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

Orochimaru suspected that the Uchiha standing before him had lost his mind to be able to utter such words.

However, he was slightly tempted, though the ripples in his heart subsided almost immediately.

Regarding the position of Hokage, aside from a lingering obsession stemming from Sarutobi choosing Minato over him as the Fourth Hokage, he no longer had any interest in the title; eternal life was the only thing he truly desired.

"Are you saying that the Uchiha Clan intends to help me become the Fifth Hokage?"

Orochimaru asked Uchiha Gin with a mocking expression.

In this village, if any other clan had said such a thing, he might have given it some consideration!

The Uchiha?

By now, even the dogs in Konoha knew the status of the Uchiha Clan within the village.

Help him become Hokage?

Orochimaru felt that would only hasten his own demise.

"Konoha is a village founded by the Senju and the Uchiha; do not underestimate the strength of the Uchiha."

Uchiha Gin said, his expression unchanging.

If not for the current state of the Uchiha, he would not have the time to seek out Orochimaru; wouldn't it be better to arrange for one of his own people to become Hokage?

He chose Orochimaru because Orochimaru belonged to the Hokage lineage, possessed a relatively sane mind, and harbored the least hostility toward the Uchiha.

Tsunade was a wreck, Jiraiya was out wandering, and even if Jiraiya were to stay in the village, it would likely be difficult to reach a cooperation with him, as he was a man brainwashed by the Will of Fire.

"Forgive me, but I have no interest in the position of Hokage."

"Let's propose a different trade."

Orochimaru sneered.

Clearly, he found Uchiha Gin's words laughable.

However, he also knew this was not the time to burn bridges; he could not let his human experiments be exposed, so he needed to keep the other party steady for now.

Once he understood the situation, he would make his next move; Orochimaru wanted to lure Uchiha Gin in first.

At the same time, he wondered if he could swindle some resources out of the Uchiha to pad his pockets for when he eventually fled.

"The research you are currently conducting—wouldn't it become much easier if you were to become Hokage?"

"For example, utilizing the power of the entire Konoha village to help you achieve what you desire."

Uchiha Gin naturally would not give up so easily.

He was one hundred percent certain that Orochimaru would not refuse him.

Sure enough, at these very words, Orochimaru's expression shifted.

Greed and excitement flickered, though he quickly calmed himself down.

"Hmph, such things—human experimentation—if exposed, even if I were to become Hokage, I would be dragged down just the same!"

"Konoha is not as peaceful as it appears on the surface; there are many ambitious people, such as the Uchiha, are there not?"

Orochimaru quickly retorted with irony.

He believed Uchiha Gin's methods were too weak, and he saw through the other party's intentions at a glance.

Whether the other party truly wanted to support his bid for Hokage, or merely wanted to build momentum only to expose his human experiments along the way to damage the prestige of old man Sarutobi—or even to dismantle the Root organization!

In an instant, Orochimaru thought of many ways the other party could use his candidacy for Hokage to pull strings.

He certainly did not believe the Uchiha Clan were saints!

"No, no, no. Those people with broken brains are not within the scope of our current discussion."

"With so many people in Konoha, I chose to support you not only because you are a disciple of the Third, but also because you understand science."

Uchiha Gin shook his head gently before speaking.

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow but remained silent, implying: Keep blowing smoke; I want to see what kind of nonsense you can come up with.

He believed Uchiha Gin's mention of his understanding of science was a premeditated, base tactic to lure him in, and he would not be fooled by a few flattering words.

He was not some fool like Danzo!

"For instance, once you become the Fifth Hokage, you could implement a policy."

"In addition to becoming a Genin through the Ninja Academy exams, you could establish a special department for those who pass an intellectual exam—let's call them Scientific Genin. If these Scientific Genin wish to be promoted to Chunin, they would need to independently complete the improvement of a C-rank or higher ninjutsu."

"Improvements include reducing hand seals, researching data on special shape transformations, or collaborating with others to develop five improved C-rank or higher ninjutsu. Upon passing a practical test, they would be promoted to Chunin."

"To be promoted from Chunin to Jonin, one would need to independently improve five B-rank or higher ninjutsu, or independently develop an A-rank ninjutsu, or collaboratively develop twenty B-rank ninjutsu."

"Such a method might develop an ordinary ninjutsu to an unimaginable degree."

"Of course, I am speaking purely of ninjutsu here, but this could also be applied to other areas: medical ninjutsu, physical enhancement, special applications of chakra, or perhaps even the Kekkei Genkai of elemental fusion? As long as enough manpower is invested in research, there should be significant gains."

"For example, a research project that was difficult for one person to complete in the past would become quite easy once enough manpower is invested, wouldn't it?"

"After all, in many scientific studies, ninety-nine percent of the work consists of simple calculations. Only the one percent of core problems truly requires real talent to solve."

"These developed ninjutsu would not be sealed away, but made public. By completing missions and contributing to Konoha, or through special talent, these techniques would be disclosed to them, allowing these individuals to further refine the ninjutsu and re-record them. Then, through these Scientific Ninja, these techniques would be further perfected to develop ultimate arts."

Uchiha Gin stated the pitch he had prepared long in advance.

He did not explain it perfectly, as only a general outline was needed. With someone like Orochimaru, there was no need to play mind games; as long as he stated what Orochimaru wanted, Orochimaru would fill in the blanks himself.

Sure enough, the moment Uchiha Gin mentioned the method of promotion through researching and improving ninjutsu, Orochimaru's breathing quickened significantly.

If there were truly dozens or even hundreds of researchers helping him handle those tedious and boring calculations, while he only had to focus on the most critical aspects, his research would no longer be at a standstill like it was now.

He could indeed feel that his time was being wasted by a massive amount of useless calculations and verifications. If he could truly live forever, perhaps he wouldn't need to care about this, but that was not the case.

"What does the Uchiha want to gain from this!"

Orochimaru spoke in a voice even hoarser than usual.

Clearly, he was tempted.

Had he underestimated the Uchiha? Could it be that, just as the Second Hokage had researched, the Uchiha Clan possessed a pair of eyes capable of seeing through the human heart?

However, he knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch; there must be a price for every gain. But as long as he could bear it, he was determined to become the Hokage!

A moment ago, he had no intention of making a deal, feeling that such things were a waste of time, but now he felt that if he became Hokage, it would actually save him a great deal of time.

Therefore, he could not miss this opportunity.

"Make those idiots, the disciples of the Second Hokage, quiet down. Don't let them come looking for trouble with the Uchiha; it would be best if they shut their mouths forever."

Uchiha Gin said with some annoyance.

He was speaking the truth, even if it was only one of his objectives.

Being watched by these hyenas was infuriating.

It was clear that the greatest conflict the Uchiha had was with the Senju, but now that the Senju were silent, these petty thieves had stepped out to stir up trouble.

If not for these four disciples of the Second Hokage causing issues, he wouldn't have to go through so much trouble and could have developed slowly.

Orochimaru's expression stiffened for a moment, as he was, after all, one of the idiots Uchiha Gin spoke of.

"Only this?"

However, Orochimaru felt this price was too light.

Because as long as he became Hokage, these four people would undoubtedly be his stumbling blocks, targets that had to be eliminated.

The other party couldn't possibly be unaware of this, so Orochimaru believed Uchiha Gin had other motives, such as allowing the Uchiha to gain more power.

"The Uchiha wants to borrow the power of science to make the Uchiha great again."

Uchiha Gin then slightly raised his head, looking directly at Orochimaru.

"?"

Orochimaru was clearly stunned for a moment.

He had assumed that Uchiha Gin's proposal to establish Scientific Ninja was merely a ploy to win him over, so this sudden statement caught him off guard.

"Don't look at me like that; I have great respect for scientific talent."

"Science is the future."

Uchiha Gin saw the astonishment on Orochimaru's face and explained directly.

The main reason for choosing Orochimaru was his scientific technology.

Otherwise, there were others he could have chosen, and there were other ways to manipulate the four individuals hostile to the Uchiha in Konoha, but choosing the Orochimaru route offered the highest returns and the best security.

Uchiha Gin did not intend to stop at the Mangekyō Sharingan; he also wanted to upgrade the Mangekyō to the Rinnegan, but upgrading to the Rinnegan required the chakra of Indra and Ashura.

Having watched Boruto, Uchiha Gin knew that the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra were actually a form of data inheritance similar to the Karma. Because Ashura and Indra were not complete Six Paths Body, but had only obtained the Six Paths Eyes and Six Paths Body respectively, they were not complete Karma, and thus Ashura and Indra could not be resurrected through this data.

However, Uchiha Gin believed this might be an experiment by the Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo. After all, that guy hadn't fully obtained the Otsutsuki inheritance and was merely a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. But Uchiha Gin didn't waste any more brain cells on it; he would slowly inform Orochimaru of these things and let him research them.

The current reincarnations of Indra and Ashura were both present. Once Orochimaru's research reached a certain level and he obtained the genetic data of both, Uchiha Gin felt he could attempt to upgrade to the Rinnegan.

"Interesting."

This answer caught Orochimaru completely by surprise.

In truth, he had many thoughts, such as not honoring the contract and backstabbing him later.

But now, it seemed this partner was much more trustworthy than a fool like Danzo.

"Root is approaching."

Orochimaru's expression changed, and he spoke directly to Uchiha Gin.

"Then let's end it here for today. If you are interested in this deal, come find me."

"As a first meeting gift, I'll tell you an important piece of information regarding your research."

"The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan were once descended from the same bloodline. The secrets contained within that bloodline are far greater than you imagine."

Before leaving, Uchiha Gin said this to Orochimaru.

Today was merely a first meeting, intended to capture the attention of Orochimaru and entice him into this deal; naturally, the specifics could not be discussed here.

Uchiha Gin had left the five-year plan he had written at home, intending to present it to Orochimaru only when formal negotiations began; one does not reveal all their trump cards at once.

"What!"

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, his expression immediately shifting to one of surprise.

Clearly, he could not conceive of such a thing.

The Uchiha Clan and the Senju had been hostile toward each other for over a thousand years, locked in constant slaughter with a blood feud between them; yet, were the ancestors of these two clans actually the same?

Orochimaru immediately recalled the rejection his test subjects showed toward the cells of the First Hokage, and wondered if that rejection would vanish if the subjects were replaced with members of the Uchiha Clan?

A chill ran through Orochimaru's heart as he realized the reason Uchiha Gin had told him these things.

He knew exactly what kind of research he was conducting!

Orochimaru had originally assumed Uchiha Gin only knew he was performing human experiments; he had not expected him to be so clear on the specific nature of that research, and for a moment, Orochimaru could not fathom how this information had leaked.

"Handle your side yourself; I will be responsible for disrupting the train of thought of Root."

As Uchiha Gin spoke, he donned his Tiger-Skin Mask.

"Do you not require my assistance?"

Orochimaru realized that Uchiha Gin might prove to be a capable partner.

His interest in their future dealings was piqued, and he did not wish for Uchiha Gin to encounter any trouble here.

If he were discovered, the Uchiha Clan would truly have no place left in the village.

"If I cannot even resolve a situation of this level, then there is no need for any further cooperation."

Uchiha Gin's tone was relaxed.

When dealing with the natives of this world as enemies, the most important thing was not to integrate oneself into their collective, but to employ other methods to handle them.