Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 316: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

The Ninja World is Shaken!

The turmoil witnessed during the Chūnin Exams, a focal event in Konoha has sent shockwaves throughout the entire ninja world.

The Forbidden Jutsu: Edo Tensei, summoning the dead to fight!

Senju Tsunade's Wood Release and Uchiha Shirou's Mangekyō Sharingan, the two of them valiantly battling the God of the Ninja World—the First Hokage—and the Demon of the Ninja World, Uchiha Madara, who ended the Warring States Period.

Not to mention, the manipulation of the Kazekage and Mizukage by a mysterious figure, plunging one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kirigakure, into a long-standing conspiracy.

Even Sunagakure would have fallen under control had Konoha not triumphed this time.

First, Konoha stunned the ninja world with the godlike power of its Hokage and Tsunade Senju. Then came the terrifying revelation of a mysterious figure orchestrating a grand conspiracy to manipulate the ninja world.

If these revelations were shocking enough to destroy the heavens and earth, what followed was the ninja world's awe at Konoha's military strength.

As the Five Kage Summit concluded and the Raikage and Tsuchikage prepared to leave Konoha, news of a shocking report reached them.

"How is this possible?!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, was stunned as he read the report, while his trusted bodyguard could only smile bitterly:

"Raikage-sama, I also thought it was fake at first, but Konoha does not need to fabricate such things anymore!"

"Damn it!"

The Fourth Raikage was filled with both shock and fear, but above all, frustration.

Meanwhile, in the Iwagakure delegation's quarters, the Tsuchikage Onoki and his team, who had just finished packing, also received the report. The entire group was stunned.

"Four hours to break through the Kirigakure ninja army's defenses? Five days to take Kirigakure? How could this be..."

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was left speechless in disbelief. He read the report three times, but the facts remained the same.

"How is this possible?!"

Even the battle-hardened Onoki was momentarily at a loss for words. He could have accepted the appearance of either Uchiha Shirou or Tsunade Senju on the battlefield.

However, the problem was that both Uchiha Shirou and Tsunade stayed in Konoha. The force sent to Kirigakure was merely an elite unit of Konoha ninja. Yes, it included clans such as the Yuki clan and the Kaguya clan, which originated there.

However, in terms of top-tier strength, Kirigakure had the likes of Terumi Mei, who could wield two Kekkei Genkai, and Kisame Hoshigaki, whose terrifying chakra reserves and Samehada sword made him a formidable foe.

Yet, Konoha's Shisui of the Body Flicker, with his Mangekyō Sharingan, the Time-Space Ninjutsu team led by Uzumaki Genma, and the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, spearheaded an elite force that broke through Kirigakure's defenses and crushed their ninja army.

"Konoha is terrifying!"

Onoki quickly realized Konoha's strategy: to demonstrate that, even without Uchiha Shirou or Tsunade Senju, Konoha possessed the power to dominate the ninja world.

"Grandpa, the intelligence clearly shows that Kirigakure was already dealing with internal issues after discovering that the Fourth Mizukage was being manipulated..."

Beside him, Kurotsuchi, despite her shock, tried to comfort her grandfather by pointing out the reality of the Kirigakure situation.

Just as Kurotsuchi said, if Kirigakure had been united, it would have taken someone of Uchiha Shirou or Tsunade's caliber—on the level of a walking war machine—to break through. Otherwise, Konoha would not have won so quickly, even with its current strength.

"The ninja world is about to change!"

Onoki put down the report and stared at the bright sunlight over Konoha, his face filled with bitterness.

This was no longer something mere human effort could change. The only hope would be an internal conflict within Konoha, to the point of mutual destruction.

...

As Konoha's blitzkrieg against the Land of Water concluded, the news that Terumi Mei had fully secured control over Kirigakure as its Fifth Mizukage swept through the ninja world like a storm.

The ninja world was shaken, and the terror of Konoha's military might became widespread.

Meanwhile, in Sunagakure, under the support of the elders Chiyo and Ebizō, Pakura ascended to the position of Fifth Kazekage.

Immediately after taking office, Pakura exacted bloody revenge on the clan elders who had betrayed her in the past, while simultaneously revealing the truth of those events.

This caused turmoil within Sunagakure, as Pakura had been away from the village for so long, and she was also one of the wives of the Konoha Hokage.

Despite the internal chaos, Sunagakure, under the strange atmosphere of peace in the ninja world, could do nothing but accept the situation due to the overwhelming disparity in power.

In a matter of weeks, two of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—Kirigakure and Sunagakure—had fallen under Konoha's direct or indirect control. Though not yet fully assimilated, Konoha's ambitions were clear for all to see.

The remaining shinobi villages, now keenly aware of Konoha's dominance, began secretly forming alliances in a desperate attempt to resist Konoha's growing power.

...

In the Hokage's Office

"Hokage-sama..."

Kurotsuchi, wearing a red tight-fitting outfit with her left sleeve exposed, stood nervously before Uchiha Shirou, hesitating to speak.

As the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi, once a proud figure in Iwagakure, now found herself awkwardly serving as an assistant to the Hokage of Konoha.

"Oh? So Onoki sent you to stay here?"

Sitting at his desk, Shirou looked up with a faint smile. Kurotsuchi nodded quickly, her expression tense.

"Y-yes, Grandfather said that Hokage-sama is the strongest ninja in the world and that I should stay and learn from you..."

Seeing the petite Kurotsuchi's nervous demeanor, Shirou couldn't help but laugh.

"That old fox Onoki, he's as cunning as ever."

Kurotsuchi's face turned red with embarrassment as she awkwardly extended her trembling hands, trying to perform tasks she had never done before.

"Hmm, get to the point."

"Y-yes..."

Her face flushed, Kurotsuchi gently massaged his firm shoulders, while Shirou squinted his eyes.

Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, had seen the writing on the wall. By sending his granddaughter to Konoha, he was hedging his bets. If Konoha's dominance became inevitable, Kurotsuchi could be used to strengthen ties between Iwagakure and Konoha, much like what had happened with Kirigakure and Sunagakure.

Onoki had no choice. If the situation were salvageable, he would have fought to the end, enduring as long as possible.

But after witnessing the battles involving Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, and the Death Forest incident, he understood one thing:

For ordinary Kage-level fighters, sheer numbers could overwhelm them. But for those far above the Kage level, backed by Konoha's immense resources, there was no way to resist.

Onoki had already warned Kurotsuchi:

"Kurotsuchi, the fate of Iwagakure is in your hands now. If the mysterious figure can hold them off, we may have a chance to breathe. But if they cannot, the Fourth Great Ninja War will begin, and the ninja world will be drenched in blood.

You've seen what happened to Kirigakure and Sunagakure. At least with Uchiha Shirou, you'll gain a powerful and handsome husband. If you bear children with his Uchiha bloodline, Iwagakure and Konoha will essentially become one in the future."

Onoki had been thrilled at the thought. Konoha might have great ambitions, but he had his plans:

"How long can you live, Uchiha Shirou? Everyone dies eventually. If my granddaughter bears heirs with the Sharingan, Iwagakure will thrive in the future!"

At this moment, Kurotsuchi recalled her grandfather's teasing words. Her face turned red, and her heart couldn't help but feel nervous.

She knew her grandfather had been trying to comfort her back then, but...

Now, standing so close and watching Uchiha Shirou's cold, handsome face radiating an aura of strength, she secretly wiped her drooling lips.

No regrets! As her grandfather once said, it's worth it!

At the very least, there's no other powerful and handsome ninja like him in the entire Shinobi World.

"Konan, I'll leave Kurotsuchi to you from now on. As Hokage's assistant, she needs to familiarize herself with administrative work as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

In the office, Konan, who was organizing documents, smiled respectfully upon hearing this.

Just then, the Hokage office doors were pushed open. Tsunade walked in, and upon seeing Shirou relaxing, she couldn't help but smile.

"Well, Husband, I'm busy to death every day, and here you are, enjoying yourself."

Tsunade strode in with a hint of annoyance, but every step exuded elegance and grace. She sat down directly on the chair next to Shirou, their seats side by side.

Konan smiled, stepping forward to skillfully massage Tsunade's shoulders.

"Lady Tsunade, Lord Shirou just finished training..."

Konan explained softly. Her tone toward Shirou and Tsunade never changed, as she had been taught from a young age to respect the rules.

"Husband, what's your plan?"

Tsunade's face was full of curiosity. In her opinion, Konoha already had the strength to start the Fourth Shinobi World War, or even to stabilize the entire Shinobi World.

But Shirou knew very well that the Akatsuki organization in the shadows wasn't the real threat, nor was Obito. The real dangers were Black Zetsu and the Sage of Six Paths.

If chaos engulfed the Shinobi World now, Black Zetsu and Obito might directly resurrect Madara Uchiha.

During the Chūnin Exams, he had fought with gusto, but that was only because he didn't want to reveal his hand prematurely.

If Madara were resurrected early and unleashed his full power with the Rinnegan, Konoha might be able to put up a fight, but Madara would almost certainly collect the Tailed Beasts and bring about his ultimate resurrection.

Especially the Sage of Six Paths, hiding in the shadows. Shirou frowned deeply. It would be absurd to think the Sage wouldn't notice such major events in the Shinobi World, considering he always appeared at the very last moment.

And then there was the Ōtsutsuki clan!

Thinking about this gave Shirou a headache. He needed more power—and more time to grow stronger.

"Tsunade, there's no rush for now."

Shirou shook his head and didn't voice his concerns. After all, his biggest worries right now revolved around two dead figures.

"No rush!?"

Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious? Right now, the Hidden Mist is half-destroyed, and Sunagakure is powerless. In the entire Shinobi World, who could oppose us..."

Listening to Tsunade, Shirou couldn't help but smile.

"Tsunade, isn't this the perfect time? The whole Shinobi World already knows about our ambition. In their eyes, our so-called peace is just an excuse.

"But now that Sunagakure and the Hidden Mist are under our jurisdiction, if we wait a few more years—long enough for Konoha, Suna, and the Mist to start integrating—even if it's just a preliminary fusion, we'll already have proven that we're right!"

Shirou's calm voice echoed through the room, causing Tsunade to fall into deep thought. After a while, she raised her head and said seriously:

"Husband, are you worried about your people?"

At that moment, countless images flashed through Tsunade's mind: Jiraiya and countless other ninjas in the village.

They might all think that this was pure ambition, bringing disaster to the Shinobi World.

"Husband! I understand now. You want everyone to see that behind ambition lies peace. You want them to understand one thing:

"We're fighting all the wars that need to be fought so that the next generation won't have to! Why start a war? Because we're fighting for the future of the Shinobi World, for the next generation! A unified Shinobi World will mean peace!"

Tsunade's solemn words echoed through the Hokage's office, leaving everyone stunned. Kurotsuchi, in particular, was filled with shock.

Peace! Ambition!

Shirou looked at Tsunade, slightly dumbfounded by her interpretation. In the end, he could only smile.

The fastest way to grow stronger was through the Dragon Vein.

The devouring of the Chimera Jutsu—what he lacked now was time.

'So, Hokage-sama's ambition is for the peace of the Shinobi World!'

Kurotsuchi was secretly astonished, while Konan, standing nearby, revealed a determined smile. For the sake of peace!

"Well then, train hard for the next few years."

Shirou smiled as he spoke. This reason fit perfectly and was completely legitimate. He needed time, and so did his enemies.

When Konoha announced its policies toward Sunagakure and the Hidden Mist, many were shocked but also secretly relieved.

It seemed Konoha's next focus was on integrating the three villages, which left everyone stunned at their ambition while also giving them a chance to catch their breath.

After all, to the rest of the Shinobi World, Sunagakure and the Hidden Mist were already Konoha's. All that was left was full integration.

As for resistance? At the very least, Iwagakure and Kumogakure remained silent. Smaller villages didn't even dare to speak up.

...

In the Land of Rain, inside a dark cave.

"Keh keh... Madara-sama, it seems this is good news. While the Fourth Hokage is ambitious and wants to dominate the Shinobi World, he also wants everyone to see his vision of peace..."

Zetsu's raspy laughter echoed, causing the masked Obito to sneer coldly.

"How noble. It seems Uchiha Shirou wants to become a figure as great as the Sage of Six Paths, bringing order to the chaos. What a legendary story..."

"But all of this is fake peace!" Obito's voice was filled with anger.

Peace?

Then what about Rin!?

Without Rin, this was not the world he wanted!

Obito's furious voice rang out as he saw through Shirou's intentions.

"Well, this also gives us time. At the very least, for Konoha to achieve this will take five to six years, while the Akatsuki Organization only needs three years to act!"

Obito's twisted smile grew, while Zetsu lowered his head, a mocking gleam flashing in his eyes.

Still, it was fine. At least everything was proceeding according to plan.