Shisui! Human Experimentation Was Led by the Hokage

"Shisui, you?"

At that moment, Uchiha Yoru feigned astonishment. Then, seemingly noticing Shisui's shock and confusion, he smiled and shook his head. "Shisui, I was shocked at first too, but later, I stopped seeing it that way."

"Brother Yoru, what do you mean?"

Shisui was clearly frowning in confusion. After all, Human Experimentation was something strictly forbidden throughout the Shinobi World.

Yet Uchiha Yoru smiled, shook his head, and sighed as though Shisui simply did not understand. "Shisui, just as you, as one of the clan's elite ninja, naturally know many things about the clan that I do not, after following Teacher Orochimaru for some time, I've clearly passed his test. Once you've seen certain things, you naturally stop being shocked by them."

"You know about the Second Hokage, right?"

Uchiha Shisui frowned upon hearing this, then nodded lightly. Uchiha Yoru cautiously glanced around, and after confirming no one was nearby, lowered his voice. "Teacher Orochimaru is in charge of the village's classified research project—the Human Experimentation left unfinished by the Second Hokage."

"Furthermore, the first person in charge of Human Experimentation within the village was the Second Hokage. After him came Shimura Danzō, the leader of Root, and now it is Teacher Orochimaru."

Uchiha Shisui was stunned. Naturally, he knew of some of the village's darkness. Where there was light in the Shinobi World, there was naturally darkness as well. But he had never imagined that while the village loudly proclaimed its ban, it had secretly continued all along. From the look of things, it had even been led by the Hokage—by the Second Hokage himself.

Seeing Shisui's shock, Uchiha Yoru muttered inwardly, I'm not lying. It's all true. As for what you make of it, that's your business.

"Not just Konoha—every other village has been doing it too. They simply keep it secret. Let me tell you one more thing!"

At this point, Uchiha Yoru's expression grew noticeably more solemn. He said in a low voice, "The wood style ninja experiments that the village once banned never stopped. They even succeeded."

"What!"

As a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, Uchiha Shisui held a different status within the family and naturally knew certain secrets. His eyes widened. He had heard of the Wood Release Project, that horrific Human Experimentation project. He had never expected the village to have continued it in secret all this time—and to have even succeeded.

Seeing Shisui's shock, Uchiha Yoru gently shook his head and sighed. "Teacher Orochimaru witnessed too many tragedies, which is why these Human Experimentation projects use ninja from enemy countries. As for Danzo of Root... forget it. I won't say more. You probably couldn't accept it, Shisui. After all, Human Experimentation was secretly planned by the Second Hokage, and the wood style ninja project was completed under the Third's leadership."

He was not lying. Weren't Wood Release ninjas completed during the reign of the Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi? As for whether the Third knew, who could blame anyone but his old friend for concealing it from him? But claiming he knew nothing of this secret research was complete nonsense.

Right under your nose, and you knew nothing?

After his brief shock, Shisui calmed down. Human Experimentation! The Wood Release Project had even been completed under the Third's leadership. Even Brother Yoru did not want to mention it. The project's success must have come at a terrible cost.

Watching Uchiha Shisui fill in the blanks himself, Uchiha Yoru muttered inwardly, Everything I said is true. What you think is your own business. But I refuse to believe that after learning some of the village's darkness, you can still turn around and blindly worship the Third.

In the original story, Shisui's blind trust likely stemmed from the Uchiha's loss of power and the anxiety they endured for a time afterward, leaving them unable to feel at ease. By then, Orochimaru must already have defected, since it happened not long after the Nine-Tails' Rampage.

Under those circumstances, Shisui bore the burden of the clan, while the Third was exceptionally skilled at winning people over. Naturally, Shisui placed his hopes in the Third, and that was what led to so many tragedies.

How could hope be placed in someone else? Hope should only be placed in oneself.

This time, however, his presence had clearly changed things. The Uchiha had connected with Orochimaru ahead of time. At this point, Orochimaru was absolutely a rising star, the undisputed future Fifth Hokage. How could the Uchiha not place their hopes in Orochimaru, the future Fifth Generation?

As a result, Uchiha Shisui naturally placed his hopes in Orochimaru as well. Moreover, unlike in the original story, he had Uchiha Yoru as a companion rather than being alone. Under such circumstances, he would develop emotional dependence.

Once Orochimaru defected, and the Third was no longer as perfect in Shisui's eyes as he had imagined, Uchiha Yoru could not help but laugh inwardly. This time, I'd like to see what you, the Third, and Danzo can do against a united Uchiha clan.

Right! There was also that traitor, Itachi. But it was fine. According to his plan, before Orochimaru defected, he would first talk the clan into sending Itachi to the front line. Naturally, he would help that lost traitor find the proper goal in life.

"Fine. I'll secretly lead an elite squad to capture the targets."

After hearing these earth-shattering secrets, Shisui was shocked, but even more helpless. The village had secretly carried this on for so long and had even completed the Wood Release Project. What could a mere Jōnin like him say? And the people leading this Human Experimentation were the Second and Third. What a joke.

He could only grit his teeth and accept it. Yet Shisui did not notice that the Hokage, whose image in his heart had once been lofty and radiant, no longer seemed quite so dazzling.

When Shisui agreed to secretly capture targets for Human Experimentation, Uchiha Yoru immediately smiled and nodded. "Good. I'll go too."

"You?"

Under Shisui's puzzled gaze, Uchiha Yoru smiled and shrugged. "Didn't Teacher Orochimaru teach me a Summoning Beast precisely so I could complete missions better? Besides, this is a classified mission—and a mission for the future Fifth Hokage."

Shisui froze upon hearing that. Then a strained smile appeared on his face as he comforted himself inwardly. It's fine. They're all ninja from enemy countries. Even if they weren't used for Human Experimentation, they wouldn't escape death anyway. It's all for the clan, for the village.

Uchiha Yoru was also thinking to himself. Orochimaru was truly crafty. This was clearly both a gesture of recruitment and a test of confirmation.

The scale of the mission he had assigned could only be completed if the Uchiha's elites were mobilized. Once the Uchiha did it, they would board Orochimaru's boat, and only then could the two sides trust each other and cooperate.

Likewise, the Summoning Beast he had taught him was obviously meant for completing this mission. That way, there was no fear of anyone discovering it in secret. After all, the snakes of Ryūchi Cave were mobile fortresses capable of swallowing ninja whole. How covert was that?

Thinking of this, Uchiha Yoru silently warned himself to be careful. The current Orochimaru was not yet the BOSS who, after becoming a Rogue Ninja, went completely mad over longevity and the Sharingan. Right now, he was the hottest candidate for Fifth Hokage. None of those who played politics were clean, and none were simple characters.

Hmm, it seemed he needed to be more cautious with the clan funds passing through his hands from now on. Fortunately, not much time had passed, and fortunately, he knew the future. Otherwise, if his profiteering as a middleman and taking kickbacks were exposed, there truly would be no turning back.

For a moment, Uchiha Yoru muttered inwardly, Be more careful. Once Orochimaru defects, everything will become an untraceable account, and all danger will naturally disappear. I only need to be cautious during this period.

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