Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

“One of the twelve guardian ninja of the former king has actually committed such a treasonous act!” Uchiha Touko said. “But that’s not all.”

"Our Yamanaka clan of Konoha Village has a secret technique that can extract memories from the brains of the dead before they were born. After extracting the memories, I discovered something very interesting. The mastermind behind this assassination was our Left Minister, Abe Taiichi."

"Furthermore, these two were in league with the rogue ninja Orochimaru. It was with their help that Orochimaru was able to infiltrate the palace and assassinate the late king!"

"As the Fifth Hokage of the Land of Fire, and entrusted with such a great responsibility by the late Emperor, how can I tolerate such traitors continuing to roam free?"

"Therefore, I have no choice but to act immediately tonight and kill all these traitors who plotted rebellion. Only in this way can I appease the spirit of the late emperor in heaven!"

After Uchiha Touko finished speaking, he looked at the assembled officials below again, and after a while, he continued:

"And that is why I am so late in attending court today."

At this moment, Kakashi also entered the court. After quickly passing the ministers, he came to Uchiha Touko, bowed, and said, "Reporting to the Grand Minister of State, all those involved in the case last night and their families have been executed, and their bodies have all been transported to the mass grave outside the city."

Upon hearing this, the assembled officials felt a chill run down their spines. They cautiously raised their heads and glanced in disbelief at Uchiha Touko beside the throne.

It was only at this moment that everyone truly realized that Uchiha Tokō, besides being the Grand Minister of State appointed by the late king, was also the supreme commander of all the armed forces in their Land of Fire. If they really angered him, he really could kill their entire family.

"Kazuo Miura." Touko Uchiha suddenly began calling out names.

Upon being called out, Miura Kazuo jolted awake and immediately knelt before Uchiha Touko, saying, "Your subject is here."

"The Left Minister has been executed, and you are now the highest-ranking person in the court besides me. What are your thoughts on this matter?" Uchiha Touko asked unhurriedly.

"All of this is because that traitor Abe deserves it! We should thank the Grand Minister of State for his timely intervention, which restored peace and order to our Land of Fire! Otherwise, who knows how long these traitors who eat the emperor's food but harbor rebellious intentions would have remained at large."

"Is that so?" Uchiha Touko chuckled, then called out another person's name, "Nagino Kirito."

"Your subject is here." Nagano Kiri also stepped forward and slid to his knees at lightning speed. Compared to the others, as one of the people who were kidnapped by Kakashi that night, he understood the Grand Minister's methods much earlier. For the safety of his entire family, Nagano Kiri knelt even faster than Miura Kazuo.

"Abe Taiichi probably wanted to carry out this treasonous act for a long time. The assassination of the late king was probably because the late king discovered their treacherous intentions. In their desperation, they resorted to desperate measures, which led to this calamity for the late king. The Grand Minister of State's actions this time, crushing their conspiracy with swift and decisive measures, are a great thing for the country and the people! As for these traitors, they deserve to die!"

"Very well." Uchiha Touko nodded. "It seems that our Land of Fire is not lacking in loyal and righteous people. In that case, I will leave the aftermath of this matter to you all."

"Yes!" Everyone present knelt down in unison and replied.

"Is there anything else you all wish to report?" Uchiha Tokō asked.

At this moment, Kazuo Miura gritted his teeth and said, "Your Excellency, I have an important matter to report."

"Speak." Uchiha Touko glanced at the man and uttered a single word.

"Although the mastermind behind the conspiracy with the traitorous ninja has been executed, Orochimaru, the traitorous ninja who attempted to assassinate the late king, has not yet been captured. They have been operating in this Fire Capital for many years and probably still have other plans. This Fire Capital is probably no longer safe. For the sake of the daimyo's safety, the relocation of the capital is now of utmost urgency."

……

Chapter 122 The Legendary Meteorologist Orochimaru

Uchiha Touko glanced at Miura Kazuo with satisfaction, but still expressed some doubt: "Isn't this a bit too hasty?"

“Grand Minister, you are mistaken. The most important thing right now is the safety of His Highness the Daimyo. Since there are already hidden dangers in the City of Fire, His Highness is in danger if he stays here for even a moment longer. I urge the Grand Minister to make a decision as soon as possible,” said Miura Kazuo.

Kazuo Miura had a very clear understanding of himself. He knew that the reason why Touko Uchiha was willing to help him before was mainly to fight against the faction of Taiichi Abe. Now that Taiichi Abe was dead, if he didn't do something to show his value, he would probably be next.

Therefore, at that moment, Kazuo Miura knelt down without hesitation.

"We urge the Grand Minister of State to make a decision as soon as possible," shouted the people from Miura Kazuo's faction in unison.

Seeing this, Uchiha Touko could only sigh and say, "In that case, let's put the relocation of the capital on the agenda as soon as possible. For Your Highness's safety, I will take Your Highness to Konoha Village in a few days. Kikuchi Tomokane."

"Your subject is here," Kikuchi Tomoken hurriedly stepped forward to reply.

"I remember you used to be the Minister of Construction, right? In the next few days, quickly prepare a blueprint for His Highness's new palace. In a few days, you will also come with us to Konoha," Uchiha Touko instructed.

"Yes, sir," Kikuchi Tomoken replied.

……

Under the threat of the heads of Abe no Taiichi's entire family, the decision to move the capital to Konoha was quickly made. In the following days, the court officials were busy with this matter in a state of panic.

Uchiha Tokō, on the other hand, went to the daimyo's bedchamber the next day to inform him of the matter.

When Uchiha Toko arrived, Minamoto no Miyako was having a meal. Upon hearing the eunuch's report of Uchiha Toko's visit, his small hand holding the chopsticks trembled.

It's clear that Uchiha Touko left a deep shadow on him that day; on his first day back in his bedchamber, Genji had a nightmare.

"Quickly invite the teacher in." Although a lingering fear remained in his heart, Gen Yuxie still said to the eunuch serving him.

After Uchiha Touko entered the sleeping quarters, he first bowed to the young daimyo before speaking, "Yesterday was an emergency. After executing the traitors Abe no Taiichi and his associates, I did not have time to bathe, and thus offended Your Highness. Please forgive me."

"Teacher, you're too kind. You're only thinking of my safety," Yuan Yuxie said, forcing a smile. "May I ask what brings you here today, teacher?"

“I’m sure the palace servants have already informed Your Highness of yesterday’s court assembly,” Uchiha Touko said. “The Fire Capital is no longer safe for Your Highness, so I would like to ask Your Highness to return to Konoha with me in a few days.”

Gen Yuxie glanced at Uchiha Touko, lowered his head, and said, "I will follow Master's arrangements."

……

Two days later, Uchiha Tokō led a group of ninjas back to Konoha, while Kakashi remained in the Land of Fire to handle the aftermath of the relocation.

Because the daimyo's procession was so large, the group traveled very slowly, taking a full three days to reach Konoha Village.

When the group arrived, all the ninja clans in the village and the high-ranking civilian ninjas who remained in Konoha, as arranged by Uchiha Tokō, waited at the village gate to welcome the daimyo. Leading the group was Uchiha Fugaku, who had been left in Konoha by Uchiha Tokō to be in charge of village affairs.

"Your Highness, this is Konoha Village. And everyone here is a powerful ninja from the village. With them here, Your Highness's safety is guaranteed." Uchiha Touko led Minamoto no Yuuki down from the carriage and introduced them.

After saying that, Uchiha Touko looked at the ninjas at the village entrance and shouted, "Everyone, salute His Highness the Daimyo!"

"Loyalty! Sincerity!" Everyone raised their hands in unison to salute, a sight that startled Yuan Yuxie.

"Hello." Yuan Yuxie raised his hand somewhat reluctantly and then said.

Uchiha Touko nodded in satisfaction. After the welcoming ceremony, Uchiha Touko left Yamato behind and, together with the daimyo and his entourage, went to a large open area that had been cleared in advance on the north side of the Uchiha clan's territory. He handed over the daimyo's palace plan, which Kikuchi Tomoken had prepared in advance, to Yamato.

After receiving the drawing, Yamato carefully examined it before nodding.

"Wood Release: Linked Pillars Technique!" After Yamato formed a series of hand seals, he slammed one hand on the ground. Under the incredulous gazes of Minamoto no Miyako and some accompanying officials, countless giant trees burst from the ground and gathered together, and magnificent palaces rose from the earth.

With Yamato's current chakra reserves, it's impossible to build the palace required by the daimyo all at once. Therefore, only the daimyo's sleeping quarters were completed in the early stages. The palace used for court assemblies and handling government affairs will take some time to complete.

After settling the daimyo in, Uchiha Tokō bid farewell and returned to the Hokage Building.

Although the affairs of the village were handed over to Uchiha Fugaku during this period, he could only handle some routine matters. Things such as the rotation of ninja troops on the border and the secret intelligence passed back by spies infiltrating other villages could only be handled by Uchiha Tokō, the Hokage. During this time in the Fire City, these documents piled up.

By the time Uchiha Tokō finished dealing with these matters, it was already late at night.

After returning home, Uchiha Tokō used the Summoning Jutsu to summon the communication snake from Ryūchi Cave and send a message to Orochimaru that they would meet at Ryūchi Cave later.

Not long after, the spatial fluctuations of the Reverse Summoning Technique were heard, and Uchiha Touko arrived at Ryuchi Cave.

"Lord Touko." Orochimaru, who had been waiting there, bowed respectfully after Touko Uchiha arrived at Ryuchi Cave.

"Thank you for your hard work this time." Uchiha Touko nodded to the other party.

Although he had long planned to kill the former daimyo, Uchiha Tokō's original plan was to spend some more time building up his power before recruiting some thugs from other ninja villages or the Akatsuki organization to carry out the task. However, due to the reckless actions of the Utatane and Mitokado clans, he decided to launch the operation ahead of schedule and use Orochimaru as a trump card in order not to affect his own plans.

Although Orochimaru handled the matter brilliantly, killing the former daimyo's eldest son while leaving the former daimyo alive, Orochimaru's trump card was now completely useless on the surface. After all, he had assassinated a daimyo, and the Land of Fire, as the victim, naturally couldn't remain indifferent. Orochimaru's bounty at the underground exchange doubled from the original amount, and the daimyo of the other countries also contributed to increase their bounties after learning about this. Now, Orochimaru's head tops the bounty list at the underground exchange, and his market value is now a whopping thirty Asuma.

That's not all. After doing this, Orochimaru realized that he probably couldn't stay in the Akatsuki organization any longer, so he took the initiative to sever the chakra connection with the Akatsuki's communication ring. So now, if Orochimaru dares to show his face in the ninja world, he will not only have to face a constant stream of bounty hunters, but also the entire Akatsuki organization's pursuit.

"It is my honor to serve Lord Douguang," Orochimaru said.

"Tell me, what reward do you want this time?" Uchiha Touko glanced at Orochimaru and then smiled. "Don't refuse. For those who are loyal to me, as long as they have made contributions, I will not be stingy."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru raised his head upon hearing this and looked at Uchiha Touko. "Then, may I ask Lord Touko to answer a question for me? What exactly did Lord Touko do to me? Why does my brain involuntarily make completing Lord Touko's task my primary goal?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Touko narrowed his eyes slightly: "It seems you've already discovered it. When did this happen?"

“Just a short while ago,” Orochimaru said calmly, “While my loyalty to you seems perfectly reasonable no matter how I look at it, it is completely inconsistent with the logic of the facts.”

"I see." Uchiha Touko chuckled. "So, you're now revealing your hand to me because you want to bypass the limitations of that technique and attack me?"

"If it were before, perhaps, but now, I have no such intention," Orochimaru said after bowing respectfully.

"Can you tell me why?" Uchiha Touko asked. Although Orochimaru had already self-destructed, in a place like Ryuchi Cave where natural energy was abundant, he could easily suppress Orochimaru, who was restricted by Kotoamatsukami. Therefore, Uchiha Touko had the patience to talk to Orochimaru for a while.

"Because of this mission to assassinate the daimyo," Orochimaru laughed. "The entire ninja world has been peaceful for too long. The appearance of you, Lord Touko, is like a gust of wind appearing out of nowhere. I want to witness with my own eyes how far this wind can blow and where this ninja world will go under your influence."

"Heh, interesting. Well then, just watch." Uchiha Touko said with a light laugh, no longer dwelling on the matter. "How's the task I asked you to do last time going?"

Orochimaru nodded, took out a scroll, and respectfully handed it to Uchiha Touko.

"The technique you had me test last time was theoretically feasible, but during the fusion of the Mangekyou Sharingan's power and Sage Chakra, I could clearly feel that something was missing."

"To this end, I made some attempts, including adding activated intercolumnar cells."

"Is that so?" Uchiha Touko raised an eyebrow. "And what was the result?"

……

Chapter 123 News about Tsunade

After hearing Uchiha Touko's question, Orochimaru shook his head before speaking:

"The result was not very optimistic. I originally thought that Hashirama's cells could react in a special way with Sage Chakra, thus filling the gap between the pure Mangekyou Sharingan power and Sage Chakra. However, the reality was completely the opposite of what I expected."

"Sage Chakra can indeed react with Hashirama cells, but once the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan is added, the three will clash. The Hashirama cells, empowered by Sage Chakra, will completely devour the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan. This process will result in a violent upheaval, and all my test subjects died in this process."

"Therefore, I guess that what is missing in order to achieve the perfect fusion of the eye power and sage chakra in that technique is something else, a power that is opposite to the power contained in Hashirama's cells, but at the same level."

"I see, I understand now." Uchiha Touko nodded. It seemed that what Black Zetsu gave him was somewhat feasible, but incomplete. So, the information about that senior who was involved in the fusion of Sage Mode and Mangekyou Sharingan would probably only be truly useful after finding the Slug Sage.

"Then, you'll stay in Ryuchi Cave for now. Once things calm down a bit, I'll figure out a way to get you a new identity," Uchiha Touko instructed Orochimaru.

"Yes," Orochimaru said respectfully after bowing.

……

The next day, Uchiha Touko went to the Hokage Building early in the morning. After finishing some routine tasks, he took a document and went to the room where Jiraiya was being held at the Nakagawa Grand Hotel.

It's not really a case of imprisonment. Jiraiya's plan for dealing with him had already been decided. He's now just a genin who has left the ninja ranks and can leave whenever he wants.

However, Jiraiya still doesn't seem to have recovered from that day's withdrawal and refuses to leave his room.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to persuade him twice, but Jiraiya seemed determined not to leave the room. Every day, besides sleeping, he would give money to the guards who were supposedly watching over him but were actually taking care of him, so that they could buy him alcohol.

So when Uchiha Touko arrived, Jiraiya was sitting alone by the window, drinking.

"Lord Jiraiya has quite the refined taste. I wonder how long Lord Jiraiya intends to stay in my guard unit?" Uchiha Touko said as he entered Jiraiya's room.

"Touko?" Jiraiya turned around and was somewhat surprised to see Uchiha Touko's figure.

Then, Jiraiya walked from the window to the table in the room, sat down, leaned back in his chair, and said with his head tilted back, "I'm just a retired genin now, so don't use words like 'adult'."