Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

Before arriving at Iwagakure, Uchiha Tokō changed into a formal Hokage uniform with a long robe and straw hat on the carriage. Naruto and the other two were also arranged by Uchiha Tokō to change into uniforms embroidered with the crests of the Uzumaki, Uchiha, and Hyuga clans, respectively.

This time, the three of them visited Iwagakure not only as disciples of Uchiha Tokō, but also as the young clan leaders of Konoha's three great ninja clans.

After changing his clothes, Naruto calmed down. He had worn these clothes before and had been instructed by Uchiha Touko that when he wore these clothes, his every word and action represented the Uzumaki clan.

When the group arrived, the Iwagakure welcoming party was already waiting at the village entrance. Onoki was also dressed in his most formal attire, with a group of Iwagakure's high-ranking officials standing on either side of him.

The carriage stopped beside the red carpet, the door slowly opened, and Uchiha Touka got out of the carriage unhurriedly, stepping onto the red carpet to stand in front of Onoki.

Behind him, the Shadow Guard, led by Uchiha Inahisa, followed closely, while Naruto and Sasuke followed quietly behind.

After seeing Uchiha Touko arrive, Onoki slowly floated into the air. When Uchiha Touko arrived right in front of him, their eyes were at the same level.

The two reached out their hands almost simultaneously, and after shaking hands, Onoki spoke, saying, "I have long heard of the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, who is young and promising. Seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

"Mr. Tsuchikage, you flatter me. Compared to a senior like you, I still have a lot to learn. I have much to learn from you on how to be a good village kage."

The two separated their clasped hands, and almost simultaneously thought to themselves:

[The Old Fox]

【Little Fox】

For Onoki, it was incredible enough to hear such humble words from Uchiha Tokkou.

Based on his previous understanding of the Uchiha clan, or by inferring from Uchiha Touko's behavior in Kusagakure recently, Onoki's guess about Uchiha Touko's personality is that of the traditional Uchiha aloof and domineering figure.

But to his surprise, Uchiha Tokō was so humble.

Onoki did not let his guard down because of Uchiha Touko's humility. Having been in the ninja world for so many years, Onoki had seen many powerful ninjas, but those who were powerful yet could conceal their strength were more difficult to deal with than ordinary strongmen.

Clearly, Uchiha Touko is such a person.

After a brief silence, the two burst into laughter at the same time. Onoki, with a bright smile, said, "The arrival of the Fifth Hokage is a great honor for our Iwagakure! Please!"

"Tsuchikage, you flatter me. It is an honor for Konoha to be invited by you. Please!"

With their signature fake smiles on their faces, the two walked together into Iwagakure Village.

Soon, Onoki noticed the three little ones following behind Uchiha Touko.

Seeing Onoki's gaze, Uchiha Touko smiled and introduced, "These three are my disciples. I came to Iwagakure this time to broaden their horizons."

“I see,” Onoki nodded. Although Naruto’s blond hair instantly brought back some painful memories, he still smiled and praised, “The three of them are clearly gifted. They must have learned a lot from you, Hokage.”

“Just three good-for-nothing brats.” Uchiha Touko shook his head. “They’re still far from being good enough.”

After saying that, Uchiha Touko looked at the three little ones behind him and said, "You three, come over and greet the Tsuchikage."

The three approached the Tsuchikage and greeted him one by one.

"Greetings, Tsuchikage! My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Hyuga Neji greets the Tsuchikage-sama."

"Uchiha Sasuke greets the Tsuchikage."

After the three greeted the Tsuchikage, Naruto stared at Onoki with a curious gaze. After a while, Naruto spoke:

"Grandpa Tsuchikage, why do you keep flying? Is it because you want to look as tall as the teacher?"

Upon hearing this, Onoki almost threw out his back on the spot. Although that was what he was thinking, wasn't it a bit too impolite for this kid to say it out loud?

At this moment, the Iwagakure ninjas responsible for welcoming guests at the entrance of Iwagakure also looked rather grim.

"Naruto!" Just then, Uchiha Touko called out Naruto's name sternly. Naruto realized he might have said something wrong, so he shrank back and dared not speak.

"Sasuke, Neji, take Naruto back to the car," Uchiha Touko said.

Having received instructions from Uchiha Touko, Sasuke and Neji took Naruto back to the caravan.

"The child is ignorant and has made the Tsuchikage laugh at him." After reprimanding Naruto, Uchiha Touka said to Onoki with a slight bow.

"Hehe, it's alright, they're just kids, they say what they mean." Seeing this, Onoki could only force a smile and say it. What else could he do but turn against Uchiha right here and now?

However, after this incident, Onoki no longer bothered to maintain the Light-Heavy Rock Technique and naturally landed on the ground.

"Heh, that child just now looks a lot like an old friend of yours from Konoha," Onoki said with a dry laugh.

"Mr. Tsuchikage, there's no need to guess. Naruto is the son of the person you're talking about," Uchiha Touko said with a light laugh.

"Is that so? Hokage, you were a bit reckless in bringing him here. There are quite a few ninjas in the village who have a grudge against that child's father."

"Heh, these are all grudges from the previous generation, aren't they? Does Iwagakure intend to perpetuate the hatred of the previous generation onto a child? Before I came here, I always believed that Iwagakure invited Konoha with the intention of peace," said Uchiha Touko.

"What are you saying, Hokage? Iwagakure extended the invitation to Konoha for the joint Chunin Exams with the intention of peace," Onoki said in a deep voice.

"So, Mr. Tsuchikage thinks that even the safety of a seven-year-old child cannot be guaranteed on his own turf?"

"Hehe, Hokage is joking." Onoki said with a dry laugh, "Iwagakure has the ability and the obligation to ensure the safety of every guest."

“It seems I misunderstood Lord Tsuchikage,” said Uchiha Touko. “I apologize to you, Tsuchikage, and I hope you don’t mind.”

"It's my fault for not explaining things clearly to the Hokage at the beginning. I also bear some responsibility for this."

"Hokage, let's go into the village first. The village has prepared a sumptuous banquet for our guests who have come from afar. Tonight, let's drink until we drop." Onoki took the initiative to put the matter aside and put on a bright smile again before speaking.

"Since the Tsuchikage has extended such a warm invitation, I naturally have no reason to refuse," Uchiha Touko said with a smile.

"Hokage! Please!" Onoki extended his hand in invitation.

"Hehe, Tsuchikage, please go first," said Uchiha Touko.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the two entered Iwagakure Village one after the other.

Before Onoki could bring Uchiha Touko to the banquet venue, a violent explosion suddenly rang out by the roadside, and thick smoke billowed up, blocking the road in front of the group.

"Mr. Tsuchikage, what's going on?" Uchiha Touko asked with a meaningful smile, looking at the dusty road ahead.

At that moment, Onoki's face twitched slightly, and he roared, "Deidara! Get out here!"

"Haha! Old man! How was my performance this time? Was it awesome?"

A blond-haired kid swaggered out of the smoke from the explosion.

Chapter 144 What does this guy want to do by bringing the Jinchūriki here?

"Deidara! Didn't I tell you not to play your nonsense in the village?" Onoki rushed forward, grabbed Deidara, and scolded, "What if you offend our honored guest?"

After scolding Deidara, Onoki turned to Uchiha Touko with a hint of apology on his face and said, "I'm sorry, Hokage. This is my disciple Deidara. I have been too lenient with him, which has led to his lawlessness. I apologize for making you laugh at him."

"What are you saying, Tsuchikage?" Uchiha Touko chuckled dryly. "Kids are kids, it's normal for them to be a little mischievous."

"I'm sorry to have troubled the Hokage." Although Onoki said this, there was a hint of pride on his lips. After all, for Deidara to be able to cause such a commotion at his age was enough to demonstrate his talent.

Therefore, there is a hint of showing off in Onoki's words.

After seeing Onoki's expression, Uchiha Touko understood what the old man meant. Naturally, Uchiha Touko couldn't let the old man get away with it, so he immediately went to Deidara's side.

"Kid, did you cause that commotion just now?" Uchiha Touko asked with a warm smile.

"Yes!" Little Deidara exclaimed proudly. "This is the art I've been pursuing! Pretty amazing, right?"

“Not bad,” Uchiha Touko said. “This is indeed a very new art form.”

"Haha, I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable. You're much better than this old man!" Deidara's face lit up with joy after hearing Uchiha Touko's words.

"I didn't expect you to have such a passion for art at such a young age. That's good, but it's not artistic enough yet." At this moment, a hint of regret appeared on Uchiha Touko's face. "However, considering your age, it's already quite good."

"Is that so?" Deidara was indignant when he heard Uchiha Touko question his artistic achievements. He raised his head, stared at Uchiha Touko, and asked, "Then tell me, what is true art?"

“Hehe, as a wise man once said,” Uchiha Touko smiled mysteriously, “the most elegant art form in this world is to destroy beautiful things for people to see. Explosions may be art, but they are just a minor art.”

"Deidara, get out of here right now! This is none of your business." Onoki saw that Uchiha Touko was starting to corrupt his disciple, so he quickly spoke up, wanting to get rid of the kid.

"Hey! Uncle! Can you explain it more clearly?" Deidara rarely encountered someone willing to discuss art with him, so naturally he didn't want to talk to his old man and pestered Uchiha Touko for answers.

"Hehe, I was just kidding." Uchiha Touko saw that Onoki had spoken, so he stopped talking and just smiled mysteriously. Then, Deidara was dragged away by the arriving Anbu.

"I'll deal with you later!" Onoki glared at Deidara, who was still struggling in the arms of the Anbu, before turning to Uchiha Touko. "Is playing with kids your usual entertainment, Hokage-sama?"

Uchiha Touko innocently shrugged. "Teasing a child? Am I? Doesn't the Tsuchikage think this child has great talent in art? It's good for a child to have a hobby, and we should support it."

"Really? What hobbies does the disciple of the Hidden Hokage have?" Onoki's lips twitched slightly.

"My disciple's hobby?" Uchiha Touko thought for a moment. "Does graffiti on the Hokage Rock count? That kid Naruto likes to give us Hokage a makeover whenever he has nothing better to do. His father's Hokage Rock is a particularly bad spot. It's a real headache for me."

"Hehe, the Hokage's disciple has quite a unique hobby. But shouldn't the Hokage support his disciple's hobby?" Onoki said with a dry laugh.

“Did I say I didn’t support it?” Uchiha Touko said. “I’ve never really interfered with him in this regard. As long as he has fun and then cleans up the Shadow Rock, that’s fine.”

Uchiha Touko smiled as he looked at Onoki. If the brat was his own, he would definitely have to discipline him with a stick. But if it was someone else's family, especially if it was a family of an enemy, then he would naturally encourage them to increase the discipline.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, we've already delayed the banquet." Uchiha Touko's ability to spout nonsense was far beyond Onoki's imagination, but continuing to argue with Uchiha Touko about this matter was obviously not a good choice. So, Onoki could only grit his teeth, swallow this loss, and force a smile as he invited Uchiha Touko to join them again.

After this little incident, Uchiha Touko and his group followed Onoki to the banquet.

At this moment, all the high-ranking members of Iwagakure, except for the Jinchuriki who was still in the village and Han, the Jinchuriki of the Five-Tails Kokuou, were present. Onoki was still quite clear-headed and was not foolish enough to send his own Jinchuriki to an Uchiha with the Mangekyou Sharingan. Moreover, long before Uchiha Touki was still some distance away from Iwagakure, Onoki had informed Han that he must hide himself in the village during this time.

However, just as Uchiha Touko and Onoki were exchanging toasts, Han, who was in seclusion in a secret room in Iwagakure, received a reminder from his tailed beast companion.

"Han, I sense the aura of another tailed beast." Inside the sealed space, King Mu suddenly spoke.

"Is it Old Purple back? We need to hurry and remind him not to return to the village for a while." Han, who was practicing Boil Release while sitting, stood up. "Can you sense where he is?"

“No, it’s not Sun Wukong,” King Mu said solemnly. “It’s the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Nine-Tailed Fox is in your village.”

"What?" Han was shocked. He originally thought that it was just Old Purple who had left the village due to a conflict with the Tsuchikage, but he did not expect that it was Kurama (the Nine-Tails).

"We need to let Lord Tsuchikage know about this as soon as possible," Han said, getting up and pushing open the door to the secret chamber.

After the banquet, Onoki, who had personally escorted Uchiha Touko and his group to the inn, returned to his Tsuchikage office.

As soon as he returned to his office, Onoki slumped into his office chair. The day's battle of wits and subtle exchanges with the Uchiha had left the elderly man feeling utterly exhausted.

Of the five Hokage of Konoha to date, he wasn't qualified to participate in matters at this level during the time of the First Hokage.

During the Second Hokage's time, as a disciple of the Second Tsuchikage, he followed his teacher and clashed with him. That wise man, who could be said to have single-handedly created the current ninja village system, left a very deep impression on him.

As for the Third Hokage, who was also the Third Hokage, Onoki, his longest-standing rival, had to admit that Hiruzen Sarutobi was an absolutely formidable opponent in his youth. However, Hiruzen Sarutobi became increasingly indecisive as he aged, and Konoha grew weaker and weaker under his leadership, while Iwagakure steadily rose in power. Therefore, Onoki could proudly say that, as the Third Hokage, the Third Tsuchikage was superior to the Third Hokage.

As for the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, Onoki only clashed with him on the battlefield, so he will not comment on that aspect.

The current Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Tokō, although he only had a brief encounter with him, has proven to be far more troublesome than any previous Hokage.

[This guy is clearly not even 20 years old, yet his strength is terrifying, and he's also incredibly shrewd in his words and actions. No wonder he was able to seize power from that old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi.]