First Time Attending the Clan Assembly

Shimura Danzō's expression immediately turned grim.

He really didn't want to hear the word "Hokage" right now. Just hearing it brought back unpleasant associations and an uncontrollable surge of regret.

If only...

Too bad...

"This is none of your business!"

Shimura Danzō's tone was harsh as he stared intently at Orochimaru. "Don't have any extraneous thoughts. This is part of our transaction."

Orochimaru chuckled softly. "I will, of course, honor our agreement. But Lord Danzō, have you forgotten something? You are no longer the leader of Root. Transplanting First Hokage Cells is no small matter. It consumes considerable resources and requires ensuring safety. You must know the cost involved."

Shimura Danzō's face twitched. He took a deep breath, his voice becoming hoarse.

"These are not things you need to concern yourself with."

Orochimaru's smile remained unchanged. He licked his lips before speaking again. "If that's the case, I have no objections. However, before that, you will need to wait a few days."

"What do you mean?"

"Lord Danzō, please don't misunderstand."

Orochimaru shrugged the shoulder where his arm had been severed. "You wouldn't want me to perform the transplant in this condition, would you?"

Shimura Danzō took a deep breath. "How long do you need?"

"Not long, just a few days. Lord Danzō, please don't underestimate my skills."

"Hmph! I'd better not."

Orochimaru paid no mind to Shimura Danzō's attitude and turned to leave, speaking as he went. "Then, Lord Danzō, you should prepare yourself as soon as possible."

Shimura Danzō did not try to stop Orochimaru. Or rather, in his current state, he trusted no one.

Watching Orochimaru's retreating back, a trace of venom flashed in Shimura Danzō's eyes.

"Just you wait, Hiruzen. And that brat too. I will get what belongs to me."

The reconstruction of Konoha Village had entered its sixth day.

The morning sun pierced through the not-yet-fully-repaired outer walls, casting light onto the rubble-strewn streets.

Several ninjas stood on high ground, directing Earth Release ninjas to compact foundations, while Wind Release ninjas whipped up dust to clear the air.

Ordinary villagers, shouldering burdens, transported various supplies, their hurried footsteps weaving through the ruins.

With people coming and going, the entire Konoha Village resembled a massive construction site, bustling with noise. The sounds of hammering and roaring echoed between buildings, creating a considerable din.

But people had grown accustomed to it. In fact, this very clamor made them feel more at ease.

The villagers possessed ample enthusiasm for rebuilding their homes, and the entire Konoha was currently in a positive and upward-looking state.

Genkawa Uchiha stood on the roof of his own house, gazing at the scene from afar.

His house had not suffered severe damage. Only the courtyard wall had cracks, a few roof tiles were broken, and some furnishings in the yard were askew.

He had not participated in the reconstruction. His energy for the past few days had been entirely consumed by the scrolls Orochimaru had left behind.

Recalling his gaze, he ate something he had prepared as usual, then returned indoors. He sat cross-legged on the tatami mat and unrolled a scroll.

The scroll was densely packed with nearly a hundred ninjutsu, ranging from C-rank to A-rank, covering all five elemental chakra natures.

His finger traced the paper. It contained not only the hand seals and chakra circulation routes for the ninjutsu but also Orochimaru's annotations.

These insights were concise yet profound, and some parts made him suddenly enlightened.

It had to be said, Orochimaru was indeed one of the Sannin, and the most comprehensive of them in terms of ninjutsu. His mastery of the five elements was evident even from some of the annotations on the scroll.

And these were precisely what Genkawa Uchiha needed most right now.

For well-known reasons, Genkawa Uchiha had never attended school. Yes, he had never attended the Ninja Academy.

Therefore, compared to other academy students, Genkawa Uchiha might have a high degree of mastery over chakra nature and form transformation, but he lacked in some fundamental aspects.

It wasn't exactly a lack.

In short, he had never systematically organized these fundamental things.

He might be able to grasp concepts from a high level or quickly master a ninjutsu, but that kind of exploration from low to high often allowed one to build their own learning methods.

And now, this scroll filled that gap for him.

Because the ninjutsu within the scroll, whether C-rank or A-rank, had annotations that progressed from shallow to deep, from low to high, representing Orochimaru's complete learning experience.

Flipping through this scroll even gave Genkawa Uchiha a feeling.

It was as if he were standing beside Orochimaru, watching him gradually master more ninjutsu knowledge, starting from the most basic Three Body Technique, steadily enriching his foundation, and understanding the characteristics of ninjutsu.

It was like studying a top student's notes.

Thus, for the past few days, Genkawa Uchiha had been extremely engrossed, completely oblivious to the outside world.

Fortunately, no one had come to disturb him.

The village was being rebuilt, and the Uchiha compound was also being rebuilt.

Although the Nine-Tails had not stormed the Uchiha compound that night, it had still been affected to some extent. Some areas needed repair, and most of the Uchiha clan members were involved in the work.

Bang, bang, bang!

Genkawa Uchiha was immersed in the knowledge within a ninjutsu scroll when his train of thought was interrupted by the knocking at the door.

He set the scroll down, tucked it away securely, frowned as he rose, and crossed the courtyard to the entrance.

He opened the door to find a middle-aged man standing outside.

The man was Yashiro Uchiha, looking to be about thirty-three or thirty-four years old, with short brown hair, squinting eyes, and high cheekbones, giving him a lean and sharp appearance.

"What is it?" Genkawa Uchiha asked.

Yashiro Uchiha didn't waste any words and stated his purpose directly.

"At eight o'clock tonight, a clan meeting will be held at the clan shrine. All clan members who have awakened their eyes must attend. The Clan Head ordered me to notify you."

Genkawa Uchiha raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He initially wanted to refuse, but after a moment's thought, he nodded instead.

"Understood."

With that, he didn't give Yashiro Uchiha a chance to speak again and shut the door right in his face.

Outside the door, Yashiro Uchiha's fingers twitched, but he took a deep breath, suppressed his irritation, and turned to leave.

Behind the door, Genkawa Uchiha turned and walked back toward his room, his mind already racing.

A clan meeting at this time... I fear this is no small matter.

He had clearly thought of something; the corners of his mouth curled up, and he began to look forward to the meeting tonight.

Back in his room, Genkawa Uchiha once again poured his focus into the ninjutsu scroll.

He knew his own shortcomings well: the time he had spent learning ninjutsu was far too short, so he naturally needed to focus on catching up in that regard.

By the time the likes of Prince Naruto and Second Pillar were fifteen or sixteen, they were already battling Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki.

Looking at himself, he had only fought the Nine-Tails.

The gap was quite significant; he had to work hard.

When a person is fully engaged, time always seems to pass quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the sun was already slanting toward the horizon.

Genkawa Uchiha put away the scroll, stretched his body, and after hiding the scroll, he prepared a few small dishes for himself and ate at his leisure.

There was still time; he wasn't in a rush.

It wasn't until the sky had turned completely dark that he cleaned up, dressed in his usual short-sleeved shirt and mid-length pants, and headed out.

Within the clan grounds, clan members were walking in twos and threes toward the location of the shrine.

Genkawa Uchiha's appearance was naturally noticed by others, and for a moment, many gazes fell upon him.

In the dark of night, pairs of scarlet eyes glowed with an eerie hue under the moonlight.

As the one being watched, Genkawa Uchiha's expression remained unchanged; he seemed completely indifferent, ignoring them entirely as he walked toward the shrine on his own.

Seeing him like this, the others were already accustomed to his behavior.

Ill will was inevitable, but no one wanted to provoke Genkawa Uchiha at a time like this, so the journey remained very quiet.

Bearing the weight of many red eyes, Genkawa Uchiha arrived at the shrine, walked straight inside, and found a corner to sit down.

More and more people arrived, yet the atmosphere remained silent because no one knew the purpose of this meeting, and everyone was waiting for the arrival of Fugaku Uchiha.

Fugaku Uchiha did not keep them waiting long; he soon emerged from the back hall of the shrine and took his seat at the head of the room.

His gaze swept over everyone present, and when he saw Genkawa Uchiha sitting in the corner, his eyes paused for a brief moment before moving on as if nothing had happened.

"Everyone, this clan meeting has been called because there is an important matter that needs to be discussed."