Hokage, I Choose Orochimaru, Ten Years to Ascend the Moon

However, Uchiha Gin did not trust this guy. Coming here today was merely to build up his psychological defenses; he didn't believe Hyuga Hiashi could remain completely unmoved.

Moreover, Hyuga Hiashi was even more timid than Fugaku. After all, the philosophies of their respective clans differed, and the clan leaders selected were even more distinct.

"Is there really such an opportunity?"

Hyuga Hiashi was still probing.

He dared not make a random choice without sufficient intelligence if he wanted to place a bet. Although he was furious, he was the leader of the Hyuga Clan and had to consider the entire family.

If he chose wrong, the entire clan would suffer a heavy blow, even if it wasn't wiped out.

"This time is just a verbal negotiation. Whether you support Orochimaru at the critical moment is your freedom; after all, this is just preparation for legitimacy."

"Besides, it might not be a peaceful transition. If it comes to force, then this won't be needed."

Uchiha Gin would not expose too much of his own hand here.

At the same time, he had to apply pressure to Hyuga Hiashi.

After speaking, Uchiha Gin stood up. He had no interest in drinking the tea Hyuga Hiashi had just brewed.

"After the Senju Clan, it was the Uchiha. If something happens to the Uchiha this time, it's hard to say if the Hyuga will be next."

"After Orochimaru becomes Hokage, he will not restrict the development of the great clans. This is his promise."

Uchiha Gin said this at the end, and without waiting for Hyuga Hiashi to recover, he vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.

"A vicious tiger and a wicked wolf, huh!"

Hyuga Hiashi clenched his fists.

He was deeply unwilling; the Hyuga Clan only had the power to choose, with no way to resist.

But if he really could choose, the option of backstabbing Sarutobi Hiruzen made him somewhat restless.

Hizashi!

Ninja Tool Development Department.

All members gathered today because they were going to develop new Scientific Ninja Tool.

"Reducing costs tenfold? How is that even possible?"

"It only needs to be used once? What if something goes wrong? This is for use in combat!"

"Can it even be done like that?"

The R&D staff looked at the new development requirements, unable to comprehend them.

They were to reduce the cost of the Chakra Blade tenfold, even if it meant sacrificing durability. The Chakra Armor was also to be reformed, with the Flight Wing manufactured independently, provided the materials could sustain two hours of flight time.

This was simply pushing cost reduction to the extreme.

Ninja tools were supposed to be sturdy and durable, but they had never considered the idea of pushing costs to the limit to the point where a tool was meant for single use.

"Don't worry about that. As long as the salary is paid, just do as instructed and continue the research."

The externally recruited staff, who worked for money, didn't understand, but they did as they were told.

Ninjas were born to obey orders and wouldn't seek the reasons behind them, and the Uchiha people were even less likely to question it because this was a task arranged by Uchiha Gin.

"Can this kind of thing really be sold?"

Fugaku wondered if he had been swindled.

Previously, he hadn't invested much money into the Ninja Tool Development Department; he had filled the gaps with his private funds, and the Uchiha Clan had chipped in a little.

But this time, the Uchiha Clan had put in real money—a lot of it.

"Ninja tools are consumables. Look at what sells the most: Kunai and shuriken. Even things like the Fuma Shuriken don't sell well."

"Take the Chakra Sword, for example; it's only used at critical moments. As long as it can last through one battle, that's enough. By the time you need to use this Chakra Sword, you're at a life-or-death juncture. If you win, you'll definitely have money to buy a new one when you return. If you die, buying such a good Chakra Sword just leaves it for someone else, doesn't it?"

Uchiha Gin explained the specific reasoning to Fugaku.

Uchiha Gin had gotten this idea from a book called Dawn Sword written by Yuan Tong on Qidian. Only by turning these items with magical attributes into industrial products could they be more profitable and sell better.

"Put that way, it's not wrong..."

Fugaku nodded; this logic was indeed novel.

It was true that one only had the qualification to consider the future after winning a battle. If one died, wouldn't buying such a high-quality weapon just benefit the enemy?

"But this Flight Wing, isn't the cost reduction too aggressive?"

Fugaku then pointed to the Flight Wing, which had been separated from the Chakra Armor.

"Just try it. If it doesn't work, we'll lower the cost as much as possible. Reducing it from nearly ten million to two or three million is enough. This price is cheaper than buying an A-rank ninjutsu."

Uchiha Gin didn't insist on that specific reduction; what he wanted was to squeeze the costs to the limit.

At the same time, the Blue Pill had already entered trial production, and he had used the Ninja Cat channels to contact suitable, well-connected merchants to come and purchase them.

Even if the ninja tools failed, there were other ways to make money, so he wasn't panicked at all and could go all out.

"If the consumption is really that high, will there be enough manpower for production?"

Fugaku asked.

Currently, the production workforce is entirely composed of the Uchiha Clan. After all, mastering sealing techniques is no simple feat, but with the Mangekyō Sharingan to copy them, they can be learned quickly.

However, not many clansmen can awaken the Sharingan. Unlike the Hyuga Clan, who can awaken the Byakugan through training, the Uchiha Clan requires stimulation to awaken their eyes, and the awakening rate within the clan barely reaches one-fifth.

"There will be plenty of manpower soon. Remember to arrive on time tonight, and you will understand then."

Uchiha Gin did not answer directly, instead instructing Fugaku to meet at the agreed-upon location that evening.

Soon, night fell, and Fugaku headed straight to Orochimaru's secret laboratory with Uchiha Itachi.

"Uncle!"

Inside the lab, Fugaku saw his uncle and wore an expression of disbelief.

"Itachi, explain to your father what you have been working on during this time."

Uchiha Gin did not explain himself, letting Itachi clarify things for Fugaku.

The plan was to use the new genes derived from Fugaku's fusion with First Hokage Cells as the foundation for the Completion Gene of the Uchiha. After all, the genes that awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan are certainly stronger than those of the Three Tomoe.

Uchiha Gin did not wish for his own genes to be spread, and since Shisui was unavailable, he chose Fugaku.

Moreover, since Fugaku could father two sons who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, his own genes were undoubtedly far superior to those of a normal Uchiha. One of them was even the reincarnation of Indra, so it was impossible for him not to possess something special.

"Father, what we are doing now is..."

Itachi began to explain the current research to Fugaku.

Orochimaru had not come today; he already had his own train of thought, and in just a few months, his perspective had expanded significantly.

He now wanted to capture a White Zetsu to begin a cloning project, and he was experimenting to see if ordinary people could be strengthened by integrating the new genes extracted from the fusion of Uchiha and First Hokage Cells.

"So that's it. Is this the real reason for the alliance with Orochimaru!"

Although Fugaku knew Uchiha Gin must have had other reasons for choosing Orochimaru, he had not expected such a massive secret.

He couldn't help but feel incredibly excited. If the Mangekyō Sharingan were no longer restricted by the Bloodline Disease, he felt his strength would increase significantly, and his clansmen would also gain physical enhancements, greatly boosting their overall power.

"According to our experiments, after injecting the Completion Gene, anyone can awaken the Sharingan with a certain amount of training."

Itachi concluded.

This was a recent discovery, with Izumi serving as the test subject.

Uchiha Gin had recalled a character from Boruto named Uchiha Shin, who had cloned himself many times, with every clone possessing a Sharingan. Uchiha Gin believed this might be related to the perfection of their genes.

After searching through the Uchiha, he found Izumi to be the most suitable; she had not yet awakened her eyes, but she was a standout among ninjas of her age in every aspect. Only Uchiha Itachi surpassed her in the clan, yet she had not awakened the Sharingan on her own.

"So this is why Gin said there would be no shortage of production workers later..."

Fugaku realized.

"Stop the chatter, Itachi. Just start already; there's no need for so much talk."

Fugaku's uncle spoke up directly.

He had volunteered to work in the lab. The other two were in good health and had missions within the clan, but as an old man with nothing to do, he was essentially retired, so his occasional absence would not draw attention.

After receiving the Completion Gene, the Uchiha Clan became natural laborers. Once they awakened the Sharingan, they learned things exceptionally fast and possessed strong physiques, making them arguably the best "workhorses" second only to White Zetsu.

Perhaps, once enough resentment accumulated on the assembly line, they might even awaken the Mangekyō. Furthermore, the material costs reduced in ninja tool development would be offset by the Uchiha's own labor costs—an advantage no other clan could replicate.

Fugaku then underwent the injection of First Hokage Cells under his son's supervision.

"The success rate is over ninety-eight percent, though there is a certain risk of rejection..."

Itachi began to explain the standard procedure to Fugaku.

Fugaku froze upon hearing this.

"There's a chance of failure!"

He panicked slightly.

It would be ridiculous to die at the hands of his own son.

"That is the probability for research trials; currently, the survival rate for human subjects is absolute."

"You are so timid. When Itachi grows up, you should hurry up and hand the position of clan head over to him."

Fugaku's uncle looked at Fugaku's spineless display.

Seeing this, Fugaku dared not utter another word.

Itachi continued the process, finishing quickly. He had injected the safest dosage, as he was still worried about his father's safety.

"Then, Clan Head, you will be responsible for this matter. Every clansman who receives the Completion Gene injection must be branded with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. This matter cannot be exposed for the time being."

Uchiha Gin said to Fugaku.

Fugaku was a professional manager, though he sometimes had too many ideas of his own and was rather cowardly.

However, he was very efficient when it came to work, and there were no complaints there.

"I understand. This matter is absolute top secret!"

Fugaku nodded.

He gradually began to feel the changes within his body, sensing that something about his physical form had become different.

"Itachi, you can start assembling your own research team now. Have your father select suitable personnel from the clan to serve as your assistants."

Uchiha Gin continued his arrangements.

Orochimaru could not be their only hope; the Uchiha clan needed its own research team.

Itachi's talent was even greater than imagined. Furthermore, since he had revealed the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura last time, he had obtained more data from Orochimaru and could now conduct human experiments independently.

This was the charm of the Sharingan combined with genius; everything could be mastered rapidly.

"Yes!"

Itachi, his eyes framed by dark circles, replied.

He knew this was only the beginning. Sasuke still needed his help, and he could not stop yet.

"The blueprints for the Mystic Code are finally complete. Next, I need to prepare the money to buy the materials."

Aside from his daily physical training, Uchiha Gin spent his time designing the blueprints for his Mystic Code.

He wanted to create a perfect Mystic Code and refused to do a sloppy job. Therefore, based on the Jewel Magecraft he had mastered, he made many improvements and innovations before finally completing the design.

It was a set of combat armor formed by twenty-five gemstones of five different attributes, linked together with mithril.

By utilizing the Five-Star Rotation, a magecraft that could only be mastered through five attributes, he could strengthen the spells he cast, increasing their power by up to ten times.

At the same time, it would generate a magic shield to defend against incoming attacks. If the attack was elemental, it would automatically release the counter-elemental magical energy to block it.

Furthermore, he could inject magical energy into the gemstones during his downtime, eliminating the need for continuous output during combat and reducing consumption.

It was a Mystic Code that balanced both offense and defense.

However, it was limited to magecraft, providing little enhancement to his taijutsu.