Naruto: Uchiha Rejects Konoha

"Is something wrong?" Yagami asked, his gaze briefly flickering back toward the hospital.

Kakashi and Yūhi Kurenai weren't from the same generation and didn't share much of a connection, making it unlikely that she had come to visit him. Moreover, she hesitated at the hospital's entrance, suggesting her purpose wasn't related to Kakashi. Was she here for him?

"Sorry…" Yūhi Kurenai said softly, taking a deep breath as Yagami approached.

Yagami blinked in surprise before understanding her meaning. It was likely about the Nine-Tails incident. During the chaos that night, Kurenai's father had perished, leaving her harbouring resentment toward the Uchiha for years.

However, with recent revelations, the truth has emerged. The one who triggered the Nine Tails Rebellion indeed wielded the Sharingan, but the Uchiha of Konoha had no direct involvement. This left Kurenai conflicted, hesitating until she reached this moment.

"It's unnecessary," Yagami replied calmly. "We Uchiha care only about our innocence. We don't need your apology because, truthfully, we don't think much about Konoha anymore. So, let's avoid unnecessary apologies."

Yagami's tone was indifferent. In the past, the Uchiha might have felt moved by such an apology, but not now.

When the Uchiha cared about Konoha, every action from the village carried weight. But now, with that bond severed, nothing Konoha did matter to them anymore.

"But…" Kurenai began.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. The war has broken out, and there's much to do." Yagami cut her off, waving dismissively before turning to leave.

"I just wanted to apologize to you…" Kurenai murmured as she watched Yagami walk away, her voice tinged with sadness.

She had once harboured hostility toward the Uchiha, particularly Yagami. She had even used her authority within the police department to create trouble for him and had provoked Sarutobi Asuma into fighting him. While the incident hadn't caused any lasting damage to Yagami, Kurenai still felt compelled to make amends.

But now, it seemed that Yagami didn't even take the matter seriously.

In the Land of Fields, after Orochimaru's departure from Konoha, he established a small hidden village called Otogakure.

Due to his reputation, Orochimaru refrained from openly claiming leadership of the village, instead exerting control from the shadows over the daimyo and shinobi within.

However, with the war between Kumogakure and Iwagakure raging, the Land of Fields had become one of their battlegrounds. This made it challenging for Orochimaru and Otogakure to operate freely. Should they encounter the main forces of either side, survival might require negotiating directly with the Sage of Six Paths.

"Orochimaru, you're truly devoted to all this!" Yagami remarked as he surveyed Orochimaru's laboratory. "Your experimental equipment is incredibly advanced. It must be a pain to source such high-quality gear, isn't it?"

Yagami's tone carried a hint of amusement. When it came to scientific research, even the five great nations combined couldn't match Orochimaru's progress. The equipment in his lab was leagues ahead of the primitive tools found in other villages.

"Haha, that's true. Most of the resources here were provided by Danzō," Orochimaru said with a sly smile. "The old guy doesn't have much talent himself, but his ambitions are impressive. As long as it's about researching the First Hokage's cells, he spares no effort to fulfil the requirements."

Orochimaru's demeanour was unusually subdued. The influence of the Distinguished Heavenly Gods ensured that the typically unscrupulous snake maintained a surprising level of honesty when dealing with the Uchiha clan. Besides, the funds allocated by the Uchiha were far more generous than Danzō's. Even without the influence of Distinguished Heavenly Gods, Orochimaru found the Uchiha far more appealing as collaborators.

"True enough," Yagami replied with a faint smirk. "The Shimura family behind Danzō has been advancing at a snail's pace. I doubt that old fox shared any of his spoils with them. Seems like he spent it all on himself."

Yagami couldn't help but feel a shred of pity for the Shimura clan. They bore the brunt of Danzō's actions and received little in return. It was a rare situation—few clans had suffered so much while gaining so little.

Since Danzō's fall from power, the Shimura clan had been left adrift. Their influence had never been particularly strong to begin with, and without Danzō's position, they lacked the clout to assert themselves. Yagami's civilian support reforms had only exacerbated their difficulties, forcing the Third Hokage to send shinobi from beneficiary clans to the borders to alleviate internal tensions.

The Shimura clan's deployment was closest to the battlefield. The families tied to the Third Hokage and the two advisory elders were stationed along the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Lightning, where the gaps were not as pronounced.

Though the Shimura clan grumbled at the arrangement, they had no power to resist. Without Danzō, they were a large clan in name only, devoid of significant influence. A coup similar to Uchiha's ambitions was out of their reach, and even if attempted, the Third Hokage wouldn't hesitate to crush them.

"This is a Lightning Style internal combustion engine designed according to your specifications," Orochimaru announced, presenting a sleek prototype. "Its performance is impressive, but the Chakra consumption is significant. A standard Jōnin could sustain its operation for only about half an hour."

Yagami examined the engine with interest as Orochimaru continued. "Its rotational speed surpasses human capabilities and natural forces, but the energy demand makes it impractical for extended use. Even on a vehicle, maintaining operation would likely require several teams of Jōnin."

"That's fine," Yagami said with a slight shrug. "It's meant to be a demonstration for the daimyō. Do you think they'd traverse the ninja world in a carriage? It just needs to look impressive."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Yagami's original request seemed aimed at developing an electric motor, but Orochimaru had interpreted it differently, channelling Lightning Style Chakra as the energy source. Despite the deviation, the resulting Lightning Style internal combustion engine was a stepping stone toward a broader application: a universal Chakra-powered engine.

"If you don't have any objections, you can keep this prototype," Orochimaru said nonchalantly. "I'm not particularly fond of it, but this next engine, on the other hand, has me quite excited."

Orochimaru revealed a more refined internal combustion engine, his face lighting up with enthusiasm. Unlike the Lightning Style engine, this one radiated an intricate blend of Chakra energies, including multiple elemental attributes.

Yagami's eyes narrowed with intrigue. Activating his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he allowed the power of Yang to flow through his fingertips, channelling it into the device.

As the power of Yang interacted with the engine, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement. He observed Yagami intently as though witnessing a profound revelation.

"Fascinating..." Orochimaru murmured. Despite his loyalty to the Uchiha, his insatiable curiosity for power remained undiminished. The power of Yang was a rare force, and its application to the engine immediately captured his imagination.

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