Mayuri Kurotsuchi Card Game, starting from Naruto

Chapter 29 Fugaku's Swaying and Tremors

"Are you sure Orochimaru wants to visit me?" Fugaku Uchiha looked at Shisui in front of him, his expression somewhat hesitant.

"It was indeed Orochimaru-sama who told me." Shisui nodded affirmatively, feeling somewhat pleased. He was happy to have become someone who bridged the gap between the village's leadership and the clansmen.

"Did he say why?" Fugaku Uchiha suppressed his excitement and pressed for an answer.

As the head of the Uchiha clan, he didn't care about a visit from the village's higher-ups. What he cared about was the significance of Orochimaru, currently the most promising candidate to become the Fourth Hokage, personally visiting him.

"Lord Orochimaru didn't say, but I suspect it might be related to that technology development department." Shisui shook his head, but still offered his guess.

"The Technology Development Department?" Fugaku mused. This department, established by Orochimaru, had attracted considerable attention recently, including from the heads of various ninja clans and Jonin.

Compared to independent Jonin, a clan leader is more likely to consider what the action represents.

In Fugaku's eyes, who believed Orochimaru would most likely become the future Fourth Hokage, this was tantamount to the Third Hokage paving the way for his disciple's path to Hokage.

To date, Konoha Village has only a handful of departments capable of mobilizing, recruiting, and training ninjas and personnel.

One is Konoha's Anbu, and Root, which is part of the Anbu; the other is the Medical Department established by Tsunade; and the Intelligence Interrogation Department is used to process, dig up intelligence, and conduct interrogations.

Then there's Orochimaru's technology development department.

"Please tell Orochimaru that I will be waiting for him at home," Fugaku nodded. He was indeed indecisive, but that didn't mean he was blind to the current situation or unwilling to ease tensions.

Since he took over as clan leader, his greatest wish has been to enable his clansmen to integrate into the village and to produce an Uchiha Hokage in the next generation!

All the members of the tribe dreamed of this wish.

He hoped this wish could be achieved through peaceful means. The radicals within the family, however, were determined to seize the village by force if the village disagreed.

The Fourth Hokage is probably out of the question. Even if the Third Hokage were willing to take on an Uchiha disciple and train him, there's not much hope. But the Fifth and Sixth Hokage are still worth considering.

As long as Orochimaru can become the Fourth Hokage!

Senior Kagami died too young!

Looking at the still water before him, Fugaku sighed inwardly once more.

……

The next day.

Orochimaru's team finished their training in the woods.

Having received accurate information from Shisui, Orochimaru immediately led his team to follow Shisui to the Uchiha clan's territory.

"It's Lord Orochimaru!"

"What's he doing here?"

"I heard they've come to visit the clan chief."

"Is it because they value Shisui's talent and want to formally recruit him as a disciple? Although he's not an Uchiha, it's still acceptable."

Many Uchiha members were surprised to see Orochimaru and his group inside the Uchiha clan's territory. Few people were willing to come to the Uchiha clan's territory, especially the higher-ups of Konoha.

The most common sights here are secret agents who deliver missions and intelligence.

"Lord Orochimaru." Fugaku Uchiha bowed slightly to Orochimaru at the door, inviting him into the house.

"Is this your child, Itachi?" Orochimaru asked, patting the child's head as he saw him being led by a woman. "Shisui told me he's a very talented Uchiha."

Fugaku's face immediately lit up. To him, it was an honor to have his child's talent and strength recognized by a ninja of Orochimaru's caliber!

This kind of thing is very common in the ninja world.

For example, the title of the Three Legendary Sannin came from the recognition of Hanzo, the demigod of the Rain Village, a powerful ninja. Regardless of the circumstances under which Hanzo granted this recognition, or whether Orochimaru and his group felt it was an insult, the recognition of the weak by the strong is one of the fastest ways to gain fame in the ninja world.

The group sat down at a table in the courtyard. Orochimaru's golden eyes swept over the family of three opposite him, and he spoke first, "Fugaku-kun, you should know about my technology development department, right?"

"Yes." Fugaku nodded. The establishment of this department was almost common knowledge among the Jonin, so he couldn't possibly say he didn't know.

"Have you ever thought about getting involved?" Orochimaru asked abruptly.

"Investment? Do you mean manpower or something else?" Fugaku's heart tightened for a moment. He wasn't afraid of giving them some manpower, but he was worried that Orochimaru was trying to get the Uchiha clan to take sides without any real intention.

The Uchiha clan is not yet at its lowest point and remains one of the village's most powerful families. As the clan head, even if he leans towards Orochimaru, he cannot immediately agree to take sides.

"Manpower, resources, and money." Orochimaru laid out the conditions very bluntly: "The establishment of the Technology Development Department will definitely require some results."

We've already made some progress with the First Hokage's Wood Release, but I don't think it's enough. If the Uchiha clan is willing, I'm willing to provide them with some technical support.

"I don't quite understand what you mean. Are you referring to ninjutsu when you say 'technical support'?" Fugaku Uchiha frowned slightly.

As a powerful clan, the Uchiha were not lacking in ninjutsu, and they were even more adept at using their Sharingan in battle. The Sharingan's ability to replicate itself allowed them to accumulate a terrifying number of ninjutsu over thousands of years.

"Kaleidoscope!" Orochimaru uttered softly, causing Fugaku Uchiha's expression to change drastically.

"Kaleidoscope?" Fugaku's voice suddenly rose so high it cracked, staring in shock at Orochimaru's face. If it weren't Orochimaru sitting opposite him, he would have kicked him out the moment those words left his mouth.

"I can help research how to help the Uchiha clan successfully awaken their Mangekyou Sharingan, as well as the methods for awakening it. All you need to do is provide the relevant information and resources," Orochimaru assured himself.

"This is unbelievable." Fugaku's hands were trembling. Itachi looked at his father with some confusion, wondering why his usually dignified and composed father had suddenly become so agitated.

But the intelligent boy firmly remembered the word "kaleidoscope," which had shocked his father.

"Nothing is impossible. Think about it, if the Uchiha clan could possess a pair of Mangekyou Sharingan, even if they couldn't compare to Madara Uchiha, it would at least solidify their status as a powerful clan, right?"

Orochimaru's voice was calm and even, but to Fugaku's ears, it sounded like the most bewitching demon.

"I need to convene a clan meeting." Fugaku frowned and pondered for a moment, then sighed dejectedly and bowed slightly to Orochimaru opposite him.

"I await your news. Also, I'll tell you a secret: the Senju clan's Wood Release experiment has already succeeded in one instance. One of the test subjects has already acquired the Wood Release bloodline limit." As Orochimaru got up to leave, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and revealed another piece of news that stirred Fugaku's heart and made him unable to contain himself.

Wood Release?

Has the Senju clan, who have almost completely integrated into the village through numerous intermarriages with other clans, somehow acquired Wood Release?

Fugaku was somewhat distracted as he thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)