Uchiha Seiryu [223-225] (Patreon)

Chapter 223: Reactions from All Sides

By now, all the other major powers in the ninja world had figured out what exactly had happened inside Konoha.

As soon as Onoki received the news, he locked himself in a quiet room in the Tsuchikage building and spent the whole night pondering over a chessboard. To be honest, he couldn't figure out what was going through A's mind—how could he be so bold as to provoke a Uchiha who had mastered the Complete Body Susano'o?

"Father, should we send troops to aid Kumogakure?" After waiting all night, Kitsuchi entered the quiet room. But just as he spoke, he saw that the king on his father's chessboard was already surrounded—three moves at most from total defeat.

"Is the situation really that dire, Father?" Kitsuchi asked anxiously. He knew Onoki's habit of working through problems with shogi, but even during the Third Great Ninja War, when their supply lines were cut at Kannabi Bridge, the chessboard had never looked this desperate.

At this moment, Onoki collected his thoughts, looked up at Kitsuchi, and instructed, "In Iwagakure's name, issue a statement to the ninja world: strongly condemn Kumogakure's actions, and send condolences to Konoha."

"As for aiding Kumogakure... forget it. If we get involved, it'll truly be the Fourth Great Ninja War. If we hadn't just come through a war with the Land of Waterfalls, maybe we could try to seize some benefit from this chaos. But right now..."

Onoki shook his head, his face full of helplessness. "More importantly, there's no one left in the ninja world who can stop Uchiha Seiryu."

"Is Uchiha Seiryu really that strong?" Kitsuchi asked, still not quite understanding.

"In a single night, he fought two battles, first seriously injuring A, and then single-handedly defeating two tailed beasts. That level of power is beyond what's expected of any Kage," Onoki said with a sigh. "In my lifetime, I've only seen two people who could reach such heights: Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara."

"After decades, the Uchiha Clan has produced another Madara, but there's no Hashirama left to stop him," Onoki added.

"But, Father, this Fifth Hokage seems to be someone who truly loves peace. According to our intelligence, they not only accepted Kumogakure's surrender but also made no moves to invade the Land of Lightning. It seems they want to end things here." Kitsuchi observed.

"Loves peace?" Onoki shook his head with a wry smile. "If this Fifth Hokage's surname was Senju, I might believe it. But his surname is Uchiha."

"Uchiha..." Kitsuchi nodded. "That name does make it hard to believe they're really after peace."

"No, the Uchiha do pursue peace," Onoki corrected his son. "Throughout history, the strongest among them, upon reaching the pinnacle of power, have always turned their thoughts to peace."

"Huh?" Kitsuchi was taken aback.

"Take Uchiha Madara, for instance. He too sought to end the chaos of the Warring States period and usher in an era of peace. Otherwise, he wouldn't have founded the current ninja system alongside Hashirama. It's just that the Uchiha's path to peace isn't one everyone can accept."

"We no longer know Madara's exact plan, but if it had been truly acceptable, even the God of Shinobi, Hashirama, wouldn't have tried to stop him. Now, Uchiha Seiryu is the same. I believe that, with Uchiha blood in his veins, he's seeking lasting peace. But no one can predict the impact his plans will have on the world."

If Uchiha Seiryu were here, he'd have to admit: sometimes your greatest opponent understands you best. Onoki's understanding of the Uchiha likely surpassed most in the shinobi world.

Most people only saw the Uchiha as powerful, cold, and extremely dangerous.

But Onoki could see beneath that surface, perceiving their deeply hidden essence. The last outsider to understand them this well was probably Senju Tobirama.

Yet it was precisely because of this understanding that Onoki realized how much danger could be hidden behind Seiryu's calm pursuit of peace.

To put it bluntly, if the Uchiha were simply a clan of warmongers, Tobirama wouldn't have feared them so much. But this was a clan that, time and again, produced people with power far beyond normal, people who obsessed over the grand question of world peace. That was what made them truly frightening.

"So, is there really no way to stop him?" Kitsuchi shivered at the thought.

"As it stands, all we can do is hope for another Hashirama to appear." Onoki glanced down at the chessboard, where his king was already doomed, and sighed.

"The only good news is that, for all his power, this new Madara doesn't seem as ruthless," Onoki added. "If it comes to that, the people of the Land of Earth probably won't suffer much."

"Oh, and remove the bounty on Deidara," Onoki casually instructed, thinking of his troublesome student.

"Understood." Kitsuchi nodded. After a moment, looking at his father's weary figure and the unsolvable chessboard, he hesitated, then asked, "Father, if that day comes, will Iwagakure have no choice but to surrender?"

"Surrender? Never!" Onoki's gaze turned sharp. "If it comes to that, even if we have no chance of winning, we'll show them the Will of Stone. We don't have traitors like Mizukage Takagi in our village."

"Only then can the shinobi of the Land of Earth truly have a place in the new era." Onoki gripped the besieged king piece and made a final, desperate move.

…

In Konoha, in the Hokage's office, Uchiha Seiryu stood by the window watching the construction of the Konoha Hero Memorial.

Inside, Nagato and Konan sat quietly on the sofa, sipping tea Seiryu had made for them.

"Sorry to keep you both waiting. I thought we'd finalize our cooperation that day, but things turned out differently," Seiryu said, finally turning around and joining them.

"Hokage-sama, you don't need to apologize. No one could have predicted Kumogakure's actions," Nagato replied. "But I do have a question. Why didn't you seize this opportunity to invade the Land of Lightning? With the Raikage gravely injured and their jinchuriki dead or wounded, Konoha could easily take over."

"Yes, Konoha could conquer the Land of Lightning now," Seiryu admitted. "But that would mean the Fourth Great Ninja War. While I'm confident we and our allies would win, how many meaningless sacrifices would that take? How many civilians would lose everything they've worked so hard for?"

"I understand," Nagato nodded. "I was short-sighted to question your commitment to peace."

Hearing Seiryu's answer, Nagato finally let go of his last doubts and was ready for full cooperation. As a civilian who had suffered the pains of war before becoming a ninja, he truly understood what peace meant.

"Hokage-sama, soon I'll send the Five-Tails to the Fire Country's Tailed Beast Reserve," Nagato said. "After that, how do you wish to arrange Akatsuki's activities?"

"For now, let Akatsuki operate as mercenaries," Seiryu smiled. "If your full strength was openly allied with us, Onoki would be on edge. Until we're fully prepared, let's not provoke him."

"Alright," Nagato agreed, glancing at Konan.

Konan took out a delicate box from her sealing scroll and handed it to Seiryu.

"This is for you," Nagato said with a smile.

"What's this?" Seiryu opened the box to find a pale gold ring with a special chakra gem engraved with the character "White".

"This is a medium for one of the Rinnegan's special jutsu, allowing you to contact us at any time if you need Akatsuki's help. It's a token of our sincerity."

Chapter 224: Naruto's Turmoil

Seiryu took the ring from the box and, seeing it was styled like a thumb ring, put it on his right thumb, channeling chakra into it—essentially registering an account in Akatsuki's video conference system.

"Thank you, Pain," Seiryu nodded with a smile.

"All for lasting peace in the ninja world," Nagato replied. "We'll return to the Land of Rain tomorrow; you'll be busy, so we won't linger."

"Take care of Deidara for me," Seiryu said.

…

The next day, Nagato and Konan led the Rain delegation back home, while Seiryu began dealing with the aftermath of the conflict.

First on the agenda: a public memorial at the Konoha Hero Monument.

That morning, Seiryu and the Third Hokage both wore black formal attire for the ceremony. As the current Hokage, it was natural for Seiryu to preside. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, attended with Konohamaru—after all, the sacrifices had been made to rescue his grandson.

All the clan heads were present in black, too. Even Naruto, who'd locked himself away since Deidara brought him back, emerged early in a black robe embroidered with the Uzumaki crest.

Naruto's expression was somber—gone was his usual cheer.

Sasuke and Neji, attending as young leaders of the Uchiha and Hyuga, respectively, were relieved to see Naruto. Over the past days, Naruto hadn't responded to anyone, not even Hinata, and both boys had been worried. Seeing him here put their minds at ease.

It wasn't the time for conversation, so after a nod of acknowledgment, everyone took their places and waited for the ceremony to begin.

Wearing his black haori, Seiryu slowly took the stage. He didn't speak at once; the crowd of shinobi and civilians below kept silent.

After three minutes of silence, Seiryu glanced at the monument behind him and finally spoke:

"Four hundred and seventy-nine names," Seiryu said gravely. "These aren't just cold numbers—they're four hundred and seventy-nine lives, four hundred and seventy-nine burning wills who protected Konoha. They were comrades, neighbors, fathers, mothers, children, grandchildren... Each one of you has a hole in your heart that can never be filled."

Seiryu's gaze swept over the crowd, over tearful faces, clenched fists, and the confused, sad eyes of children.

"Three days ago, Kumogakure's plot shattered our peace. Once again, flames of war burned our cherished harmony. We were forced to take up arms—not to conquer, but to protect—the future represented by the Will of Fire."

"Fortunately, Konoha emerged victorious."

"But at a heavy cost. These four hundred and seventy-nine comrades gave their lives, building an unbreakable wall for Konoha's future. Their blood stains our flag of victory. Their souls form the foundation of our village."

His voice wasn't loud, but every Konoha shinobi heard it. Naruto looked up at the monument, deep in thought.

"The price of victory is too heavy. This weight will remain on my heart—and on the shoulders of all survivors—forever. These names must not only be carved into cold stone, but into our very souls. Their sacrifice asks us: Are we worthy of the peace bought with their lives? Are we strong enough, united enough, wise enough to protect what they died for?"

"The dead are gone; the living remain. Grief is our right. But to wallow in sorrow is to betray them! They fell so that we could go on, so that the Will of Fire could burn brighter."

"So stand up, people of Konoha! Dry your tears. Grasp your kunai—and your hopes. Inherit their will. Carry their dreams. Let the light of these four hundred and seventy-nine souls guide our way forward!"

Seiryu turned sharply, bowed deeply before the monument, and stayed bowed for a long moment.

When he straightened, his face was steely and determined.

"As the Fifth Hokage, I declare:

These four hundred and seventy-nine are Konoha's heroes! Their names and deeds will be recorded in our history forever! Their souls will always be with Konoha, with the Will of Fire!"

"May the fallen rest in peace. Konoha will remember your sacrifice, inherit your will. Wherever Konoha's leaves dance, the fire will never die! We will continue to nurture the young and protect this village—until the end of our days!"

As Seiryu finished, the crowd bowed their heads for another three minutes of silence.

When it ended, everyone looked up at the monument with solemn respect.

Seiryu placed flowers at the foot of the monument, then bowed again.

Behind him, Hiruzen led Konohamaru forward to pay their respects. Konohamaru even knelt and bowed deeply.

After learning the price paid to rescue him, Konohamaru seemed to have grown up overnight, and, as soon as his health allowed, began training with his grandfather to become stronger.

The clan heads came up one by one to bow and place flowers.

Civilians followed.

The ceremony lasted all morning, and only at noon did the crowd begin to disperse.

For most villagers, the incident was over. For Seiryu, it was just beginning.

Just then, the Fire Daimyo's court received a letter from the Land of Lightning—its Daimyo blaming Seiryu for endangering peace, demanding the release of Kumogakure's ninja, and threatening war, calling Seiryu the greatest criminal against peace!

Although the Land of Lightning's officials had a reputation for shamelessness, Seiryu couldn't help but laugh. Konoha was clearly the victor, so how could they accuse him of being a war criminal?

Of course, the Fire Daimyo's ministers didn't tolerate such insults to their respected leader and immediately drafted an even sharper reply.

Seiryu knew this exchange of words would continue until Raikage A finally woke up, after which real prisoner exchange talks could begin. But since A had been electrocuted, lost an arm, and taken heavy damage, it would be weeks before he recovered.

So, for now, Seiryu's priority was arranging compensation for the families of fallen shinobi.

To strengthen unity for upcoming reforms, Seiryu planned to personally deliver the compensation to each family—meaning he'd be very busy for some time.

As the crowd dispersed, Naruto lingered at the monument, silently touching the engraved names of Konoha's fallen—starting from Hashirama's founding, to his own father sealing the Nine-Tails with his life, and the names of countless others who died for Konoha.

Naruto traced the names, lost in thought.

Since returning from the battlefield, his heart had been unsettled.

Though his teacher had taught him the nature of war, and life in the Land of Fire had steadily improved, a voice in his mind kept telling him that chakra shouldn't be a tool for war, but a bridge of understanding—only then could true peace be achieved.

But the worldview instilled in him by Seiryu made it difficult for him to accept this idea, leaving his thoughts in turmoil and his sleep disturbed by that insistent voice.

Chapter 225: Ninshu

"Chakra shouldn't be a weapon. People can use chakra to understand one another. Only then will true peace come..."

In the Hatake household, Naruto woke up with a start, gasping for breath.

Since returning from the battlefield, this strange voice had echoed in his dreams, repeating those words.

But Seiryu had explained this during their lessons:

The ninja world's resources are limited. When there isn't enough food, even if both sides understand each other's hunger, will understanding alone make one side willingly go hungry?

Naruto knew this was impossible, yet that voice kept insisting, as if it was his destiny.

Naruto sighed, touched the seal on his belly, and entered the seal space.

He found the Nine-Tails, who lazily opened one eye. "What do you want, kid? It's late."

"Kurama, are you sure you haven't heard any strange voices inside me?" Naruto asked.

"You've asked me this a dozen times. I haven't heard a thing," Kurama grumbled. "If you don't have anything else, I'm going back to sleep."

"Wait, Kurama!" Naruto called.

"If you're bored, go train. If you lose to that Uchiha brat in the Chunin Exams, don't even think about borrowing my power," Kurama said impatiently.

"Kurama, do you think chakra can really connect people's hearts and let them understand each other?" Naruto leaned against the gate, lost.

Kurama suddenly opened both eyes, looking at the boy who barely reached his paw.

"You'll meet a blue-eyed boy someday," Kurama remembered the Sage of Six Paths telling him as a child. "You and your brothers will share your hearts with him, and you'll run freely together."

Old man, this better be the one you meant, Kurama thought.

"Forget it, Kurama, just ignore me. How could chakra really do something like that?" Naruto said, preparing to leave.

But Kurama spoke up, "Chakra can do what you're talking about. No, what you're describing was its original purpose."

"What?" Naruto turned back, stunned.

"Kid, bring your fist here," Kurama said, extending a massive paw through the gate.

"Fist bump? Uh, okay..." Naruto touched his small fist to Kurama's.

In an instant, Naruto's mind was flooded with emotions and memories: Kurama's wild joy as a free beast, his rage under the influence of human malice, his confusion at being sealed, his anger under Madara's control, his boredom inside two generations of jinchuriki, and finally, his memories within Naruto.

With these memories, Naruto understood Kurama's resentment toward humans.

Kurama, too, realized the voice in Naruto's head wasn't a fantasy. In fact, it sounded oddly familiar.

"Is this really something chakra can do?" Naruto looked at his hands in awe.

"It's called Ninshu, kid," Kurama said.

"Ninshu..." After experiencing Kurama's memories, Naruto instinctively understood how to use chakra to connect hearts. He became excited. "If we have this, understanding between people isn't just a fantasy. Then peace—"

His excitement faltered as he remembered: even if people understood each other, limited resources meant conflict would persist.

His mood fell again.

"But if I use this with Sasuke and Neji in battle... No, this jutsu shouldn't be used for fighting. That's not what chakra was meant for... but... Aaaah!" Naruto clutched his head, rolling around in the seal space.

"Hey, kid, calm down!" Kurama called.

After a long while, Naruto calmed down, sweating.

"You okay, kid?" Kurama asked.

"I'm... I'm fine," Naruto forced a smile.

"That voice again?" Kurama asked.

"Yes," Naruto nodded. "Just thinking about using your technique in battle made the voice come back."

"Kurama, back in the Ninshu era, with this jutsu, there must have been little war, right?" Naruto asked.

"The era of Ninshu? That was long ago," Kurama replied. "Long before the ninja arts you use now. Back then, people either feared or abused chakra. The Sage who created Ninshu believed chakra was the manifestation of spiritual energy—a bridge for understanding. He used it to help people farm, heal, and even resolve disputes. He taught them to use chakra to feel each other's pain and thoughts, striving for understanding and coexistence. That was the original Ninshu—a path to peace and understanding through chakra."

"That sounds wonderful," Naruto said. "But now chakra is just a weapon..."

"Yeah. No matter how beautiful the idea, it can't overcome human complexity and desire. The Sage had two sons. The elder inherited his power and talent, believing strength was the key to peace. The younger inherited his ideals and perseverance, believing in bonds and cooperation. Their conflict became a struggle between brothers, shaping the future of chakra—one side turning it into techniques and battle, the other clinging to Ninshu's ideals. In the end, the world strayed from the Sage's vision."

Naruto nodded.

"You don't sound surprised," Kurama observed.

"I'm not. My teacher told me that if the ninja world's resources can't sustain everyone, then even perfect understanding can't prevent war," Naruto said.

Kurama fell silent, recalling that the first time chakra was used for battle was when two neighboring villages fought over a single water source.

"Your teacher really sees things clearly," Kurama said.