Naruto: I Beat The Villagers And Made Them Scream

After finishing their meal, everyone returned to the inn to rest. The events of the day had left them physically and mentally exhausted, and they quickly fell into a deep sleep once they lay down.

Kuragami Uchiha, however, sat by the window at a small table in his hotel room, slowly sipping a pot of freshly brewed tea.

In the middle of the night, a white snake slithered into the room, illuminated by the moonlight.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Kuragami-sama." The white snake transformed into human form with a puff of smoke; it was none other than Orochimaru.

"Sit." 

Kuragami gestured toward the seat across from him, pouring a cup of tea for Orochimaru.

"You did well. In such a short time, you managed to fabricate enough convincing evidence. You've worked hard." Kuragami Uchiha remarked.

"Serving you is my honor." 

Orochimaru replied humbly.

Looking at the obedient and well-behaved Orochimaru in front of him, Kuragami Uchiha couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying power of Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan. 

The most terrifying aspect of Kotoamatsukami wasn't direct mind control but the fact that it implanted an unshakable thought into the target's subconscious. 

To the affected person, everything would seem perfectly natural and logical. This was why Shisui's left eye required a ten-year cooldown; it was simply too powerful. In contrast, the right eye's ability, which allowed him to cast Genjutsu without needing eye contact, seemed almost insignificant.

Of course, Kuragami Uchiha will not take it completely lightly. In the original timeline, high-intelligence individuals like Shikamaru eventually detected an even more powerful Genjutsu technique. It was only a matter of time before Orochimaru realized he had been manipulated.

After all, one could question Orochimaru's morality or even his strength, but never his intelligence.

That being said, Kuragami Uchiha never intended to enslave Orochimaru forever using a single Genjutsu. He merely wanted to secure the unwavering loyalty of a top-tier scientific mind for a limited time. His future power growth would heavily depend on Orochimaru's technology and network.

Kuragami Uchiha had assessed his current strength: Without considering his Mangekyō abilities, he could rank slightly above mid-tier Kage level, thanks to his Susanoo, Lightning Style, and swordsmanship. 

His right eye's ability was highly effective against Genjutsu users, while his left eye's Eighty Calamities Amaterasu gave him the ability to fight opponents stronger than himself or multiple enemies at once, though at the cost of possibly going blind afterward.

To achieve his goals, he knew he had to overcome a major hurdle: Jiraiya, with Sage Mode and the support of the Two Great Sage Toads, Jiraiya was undoubtedly stronger than Kuragami in his current state.

More importantly, Kuragami Uchiha had no surviving blood relatives. Without a compatible Mangekyō, he couldn't evolve his eyes into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. 

In other words, he had already reached the limits of the Uchiha Clan's traditional path to power. The Shinobi World was ultimately a realm of the extraordinary, and his current strength wasn't enough to pull off a coup or handle the aftermath.

If he wanted to grow stronger, he had only two paths left: transplanting Hashirama's cells or mastering Sage Mode. And for both of these, Orochimaru was the best possible guide. 

This was why he had willingly taken on this mission and why, during his battle with Orochimaru, he had used large-scale ninjutsu without concern for Chakra consumption to clear the battlefield and secure Orochimaru's cooperation.

As for having already used Kotoamatsukami? It didn't matter. In his coup plan, Kotoamatsukami was meant as a deterrent, not an active tool. As long as no one knew he had already used it, its mere existence remained a threat.

Kuragami glanced at Orochimaru and spoke. "Did you bring the Summoning Jutsu for Ryuchi Cave?"

Orochimaru nodded. After forming a hand seal, a small snake appeared on the table, opening its mouth to reveal a scroll.

Orochimaru picked up the scroll, wiped off the saliva, and handed it over.

Kuragami Uchiha opened it, signed his name, and instructed: "Inform Ryuchi Cave that I'll be visiting in a few days."

"Understood, Kuragami-sama. Anything else?" Orochimaru asked.

"Grow a batch of Hashirama's Cells for me. Also, keep an eye on the Akatsuki. Report any unusual activity immediately." Kuragami Uchiha ordered.

"As you wish." With a nod, Orochimaru dissolved into a cloud of white smoke and vanished.

The next day, due to the urgency of their mission report, the group didn't travel at a leisurely pace like before. Instead, they used Chakra to move at full speed, reducing what would have been a two-day journey to just one. By dusk, they had returned to the village, then they went straight to the Hokage's office to submit their report.

"Orochimaru escaped?" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi read through Kakashi's report with a complicated expression, part of relief and regret.

"Never mind. Regardless, you've all done well." Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and looked at everyone.

"Hokage-sama, during the mission, Kakashi and I discovered some confidential information. May we report it to you privately?" Kuragami Uchiha suddenly spoke up.

"Oh?" 

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, assuming they had found more leads on Orochimaru. He turned toward the others, who wisely took their leave and exited the office.

Once only the three of them remained, Kuragami Uchiha exchanged a glance with Kakashi before they handed over their respective documents to Hiruzen.

"This..." 

Hiruzen's expression changed the moment he glanced at the papers, and then he quickly read through the documents one by one.

After finishing, he remained silent, pulling out his pipe and lighting it. The office was soon filled with swirling smoke.

Once he had finished smoking, Hiruzen finally looked up. "How do you think we should handle this?"

Kakashi lowered his head, hesitant to speak. Kuragami, however, took a step forward.

"My opinion is simple." 

Kuragami Uchiha said firmly. "Give the order, Hokage-sama. The Konoha Military Police Force and Anbu should act together to swiftly apprehend all 93 individuals involved from the three clans. In the village illuminated by the will of fire, there is no place for those who ruthlessly sacrifice their comrades. We must strike hard and eradicate this poison at its roots!"

Hiruzen took another deep drag from his pipe, filling the office with even more smoke.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted outside the Hokage's office.