Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

After taking over the position of Hokage advisor, he reviewed the documents left by the previous two advisors. Wasn't the rumor about Naruto and the Demon Fox orchestrated by Danzo, one of the village's high-ranking officials? On the contrary, the Security Department had never been involved in the previous rumor incident.

Therefore, Jiraiya could only remain silent in response to Kakashi's words.

"Lord Jiraiya, please go back. If you want to see Naruto, you can go to the Uchiha clan. I think Lord Fugaku and Lord Mikoto will not refuse," Kakashi said.

After saying that, Kakashi walked into the house on his own, ignoring Jiraiya outside the door, and closed the door.

Jiraiya glanced at the Hatake clan's ancestral home behind the gate, sighed deeply, and then headed towards the Hokage Building.

Jiraiya pushed open the door to the Hokage's office and walked in dejectedly.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. Judging from Jiraiya's state, he must have run into a brick wall with Kakashi.

"Is Kakashi still insisting that the Uchiha clan take care of Naruto?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

“Yes,” Jiraiya nodded. “Old man, what you did before was really too much. Now Kakashi would rather believe the Uchiha than us.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi lit his pipe: "Is it about the rumors about Naruto? Danzo did this behind my back before, and by the time I found out, it was too late to undo it. If I try to explain myself, it will only deepen the villagers' misunderstanding."

Jiraiya gave his teacher a deep look, then shook his head after a while and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. The Uchiha wouldn't be so heartless as to harm a child. Old man, do you have a candidate for the vacant Anbu captain position after Kakashi left the Anbu?"

……

Chapter 90 Anbu Captain, Uchiha Itachi

"Not yet." Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "After Kakashi retired, there's no one in the Anbu who has the strength and seniority to command respect."

“Old man, but this position is very important, isn’t it?” Jiraiya said. “The Anbu doesn’t have a leader right now. The Security Department’s requests for assistance missions are more effective than orders I, as the Hokage’s assistant, can issue directly. I’m afraid that in a while, the Anbu and the Jonin teams will become the Uchiha’s Anbu and Jonin teams.”

"So, do you have someone in mind?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

“That’s right.” Jiraiya nodded, took out a resume from his person, and placed it on Hiruzen Sarutobi’s desk.

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked it up, glanced at it, and his expression changed slightly: "Uchiha Itachi?"

“Yes.” Jiraiya nodded. “At present, he is the most suitable. Although he is slightly lacking in seniority, his strength is definitely at the top level in the Anbu. More importantly, his attitude towards joint missions with the Security Department is that he is one of the few people in the Anbu who never gets involved in such matters.”

“But he comes from the Uchiha clan and is Fugaku’s son,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said. Ever since Itachi Uchiha returned to the Anbu, although the other party moved out of the Uchiha clan’s territory, Hiruzen Sarutobi still had doubts about him. Now that Jiraiya had proposed him to be the Anbu’s captain, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

"Of course, this is just my idea. I'll have to talk to him to confirm the specifics," Jiraiya said. "But I think he'll be on the village's side."

“That makes sense.” Hiruzen Sarutobi thought for a moment and then nodded. “Maybe I’m overthinking it. Itachi was indeed a ninja who transcended the clan’s perspective and possessed the Will of Fire. However, you should talk to him before making a decision.”

"I will." Jiraiya nodded, then said, "Then I'll head back now, old man. Sometimes I don't know if it was right or wrong for me to agree to this."

Upon hearing Jiraiya's remark, Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to say something, but Jiraiya had already jumped out of the Hokage's office through the window.

……

The next day, Kakashi set off for the border early in the morning with Genma Shiranui and the others, while Touko Uchiha came to the village entrance alone to see them off.

Before leaving, Genma Shiranui handed a kunai engraved with special characters to Toko Uchiha. Toko Uchiha took it and smiled, saying, "You guys are quite well prepared."

"You always need some tricks up your sleeve to be prepared for anything," Kakashi said with a lightning bolt hanging from his waist.

"I won't say much more," Uchiha Touko said, putting away the special kunai and looking at everyone. "I wish you all a smooth journey and good fortune in your martial endeavors!"

“Then I’ll take Chief Dou Guang’s auspicious words into consideration.” Shiranui Genma revealed a hearty smile.

After the group set off, Uchiha Touko leisurely returned to work at the security department.

Meanwhile, in Jiraiya's advisor's office, Itachi Uchiha pushed open the door and entered.

"Lord Jiraiya, all the spies sent by the Land of Lightning to make contact have been executed, and the spies hiding in the village have also been found one by one. No information about the village was leaked this time," Itachi Uchiha said after bowing to Jiraiya.

“Well done, Itachi.” Jiraiya nodded. “Have a seat.”

Although Itachi Uchiha had some doubts, he still followed Jiraiya's instructions and sat down in the chair in front of Jiraiya's desk.

"Lord Jiraiya, is there something you need?" Itachi Uchiha asked.

"Itachi, I'm quite busy here, so I'll keep it short. I plan to propose to the Third Hokage that you be appointed as the captain of the Anbu," Jiraiya said.

Upon hearing this, Itachi Uchiha immediately wanted to refuse: "Lord Jiraiya, my experience is still too short, and I'm afraid I'm not up to the task."

“Itachi, the Anbu is in dire need of manpower right now. Seniority is not the most important issue,” Jiraiya said. “Your strength is more than enough to qualify you for the role of Anbu captain.”

"Lord Jiraiya, the position of Anbu captain is of great importance. Please consider it carefully," Itachi Uchiha said. Since moving out of the clan, he had devoted all his energy to the work of the Anbu. The fact that the Anbu and the Jonin ninjas were getting closer and closer to the Uchiha clan and the security forces made him increasingly worried.

Many of his colleagues in the secret service would talk privately about how they wished they could be transferred to the security department if given the chance.

In their words, Uchiha Toko was a great ninja who was single-mindedly devoted to the Will of Fire. They, who had received favors from Uchiha Toko, secretly identified themselves as members of the Isshinkai under the leadership of commoner ninjas like Nagai Seiichi. He dared not imagine which side these people would stand on if Uchiha Toko really staged a coup.

Itachi Uchiha desperately wanted to stop it all, but with almost the entire Anbu praising Tokio Uchiha, his voice was far too insignificant.

"Itachi, don't be so quick to refuse." Jiraiya walked around the desk to Itachi's side, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "What do you think of your current clan leader, Uchiha Tokō?"

"Clan Chief Douguang?" Jiraiya's question made Itachi Uchiha frown. He didn't know why Jiraiya suddenly asked him this. To be on the safe side, Itachi Uchiha could only give a formulaic answer: "I am not familiar with Clan Chief Douguang within the clan, but the clan members around me all speak highly of him."

“Is that so? This is quite different from what you reported to the Third Hokage, that Uchiha Touko had great ambitions,” Jiraiya said.

"Those were all hearsay I made before, which affected the unity of the village. Please forgive me, Lord Jiraiya and the Third Hokage," Itachi Uchiha said.

“Itachi,” Jiraiya sighed, then said, “You’ve seen the current situation, so I won’t go into the formalities. Do you know why I returned to the village and took on the position of Hokage advisor?”

Itachi Uchiha looked at Jiraiya with some confusion.

"This story begins with how I obtained the inheritance of Mount Myōboku by chance back then." Jiraiya began to tell Itachi Uchiha about the Child of Prophecy and the unknown future that the Great Toad Sage had described as now being in chaos.

The long-lasting peaceful future that Jiraiya spoke of, thanks to the efforts of the Child of Prophecy, stirred something in Itachi Uchiha's heart, and a hint of anticipation appeared on his face.

Upon hearing that the future had changed and that Jiraiya suspected it was related to Uchiha Touko, a look of understanding appeared on Uchiha Itachi's face.

[Uchiha Touko is indeed ambitious, but I never imagined that if he were to become Hokage, the consequences would be so severe.]

Uchiha Itachi thought to himself.

It's fair to say that anyone else wouldn't have taken Jiraiya's vague prophecy seriously, but Itachi Uchiha was different.

First, he was inherently prejudiced against Uchiha Touko. Then, despite having an empty head, he spent all his time pondering grand themes about the meaning of life and peace. The perfect future that Jiraiya depicted, thanks to the efforts of the prophesied child, hit this guy's sweet spot perfectly.

Add to that the arrogance and stubbornness unique to the Uchiha clan, and Itachi's thought process was perfectly in sync, making him completely convinced of what Jiraiya said.

"Itachi, I need your help." Jiraiya patted Itachi Uchiha on the shoulder and said, "Help me stop that chaotic future."

"Lord Jiraiya, what do you need me to do?" Itachi Uchiha asked.

“Take over the position of Anbu captain,” Jiraiya said. “Right now, you are the only one in the entire Anbu who is strong enough and has not been affected by Uchiha Touko.”

Uchiha Itachi was speechless, but after the Will of Fire and the peaceful future predicted by Jiraiya flashed through his mind, Uchiha Itachi made up his mind.

"I understand, Lord Jiraiya." Uchiha Itachi stood up and saluted.

“Good,” Jiraiya said with a relieved smile. “I knew it. The Third Hokage was right when he said you were a good kid with the Will of Fire.”

"Lord Jiraiya, you flatter me. It is the responsibility of every Konoha ninja to contribute to the village," Itachi Uchiha said.

……

The next day, Itachi Uchiha took office as the captain of the Anbu.

Some members of the Anbu were not entirely convinced of his appointment as the leader of the Anbu, but out of respect for Jiraiya, they did not express any dissatisfaction. However, that very night, Nagai Seiichi delivered the news to Uchiha Touko's desk.

The following day, Uchiha Touko, accompanied by several captains of the security department, went to the Hokage Building to deliver the mission report to Hiruzen Sarutobi regarding the case of the three clans colluding with Orochimaru.

"Third Hokage, the detailed investigation report is here. Please take a look." Uchiha Touko placed the mission report on Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk, took a step back, and then said.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the report, placed it on the table, and then said, "Thank you for your hard work, Touko."

"It's all for the Will of Fire," Uchiha Touko bowed and said.

"Furthermore, after compensating the families of the victims in the case according to the standard, we have recovered about 200 million taels of illicit gains from the three clans involved in the case. According to the rules, this money should be included in the village's finances. Please sign here, Hokage."

After saying that, Uchiha Touko placed a scroll containing 200 million yen in cash and an account book on Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk.

"Only 200 million ryo left?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at Touko Uchiha. As the Hokage, he knew exactly how many properties of the three clans had been seized during this period.

Chapter 91 Hokage Nomination

"In order to appease the dissatisfaction of the victims' families, the compensation this time is based on the maximum standard," Uchiha Touko said calmly. "The Security Department also made this choice because they were afraid that the impact of this incident would escalate further."

“After all, the length of time this case has been hidden and the number of people involved have far exceeded our expectations. If we cannot give the victims a satisfactory answer, it will have a significant impact on the stability of the village,” Uchiha Touko said. “The Security Department has recorded every penny of the money. Please review it, Third Hokage.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the ledger, glanced at it briefly, and then put it down after a while. Naturally, he couldn't find any problems with this ledger, which was made by professionals that Uchiha Touko had obtained from Gato.

But he knew that compensating the victims alone would not cost that much. However, the police department had already distributed the money, and he knew that, given the current situation, this seemed to be the only way.

Coupled with the subtle threat in Uchiha Touko's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only nod: "Touko, you've thought this through very well."

Hiruzen Sarutobi then signed the report.

After signing the papers, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at Touko Uchiha and asked casually, "Touko, how is the Security Department's investigation of the two advisors going?"

"Lord Hokage, according to the Security Department's investigation, the two former advisors have no connection to the incident of colluding with Orochimaru to kidnap their fellow villagers," Uchiha Touko said. "However, during the Security Department's interrogation of the thugs involved in the last coup, many of them identified the two former advisors as the masterminds of this incident. The Security Department is still investigating whether the two former advisors have any collusion with forces outside the village."

As soon as Uchiha Touko spoke, he suppressed Hiruzen Sarutobi's idea of ​​rescuing his two old teammates.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke up to remind them: "Although the two former advisors made a mistake in this matter, they have worked hard for the village over the years, even if they haven't made any great contributions. The security department should be more careful with its methods."

Uchiha Touko nodded with a half-smile, and Sarutobi Hiruzen, seeing this, said nothing more.

After finishing his business, Uchiha Touko left the Hokage's office with his men.

When he went out, Uchiha Touko deliberately swaggered through the main gate. Several Jonin members he met on the way greeted him with smiles.

Although the masked ANBU members did not greet others due to the rule that ANBU members cannot reveal their identities in public, they still nodded in greeting when they encountered Uchiha Tokō.

This scene made Jiraiya, who had been watching this scene ever since Uchiha Touko entered the Hokage Building, sigh inwardly.

At that moment, Itachi Uchiha arrived at the Hokage Building and happened to run into a group of people from the Security Department.

The Uchiha clan members behind Uchiha Touko's expression changed the moment they saw Uchiha Itachi. Itachi's decision to leave the clan was not a secret within the Uchiha clan, especially after learning yesterday that Itachi had become the captain of the Anbu without even informing the clan. In the clan's view, Itachi's behavior was no different from treason. Some radical elders even petitioned Uchiha Touko on the spot, demanding that this traitor be dealt with directly. However, Uchiha Touko suppressed these voices.

When Itachi Uchiha and Touko Uchiha passed each other, Itachi Uchiha said nothing.

"Hey, Itachi." After the two passed each other, it was Uchiha Touko who turned around first and spoke.

Uchiha Itachi turned around and saw Uchiha Touko walking towards him with a smile on his face.

"Congratulations," said Uchiha Touko.

"Congratulations?" Itachi Uchiha frowned slightly.

"Yes, congratulations on becoming the captain of the Anbu. Elder Fugaku was very happy when he heard about it. But Itachi, didn't you tell the clan about such a big thing? The clan only found out about your promotion at the very end." Uchiha Touko said with a smile.