Unreconciled

The next day, at the first light of dawn.

A rhythmic sound of breathing echoed through the courtyard.

"Hoo..."

"Haa..."

"Hoo..."

Every so often, the flow of wind within the yard would shift, causing the branches and leaves of the large tree to be pulled and blown in turns.

This state continued until noon, when the alarm clock inside the house went off.

Only then did Orochimaru remove the weights from his body, cease his training, and return indoors to wash away the sweat.

"The time is almost here; Fugaku should be sending someone soon."

Orochimaru changed into a clean ninja outfit and sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, checking his training progress while he waited.

Thanks to the Yamato-brand Genetic Serum, his body had gained a great deal of vitality, and his physical training was progressing gratifyingly; he no longer needed to deliberately maintain the Total Concentration Constant of his Breathing Technique.

"It's a pity that relying solely on the Breathing Technique to subtly strengthen the body is far too slow, even with the added weights."

Orochimaru rubbed his chin. "It seems I need to urge Jiraiya to speed up his training."

Senjutsu and the Breathing Technique were, in essence, both methods of utilizing Natural Energy; if only he could find a way for them to promote one another...

"Knock, knock, knock..."

A series of knocks interrupted Orochimaru's thoughts.

"Lord Orochimaru, it is I." The voice belonged to Fugaku Uchiha.

"Fugaku, he actually came himself?"

Orochimaru looked surprised. "Well, that makes sense; he can't afford to be impatient regarding family matters."

Since the attitude of the Uchiha was so respectful, he had no need to put on airs.

Orochimaru leaped lightly, jumping directly outside the residence. "Very good, your timing is precise."

In truth, he had been waiting by the door for quite a while.

Fugaku Uchiha nodded slightly and got straight to the point. "Lord Orochimaru, do you have any way to resolve the issues facing the Uchiha?"

"No rush, let's talk as we walk."

Orochimaru gestured toward the direction of the Uchiha compound and began to walk. Fugaku Uchiha was slightly taken aback, but he had no choice but to follow.

The two did not travel like ninjas, running and leaping, but instead strolled down the street like ordinary people.

Along the way, passersby and shopkeepers all cast glances at the pair, whispering and gossiping.

After all, whether it was Orochimaru of the Sannin or the Konoha Military Police Force captain Fugaku Uchiha, both were star ninjas of the village; seeing them walk together was truly curiosity-inducing.

Especially since both men currently had poor reputations in the village.

Orochimaru remained expressionless, and while Fugaku also kept a straight face, his slightly unnatural expression betrayed that he could not simply ignore the attention.

"Clan Head Fugaku, in truth, it is simple to suppress the matters concerning the Uchiha; all it would take is for the Third Hokage or other high-ranking officials to provide a guarantee, but..."

Orochimaru swept his gaze around, and the volume of the surrounding chatter dropped a notch. "Just like now, you can suppress the surface, but you cannot suppress the hearts of the people."

Fugaku's expression darkened. This was exactly what he was worried about.

Because of their personalities, his clansmen were already alienated from the other ninjas and villagers, and their relationship had long been at a low point; now, the suspicion surrounding the Nine-Tails Incident was simply adding insult to injury.

"However, the Uchiha currently have an opportunity."

Orochimaru stated bluntly, "Kumogakure is restless; a war with Konoha will surely break out in the near future."

"Kumogakure?"

Fugaku was startled at first, but after grasping the key implications, a flash of joy appeared in his eyes, though he quickly suppressed it, his gaze returning to a calm, stagnant pool.

"Indeed, this is a good opportunity."

Defending the village and performing meritorious service on the battlefield were the core values of a ninja; as long as they achieved this, others would find it difficult to criticize them.

Currently, the upper echelons of the village had suffered heavy losses; if the Uchiha could turn the tide, it might even allow the Uchiha to take a step forward.

"Clan Head Fugaku, I know what you are thinking."

Orochimaru sneered slightly. "If this were before the Nine-Tails Incident, this method might have worked, but now, think carefully about why the village is facing war, and why it is that only your Uchiha would be able to earn merit on the battlefield?"

Fugaku felt a jolt in his heart.

During the Nine-Tails Incident, the ninjas within the village were slaughtered while the Uchiha remained unscathed; if the Uchiha were to seize the opportunity to gain merit and elevate their status during the war with Kumogakure, the suspicion toward the clan would only grow deeper.

Not only that, but if their life-and-death contributions were not recognized and instead met with criticism, the clansmen would become resentful and indignant; what might happen then was truly unimaginable.

"I considered the matter too simply."

Fugaku spoke, his voice somewhat strained. "I wonder what method Lord Orochimaru has in mind."

"It's very simple."

Orochimaru said unhurriedly, "The point of the Uchiha joining the war isn't about how much merit you gain, but how much loss you sustain."

Fugaku blinked, not understanding the meaning at first, but then his expression gradually changed.

Ignoring the strength and status of the person before him, he erupted in anger, "What a ruthless heart, what a vicious scheme. Are you trying to send the Uchiha to their deaths?"

"I have no such intention."

Orochimaru didn't mind Fugaku's attitude, saying word by word, "Because I will also be participating in the battle, and I will be responsible for the most dangerous enemies."

"If you suffer heavy losses, I won't be able to escape either; I will carefully control the extent of the casualties."

"That still won't do!"

Fugaku Uchiha looked stern and severe, "I am the clan head of the Uchiha clan. How could I join hands with an outsider to harm my own family?"

"Clan Head Fugaku, you..."

Just as Orochimaru was about to continue, a squad from the Konoha Military Police Force walked straight toward them, their expressions not suggesting they were there to greet their clan head.

Fugaku put on a straight face again and asked the clansman in the lead, "Shinsuke, what happened?"

"Clan head, we have already cleared the ruins, but the village still refuses to assign the craftsmen responsible for rebuilding our clan grounds."

Shinsuke Uchiha looked indignant, "I went to find the person in charge, but they just passed the buck to each other and refused to make any assignments."

"That's right, some even said that our clan grounds are going to be relocated, so going there now is just a waste of effort."

"Clan head, are we really going to move our clan grounds?"

"..."

Among the Konoha Military Police Force, some had heard rumors about that Hokage meeting, claiming that due to suspicions regarding the Nine-Tails Incident, the Uchiha were to be driven to the edge of the village.

It was originally just hearsay, but encountering a situation like this, they couldn't help but be suspicious, each of them shocked and angry.

Facing the questions from his clansmen, Fugaku remained silent, not knowing how to respond.

At this moment, Orochimaru suddenly interjected, "Move? The village will not force the Uchiha to relocate, and the Third Hokage has never issued such an order."

"You few go back again and tell them exactly what I said, word for word."

"This... yes, Lord Orochimaru."

Shinsuke Uchiha was stunned for a moment before nodding in agreement, as if he had only just noticed Orochimaru.

Thanks to "Zhuoluo C Yang" and "Kuwu" for the tips.