Uchiha Seiryu [253-254] (Patreon)

Chapter 253: A Girl Who Smiles is Never Too Unlucky

Donald exited the arena to a chorus of cheers.

Meanwhile, back in the resting area of the Cloud and Thunder Gorge, A had just heard the news and smashed two tables in a fit of rage.

"Which idiot gave the order to launch a sneak attack? And how could they fail even at that?" A roared furiously.

"It was a veteran chunin from the village," Mabui replied. "He once received help from Lord Killer Bee on a mission. Because of that, he was outraged by Donald's attempt to take your position as Raikage, so he tried to stop him."

A's face twitched. He clenched his teeth—this stunt only helped Donald boost his own reputation!

"Mabui, you have to step up now," A said after taking a deep breath. "Take my personal seal to the Anbu, and just like him, gather… gather all of the shinobi in the village. The Anbu and Jonin squads will support you."

A spoke with difficulty. Ever since the issue of skin color had begun to divide the village, A wanted to solve it, but with little success. He'd always had to play the peacemaker between the opposing factions, and the Black shinobi wished he and Killer Bee would openly support them and suppress the white shinobi—but A always refused.

Frankly, if A hadn't been working to calm tensions these past two years, the village would have erupted long ago.

But now, to prevent the village from falling into even greater chaos, A decided to push Mabui forward as his representative—even if it meant reluctantly becoming the leader of the Black shinobi.

"Me… Can I really do this?" Mabui asked, lacking confidence.

"You have to!" A said sternly. "Or do you want to watch as those fools destroy our village?"

"…I understand," Mabui nodded.

Soon, following A's plan, Mabui contacted the Anbu and trusted Jonin squads, and with their help, gathered a large number of Black shinobi.

Before stepping on stage, Mabui was nervous—she'd always been the Raikage's secretary, rarely appearing in public. But now, with no turning back, she took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.

Mabui waved at the crowd. Her case was unique—she wasn't purely Black or white, but had a quarter Black heritage. So, the Black shinobi below the stage gave her a warm round of applause.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" Mabui kept waving as the crowd cheered back.

"Thank you for coming," she continued once the cheers subsided. "The reason I called you here is simple: I hope you'll support me in becoming the Fifth Raikage."

"Our village just suffered a defeat. Our respected Fourth Raikage and Lord Killer Bee are both still unconscious. Yet already, some are trying to seize the Raikage's powers for their own selfish gain," Mabui said. "We can't sit and do nothing! Think about it—how many missions failed in recent years because the commander's skin color was used as an excuse for lack of effort? This ongoing division weakens our village! Now they want to take all power for themselves! If they succeed, what kind of future will we have?"

"That's right! Donald isn't even that strong—why should he replace the Raikage?" an excited Black shinobi shouted.

"Everyone, now is the time to act! We can't just stand by and let the position of Fifth Raikage fall into his hands!" Mabui declared.

Uchiha Seiryu and Tobi were mingling in the crowd, listening to Mabui's speech.

"Lord Seiryu, the Cloud Village sure is getting lively," Tobi said with a grin.

"Lively is good," Seiryu replied, smiling. "As long as their reparations come in full, whatever else happens is their business."

"So, Lord Seiryu, who do you think will win—her or that guy with the cornrows from yesterday?" Tobi asked.

"Just based on her speech, she's not on the same level as yesterday's guy. Plus, after the little trick I pulled yesterday, it'll be hard for her to win and become the Fifth Raikage," Seiryu chuckled.

"So, does that mean you'd rather see the cornrow guy win?" Tobi asked.

"What do you think?" Seiryu returned with a smile.

"I'd guess you prefer yesterday's guy to become the Raikage. Mabui is clearly the Fourth's faction's counter to Donald, meant to keep power in their hands. If she wins, nothing really changes. Either way, none of them can stand against your power, but if that guy takes over, it'll be even better for your war plans," Tobi reasoned.

"Tobi, you're finally starting to get politics," Seiryu said warmly, glancing at Tobi, who was disguised as a Black shinobi.

In recent years, following Seiryu around and causing trouble, Tobi's intelligence in these matters had grown quickly. Seiryu had watched Tobi grow from someone who'd ask everyone about the feeling of needing the bathroom into a clever strategist.

Seiryu was quite pleased with Tobi's growth. Before his fallout with Black Zetsu, White Zetsu was a useful tool, and Tobi was the best of them. Tobi might not yet be able to plan a whole coup, but causing chaos? No problem at all.

Moreover, Seiryu had noticed that the group of White Zetsu led by Tobi seemed more loyal to him than to Black Zetsu, their original master. Lately, Tobi would bypass Black Zetsu entirely and report directly to Seiryu.

"All thanks to your teaching, Lord Seiryu," Tobi said with a smile.

"Don't say that. I haven't taught you much," Seiryu said, glancing at Mabui still speaking on stage. "Here's a job for you—go make it hard for her to save face, all right?"

"Just watch me, Lord Seiryu!" Tobi nodded, then squeezed into the crowd of Mabui's supporters.

After Mabui finished her speech, Tobi, disguised as a Black shinobi, cheered along with the others. But after the cheers faded, he suddenly yelled, "Lady Mabui, if we support you as the Fifth Raikage, how will you lead our village out of this crisis? Tell us, so we have confidence to stand up to those other guys!"

Mabui froze. She had no idea how to resolve the current crisis—her only plan was to stop Donald from becoming Raikage and eventually return the power to the Fourth Raikage.

With all eyes on her, waiting for an answer, she knew that a wrong word could end everything.

"Haha… hahahaha!"

In that tense moment, Mabui laughed out loud. Her infectious laughter quickly spread, and soon the entire crowd was laughing with her, filling the plaza with a cheerful atmosphere.

Tobi stared in disbelief—she'd actually gotten away with it. Even Seiryu couldn't help but smile at the scene.

Back at Seiryu's side, Tobi looked frustrated. "Sorry, Lord Seiryu, I let you down."

"No worries," Seiryu waved it off. "You know what they say—a girl who smiles is never too unlucky."

With Mabui taking on Donald directly, the contest for Fifth Raikage became the hottest topic in Cloud Village.

Mabui, backed by the Fourth Raikage's faction and the Black shinobi, and Donald, backed by the white shinobi, clashed openly.

The Black shinobi accused the whites of being obsessed with racial conflict, while the whites claimed the Black shinobi didn't value their lives in missions and started chanting slogans like "White Lives Matter Too" and "Cloud Needs a White Raikage." TL: xD

Both sides worked hard to win over the undecided members of the village.

As the rivalry heated up, Donald ran into Mabui during a campaign event, and the two began a heated debate.

"Enough! Look at her—Mabui!" Donald began, pointing at her. "She stands here talking about experience and rules? Friends, villagers, we need strength! We need victory! Everyone knows she's just a puppet put forward by the Fourth Raikage who's about to be dismissed! And what did the Fourth bring us? Weakness! Compromise! Because of his reckless war, we signed a humiliating treaty with Konoha. And now they want to push another puppet to power, talking about harmony and friendship? Don't be ridiculous! Our village rose to the top by strength, by daring to show our fangs—not by neighborly relations!"

Mabui, now used to the spotlight, held her ground. "Jonin Donald, you're confusing recklessness with strength, and dressing up selfishness as negotiation. Your so-called victory would sacrifice the village's future and reputation. What the village needs is recovery and rebuilding so that in the future, we can restore our pride! Your antics do nothing to help the village's future!"

Donald waved his finger. "Slander! Pure slander! You say I'm no help, but what about you, Mabui? You've never handled a real crisis! Your experience is just paperwork. You've never led an S-rank mission! You're just a desk ninja! But me, Donald—nobody knows how to lead better than me!"

"You mean building your leadership by treating subordinates as cannon fodder to pad your own record? And speaking of crises, have you forgotten how your reckless intervention in the border conflict three years ago nearly dragged us into a war with the Land of Waterfall and the Earth Country? Who cleaned up your mess? Me and Lord Killer Bee! And you? All you did was shout about 'false intelligence' and 'being set up.' Did you ever take responsibility?"

Donald's face darkened, but quickly regained composure. "That was a trap! Misinformation from Stone's spies! They were jealous of my success, afraid of a strong Cloud Village! And you, Mabui, you're too close to those old, corrupt leaders holding Cloud back! You fear change, you fear a strong Raikage like me! You just want to keep your little circle of power! Your order would leave the village stagnant!"

"The village doesn't need empty displays of strength, but a reliable, rational leader who can guide us safely through a complex world. Donald, you can't even run your own ninja tools shop's finances—how can you manage the entire village?"

Chapter 254: Amado

"The future? My future is to make Cloud the strongest! To make every village look up to us, and to make money pour in like a waterfall! Your future? You'd turn Cloud into a weak, bullied Konoha under Sarutobi! Look at your supporters—they're all the ones who talk about violence and crime in their music! Losers! Only I, Donald, can make Cloud great again! The village's elites support me—they know I can win!"

Donald's words drew cheers from the white shinobi, who, having been previously suppressed, were now pushing back.

"You say you can bring victory? With what? Your barely-elite jonin strength against Konoha's Uchiha Seiryu?" Mabui hit Donald at his weakest point.

Compared to his political showmanship, Donald's actual strength was lacking.

But Donald only laughed. "The Fourth was the village's strongest, but look at what happened! We lost nearly a thousand shinobi and racked up huge debts! It's a new era! A leader needs wisdom and composure, not brute strength!"

"If I become Raikage, I'll lower the barriers to learning ninjutsu in the village. In this era, individual strength means little. If we have more elite ninja, Uchiha Seiryu won't be a threat!" Donald declared.

"And when Donald becomes Raikage, taking on the name 'A,' I'll be the new 'B,' Cloud's strongest shield!" Donald's companion, Freig, stepped forward, flexing his muscles as the crowd cheered. Among the white shinobi, he was considered a top contender for the title of B.

Watching, Uchiha Seiryu chuckled wryly. Did Cloud's people really think sheer numbers could overcome a Kage? Hadn't they realized their strength was now outclassed?

Meanwhile, Donald's other supporter, Aaron, announced, "If you support Donald and wear our special headbands, I'll hold a daily lottery among his supporters—one lucky winner gets a million ryo in cash!"

Aaron's promise sent the crowd into a frenzy. Given the time required for the Raikage election, this giveaway would cost a small fortune.

"Donald! Donald! Donald!" the crowd chanted.

"What do you think the position of Raikage is?" Mabui gritted her teeth.

For someone raised on A's ideals, Donald and Aaron's actions felt like an insult to her beliefs. But her protests were drowned out by the crowd's cheers, and even some of the Black shinobi began to be swayed by the prospect of cash.

Donald laughed, "Under my leadership, Cloud will enter a brand new era—a great, very great era! Let's make Cloud great again!"

…

Meanwhile, in the Land of Swamp, inside a shrine sealing Moryo's body, Sasuke, weeping blood, drove his thunder-charged sword into the demon's body.

The monster that had troubled the priestesses for generations was annihilated by Sasuke's black lightning—but, at that instant, a faint purple light slipped into Sasuke's body.

Exhausted, Sasuke staggered, about to collapse, but Neji caught him. Sasuke, his vision blurred, looked at Shion.

"Priestess, I won again," Sasuke said before passing out.

Shion looked at the handsome but battered boy before her. In just a few days, he'd shattered the worldview she'd grown up with. Even when she'd told him he could defeat Moryo by giving up her priestess powers, Sasuke refused, determined to fight head-on.

She'd watched as Sasuke, initially overpowered by Moryo, gradually adapted, his strange skeletal chakra construct growing stronger until he finally destroyed the demon that had plagued the Land of Demons for generations.

All of this told her that, in the face of true strength, her prophecies amounted to nothing.

"Future… no longer exists," Shion murmured.

…

In the Land of Wind, at the ruins of Roran:

A violent energy surge erupted from the Dragon Vein's tower, and three figures were thrown out, landing hard in the sand a hundred meters away.

"My back!" Jiraiya groaned, struggling to stand.

"Ero-sennin, you're too old to be showing off," said Naruto, his clothes in tatters as he wiped his face, looking at Jiraiya with a hint of disdain.

"You brat! I told you messing with history was a bad idea!" Jiraiya snapped back.

After some bickering, Jiraiya asked, "Where's Gaara?"

"There." Naruto pointed to Gaara, who was sitting on some ruins, staring in the direction of Sand Village, with his gourd by his side.

Just minutes before, Gaara had seen his mother for the first time. Though she was newly married to Rasa and his sister Temari wasn't yet born, every detail matched his image of mother.

He'd rushed toward her, hoping for a reunion, but the Dragon Vein reacted, making his body turn insubstantial before he could reach her.

Yet in that moment, his mother turned and looked at him, giving Gaara the warmest smile he'd ever seen. The chakra aura from her matched perfectly with the strange sand in his gourd—he realized, at last, that his mother had never really left him.

"What's next?" Naruto sat down beside Gaara.

"I want to travel the ninja world with you," Gaara replied, a small, awkward smile appearing as the icy air he'd carried all his life finally faded.

Naruto pinched Gaara's cheek. "That's better! You look way cooler when you smile. Let's do it—let's see the world together!"

…

The peace talks between Lightning and Fire reached their conclusion.

When all attempts to negotiate the reparations failed, the Lightning Daimyo had no choice but to sign the harsh treaty and deliver the first payment and ransom for prisoners to Konoha.

Reports from Seiryu's shadow clones in Lightning revealed the conflict's influence extended far beyond just the contest for Fifth Raikage in Cloud Village.

The capital was also in turmoil.

The daimyo, long a supporter of A, was pressured by civil officials after A's defeat. They forced him to issue a public apology and took the opportunity to take much of his power, including the right to oversee the Raikage election.

"Lord Childe, it's thanks to your frank advice that the daimyo realized trusting the Raikage has only brought trouble to our country," said an official at a lavish banquet in the capital.

"It's a minister's duty to set the ruler back on the right path. The daimyo's blind faith in the Raikage ignored the true patriots among us. Now our country is paying the price for that ninja's reckless actions. Hopefully, the daimyo sees who he can truly rely on," said Childe, the newly promoted grand minister, swirling his wine.

"Well said, Lord Childe," another agreed. "Only with your guidance can our nation prosper."

"About the huge reparations we owe Konoha due to Cloud's provocation—what will we do? If we pay as required, we won't even have enough left for the officials' salaries."

"That's Cloud's problem, not ours," Childe said after a pause. "Tomorrow, I'll advise the daimyo to cut the military budget for Cloud Village and use those funds for our reparations. As for the shortfall—well, the people will have to tighten their belts."

"Brilliant, my lord!" The banquet echoed with flattery.

…

Back in the Cloud and Thunder Gorge, A had broken three tables in as many days.

Not only was Mabui losing ground to Donald, but now news came that the capital planned to slash Cloud's military budget. A was shocked—how could they even think of cutting the budget at a time like this?

Oh, right—they were already paying reparations.

As A worried over the still-unconscious Killer Bee, a mysterious visitor arrived at the hidden base.

A middle-aged man with orange sunglasses and a briefcase walked in, past a group of A's personal Anbu lying unconscious on the floor.

"Raikage, let me introduce myself. I'm Amado, a scientist. You look like you're in trouble, and I think you could use my help."