The laughter of Orochimaru echoed inside the tent, his distinctive hoarse voice no longer sounding sinister and terrifying to Uchiha Yoru's ears but rather pleasant.
Immediately, a retching sound reverberated within the tent. Orochimaru spat out a snake covered in saliva, which in turn regurgitated a damp scroll covered in sticky mucus and saliva.
Upon seeing the scroll, Uchiha Yoru's face turned slightly flushed with excitement. Meanwhile, Orochimaru retracted the long snake and licked his lips, saying with a smirk, "Yoru-kun, your potential has caught the attention of your teacher."
The scroll was unfolded, revealing a list of names. Yoru saw Orochimaru's name and the last name on the list: Mitarashi Anko.
It was the summoning scroll of the Ryuchi Cave!
In that moment, Uchiha Yoru took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and respectfully said, "Yes, Orochimaru-sensei, Uchiha Yoru will not disappoint you."
Or rather, the Uchiha clan will not disappoint, as their relationship was primarily a political one.
Orochimaru saw the financial backing provided by Konoha, the influential Uchiha clan, as a much-needed boost for his struggling research facility. It allowed him to restore normal operations that were hindered by financial issues.
The way Uchiha Yoru referred to his teacher was quite unique. Orochimaru was considered his teacher due to sharing the same squad with his student, Anko. Along with Yoru's admiration and respect for Orochimaru, it was only natural for him to address him as "sensei."
However, their current relationship went beyond that of a team leader and subordinate. It had transformed into a master-disciple bond driven by political interests. Before Orochimaru's betrayal, achieving success in Konoha required not only skill but also political savvy.
Yoru swiftly cut his finger with a shuriken and wrote his name directly on the summoning scroll, sealing it with his palm print. Orochimaru immediately revealed a smile.
"Yoru, it seems you are quite clever and know how to use your advantages."
Under Orochimaru's wise gaze, there seemed to be a hint of omniscience. Uchiha Yoru lifted his head without concealing anything and respectfully responded with a smile, "Orochimaru-sensei, the Uchiha clan is willing to provide all logistical support. Isn't that the most important thing?"
The implication was clear: Orochimaru-sensei, what you urgently need right now is a large amount of funds for your research. Does it really matter who is important?
Even though Orochimaru was aware of some of the situations, as long as he obtained what he needed, the rest was Uchiha's own business.
Upon hearing these words, Orochimaru smiled. He was curious about the abilities of his new disciple, not only in terms of talent for ninjutsu but also in intellect. It seemed that Uchiha Yoru's mind was no longer that of a simple ninja but that of a political mind within a great clan.
"So, my disciple, can the Uchiha elite on the front lines obey your command?"
To Orochimaru, who it was didn't matter. What mattered was the benefits he needed.
Upon hearing these words, Uchiha Yoru was secretly surprised. It seemed Orochimaru had already received some information, such as the significant financial support and the additional task given to the clan, which was to fully assist Uchiha Itachi, the genius of the Uchiha clan, in joining Orochimaru.
Well done! But now, Uchiha Yoru used the resources of his clan to pave the way for himself.
"Rest assured, Orochimaru-sensei. The Uchiha clan is willing to obey your orders!"
At that moment, Uchiha Yoru respectfully expressed his loyalty to his teacher and clan. He thought to himself that as long as someone from the Uchiha clan joins Orochimaru, the specifics of who it is didn't matter much.
The die had already been cast. The five-year-old Uchiha Itachi had no hope left.
In the original story, the Uchiha clan couldn't establish a connection with Orochimaru, thus failing to achieve the current cooperative relationship. This time, Yoru managed to establish a relationship by using the information he knew about the Wood Release user, Yamato. Although it was a bit of a stretch, it didn't matter anymore. What mattered was his success.
Looking at Uchiha Yoru, Orochimaru let out a hoarse laugh. He didn't want to bother himself with the power struggles and manipulations within the large clans. He obtained what he wanted, and that was enough.
"Hehe, I'll trouble the Uchiha elites with the research materials on this scroll. When you return, make sure to find Anko. She will teach you some snake-based ninjutsu."
At that moment, Orochimaru casually handed over a scroll. Uchiha Yoru received it and immediately smiled. He succeeded! Now he could truly call himself Orochimaru's disciple and take advantage of his clan's resources.
"Don't worry, Orochimaru-sensei. I'll inform Shisui right away."
After saying that, Uchiha Yoru excitedly took his leave. Orochimaru was still not infatuated with the Sharingan at this point; he was merely interested in achieving immortality. Yoru was safe for now.
What's more, Yoru only possessed one Tomoe Sharingan. To spark interest in Uchiha clan research subjects, Orochimaru needed the three Tomoe Sharingan. Besides, Yoru had his own value.
It can be seen from the original story that although Orochimaru was a major early antagonist, he had charisma and a broad mind. As long as you had value, any shortcomings didn't matter to him. He was very tolerant.
Now that Uchiha Yoru successfully joined Orochimaru, it was not only a matter of the Uchiha clan's allegiance but also his own potential. Although his potential was temporarily obtained through spending money, who else would know?
Upon returning to the Uchiha camp, Shisui happened to be there.
"Yoru-niisan."
When Shisui saw Yoru, he immediately smiled. Although he was stronger than Uchiha Yoru in terms of power, he was far behind in other aspects, especially when it came to Uchiha's future. The bewildered Shisui finally saw a glimmer of hope.
As Uchiha Yoru entered, a hesitant expression appeared on his face. He gestured with his eyes around the surroundings, and immediately, Uchiha Shisui said in a low voice, "Everyone, be on high alert."
Sure enough, the sound of slight rustling could be heard around the camp. The situation of the Uchiha clan was awkward. It had already affected the front lines, and it could be seen from the isolation around the camp.
The Uchiha clan was being isolated.
"Yoru-niisan, we've taken precautions and set up barriers. Everything will be fine."
At this moment, seeing that all the arrangements were in place, Uchiha Shisui frowned and looked at Uchiha Yoru with a skeptical expression. "Yoru-niisan, what's wrong?"
Uchiha Yoru sighed inwardly at the worried face of the honest Shisui. After all, the situation of the Uchiha clan was very difficult. They had finally managed to establish a connection with the future Fifth Hokage. They couldn't give up now.
And seeing Shisui's concerned face, Uchiha Yoru silently sighed. "Shisui, I'm doing all of this for our clan, for the Uchiha."
~~~
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