Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 299: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Konoha.

In the month of June, Konoha was bustling with people coming and going—dignitaries and merchants from all corners of the ninja world surged into the village. Even nobles and daimyos from distant small nations arrived one after another.

In July, Konoha of the Land of Fire would host the grandest Chūnin Exams in the history of the ninja world, attracting everyone's attention.

"Hokage-sama, currently..."

Inside the Hokage's office, Itachi respectfully reported the daily intelligence regarding those entering the village.

In the office, a group of jōnin stood with serious expressions. These were the Hokage's trusted aides.

"From today onward, Konoha will enter the highest state of alert. At the same time, arrange for ninjas to protect every ninja and noble who enters our village!"

The emphasis on the word protect was unmistakable. Everyone present understood the true meaning behind it.

This so-called protection was nothing more than surveillance and a warning.

Shirou chuckled lightly and slowly picked up an intelligence scroll from the desk. He opened it before everyone.

"This time, even the heavens are on Konoha's side. The Mizukage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and Raikage will all personally attend. At this Five Kage Summit, if anyone dares to cause trouble, they're not just disrespecting us—they're challenging the heavens themselves!"

As Shirou finished his statement, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan radiated an intimidating aura, leaving everyone in the office visibly tense.

"Now, we move on to the top-secret S-rank plan, which is also Konoha's next step for future development. According to reliable information, the Fourth Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village is being controlled by a mysterious individual. During the upcoming Five Kage Summit..."

As Shirou gravely revealed this classified information, the Konoha ninjas were all stunned.

The Mizukage is being controlled?

The revelation especially shocked and enraged the ninjas from the Land of Water who had joined Konoha in recent years, particularly the Kaguya clan members.

After Shirou finished speaking, Terumi Mei, representing the Land of Water, took a deep breath, stepped forward, and solemnly declared:

"My homeland has been manipulated and harmed by a mysterious individual, causing untold suffering to our comrades. I, Terumi Mei, am willing to stand as a pioneer for Hokage-sama's peace, to save the Land of Water from its torment!"

The exchange between Uchiha Shirou and Terumi Mei made many jōnin present murmur to themselves. Everyone knew this was a personal matter between the two of them.

Nonetheless, Shirou's plan left them in awe—was this even possible? To put it plainly, the plan was to expose the Mizukage's manipulation during the Five Kage Summit and then support Terumi Mei and her allies from the Land of Water to take back their home.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Shirou smiled confidently and declared righteously:

"The people of the Hidden Mist Village are also our comrades in Konoha. Right now, countless of our comrades in the Land of Water are still suffering. Konoha cannot stand idly by!"

...

While the Hokage's office was busy discussing the top-secret plan, an influx of ninjas from other villages had already arrived in Konoha.

The prosperity of Konoha shocked the ninjas from the other villages. Even seasoned jōnin who had visited Konoha before were amazed at how much the village had changed in just a few short years. The fertile lands of the Land of Fire, the warm spring weather, and the vibrant scenery stood in stark contrast to the harsh, barren lands many of them came from.

Upon entering Konoha, they were subject to thorough inspections by vigilant patrols. The guards exuded a powerful presence, showcasing the strength of the ninja world's mightiest village.

At the village gates, the first thing visitors experienced was a rigorous security check. Bloodline ninjas from the Hyūga clan used their Byakugan, while Uchiha ninjas used their Sharingan. The Aburame clan employed their insects, and the Inuzuka clan relied on their dogs' keen sense of smell. It was nearly impossible for anyone to slip through using transformation jutsu or similar techniques.

Even the accommodations provided to guests, though decent, were heavily monitored. ANBU operatives were stationed on the rooftops, while patrol squads kept a close watch outside the hotels. There was no attempt to hide the surveillance—it was a blatant warning: Don't cause trouble, or you'll pay with your life.

On a quiet street in Konoha:

"Ouch! You little brat!"

Kankurō, wearing a forehead protector from the Hidden Sand Village and sporting purple face paint, lifted a small boy with one hand, mocking him. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

"Ouch!"

The boy, trembling under Kankurō's overwhelming presence, struggled angrily. It was Konohamaru.

Though he had lost his status as the Third Hokage's grandson and the prestige of the Sarutobi clan, this loss had twisted his mindset. He was determined to restore his family's glory, making him even more sensitive.

"Damn it! Let go of me, you ugly freak! I am Sarutobi Konohamaru!"

Konohamaru shouted in anger but with little confidence, which caused Kankurō to smirk. Upon hearing Konohamaru's surname, Kankurō's expression turned mocking.

"Sarutobi? I think I've heard of it... or maybe I haven't."

Turning to his squad, Kankurō sneered, prompting the other genin to laugh.

"Kankurō, wasn't there a clan in Konoha that tried to stage a coup five years ago and got wiped out? Wasn't it called... Sarutobi or something?"

"Yeah, I remember! And the face on the Hokage Rock with no features? That's what they call Konoha's disgrace, isn't it?"

The mocking laughter infuriated Konohamaru. However, before he could act, a shadow suddenly attacked. Kankurō hastily summoned his puppet to block, but the attack was powerful, sending the Sand ninjas tumbling.

"Damn it! Who—"

Kankurō froze mid-sentence when he saw the attacker. His face turned pale and awkward.

"What's the matter? Sand Village brats trying to show off in Konoha?"

Standing before them was a tall, confident woman with short blond hair and a giant iron fan. It was Temari. She smirked coldly.

Kankurō's expression soured as he recognized her. Though he hadn't seen her in years, he remembered her as the sister who had once protected him.

"Kankurō, it seems you've only gotten worse with age!"

Temari scolded him coldly. The other Sand ninjas, angered, prepared to retaliate, but Kankurō silenced them with a low, harsh voice:

"Enough! Shut up!"

The others, stunned by Kankurō's uncharacteristic anger, obeyed.

Temari glanced at the Sand ninjas, then pulled out an official document.

"I've been sent to escort you to your accommodations. From now on, do not wander around. If you do, you might lose your lives without realizing how it happened."

From a tree above, a figure hung upside down—a red-haired boy with the kanji for "love" etched into his forehead. His cold, murderous aura filled the air.

It was Gaara.

Temari sneered at him.

"Hiding in a tree, Gaara? You're not as cute as you were when you were a kid."

At her words, the Sand genin froze in shock. Gaara? Cute? These words were taboo.

Gaara, staring at Temari, felt an inexplicable mix of irritation and familiarity.

"Gaara!"

Kankuro, fearing that Gaara might lose control, quickly appeared on a tree and lowered his voice to relay Temari's information.

At that moment, a strange light flickered in Gaara's pupils as he looked at the gallant woman before him—it was his sister! He had heard stories about her: the sister their father had abandoned, who had then been taken in by Konoha, betraying Sunagakure and becoming a Konoha ninja.

Meanwhile, Konohamaru, who had just been bullied, glared at the scene before him, feeling as though everyone was ignoring his existence.

"These outsiders are so arrogant! I order you—capture them at once!"

Konohamaru shouted in rage, his fury ignited by the words of these Sand ninjas earlier.

However, facing Konohamaru, Temari coldly retorted:

"Shut up!"

Temari's indifferent and dismissive attitude led her to walk away with the Sand ninjas, leaving Konohamaru standing there alone.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Konohamaru lowered his head, his eyes filled with humiliation and rage. "If my grandfather were still alive if the Sarutobi clan still had its power!"

"Sand ninjas! And you, you traitorous woman who betrayed the Sand Village—what right do you have to—"

Before he could finish his insult, a gust of wind swept past. In an instant, Konohamaru let out a muffled groan as the force slammed him into a nearby tree.

"If I hear you run your foul mouth again, next time, it won't be just the wind grazing your forehead—it'll be your pathetic head rolling on the ground!"

Temari's cold voice echoed as Konohamaru, trembling with fear, felt strands of his hair fall from his forehead.

Swallowing hard, Konohamaru stiffly turned his gaze toward the tree behind him, where the marks of a wind blade were etched into the bark. His eyes filled with deep terror.

No matter how much anger he felt, he dared not utter another word.

Temari, leading the Sand ninjas to their lodging, handed them a map and warned:

"This map shows the areas where you're allowed to roam around the village."

After issuing her warning, Temari turned and left, clearly in a bad mood. The group of Sand ninjas exchanged glances and decided to wait in their lodging for their superior to arrive.

Once outside, Temari walked over to a bench under a large tree with a calm expression. She placed her massive three-star iron fan by her side.

"It seems the Sand ninjas are becoming more and more impressive, Kankuro. I didn't expect that after all these years, you've learned how to bully people."

Temari's scolding voice rang out, and Kankuro slowly emerged from behind the tree. He hesitated, his face conflicted, but eventually spoke:

"Sister, how have you been all these years?"

Silence.

The atmosphere between the siblings was heavy as they reunited after so long.

After a while, Temari brushed the golden strands of hair from her forehead and smiled. Gazing at the vibrant sky of Konoha, she burst into hearty laughter:

"Kankuro, can't you see how prosperous Konoha is? There are no sandstorms here, no dry weather, and—most importantly—no disgusting filth."

Kankuro understood what his sister meant.

Although they were still young, the memories of a ninja's childhood were deeply ingrained. Back then, he could clearly remember how his sister had always protected him.

He remembered her full of smiles, saying she wanted to go to Konoha and promising to bring him gifts when she returned.

But she never came back.

At first, people said she had died in Konoha, killed by rogue ninjas.

Years later, rumors spread that his sister had become a traitor to the Sand Village, a dog of Konoha.

As Kankuro grew older and became a ninja himself, he started hearing different stories and investigating on his own.

He discovered the truth: their father and the village had abandoned Temari.

"Kankuro, you've grown up. And Gaara, too. But you're not as cute as you were when you were little."

Earlier, Temari had kept her face cold in front of others. But now, she smiled, finally feeling at ease.

No matter what, she had seen her two brothers again.

"I'm a ninja of Konoha now. Here, I have Lady Kushina as my mentor and Lord Shirou..."

"I'm doing well too," Kankuro replied. "Gaara and I are both genin of the village, under Maki-sensei..."

The siblings shared their experiences over the years, though their conversation felt somewhat distant.

While they spoke, Temari's gaze occasionally drifted toward the tree above them.

Gaara, hidden in the tree, had heard everything.

"Enough," Temari said abruptly. "There's no need to sugarcoat it. The current state of the Sand Village is rotten. They abandoned our hero, Pakura-sensei, and cast out a sister who only wanted to protect her family. Kankuro, you might be doing okay, but only because you're not important enough to be noticed. And Gaara..."

Her words pierced through the facade, leaving Kankuro awkwardly speechless.

She was right. Compared to his sister and Gaara, Kankuro's talent was unremarkable.

Although he hadn't suffered overt mistreatment, he had been largely ignored. Their father, the Kazekage, was so focused on the village that he had no time for his less-talented son. Kankuro grew up lonely, finding solace only in his studies and a few friends at the ninja academy.

The three siblings had reunited, but Gaara remained silent, hidden in the tree. Much of their bond was now a distant memory, tied only to their shared childhood.

"Let's go. Even though we're siblings, if we meet in the Chunin Exams, I won't hold back."

Temari's confident, carefree personality shone through as she smiled. For her, seeing her brothers doing well was enough.

As for Gaara...

As Temari left, her words echoed in Gaara's ears, making his eyes tremble with emotion.

"I'm sorry, Gaara. I couldn't protect you."

The sound of sand softly falling to the ground filled the air. Watching her disappear into the distance, Kankuro let out a bitter laugh.

"Gaara, did you know? Father always believed my talent would surpass hers. That's why he abandoned her. And she... she was cast out because she tried to protect me."

This guilt and self-blame had haunted Kankuro for years.

Gaara, however, coldly glanced at the fading figure and said in an icy tone:

"Ninjas are nothing but tools. Emotions are unnecessary."