Yes, the Hokage

Hizashi became more and more excited as he spoke, but suddenly a heavy slap landed on his face: "You not only lost to that ten-thousand-year-old genin, but you also want to train with him? What happened to your Hyuga clan's pride!"

The elder's face was cold and sinister: "It's one thing to be useless yourself, but you even want to incorporate that crude taijutsu into the noble Gentle Fist and talk about the balance of strength and gentleness? What are you trying to do! Pollute the noble traditions of the Hyuga clan? Don't forget your own identity!"

Despite being the biological father of two children, his attitude towards Hizashi was completely different from that of Hiashi: "What right does a mere branch family member have to talk about making the Hyuga stronger? You're nothing but a dog of the main family... Remember that well!"

The humiliated Risa was trampled underfoot by his father and could only numbly say, "I understand, Elder."

"Tomorrow you get over there and make things clear with that Feng Lan. He'll obey orders, but the proud Hyuga will never learn those crude taijutsu techniques from a perennial genin. Do you hear me?!"

"Yes……"

Only after the elder left did Hiashi rush over to help his younger brother up, but Hizashi avoided his brother's hand and silently walked into the room...

The next morning, everyone gathered at the training ground as usual. Compared to the jubilant Might and Might's father and son, the increasingly youthful Uchiha and the smiling Fenglan, Hiashi's worries were almost written all over his face.

"What's wrong, Mr. Hizashi?" Fenglan naturally couldn't help but notice. "Is your body not fully recovered?"

“Mr. Fenglan, I…” Rizashi forced a smile, wanting to say the words of refusal as instructed by the elder, but for some reason his upper and lower teeth seemed to be stuck together, and he just couldn’t open his mouth.

During this moment of hesitation, others cast concerned or curious glances at him, especially those pure eyes of Dai, which made Rizashi not even dare to raise his head.

His mind was in turmoil, filled with the elders' vicious words that showed they didn't treat the branch family like human beings, but at the same time, there was the caring and warm voice of his older brother, Hiashi. All these elements intertwined, making Hiashi's heart a mess.

Just then, Fenglan said something seemingly unrelated but that struck a chord with him: "Mr. Hishashi, your eyes are shining brightly today too."

These words immediately reminded Hizashi of their conversation when they first met yesterday—"I have dealt with the Uchiha clan and your brother Hiashi. In terms of eye power, Mr. Hizashi is much stronger than them."

Yes... I clearly have stronger eyesight, so why should I be criticized by those old guys? Does having stronger eyesight mean I can't control my own destiny?

Although Hiji had never heard the classic saying "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens," he felt a similar sentiment at that moment.

"nothing."

At that moment, it seemed as if the heavy burden in Hizashi's heart had been suddenly lifted, and his mouth, which had been stuck together, opened freely: "I feel a little embarrassed to greet everyone because I'm late."

"No, no, we were just warming up!" Dai laughed heartily. "Mr. Hizashi, I learned a lot from our fight yesterday. I didn't know that so-called soft power could be used in this way. I really hope you can teach me more when you have time!"

The elders would never allow something that could reveal the secrets of the Soft Fist, but Rizashi, who had already made up his mind, seemed to have been freed from some kind of shackles, and answered with a smile without hesitation: "Alright, after today's training, let's have a simple spar."

"Hahaha, good!"

Seeing the genuine smiles on their faces, Feng Lan smiled too: "So, the caged bird is finally starting to feel dissatisfied with its situation and taking its first step in rebellion... I'm waiting to see you truly spread your wings and soar."

……

The news that the Hyuga clan had begun to curry favor with Fenglan spread like wildfire. Seeing that even this deeply rooted and ancient noble family had begun to bow its head, the other clans that were still observing could no longer sit still. As if breaking through a critical threshold, they rushed to Fenglan to ask for favors and connections.

Feng Lan knew that her struggle with the Third Hokage had only just begun. With such a large number of people coming, she wondered who she could control, who she couldn't handle, and whose benefits she had accepted. All these things posed potential risks. Although the Japanese scouts sent to monitor her had been assigned to special training with Dai, the Third Hokage could still keep a clear understanding of her situation if he wanted to.

Therefore, he became even more cautious and refused to reveal any flaws.

He refuses all gifts, whether they are money or ninja tools. He won't even glance at the most irresistible secret techniques, because just one glance would really cause an explosion... no, it would really leave him with something to hold against him.

On the contrary, Feng Lan, who was gradually taking control of the situation, stopped going to izakayas and barbecue restaurants. For dinner, she would eat noodles and garlic, seemingly imitating Zhao Dehan, who hadn't spent a penny.

Under his unyielding attitude, some families eventually began to give in. As long as they sent people to him, Feng Lan would send them all to run laps with Dai. Now he no longer hid anything and openly told these people that they would be the first batch of veterans of the standing new army.

Even if the title of "elder" is not the best, it is still a symbol of status and position. Therefore, no matter what purpose the young people who were sent here came with, they were at least quite excited. After receiving Dai's devilish training, they were exhausted every day and had no energy to make any big news.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and tomorrow is the day Obito will be removed from the culture tank.

Orochimaru has learned through various channels that the truth about A has finally been exposed, and A is now under the command of the Third Hokage.

While cursing Danzo for being a traitor in his heart, he also sped up his transfer, preparing to flee tonight.

Unfortunately, there was no chance to take this precious experimental subject with us.

Orochimaru felt a deep sense of regret. Although Shizune, being of ordinary physical constitution, had been unable to hold on and had to return home, Shisui had stayed by the culture tank without leaving for a moment. Kakashi and Rin had taken turns eating and resting countless times, but he remained like a wooden puppet, not even blinking.

[Even if he's the strongest Uchiha, so what? If I suddenly launch a surprise attack, I can at least take the incubation tank and escape, if not capture him.] Orochimaru pondered, unwilling to give up on Obito just like that, because in his view, Obito had already perfectly fused with Hashirama's cells and now just needed time to awaken.

Such high-quality experimental material is unprecedented in his life. If it weren't for the fact that the Reincarnation Ninjutsu was not yet completed, he would have wanted to take over Obito's body immediately. The Sharingan cannot be fully utilized by non-Uchiha clan members, and this body is not only from the Uchiha clan, but can also perfectly fuse with Hashirama's cells. Taking over this body would be equivalent to possessing the power of both the Uchiha and Senju clans at the same time!

"You can give it a try."

However, just as he was wavering in his mind, Shisui spoke coldly.

"What?" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.

"I know you've been looking for an opportunity to strike. Why not try now?" At this moment, Uchiha Shisui crossed his arms, his body facing the culture tank, but his head was turned to the side, his crimson Sharingan fixed on Orochimaru. "Whether it's a sneak attack or a frontal assault, a secret technique or a forbidden technique, everything you have is in front of these eyes..."

"It's all in vain!"

Chapter 24 Catching Snakes

As the sun set, the Hokage's office was bathed in a golden glow.

Shuimen rubbed his slightly sore eyes and saw Fenglan come in carrying a large food box. He couldn't help but chuckle and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Kushina needs to reinforce the seal tonight. I know you haven't eaten yet, but the chef I hired has arrived. I won't let you go hungry." Feng Lan said as he took out several exquisite dishes from the food box. Clearly, the chef he hired was quite skilled.

Finally, he even pulled out a few bottles of fine wine: "These are my treasures, you're lucky to get them."

"Drinking alcohol is not allowed during work hours..."

Minato was interrupted before he could finish speaking: "It's already after get off work, my Fourth Hokage. The project has been progressing so smoothly these past two days. Shikaku's list is ready, the Hyuga has bowed down, and even the Root organization has been wiped out. Such a great achievement deserves a celebration, doesn't it?"

"This credit all belongs to you. I'm just basking in your glory." Upon hearing this, Minato couldn't refuse any longer and could only smile and sit down, watching Fenglan pour the wine.

The two chatted as they ate. Because things had gone very smoothly these past two days, Minato's mood had improved considerably. Under the influence of alcohol, he gradually opened up, talking about Obito's recovery, Kushina's unborn child, and his hopes for Konoha's future...

"Sigh, I'm not a good teacher, nor a good husband or father." He couldn't help but sigh as he spoke. "Obito was injured so badly, and after I became Hokage, I didn't visit him even once, nor did I have time to be by Kushina's side when she was pregnant..."

"This is what it means to be the Hokage. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Now that you've taken this position, you naturally have to bear the fate of the entire village." Feng Lan could see that he was under a lot of pressure, so she went along with the topic to comfort him.

"Ugh……"

Minato remained silent, but drank a few more cups. His face was flushed, and his eyes showed signs of drunkenness: "Fenglan, I'm really glad I saved you back then."

"Without you, so many more people would have died during the Third Shinobi World War... Even after I became Hokage, I couldn't change anything. The changes we've seen now are truly heartening..."

"Why say such mushy things? You are the Fourth Hokage, and I am your subordinate. Naturally, I will do my best to help you." Feng Lan said as she poured him more wine.

“No, it’s not just that…” Minato laughed drunkenly, “I know you’re helping me as a friend, even protecting me. You don’t let me touch many places you consider dark and dirty…”

“But Fenglan, I am different from the Third Hokage…” He seemed to have made a great decision before saying this, “I will not let you become like Lord Danzo, I will…”

Feng Lan didn't hear the last sentence clearly because Shui Men drank another cup and passed out drunk at the table.

"Sorry, Minato." Although Feng Lan had also had a few drinks, his expression remained normal, because Minato was the only one drinking after that. "I'm about to do something very Danzo-like."

He picked up the Fourth Hokage's cloak and draped it over Minato, then pushed open the office door, glanced at Itachi Uchiha waiting outside, and whispered a few instructions in his ear.

"Lord Fenglan, it's no problem to gather the Uchiha people at the time you mentioned, but... what are you planning to do?" Itachi's face showed obvious worry.

"You'll all know when I show up." Feng Lan chuckled, flicked Itachi on the head, and shoved a kunai imbued with a spell into his hand. "Go now."

"Yes……"

Although he wanted to continue asking questions, Itachi knew he was a subordinate and could only obey orders and leave. Fenglan, on the other hand, sorted out his thoughts and immediately set off for Orochimaru's base.

……

The scene then cuts back to Orochimaru's base.

"You dare to say that, you Uchiha brat."

Hearing Shisui say that, Orochimaru's arrogance surged up. He was a legendary Sannin, already famous during the Second Shinobi World War, when you, a little kid, weren't even born yet!

So what if she's the strongest Uchiha? Orochimaru's skills aren't to be underestimated!

“Even a young eagle is not something a snake crawling on the ground can covet.” Shisui coldly retorted. He was usually a rather low-key and humble person, but now that he knew that the eye on Danzo was related to Orochimaru, even the most humble and polite person couldn’t help but feel a little irritated.

Besides, Shisui was, after all, an Uchiha, the Uchiha known for his madness and mental illness. Even if he didn't have arrogance, he still had pride. Now, facing a scoundrel like Orochimaru, his pride was finally fully unleashed.

A moment of silence fell, neither side making any further moves, but a chilling killing intent began to permeate the air.

"Lin!"

Kakashi, who had already been promoted to Jonin, keenly sensed that something was wrong and quickly shielded his comrades behind him. Rin, however, was still just a young Chunin, and no matter how strong she was, she was somewhat at a loss when faced with this situation.

They couldn't offer much help in a battle against a Kage-level opponent.

Just as the situation was about to escalate, the base gate was suddenly pushed open, and Feng Lan walked in, greeting everyone enthusiastically: "Hey everyone, thank you for your hard work!"

The tense and murderous atmosphere was subtly diluted. Shisui was naturally unwilling to make a move immediately upon seeing Fenglan arrive, while Orochimaru was still wary of Shisui and unwilling to rashly turn against him.

After all, Shisui's reputation for Body Flicker is too great. Although he is not as powerful as Minato, who could make people abandon their missions and run away when they encounter him, he is still someone who can scare away a group of experts just by appearing. Orochimaru asked himself honestly that he could not do that.

Moreover, he was obsessed with the Sharingan and had done a lot of research on it. He vaguely felt that Uchiha Shisui might have already awakened the legendary Mangekyou Sharingan, which not only greatly increased his eye power but also gave him his own unique special power.

Each power of the kaleidoscope is extremely deadly.

"Shisui, thank you for protecting Obito." Fenglan casually strolled around the group, seemingly unaware of how subtle the atmosphere was, and handed over a plastic bag. "Here, rice ball."

"Thank you, Lord Fenglan."

Shisui was indeed a little hungry. For the past three days, he had been guarding Obito without moving an inch, and had only drunk some water that Rin had brought him and eaten a few ration pills. Now that it was his superior, Fenglan, who was offering him food, he naturally did not stand on ceremony.

"And Orochimaru-sama, you've worked hard too. It's all thanks to you that Obito was able to stand up again and become a ninja."

Looking at Feng Lan's smiling face, Orochimaru really wanted to slap him in the face with Hidden Shadow Snake Hand. Damn it, we agreed that nothing would happen as long as Obito was okay! I was diligently conducting experiments and observing data while injecting Hashirama cells, afraid that injecting too much would kill this kid. And you, you turn around and tell the Third Hokage about the Kagami incident?

He originally thought he was shameless enough, but now he realized that there's always someone better, and Feng Lan is even more shameless.

To make matters worse, Fenglan added fuel to the fire: "Obito will become the first ninja in Konoha to possess both the Senju and Uchiha powers after he wakes up. I'm really looking forward to his future... He might even become the Fifth Hokage."

The boastful and tempting tone was as if to say, "If you don't act now, you'll miss your chance."

“Feng Lan…” Even Orochimaru, who was usually very patient, couldn’t hold back any longer. “If you have nothing else to do, please leave. I need to continue observing the situation.”

He was afraid that if he kept watching this kid loitering around, he wouldn't be able to resist spitting out the Kusanagi sword.

"understand."

Seeing that Orochimaru's pale face had turned red with anger, Feng Lan knew that he had done enough and immediately made a hasty retreat.

Before leaving, however, he came to Kakashi and Rin and said, "You two should go back too. Your bodies won't be able to take it after staying up for so long."

Kakashi hurriedly said, "Lord Fenglan..."

He tried to tell the other party that Orochimaru had almost attacked, but Feng Lan interrupted him seriously, saying, "You two just need to decide whether you want to leave with me now."

“We…” Kakashi hesitated for a moment, “Rin, you go back, I’ll stay here.”

Orochimaru has designs on Obito; how could he just leave like this?

“No.” Lin, of course, could not agree and said firmly, “I’m staying here too.”

"Sigh!" Although everything was proceeding according to Feng Lan's plan, and the two people's reactions were exactly what he had expected, Feng Lan felt a sense of loss for no reason. He reached out and patted the two people's shoulders, leaving a peculiar spell on them without making a sound. "Since that's the case, I won't say anything more. Take good care of the things Miss Jingyin gave you."

After saying that, he quickly composed himself and strode out.

These little ninjas are all so loyal and righteous; compared to them... I'm such a jerk.

After leaving the base, Fenglan immediately called out to Itachi, who was waiting outside: "Call everyone over, tonight we're going to...catch snakes."

Chapter 25 The Birth of the Kaleidoscope

Although a fight hadn't broken out yet due to Feng Lan's intrusion, Shisui remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on Orochimaru. However, as time went on, he gradually sensed something was amiss.

Why is my body starting to feel numb? Why am I feeling an overwhelming drowsiness? Why... is my chakra gradually weakening?

Orochimaru has made his move!

He suddenly widened his eyes and reached for the knife behind his back, but ultimately, due to his paralyzed body, he was beaten to it.

"Hidden Shadow Serpent Hand!"

Several ferocious venomous snakes suddenly emerged from Orochimaru's sleeves, coiling and biting at Shisui. Because he was a fraction of a second slower, even though Shisui dodged, he was still bitten on the arm by one of them.

"Shuashua——!"

Although he immediately drew his knife and cut the snakes in half, he was still hit by the snake and squatted on the ground in pain.

"Uchiha brat, you're still far from good enough." Orochimaru let out a smug sneer after his success. "While the Sharingan can see through tangible movements, it can't detect invisible poison gas, can it? This is a treasured artifact I use to grant myself immortality. You should feel honored to have it used on you!"

The treasure he injected into himself was actually the body fluid of the White Phosphorus Serpent, which would turn into a colorless and odorless, extremely numbing toxin upon contact with air. As the saying goes, if you study math, physics, and chemistry well, you can go anywhere in the world without fear. Shisui was too confident in his Sharingan and, without realizing it, suffered a great loss due to his sense of taste.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A cold glint flashed in Shisui's eyes, and he immediately decided to take care of Orochimaru before he was completely paralyzed. He formed hand seals, and a large ball of orange-yellow fireball shot out from his mouth, hurtling towards the enemy.

"A trivial skill!"