The Uchiha Clan's Sun

Minato Namikaze, however, was not pleased upon hearing this. He asked in surprise, "Lord Hokage, according to the rules, shouldn't we wait until the village has determined the candidate for the Fourth Hokage before recommending him to the Daimyo and going through the proper procedures?"

"The election between me and Elder Danzo hasn't even started yet. Isn't it too hasty for you to go to the daimyo to recommend me?"

Although the Hokage's reporting to the Daimyo is mostly a formality, legally the position of Hokage is appointed by the Daimyo!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's act of 'recommending' a candidate for Hokage to the Daimyo before the village had even decided on a successor was undoubtedly an attempt to leverage the Daimyo's influence to secure Minato Namikaze's title as the Fourth Hokage in advance.

Doing so is indeed breaking the rules.

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and said softly, "I have gone to see the Hyuga clan and confirmed that they have completely sided with Danzo."

"Don't worry, I'm just saying a few good words for you in front of the daimyo to build up your reputation. I won't overstep my bounds!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi had a feeling that something was off about the election for the Fourth Hokage, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He could only point the finger at Danzo Shimura and, incidentally, give Minato Namikaze some more preparation.

What Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't notice was that Minato Namikaze, who was opposite him, also had a strange look in the depths of his eyes after hearing this.

Chapter 160 I can talk too, I can love the Uchiha!

That night, at the root base.

"Oh!"

"Damn it! Damn it! That bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi actually tried to pull a fast one on me!"

Shimura Danzo was furious when he saw the message that his spies had just sent back. He smashed the storage scroll used to transmit the message on the ground.

Just now, a spy planted in the Root's Anbu team transmitted the entire conversation between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze in the Hokage's office, which enraged Danzo Shimura!

Ryoma Aburame frowned slightly as he looked at the distraught Danzo Shimura and said, "Lord Danzo, this matter is not yet beyond repair. Please remain calm!"

Danzo Shimura's sinister gaze swept over Ryoma Aburame's expressionless face, but he did not get angry. He took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself down.

If this matter hadn't involved Hiruzen Sarutobi, his old friend with whom he had fought side by side for decades, and with whom he had a love-hate relationship for decades, Danzo Shimura wouldn't have lost his composure like this.

The atmosphere eased slightly, and Yamanaka Kazami, standing to the side, asked with a hint of doubt, "Isn't the whole process of the village recommending a candidate for Hokage to the daimyo, and then the daimyo appointing the Hokage, just a formality, a perfunctory procedure?"

"Is something that's merely a formality really that serious?"

Compared to the mature and steady Ryoma Aburame, Fu Yamanaka was still too young and didn't understand the intricacies of the situation.

Ryoma Aburame glanced at Danzo Shimura, and seeing that Danzo didn't seem to mind, he explained, "Although it's just a formality, it represents orthodoxy and righteousness to some extent!"

"Why was there so much controversy when the Third Hokage took over? A big reason for it was that he didn't gain the approval of the Daimyo Prefecture in the first place!"

"While we ninjas may not care about these formalities, for the millions of ordinary civilians below, this orthodoxy is absolutely indispensable; otherwise, one's position is illegitimate!"

"If the Daimyo approves Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage in advance, then this approval will give him an invisible boost in the election for the Fourth Hokage!"

"Those neutral parties, ordinary Jonin, and those who hesitate will all lean towards Minato Namikaze because of this invisible blessing!"

"Furthermore, even if Lord Danzo were to defeat Minato Namikaze under these circumstances and successfully become the Fourth Hokage, how would Lord Danzo face the Daimyo?"

"The daimyo originally recognized Minato Namikaze, but in the end, it was Lord Danzo who came to power. How should the daimyo feel about this?"

"Don't forget that the Daimyo controls a major source of income for the village. Without the Daimyo's support, it would be very difficult for Lord Danzo to hold onto the position of Hokage!"

"The Third Hokage saw that Lord Danzo had won over the Hyuga clan and amassed a power that even he could not ignore. In order to ensure that Minato Namikaze's victory, he used this move to undermine his opponent's strength!"

After a pause, Ryoma Aburame looked at Danzo Shimura, whose expression was gloomy, and said, "However, this also shows that the Third Hokage was wary of Lord Danzo. He was not confident of victory against Lord Danzo, so he had no choice but to resort to this tactic!"

You have to understand that Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions were already against the rules, and if this got out, it would be a significant blow to his reputation!

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had already abdicated, didn't really need this kind of prestige, it was undoubtedly a method that would hurt both sides.

Yamanaka Fu seemed to understand but not quite, but he realized the seriousness of the matter from the attitudes of Aburame Ryoma and Shimura Danzo.

Shan Zhongfeng asked, "So what should we do now?"

Ryoma Aburame shook his head without saying anything, but looked at Danzo Shimura.

After pondering for a moment, Shimura Danzo looked at Yamanaka Fu and said, "Go, call Kagami over!"

"Yes!"

Without asking why, Shan Zhongfeng responded and then slipped away.

Ryoma Aburame's gaze sharpened, realizing something, but he didn't say anything more.

The first one is named Tenzo, a secret weapon carefully cultivated by Root over many years. He is the only survivor of Orochimaru's Wood Release experiment. His Wood Release ninjutsu, which allows him to build houses, is even more exquisite than that of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!

Danzo Shimura's use of Tenzo as a trump card was clearly due to being forced into a certain situation.

Before long, Shan Zhongfeng returned with a boy who looked to be about ten years old.

"Lord Danzo!"

Tenzo looked somewhat nervous, unlike the other Root members who were more rigid, but he still respectfully bowed to Asashimura Danzo.

Without hesitation, Shimura Danzo said, "Kaku, go and kill Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

"Me?!" Tenzo was stunned, pointing to himself in disbelief, and asked, "I killed Hiruzen Sarutobi?"

“That’s right!” Shimura Danzo nodded and said, “Sarutobi Hiruzen is now old and frail, and his strength is only seven-tenths of what it used to be, while you now have the strength of a Jonin.”

"Furthermore, your Wood Release will definitely throw Hiruzen Sarutobi into a state of mental chaos, causing him to reveal an opening. As long as you seize that opportunity, you will definitely be able to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

"Don't worry, I won't let you go alone. I'll send someone to assist you!"

Upon hearing this, Tianzang breathed a sigh of relief and felt somewhat at ease.

After hearing what Danzo Shimura said, it seems that there is indeed a chance to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi.

At this moment, Ryoma Aburame spoke up, "Lord Danzo, this kind of thing cannot be done by familiar faces. Our Root is already short-handed, and apart from Tenzo, the other new faces have not yet grown up and are not capable of carrying out this kind of mission!"

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo calmly replied, "Don't worry, I already have a plan for this matter!"

After a pause, a glint of light flashed in Shimura Danzo's single eye, and he said, "It's time to go and have a talk with the Uchiha clan!"

"The Uchiha clan?" Yamanaka Fu was taken aback, and said in surprise, "Lord Danzo, our relationship with the Uchiha clan isn't very good..."

"Hmph," Ryoma Aburame snorted and continued, "Didn't Minato Namikaze offend the Uchiha clan with his attitude before? And now the Uchiha clan is negotiating cooperation with him, isn't it?"

"That Uchiha Jin is a smart man. As long as we offer him enough benefits, he won't refuse us!"

Danzo Shimura nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right! I can talk too, and I can love the Uchiha!"

"What Minato Namikaze can do, I can do too! What Minato Namikaze can't do, I can do as well!"

"If I were to smash the entire Book of Sealing in front of the Uchiha clan, I refuse to believe that they would remain unmoved!"

Chapter 161 Bloodline Reversion!

The following morning, in a secluded underground base in the mountains behind Konoha Village.

Uchiha Jin walked through a dark and cold passage and found a dozen Orochimarus busily working in a modern, high-tech laboratory, as well as Uchiha Itachi, who was strapped to an operating table in the center of the laboratory and was in a coma.

"Jin-jun, what brings you to me at this hour?"

Upon seeing Uchiha Jin arrive, Orochimaru's true form stopped what he was doing and approached Uchiha Jin with a weary expression, asking him a question.

When Uchiha Jin saw Orochimaru's appearance, a strange look flashed in his eyes. He said, "I did come to see you because I had something important to discuss, but seeing you like this, I feel a little sorry for you."

"Can't you hire a few more assistants? You're doing the work of a dozen people all by yourself. You might just suddenly die one day!"

To be honest, if Konoha were to have a model worker award, Orochimaru would definitely have a chance to be named Konoha's number one model worker!

Orochimaru was dedicated to all the tasks assigned by the village, always working on the front lines, making him arguably the most concerned about Konoha among the three legendary Sannin.

In the original storyline, Orochimaru carried out nearly 1,500 missions for Konoha before his defection, including 521 B-rank missions, 491 A-rank missions, and 108 S-rank missions, second only to Jiraiya, who was also one of the Legendary Sannin.

However, Jiraiya spent more than a decade longer in Konoha than Orochimaru, so in terms of the frequency of his missions, he might not have done them as often as Orochimaru!

While carrying out missions for Konoha, Orochimaru never stopped his research work, working non-stop like a robot.

Even Uchiha Jin felt a little reluctant to continue exploiting him because of his hard work!

Orochimaru shook his head and said helplessly, "Talent is always scarce, especially scientific research talent, which is even rarer in this world!"

"I also want an assistant to help me, but I simply can't find a suitable candidate at this stage!"

"Those who can't keep up with my thinking will only cause trouble, so I might as well do it myself!"

"Those who can barely keep up with my thinking are basically controlled by the village, and their loyalty is a big problem, so they are not suitable to be included in my experiments."

"Shimura Danzo does have suitable candidates, but using them would not only expose our cooperation to him, but he would also likely steal some of our research results."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Jin's eyes flickered, understanding Orochimaru's concerns.

There are indeed very few scientific research talents in the world at this stage, but Orochimaru is currently focusing on biological experiments, and there are still quite a few experienced medical staff in Konoha Hospital who can help him out.

The problem is that Orochimaru's experiments are all clandestine, so naturally, he can't approach these people.

Uchiha Jin said, "Then you'll have to work hard for a while longer. Once Minato takes over, you won't have to hide it like this anymore."

"Also..." Uchiha Jin paused, then said, "I have another very talented person with me. I'll bring him over, and you can teach him properly. Maybe he can inherit your mantle!"

Uchiha Jin thought of Orochimaru's assistant in the original story, Kabuto Yakushi, who inherited most of Orochimaru's skills and even surpassed his master in some aspects!

Orochimaru should be very satisfied with Kabuto Yakushi, and Kabuto's doctor is the same doctor as Nono Yakushi, so they are 100% on his own!

I wonder if Kabuto Yakushi has been adopted by Nonou Yakushi as he was in the original story.

Because of Uchiha Jin's involvement, the Konoha Orphanage is now several times larger than in the original story, and the number of orphans it has adopted has increased significantly. Uchiha Jin hadn't paid attention to whether Kabuto Yakushi was there before, and he needs to go and confirm it.

"Then I thank you in advance, Jin-kun," Orochimaru said without taking it to heart, and then asked, "By the way, Jin-kun, what brings you here today? If it's nothing important, I won't keep you any longer. The research on Itachi Bloodstained Disease has reached a critical stage!"

Orochimaru was clearly more concerned with the present than with the future, and subtly told Uchiha Jin to leave.

Uchiha Jin pretended not to understand Orochimaru's words and asked, "Has Itachi's blood disease made progress?"

Orochimaru also got a little excited when this was mentioned, saying, "Based on my initial observation, the blood disease on Itachi's body can't really be called a disease, but rather a phenomenon of bloodline atavism!"

Uchiha Jin asked in confusion, "Bloodline reversion?"

“That’s right! A return to ancestral bloodlines!” Orochimaru nodded and explained, “Although I haven’t done a specific comparison, I can be sure that Itachi’s Uchiha bloodline is very pure!”

"This can be considered a talent. In short, Itachi can awaken the Sharingan more easily than other Uchiha, and he can use the Sharingan more conveniently. In fact, the ability of his Sharingan may even be stronger than that of other Uchiha!"

"However, correspondingly, the awakening of this bloodline requires more nutrients, which is why Itachi's medical report showed that chakra devours life force!"

"Actually, it wasn't Itachi's chakra that was absorbing life force, but a deeper reason!"

Uchiha Jin nodded, understanding what Orochimaru meant, and then asked, "Is there a solution?"

“Of course!” Orochimaru affirmed. “Following the ideas you provided me before, I’m trying to fuse Itachi’s cells with Hashirama’s cells.”

"Hashirama cells inherently contain a large amount of vitality, and ordinary bloodlines simply cannot suppress this power; they will be eroded by the power within the Hashirama cells."

"What Itachi lacks is precisely vitality, and he is highly compatible with Hashirama's cells!"

"What I need to do now is to find a delicate balance between the weasel and the Hashirama cells and calculate the most suitable ratio!"

"This requires a lot of experiments to verify, so I really don't have time right now!"

As Orochimaru continued speaking, he began to issue another order to get rid of Uchiha Jin.

Uchiha Jin's arrival today has already taken up a lot of his time!

Uchiha Jin chuckled upon hearing this, then reached out and took out several scrolls, saying, "Although Itachi's research is very important, I guarantee that if you continue to try to drive me away, you will definitely regret it later!"

Orochimaru's expression changed instantly when he saw the scroll in Uchiha Jin's hand, showing no sign of impatience.

Orochimaru laughed and said, "What are you saying, King? You've come all this way, so I'll definitely treat you well. There's no rush with Itachi's matter!"

Although Orochimaru didn't know what was in the scrolls in Uchiha Jin's hands, based on his previous experience, he knew that they must be things that interested him!

So Orochimaru lowered his head willingly in response to Uchiha Jin's teasing.

Chapter 162 The Caged Bird Curse!

Uchiha Jin smiled and shook his head, picking out a scroll from his hand and handing it to Orochimaru, explaining, "This storage scroll contains the corpse of a creature called White Zetsu."

Orochimaru asked in confusion, "White Zetsu?"

Uchiha Jin nodded and explained, "White Zetsu is a special kind of life form. Well... it is essentially human, but it has been assimilated by Wood Release, forming a special form."

Even King Uchiha couldn't quite explain how the White Zetsu came to be.

In the original storyline, there are two theories about the origin of White Zetsu. One is that Kaguya Otsutsuki used Infinite Tsukuyomi to transform people into humanoid weapons like White Zetsu. The other is that Madara Uchiha used Hashirama cells to cultivate special creatures through the Gedo Mazo.

It's more likely that Kaguya Otsutsuki used the Infinite Tsukuyomi to transform people into White Zetsu, while Madara Uchiha simply activated these White Zetsu using Hashirama's cells.