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"Yōichi-kun, it's somewhat rude of me to drop by unannounced. Please, forgive me."
Orochimaru's sudden visit took Yōichi by surprise, especially when he brought along a timid young boy. Nonetheless, Yōichi welcomed them both into his home.
After all, he was a disciple of the Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin of Konohagakure.
Pouring three cups of tea and placing them on the table, Yōichi finally asked, "Orochimaru-sama, what brings you to me?"
"Actually, there is something. Yōichi-kun, do you recognize him?" Orochimaru gestured towards the young boy by his side.
This question left Yōichi puzzled, and after shaking his head, he replied, "I've never seen him before. Who is he?"
"He's from the village in the Land of Iron. I plan to take him as my disciple and teach him how to use chakra; this was the village chief's request, but I also had the intention."
Orochimaru paused for a moment before continuing, "I've just returned from the Ryūchi Cave. Although I managed to get through the three trial stages, I doubt I'll succeed in mastering Senjutsu. So, I'm planning to study it further before attempting again."
He barely tried practicing Senjutsu before almost going mad from the overwhelming natural energy. If not for his timely use of a unique substitution technique, he might have failed at Senjutsu and been devoured by the Great White Snake Sage.
Orochimaru even suspected the Great White Snake Sage never intended to let him master Senjutsu, hence the excuse that he lacked the qualifications.
"I'm not ready to give up just yet, so I've decided to study Senjutsu. Since the village chief approached me, I took his disciple."
"However, the village chief also wishes for their clan to join Konohagakure, which is beyond my capabilities. I assumed Yōichi-kun might have the strength for such a task, so I came to ask you."
Yōichi immediately shook his head in response: "I don't possess such power either. Their clan absorbs too much natural energy and goes mad; even a Chūnin would struggle to restrain them. Without solving this issue, no village would accept them."
Even if their abilities were rare, who would want someone who could go berserk at any moment? Unless they're confined in a specially designed prison, it would be unbearable if someone from that clan went mad in the middle of the night while everyone else was sleeping.
"Since Yōichi-kun isn't interested, let's leave it at that. However, Yōichi-kun, have you practiced Senjutsu?"
Orochimaru inquired, unwilling to give up. Jiraiya managed to master Senjutsu, but he couldn't; if Yōichi was interested, he hoped to exchange knowledge.
Yōichi responded, "I'll definitely try it eventually, but I'm not in a hurry."
He had the ability to absorb natural energy, even more perfectly than the people from that village. Relying on his body's instincts to absorb natural energy daily, he believed mastering Senjutsu would naturally follow in due time.
"Is that so? Then, I've imposed on you today."
As Orochimaru prepared to leave, Yōichi called out, "Wait, Orochimaru-sama, since you're here, let's talk a bit more."
Yōichi then activated his Sharingan, looking at the young boy by Orochimaru's side, instantly putting him to sleep.
"Orochimaru-sama, would you like to collaborate with me?"
"Collaborate? You mean..."
"I know you want to study that clan's physique to find a way to master Senjutsu. I can provide resources, but I want a share of any findings."
Orochimaru's initial dream was to learn all ninjutsu, which later evolved into uncovering all truths of the world. Eventually, realizing the limits of human lifespan, he sought immortality.
However, his pursuit of immortality was also in preparation for understanding the truths of the world. It's undeniable that Orochimaru, a researcher at heart, played a significant role in the chaos of the ninja world with his research.
"I don't lack resources, but I still owe you a favor, Yōichi-kun. Including this, I can agree."
Orochimaru didn't outright refuse but wanted resources in return, also considering this as repaying the favor for the information about the Ryūchi Cave.
Being one of the Legendary Sannin, he likely didn't lack resources. Tsunade could mobilize medical supplies if willing, and Orochimaru surely had his ways.
However, since Orochimaru agreed, Uchiha Yōichi considered his goal achieved.
The Cursed Seal enhances a ninja's power significantly, making it ideal for training subordinates. With many Chūnin in the Uchiha clan, equipping them with Cursed Seals would make their strength comparable to that of a special jōnin.
"Orochimaru-sama, we will have many opportunities to collaborate. In the village, no one else is more suitable to work with you than me."
Yōichi continued, "I not only have a lot of money to buy many test subjects, but I also have secret techniques collected from Kumogakure, all of them!"
He had brought back Kumogakure's secret techniques, keeping some after giving a portion to Kenji.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique and Reanimation Jutsu yet to be fully researched, he had no time for Kumogakure's techniques.
"Kumogakure's secret techniques."
As Orochimaru pondered, Yōichi turned and left the living room, soon returning with a scroll he placed on the table.
"This is a compilation of Kumogakure's secret techniques, names only. I obtained it during a mission."
The most valuable techniques, of course, wouldn't be shared. Yōichi had also acquired blueprints for the Chakra Cannon, a weapon decades ahead of its time, from Kumogakure.
Orochimaru, after quietly reviewing the scroll, expressed his approval with a smile, "Impressive, Yōichi-kun. I agree to the collaboration. Working with you is akin to working with the Uchiha clan. I look forward to a fruitful partnership."
"Of course, I understand your dream, Orochimaru-sama, to master all truths of the world. It's a noble goal."
With the collaboration agreed upon, Yōichi wouldn't skimp on compliments. Orochimaru, satisfied with Yōichi's understanding, shared the same ideal.
They then discussed the details of their first collaboration, including the necessary research equipment, test subjects, and materials. Orochimaru, proficient in Earth Release, would handle the location.
Aside from test subjects, which could be sourced from prisoners of the Uchiha Police Force or purchased from the shinobi world, everything else was manageable with money.
After Orochimaru and his student left, Yōichi resumed his training. Without weights, he felt his progress wasn't as noticeable.
He couldn't practice forbidden jutsu in the village, wary of Hiruzen's Telescope Technique. Discovery of either the Reanimation Jutsu or Flying Thunder God Technique would be problematic.
Mikoto didn't visit him today, and despite being busy, he felt something was missing without this mature wife by his side.
————————————
"Kurenai, are you also training?"
Asuma, passing by the training ground, saw Kurenai and approached her excitedly, "How about we go eat after training? My treat!"
Kurenai declined, "Thanks, Asuma, but I have to go home tonight. Plus, shouldn't you be training? The village is on the brink of war; we could be called to the battlefield at any moment."
Asuma responded, "Of course, I'm training. But it's also important to balance work and rest. Constant training is unsustainable!"
"Sorry, Asuma. Yōichi-sensei set a training plan for us. If we don't complete it, we'll be punished."
Asuma scratched his head, "That's too strict. And we haven't even seen your teacher. He's not slacking off, is he? Haha."
After laughing, Asuma noticed Rumi and Kazuhito giving him stern looks, realizing he might have misspoken.
"Asuma, you were always ahead of us in the Academy. How about a spar now?"
Rumi's tone was cold. She deeply respected Yōichi-sensei, who looked after her, a member of the Hyūga branch family. She felt invisible within her clan but valued under Yōichi-sensei's guidance.
"Let's not, Rumi."
Kazuhito intervened, "What if Asuma loses? We're all classmates."
Asuma, unable to accept being inferior, especially since he was only second to the genius Kakashi in the Academy, challenged, "Fine, let's do it. Individual or team?"
Kazuhito clarified, "Obviously, a team. On the battlefield, we rely on our teammates!"
"Alright."
Asuma finished speaking and then called out to the training ground outside, standing Chūji and another classmate, "Chūji, Iwashii!"
"It's really troublesome, I don't want to do this."
"Forget it, Chūji, it's quite interesting, let's have a match."
Chūji didn't have much interest, he just finished training and couldn't raise any energy, but Iwashii was quite interested in having a match, because in Class 1, the other two were stronger than him, and he had also been training hard.
Now that he encountered other opponents, he naturally wanted to show his strength.
"Go ahead, with me watching here, there won't be any problems."
Sarutobi saw that his younger brother liked that girl, but he was not good at expressing himself.
But with him watching, even if it was a match, it wouldn't cause any trouble.
Rumi whispered to Kurenai, "Kurenai, I know you have feelings for Asuma, but when it comes to Yōichi-sensei, you won't show mercy, right?"
"Who has feelings for Asuma, don't talk nonsense, we are just classmates!"
Kurenai was a bit anxious and quickly clarified, then reassured Rumi, "I won't show mercy later, don't worry."
Then the two teams quickly discussed the match. The location was limited to this training ground and the surrounding forest, the method was not limited, and the training kunai and shuriken were used.
Clap clap!
Kurenai clapped her hands twice, attracting everyone's attention to her, then gestured and repeated, "Everyone, don't go too far, otherwise it will take too much time."
Her voice was clear, and her ruby-like pupils were also very beautiful.
When Kurenai spoke, she directly attracted the attention of Iwashii and Asuma; after all, before graduating from the Ninja Academy, Kurenai was the most beautiful girl in their class.
But seeing this scene from a distance, Sarutobi was surprised and said, "This genjutsu technique... was it taught by Yuhi-senpai?"
Then, after shouting the start, Kurenai and her team almost at the same time threw many smoke bombs, helping Kurenai to block the vision.
At the same time, Rumi and Kazuhito retreated, the two of them couldn't see anything in the smoke bombs, staying inside was useless, so they would definitely come out at the first time to help Kurenai trap the people inside.
Kazuhito, relying on the memory just now, directly threw out six kunai with steel wires, hoping to trap one person's position.
And in the smoke bombs, Rumi, relying on the Byakugan, quickly rushed towards Asuma's three people.
Facing the well-coordinated attack of Kurenai's team, Asuma's three people didn't even react at the first time. Although Class 1 also talked about the spirit of the team, it definitely didn't have such a tacit understanding.
And Class 8's usual imaginary opponent was Yōichi, the Shadow of the Leaf, and they had tried all kinds of cooperation methods, even thinking about using poison.
"Get out of the smoke bombs!" Asuma shouted, but just as the three of them were about to retreat, Chūji shouted, "There are kunai, and steel wires!"
Noticing the incoming ninja tools, Chūji hurriedly wanted to dodge these attacks, but his vision suddenly flickered, and after stumbling under his feet, he was directly entangled by the steel wires around his legs and then fell to the ground.
And in front of Asuma, a Byakugan suddenly appeared, which made Asuma's heart skip a beat. The Gentle Fist of the Hyūga clan was very powerful at close range, and even he didn't want to try it.
But since Rumi had gotten close, she naturally wouldn't give Asuma a chance to retreat. With a slightly fierce Byakugan, she shouted and attacked directly.
On the other side, Iwashii was dodging left and right, and it was hard to get out of the range of the smoke bombs, but as soon as he came out, he saw Asuma had been cut into two pieces, and Chūji's head was on his body.
"Ah ah ah!!!"
Seeing this, Iwashii directly screamed in shock and then fainted, Kurenai, feeling a bit sorry, as she seemed to have overdone it.
Soon, Class 1's three people were all defeated, and after Kurenai dealt with Iwashii, she went to help Kazuhito, and then the two together came to the place where Rumi and Asuma were fighting, ready to make a move, but was stopped by the suddenly appearing Sarutobi.
"Alright, let's stop here. Asuma, you guys lost."
Asuma said unwillingly, "I haven't used ninjutsu yet."
"Face the reality, if you can't even admit defeat, then you've lost even more completely."
Hearing the elder brother say this, Asuma, even if unwilling, could only lower his head.
"Forget it, Asuma, it's just a match, we'll go back first."
Kurenai greeted Asuma, and then she, Rumi, and Kazuhito left, their training was almost done, and it was time to go home to rest.
Then Sarutobi helped Iwashii dispel the genjutsu, called the three people over, and said, "I originally thought your team's cooperation was not bad, but compared to Class 8, you're still far behind; and the three of you didn't even realize that you were hit by genjutsu at the beginning.
Although it's only a genjutsu that affects the senses, your basics are too poor. Starting tomorrow, you should also start from the basics."
(End of Chapter)
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"Yōichi-san, this month's welfare payments have all been distributed, and many clansmen asked me to convey their thanks to you."
Mikoto said in a gentle voice. After seeing Yōichi nod without speaking, she moved on to the next topic.
"The ninja game has been released and will launch today in six cities within the Land of Fire. Advertisements have been placed in advance. Yūto-san is very confident; he believes the ninja game will be a big hit. But now, with Konoha about to go to war, is it really a good time to sell games?"
Mikoto's final question was her own. Hearing the news of the war, she definitely wouldn't be in the mood to play games.
However, Yōichi didn't seem to think so. He calmly stated, "It's fine. The war of the ninja has little to do with the civilians, at least within the Land of Fire, it's safe. It won't affect them;
Moreover, our first version of the game is related to war.
The advertisements also call for all citizens of the Land of Fire to repel the invaders in the game. This isn't just any ninja game; it's a patriotic game! For every game they buy, the ninjas on the front lines get an extra shuriken."
Yōichi flipped through the newspaper, pointed out an advertisement to Mikoto that read, "Support the ninjas on the front lines. In the game, you're also a hero to the nation!"
Mikoto, after seeing this advertisement, couldn't help but entertain the idea of buying a game to contribute a shuriken to the frontline ninjas.
"Shinji and Hideto are already making efforts to purchase military supplies and weapons, but they are hard to come by now. All the major ninja villages are also buying, so they can only try to ensure the shares previously agreed upon"
After hearing this, Yōichi shook his head and said, "With the war starting, naturally, it's not that easy to buy. Let them try to stockpile as much as possible. They should have had the foresight to buy earlier. What have they been doing all this time?"
Mikoto bowed her head slightly without saying anything. This matter was previously handled by her husband, and she couldn't agree to speak ill of her husband.
But considering Fugaku was so busy before, a few oversights were understandable. Moreover, they have now handed over the business of military weapons within the clan, which could be considered as making up for it.
"Yōichi-san, Tokugawa-san said he would come to see you this afternoon. The first combat uniform has been made, and the quality seems to be excellent."
Yōichi nodded and said, "I know. I will go see Elder Kenji. Mikoto-san, if you have time this afternoon, you can also come and take a look."
"Also, there's another task for Mikoto-san. We need to survey the clansmen's needs, what they want to do or buy with the money they've received;
This task might be challenging for you alone. I'll go find Elder Kenji. Or, Mikoto-san, you could ask the clan leader for some assistants."
"Yōichi-san, I'll talk to Fugaku. But why gather this information? What's the significance?"
"People suddenly having so much money, and receiving it monthly, will soon want to spend it. And how many places are there to spend within the village? Not enough for the clansmen's consumption."
Yōichi explained, having considered this issue when initiating the welfare payments. Earning the money and the good reputation, along with the clansmen's gratitude, were all thanks to him.
In this matter, only Fugaku would likely be clenching his fists, red-faced, and resentful.
"What good is money that can't be spent? It's less useful than toilet paper. So, we need to know what the clansmen want to do, want to buy. Once we know, it saves ordinary clansmen the trouble of leaving the village. After all, it's quite a hassle for them. We can help them buy it and bring it back, making everyone's life easier."
Hearing Yōichi's words, Mikoto unconsciously nodded. When she thought about it, this indeed benefited the ordinary clansmen a lot.
Having money always leads to spending it, even if it's just buying some good beef to improve their meals, which is better than saving it. And those who have the habit of saving are rare; this is Konoha, not comparable to ordinary civilians.
Yōichi said, "Ninjas have their needs, and ordinary clansmen have theirs. Since we aim to benefit the clansmen, we naturally have to consider thoroughly; but for Mikoto-san, this might be a bit tiring. Fortunately, you can ask the clan leader for help."
"Yōichi-san, you're right."
This praise was sincerely said by Mikoto, who initially disliked Yōichi for always opposing Fugaku. But now, seeing Yōichi often considering the clansmen, her feelings became complicated.
And noticing that she might be tired and wanting to find someone to help her, Mikoto, after reporting back, hurried home. She might have to go out again in the afternoon, so taking advantage of the lunch break to see how Itachi was doing.
Upon arriving home, Fugaku was already sitting at the dining table eating, and Itachi was being cared for by a clan member.
The clan member caring for Itachi was Uchiha Yuzuki, 28 years old, whose husband was a Chūnin in the clan but died in an accident on a mission three years ago.
Yuzuki also has a daughter, about Itachi's age, unable to work because of the child. But now, with the Uchiha welfare system and being employed by Fugaku, it's much easier since her daughter can be looked after by her sister.
"Mikoto-san, you're back. Dinner is ready; I'll help you serve."
Seeing Mikoto return, Yuzuki put down Itachi, ready to help serve dinner. But Mikoto waved her off, saying, "I'll do it myself. You continue taking care of Itachi. By the way, how's Izumi?"
"Izumi is fine, and Itachi is very well-behaved, hardly any trouble."
Yuzuki said with a smile, then continued caring for Itachi.
After dinner, Mikoto spent some time with Itachi, but it wasn't long before she was called inside by Fugaku.
"Mikoto, what did he tell you today?"
After hearing the day's events, Fugaku frowned.
He hadn't expected Yōichi to come up with such a scheme, which indeed would win a lot of support from the clansmen.
Fugaku even thought about taking over the operation of these initiatives, but then realized he had no spare manpower. The guard team was almost in a state of combat patrol, and after some thought, he gave up on the idea.
"Mikoto, when doing this task, try to downplay Yōichi's reputation as much as possible, and emphasize your contribution. Your actions will also reflect on me."
He definitely didn't want Yōichi to become the clan leader. Now, every time he saw Yōichi, Fugaku couldn't help but remember the blade that almost struck his neck a year ago!
If it were someone else, someone with extraordinary abilities, Fugaku might consider stepping down as clan leader. But for Yōichi, there would be no compromise or relinquishment of the clan leader position.
Facing someone who had previously harbored the intent to kill him and nearly succeeded, Fugaku couldn't possibly forgive or understand him.
Hearing this, Mikoto was momentarily taken aback, then quickly said, "Fugaku, this... isn't this taking credit for someone else's work?"
"Mikoto, it's not taking credit. It was an idea you both came up with, and I will never allow Yōichi to become the clan leader!"
Fugaku's tone became firmer, and his expression more stern.
The room fell silent for a few minutes before Fugaku spoke again: "Mikoto, I hope you can understand me. Yōichi once wanted to kill me, and his personality is not suitable for being the clan leader. Please, help me this one time!"
"Fugaku, this way…"
"Please, Mikoto, help me this time!"
Mikoto felt her breath catch. After a while, she reluctantly spoke, "I... I understand. I'll do as you say, Fugaku."
"Thank you, Mikoto!"
Seeing Mikoto agree, Fugaku's face finally showed a smile.
Then, the room suddenly fell silent. Mikoto was about to get up to attend to the task assigned by Yōichi-san, but considering the complexity of gathering preferences and that it wasn't something she could easily accomplish alone, she said,
"Fugaku, could you find a couple of assistants for me? The upcoming tasks might keep me busy, and it's a bit much for me alone."
Fugaku's face showed difficulty as he replied, "The guard team is also busy... Mikoto, I'll try my best to find someone."
Mikoto originally intended to suggest finding two ordinary clansmen who could read and write, but seeing the troubled expression on her husband's face, she suddenly felt reluctant to speak further.
"I understand. I'll go check on Itachi."
————————————————
In the afternoon, Tokugawa brought back a ninja combat uniform with a smile.
"Lord Yōichi, this is the final version of the ninja uniform. Its layered structure is exactly as per the specifications you provided, and its defense is beyond imagination. At least, I can't damage it!"
Tokugawa is a Chūnin with a rare Earth chakra nature within the Uchiha clan. After the combat uniform was made, he used three jutsus on it, unable to cause any damage.
Not even kunai, shuriken, or explosive tags could damage this combat uniform.
"Let's go see Elder Kenji. Tokugawa-san, you've done a great job this time."
After Yōichi finished speaking, he patted Tokugawa on the shoulder, who, feeling somewhat embarrassed, modestly said, "It's nothing, all thanks to Lord Yōichi's specifications and that spider's effort."
"Right, my summoning beast has started breeding and is being kept in isolation. Next month's silk production can make seventeen combat uniforms."
The silk produced by his spider also contained chakra. It was already difficult to cut through with kunai, and after undergoing dozens of compression cycles and essence extraction, only ten pounds of silk could make one combat uniform.
Moreover, the uniform is incredibly light, weighing less than 300 grams, but offers significant protection.
Holding it, Yōichi felt it weighed less than a few kunai.
The two went to Kenji's house and were welcomed inside after ringing the doorbell. After explaining their visit, Kenji took Yōichi and Tokugawa to the yard.
The Uchiha clan's residence is quite central in the village and spacious. Individuals like Kenji, of his status, have large yards.
Yōichi's original house was small, but after bringing back Mina and Gates, he built a larger house on the edge of the clan's land, with a sizable yard for training.
Kenji immediately took out kunai and explosive tags to test the combat uniform's defense, but before he could act, Tokugawa stopped him.
"Elder, that kind of test doesn't show its full capabilities. We should insert a dummy inside to also test the uniform's energy absorption."
After saying this, Tokugawa took a test dummy from a storage scroll and placed it inside the combat uniform; it seemed he had already conducted tests and was very confident.
Kenji first attacked with kunai and shuriken, and under Tokugawa's encouragement, he imbued the kunai with chakra and threw it with full force.
Even though Kenji doesn't have Wind chakra, the throw was powerful.
However, upon hitting the combat uniform, it only indented slightly, then the force of the kunai dissipated, and it fell to the ground.
"This defense is excellent."
Then, Kenji threw two explosive tags.
Boom! Boom!
Two explosions engulfed the combat uniform in flames, which took a few dozen seconds to dissipate.
By then, the dummy's head had been blasted apart, but the combat uniform remained intact, only a bit dirty.
Tokugawa then said, "If one could react in time to an explosive tag and shield with their arms, it could further reduce the damage."
He then removed the combat uniform from the dummy. Except for the blasted head, the body only showed minor cracks. If a ninja wore this uniform and faced an explosive tag, they might only suffer bruises.
Seeing this level of protection, Kenji was somewhat shocked.
"Father, what was that explosion just now?"
Several figures suddenly appeared in the courtyard, with Masahito speaking first. He had been patrolling nearby and came over after hearing the explosion, thinking it might be a spy from another ninja village.
"Oh, Masahito, sorry, we were just conducting a test."
Seeing Masahito, Kenji explained with a smile, then briefed him on the combat uniform.
"Such strong protection?"
Masahito's eyes widened upon hearing this; wearing such a uniform was almost like having an extra life.
Seeing their reactions, Yōichi said, "Masahito-senpai, don't worry. With the current production capacity of the combat uniform factory, we can soon equip our supporters with one each."
By "our people," he meant those who supported him, the martial faction within the clan.
(End of chapter)
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