Uchiha Yato, who had intended to stay out of the drama, instantly became the center of attention again.
With an innocent grin, Uchiha Yato said, "Don't just stare at me. Keep talking, everyone."
In an instant, those who had been about to badmouth him fell silent.
The elder spoke up, "You little rascal, just discuss with them how to resolve this. Stop bothering us old folks all the time."
"You're not three-year-old kids who can't handle anything."
"Why do you keep troubling the elders like this?"
The elder's implication was clear—the younger generation needed to learn and stop relying so much on their seniors.
The Uchiha Clan's biggest flaw was the severe ideological influence the older generation had over the younger one.
The so-called "glory of the Uchiha" had nearly vanished when Uchiha Madara left the Hidden Leaf Village.
Yet some old-timers still loved to preach about it.
The elder's words effectively silenced those stubborn elders.
Then, the room fell into complete silence.
Uchiha Kei spoke, "Alright, Yato, this time, I'll trouble you to supervise them properly."
"If they mess up again, you have the authority to act first and report later."
Damn! Uchiha Kei's move was ruthless!
Giving Uchiha Yato the authority to "act first, report later" was no small matter.
Without hesitation, Uchiha Yato accepted the authority and immediately began assigning tasks.
"I need two squads from the Military Police Force to guard the infant pit. Make sure no one tampers with it."
The arrangement was reasonable, and no Uchiha ninja would dare cause trouble now.
After all, this concerned the Uchiha's honor, so no one dared to challenge it.
Uchiha Yato continued, "I'd like some respected elders to help negotiate with the other clans through the newspapers."
"After all, my words carry little weight. I'll need you old-timers to step in and smooth things over."
His phrasing nearly broke the two elders present.
Seeing their displeasure, Uchiha Yato quickly explained.
"Given your age, I've picked up the term 'old-timers' from other villages."
"If I really didn't respect you, I'd call you 'old geezers.'"
No matter how he spun it, Uchiha Yato had the upper hand, and the elders didn't want to argue further, so they let it slide.
Having the elders step in wasn't just to keep them from getting rusty—it was also to facilitate communication with elders from other clans.
This incident might drag the entire leadership's reputation through the mud, so they needed to prepare a conciliatory approach.
Finally, Uchiha Yato added, "I plan to enlist outside help again."
"Anyone willing to deliver a letter to Chiyo for me?"
The moment he said this, the Uchiha Clan fell silent.
Unsurprisingly, this letter wouldn't just implicate Shimura Danzo—it would also drag the Sand Village into the mess.A clever little Uchiha ninja pinched the thigh of the person next to them.
A sudden yelp drew everyone's attention.
Uchiha Yato, ever the opportunist, immediately chimed in, "Ren, I knew you'd take this mission!"
At this point, Uchiha Ren was like a mute forced to swallow bitter herbs—utterly unable to voice his suffering.
He had originally planned to excuse himself by citing his duties as the kindergarten principal, but Uchiha Yato had already foisted those responsibilities onto the clan leader's wife.
Well, that settled it. Once again, Uchiha Ren had become Uchiha Yato's personal errand boy.
After handling clan affairs, Uchiha Yato still needed to call in his outside reinforcement—Orochimaru.
...
Inside Orochimaru's hideout.
Jiraiya had somehow snuck back in unnoticed.
At this moment, all three of the Hidden Leaf's legendary Sannin were gathered in Orochimaru's lab.
When Jiraiya saw that the visitor was Uchiha Yato, he happily sidled up to him, trying to cozy up.
From the snippets of conversation, Uchiha Yato quickly grasped Jiraiya's intentions.
It was nothing more than wanting the Uchiha Girl Group's dance performances and recordings.
Uchiha Yato immediately raised his voice and exclaimed, "What?!"
"You actually want the Uchiha Girl Group's recordings and their personal clothing?!"
The bit about "personal clothing" was, of course, Uchiha Yato's own addition—but Tsunade was also present.
Instantly, all eyes turned toward Jiraiya.
Uchiha Yato, ever the tactful one, stepped aside to let Tsunade handle the situation herself.
Jiraiya had no way to defend himself now, nor could he blame Uchiha Yato.
Because he knew full well that neither Orochimaru nor Uchiha Yato would lift a finger to save him.
One found him annoying, and the other was the mastermind behind this mess.
Orochimaru, too, understood that Uchiha Yato's visit meant he had something to discuss, so he seized the opportunity to shoo the other two out.
Once they were gone, Orochimaru remarked, "You never come without an agenda. So, what 'gift' have you brought me this time?"
Uchiha Yato replied frankly, "It could indeed be considered a big gift."
"I'll need some cooperation from you. As for the benefits, we can discuss those later. First, hear me out on what this 'gift' entails."
Hearing this, Orochimaru knew the matter wasn't simple.
Expecting someone who spent all their time on scientific research to understand politics and current affairs? Impossible.
So, Uchiha Yato obediently laid out the information for Orochimaru.
Though Orochimaru wasn't well-versed in politics, that didn't mean he was stupid.
He licked his slimy tongue and said, "So, what you're saying is, you need me to help you find concrete evidence, correct?"
"And what's in it for me?"
Uchiha Yato replied, "Not exactly a benefit—more of an add-on. I'll throw in something extra."
"You can pin all the blame on Danzo. That way, none of those dirty deeds will be tied back to you."
"And as a token of gratitude, I'll personally contribute 10 million in research funding. How does that sound?"
Orochimaru pondered for a moment before saying, "Help me find more ninja with unique bloodlines, and gather more secrets about immortality."
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Uchiha Yato couldn't help but sigh. "Even after all this time, you still can't let go of that obsession, huh?""Nawaki's death might soon be uncovered, so there's no need to obsess over the meaning of life."
The pursuit of immortality took root in Orochimaru's mind precisely because of Nawaki's death.
Witnessing Nawaki's demise made Orochimaru realize that even a simple exploding tag could snuff out the life of the Senju clan's young heir.
When Uchiha Yato teased and questioned him about it, Orochimaru remained silent.
Seeing that his persuasion had no effect, Uchiha Yato tactfully said, "Alright, I get it. But let me make one thing clear—don't go killing off any ninja with special bloodlines."
Uchiha Yato still planned to cultivate his own elite squad and couldn't afford to let Orochimaru recklessly waste such valuable assets.
Orochimaru didn't object much to Uchiha Yato's conditions.
He then disclosed information about some experimental subjects previously provided by Shimura Danzo, along with their sources.
After obtaining the answers he sought, Uchiha Yato left Orochimaru's laboratory—but not before discussing the recent progress of the Wood Release experiments.
The results had been promising. It was now confirmed that the Wood Release experiments showed significant potential among the Senju clan members.
The reason was simple: Tsunade had already begun sensing a certain power stirring within her—an excellent sign.
Back to the present.
Armed with the data he needed, Uchiha Yato dispatched two squads from the Military Police Force to investigate the locations Orochimaru had revealed.
After the teams departed, Uchiha Yato gazed at the moon and murmured,
"Now, the real show begins~"
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