Uchiha Seiryu [163-168] (Patreon)

Chapter 163: Five Tails Captured, Pain Lurks Behind

“Takigakure’s weapons and supplies are all provided by your Konoha, aren’t they?” Onoki asked directly.

“Lord Tsuchikage, as for that, Takigakure bought everything from us at market price. These are just regular commercial transactions. Surely you don’t expect us to stop doing business just because you’re at war?” Seiryu spread his hands as he spoke.

“Takigakure bought their ninja tools at market price?” Onoki narrowed his eyes. Judging by Takigakure’s recent extravagant use of explosive tags on the battlefield, who would believe these were bought at market price? Even the Land of Earth couldn’t afford such reckless spending for long, let alone Takigakure.

“Yes, at most, our village’s ninja tool merchants gave them a 20% discount for bulk purchases,” Seiryu said. “I swear on the name of the Hokage: Konoha has absolutely not given Takigakure any substantial support. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to send someone to Konoha to check the contracts for Takigakure’s purchases.”

Seiryu had said all he could, so Onoki couldn’t press further. If he pushed Seiryu too hard and Konoha went all-in, the war’s outcome would become unpredictable.

“If that’s the case, I hope you won’t forget our peace agreement,” Onoki said.

“Of course. We also hope you’ll remember our deal, and that if the front lines reach Konoha’s borders, your forces will remain calm,” Seiryu replied.

Seiryu finished and hung up the video call.

According to his agreement with Chomei, Seiryu had started teaching Fu techniques to control tailed beast power, but at critical points, both of them held back, leaving Fu in a state where she seemed close to mastering it, but found it very difficult in practice. During this long learning process, Naruto, Sasuke, and others became friends with Fu—something she’d longed for in Takigakure but found easily in Konoha.

As days passed, Fu’s desire to quickly master the Seven Tails and return to her village slowly faded.

….

Meanwhile, the disguised Sarutobi mercenaries Seiryu sent to the battlefield quickly made a name for themselves after adapting to the environment. With Shikaku’s brilliant strategy and Asuma’s Sarutobi unit’s fire release combinations, they wiped out an Iwagakure team. The lone survivor, left alive on purpose, had his mind read by the Yamanaka clan’s secret jutsu, revealing all secrets, which were swiftly delivered to Takigakure’s command.

When Onoki found out, he flew into a rage. All the battlefield’s traces were caused by fire release jutsu, and everyone knew which clan was the strongest at that.

However, in the face of Onoki’s questioning, Seiryu responded openly, inviting Onoki to send people to tour the Uchiha compound to prove his innocence.

“So, you’re saying this group of skilled fire release users aren’t from Konoha?” Onoki was nearly grinding his teeth to dust. But the intel suggested the group showed no abilities other than fire release—no sign of Sharingan, for example.

“Of course. Didn’t I say? If you don’t believe me, send someone to our Uchiha compound anytime,” Seiryu said with a smile.

It had to be said, this batch of private Sarutobi soldiers trained by the Third Hokage were indeed well hidden. Few in the shinobi world knew they existed. Now, as long as Seiryu erased their ninja registration, they’d become untraceable.

“Then these organized fire release users just appeared out of thin air?” Onoki asked angrily.

“That’s hard to say,” Seiryu replied with hidden meaning. “The shinobi world is vast. Maybe some organization wants to help the weak—like Akatsuki, currently on the battlefield between you and the Land of Waterfall.”

“Heh, you’re quite the joker, Lord Hokage.” Onoki snarled. He was sure the fire release squad was related to Konoha, but couldn’t find any proof.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up—I still need to teach my students today,” Seiryu said, ending the call.

As for the Sarutobi team getting exposed by Iwagakure, Seiryu believed with Nara Shikaku’s intellect, there was little risk. Shikaku’s job wasn’t to win the war, but to stir the pot—being exposed despite such an information gap would disgrace his title as Konoha’s strategist.

Under various influences, the war—everyone thought Takigakure would lose quickly—dragged into a stalemate.

Though Iwagakure’s forces dominated the main battlefield, Takigakure wasn’t powerless. With Akatsuki’s help and Shikaku’s Sarutobi unit, Takigakure managed several successful counterattacks, and attacks on small towns near the border of the Land of Earth were reported.

Takigakure’s resilience surprised the entire shinobi world, but Iwagakure lost face.

As one of the top three or two great ninja villages, both Onoki and the Land of Earth’s daimyo expected to end the war in a week. So did everyone else—except Seiryu. Yet Takigakure managed to hold them off.

As the war continued, Takigakure quickly burned through the first batch of ninja tools and supplies bought on credit. With no way out, Iwata Zeki, their leader, mortgaged several mines to keep getting supplies from Konoha, and Seiryu happily accepted.

But Takigakure’s resistance came at a huge price. Their losses were lopsided. While their chuunin and genin quickly learned Konoha’s lightning release combos, the gap in quality meant several had to die just to take down one Iwagakure ninja.

Iwata Zeki was now like a gambler who’d lost everything. Every able-bodied man in Takigakure and the Land of Waterfall—anyone who could produce chakra—was sent to the front, from academy students to men in their fifties. After a crash course in combo jutsu, they were thrown into battle.

Even Konan, couldn’t bear this. At a strategy meeting, hearing Iwata Zeki was sending more kids to the front, she couldn’t help but say, “Mr. Iwata, with all due respect—even if you win this war, Takigakure will have no future.”

“Lady Angel, of course I know that.” Iwata Zeki smiled bitterly. In just a few months, his appearance had changed drastically—unkempt beard, bloodshot eyes, his previous gentle demeanor gone. He looked at Konan and said, “But if we lose, the Land of Waterfall will cease to exist. What future would there be then?”

“This... is war,” Konan sighed. “Akatsuki will do our best to help you win.”

“Thank you, Lady Angel,” Iwata Zeki managed to calm himself.

Konan nodded and stepped out of the command tent, looking at the blank stares of the ninja in camp. She sighed again, thinking:

It seems only Nagato’s plan can bring lasting peace to the shinobi world.

Originally, Konan wasn’t sure about Nagato’s plan to collect the tailed beasts and threaten the great nations, but after all she’d seen, her mindset was starting to change.

…

“Shikaku-san, are we moving today?” In a cave somewhere in the Land of Waterfall, Asuma lit a cigarette and looked at Shikaku.

“Not for now,” Shikaku replied, staring at the map and simulating the war in his mind.

“We’ve been waiting for days, I’m getting rusty,” Asuma stretched.

“Our actions have been too high-profile lately. Iwagakure’s patience is at its limit. They’ve sent several elite Jonin teams to hunt us. We have to lay low for now.”

“But if we keep hiding, the Land of Waterfall might not hold out,” Asuma said.

This team, besides the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, was tasked with helping Takigakure resist Iwagakure. Asuma’s anxiety was understandable—he’d already promised Kurenai they’d marry after the war.

“Asuma-sama, let’s follow Nara-san’s orders,” said a Sarutobi clan elite jonin.

This was Sarutobi Yukiya, previously a captain among the Sarutobi’s private troops. After registering with Seiryu, he’d joined the Anbu. Before this mission, the Third Hokage personally told him to protect Asuma and try to mend ties with the other clans. The Sarutobi now followed Shikaku’s orders to the letter, not complaining even after a few casualties.

“All right,” Asuma nodded, settling in with his cigarette.

“Asuma! Put out your smoke!” Suddenly, Yamanaka Inoichi, who was sensing outside, shouted.

Asuma, startled, dropped his cigarette and stomped it out. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m sensing a massive chakra signature approaching—likely an Iwagakure jinchuriki!” Inoichi said gravely.

“Jinchuriki?” Shikaku’s face grew serious. Though their squad could destroy a small country, they were like ants before a tailed beast.

“Everyone, hide!” Shikaku whispered.

Everyone held their breath in the cave.

Not far from them, the Five Tails jinchuriki Han was sprinting toward Takigakure’s rear. His mission: destroy their rear lines. The prolonged war had worn down Onoki’s patience, prompting him to send a jinchuriki to strike directly.

But as Han rushed forward, six figures in red cloud cloaks blocked his path.

“Out of my way!” Han roared, unleashing the Five Tails’ steam release, boosting his strength severalfold. He tried to smash through.

But ahead, an orange-haired youth with black rods in his face simply raised his right hand.

“It’s time for you great nations to taste pain,” Pain said calmly. “Shinra Tensei!”

A massive repulsive force struck, tossing Han into the air. He barely regained balance as he landed.

Han glared. “Who are you?”

Chapter 164: Deidara Arrives

“I am... Pain, god of the new world!” The six paths puppets closed in, trapping Han.

At this moment, Kokuo, the Five Tails, saw Pain’s eyes through Han’s vision.

“Those are... the old man’s eyes! Not good! Han, run!” 

Kokuo shouted in alarm.

Run? Han was stunned—he’d never seen his tailed beast this panicked.

“I don’t know how he got that power, but those eyes are beyond us. Run!”

Kokuo insisted.

“I don’t think we can escape,” Han replied bitterly, surrounded by six paths.

“Does Akatsuki really have to oppose Iwagakure? Whatever Takigakure is paying, we’ll double it!” Han tried to negotiate.

“You great nations never cared about the lives of small countries,” Pain said coldly, raising his hand. “Feel the pain of the weak—Shinra Tensei!”

“Wait—!” Han shouted, but the massive force and then a chain of explosions overwhelmed him.

Back in the cave, Yamanaka Inoichi sensed the chaos, his face twisted in fear. Shikaku panicked at his old friend’s reaction.

The explosions faded. Inoichi sensed Han’s chakra and life force disappearing at an astonishing rate.

The smoke cleared. Pain held the dying Han in one hand, turning to look at the cave hiding the Konoha team.

In that instant, Inoichi broke into a cold sweat, feeling like he saw his ancestors waving goodbye.

Thankfully, Pain just nodded in their direction and left with Han.

Inoichi collapsed in relief, and Shikaku, Choza, and Asuma rushed to help him up.

“What did you see?” Shikaku asked.

“Six people. They took down the Five Tails jinchuriki in three minutes,” Inoichi wiped his brow. “Each of those six was as strong as a tailed beast.”

“Six people?” Shikaku was shocked. “And you’re sure they only needed three minutes?”

“Yes. And they noticed me—but luckily bore no malice.”

“Three minutes to beat a perfect jinchuriki? Even Lord Hokage would have trouble without using Mangekyou Sharingan genjutsu,” Shikaku muttered.

“Come on, even I know Hokage can’t use genjutsu. No way he could beat a jinchuriki that fast,” Asuma said.

Everyone stared at Asuma, including Sarutobi Yukiya.

“Uh, Asuma-sama, please never say that in front of Lord Hokage,” Yukiya cautioned.

“Of course not! I’m not stupid,” Asuma replied.

“Enough banter—let’s figure out who those six are,” Inoichi said.

“I suspect they’re all from Akatsuki,” Shikaku analyzed. “Besides us, there are three other forces: Iwagakure, Takigakure, and Akatsuki. Only Akatsuki could take on an Iwagakure jinchuriki like that.”

Inoichi and Chouza turned serious.

“Why the long faces?” Asuma asked. “Aren’t Akatsuki our allies?”

“They are,” Inoichi said. “But their ‘Angel’ and the ‘Immortal’ on the main battlefield can rival weaker Kage. Now they have six even stronger members. That’s not good—they’re mercenaries; who knows when they might become our enemies?”

“So what do we do?” Asuma asked Shikaku.

“This is beyond us. We must report to Lord Hokage and let him decide,” Shikaku said.

“Everyone, pack up. We’re heading back to Konoha. Be careful not to be seen by anyone, understood?” Shikaku ordered.

“Yes!”

…

News of the missing Five Tails jinchuriki soon reached the Tsuchikage’s office.

Onoki immediately suspected Seiryu—only Mangekyou Sharingan could take down a jinchuriki so fast. The lack of bijuu transformation signs along Han’s route only confirmed it.

But before he could call and complain, Akatsuki publicly claimed responsibility.

“What are they playing at? Do they want to drag the Land of Rain into the war too?” Onoki slammed the desk. “Contact Hanzo. I want to know what Rain is planning!”

Much later, his aide reported, “Lord Tsuchikage, we’ve sent multiple requests to Amegakure, but there’s been no response.”

Onoki pounded the desk, barely restraining himself from declaring war on Rain. He was already overwhelmed by Takigakure, and couldn't risk losing control by fighting Rain too.

“Send people to negotiate with Akatsuki—see what terms they want to release Han. Also, recall Roshi. If Akatsuki is targeting our jinchuriki, we can’t let him wander outside.”

“Bad news, Lord Tsuchikage!” someone shouted from outside.

Onoki looked—it was the shinobi assigned to watch Deidara. Had Deidara blown something up again?

“Bad news, Lord Tsuchikage! Deidara’s missing. We found this in his house.” The jonin handed over a note.

Onoki’s blood pressure soared just reading it:

[Old man, I’m off to seek true art. Don’t bother unless it’s important!]

“Does that brat know what he’s doing?!” Onoki yelled so hard he threw his back out.

Everyone rushed to help him. Once he recovered, someone asked, “Should we list Deidara as a rogue ninja?”

“Rogue ninja? He’s not even a ninja anymore!” Onoki snapped. “Track him down and bring him back! He can’t have gotten far.”

“Yes!” everyone replied.

But Onoki, flustered by bad news, forgot his apprentice could fly—and was probably already out of the country.

…

Above the Land of Fire, a clay bird soared through the skies. On its back, Deidara spread his arms, enjoying the wind of freedom.

“Wuhu! Little bro, did you miss me? Your big bro is here!”

A day later, the bird landed in a town near Konoha. After a meal, Deidara headed straight for the village.

Since the capital had moved to Konoha, the village wasn’t completely walled off anymore. The core area—daimyo’s palace and Hokage’s office—remained inside the old walls. Deidara entered the commercial district easily but was stopped at the core area by gate guards, Kotetsu and Izumo.

“Kid, you can’t go in here. Where are your parents?” Kotetsu asked kindly.

“My parents aren’t here, but my little bro is inside,” Deidara replied.

“Your little bro?” Izumo frowned.

“Uzumaki Naruto! Your Fifth Hokage’s student!” Deidara declared.

“Naruto’s brother?” Kotetsu was shocked.

Since Naruto had inherited the Uzumaki name and become Seiryu’s student, his true identity had spread among Konoha’s ninja. Most chuunin and above now knew he was the Fourth’s son.

Now, a slightly older blond kid claimed to be his brother—could the Fourth have had a son outside the village?

Deidara’s blond hair certainly misled them. Kotetsu said politely, “Wait here, I’ll bring him to you.”

“Thanks, big bro,” Deidara said cheerfully.

Kotetsu, instead of going to the academy, reported directly to the Hokage’s office.

“A blond kid claiming to be Naruto’s brother at the core area gate?” Seiryu nearly spat out his tea.

Kotetsu didn’t know who Naruto’s big brother was, but Seiryu did.

“Bring him to me—no, I’ll go myself,” Seiryu said, rising from his desk.

This kid was dangerous—watching him blow up Iwagakure was fun, but now he was here, Seiryu had to keep a close eye on him.

“Lord Hokage, that boy—?” Kotetsu hesitated.

“Don’t worry, he has nothing to do with the Fourth. He’s just a friend Naruto met outside,” Seiryu said.

“Yes!” Kotetsu nodded, heading to the gate with Seiryu.

At the gate, Seiryu saw Deidara squatting and kneading clay. He tensed and hurried over. “Deidara.”

“Hokage-uncle! You’re here!” Deidara beamed, waving.

“Why are you here alone? Does your teacher know?” Seiryu asked.

“I was bored in Iwagakure, so I came to see little bro Naruto. I guess the old man knows by now,” Deidara grinned.

Seiryu sighed. Now he truly understood how troublesome a wild child could be—his village was at war, and this kid sneaked out to play?

Chapter 165: Yamato Construction Group’s Chief Demolitions Expert

Honestly, as Seiryu looked at the excited Deidara, he felt a headache coming on.

When Deidara was wrecking other villages, Seiryu could laugh and even applaud his creativity. But now that Deidara was here, all Seiryu wanted was to get rid of him.

“Naruto should be out of school soon. I’ll have someone take you to him,” Seiryu said.

“Great! I’ll come find you later for an art lesson!” Deidara still saw Seiryu as a guide on his path to true art, showing none of the troublemaking bravado that had given Onoki such headaches.

Seiryu had Uchiha Inaho escort Deidara to the academy (but really to keep an eye on him). He then—rarely—initiated a video call with Onoki.

Usually, Onoki called to curse, while Seiryu enjoyed his troubles. Onoki was surprised to get a call from Konoha.

“Lord Hokage, what do you want?” Onoki asked, looking irritable—clearly worn down by the recent loss of his jinchuriki and Deidara’s disappearance.

“Did your disciple leave the village recently?” Seiryu asked.

“And why is the Hokage suddenly interested in my disciple?” Onoki grew wary.

“He showed up in Konoha today,” Seiryu said helplessly.

“What?! That brat—” Onoki cursed.

After venting, Onoki asked, “Has he caused you any trouble?”

“No, Deidara’s been very polite,” Seiryu replied.

“That’s good,” Onoki nodded.

“So, do you want to send someone to pick him up?” Seiryu asked.

At first, Onoki wanted to bring Deidara back immediately and give him a beating. But then he thought—why bother? Deidara, while talented, wasn’t much help in the current war. Keeping him in the village just meant constant worry about what he’d blow up next. Leaving him in Konoha would annoy Seiryu for once.

With that, Onoki changed his tune. “As you know, we’re bogged down in war and can’t spare anyone to pick him up.”

“Uh, I could send someone—” Seiryu tried.

“No need,” Onoki interrupted. “If my wayward student likes Konoha, could I trouble you to look after him for a while?”

“This... isn’t really appropriate,” Seiryu said, realizing Onoki wanted to dump the kid on him. “He’s your prized disciple—he should be focusing on his growth, not wasting time in our village.”

“No need to worry—Deidara already has his own jutsu system. He just needs to hone his skills and build chakra. You don’t need to teach him,” Onoki insisted.

“But what about his safety—” Seiryu began.

“What, is Konoha unable to guarantee a ten-year-old’s safety?” Onoki shot back, savoring the chance to use Seiryu’s own words against him.

Seiryu: …

“If the kid causes trouble, don’t worry about my feelings—just discipline him. I have things to do, goodbye.” Onoki hung up.

Seiryu rubbed his temples—he hadn’t expected Onoki to so shamelessly dump Deidara on him.

…

While Seiryu and Onoki talked, Deidara arrived at the academy gate, where he saw Naruto leaving with his study group.

“Naruto, little bro!” Deidara waved excitedly.

Naruto spun around, thinking he misheard—but then saw Deidara and shouted, “Big bro Deidara!”

They ran to each other and exchanged a big hug.

“Big bro Deidara, why are you here?” Naruto asked.

“Iwagakure can’t contain my art, so I came to see you,” Deidara grinned.

“Let’s go! I’ll treat you to the world’s best ramen!” Naruto slung an arm around Deidara, the two blondes heading for Ichiraku Ramen.

“Who’s that?” Kiba asked, who hadn’t gone to Iwagakure last time.

“He’s from Iwagakure, the Tsuchikage’s student. What’s he doing here?” Sasuke wondered.

“I smell trouble,” Shikamaru muttered, dead-eyed.

“Rightly so,” Neji recalled their explosive encounters in Iwagakure.

“Naruto-kun… is it okay to go with him?” Hinata asked timidly.

“What could go wrong?” Neji snapped. “Those two together… But—we’re in the village now…” Neji realized that if they caused trouble here, it’d be bad.

“We have to tell sensei!” Neji said hurriedly.

“I’ll lead everyone to watch them, you go tell sensei!” Sasuke replied.

“Okay, split up!” Neji ran toward the Hokage’s office.

The others followed Naruto and Deidara.

Soon, they arrived at Ichiraku. Naruto excitedly lifted the curtain and sat down at the counter. “Ayame, two deluxe pork ramen, please!”

“Naruto? What brings you here? And so much food—Kakashi told me not to let you eat too much,” Ayame said, poking her head out.

“Today I’m treating a guest from far away!” Naruto replied.

Ayame noticed Deidara. “A new friend? I haven’t seen him before.”

“He came all the way from Iwagakure,” Naruto introduced. “Big bro Deidara, this is Ayame. Her ramen is the best in the world!”

“Is that so? If you say so, little bro, I have to try it!” Deidara replied.

Soon, Neji reached the Hokage’s office and reported everything to Seiryu.

“I already knew,” Seiryu said, rubbing his head. “Don’t worry, Inaho is with him—nothing major will happen.”

But the question of what to do with Deidara was a big one. Sending him to Fugaku’s place wouldn’t work—there was a Takigakure jinchuriki there, and a meeting could mean a fight. Controlling Deidara by force wasn’t an option either—Seiryu couldn’t bring himself to do that to a ten-year-old.

“Onoki really dumped a problem on me,” Seiryu sighed—just then, Yamato arrived, asking to see him.

Seiryu allowed Yamato in. He entered, dressed in a business suit.

“Lord Hokage,” Yamato greeted politely.

Seiryu, seeing his business attire, felt a bit better.

Yamato had recently faded from ninja life, focusing on business. As CEO of Yamato Construction, he’d monopolized Konoha’s real estate industry, bringing in steady revenue for the village. Whenever Seiryu needed money, Yamato delivered it by the next day.

“President Yamato, what brings you here?” Seiryu smiled.

Yamato replied sincerely, “I owe everything to your help back then.” After leaving Root, Yamato appreciated Seiryu and Kakashi’s rescue, forever grateful.

“Skip the pleasantries. What’s up?” Seiryu asked.

“It’s like this,” Yamato grew serious. “On the east side of the village, Gato and I want to build a new commercial district. Here are the plans.”

He produced a scroll with blueprints. Seiryu looked them over, impressed—it was modeled after modern shopping centers.

“So, what’s the issue?” Seiryu asked.

“The central building is huge. My wood release can barely handle it. To ensure a solid foundation, we need to excavate. Manual labor would cost too much at today’s wages, so there’d be no profit.”

Seiryu nodded. With Konoha’s economic growth, wages had risen, and strict policies meant no one dared withhold pay.

“So, your idea is?” Seiryu asked.

“I’d like to request some explosive tags. My engineers calculated that using blasts for excavation would cut costs to just hauling the soil away.”

Blasting, huh. Seiryu eyed the 210,000 m² site—blasting would need a lot of tags. Wait—blasting?

“I see. Just wait a few days—you’ll be able to start. Send the payment for the tags to the Hokage building later,” Seiryu said.

“Yes!” Yamato didn’t question it. For such a big job, the Hokage would assign someone trustworthy.

After Yamato left, Seiryu’s eyes gleamed:

Old man, you dumped your disciple on me—don’t blame me for using him as child labor!

Seiryu changed out of his robes and hurried to Ichiraku. When he arrived, the two blondes were almost done eating.

Chapter 166: One Tube of Chakra

“Naruto, this ramen is amazing! Way better than anything in Iwagakure!” Deidara said happily.

"Of course!" Teuchi stuck his head out of the kitchen. "I traveled all over the shinobi world, learning from the best, to create this delicious ramen."

"Huh? Lord Hokage?" Teuchi was surprised to see the person entering the shop. "What brings you here?"

"I'm here for these two brats. One super spicy bamboo shoot ramen for me," Seiryu smiled and nodded to Teuchi, then went to sit with the two blond kids.

Teuchi was a true craftsman. As Konoha rapidly developed, his ramen became a local landmark. Many businessmen wanted to partner with him and expand, selling his ramen across the shinobi world. However, Teuchi turned them down, worried that expansion would hurt quality—even if it meant missing out on huge profits.

Some of those businessmen, unwilling to let such an opportunity slip, tried to force Teuchi’s hand or steal his recipe. But they forgot that Teuchi's backing in Konoha might be even stronger than Gato’s. Gato was just the Hokage’s white-glove frontman, but Teuchi could proudly say that this generation of Konoha ninja had all grown up eating his ramen.

Those who tried anything shady were quickly taken by Kakashi to the Naka Prison to experience the winter waters of the Naka River firsthand.

"Sensei!"

"Hokage-uncle!"

The two blonds greeted him. Seiryu sighed, "I told you, there’s no need to call me uncle."

"Oh," Deidara replied absentmindedly.

After finishing his ramen and saying goodbye to Teuchi, Seiryu led the two blonds out. He let Naruto go home, then took Deidara to the edge of the village.

"I've already contacted your teacher. The Tsuchikage wants you to stay in Konoha as an exchange student for a while, so you can stay out of the war in the Land of Earth. He also asked me to guide your training," Seiryu explained as they walked.

"Forget training—let’s talk about art!" Deidara rubbed his hands together. "Your advice last time gave me new insights into art."

"No rush," Seiryu waved him off. "Art takes patience. Tomorrow, I’ll set aside a place for you to show me what you’ve learned lately."

"Yes, yes!" Deidara nodded eagerly, thinking:

Konoha's the best. The old fossils in Iwa never understood my art!

Seiryu brought Deidara to an undeveloped construction site at the village’s edge. He set him up in a grass hut—formerly the rest area for Training Ground No. 9, now marked for future housing. With ninja training grounds moved south, this area was slated for development. Seiryu certainly wouldn’t let Deidara stay in Konoha’s core, otherwise who knows what he might blow up on a whim. Even if he could bill the Tsuchikage for damages, constant explosions would tank property values. So Seiryu decisively stashed him out here, with two water-style ninjas stationed nearby to make sure he didn’t start any wildfires.

Of course, Seiryu didn’t say any of this out loud.

"I was going to let you room with Naruto, but as an artist, you need to be close to nature for inspiration. So I arranged this spot for you. No objections?" Seiryu asked with a smile.

"This is amazing!" Deidara beamed at the green hills and rivers. "Thank you, Hokage-uncle!"

"I’ll have someone take care of you. If you need anything, just ask. We treat all guests well in Konoha," Seiryu said.

"About tomorrow..." Deidara looked a little embarrassed at how well everything was arranged.

"I’ll come pick you up myself," Seiryu promised.

"Deal!" Deidara grinned.

…

The next morning, Seiryu went to fetch Deidara and took him to the area Yamato had drawn up on the blueprints.

Judging by Deidara’s dark circles, he’d been too excited to sleep.

When they arrived, Seiryu suggested, "You can rest first, no rush to show off your art."

"No way! I’m ready!" Deidara perked up, popped some clay into his mouth, and soon spat out a huge wad. The clay formed a giant bird in front of them.

Deidara hopped on and said, "Come on, let’s get airborne."

Seiryu nodded and followed him onto the bird's back. The giant bird flapped its wings and soared into the sky.

From above, Seiryu understood why Yamato found this place troublesome. This was a 400,000-square-meter area. If you just needed to dig a 200,000-square-meter pit for a foundation, labor costs would be high but not ruinous. However, with all the massive rocks in the area, only explosive tags could efficiently clear the way.

As Seiryu surveyed the site, Deidara kept prepping, chewing more clay with not just his mouth but also the strange mouths on his palms. Then, to Seiryu’s shock, Deidara produced a bunch of sealed metal blocks and powders—including extremely reactive pure metals like sodium and magnesium, sealed in kerosene jars inscribed with sealing formulas.

Seiryu was dumbfounded. Even as a transmigrator, he wouldn't know how to produce pure metal sodium in this world, but Deidara had figured it out?

"How did you get this?" Seiryu asked, pointing to what looked like sodium metal.

"This? I call it Explosive Red Metal. It’s amazing—touches water, makes a sharp bang, huge explosion!" Deidara said. "To make it, you use an iron crucible, put in caustic soda, heat with high-level fire style, and you get a little at the end. It’s a pain—only a few Iwa ninja can get fire style hot enough, so getting their help cost me half a year’s allowance. Probably cheaper in Konoha."

Seiryu: ...

This kid really is more than just a demolition genius. To create elemental sodium in a world where most people are nearly illiterate—that’s real talent.

"All done!" Deidara declared, smashing the glass containers and letting the clay swallow up all the various metals. The clay glowed with dazzling colors in the sunlight.

Deidara shouted, "Explosion Style: Hundred Blossoms Technique!"

A lump of processed clay became a giant bird and dove to the ground. Two seconds later, a thundering explosion shook the air, with a mushroom cloud rising over the site and debris flying everywhere.

But the real surprise was still to come. Seiryu sensed a burst of space-time jutsu at the explosion's center. Two clay lumps with mixed-in metals vanished from Deidara’s side, followed by two more blasts and blindingly bright, two-toned mushroom clouds.

Then, another space-time ripple—four more clay lumps vanished, four more colored mushroom clouds erupted.

Soon, eight lumps disappeared, and eight more colors of mushroom clouds bloomed.

"Chain Explosive Tags?" Seiryu was stunned. The principle was just like Tobirama’s Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags—triggering explosions via chakra and a pre-set summoning formula to teleport more explosives into the center for a chain effect.

But Deidara’s version was far more spectacular. In the daylight, it looked like a fireworks show, with colorful mushroom clouds blooming like flowers.

By now, Deidara was drenched in sweat—this jutsu clearly burned through his chakra. He was about spent.

"Hokage-uncle, help me out—water style, please! I’m out of chakra!" Deidara called, maintaining the jutsu.

Seiryu realized what Deidara wanted, quickly formed seals, and unleashed Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu.

A massive wall of water formed, then was blasted into mist by the explosions!

"Now for the final strike!" Deidara shouted, sending his last batch of clay birds—infused with reactive metals—soaring into the water vapor.

With an iconic hissing, whistling sound, the last explosions erupted.

Deidara was spent, his clay bird vanishing beneath him. Both he and Seiryu plummeted from several hundred meters up, but Deidara kept his eyes glued to the spectacular display, smiling with satisfaction.

Seiryu shook his head, then activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. A massive Susanoo materialized, catching them and holding them aloft.

Most people would marvel at Susanoo, but not Deidara. His gaze never left his blossoming mushroom clouds, face full of joy.

Seiryu couldn’t help but admire Deidara’s genius—even as a ten-year-old, this was an S-rank technique. Normally, such a dangerous jutsu would be sealed away, but here it was, created by a child.

When the mushroom clouds faded, they landed safely, leaving a crater a kilometer wide and dozens of meters deep.

It was still only half the size Yamato needed, but if you tried to do this with explosive tags—even using Chain Explosive Tags—you’d need nearly ten thousand, at 3,500 ryo apiece. By that measure, one tube of Deidara’s chakra was worth an Asuma.

"Well? My latest research!" Deidara, exhausted, still looked up proudly at Seiryu.

"Excellent! You’re blazing your own trail. Here, eat some soldier pills, restore your chakra," Seiryu smiled, handing over some pills. This wasn’t just a demolition genius—this was a money-printing machine!

While Deidara recovered, Seiryu calculated the size of the crater versus Yamato’s needs. After a while, he said, "But don’t you think your art is a bit superficial? The explosions were pretty, but color alone doesn’t reach the highest level of art."

"You’re right!" Deidara, after regaining some chakra, leaped up, thoughtful.

Chapter 167: The Actions of the Kirigakure Rebels

As he recovered chakra, Deidara pondered deeply, but couldn't find an answer. So he looked up and asked Seiryu, "Hokage-uncle, do you have any advice?"

"I think the most important thing about art is expressing the artist’s emotions. Your performance was flashy, but I didn’t feel any emotion from it—so it felt a bit empty," Seiryu said.

"Is that so?" Deidara stroked his chin. "Then how do I express my emotions?"

"That’s something you have to find for yourself. Great art bears the unique imprint of each artist’s soul. You have to discover your own path," Seiryu said. "But I’ve heard that great artists rely on constant practice and that flash of inspiration when the moment comes. With your talent, I’m sure you’ll get there. For now, focus on daily practice."

"I understand! Thank you, Hokage-uncle!" Deidara said, full of confidence.

"I’ll introduce you to someone soon. He’ll take you to your daily practice site," Seiryu said. "For now, keep recovering your chakra, then get back to practice."

"Okay!" Deidara focused on recovery.

Once Deidara was ready, Seiryu took him to the unfinished part of the site. Deidara quietly took out his clay, and the sound of explosions echoed across Konoha again.

After Deidara finished, Seiryu called for Yamato.

When Yamato arrived and saw Deidara’s work, he was stunned. Even with explosive tags, this much blasting would take three days, but Seiryu had handled it before noon!

"Deidara, this is Konoha’s architectural artist. His level in architecture is so high," Seiryu said.

Yamato was confused by Seiryu’s words.

"Architecture? That’s not art! Only explosions are art!" Deidara scoffed at the title of architectural artist.

"That’s not true. Art comes in many forms," Seiryu signaled Yamato to remain quiet and kept talking to Deidara. "Shutting yourself off won’t get you to the height of art. Sometimes, learning other forms can inspire you and help you find that flash of insight."

"All right," Deidara nodded, then held out a hand. "I’m Deidara, nice to meet you."

"I’m Yamato," Yamato replied, trying to keep quiet as instructed.

"Yamato, don’t underestimate our guest from Iwa," Seiryu laughed. "See all this? That’s his handiwork."

Deidara showed a proud grin. He'd never felt this in Iwa—there, Onoki would scold or even beat him for practicing art, but in Konoha, the Hokage himself watched and praised him, even calling him an artist.

Yamato, meanwhile, realized the truth: all this blasting would have taken three days with explosive tags, but this kid did it in one morning. As Konoha grew, he’d have more deep foundations to dig, and with Deidara, he could save a fortune on tags. Now he understood why Seiryu went out of his way to give him the title of architectural artist.

"Yamato, since you’ve met a kindred spirit, why not show your new friend a trick?" Seiryu prompted.

"Yes!" Yamato went to the crater, made rapid hand signs, and slapped the ground.

"Wood Style: Four Pillar House Technique!"

From the blasted wasteland, giant trees burst forth, linking together to form the skeleton of a massive building.

"Amazing!" Deidara marveled. He’d heard of Hashirama and Wood Style, but never seen it in person—especially not for something as ambitious as this commercial center. To Deidara, Yamato’s title of architectural artist was now justified.

"You two chat. I’ll return to handle official business," Seiryu said, leaving Deidara with Yamato.

After Deidara settled in Konoha, the village’s construction sped up dramatically. Onoki had tried to dump his problem on Seiryu, but Seiryu had turned Deidara into Yamato Construction’s chief demolitionist. Apart from daily explosions, Konoha’s development only benefited, and Seiryu made a tidy profit through Yamato’s company.

Iwagakure, however, was in trouble. The stalemate on the battlefield left Onoki and Uesugi Hideyoshi stressed out, their goal of a quick victory over Takigakure unfulfilled—and they’d lost a tailed beast.

Onoki’s envoys to Akatsuki and Hanzo returned empty-handed. With Akatsuki involved, the Land of Rain had closed its borders.

The only good news was that after capturing the Five Tails, Pain hadn’t appeared on the battlefield again, and Roshi, who’d left the village, returned upon hearing of Iwa’s plight.

Every day, war reports flew across the shinobi world, but they were confusing; both sides claimed victories as if there were no losers.

…

Time passed, and the 58th year of Konoha arrived quietly.

On New Year’s Day, after attending the village celebrations, Seiryu returned to his office—where Black Zetsu and Tobi emerged from the floor.

"Happy New Year, ancestor. And you too, Tobi," Seiryu greeted them.

"Happy New Year, Lord Seiryu!" Tobi saluted energetically.

"Ancestor, is something happening in Kirigakure?" Seiryu asked.

"Yes. The rebels have surrounded the entire village and plan a full assault in three days," Black Zetsu reported.

"So soon?" Seiryu was surprised.

"Mei Terumi, learning from your methods in Konoha, has raised an army strong enough to challenge Kirigakure’s Anbu. They’ve also found the previously exiled Six Tails jinchuriki, Utakata. With our control over the Three Tails’ host, Yagura can’t fully use its power. Kirigakure’s defeat is only a matter of time."

"They even found the Six Tails jinchuriki?" Seiryu chuckled. "Looks like Terumi has some skill after all."

"Aren’t you worried? If they succeed, all our arrangements will be wasted," Black Zetsu said.

"No rush—we still have three days," Seiryu said lazily. "But as good neighbors, Konoha should stir things up a bit. Maybe use this opportunity to grab the Six Tails."

"What’s your plan?" Black Zetsu asked.

"Pick me up in two hours. I have some things to arrange. This time, I’ll go to Kirigakure myself," Seiryu said seriously.

"Fine," Black Zetsu nodded, then left with Tobi.

"Inaho, fetch Kakashi," Seiryu called out.

Soon after, Kakashi arrived.

"Calling me at this hour—what’s going on?" Kakashi asked.

"Kirigakure’s lively lately," Seiryu smiled.

"Kirigakure?" Kakashi frowned. "Did you hear something?"

"Yes. There’s a rebel group planning a coup," Seiryu explained.

"A coup?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Haven’t heard that word in a while. What’s your plan?"

"I’d like to help, but we have no standing to get involved. Still, to prevent their coup from affecting the Land of Fire, I want you and Gai to take a team of elite ANBU to support the border units."

"Understood," Kakashi nodded.

"If the opportunity arises, you can cross the border at your own discretion. But always put Konoha’s interests first, understood?" Seiryu said.

"Opportunity?" Kakashi glanced at Seiryu, then nodded. "I understand. When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible. We have several important factories on the east coast—not a single one can be lost," Seiryu smiled, seeing Kakashi understood his hint.

"I’ll set out soon," Kakashi nodded.

"Want to bring my sword?" Seiryu asked, glancing at the sword rack.

"No need," Kakashi shook his head. "With Gai and me, we don’t need that for show."

"And," Kakashi’s visible eye gleamed, "if the opportunity you mentioned comes up, I’d rather settle things with Kirigakure personally."

"All right," Seiryu nodded.

…

An hour later, Kakashi, Gai, and a squad of elite jonin left for the eastern border.

Seiryu waited in his office for Tobi and Black Zetsu.

Soon, they returned.

"Let’s go," Seiryu nodded, leaving a shadow clone in the office, then letting Tobi merge with him as they set off for the Land of Water.

Two hours later, Seiryu arrived at the same safehouse as before, now disguised by Tobi. Looking in the mirror at his bald head, he grimaced, "Next time, could you give me a disguise that isn’t bald?"

Before Tobi could answer, there was a knock at the door.

"Jonin Satake, the leader has called a meeting!" someone announced.

"Got it. I’ll be right there," Seiryu replied casually.

After checking his disguise, Seiryu headed into the Kirigakure rebel base.

He quickly spotted familiar faces—Momochi Zabuza with his Executioner’s Blade, Hoshigaki Kisame with Samehada, and in the corner, a long-haired, loose-robed man blowing bubbles: Utakata, the Six Tails’ jinchuriki.

Chapter 168: The Kirigakure Revolution

Seiryu observed the attendees, then found a corner to sit with Tobi whispering in his ear.

"Has that woman shown any intent to become the Fifth Mizukage or found a new village?" Seiryu asked.

"No, Lord Seiryu. I’ve probed her, but Mei Terumi says the priority is overthrowing Yagura’s tyranny. The Mizukage title will be decided by vote after victory."

Seiryu: ...

He looked around the hall: "Tobi, how many of these people do you think joined just for a shot at being Mizukage?"

"Is that so? But everyone seems to follow Mei Terumi’s lead," Tobi said, confused.

"That’s because she built the team, and they need her power until they succeed. But she forgot to plant the idea of her being the sole leader in everyone’s minds," Seiryu said. "I never had to do that—Mangekyo Sharingan and my wartime record are enough to cow my subordinates. Mei isn’t the same—her strength is only on par with the others, and the Six Tails jinchuriki might be even stronger. If I were her, I’d never invite Utakata."

"This team will fall apart over the Mizukage position as soon as they win, believe me. But that suits me—let Kirigakure stay chaotic."

"But from our intel, Zabuza and Kisame’s followers all seem loyal to Mei, so your scenario is unlikely," Tobi said.

"Even so, both Zabuza and Kisame have their own loyalists, right?" Seiryu smiled.

"Yes. Kisame leads two battalions, while Zabuza had his own team before joining the rebels."

"Exactly. Sometimes, even if the leader has no ambition, their followers will push them forward," Seiryu said.

As they spoke, Mei Terumi entered, followed by two figures: the young swordsman Chojuro, and Ao, the so-called Byakugan Slayer, with an eyepatch covering his right eye. Unlike most here, these two were Mei’s true confidants.

Seiryu looked at Ao—the eyepatch hid a Byakugan, one of the Hyuga clan’s lost treasures. Now he had a perfect excuse for military intervention.

Ao noticed Seiryu staring, and glanced back. Tobi, attached to Seiryu, tensed, worried their disguise was blown.

But Seiryu calmly met Ao’s gaze with a friendly smile. Whether Ao’s Byakugan could see through White Zetsu’s disguise or not, he wouldn’t dare activate it here—a room full of rebels wouldn’t take kindly to being distrusted.

Sure enough, Ao returned the smile. Seiryu’s alias, Satake Masato, was one of Mei’s most loyal followers, so Ao thought nothing of the attention.

"Lady Mei, all chuunin and above are present," the administrator reported.

Mei nodded, came to the center, and addressed everyone: "Thank you all for coming. For the hope of Kirigakure’s future, we gather here. We now stand at the border between the Bloody Mist and the dawn."

Her voice was deep and inspiring. She nodded to Chojuro, who brought a scroll, unsealed it, and produced a stack of new headbands and white scarves.

Mei held up one headband. Unlike the old Kirigakure headband with four diagonal lines, this one had three wavy lines forming a river symbol.

"This is my new design," Mei said, showing it off.

Seeing the new headband, the crowd started murmuring.

After a moment, Mei continued: "I’ve wondered: how should we return to Kirigakure? As traitors? As violent insurgents? No! We are the pure water that will wash away the blood mist that has shrouded Kirigakure for years!"

"This is not betrayal of past glory. The old headbands represent past honor, but they’re also stained with our comrades’ blood!"

"Our beloved village must change. Let’s let it be reborn, starting with this new headband!"

"The darkest hour is just before dawn. Remember, this is not rebellion—it is letting the Land of Water breathe again after drowning in blood!"

"When the sun pierces the blood mist, I hope to personally place this new headband on the first child to graduate without having to kill a comrade. Please, all of you—live to see that morning."

"Yes!" Seiryu applauded Mei’s passionate speech. She’d truly mastered his methods—he couldn’t have done better himself.

"In three days, we march on Kirigakure!" Mei declared.

"Yes!" the crowd shouted.

Chojuro and Ao handed out assignments to each commander.

Seiryu, as Satake Masato, was tasked with leading his men to the north gate, stopping an Anbu squad and evacuating civilians.

After all received their orders, Mei outlined the plan: over three days, the rebels would surround Kirigakure from all sides, launching the attack at midnight three days later.

Each major rebel took a direction: Zabuza with the east gate, Utakata with the west, Kisame (since Isobu suppressed Samehada’s power) with the south—the gate farthest from the Mizukage tower. Mei herself would lead the assault on the north gate, closest to the Mizukage tower.

At the zero hour, the rebel spy Genshi would switch out the gate guards for rebels inside, combining inside and outside forces to break through, evacuate civilians, then storm the Mizukage tower and, using barriers, trap Yagura and defeat him together.

Seiryu’s alias was to be under Mei’s direct command.

After memorizing their tasks, everyone destroyed their assignment slips, and then left to gather their teams.

…

Back at the safehouse, Black Zetsu emerged from the ground and asked, "What do you think of their plan?"

"Well thought out," Seiryu smiled. "If we didn’t know, Yagura would almost certainly fall for it."

"Should we warn Yagura? Maybe have him kill the spy Genshi? Without inside help, the rebels would have to fight at the gates, and though they’re stronger, the defenders have the advantage, so it’d be a bloody fight."

"No need—let’s play along for now," Seiryu said.

"Why? Wouldn’t that help keep Kirigakure in chaos, just as you want?" Black Zetsu asked.

"If you do it your way, Kirigakure would only be chaotic for one night. Yagura’s genjutsu would be broken in the fighting, but he’d also die," Seiryu said.

"Yes," Black Zetsu nodded. "Once Yagura fought, the genjutsu Obito cast via Isobu would soon break. But he wouldn’t survive."

"With heavy casualties on both sides, the survivors would unite after their leaders fell. Kirigakure would be weakened, but would eventually recover. Protected by the sea, neither we nor Kumogakure could easily attack them. It’d take huge effort to finish them off later," Seiryu explained.

"So, what’s your plan?" Black Zetsu asked.

"The Fourth Mizukage, besieged, calls for help from the Land of Fire to suppress the rebellion. Though Yagura falls, the forces of Fire help restore order. As payment, Kirigakure covers all military costs—and, unable to pay, offers up two tailed beasts as collateral," Seiryu said with a smile.

Black Zetsu hesitated, but Seiryu’s next words made his eyes light up.

"As payment for intervention, Kirigakure hands over both the Three Tails and Six Tails."

"Let’s do it! You’re a genius!" Black Zetsu said excitedly. Previously, the Three Tails was under their sway, but not fully under their control, since its host was still the official Mizukage. Taking it by force would cause huge problems. But with Seiryu’s plan, they could claim both beasts legitimately.

This way, with Konoha already holding the Nine and Seven Tails, and Akatsuki recently capturing the Five Tails, the Moon Eye Plan was almost complete! No wonder Black Zetsu was overjoyed.

‘Mother! I’ll be able to free you soon!’

Black Zetsu thought to himself, staring excitedly at Seiryu. Seiryu, in turn, gave him a meaningful smile.