Fugaku's Hesitation and Shock

"Are you sure Orochimaru is coming to visit me?" Uchiha Fugaku looked at Shisui before him, his expression uncertain.

"Orochimaru-sama told me so himself." Shisui nodded firmly. He was somewhat pleased as well, feeling that he had become someone who could bridge the gap between the village leadership and the clan, helping ease their relationship. That made him happy.

"Did he say what it was about?" Uchiha Fugaku suppressed his excitement and pressed further.

As the Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan, he did not particularly care about a visit from the village leadership. What he cared about was the significance behind Orochimaru, the man currently most likely to become the Fourth Hokage, coming to visit in person.

"Orochimaru-sama didn't say, but I suspect it may have something to do with the Technology Development Department." Shisui shook his head, though he still offered his guess.

"The Technology Development Department?" Fugaku fell into thought. Since its founding by Orochimaru, the department had drawn the attention of many people, including the heads of the major Ninja Clans and the Jonin corps.

Compared to the independent Jonin corps, clan heads were more inclined to consider what such an action represented.

In Fugaku's eyes, since he believed Orochimaru was highly likely to become the future Fourth Hokage, this was equivalent to the Third Hokage taking the opportunity to pave the way for his disciple's path to becoming Hokage.

So far, Konoha had only a handful of departments with the authority to deploy, recruit, and train relevant shinobi and personnel.

One was Konoha's Anbu, along with Root, which was considered part of the Anbu; another was the Medical Department founded by Tsunade; then there was the Intelligence Interrogation Department, responsible for handling and uncovering intelligence as well as conducting interrogations.

And now, there was Orochimaru's Technology Development Department.

"Please tell Orochimaru that I will await him at home." Fugaku nodded. He truly was not good at making decisions, but that did not mean he could not see the situation clearly or that he was unwilling to ease tensions.

Ever since taking up the position of Clan Head, his greatest wish had been for his clansmen to integrate into the village—and for the next generation to produce an Uchiha Hokage!

Every member of the clan dreamed of this.

But he hoped to achieve that dream through peaceful means. The radicals within the clan, however, were thinking that if the village refused, they would seize it by force.

There was probably no hope for the Fourth Hokage. Even if the Third Hokage were willing to take in and train an Uchiha disciple now, there would still be little chance. But the Fifth Hokage or Sixth Hokage—those were still worth hoping for.

As long as Orochimaru could become the Fourth Hokage!

Kagami had died far too early!

Looking at Shisui before him, Fugaku sighed inwardly once more.

The next day.

Orochimaru's Team finished training in the forest.

After receiving definite news from Shisui, Orochimaru immediately led his team to the Uchiha Clan Grounds with Shisui.

"It's Orochimaru-sama!"

"What is he doing here?"

"I heard he's here to visit the Clan Head."

"Has he taken a liking to Shisui's talent and come to formally accept him as a disciple? Even though he isn't from the Uchiha, that would still be good."

Seeing Orochimaru and his group, quite a few Uchiha clansmen within the Uchiha Clan Grounds were surprised. Few people were willing to come to the Uchiha Clan Grounds, especially Konoha's higher-ups.

The ones most frequently seen here were Anbu agents delivering missions and intelligence.

"Orochimaru-sama." Uchiha Fugaku respectfully bowed slightly before Orochimaru at the entrance and invited him inside.

"Is this your child, Itachi?" Seeing the child being led by a woman, Orochimaru stepped forward and patted his head. "Shisui told me about him. He said he is a very talented Uchiha."

Fugaku's face immediately brightened. To him, having his child's talent and strength recognized by a shinobi of Orochimaru's stature was an honor.

Such things were common in the shinobi world.

For example, the Sannin title had come from the recognition of Hanzo, Amegakure's Demigod and a powerhouse of the shinobi world. It did not matter why Hanzo had acknowledged that title, nor whether Orochimaru and the others considered it humiliating. Recognition from the strong was one of the fastest ways for the weak to make a name for themselves in the shinobi world.

The group took their seats around a table in the courtyard. Orochimaru's golden eyes swept over the family of three across from him before he spoke first. "Fugaku-kun, you know about my Technology Development Department, don't you?"

"Yes." Fugaku nodded. The department's establishment was practically common knowledge among the Jonin corps. He could not possibly claim otherwise.

"Would you be interested in investing in it?" Orochimaru asked abruptly.

"Investing? Do you mean manpower, or something else?" Fugaku's heart tightened. He was not afraid of providing some manpower. What he feared was Orochimaru trying to get the Uchiha Clan to take his side with nothing but empty words.

The Uchiha had not yet reached a point of desperation, and they remained one of the village's great clans. Even if he leaned toward Orochimaru, as Clan Head, he could not immediately agree to something like taking sides.

"Manpower, resources, money." Orochimaru laid out the terms bluntly. "The Technology Development Department must produce some results after its establishment.

There have already been some results with the First Hokage's Wood Release, but I do not think that is enough. If the Uchiha are willing, I am willing to provide the Uchiha with some technical support."

"I don't quite understand what you mean. By technical support, do you mean ninjutsu?" Uchiha Fugaku frowned slightly.

As a great clan, the Uchiha did not lack ninjutsu. Moreover, they were better at fighting through their Sharingan. The Copy Wheel Eye possessed by the Sharingan had allowed them to accumulate a frightening number of ninjutsu over the centuries.

"Mangekyo!" Orochimaru softly spoke the words that drastically changed Uchiha Fugaku's expression.

"Mangekyo?" Fugaku's voice shot up so high that it cracked. He stared at Orochimaru in shock. If the man sitting across from him had not been Orochimaru, he would have thrown him out the moment those words left his mouth.

"I can help research how to allow the Uchiha to awaken their eyes smoothly, as well as methods for awakening the Mangekyo. So long as you provide the relevant information and resources." Orochimaru affirmed his words.

"This is rather unbelievable." Fugaku's hands were trembling. Itachi, meanwhile, looked at his father in confusion, not knowing why his usually stern and composed father had suddenly become so agitated.

Yet the clever child firmly etched the word Mangekyo—the word that had shaken his father so deeply—into his heart.

"Nothing is impossible. Think about it. If the Uchiha could possess a pair of Mangekyo, then even if they could not compare to Uchiha Madara, at the very least it would make the Uchiha's position as a great clan even more secure, would it not?"

Orochimaru's voice was calm and steady, but to Fugaku's ears, it sounded like the most bewitching demon.

"I need to convene a clan meeting." Fugaku frowned and thought for a moment, then let out a defeated sigh and bowed slightly toward Orochimaru across from him.

"I will await your news. Also, let me tell you a secret. The Senju Clan's Wood Release Experiment has already produced one successful case. One Test Subject has already acquired the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai." As Orochimaru rose to leave, he suddenly paused, turned his face slightly, and delivered another piece of news that sent Fugaku's mind reeling beyond control.

Wood Release?

The Senju Clan, which had almost completely integrated into the village through extensive intermarriage with outsiders, had actually regained Wood Release?

Fugaku thought dazedly.