[NTU] [ARC-08-PEACE] Chapter : 123 (Patreon)

"By the way, why did you come here today?"

Seeing that Anko was nearly fuming from his teasing, Toshiro stopped joking and inquired about her reason for visiting.

Although she often caused him trouble, it was unusual for her to seek him out at this time.

"This is for you!"

"Orochimaru-sensei asked me to give this to you!" Anko said, tossing a scroll to Toshiro.

"Got it!"

Ignoring the curiosity on Anko’s face, Toshiro took the scroll and headed toward his tent.

“Hmph! So secretive,” Anko muttered, losing interest in Toshiro and walking toward her sensei’s tent with a worried expression. She wanted to verify if what she had heard was true.

'Orochimaru is indeed very reliable!' Toshiro thought as he unrolled the scroll in his tent. He was quite satisfied with the recorded ninjutsu.

It seems I was wrong about him. Orochimaru is easy to get along with if you offer him enough benefits. There’s no shortage of ninjutsu and other rewards from him, like this one in my hand.

Since arriving at the camp, Toshiro has noticed that Orochimaru often uses shadow clones to slack off. Realizing this, he started hunting rogue ninjas and, bypassing Konoha’s logistics, handed them directly to Orochimaru’s subordinates for experiments. Over time, this earned him Orochimaru's favor, who occasionally provided Toshiro with interesting ninjutsu.

There was a tacit understanding between them, and their transactions continued for months without direct communication. Both Toshiro and Orochimaru got what they wanted.

...

"Shisui! Are you sure you don’t want to return with us?"

In the frontline camp, Toshiro asked Shisui about his decision to stay or leave.

"Yes, I plan to stay here and use my strength to protect Konoha!"

"Konoha hasn’t fallen to the point where it relies solely on a child like you. Come back to the village with me!"

"I heard the Fourth Hokage will take charge soon. Why not return with us to see the new Hokage?"

"Well..."

Shisui hesitated. It sounded appealing to return and meet the new Hokage, but...

"Sorry, Toshiro-senpai, I promised the Sandaime Hokage to protect Konoha’s comrades with my own hands."

"The war here isn’t over. I’ve decided to stay and witness it firsthand. This is what you taught me!"

"Uh..."

"Alright! But be careful. Fighting here isn’t very advantageous for us, Uchiha."

Unexpectedly, Shisui had used Toshiro's own words against him. Seeing Shisui’s determination, Toshiro realized persuasion was futile. His clansmen rarely heeded advice, and he couldn’t force Shisui to leave.

After giving some final instructions, Toshiro stood up and prepared to leave the camp.

Since the Nohara Rin incident, Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, driven by economic necessity, reluctantly accepted Konoha’s 'war commission' and initiated a conflict with Kirigakure in the Land of Water. With this ally, Konoha could finally assert that the Third Ninja War was nearing its end.

For nearly seven or eight years, Konoha faced numerous challenges. Initially, they were attacked by Sunagakure near Mount Kikyo and later engaged in a prolonged conflict with Iwagakure in the Land of Earth, lasting two to three years in the Land of Grass. The Battle of Kannabi bridge forced Iwagakure to sign a peace agreement.

Although conflicts with Kumogakure and Kirigakure were still unresolved, one was embroiled in a fierce battle with Iwagakure, and the other was engaged with Sunagakure. For Konoha, it was not efficient to maintain a large ninja presence in the Bear Country camp. Taking advantage of the situation, many were recalled to the village for rest, including Toshiro, Orochimaru, and a significant number of Konoha ninjas.

Unexpectedly, Shisui chose to remain and continue contributing his strength to Konoha.

...

Meanwhile, a heated debate erupted in the conference room at the Hokage Building.

“No, I do not agree with Minato Namikaze becoming the Fourth Hokage,” someone argued. “He cannot even control the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki properly. How can he be qualified to be Hokage? Moreover, he is too young.”

“I propose Orochimaru for the position. He has more experience and maturity than the young Namikaze Minato.”

Shimura Danzo, though prepared for resistance, jumped at the opportunity to object after hearing the Sandaime’s suggestion. Lacking a strong argument, he criticized Kushina's issues instead.

“Especially regarding the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki. Everyone here remembers my last injury!” he exclaimed. “I assume none of you want to experience that.”

Danzo’s admission of his situation sparked discussions among the elders. Despite his status, his severe injury caused by Kushina made them hesitant. They all remembered her outburst and feared a similar fate, but they lacked Danzo's resilience.

“The last incident was due to Nohara Rin’s situation,” the Sandaime explained. “Kushina temporarily lost control of her emotions, which is understandable. Moreover, Minato was not present. Had he been there, things would not have escalated.”

“As for Orochimaru...” The Sandaime hesitated, holding his pipe. His 'beloved disciple' had grown closer to Danzo, and his recent change in temperament made the Sandaime uncertain about his intentions.

“Orochimaru is not suitable to be the Fourth Hokage,” he concluded after careful consideration. Many elders agreed, though their reasons differed. They felt a strong Fourth Hokage would not serve their interests, and Orochimaru’s disposition suggested he would not heed their advice as readily as Namikaze Minato.

—-

"Toshiro! Thank you for your hard work this time," Fugaku greeted warmly.

In Fugaku’s mansion, Toshiro sat in the guest seat, sharing a table with Fugaku, his wife, and their future prodigy.

"It was nothing. I just took a walk on the Kirigakure battlefield, nothing too strenuous," Toshiro replied lightly, downplaying his achievements.

The clan had placed him under Orochimaru’s command, clearly hedging their bets but not taking him seriously. After assigning him, they largely ignored him.

"Let’s set that aside for now. After consulting with the clan elders, I’ve decided to offer you an important position in the security force as my assistant. What do you think?" Fugaku inquired, watching Toshiro’s expression closely. To his disappointment, Toshiro showed no emotion.

Toshiro had already considered his options after returning to Konoha with Orochimaru. Becoming a policeman in the security force didn’t appeal to him. As a transmigrator, he found the idea of dealing with everyday concerns and trivial issues tedious and bothersome.

Joining the Sandaime as a regular ninja handling missions also seemed unnecessary. Since he wasn’t particularly favored, he saw no reason to curry favor. Although Minato was about to ascend to power, a young leader without a solid foundation would still face significant challenges.

Becoming Fugaku’s assistant was equally unappealing. With the clan’s poisonous politics, he didn’t want to get involved.

"What about the position in the prison?" Toshiro asked.

At that time, Konoha Prison was under Uchiha control and located within their residence. Konoha ANBU personnel frequently appeared there under the pretense of preventing prisoner incidents. The true identity of these visits was open to interpretation.

"The prison?" Fugaku was surprised. He hadn’t expected Toshiro to choose such a simple role. "There is a shortage of manpower there right now. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?"

Given Toshiro’s talent and strength, serving merely as a prison warden seemed like undervaluing him. Fugaku had hoped Toshiro would take on challenging tasks to showcase his abilities before the Hokage. He knew of Toshiro’s good relationship with Namikaze Minato and hoped to leverage that connection.

"Thank you for your concern, Chief. The prison is fine. It’s less stressful and closer to home. After years of battlefield fighting, I’m really tired of it," Toshiro explained.

While not a prestigious position, being a warden was still a moderate leadership role in Konoha, with a good salary and allowances. Additionally, he could command a dozen clan members within the prison, making it a preferable choice compared to dealing with drunk idiots, vendors and similar issues.

"I understand. I’ll arrange it for you," Fugaku agreed.

Seeing that Toshiro had made up his mind, Fugaku did not continue to persuade him.

Reflecting on his past life, he couldn’t have imagined such a fortunate situation, but now, it was achievable with just a word.

The Uchiha clan currently lacked manpower, struggling to even fill the guard force. This made Toshiro’s placement as warden all the easier.

"Itachi! Go get that black scroll from my desk!"

"Yes, Father!"

After sending his son to retrieve a scroll half his height from the study, Fugaku handed it to Toshiro.

"This is the information on the sealing technique you were looking for last time. The elder guarding the shrine has sorted it out and handed it over to you."

"Oh, this is great!"

Seeing the black scroll, Toshiro was delighted. He needed this information, having failed to find it in the clan secret treasury last time. He hadn’t expected such thoughtfulness from Fugaku.

Sealing techniques were incredibly complex, and Toshiro had been too preoccupied with battlefield duties to properly sort through the information. With additional data from Minato, he was quite satisfied.

...

"Hey... Kakashi, you look so gloomy and emo!"

After leaving Fugaku’s home and handing the sealing technique scroll to his shadow clone practicing at home, Toshiro began exploring Konoha. The end of the large-scale war had somewhat restored the villagers' former vitality, though it hadn't reached a certain white-haired boy mourning his lost friends.

"What kind of morbid book are you reading? This isn't suitable for a kid your age!"

Catching Kakashi off guard, Toshiro snatched "How to Die" from his hands. After a quick glance, he started complaining.

"Are you planning to die?"

"Give it back to me! It’s none of your business!"

Seeing Toshiro, Kakashi lowered his guard but became annoyed by Toshiro's actions and tried to reclaim his book.

"This book is inappropriate for you. Here, I have something that will open your eyes!"

Despite Kakashi's reluctance, Toshiro took the negative book away, adhering to the belief that it’s better to guide him than to block him completely. He quickly pulled out an orange-covered booklet and handed it to Kakashi.

"Kid, this is what a man should read. Don't say I never looked out for you!"

Casually tossing Kakashi's book into a nearby trash can, Toshiro winked and gave a knowing smile. Kakashi, helplessly watching his newly bought book treated as trash, could only complain: "Mind your own business!"

"Come on! Compared to the book you bought, I think this one suits you better. It's a true masterpiece!"

The title read 'Icha Icha Paradise'