

"The Third Hokage is usually very busy, so naturally he wouldn't notice such trivial matters," Kakashi said nonchalantly. "Anyway, the matter was resolved in the end, wasn't it?"

Kakashi's words caused Hiruzen Sarutobi to fall into a brief silence. He knew that Kakashi still harbored resentment towards him in this matter.

"Yes, I'm getting old, and I'm finding it increasingly difficult to handle official duties," Hiruzen Sarutobi remarked.

"The Third Hokage is in his prime; it's just some official business, nothing serious," Kakashi said nonchalantly, deflecting the question.

“Hey,” Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, “You can’t deny getting old, Kakashi. Don’t you think the village should elect a Fifth Hokage?”

Kakashi fell silent at Hiruzen Sarutobi's question. After a while, he finally spoke, "Third Hokage, please don't say that. The village still needs your leadership for the time being."

"Kakashi, I plan to recommend you to the Daimyo to succeed the Fifth Hokage." Hiruzen Sarutobi said, puffing on his pipe and staring intently at Kakashi.

Kakashi's decision to take Naruto to the Uchiha clan banquet today almost gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a heart attack. Hiruzen knew he had to do something; even if he couldn't bring Kakashi back to his side, he had to break up Kakashi's alliance with Touhou Uchiha first.

Upon hearing this, Kakashi immediately rose in alarm, knelt on one knee, and said, "Third Hokage, please don't joke around."

"Hey, Kakashi, don't underestimate yourself. From any perspective, you are the best candidate for the Fifth Hokage," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

"Third Hokage, I know my own abilities. I am not worthy of the position of Kage of a village. I urge you to reconsider." Kakashi lowered his head, but where Hiruzen Sarutobi could not see, his expression was utterly cold.

The Fifth Hokage? Kakashi knew his own strength clearly. After years of slacking off, his strength was far from meeting the standards of a Kage, let alone the Hokage of the Five Great Hidden Villages. If his strength couldn't convince the people, even if he were put in the position, he would only be their puppet.

“Kakashi, I’ve also thought carefully about your strength,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said. “When your father was your age, his strength was already on par with the Five Great Nations, thanks to your family’s swordsmanship. I think that as long as you pick up the Hatake family’s swordsmanship, your strength will definitely improve in a short time. Your father once said that your talent was even greater than his.”

"Lord Hokage, White Fang is broken." Kakashi glanced discreetly in the direction of the clan shrine, where the once-renowned chakra dagger had been enshrined ever since it was shattered in the battle at Kannabi Bridge.

“The village can fund the reconstruction of your White Fang,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said, looking at Kakashi.

today's

Chapter 70 Jiraiya Returns to the Village

As soon as the Third Hokage finished speaking, Kakashi rejected the suggestion without even thinking: "Forget it, Third Hokage. Let White Fang and my father enjoy the rituals peacefully at the family shrine."

Silence fell once again in the living room of the Hatake family home. Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his cigarette for a long time before finally taking out a scroll and placing it on the table.

"Third Hokage, what is this?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Naruto is old enough to start formally training in ninjutsu. This technique is most suitable for his physique. You can teach him the most basic Shadow Clone Technique, and when he gets a little older, you can teach him this one."

Kakashi was speechless. He could easily agree to anything else, but when it came to Naruto, he really couldn't refuse.

"Then I thank the Hokage on behalf of Naruto," Kakashi said after putting the scroll away.

“Of course,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said. “Because I was busy with official duties before, I neglected to take care of Naruto. Fortunately, now that I have you, I can rest assured. As for the other technique, I have found a more suitable teacher for Naruto. In a few years, he will personally teach Naruto.”

Kakashi's expression shifted slightly. The ninjutsu that the Third Hokage specifically mentioned teaching Naruto was probably the Flying Thunder God Technique, which made the Fourth Hokage famous, and the Rasengan he later developed. Naruto might not have the talent to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, so the Third Hokage was probably referring to the Rasengan. And the person who would teach Naruto the Rasengan...

"Is Jiraiya-sama coming back?" Kakashi asked.

“Yes,” Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed. “That guy has been out there wild enough. It’s time for him to come back and share some of the burden with this old man.”