Projection magicians starting from the Uchiha clan

Upon returning home, Iori activated the barrier, then turned to look in the direction where the enemy was hiding, a contemptuous smile playing on her lips.

"Fool, you actually thought I couldn't find out? Too bad, we can't alert them now, otherwise the White Zetsu Armor is highly praised by everyone who uses it, and it could open up a new track for mecha."

"Hopefully Black Zetsu's plan will be somewhat innovative and have some substance."

Iori went to the study, sat down at the desk, and began to work diligently on the documents.

After Minato became Hokage, he fulfilled his promise to Iori, who is now the Hokage's assistant in Konoha.

The current Konoha leadership is divided into three factions, with Minato being one of them. As the current Hokage, he holds the highest position, but he is of commoner origin. Although he has many friends, he doesn't have many trusted subordinates.

On the other hand, although the Third Hokage gradually handed over his power to him, Minato still needed enough time to take over.

The Third Hokage and the remaining two members of the Elder Council, as the previous holders of power, still retained a considerable amount of authority and did not fully hand over power, citing Minato's youth as the reason.

The third generation was willing to give it up, but Minato didn't have any trusted confidants who could handle it. However, Koharu Utatane and Danzo Shimura had no intention of giving up their power; on the contrary, they held onto it even more tightly.

Finally, there's Iori and his Senju and Uchiha clans. After taking over the police force, medical department, and education department, he won over a considerable number of ninja clans and civilians through resource exchanges.

For example, the Nara clan that provides medicine to the medical department, and the Inuzuka clan that is good at tracking and is very suitable for the security department, etc.

The three parties check and balance each other, maintaining a strange balance in Konoha.

With Minato's rise to power, Danzo was also released from confinement.

With the support of the Third Hokage, Danzo still held power in Root, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to harm anyone at any moment.

Minato was not unaware of Danzo's problems, but the instability of the international situation forced him to rely on Danzo's intelligence network.

Although he attempted to weaken the Root's autonomy and funding allocation, such measures proved insignificant in the face of Danzo's influence and power.

Because the Land of Lightning never signed a peace treaty during the previous war, and the situations in the Land of Rain and the Land of Water are also delicate, Konoha cannot afford to lose the support of Root's intelligence network.

Minato understood that he didn't have a suitable replacement for Danzo, and the Root members refused to accept outside leadership. What he lacked most right now was time.

He also attempted to restrict Danzo through administrative means, but this was met with strong opposition from the Third Daimyo.

The Third Hokage believed that Konoha's current situation required Danzo's experience and methods. Danzo's hands might not be clean, but that was exactly what Konoha needed.

Minato was more worried that Danzo's ambitions would bring an even greater crisis to the village, since there was precedent for this.

In the midst of the disagreement, Minato had no choice but to back down, hoping that the Third Hokage could restrain Danzo's behavior.

However, Minato now understands that the probability is actually not very high.

After this disagreement, Minato accelerated the process of cultivating his own trusted subordinates. In addition to Kakashi, he also recruited the Shadow Guard.

He selected three young ninjas as his bodyguards and taught them his signature ninjutsu, the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The three were Genma Shiranui, a Chunin skilled in senbon (thousand needles); Raido Namiashi, a Chunin skilled in swordsmanship; and Iwashi Tadashi, a Chunin skilled in taijutsu (body techniques).

All three are rare ninjas with spatial ninjutsu aptitude, but their current strength is insufficient to use it alone. They need to work together to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Minato continued to recruit talent from among the Chunin and fill his Anbu ranks.

With each faction having its own concerns, they could only focus on their own development, which ironically allowed the ninja world to enjoy a relatively peaceful period.

When Iori heard that Fugaku Uchiha's wife, Mikoto, was pregnant again, he knew that the days of peace were about to end and the opportunity he had been waiting for was about to arrive.

Chapter 149 Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha are pregnant (One more chapter coming later)

Upon learning of Mikoto Uchiha's pregnancy, Iori felt a surge of emotion.

He then took some gifts from home, preparing to visit them.

Although Iori felt that Indra's chakra reincarnation should not have changed, he felt it was necessary to go and confirm it in person when faced with such an important matter.

Iori arrived at Fugaku's house with gifts. The guards became nervous as soon as they saw Iori and quickly sent someone to inform Fugaku.

Soon after, Iori saw Fugaku and Itachi come out together.

Fugaku looked puzzled. Iori rarely visited his home in person; he usually communicated through Shisui or Itachi.

Today, Iori not only came to visit in person but also brought gifts, which surprised Fugaku. In his opinion, his wife's pregnancy was only important to him and not enough to alarm the clan chief.

"What's going on with the clan leader today...?" Fugaku asked tentatively, his tone tinged with confusion.

Iori smiled slightly, but instead of answering directly, she said, "Let's go inside and talk. I have something I want to confirm."

Instead of speaking outside the door, he gestured for them to come inside and discuss the matter further.

“Alright, please follow me.” Fugaku said as he led Iori into the house.

Although he was filled with doubts, he had no reason to refuse Iori's request.

Upon arriving at the study where they were discussing matters, Fugaku skillfully activated the soundproofing and defensive magic runes to ensure their conversation would not be overheard by outsiders.

Since Iori started popularizing chakra batteries, the use of magic runes has become a required skill for members of the Uchiha and Senju clans.

Itachi silently brewed a pot of tea, gently placed the teacup in front of Iori, and then sat down with Fugaku. Both of them focused their gaze on Iori, waiting for him to say what he was about to say.

“I’m here today for your unborn child,” Iori said calmly. He picked up his teacup, gently blew on the tea, and took a sip.

"Sasuke?" Fugaku and Itachi said in unison, with a hint of doubt. Although Sasuke was not yet born, Fugaku had already chosen a name for him.

The name comes from Hiruzen Sarutobi's father, Sarutobi Sasuke, who was one of the few powerful ninjas respected by the Uchiha clan. Fugaku gave him this name, which also reflects his high hopes for him.

However, due to cultural differences, Iori felt that Fugaku's choice of this name for his child meant that his father was his son.

"What's wrong with Sasuke? Is there something wrong with him?" Itachi asked anxiously, standing up abruptly with worry in his eyes.

"I think I told you before that the chakra of our ancestors and the ancestors of the Senju, Ashura and Indra, has been intertwined in the ninja world. The last time they descended was when the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha came down."

Iori spoke calmly, but did not directly answer Fugaku's question.

"Is this generation's Indra Sasuke?" Fugaku understood Iori's subtext and asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, the ancestor's chakra has descended once again, and it is very likely in Sasuke's body. That's what I want to confirm."

Iori finished her tea in one gulp and addressed the two of them.

Fugaku was silent for a moment, then said to Itachi, "Go and call your mother over."

"Yes," Itachi replied curtly, turning and leaving. His footsteps echoed dully on the wooden floor, revealing the turmoil in his heart.

Taking advantage of Itachi's absence, Fugaku asked Iori, "Will Indra's chakra reincarnation interfere with Sasuke's self? Is he my child, or Indra's?"

Iori glanced at the anxious Fugaku and said gently, "Don't worry, it's just chakra that's reincarnated, not the soul. As reincarnations, they still have their own selves."

"However, as reincarnations, their personalities are also influenced by chakra, tending towards their ancestors. But once you are strong enough, you can still break free from this influence."

Upon hearing this, Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief. Although he respected and even admired his ancestor, it still felt strange that his ancestor had been reincarnated as his child.

As they spoke, Itachi led Uchiha Mikoto back to the study. Mikoto was about three months pregnant, and her belly was just beginning to rise and fall.

On the way here, Itachi had already explained the situation to her. She calmly accepted it all and said to Itachi:

“No matter what, he is my child, Itachi. He is also your younger brother. You must take good care of him.”

"Clan leader, how do you plan to confirm Indra's chakra?" Mikoto asked in a deep voice.

"Please sit down, Lady Mikoto. My chakra detection technique will suffice," Iori said calmly.

He formed hand seals and spread his chakra.

After careful examination, Iori confirmed that the baby in Mikoto's womb possessed an ancient and unique chakra.

That chakra was almost one with Sasuke's; if it weren't for Iori's exceptionally high level of detection, most people wouldn't have been able to detect its existence.

“Sasuke is indeed the reincarnation of Indra in this generation.” After dispelling the spell, Iori opened her eyes and said to them.

"So what should we do?" Fugaku asked.

“Nurture him well, don’t waste his talent,” Iori said calmly. “No need for special treatment. Even if Indra were to be resurrected, he might not be my match.”

After leaving, Iori thought about Ashura's chakra, which was entangled with Indra, and decided to visit Minato's house.

Minato was not at home at the time, and only Kushina was alone. During their conversation, Iori found an excuse to activate his chakra perception.

Sure enough, he sensed the aura of a new life, Naruto's chakra, which was now beginning to take shape.

Because of Hashirama's cells, Ashura's chakra within Naruto was particularly noticeable to Iori.

It seems that Iori's actions did not affect this part of the storyline; Indra and Ashura were reincarnated as Naruto and Sasuke as originally planned.

A complex emotion welled up in Iori's heart. It seemed that her actions had not affected the fate of the ninja world. Indra and Ashura were still reincarnated as Naruto and Sasuke, just as the original story had suggested.

After confirming this, Iori reminded Kushina that she was pregnant, and then took his leave, leaving her overjoyed.

After Minato got home from get off work, Kushina couldn't wait to share the good news, and the two began to celebrate in ecstasy.

As time went by, Kushina's belly grew bigger and bigger. Just a few days before Kushina's due date, Minato suddenly sent someone to summon Iori to the Hokage Building.

Upon seeing Iori's arrival, Minato said, "Iori, there's an S-rank mission here. They specifically requested that you complete it. What do you think?"

Iori picked up the mission sheet, which roughly stated:

My younger brother, Fuuka Nutō, is plotting a rebellion. I hope Konoha can send ninjas to protect me; it would be even better if they were the Legendary Sannin or the Asura of the Ninja World.

Chapter 150 The Snow Country Mission and the Prelude to the Night of the Nine-Tailed Fox

Iori looked at Minato with amusement. Sending him to a place far away from Konoha at this time clearly showed that they didn't trust him.

Minato hesitated to look at Iori. This wasn't his own idea, but rather Danzo and Koharu Utatane's insistence, which the Third Hokage himself acquiesced to for various reasons.

Minato realized that this mission was indeed very important, and that it might require a single person to deal with a small country. It was something that only a ninja of Kage caliber could accomplish alone.

In addition, not wanting to have a conflict with the elders, he tacitly agreed to let Iori choose the task. If he did not accept it, Minato would not force him, but would instead hand it over to Tsunade or Orochimaru.

After all, things are different now than in the original story. The Snow Country storyline has been moved forward by a few years, and Tsunade and Orochimaru are still in Konoha, so Kakashi won't have to carry it out alone.

Danzo and Koharu Utatane originally wanted to send Shisui and Fugaku away as well, but they gave up the idea due to strong opposition from the Third Hokage and Minato.

"Okay, I accept. I'll set off as soon as possible." Iori nodded without refusing. After all, this was Black Zetsu's good intention, and if she didn't accept, the rest of the show would fall apart.

He picked up the mission scroll, turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned back to ask, "Do Shisui and Fugaku have any new missions lately?"

Minato shook his head awkwardly and said, "No, there are no missions that require them to leave the village recently. Iori, don't overthink it. If you don't want to take it, I can transfer the mission to Tsunade-senpai or Orochimaru-senpai."

"No, it's nothing. I'm quite interested in this mission. Even without it, I would have made time to visit the Snow Country." Iori shook her head and said calmly.

[It seems Black Zetsu and Obito didn't choose to lure them away; they must have other methods to hold them off. I wonder what they are?]

[Could it be Kakuzu? But even Kakuzu can only hold off one person. What are they planning to do about the other one?]