Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

"The village is filled with the sound of crying."

Uchiha Itachi, who had returned to the village with Orochimaru, watched as the villagers cheered for them along the way. 

However, beneath their smiles, sorrow was evident. He could clearly sense the true emotions hidden beneath their expressions.

"This is war! It brings pain and teaches the feeling of loss." Orochimaru, walking ahead, heard Itachi's words. He placed a hand on the boy's head and responded in his hoarse yet magnetic voice.

Ahead of them stood Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in the Hokage's robe, leading a welcoming delegation composed of the village's senior advisors.

Seeing his disciples, Orochimaru and Tsunade, Hiruzen's face, which had been full of worry, finally showed a hint of relief.

Orochimaru, Namikaze Minato, and Tsunade were regarded as heroes in the village and were immensely popular.

Among them, Orochimaru was the most anticipated figure among the ninja clans, while Minato held great prestige among a few clans and the majority of ordinary villagers.

As for Tsunade, even though she had been absent from the village for a long time, her return still ignited fervent admiration from all the female shinobi and villagers.

Walking through the streets, Itachi could hear constant debates about who among the three would become the Fourth Hokage or other related topics.

This intense atmosphere of discussion left him feeling somewhat lost.

The village's higher-ups seemed indifferent to the growing fervor, allowing the discussions to spread unchecked.

When he returned home and saw his father, who had just completed a mission and was resting, Itachi voiced his doubts to Fugaku.

"Why does it feel like the village is in a rush to elect the Fourth Hokage?"

"Because the Third Hokage can no longer suppress this wave."

Although Fugaku had been away on missions, he had always kept a close eye on the village's political climate. Upon returning, he would review the accumulated intelligence reports.

The Uchiha clan's reach was no longer confined to just their own people. The Nara clan, the Kurama clan, the Aburame clan, and others had established relatively close ties with them. 

As a result, the Uchiha were no longer kept in the dark about the village's high-level affairs as they had been in the past.

Moreover, nowadays, some information is no longer a secret.

"How is that possible?" Itachi was startled by his father's words.

Hokage can't suppress the voices of the village?

What does this mean? Even a young Itachi could understand.

"Whether it's the village's ninjas, or the feudal lord and nobles of the Land of Fire, many have objections to the Third Hokage and the conditions of the peace talks with Iwagakure.

Because of the war, the village has accumulated too many conflicts and anger. During the intense times of war, everyone was able to suppress it.

But after Iwagakure's defeat and the peace talks, the village didn't get the treatment and rewards it deserved for victory. The country's borders became chaotic due to the war.

Many people are especially dissatisfied with the Third Hokage's decisions during the war and the excessive concessions made during the peace talks."

Fugaku unusually explained everything he knew and had analyzed to Itachi. 

In the past, he had always maintained a serious expression in front of Itachi, but today, his face showed a rare smile, and his tone carried an unmistakable sense of joy.

For the Uchiha clan, the Third Hokage, much like the Second Hokage, was not very popular or loved by them.

Especially the Third Hokage. Although he didn't specifically target the Uchiha clan, he allowed Danzo's various means of suppressing and targeting the Uchiha, which gave him a poor reputation within the Uchiha clan.

Thinking about how, one day in the future, the Third Hokage would have to step down, and how the Fourth Hokage, who would likely have a close relationship with the Uchiha clan and a promise with Orochimaru, Fugaku felt more at ease than ever since becoming the clan leader.

He had once felt despair and agony over the relationship between the Uchiha and the village's higher-ups. Right now, nothing felt better than this situation.

"So, does the Third Hokage want to step down due to the pressure?" Itachi understood the meaning behind his father's words and sensed the strange atmosphere in the village.

"Don't worry about that. You just need to stay by Kagetsu's side and focus on your training," Fugaku suddenly stopped speaking, stood up, and, surprisingly, ruffled Itachi's head, his voice filled with expectation.

Itachi quietly nodded in response.

Next, Fugaku asked about Itachi's interactions and communication with Kagetsu during this time and also gave Itachi a test on his studies.

The techniques, Blood Armor and Crimson Fire Cannon, made Fugaku's eyes shine with interest. 

The former, as one of Kagetsu's signature jutsu, represented recognition, while the Crimson Fire Cannon excited Fugaku, who was an expert in Fire Style jutsu.

...

"Kagetsu, Orochimaru!"

In the underground base of the Root organization, the candlelight flickered, half of Shimura Danzo's face hidden in the shadows. In front of him stood a ninja dressed in black, wearing sunglasses, and wearing the standard outfit of the Aburame clan.

After a long silence, Danzo spoke quietly, "Is the existence of the Hogyoku real?"

"Yes, Orochimaru used many Rock Village ninjas as test subjects on the battlefield to examine the power of the Hogyoku.

The ninjas under him, like Hyuga Ran, Akimichi Chodai, and Yamanaka Yukari, are all wielding the power of the Hogyoku," Aburame Ryoma replied calmly.

"Does this mean that he can now reliably use the Hogyoku to unlock the potential of a ninja or even raise their limits?"

Danzo spoke, a hint of desire flashing in his eyes! For him, nothing was more important than finding something that could boost his own strength and the strength of his subordinates.

If only Orochimaru hadn't left the Root organization back then!

"According to the intelligence we've gathered, that is indeed the case," Aburame Ryoma nodded. "Should we fight Orochimaru for it?"

What Ryoma meant by "fight" was infiltrating and stealing it.

Danzo clearly understood what his loyal subordinate was thinking, shaking his head. "No, if Orochimaru becomes the Fourth Hokage, we won't be able to hide it. We need a better plan."

Ryoma pressed his lips together at his words. As a former companion of Orochimaru in Root, he knew Orochimaru very well. He understood that getting Orochimaru to willingly hand over his research results was not an easy task.

It was only because Root provided him with research funding, as well as the equipment and instruments, that some of his research outcomes were shared with them.

But looking back now, that business seemed like a huge loss for Root. 

Orochimaru had instead seized Root's weakness, broke away, and took the investment in his research project to create his own Technology Development Department.

To Ryoma and the Root ninjas, Orochimaru's actions were equivalent to betrayal!

****

Please support me on my ko-fi account and read upto 15 early chapters,

https://ko-fi.com/pirateking24/tiers