"If they really didn't know how to think for themselves," Orochimaru said lightly, "then why would anyone bother lying to them for the sake of the Third Hokage?"
Fugaku opened his mouth but had no answer.
Orochimaru glanced at him but didn't press the issue any further.
It seemed that ever since the "Konoha White Fang" incident, anyone with a bit of status in the village had become extremely sensitive to public opinion. Whenever similar topics came up, they felt the need to say something.
But Orochimaru's situation was very different from Hatake Sakumo's—and so was his personal ambition.
Studying forbidden techniques and experimenting with the "Reanimation Jutsu" was controversial, yes. But as long as Orochimaru's experiments didn't involve active Konoha shinobi as test subjects, he technically wasn't breaking any village laws. His actions were dangerous, but not illegal, and not punishable.
Sakumo, on the other hand, had abandoned a critical mission for personal reasons. Regardless of sympathy, he had directly violated shinobi rules and caused significant losses to the village. That was why the public outcry against the "Konoha White Fang" had erupted.
Of course, some gossip and criticism alone wouldn't destroy a shinobi, even a hundredfold or a thousandfold. Words couldn't kill a shadow-level powerhouse.
But Sakumo wanted to become Hokage.
Not like Danzō, who pursued the title for power, but because Sakumo genuinely wished to become the Hokage in the villagers' hearts—their hope and ideal.
That ideal made him vulnerable. The villagers' criticisms, doubts, and betrayals inflicted wounds far deeper than any physical blow.
Being cherished by others meant entrusting them with the power to destroy you.
In the end, Hatake Sakumo's life could only be called a failure. Even if he hadn't chosen to commit suicide, he would have spent the rest of his days in depression and regret—a slower, quieter death.
But Orochimaru?
He didn't want to be Hokage. He didn't love the village, and he certainly didn't care about being loved by the villagers.
To him, public opinion wasn't an enemy. It was meaningless noise.
The only things that could threaten him were tangible: village rules, real consequences, things that could actually hurt his experiments or freedom.
Reputation and rumors? Those were merely tools to be manipulated when needed.
Later on, he would subtly imply to Fugaku—and the Uchiha Guard—that his research into the Reanimation Jutsu was actually a secret transaction with the Third Hokage.
As for the ordinary Uchiha civilians, the ones who hadn't even awakened their Sharingan and had no real value? Orochimaru didn't care about them at all.
When it came time to conduct the experiments with the First Hokage's cells, these villagers wouldn't contribute much—at best, a few resources, none of which were theirs to control.
There was no reason to waste time worrying about them.
After a few moments of silence, Fugaku cleared his throat and changed the subject. Orochimaru followed along casually, nodding from time to time.
The earlier disturbance over the villagers' attitudes hadn't affected anything.
The chain of interests between them was solid, not so easily shaken by mere words.
Before long, they reached the newly constructed headquarters of the Uchiha Guard. Just beside it stood a small, squat building.
The building had two floors and a basement. The first floor was a fake medical clinic, the second was a residential space, and the basement was where the real work—the surgeries—would take place.
As soon as Orochimaru sat down in a chair, someone quickly brought over a cup of tea.
Picking up the teacup and taking a sip, Orochimaru casually waved his hand, signaling the attendant to step back. His golden eyes fell on Fugaku, and he smiled.
"Has Patriarch Fugaku decided on a candidate for the experiment?" Orochimaru asked lightly. "You should know—the subject must volunteer. Otherwise, if they resist, it will make the operation far more difficult."
"I understand," Fugaku replied, nodding. He pulled a folded list from his sleeve.
"These five are Jōnin from our clan. After speaking with them privately, they all expressed strong willingness to participate. None of them are opposed to body modification."
To be honest, Fugaku himself was quite interested in Orochimaru's so-called "Physical Enhancement Surgery." He believed that, compared to the average clansman, the risks were relatively low for someone like him.
But as the Uchiha Patriarch—and the one acting as the bridge between Orochimaru and the Uchiha—he couldn't afford to take any personal risks right now.
Orochimaru nodded slightly and accepted the list, skimming through the names.
He was already familiar with these five Uchiha Jōnin. Whether in the "Tailed Beast Simulation Battles" or the real battlefields against Kumogakure, all of them had shown flashes of brilliance.
Their strength ranged between regular Jōnin and elite Jōnin.
Through countless medical examinations over the years, Orochimaru had gathered detailed data on their bodies—he understood them even better than they understood themselves.
According to his research, Uchiha ninjas could generally be divided into two types: ninjutsu specialists and genjutsu specialists.
Externally, the difference was visible in their chakra reserves and chakra control. Chakra quantity leaned toward ninjutsu users; chakra control and mental strength leaned toward genjutsu users.
This would be the first time attempting an experiment involving First Hokage cells. Orochimaru wasn't sure yet whether chakra reserves or mental strength would affect the cells' compatibility more profoundly.
To maximize the success rate, he decided to select someone fitting either extreme.
"Uchiha Shinsuke," Orochimaru said finally, tapping a name. "Let's choose him."
Fugaku nodded, turned, and ordered a clansman to fetch Uchiha Shinsuke.
Then, setting down a scroll on the table, he said, "Lord Orochimaru, this is the operation fee for today."
Orochimaru's lips curved into a faint, sincere-looking smile.
Behind him, a white-haired boy with glasses silently collected the scroll at his signal.
"For security reasons," Orochimaru added smoothly, "the surgery must be conducted without observers. Please wait here for a while, Patriarch Fugaku.
Also, as this procedure does involve some risks, if anything unexpected occurs... we will need your assistance in covering it up."
"Lord Orochimaru is too cautious," Fugaku replied with a slight smile.
He lifted his teacup and took another sip, though a flicker of regret crossed his face.
Still, since Orochimaru had spoken so clearly, he had no choice but to remain in the waiting room.
Before long—barely the time it took to finish a cup of tea—Uchiha Shinsuke arrived, hurriedly stepping into the room.
Seeing both Orochimaru and the Patriarch seated together, he immediately realized something serious was happening.
Suppressing his excitement, he bowed deeply.
"Lord Orochimaru, Patriarch!"
"Good," Orochimaru said lightly. "The real master has arrived.
Patriarch Fugaku, I'll leave things here in your hands."
With that, Orochimaru stood up and led Shinsuke into the basement.
Inside the underground operating room, Uchiha Shinsuke's eyes widened in surprise.
"So many instruments... I didn't expect physical enhancement surgery to use this much equipment."
The room was filled with complex machinery. Though he could only recognize a few of the devices, the sight reassured him slightly—it made the procedure feel legitimate.
Orochimaru glanced at him but didn't bother explaining.
In reality, only about thirty percent of the equipment was for transplanting the First Hokage's cells.
The rest were designed to monitor vital signs—important not for the surgery itself, but for future research.
"Drink this," Orochimaru instructed, handing him a small vial. "Then go to the restroom and clean yourself out."
Startled, Uchiha Shinsuke accepted the vial and hesitated. "What... is this?"
"A purge," said the white-haired boy indifferently, pushing up his glasses.
His voice was calm, but his smile was sharp and mocking.
"You wouldn't want to shit yourself on the operating table, would you?"
____________
Support me on patreon and read
1)Insect princess from Konoha
2)Second girls journey in Naruto
3)Orochimaru's Magic lamp
patreon.com/Silver757