Orochimaru's situation was, in many ways, utterly absurd. From Natsuhiko's perspective, it was practically the same as inviting disaster in broad daylight—reckless to the extreme.
But when someone was determined to destroy themselves, no one could stop them. And more importantly, this entire affair promised enormous benefits for Natsuhiko.
So in his eyes, whether or not Orochimaru was truly responsible didn't matter. In the end, it had to be pinned on him—beyond any doubt, hammered in place so firmly that there would be no chance of reversal.
Orochimaru remaining in Konoha was a problem.
Only by leaving Konoha could Orochimaru become something useful—something that perfectly aligned with Natsuhiko's interests.
"…Looks like I'll have to put in some effort myself."
After a moment of quiet deliberation, Natsuhiko concluded that the matter needed an extra push. And if it came down to it, he wouldn't hesitate to fabricate a bit of evidence with his own hands.
Strictly speaking, such dirty work didn't require him to act personally. With his current status, he could easily command a host of ambitious individuals eager to climb the ranks, letting them handle everything in his stead.
But Natsuhiko had always believed that certain unsavory tasks were better done personally.
It wasn't a matter of trust. The fewer people who knew, the lower the risk of exposure. Every additional person was another layer of danger.
He recalled how that President Frank (House of Cards) from his memories had operated with the same principle. Given his position, eliminating an enemy would have required nothing more than a few words—others would have eagerly stepped in to do the work. Yet Frank never delegated such matters, fully aware of the risks involved.
Natsuhiko was no different.
The Hokage was not a position that could tolerate scandal. And since that was his goal, he could not afford to carry any stain on his name.
The price of exposure was simply too high. Besides, his strength was more than sufficient. There was no reason to rely on others.
To put it bluntly, the people he might hire probably weren't even as capable as he was.
Especially considering his roots in the ANBU, finding someone more skilled than him in this sort of work wouldn't be easy.
With Orochimaru's fate essentially decided, all that remained was execution—and that part required little of his attention.
Once Sora received the orders, she would coordinate with Renge accordingly.
As for direct contact with the operatives, that was strictly off-limits for a private secretary—a rule Sora herself had established.
Natsuhiko had already been informed of all this through his shadow clone. During his absence from Konoha, quite a few interesting developments had taken place.
Within the ANBU, for instance, the two secretarial systems had continued to expand, and their numbers had grown significantly.
To prevent their authority from becoming excessive, Natsuhiko had been considering implementing further countermeasures.
But before he could act, Sora and Renge had already, with remarkable tacit understanding, presented their own proposals.
Their plan carefully outlined the responsibilities of both secretariats in greater detail, clearly marking all overlapping and ambiguous areas.
In terms of attentiveness, women often surpassed men in ways that couldn't be ignored.
As for Natsuhiko, he understood his own role well—his strength lay in making strategic decisions, not getting bogged down in tactical minutiae.
After all, the knowledge Natsuhiko possessed was far ahead of this era.
What he needed to do was guide others—show them the direction to take—rather than personally dictating every step along the path. Still, he hadn't yet reached the point where he could completely let go, so for now, there were still many matters he had to keep under tight control.
Fortunately, as his status rose, capable people began to gather under him. That allowed him to gradually shift his attention to other priorities.
Beyond the steady expansion of the two secretariats, the other administrative departments had also seen promising development. The number of personnel in the administrative office continued to grow. Even if they weren't all immediately necessary, it was a deliberate move—preparation for the future.
At the same time, the ninja rotation system had essentially been finalized.
Originally, Natsuhiko had assigned that task to the secretariat, but they soon noticed that the administrative office still had quite a few underutilized personnel. After some discussion, Sora and Renge implemented Natsuhiko's decision by transferring the responsibility over.
It turned out to be something of a trial run for the administrative staff—and they handled it impressively.
In truth, every department within the ANBU was thriving, with one exception: the operations division.
Due to limitations in manpower, expanding that division was far from easy.
Still, there was some good news. The Third Division—the very one Natsuhiko had once led for several months—had now completed its basic expansion.
Although many of its sub-units were still not fully staffed, Natsuhiko's past experience—carrying out missions with nothing but Kakashi at his side—had left a strong impression. Some of the more capable squad leaders chose not to force full expansion, prioritizing quality over numbers.
Overall, under Kakashi's leadership, the Third Division was performing remarkably well.
As for the other two divisions, while they were steadily working through their assigned plans, their progress was noticeably slower.
Outside of the ANBU, the only other matter that occasionally drew Natsuhiko's attention was the state of the Police Force.
After his departure, members of the Senju clan had gradually been integrated into it under arrangements made by Renge and Senju Shōma. Their presence, in turn, brought a noticeable boost in reputation to the second division within the force.
Combined with the disciplinary guidelines established by Sora, the changes were tangible. During this period, the unit had genuinely improved the way Konoha's residents viewed them.
However, it was still only one division that had changed. The rest continued to perform poorly.
Worse still, the conflicts within the Police Force had begun to spill over, intensifying internal strife within the Uchiha clan itself.
Uchiha Shin's situation was far from easy these days, yet it seemed he was quietly preparing for something.
If necessary… I'll have the ANBU keep an eye on things.
Natsuhiko pondered this to himself. He had already made it clear to Uchiha Shin before—there would be times when he would have to act ruthlessly.
No matter how unwilling he might be, once he had chosen this path, there were no longer many alternatives left to him.
Better that others die than he perish—Shin understood that much himself.
Because of that, Natsuhiko was certain the man would make a move eventually. He simply hadn't acted yet.
Still… this might be the perfect opportunity.
A faint glint passed through Natsuhiko's thoughts as he considered the timing. With Orochimaru causing such chaos, any disappearance within the clan right now could easily be blamed on him.
An opportunity like this was rare—almost too convenient to ignore.
Of course, Shin was still an Uchiha. At most, Natsuhiko would offer a hint… the rest would be up to him.
How things were carried out was entirely Shin's problem—Natsuhiko only cared about the outcome.
If he couldn't even handle something this simple, then he wasn't qualified to continue walking this path alongside Natsuhiko. Even if he had a rather promising granddaughter, that alone wouldn't be enough to make up for it.
As for the Police Force, it didn't concern Natsuhiko all that much—at least not until it had fully regained the authority it was meant to possess.
He had little interest in a department whose inherited power had been stripped down so thoroughly. It was true that offering help in desperate times could win greater loyalty, but at Natsuhiko's current level, his thinking had already moved beyond merely "rebuilding from ruins."
If necessary, he could simply tear everything down and start over.
That way, the entire department would answer directly to him, and he could redistribute power as he saw fit. Wouldn't that be far more efficient?
Of course, such an approach would inevitably be time-consuming and exhausting. Moreover, the Uchiha clan did have genuine talent, and Natsuhiko had already managed to bring a small portion of that talent under his wing.
That was why he chose to continue cooperating with Uchiha Shin rather than cultivating an entirely new faction and waiting to take over once the Uchiha collapsed.
With the arrangements regarding Orochimaru settled, Natsuhiko found himself with little left to do.
There was no shortage of work within the ANBU, but most of it consisted of trivial matters. With the two secretariats in place, those tasks rarely reached him anymore. Once handled, they would be compiled into memoranda for him to review at any time.
As for the more important issues, the secretariats had no authority to deal with them directly. Those were the only matters that required Natsuhiko's attention.
Rising to his feet, he stretched lazily before leaving his office and heading toward the prison.
So much time had passed. Just because he hadn't dealt with it yet didn't mean he had forgotten—after all, there was still an interesting little subject locked up inside.
"Now that I think about it… those people in the lab have been drawing his blood quite a bit, but they've never produced any results."
The ANBU had its own laboratory, but to be honest, the level of the researchers there left Natsuhiko somewhat disappointed.
Up to now, he hadn't seen a single piece of research from them that was truly valuable.
Of course, there was another possibility—that any worthwhile findings had been sent directly to the Third Hokage instead.
If it was the former, then they were simply useless, and Natsuhiko would replace them the moment he found suitable candidates.
If it was the latter, then at least they had some ability, and he didn't mind giving them a little time to come to their senses.
But if they still couldn't figure out who truly held authority over the ANBU now, then he wouldn't hesitate to remove them all the same.
If necessary, he could even make an example of them—kill one to warn a hundred. His hands were already stained with more than enough blood; adding a little more made no difference.
Natsuhiko moved swiftly. Along the way, he exchanged nods and faint smiles with passing ANBU operatives before arriving at the prison.
To his mild surprise, the guards stationed there were two familiar faces.
"Shisui… Yamato?"
Looking at the two boys, his expression turned slightly strange.
Shisui, it seemed, had already been promoted out of the trainee ranks by Kakashi.
Though he was only around ten years old, his potential had earned high praise. According to Kakashi, the boy's speed was almost unbelievable, and his understanding and mastery of the Body Flicker Technique rivaled even Natsuhiko's own.
It was the first time Natsuhiko had been used as a benchmark for someone else, and the thought left him both amused and slightly exasperated.
Still, Shisui's proficiency with the Body Flicker was something Natsuhiko knew all too well.
In the future, this kid would wield the Body Flicker Technique to such an outrageous degree that it would resemble space–time ninjutsu.
With a single movement, he could produce multiple afterimages, leaving his enemies unable to discern which one was real. And the most terrifying part was that every single afterimage could inflict damage as though it were a physical body.
The difference between each strike was measured in mere hundredths of a second—so subtle that even the Sharingan might struggle to track it completely.
Comparing himself to Shisui in that regard, Natsuhiko couldn't help but feel he had overestimated his own abilities.
Yes, his own Body Flicker was fast—exceptionally so—but reaching that level? That was something he knew he couldn't currently achieve.
What could be done could be done; what couldn't, couldn't. Natsuhiko had no intention of forcing the issue.
Of course, Shisui was still only displaying raw talent at this stage. In Natsuhiko's eyes, his true strength had yet to fully manifest.
The Mangekyō Sharingan—without the Eternal Mangekyō—was the pinnacle of Uchiha power.
Shisui had no siblings, which likely meant the Mangekyō would be his limit.
But reaching that limit didn't mean he had no way to overcome it.
After all, Natsuhiko was a Senju.
Still, if Shisui wanted anything from him, he would first have to prove that he was worth the effort.
As for Yamato, he was an interesting case in his own right.
Ever since Natsuhiko had forcibly placed him into the ANBU, most of his training had been handled by Kakashi. Although Natsuhiko hadn't gone out of his way to monitor the boy, he was still aware—more or less—of the changes Yamato had undergone.
Especially after Natsuhiko revealed some of Yamato's secrets to Kakashi—his identity as the sole survivor of an experiment, and the fact that he had once been brainwashed by Danzō—Kakashi had clearly understood what needed to be done.
And he had done it well.
After more than half a year of training and guidance, Yamato had changed significantly for the better.
Even so, to be safe, Kakashi had deliberately assigned him to the same squad as Shisui.
The meaning behind that arrangement hardly needed to be stated.
"Commander."
The moment the two of them saw Natsuhiko, they immediately dropped to one knee, lowering their heads deeply.
"Alright, get up," Natsuhiko said, gesturing for them to stand before asking casually, "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be with Kakashi?"
"Commander, it's like this," Shisui explained, lifting his head. "Division Commander White Fang captured a 'rat'—someone who seems to know quite a lot. Before the interrogation unit arrives, division commander plans to—"
"I see." Natsuhiko nodded in understanding before Shisui could finish.
Kakashi's diligence and enthusiasm during missions were well known throughout the ANBU. Ever since Natsuhiko had given him a bit of guidance, Kakashi had become even more focused and driven while working.
At the same time, during his days off, he made a point of reconnecting with old friends and classmates, spending his time relaxing and enjoying himself.
In many ways, Kakashi was becoming a model ANBU ninja—someone who understood the importance of separating work from life, never allowing the emotions of one to bleed into the other.
Naturally, many ANBU members had begun to follow his example.
Unfortunately, not all of them had as many old friends to turn to as he did.
"I'll go take a look. You two stay here."
After a brief moment of thought, Natsuhiko waved them off and stepped into the prison.
Originally, he had come to see that peculiar boy—Hidan—and perhaps release him altogether.
Yes, release him.
There was no longer any real point in keeping him locked up. The secret behind his future abilities had already been completely revealed by Tsugaya Hiro—the unfortunate man Natsuhiko had once used and discarded.
Releasing him didn't mean letting him walk free—at least, not for now. Natsuhiko had no intention of allowing that.
After all, he still possessed the One's Own Life Resurrection Technique he had extorted from Chiyo, and no matter how he thought about it, that boy was the most suitable candidate to perform it.
With his near-endless vitality, he could solve countless minor troubles and complications.
It was true that Natsuhiko himself could revive others using Yang Release, but every use required him to extract a portion of life force in advance. On top of that, the person he intended to save still needed to retain a flicker of life—otherwise, all his effort would be wasted.
So when faced with someone he could control, someone capable of providing an inexhaustible source of life energy, what reason did he have not to keep such a person firmly in his grasp?
As for the fact that this boy would one day become a member of the Akatsuki?
So what?
Minato Namikaze had survived, Naruto had lost the Nine-Tails, and Ao was not only dead but had even had his Byakugan taken by Natsuhiko himself.
The entire world had already been thrown into chaos by his actions—why would he care about the fate of a single future member of the Akatsuki?
Still… the One's Own Life Resurrection Technique needs to be scheduled sooner rather than later. What a pity about Orochimaru. If only he had been on my side…
Shaking his head slightly, Natsuhiko pushed the thought aside. By the time he reached the prison cells, he found Kakashi gripping a Root operative tightly by the throat.
—
Within the Uchiha clan compound, Uchiha Shin sat together with several of the clan's elders.
Among them, only Shin appeared calm, leisurely sipping his tea, while the others wore expressions that were anything but pleasant.
Situations like this were no longer new—not within the Uchiha clan, nor among those who still believed in coexistence and peace with the village.
They wanted change. They wanted to reclaim the rights that belonged to them, and they wanted to do so through peaceful means.
But never had they imagined resorting to such extreme measures—methods that could even turn them against their own clan.
Now, the confrontation between Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Fugaku, after a long period of buildup and the reforms Shin had pushed within the Police Force's Second Division, had reached its peak.
The winds within the clan were beginning to shift. Some key meetings had already started excluding them—subtly at first, but unmistakably.
This was not an outcome they could accept, nor one they could afford to endure.
"Third Elder, I don't know what your intentions were in making this decision…"
After a long silence, one of the elders finally spoke in a low, heavy voice.
"But if this continues, we will be placed at a disadvantage beyond imagination. We may even lose any chance of further changing the clan!"
"That's right, Third Elder."
Another elder shook his head, his face filled with helplessness.
"On a personal level, I support your approach. After all, everyone can see how encouraging the changes in the Second Division have been.
But the clan head has already begun abandoning his neutral stance. If this continues…"
"The clan head is abandoning neutrality and moving toward the First Elder's faction, is that what you're saying?"
Before the man could finish, Shin cut in sharply, his voice firm and unyielding.
"Then shouldn't we interpret this as the clan head never truly agreeing with us from the very beginning? That he was always inclined toward the First Elder's side—perhaps even hoping to reclaim everything through more extreme means?"
Shin's words rang through the room with undeniable force, leaving the assembled elders momentarily speechless.
Could it be that Shin's actions had made Fugaku feel that his authority was being threatened? And that, as a result, he had turned his attention—and his opposition—toward Shin?
That interpretation was certainly plausible.
But if that were true, it would deal a devastating blow to Fugaku's reputation.
A clan head who placed his own authority above the interests of the clan was no true leader at all.
These men all wanted stability for the Uchiha. They had never intended to stand against their own clan head.
Watching his former comrades fall into uneasy silence, Uchiha Shin slowly shook his head, disappointment plain in his eyes.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that the Senju Commander might truly be the person who understood the Uchiha best.
Perhaps it was as they said—your greatest enemy was often the one who knew you most intimately. Even if the Senju and Uchiha were no longer enemies now, the two clans had fought one another for a thousand years. That kind of history did not simply vanish.
Natsuhiko's proposal, along with the seed he had planted in Shin's heart, had already given him all the resolve he needed.
"Since no one has anything more to say, let us end things here."
Shin let out a faint sigh, his gaze gradually turning cold.
"The harmony of the clan and the stability of the village have always been what we strive for. But after everything we've been through, I've come to a clear realization.
Most of the time, these two goals align—but at times, they stand in direct opposition.
The clan has reached a critical juncture. One misstep, and it could be destroyed entirely.
Gentlemen… I hope you can understand my position. And even if you cannot, I ask that you do not stand in my way."
As he finished speaking, Shin closed his eyes.
He knew he shouldn't have said any of this—not so openly, not to them. But facing these old comrades, he simply couldn't bring himself to remain silent.
His words froze the elders just as they were about to leave. For a brief moment, they stood there, stunned—then, as realization dawned, their expressions darkened dramatically.
Without another word, they hurried out of the room, unease written all over their faces.
At that moment, some of them may have even begun to wonder if the Third Elder had lost his mind.
"You shouldn't have said that, Father."
After everyone had left, Uchiha Haru let out a quiet sigh as he spoke.
Haru was Shin's son, Sora's father, and the captain of the Police Force's Second Division.
He was usually too busy to spend much time at home, and as a result, he had never met Natsuhiko in person. However, Shin had rarely kept things from him—he was one of the very few who knew the full extent of the plans between Shin and Natsuhiko.
"But they've fought alongside me for so many years…"
Shin shook his head again, his expression calm yet tinged with helplessness.
"Natsuhiko was right. Sometimes, you need resolve. That man's resolve far exceeds what most can imagine… I can't compare to him."
"I've never met him myself, and I still find it hard to believe someone so young could possess such depth," Haru replied respectfully, looking at his father.
"But he came from the ANBU—he's likely seen far more than most. And as a member of the Senju clan, he must have received rigorous training.
Still, this isn't the time to discuss him. What matters now is how we deal with the situation at hand."
The words Shin had just spoken should never have been said aloud.
In many ways, they bordered on the most serious kind of leak.
Even if he hadn't explicitly revealed his plans or intentions, no one present was a fool. Given everything he had done over the past six months, it wasn't hard to suspect that he was planning something dangerous—something that could not be spoken openly.
That was why their expressions had turned so grim. They had begun to imagine the worst.
If this wasn't handled properly—if even a hint of his intentions reached Uchiha Fugaku—then Shin would be facing a disaster of catastrophic proportions.
Haru himself had struggled to understand his father's decision from the very beginning.
Especially the part where he had entered into such a dangerous agreement… with a young man from the Senju clan.
But Uchiha Haru was no fool. After hearing his father's full explanation and carefully analyzing the current situation in Konoha, he had come to a conclusion he could no longer deny—
The Uchiha were in real danger now.
"I'll leave this matter to you."
Shin let out a quiet sigh, his gaze growing increasingly cold.
"And soon… we'll have to make our move. This is the perfect opportunity."
"You mean…?"
Haru hesitated for a moment, then something clicked in his mind.
"The rumors about Orochimaru?"
"Yes." Shin nodded, his fists tightening unconsciously. "Orochimaru's current predicament was engineered entirely by Natsuhiko."
"Although his goal is to deal a fatal blow to Orochimaru and weaken Hiruzen Sarutobi, we can also take advantage of the situation he's created to accomplish our own objectives."
"And besides… no one can say for certain whether that missing child was really taken by Orochimaru."
The disappearance of a clan member was something Shin had been paying close attention to. Unfortunately, despite the Police Force's investigation, there had been no leads whatsoever.
It was as if the child had vanished from existence.
Under such circumstances, turning suspicion toward Orochimaru was only natural.
After all, this wasn't the first time rumors of that nature had surrounded him. Even if politics played a role, such stories rarely emerged from nothing—there was always the possibility that some hidden truth lay beneath them.
Haru nodded slowly. Using Orochimaru as a cover… it was indeed an excellent way to conceal their actions.
Though the thought of turning against members of their own clan filled him with quiet unease, he understood all too well that they had reached a point of no return.
To move forward was dangerous—but success would open a clear and promising path.
To stand still, or worse, retreat… would mean plunging into an endless abyss.
At this point, their choices were few, yet the tasks before them were many.
"I understand, Father."
Haru's expression hardened with resolve as he nodded.
"I'll handle this properly. There won't be any loose ends. However… there's something I'd like clarification on—about the ANBU Commander."
"You may go and meet him."
Shin answered without hesitation.
"As Sora's father, it's only natural. She's working under him now, after all. And beyond that, as one of the key participants in this operation, it would benefit you to gauge his intentions directly."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone quieter.
"I'm getting old. All I can do now is create the right conditions. What comes next… belongs to your generation."
For a moment, Shin fell silent.
If it were up to him, he wouldn't want his son to have any contact with Natsuhiko at all.
Even though Natsuhiko had never openly shown any designs on their clan or the Police Force, Shin knew all too well how insidious his influence was—it had already seeped into them without them realizing it.
Especially himself.
He had once tried to resist it… to free himself from that invisible pull.
But in the end, he had only found himself drawn closer and closer to Natsuhiko.
He did not want his son to follow the same path.
Yet the reality was unavoidable. He couldn't push it away, couldn't block it—and perhaps, deep down, he no longer had the will to resist it.
This entire operation… Natsuhiko's shadow was everywhere.
In a sense, it could even be said that this was his way of reshaping the Uchiha clan—using their own ideals as the foundation.
Shin shook his head lightly, forcing those thoughts aside.
All he could do now was hope—for a better future, for the next generation to one day break free from the pressure that man had placed upon the Uchiha.
"Haru… I'll leave everything that follows to you."
Shin fixed his son with a steady gaze, his voice low and firm.
"I want this resolved smoothly. Do you understand?"
"I won't disappoint you, Father."
Haru lowered his head, his reply unwavering.
"No… that's not all."
Shin's expression grew complicated, his voice carrying a rare weight of sincerity.
"After we succeed, I hope you can hold on to your original self… don't become like me."
With that, he waved his hand gently, signaling for his son to leave, ignoring the look Haru cast back at him.
Whether he understood or not, whether he would come to understand later…
The hunt within the Uchiha clan had already begun.
...
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