Uchiha Seiryu [251-252] (Patreon)

Chapter 251: If You Guys Do This Next Door, You'll Be Dragged Out by a Loyal Rat

"Naruto... you..." Minato Namikaze looked at the seal on Naruto's stomach. With just one glance, he recognized the nature of this seal—an Eight Trigrams Seal formed by combining two Four Symbols Seals in a special way. This technique was clearly his or Kushina's handiwork—or rather, only he and Kushina in the current shinobi world could construct such a seal. However, there were also traces of some special sealing techniques within this seal.

"This seems to be... the Dead Demon Consuming Seal?" Minato took a bit longer to figure out the peculiar traces within Naruto's Eight Trigrams Seal. His expression grew grave. What kind of enemy did he and Kushina face in the future that forced them to seal the Nine-Tails inside their own son, even using a forbidden technique that cost their lives?

"Dad, hurry up! Otherwise, I won't be able to deal with this big guy without destroying Rōran," Naruto urged when he saw his father still dawdling.

"Alright." Minato nodded, gathered chakra on his hand, and pressed it onto the seal on Naruto's stomach.

In the next instant, Minato's consciousness entered Naruto's seal space.

When he saw the massive sealed gate and the peacefully dozing Nine-Tails behind it, Minato was also taken aback.

He'd been to the Nine-Tails' seal space before, but he'd never seen the Nine-Tails behave so well. Every time he entered Kushina's seal space, the beast was either bound by chains or cursing him the moment it saw him. Never was it this obedient.

[And... why does the Nine-Tails look so much smaller?] Minato wondered, eyeing the beast behind the gate.

"Fourth Hokage, I sense the malice on you..." The Nine-Tails lifted its head and bared its fangs at Minato.

"Sorry, Nine-Tails," Minato scratched his head. "Thank you for taking care of my child all these years and for lending him your power."

"I just think this brat is pleasing to the eye, that's all," the Nine-Tails snorted.

"Regardless, I must thank you. I'll unlock your seal now." Minato walked to the gate and precisely found the key node. The seal required a key to unlock, but since it was set up in his usual style, it wouldn't take long to make a temporary key.

Soon, the seals on the gate faded one by one, and the locks were undone. The Nine-Tails slowly got up and bared its fangs at Minato: "Alright, now get lost."

"Huh?" Minato was startled, and his consciousness was forcibly ejected from the seal space by a roaring Nine-Tails.

To the Nine-Tails, recognizing Naruto didn't mean it had to be polite to Minato—the man who sealed it inside Naruto—even if this Minato hadn't done it yet.

Inside the seal space, the Nine-Tails looked at the slowly opening gate and grinned. After so many years, it was finally free.

"Brat, are you ready to accept my true power?" the Nine-Tails' voice sounded in Naruto's ear.

"Let's go, Kurama!" Naruto looked up at the colossal puppet rampaging through Rōran's buildings, punched his palm with confidence, and said, "Let's dismantle this big guy together!"

After Choza's giant form was defeated by the puppet, an enormous wave of chakra spread out from Naruto's position. Golden chakra erupted, and a massive Nine-Tailed Fox, shining with a peaceful golden light and marked with black magatama, rose up. Its giant fox paw effortlessly caught the puppet's fists, which were about to kill the reverted Choza.

"You..." In the puppet's core, Mukade felt the chakra of the giant fox in front of him and was instantly terrified. He thought that with the Dragon Vein under his control, he was invincible, but then he faced a being whose chakra dwarfed even the Dragon Vein's.

"Your ambitions end here!" Inside the giant golden Nine-Tails, Naruto shouted at Mukade in the distance. The beast's mouth opened, gathering a pitch-black Tailed Beast Ball.

Mukade tried to escape, but his once-mighty puppet was now as helpless as a chick in front of the Nine-Tails' overwhelming grip.

BOOM!!!

The Tailed Beast Ball exploded, enveloping Mukade and his puppet in a massive cloud of smoke and dust.

The Power of the Dragon Vein

Minato watched and took a deep breath.

"So this... is the true power of the Nine-Tails?" Minato sighed, finding it hard to imagine that the same beast, utterly helpless in Kushina's seal, was so terrifying in its full strength.

Moments later, Naruto emerged from the smoke, dragging the unconscious Mukade and threw him at Minato's feet.

"This guy's dealt with, but just in case, Dad, you should seal his chakra," Naruto said.

"Naruto..." Minato looked at him, hesitated, then said, "You should really study some sealing techniques; after all, your surname is Uzumaki."

"So what? The Uchiha clan leader can't even use genjutsu," Naruto said carelessly.

"Naruto! Don't casually leak village secrets!" At this moment, Jiraiya returned with Sara after closing the Dragon Vein, and immediately heard Naruto blurting out secrets, so he quickly warned him.

"Isn't Fugaku pretty good at genjutsu?" Minato asked, puzzled, but seeing Jiraiya's evasive face, he let it go—he'd already learned enough secrets today.

"Since the problem's solved, when do you plan to return?" Minato asked.

"Let's wait a bit. There's still something to do before we go," Naruto said. "Gaara, didn't you want to visit Sunagakure? I'll go with you."

"Really? Is that okay?" Gaara was surprised and delighted.

"Naruto, you should know, you're from the future. You really shouldn't interact too much with people of this era," Minato reminded.

"Before we leave, we'll have ero-sennin seal everyone's memories, right? It's a rare chance, and I want Gaara to meet the mother he never knew."

"Alright." Minato nodded, then looked at Jiraiya. "Let's say goodbye here. Jiraiya-sensei, please seal our memories of this period."

"You're really going to let them run loose?" Jiraiya couldn't help but ask before sealing the memories.

"I trust he knows his limits," Minato replied with a smile.

Jiraiya: ...

[If only he knew this kid is a rogue ninja now, would he still think that?]

Jiraiya thought, then performed the memory-sealing jutsu, erasing Minato, Choza, and Shibi's memories.

Before the jutsu took effect, Minato smiled and waved at Naruto: "See you in the future, Naruto."

"Yeah, see you in the future, Dad—if there's a chance," Naruto waved back with a smile.

…

While Naruto was settling things in the past, in Kumogakure, the heavily wounded A awoke under medical care.

When he woke up, he saw his empty right sleeve, took a deep breath, and called for his secretary.

"Lord Raikage, you're awake!" Mabui hurried to the hospital upon hearing the news.

"Mabui? Why are you here? Where's C?" A frowned and asked.

"Lord C... was defeated and captured. He's still being held at Konoha's outpost in the Land of Hot Water," Mabui reported after hesitating.

"C was captured?" A was shocked, but quickly composed himself and asked for a full report.

Mabui didn't dare hide anything and told him everything.

When A heard that Yugito was killed in action, Killer Bee seriously wounded, and the border army almost entirely captured, he coughed up blood.

"Lord Raikage! Please take care of yourself—the village can't withstand any more upheaval." Mabui hurried forward to help steady him.

"Uchiha... Seiryu!" A gritted his teeth, clenching his only remaining hand.

"What's the village's current situation?" A asked after calming down.

"The village..." Mabui hesitated.

"What happened to the village?" A pressed.

"Since your defeat, many people are dissatisfied. They gather in front of the Raikage building daily, demanding... demanding that you step down!"

"Protests? Who's leading them?" A asked coldly.

"Mainly Jonin Donald, Jonin Aaron, Jonin Freig, and others. They've been outside the Raikage building for several days, demanding you take responsibility for the defeat—especially after the Daimyo's envoys brought back Konoha's conditions," Mabui said.

Hearing those names, A's face darkened—it was all thos rebels.

"What conditions did Konoha offer?" A asked.

Mabui hesitated, then told him. After hearing it, A slammed his left hand on the bed. "That Uchiha Seiryu is pushing us too far!"

"What did the Daimyo say? Did he accept their conditions?" A asked after venting.

"No," Mabui shook her head. "The Daimyo didn't accept yet. He's preparing to send new envoys to negotiate."

"Let's return to the Raikage building first." A took a deep breath and sat up.

This debacle at Uchiha Seiryu's hands was due to his misjudgment. But he knew, now more than ever, he had to hold on.

"You should rest a bit more," Mabui said hesitantly.

"Hm?" A frowned.

"There are too many people gathered at the Raikage building right now..." Mabui explained.

…

"People of Kumogakure! This defeat is entirely due to A's disregard for peace and his comrades' lives! Because of his recklessness, we lost nearly a thousand comrades! Another thousand are imprisoned! We can't let him drag our village into the abyss! These people will only ruin our village! What we need now is a wise Raikage to lead us out of this crisis!"

In front of the Raikage building, a ninja with golden, corn-like hair was giving a passionate speech, his lips pouting and hands gesturing as if conducting an orchestra.

"Now, our village, our country, needs a new Raikage! Only then can Kumogakure be great again!" shouted Donald, the Jonin. "Fourth Raikage, step down!"

His supporters—ninjas with red-banded forehead protectors—joined in chorus: "Fourth Raikage, step down!"

The Anbu present, faced with the angry crowd, were at a loss.

A, who had just arrived from the hospital, seethed at the sight.

At a time like this, they're playing these games! If this were in Konoha, these people would've been dragged out and injected with loyalty by a loyal rat!

But now, A lacked the confidence to suppress them. After all, their complaint wasn't wrong—he bore chief responsibility for Kumogakure's crushing defeat.

Chapter 252: No One Understands Konoha Better Than Me

"Lord Raikage, maybe you should go back for treatment," Mabui said hesitantly. "In your current condition, you might not be able to suppress them."

A looked deeply at the crowd, then turned and left in silence. Mabui was right—he'd lost an arm, his strength had declined, and his injuries weren't healed. If he appeared now and showed any weakness, he'd be ousted as Raikage.

After all, Kumogakure's core was strength and combat. The Raikage could be ruthless, dictatorial, even corrupt—but he absolutely couldn't fail!

When Sunagakure lost in war, the Kazekage returned and nothing happened. But if the Raikage failed, trust in him would plummet, and in his weakened state, he'd be ousted.

He needed to hold on until he healed and until Killer Bee woke up.

But when A returned to his recuperation site in the Cloud-Thunder Gorge, bad news followed: the Daimyo, pressured by his ministers, had approved the proposal to re-elect the Fifth Raikage.

With Konoha's war pressure, the Land of Lightning's court was forced to sign a compensation treaty. Now, not only Kumogakure but the entire country's economy would be hit hard. So they needed a scapegoat, and A, still not fully recovered, was chosen by the officials. After all, it was his misjudgment against Uchiha Seiryu that caused this.

Upon hearing this, A slammed his one arm on the table and sighed. He knew his time was up. If he still controlled the capital like before, this wouldn't be a problem. But while he was unconscious, the civil officials seized power.

He pondered, then said to his secretary, "Mabui, I plan to push you to run for Fifth Raikage."

"Me?" Mabui was stunned. "I can't do that..."

"Why not?" A said. "Your strength is among the top elite Jonin, and you've handled village affairs with me for years. If you're willing, I'll inform all my supporters to back you."

"But..." Mabui hesitated, but A waved her off. "You saw it yourself—Donald and the others have gathered much support. If no one steps up, he could become the Fifth Raikage. But you know what kind of people they are—loudmouths, incompetent! If he becomes Raikage, he'll ruin the village! For Kumogakure's sake, you must stand up."

Mabui fell silent. As secretary, she was familiar with Donald and his supporters' records.

Donald had always tried to join the core of Kumogakure's power. He was barely elite Jonin, but his mission success rate was near the bottom, and his team's fatality rate was always high. His style was always flashy, and A had warned him many times.

But when racial tensions rose, Donald seized the opportunity, becoming the leader of the white ninjas. After Kumogakure's defeat, he was the first to call for impeachment, quickly gaining followers.

His supporter Aaron was a rising star among ninja tool merchants. After the biggest factory was sabotaged, Aaron's business took over. His mission success rate was decent, but his team's casualty rate was very high. He supported Donald likely because he wanted official backing for his business, and A never liked him.

The third was Freig, the strongest of the three. He once competed with Killer Bee but lost. Recently, he publicly declared that when Donald became Fifth Raikage, he would be the new "B" and lead the country to a new era.

In their maneuvering during A's coma, they gathered many dissatisfied white ninjas under the slogan "Make Kumogakure Great Again," identifying themselves by red forehead protectors.

Realizing this, Mabui knew Donald's faction was now a force. If she didn't stand up, the Raikage's authority would fall to them.

"I understand, Lord Raikage," Mabui nodded.

"The village's future is in your hands—at least, stall until Killer Bee wakes up," A said solemnly.

"Understood!" Mabui replied firmly.

…

The Daimyo's decision quickly spread to Kumogakure. Donald, feeling victory was near, donned his red forehead protector and led his supporters through the village, preaching his vision.

"Villagers!" On the plaza, with lively music, Donald strutted onstage to the beat, twisting and making a showy entrance.

"Donald!"

"Donald!"

The ninjas and villagers chanted his name.

Donald strode to the platform, his golden hair shining in the sunlight. Wearing an ornate ninja robe with the village symbol, he waved confidently, his voice booming, full of that characteristic cadence:

"People of Kumogakure! Great ninja! Hardworking tool merchants! And the strongest, most loyal ninja! How are you? Listen, today is a very important day! The Daimyo has approved the decision to re-elect the Fifth Raikage! We need a new Raikage, the Fifth Raikage!"

Donald raised his clenched fist and waved it at his red-banded supporters.

"We used to be strong—very strong! The First, Second, and Third Raikage were all strong, I respect them, very much. But look now! Our Fourth Raikage started a war—a war launched without careful thought! And the result? Nearly 1,000 comrades imprisoned, and to get them back, our country must pay a heavy price! Another 1,000 left their lives in the Land of Fire! Is this right? No, it's not!"

Donald's face showed anguish.

"Fourth Raikage A! When you tried to kidnap Konoha's children, did you think of the consequences? What did his actions lead to? A total defeat! The decline of Kumogakure! He is a loser—a complete loser! We need a winner! Someone who can make Kumogakure great again!"

He pointed at himself.

"That person is me—Donald! No one understands Kumogakure better than me! No one! I know our Lightning Style, our taijutsu, our mountains, our storm clouds! I even know the price of every lightning panel! You know why? Because I'm a doer! I built the best Lightning training grounds, made the best ninja tool deals—for Kumogakure! Very great! Very good!"

"And about our opponent! Konoha... Konoha! Konoha!" Donald shook his head, disgusted. "They say one thing and do another. Smiling on the surface, scheming behind the scenes. They think they're clever?"

Donald made a special hand sign, gesturing repeatedly.

"No! Listen, people of Kumogakure: No one—no one—understands Konoha better than me! I tell you, no one! I've studied them for over ten years! I know what the Hokage is thinking, what the Hyuga want, and the Uchiha... oh, Sharingan, very tricky, but I have ways! I know their weaknesses—very well! Their so-called 'Will of Fire' is a lie—weak! Only Kumogakure's fighting spirit is real power!"

After a pause, Donald raised his voice:

"So, when I become Fifth Raikage—you'll choose me, because you're smart!—the first thing, we renegotiate those terrible, unfair treaties! We will win—win big! Kumogakure will be stronger, richer, safer than ever! We'll regain our honor! Our enemies will fear us again! Remember this: under Donald, Kumogakure will achieve unprecedented victory! Believe me, I'm an expert! Choose Donald for Fifth Raikage! Thank you! I love you! Long live Kumogakure!"

He waved enthusiastically, his golden hair shining in the sun.

"Donald!"

"Donald!"

His supporters chanted ecstatically.

Not far away, Uchiha Seiryu, disguised as a local by White Zetsu, was dumbfounded by the scene.

"This guy... is a real character," Seiryu commented, twitching his mouth.

"Should we help him?" asked Tobi in Seiryu's ear.

"Help him? Of course!" Seiryu smiled, tore off a piece of railing, melted it with Lightning Release, and formed a steel pellet five millimeters wide.

He tossed the pellet, then set a weak magnetic field around it with Lightning Release.

As the field activated, the pellet shot toward Donald onstage.

Thud! 

The pellet grazed Donald's right ear, drawing a streak of blood.

"Protect Lord Donald!" his supporters rushed to shield him, and Freig looked for the shooter—but Seiryu's clone was already gone, leaving only White Zetsu disguised as a black ninja, who turned and ran when discovered.

The disguised White Zetsu was soon beaten to death by the furious red-banded supporters.

On stage, Donald, blood streaming down his face, raised his hand high, showing the world that this couldn't stop him!

"Donald! Donald! Donald!"

The crowd, fired up by his spirit, chanted his name, and among them, a disguised White Zetsu shouted, "Fifth Raikage! We adore you!"