Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

Seeing the curious gazes of the Anbu and Jonin ninjas gathering around him, Itachi Uchiha knew he was in trouble. He knew he had to distance himself from Uchiha Tokō here, otherwise, if others thought even the Anbu captain belonged to the Uchiha clan, he would be doomed.

"Captain Douguang, you taught me to use my job title when I'm working," Itachi Uchiha said seriously.

"Don't be so serious, Captain Itachi. I think you seem to have some misunderstanding about me. But we're all ninjas from the same village, and we're from the same clan. Wouldn't it be better to just talk things out?" Uchiha Touko said with a nonchalant smile.

"Captain Douguang is joking. What misunderstanding could there be between us?" Itachi Uchiha said expressionlessly.

"Itachi, I just want to get closer to you. After all, we share the same bloodline. If you can stand on the same side as me, you can contribute more to the village, right?"

Upon hearing this, Itachi Uchiha was about to speak, but Touko Uchiha whispered in his ear, "Itachi, think it over before you answer. This is your last chance."

Uchiha Itachi turned his head, but Uchiha Touko still had a smile on his face. After a moment of silence, he frowned and said, "I don't understand what you're talking about, Captain Touko. Aren't the ninjas of Konoha always on the same side?"

"Is that so?" Uchiha Touko asked with a smile.

"Sorry, I have official business to attend to. Goodbye." After saying this, Uchiha Itachi turned and left without looking back.

"Clan leader, should we..." At this moment, Uchiha Tetsuyu, the captain of the security team who had been by Uchiha Touko's side, came to Uchiha Touko's side and said while looking at Uchiha Itachi's departing figure, his voice full of killing intent.

"Let's go, ignore him. I've given him many chances already, and I can explain things to Elder Fugaku and Shisui." Uchiha Touko sneered. He had long expected Uchiha Itachi to react this way. The reason he stopped him was only to give face to Shisui and Fugaku, who were loyal to him.

……

The scene that unfolded inside the Hokage Building quickly spread throughout the ninja clans and the Jonin ranks. Itachi Uchiha's almost blatant act of breaking with his clan finally dispelled Hiruzen Sarutobi's last doubts. However, some members of the Anbu who had previously harbored some resentment towards Itachi Uchiha as their appointed captain, only being polite to him out of respect for Touko Uchiha, simply dropped the pretense. In the following period, Itachi Uchiha also discovered that, apart from the Ino-Shika-Cho clan ninjas who were relatively obedient to his orders, the others in the Anbu mostly carried out his commands in a nonchalant manner.

Conversely, under Uchiha Tokō's elaborate banquets and his blatant financial offensive, the relationship between the ANBU and Jonin ninjas and Uchiha Tokō grew increasingly close. The Isshin-kai, which had previously been operating in the shadows, was brought to the surface. The ANBU, however, remained relatively compliant due to the rules of secrecy and did not go too far. On the Jonin side, many civilians and ninjas from minor ninja clans began to identify themselves as members of the Isshin-kai when they were not on missions.

This uncontrollable situation left Hiruzen Sarutobi feeling utterly powerless. He was the Hokage, that's true, but he couldn't possibly control what ninjas did after get off work hours. They were just attending a banquet, and the host, Tokio Uchiha, always toasted the Will of Fire with the first drink at each banquet.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that he couldn't delay any longer. Soon, a letter nominating the Fifth Hokage was sent to the capital of the Land of Fire. He planned to act swiftly and decisively, first securing Jiraiya's position as the Fifth Hokage.

The news that the village was about to elect the Fifth Hokage soon spread throughout the village.

"Have you heard? The village is about to elect the Fifth Hokage."

"I know, it seems the Third Hokage is preparing to nominate Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin."

"What does it matter to us who becomes Hokage?"

"That's hard to say. I heard that Jiraiya-sama and the Uchiha clan head don't get along. If he takes office, he'll definitely restrict the Security Department. Maybe he'll help those of us who were beaten by the Security Department last time to get justice."

"Is that so?" A villager who had been beaten during the martial law incident for harboring rioters who stormed the garrison exclaimed in surprise. "Then we have no choice but to support Lord Jiraiya."

……

Similar rumors continued to circulate in the village, and soon the rumors evolved into the claim that Jiraiya was about to become the Fifth Hokage, and that the Security Department's good days were over.

The consequence of this rumor is that the troublemakers, who had been behaving themselves for a while due to the martial law incident, have become defiant again, and the number of complaints received in the garrison's complaint mailbox has increased once again.

"Is this old man not even going to put on an act anymore?" Uchiha Touko sneered as he casually stuffed a complaint letter he had just finished reading into the shredder in his office.

"Originally, I was thinking of giving the old man some dignity, but now, since he doesn't want dignity, then let's give him dignity." Uchiha Touko came to the window, formed hand seals, and summoned a ninja hawk. He sealed a secret letter in a scroll on the hawk's leg using a special technique, and then patted the hawk's head.

The ninja hawk let out a long cry, soared into the sky, and flew towards the east of the village.

After finishing all that, Uchiha Touko returned to his desk and calmly began to arrange the tea set. After brewing a cup of fragrant tea, Uchiha Touko looked up at the calendar on his desk.

December 10th, Konoha Year 56.

Chapter 92 Early morning of December 11th, Konoha Year 56

After seeing the Ninja Hawk off, Uchiha Touko left work early and went home.

That night, Uchiha Tokō set out a tea set in the reception room, and placed a special kunai in the seat where the guests usually sat.

After preparing everything, Uchiha Tokō did not light the stove under the kettle, but instead sat cross-legged, feeling the natural energy in the air.

Time passed slowly, and the clock in the reception room moved forward a little more than half a step after the hour. At this moment, a spatial fluctuation suddenly came from the kunai in front of Uchiha Touko.

Uchiha Touko's eyes snapped open, and a faint purple eyeshadow instantly appeared at the corners of his eyes. The moment Kakashi appeared, surrounded by Shiranui Genma, Namiashi Raido, and Iwashi, the natural energy around Uchiha Touko's residence began to fluctuate abnormally.

Then, the charcoal in the charcoal stove placed to the side was lit.

"They've arrived." Uchiha Touko nodded to the four of them.

After the four nodded, they each found a place to sit down.

“You’ve all seen the contents of the letter,” Uchiha Touko said to the group. “I can maintain this state for thirty minutes. During that time, I can guarantee that the Hokage’s reconnaissance ninjutsu won’t be able to see this side.”

"How have things been going for you on the border lately?" Uchiha Touko asked.

"You can rest assured about that. Of the rogue ninja who escaped, only one escaped with the Executioner's Blade, one of the Seven Ninja Swords of Kirigakure. The rest have been mostly wiped out by us," Genma Shiranui said. "Moreover, Kakashi is now the undisputed leader of the border forces in the Land of Water."

"Is that so?" Uchiha Touko glanced at Kakashi, then smiled and said, "Looks like you're doing quite well over there."

"Let's talk about this first, Touko. Has the Third Hokage already sent the letter nominating the Fifth Hokage to the Daimyo?" Kakashi asked.

"Probably around 80%. The rumors about Jiraiya becoming the Fifth Hokage won't be spreading everywhere in the village," Uchiha Touko said.

“What the Third Hokage is doing is against the rules,” Genma Shiranui said.

Everyone has seen the process when the Fourth Hokage took office. To become Hokage, the village's Jonin had to vote to determine the candidate before the Daimyo would go through a formality. But the way the Third Hokage is doing it now is like he's not even bothering to pretend anymore.

"Speak, Douguang, what do you want to do?" Kakashi asked directly without saying much.

At this moment, the water in the kettle on the stove next to him also heated up. Uchiha Touko slowly took the kettle down and poured it into the teapot in front of him, and the fragrant aroma of tea rose up.

Uchiha Touko served four cups of tea to each of them before taking out a document.

"I found something interesting at Orochimaru's experimental base earlier. You should all take a look."

Kakashi picked up the document and saw that it contained information about three children from the Land of Rain that he and the other three Sannin encountered during the Second Shinobi World War. Jiraiya had chosen to leave the group and teach the three children, and one of the children possessed the Rinnegan, the same eye as the legendary Sage of Six Paths.

"Don't you find it strange? Why did Jiraiya teach children from other countries, and why didn't he bring those three children back to Konoha afterward? I recently heard a rumor that a rogue ninja organization called 'Akatsuki' has emerged in the ninja world, and their leader has a pair of Rinnegan. Jiraiya's actions can be considered aiding the enemy, right? Can someone who aids the enemy become Hokage?"

After Kakashi finished reading the document, he passed it to the other two people next to him, then picked up the teacup on the table without saying a word and started drinking.

"Looking at it this way, Lord Jiraiya is indeed very suspicious." After reading the documents, Genma Shiranui and the other two exchanged glances and then said.

"It's quite reasonable for the security department to take someone away for investigation if they pose a significant threat to the village," Uchiha Touko said with a light laugh.

“But Jiraiya-sama is now the Hokage’s assistant, which puts him at a higher rank than the Security Forces and the Anbu,” Genma Shiranui analyzed, frowning.

"As long as the Hokage signs, there won't be a problem, right?" Uchiha Touko said. "I believe that with the Hokage's Will of Fire, he wouldn't sit idly by and allow such a possibility of harming the village to exist, would he?"

As Uchiha Touko spoke, the Mangekyou Sharingan in his eyes opened. Seeing the slowly rotating Mangekyou Sharingan, Shiranui Genma and the other two understood Uchiha Touko's plan and couldn't help but swallow.

“This…this could be considered a coup, right?” Genma Shiranui said.

Just then, Kakashi placed his empty teacup on the table and said, "Tell me, Touko, what do you need me to do?"

“In the operation to capture Jiraiya, the other side may mobilize some of the village's ninjas to fight like cornered beasts. At that time, the garrison's combat strength may be insufficient, and I may also need to capture Jiraiya myself and will not be able to spare any hands. Therefore, I need you to bring back a portion of the troops from the border to control the situation.”

"Border troops? What if Kirigakure invades because of this?" Namiashi Raido asked hesitantly after hearing Uchiha Touko's words.

“The Hidden Mist Village wouldn’t dare to invade.” After saying this, Uchiha Touko looked at Kakashi, “My sword is still working quite well, isn’t it?”

Kakashi smiled upon hearing this. Uchiha Touko had given him the Lightning Blade before he set off. At first, he didn't understand the other party's intention, but it wasn't until he revealed the Lightning Blade while chasing down the first batch of Kirigakure rogue ninja that he understood why Uchiha Touko said that this sword was more useful than any ninjutsu when facing Kirigakure.

Those rogue ninja from Kirigakure who roamed the border, especially some of the older ones who had experienced the last Shinobi World War, would almost instantly lose their will to fight and turn tail and run when they saw the dark blue lightning that would bloom after the Lightning Blade was infused with chakra. For them, this sword was the most terrifying nightmare.

And this is all the fame that Uchiha Touko earned on the battlefield of Kirigakure.

"I understand. When should we set the time?" Kakashi asked with a smile.

"Let's do it tomorrow, December 12th. I think it's a good date, don't you think?" Uchiha Touko said.

"So casual?" Kakashi chuckled.

“As long as we are well prepared, when the time comes, it’s all about our mood, isn’t it?” Uchiha Touko laughed.

"Alright, the troops should arrive in the village by tomorrow night at the latest," Kakashi said.

Having made their decision, Genma Shiranui and the other two surrounded Kakashi once again and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to instantly leave the area.

After the four disappeared, Uchiha Touko also deactivated Sage Mode and walked out of the reception room.

"Sister Keiko!" Uchiha Touko called out loudly.

"Clan leader, what are your orders?" Uchiha Keiko asked as she walked out of the courtyard.

"Send invitations to all these people. I'd like to invite them to my house for a get-together tonight," said Uchiha Touko, handing a list to Uchiha Keiko.

"Yes." Uchiha Keiko nodded in acceptance, took the list, and went to prepare.

After finishing all that, Uchiha Touko stretched in the yard and went back to his room to sleep. He was going to be busy tonight and tomorrow.

……

Just as Uchiha Touko and Kakashi had finalized their plan, Uchiha Itachi had just finished get off work.

After breaking ties with the Uchiha clan in front of everyone that day, Itachi's work in the Anbu became increasingly difficult. The regular Anbu members were alright; although they weren't very proactive in completing missions, they at least completed them to a high standard. However, some of the Anbu's clerical staff, except for a few from the Sarutobi clan, basically ignored his orders. Therefore, he had to do many things himself that didn't require his attention as the captain-commander. In just a few days, Itachi, who was only 13 years old at the time, was exhausted.

On his way home from get off work, looking at the completely silent streets, Itachi Uchiha sighed and thought to himself:

[Hopefully, Jiraiya-sama can successfully become the Fifth Hokage. That way, Uchiha Touko's ambitions will be somewhat curbed.]

"Young man, you look lost." Just then, a voice rang out behind Itachi Uchiha.

"Who goes there?" Itachi Uchiha reacted almost instantly, drawing his kunai and turning to face his enemy. At the same time, a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan eyes appeared in his eyes.

Uchiha Itachi recognized the newcomer. The newcomer's body was covered by a large robe, and his face was covered by a special mask, revealing only one eye.

"There's no need to be so hostile towards me; we're of the same race." The newcomer's exposed eye flashed red, with three tomoe slowly rotating within it.

"Sharingan? Are you someone sent by the clan to kill me?" Itachi Uchiha frowned.

“I have nothing to do with those traitors, I’m just here to help you.”

"Hmph, do you think I'd believe you?" Itachi Uchiha's eyes flashed with coldness as he fired several shuriken at the newcomer in the blink of an eye.

However, the shuriken shot at the opponent passed right through their body the moment it touched them.

"Not a physical entity?" Itachi Uchiha frowned, gripping his kunai tightly.

"Are all the Uchiha juniors this rude these days?" the masked man said, glancing back at the mark left on the wall behind him by Itachi Uchiha's shuriken.

"Who exactly are you? Why do you have the Sharingan?" Itachi Uchiha asked in a deep voice.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Madara." The three tomoe in the masked man's exposed Sharingan spun rapidly, and soon, a windmill-like pattern formed within it.

Chapter 93 Noon on the 11th day of the 12th month of the 56th year of Konoha

“Uchiha…Madara?” Itachi Uchiha frowned deeply. Every member of the Uchiha clan would be familiar with this name. He was the one who led his clan to co-found the village with the Senju clan, the First Hokage. Of course, he was also the only and greatest rogue ninja ever produced by the Uchiha clan.