I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 34 Uchiha Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick (Two Chapters Combined)

Uchiha clan territory, Naga Shrine.

In the dimly lit stone chamber, the Uchiha clan patriarch Fugaku and elder Uchiha Setsuna sat side by side.

Looking at the two of them, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but wonder to himself, could this be a traditional quirk of the clan? Do they like to discuss things in dimly lit, secret rooms?

"Night, the glory you have brought to the family through your contributions is remembered by the family."

After being given a pep talk, Uchiha Yoru pretended to be excited and nodded solemnly, saying, "Clan leader, elders, for the proud Uchiha."

If you're spouting motivational platitudes, I'll naturally follow suit. As our ancestors wisely said, when you lack the power to change everything, you must learn to integrate yourself into the situation.

"Night, what is the village's purpose in summoning Orochimaru back this time?"

As expected, the traditionally arrogant Uchiha clan didn't inherit the Hokage lineage's talent for public speaking. They simply offered a few motivational quotes and quickly moved on to the main topic, which was something Uchiha Yoru appreciated most. However, he disagreed. Once he had a voice in the clan, he would definitely study the Third Hokage's speeches more carefully.

Both Fugaku Uchiha and Elder Setsuna turned to look at him with questioning eyes. At this moment, Yoru Uchiha couldn't care less about his own thoughts and said respectfully in a deep voice, "Clan head, elders, things are not looking too good."

"What happened?"

At this moment, both Fugaku and Elder Setsuna showed solemn expressions. They knew that the Uchiha were currently being ostracized by the entire village. They had finally managed to get in touch with Orochimaru, and they didn't want to see anything go wrong with that connection.

Uchiha Yoru let out a soft sigh and began to explain.

"Clan leader, elders, Orochimaru-sensei has always wanted to become the Fifth Hokage, but this transfer to the front lines is clearly a way to steal credit and take credit. He even subtly hinted that some people in the village don't want to see him become Hokage."

"I even asked Orochimaru-sensei. If Orochimaru-sensei were a Hokage without any foundation, that would be fine. But with Orochimaru-sensei's current team, once he becomes Hokage, the interests within the village will have to be re-planned."

When Uchiha Yoru said the second half of the sentence, he frowned, seemingly not understanding. However, when the words reached the ears of the clan leader Fugaku and Elder Setsuna, their expressions changed drastically. They knew exactly what he meant.

Elder Setsuna couldn't help but curse, "As expected, the Sarutobi clan is making a move. Hiruzen Sarutobi simply can't bear to part with the benefits he has in his hands."

"Elder, don't be impulsive." Although Fugaku thought so too, he was still quite restrained and couldn't help but persuade the elder beside him.

However, Elder Sha Na, as a representative of the hawks, would not yield so easily and instead gave a cold laugh.

"Fugaku, don't you understand yet? The interests within the village have just been divided. Once a new fifth lord emerges, he will inevitably represent a new force that will rise and threaten the interests of the various clans in the village. They don't want that, especially Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is clearly greedy for power."

Seeing that he just couldn't stand Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Fugaku clan chief shook his head and sighed. He didn't know how to persuade him anymore, so he turned to look at Uchiha Yoru and changed the subject, asking another question.

"Yoru, do you know what arrangements you made for Orochimaru after returning to the village?"

That's the crux of the matter: what is Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, going to do? He can't just stay in the village as a mascot, can he?

Elder Setsuna was also drawn over. At this moment, Uchiha Yoru truly sighed softly. Orochimaru had indeed told him through the summoning beast, which was the reason for his sigh and admiration.

The political skills of the Hokage lineage are truly impressive. You have to understand that he only understood this political perspective by standing at the level of five thousand years of history in his previous life. And how long has this ninja world been around? The five great nations have only been passed down for a few generations.

These political tactics were truly the result of their gradual refinement through experience.

"Clan leader, elders, Orochimaru-sensei is now a member of Root, and says he's going to carry out a top-secret S-class mission."

At this point, Uchiha Yoru raised his head and looked at the clan head Fugaku and Elder Setsuna. Before they could ask any further questions, he put on an expression that prioritized the clan's interests and began to speak in a deep voice about this top-secret mission.

"The Root organization plans to restart the Wood Release experiment and another human experiment. I don't know the specifics yet. I also have some medical ninjutsu skills that caught the teacher's eye."

Upon hearing this, Fugaku and Elder Setsuna reacted differently. Fugaku secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as long as it wasn't a major incident, it was fine. Elder Setsuna, however, seemed to have thought of something and let out a cold snort of annoyance.

"Restarting the Wood Release human experimentation program, what is the village trying to do? Isn't it obvious? They're clearly trying to guard against us Uchiha. Wood Release can suppress tailed beasts, and it's also a powerful weapon against us Uchiha."

It must be said that this hawkish elder was the most hostile to the village.

However, Uchiha Yoru secretly shook his head and sighed inwardly. The Uchiha clan had always remained outside the center of power. How could they have the foresight that the Hokage had gained after so many years of honing his political skills?

This is clearly a plan to keep Orochimaru under wraps. It's a top-secret mission that not only suits Orochimaru's tastes perfectly, but it can also defuse this impending political crisis.

There's no need to select a Fifth Hokage anymore; the interests of the village's higher-ups are protected. It's good that things are still the same as before.

However, no one could have imagined that this period of being sidelined might have caused Orochimaru to completely lose faith in Konoha, or perhaps it was when all of this was detonated that Orochimaru would finally give up.

"Clan leader, elder, according to the information I've gathered, the village's Wood Release experiment was unexpectedly successful several years ago, which is why it's being restarted this time."

"What?!"

When Uchiha Yoru revealed this information, Fugaku and Elder Setsuna were immediately shocked, their expressions changing drastically. Wood Release! Fugaku might not fully understand, but Elder Setsuna knew all too well what a terrifying existence this was.

The village actually succeeded?! And it's going to be restarted!

At that moment, the elder's countless grievances vanished instantly, replaced by a deep sense of fear. Wood Release! Only those eyes could counter it. Until the Uchiha had those eyes, they absolutely could not afford to clash with Konoha again.

"Clan leader, elder, Orochimaru-sensei said that although the last experiment was an accidental success, this time the chances are much higher. In two years at most, as long as we give our full support, Orochimaru-sensei will be able to become Hokage with this great achievement."

This sentence was naturally Uchiha Yoru's own idea, but it was interpreted differently by the clan leader Fugaku and Elder Setsuna. The two were shocked and then showed a look of sudden realization.

Yes! If Orochimaru succeeds a few more times, then with several Wood Release ninjas, nothing will be able to stop him from becoming Hokage. Instantly, their eyes were filled with fervor. They couldn't stop the Wood Release plan, but they could get close to the future Hokage.

Isn't the Uchiha's current goal to rebuild trust with Konoha? Who cares about Wood Release? Besides, they can't control that anyway.

However, they were unaware that this so-called Wood Release was a completely nerfed version. It couldn't even withstand a full-blown Mangekyou Sharingan, let alone a three-tomoe Sharingan. (In the original manga, Sasuke easily defeated Yamato with a three-tomoe Sharingan.)

The words "Wood Release!" echoed in the minds of Uchiha clan leader Fugaku and Elder Setsuna. After a long while, the two finally digested the information, still unable to hide their shock. Had the village gone mad? Obviously not. Then there was another possibility: Konoha had made a breakthrough in Wood Release.

Seeing the way the clan leader and elders were making up their own stories, Uchiha Yoru took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Clan leader, elders, although the village has restarted the Wood Release plan, the funds allocated are far less than expected due to the turmoil in Konoha."

As soon as Uchiha Yoru said this, Elder Setsuna reacted the fastest, and he sneered, "Good! Good! The Third Hokage's plan is excellent."

At this moment, not only was Uchiha Yoru bewildered, but even the clan head Fugaku looked puzzled. Elder Setsuna looked at the two of them and sneered, "Is there even a question? Which research project isn't measured in years? If the Wood Release project were so easy to develop, there wouldn't have been only one experimental subject that appeared by accident over the years. Even if there were one, Orochimaru would need at least several years to make a breakthrough in his research, not to mention the current lack of funds."

"The Third Hokage Sarutobi clan, including the current high-ranking members, are all planning to delay things. Isn't the shortage of funds a way to postpone Orochimaru's succession as Hokage?"

At this moment, Elder Setsuna transformed into a brilliant strategist, revealing a disdainful sneer. "Truly a despicable tactic, delaying the inevitable for years. Orochimaru will likely be keeping a low profile during these years due to his research. Time is the strongest weapon. Will Orochimaru's prestige still be as strong as it is now by then?"

At this moment, Elder Setsuna seemed to have seen through everything. The Hokage's higher-ups were now reluctant to give up their power and were trying every means to delay Orochimaru's ascension to Hokage.

After hearing this, clan leader Fugaku looked enlightened and nodded with a solemn expression, saying, "What the elder said is correct, but this is also an opportunity for the Uchiha clan."

At this point, Fugaku and Elder Setsuna exchanged a glance and then smiled. It might not be a good thing for Orochimaru, but it was a good thing for the Uchiha clan. Wasn't this an opportunity that had been delivered to their doorstep?

They were just worried that their relationship with Orochimaru wasn't close enough and that they hadn't done enough favors, and now their opportunity had come.

"Night! The clan is prepared to provide Orochimaru with all its resources for research funding."

At that moment, the two of them made up their minds. Such a great opportunity, no one would give it up easily.

Upon seeing the two intelligent men, Uchiha Yoru was immediately excited and nodded solemnly, saying, "Clan Head! Elders! For the glory of the Uchiha, I, Uchiha Yoru, will stand firmly behind Orochimaru-sensei."

With the clan's secret meeting over, Uchiha Yoru had officially entered the center of power within the Uchiha clan and also decided on the future direction of the Uchiha clan. As for the bad ending of associating with Orochimaru? It should be said that anyone who associates with the Uchiha clan ends up badly.

Not to mention the Uchiha clan, countless clans in Konoha want to get on Orochimaru's good side. Even though Orochimaru is now facing the crisis of being sidelined, he is still a hot commodity in everyone's eyes.

The high-ranking officials of Konoha are all getting old. How long can they hold power? Orochimaru is in his prime, and the new generation has not yet grown up. At least for the next five years, only the Sannin are qualified to compete for the title of Fifth Hokage in the entire village.

The Three Legendary Sannin! Jiraiya was unrestrained and unconventional, Tsunade went far away, not to mention that both of them chose to give up when competing for the Fourth Hokage. Now, more than a year later, no one can compare to Orochimaru in terms of popularity.

As for the high-level delaying policy, it's only a matter of time, so countless people are trying to get on Orochimaru's good side.

……

Back in the luxurious house assigned to him by his clan, Uchiha Yoru squinted as he pondered his plans for the next two years. After all, according to his calculations, Itachi was six years old now, and would be seven or eight next year. When Itachi awakened his Sharingan at that age, it would be around the time Orochimaru would defect.

[Host: Uchiha Yoru (One Tomoe)]

[Chakra Level: Elite Chunin]

[Chakra Attributes: Fire (LV3), Lightning (LV4)]

[Swordsmanship (Physical Arts): LV4, Medical Ninjutsu LV4]

Gold Coins: 2135

Looking at his own data panel, Uchiha Yoru immediately showed a look of melancholy. He had worked hard for half a year, taking such great risks, trying to do both, but he had only managed to eat so little. He felt ashamed.

These gold coins are enough to evolve his Sharingan into a three-tomoe Sharingan, but so what? Evolving into a three-tomoe Sharingan would at most push his physique and chakra to the level of a Special Jonin, and that would take time. More importantly, wouldn't his Sharingan evolving too quickly arouse the greed of some people?

After all, his identity is very sensitive now. There are definitely people in Konoha who want something to happen to the Uchiha who are close to Orochimaru, especially Danzo who is hiding in the shadows.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Ninjas rely on intelligence. I can still get away with my medical ninjutsu by suddenly appearing out of nowhere. I need to make sure my Sharingan doesn't evolve before Orochimaru's defection, or at most, it only needs to have two tomoe. So I must become a Jonin, or even an elite Jonin, within the next two years. Only then will I have a real voice in the clan."

If Orochimaru is to defect two years later, and he still has the same strength, then he will truly be a discarded pawn. However, if he has a certain level of strength and operates properly, he may be able to inherit a portion of Orochimaru's legacy.

In the original story, Orochimaru had been a defector for ten years, yet a new generation of Mizuki worshipped him within Konoha. This demonstrates the extent of Orochimaru's influence. Furthermore, how could someone capable of vying for Hokage not have a following? That's his legacy.

If Orochimaru defected, his followers would be the first to be affected. But with the Uchiha clan as his backing, he naturally had nothing to fear. So what about the others?

Thinking of this, Uchiha Yoru smiled. "Perhaps I need to improve my strength in the next two years, or rather, become a decent genius in my teacher's eyes, but I can't have too much talent in bloodline limit."

[A long chapter of 4,000 words is here, updated ahead of schedule, please support!]

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(End of this chapter)