Naruto: Starting by Marrying Uchiha

Takashi returned to Kikyo Mountain in just half a day.

And that was without summoning Taiichi; otherwise, he might have made it back in just a few hours.

He had just returned.

"Lord Takashi!"

Nara Jukumo came up to greet him at the entrance.

"What's going on? Is there something that couldn't be said in a letter?"

Takashi's face was full of displeasure.

He couldn't help it; his experiment had just started, and being called back so soon naturally made him quite irritable.

If it were the Sand Ninja army attacking, there would be no question about it.

But the mysterious urgency, just constantly urging him to return, naturally left him unhappy.

Nara Jukumo didn't explain, just led Takashi towards the meeting room.

Once inside the meeting hall, Takashi noticed something was off.

Not only was Mitokado Homura there, but also Sarutobi Sachiko and others.

There's a problem! This thought flashed through his mind.

But he wasn't worried. He simply found an empty seat and sat down, saying:

"I wonder what wind has blown the advisory elders here. Could it be the fierce wind from the Sand Ninjas?"

This was both a sarcastic remark and a probe.

In response, Mitokado Homura didn't react, but Sarutobi Sachiko, Shimura Setsuna, and others clenched their fists.

Too much bullying! Because it was clear he was mocking them for being heavily defeated by the Sand Ninjas before.

"Commander Uchiha Takashi, this is an order from the village!"

Mitokado Homura solemnly took out a mission scroll and had Mitokado Tenman beside him hand it over.

An official order!

Which meant it would be archived in the village records, not a private order.

So naturally, Takashi wouldn't refuse and directly unfolded the scroll.

The order was simple.

He was to escort a delegation led by Mitokado Homura to negotiate with the Sand Ninjas.

As for what the negotiations were about, it wasn't his concern. His task was to get them to the negotiation site and back.

The mission was in line with procedures and not targeted at him, so Takashi had no objections.

However, the nature of this mission was confidential, which is why it couldn't be explained in detail and had to wait for him to return personally to be issued.

But one piece of information on it made him think of many things.

The delegation also included the escort of Sand Ninja prisoners.

There's a problem! There must be a problem here.

Because negotiating implies no agreement has been reached, so it wouldn't make sense to bring prisoners unless...

A secret deal had already been made.

The overt negotiations were just a cover, with the real goal being to use these prisoners to exchange for something.

Seeing the full Hokage-lineup of the delegation, it was obvious what they were exchanging for.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke! Not many knew about his capture, and a gag order had been issued. If they secretly exchanged him back, they might be able to erase this disgrace.

Disgusting! Takashi had witnessed the darkness of the village's upper echelons.

Fortunately, he hadn't been biased, thinking the village's leaders were all like the "Will of Fire" described, or he would have been duped long ago.

But it's fine, as long as it doesn't harm his interests, he'll do the job for the money.

"And the things I was promised...?"

If they hadn't brought what they promised him before, they shouldn't blame him for a "righteous betrayal."

"In the warehouse!"

Mitokado Homura answered straightforwardly.

"Alright, let's set off once everything's ready!"

Hearing that the items had already arrived, Takashi stood up immediately, as if eager to undertake the mission.

What a joke.

This was a prime opportunity to witness the drama unfold firsthand; how could he not look forward to it?

As for preparations, he didn't need to worry about them; he left it to Nara Jukumo.

It's a pity Mitokado Shihiro was taken by Orochimaru; otherwise, there would be even more tools at his disposal.

As for Nara Shikaku... even if he were at Kikyo Mountain, he wouldn't intervene without Takashi's permission.

Before setting off, Takashi visited the medical unit, distributing diluted healing potions, bringing tears to the eyes of several medical ninjas.

What a good person! With so many injured, they couldn't treat many even if they worked themselves to death for a day.

Now with the healing potions, they could solve the majority of the injuries, and the rest they could handle easily.

And since Takashi was willing to invest heavily, he naturally expected returns.

These clan ninjas had been tested by blood and fire and were clan elites. Once the Southwest Ninja Army absorbed them, their combat power would undoubtedly surge.

As for the fact that the other party belongs to the Hokage faction and wouldn't be loyal to him, Takashi didn't see it as a flaw but rather an advantage. After all, he never intended to subdue the Southwest Ninja Army.

The stronger these people were, the easier it would be for him.

And since they weren't his own people, he wouldn't feel any heartache using them, right?

It didn't take long for the team to be ready.

Over a hundred Sand Ninjas with their chakra sealed and a hundred family ninjas from the Southwest Ninja Army.

This was a secret mission, so the quieter the better.

"Lord Takashi!"

Seeing the appearance of Uchiha Takashi, everyone respectfully saluted.

Without any response, Takashi wasn't one to follow a 'people-friendly' persona. After glancing over the ninjas ready for battle, he jumped onto the top of a carriage and lay down.

The carriage wasn't prepared for them but for the Sand Ninja captives.

Ninjas! A powerful yet fragile profession.

With terrifying destructive power, yet so fragile that a single stab could kill them (Kakuzu, Hidan: ??).

And without chakra, their performance wouldn't be much better than ordinary people.

That's why they needed the carriages.

A few carriages were enough for over a hundred Sand Ninjas.

After all, the destination wasn't too far.

Rustle! The convoy slowly moved forward.

For some reason, Takashi felt a restless unease in his heart.

It was as if someone was watching him.

If it were before he transmigrated, he would have thought it was just his imagination.

But this was the ninja world, a supernatural world with chakra, where intuition could sometimes be more reliable than eyes.

Wait!! A name suddenly popped into Takashi's mind.

White Zetsu!

If he remembered correctly, 'Madara' hadn't pulled the oxygen tube yet, right?

The other party had been monitoring the ninja world, and the Mist Village was also under their control.

So, it made sense that he, as a new 'sage,' would also be within their sight.

So, was there a White Zetsu around now?

Thinking about the possibility of White Zetsu nearby, Takashi was first startled, then overjoyed.

Compared to the domineering and difficult-to-cultivate Hashirama cells, White Zetsu was the real 'treasure boy.'

Not only could it be transplanted without rejection, but it could also enhance chakra, recovery... and so on.

And it was the type without side effects.

Simply heaven-defying!

With so many benefits, it truly deserved to be called a treasure boy.

Unfortunately, although White Zetsu wasn't strong in combat, its escape and disguise abilities were heaven-defying.

Even the Byakugan couldn't detect it.

Because its Mayfly Technique was too heaven-defying, once activated, it moved at a frightening speed and merged its presence with the surrounding earth.

At this stage, White Zetsu was still a hot potato.

'Madara' wasn't dead yet, and if you caught White Zetsu, do you believe he'd come knocking on your door, wanting to have a 'heart-to-heart talk'?

The more Takashi studied biological knowledge, the more he realized the limits of humanity.

Unless one stopped being human!

The Otsutsuki clan were aliens, which was why their bloodline was so powerful.

While thinking about these things, he showed no external signs and continued lying on top of the carriage.

However, he vaguely heard the sound of an argument nearby.

"??"

He sat up and looked in the direction of the sound, noticing three figures that didn't fit in with the team.

"I want to go too!"

"No matter what, I won't give up. This is my ninja way!"

"Even if you don't take me, I'll follow you!"

...

Even though they were stopped by Sarutobi Sachiko, the leading young man showed no intention of giving up.

Things were getting interesting!

Takashi jumped down from the carriage, waved his hand to signal that everything was fine to the onlookers, and walked towards the back of the team.

Even if he couldn't recognize their identities at first glance (in the real ninja world, appearances differed from the anime), just hearing their words was enough to identify them.

The youngest son of the financial magnate... no, the youngest son of the Hokage.

A truly terrifying existence upon closer thought.

(End of Chapter)