Projection magicians starting from the Uchiha clan

"Why don't we ask Lord Iori for help? This is his stuff, he knows it best."

Shizune turned to Tsunade and spoke in a pleading tone.

When Tsunade returned yesterday, she was furious, and Shizune could roughly guess that there had been some conflict between the two.

Silently, she dared not ask directly, but could only probe indirectly.

Upon hearing this, Tsunade frowned, her tone filled with displeasure: "Huh? Does that mean I can't do anything without him?"

She was still angry about what Iori had done to stop her yesterday.

She was clearly doing this for his own good, but he didn't stand by her side, which made Tsunade feel both disappointed and angry.

Iori slowly walked over, looked at Tsunade, and had a helpless smile on her face: "Haha, isn't that why I'm here to help?"

Tsunade sneered, her tone laced with sarcasm: "What are you doing here? Weren't you still working on your grand plan?"

Although Iori didn't think he was wrong, he wisely chose not to argue with Tsunade.

"Just now, Mitokado Homura tried to silence the ninjas on the Land of Wind's front, but they refused to comply, and Mitokado Homura even tried to threaten them."

Iori sat down and looked at Tsunade, saying...

Upon hearing this, Tsunade relaxed, knowing that this had crossed Iori's line.

"Heh, you certainly don't want to back down now. So tell me, what did you do to him?"

Tsunade looked at Iori with some curiosity, wondering how he would take revenge.

"It's nothing, I just taught him a lesson with illusion magic." Iori said casually. Killing the advisor and the ANBU with illusion magic was something that could only be done, not talked about.

When asked, they said they committed suicide and that I did nothing.

Tsunade gave Iori a disapproving look and said, "Fine, if you're not going to tell me, then come and help. We have to set off today."

"Shizune, let me help you pack these things up and take them with you," Iori said to Shizune with a smile as she stepped forward.

"Okay, Lady Iori, but how do you plan to take them with you?" Shizune asked curiously, looking at Iori's empty hands.

In the ninja world, spatial artifacts are usually related to scrolls, which are advanced applications of sealing techniques. However, Shizune carefully examined Iori but found no trace of any scrolls.

Iori smiled and projected Wang Lujian. As the golden ripples slowly expanded, a huge space gradually appeared.

Shizune peered inside curiously and exclaimed, "Wow, the space inside is huge! There are so many weapons and miscellaneous items!"

The Gate of Babylon in Iori is not only used to store weapons, but also functions as a vault, luggage box and refrigerator. If Gilgamesh saw his treasure vault being ruined like this, he would probably be furious.

Upon seeing this, Tsunade raised an eyebrow slightly and walked over with a hint of curiosity.

She reached out, wanting to touch the strange ripples. Just as her fingertips were about to touch them, Iori suddenly reached out and stopped her.

"This is a fluctuation in space. Be careful and don't touch it carelessly," Iori said seriously.

Tsunade paused for a moment, then waved her hand dismissively, a perfunctory smile on her lips, "Yes, yes." Then she turned and left.

Without Tsunade's interference, Iori and Shizune's work efficiency increased dramatically.

They moved swiftly and quickly packed all the items neatly into the King's Treasure.

"After we return to Konoha, I'll go to the Senju residence and pack everything up for you."

Iori flicked her wrist and said to Tsunade.

"Oh, aren't you worried about going into the Senju clan's territory? You're an Uchiha, you know," Tsunade teased with a smile.

Iori chuckled and retorted, "Hehe, when it comes time to get married, I'll be the one marrying you. You'd better think about how you're going to explain this to your tribe."

"Damn it, you're going to drive me crazy!" Tsunade felt hopeless at the thought of having to explain to her clan why she was with a man from the Uchiha clan.

She stomped her foot and turned to leave the residence. Seeing this, Jingyin quickly followed her.

Iori watched their retreating figures and sighed helplessly.

In the afternoon, Orochimaru summoned all the ninjas, and except for a few who stayed behind, everyone finally embarked on their journey home.

Having endured the ravages of war and countless separations of life and death, all they want now is to return to their familiar hometown, enjoy a meal of local specialties, and reunite with their families.

Everyone's face was etched with exhaustion, but their eyes shone with a longing to go home.

The ninjas marched at an extremely fast pace, and after several days and nights of travel, the gates of Konoha were already in sight.

This is the first time in over a decade that I've been away from Konoha for such a long time. In a way, this place is my second home; I was only in my early twenties when I died in my previous life.

Iori still feels somewhat dazed when he thinks about it. He had doubted the authenticity of his past life, although based on the details, he firmly believed that he really existed in his past life.

But it wasn't until his cheat system was activated that he truly became certain that both Izumi from his past life and Iori from his present life existed.

[Konoha, oh Konoha, it's only been a year since I last returned, but it feels like a lifetime has passed.]

It hasn't changed at all since I left, but I'm not the same person I used to be.

Iori was filled with emotion, and her thoughts drifted back to her childhood and her time at the ninja academy.

Even with the help of relatives, life is still difficult for orphans.

The only bright spot in Iori's childhood was her cousin Shisui and her two playmates, Kaori Uzuki and Takumi Kurama, who held a very special place in her heart.

He shook his head, pulling his thoughts back to reality.

Ahead, a welcoming crowd had already gathered, and Iori followed Orochimaru towards the crowd.

At the front, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with Koharu Utatane at the very front, ready to welcome the triumphant ninjas.

Chapter 73 The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the triumphant ninjas and greeted them with a loving expression.

The morning sunlight shone on the gates of Konoha, creating a peaceful scene.

But beneath this seemingly warm and cozy scene lies a complex power struggle.

If it weren't for Iori's sudden rise to prominence, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have planned to welcome the ninjas returning from the Land of Wind's battlefield in such a high-profile manner.

Orochimaru had a distinguished military record, and logically he should have been the top candidate for the Fourth Hokage.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew his disciple's character well. He did not doubt Orochimaru's abilities, but he had deep doubts about his moral principles and policies.

As for whether this worry includes the fear of losing power, no one can be sure. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi himself couldn't be sure if he had any selfish motives.

He favored Minato Namikaze to succeed him as the Fourth Hokage. Firstly, Minato's abilities were indeed outstanding, and he was highly respected. His reputation, both in terms of mission evaluations and among ninjas, was near perfect.

On the other hand, his girlfriend, Kushina Uzumaki, was Konoha's last weapon of war—the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Because of the special relationship between the Uzumaki clan and Konoha, and the kinship between the Senju clan and Kushina, she cannot be simply regarded as a weapon in many situations; her opinions are sometimes very important.

Konoha has always hoped to weaponize the Tailed Beasts, but only if they are controllable. They found this possibility in Minato and Kushina, just as Mito Uzumaki said, to fill the void with love.

Furthermore, Jiraiya himself had no intention of becoming Hokage, yet he wholeheartedly recommended Minato for the position, which greatly skewed Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind.

A combination of factors led to Orochimaru being sidelined during the first half of the war.

If it weren't for the four-nation coalition attacking Konoha, forcing the village to exert all its strength, even sending newly graduated genin to the battlefield.

Orochimaru would never participate in the battle, much less become a frontline commander.

The village had originally prepared to downplay Orochimaru's achievements on the battlefield and highlight Minato's continuous victories in multi-front operations.

However, the unexpected situation in the Land of Wind and Uchiha Iori's formidable strength completely disrupted their plans.

Orochimaru's reputation is no longer the most worrying thing.

The rise of Uchiha Iori was like a dazzling new star, keeping Hiruzen Sarutobi and others awake at night.

Their hearts were filled with unease and anxiety, as if a black fog shrouded their minds. They had all experienced the period when Madara Uchiha was rampaging, and their fear of the Mangekyou Sharingan had long been ingrained in their bones.

The methods they once used against the Uchiha clan have now become a noose around their necks, tightly choking their breath.

Once Uchiha Iori becomes Hokage, he will inevitably settle scores about the past. Not only will the Konoha F4 be punished, but their families will also be held accountable.

Under Iori's threat, they chose the lesser of two evils and preferred to give the prestige to Orochimaru rather than Iori.

Iori gazed at Hiruzen Sarutobi, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Although this wasn't their first meeting, he had never been qualified to look the Hokage in the eye before.

Looking back on every meeting, it was either listening to his lecture at the Ninja Academy or receiving a mission at the Hokage Building.

Each time, Iori would keep her head down, trying her best to avoid being noticed.

Now, however, Iori can finally look directly at, and even look down upon, this once high and mighty figure.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was only in his early fifties. Although his strength had begun to decline, his combat power was still almost the same as in his peak period.

His eyes were still bright and piercing, and although his smile was kind, it revealed an undeniable air of authority.

His more than 20 years as Hokage endowed him with a unique leadership quality.

Although Iori always thought that the strongest Hokage boasted about in the past Ninja Academy was bullshit, he might not even be able to beat the Second Hokage, let alone the First Hokage.

However, his titles of "Ninja Expert" and "Ninja Hero" are still quite fitting.

Back when he was at the Ninja Academy, Hiruzen Sarutobi had shown off his skills to inspire the students. His Five Elements Escape Techniques were so masterful that they won everyone's respect.

Looking at Orochimaru's expression, which was cold and distant, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood that Orochimaru already knew his choice, but he was not sure whether Orochimaru was prepared to accept it or continue to compete.

He felt a little sad, but he still felt that he was doing it for the good of Konoha. He would find an opportunity to repair the relationship between master and disciple after the election.

"Orochimaru, you did a great job. You led the troops to victory in this war. You are all heroes of Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted, his voice amplified by his chakra, carrying throughout the crowd.

A commotion broke out among the returning ninja team. They had already understood the higher-ups' intentions when Mitokado Homura appeared and sealed their secrets.

But they didn't expect that the higher-ups would be so eager to make a move at the triumphant ceremony, trying to attribute most of the credit to Orochimaru.

Ryozo and the other ninjas who had received kindness from Iori were about to speak when they were interrupted by Orochimaru's voice.

“Teacher, you are wrong. Most of the credit for this war was given by Uchiha Iori. Our ability to make a comeback was entirely due to his power.”

Orochimaru licked his lips and answered calmly, having already made his decision, he no longer intended to be a pawn for his superiors.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

[Didn't Yan do a good job? And where is he? Why can't I see him?] Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the crowd but didn't see Yan.

He frowned, a flicker of unease crossing his mind, but quickly regained his composure.