Unwillingness

The next day, dawn barely touched the sky.

In the courtyard, a rhythmic breathing echoed.

“Inhale…”

“Exhale…”

“Inhale…”

Every so often, the direction of the wind in the yard would shift, the branches and leaves of the old tree drawn and swept about. This scene continued until noon, when the alarm rang inside the house.

Only then did Orochimaru unfasten the weights from his body, halt his training, and return inside to wash away the sweat.

“It’s almost time. Fugaku should be sending someone soon.”

Orochimaru donned a clean ninja uniform and sat on the stone bench in the courtyard, checking his progress as he waited.

Thanks to the Yamato-brand genetic serum, his body brimmed with vitality. His physical training had made remarkable strides. The breathing method he had previously maintained with effort, the ‘State of Normality,’ now flowed without conscious control.

“Unfortunately, relying solely on the breathing technique, the rate of subtle bodily enhancement is too slow—even with added weights.”

Orochimaru rubbed his chin. “It seems I’ll need to push Jiraiya’s training along.”

Sage arts and breathing techniques, at their core, both harnessed natural energy. If only he could find a way for them to complement each other…

A knock interrupted Orochimaru’s musings.

“Orochimaru-sama, it’s me.” The voice belonged to Uchiha Fugaku.

“Fugaku, he actually came in person?” Orochimaru showed a hint of surprise. “Well, with matters of the clan, he can hardly afford to be patient.”

Given Uchiha’s respectful attitude, there was no need for him to put on airs.

Orochimaru leapt lightly, landing outside the residence. “Good. You’re right on time.”

He had, in fact, waited at the entrance for quite a while.

Fugaku nodded slightly, getting straight to the point, “Orochimaru-sama, do you have any solutions for the Uchiha problem?”

“No rush. Let’s talk as we walk.”

Orochimaru gestured toward the Uchiha compound and began walking. Fugaku hesitated for a moment, then followed.

…

The two did not move as ninja, darting and leaping, but strolled through the streets like ordinary men.

Pedestrians and shopkeepers alike stared at them, whispering and discussing animatedly. After all, whether it was Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Three, or Fugaku, captain of the police force, both were star shinobi in the village. For them to suddenly walk together was bound to draw curiosity.

Especially considering that both, at present, had rather poor reputations in the village.

Orochimaru’s expression remained unchanged. Fugaku kept his face stiff, but from his slightly awkward look, it was clear he couldn’t ignore the attention.

“Clan Chief Fugaku, in fact, suppressing the Uchiha issue is simple. As long as the Third Hokage or another senior official vouches for you, but…” Orochimaru swept his gaze around, and the surrounding noise dropped a notch, “just as you see now—the surface can be controlled, but not people’s hearts.”

Fugaku’s face darkened further; that was exactly his concern.

Because of their temperament, the clan had always been somewhat isolated from the village’s shinobi and civilians. Relations had long been strained, and now, with suspicion after the Nine Tails Incident, it was only worse.

“Still, Uchiha now has an opportunity.”

Orochimaru spoke plainly. “The Hidden Cloud is restless. Soon, war will break out with the Leaf.”

“Hidden Cloud?”

Fugaku was startled at first, then, realizing the implications, a gleam of hope flashed in his eyes before he quickly hid it, returning to his usual calm.

“Indeed, this is a good chance.”

Defending the village and earning merit on the battlefield—these are a ninja’s core values. Achieve this, and criticism becomes difficult.

Now, with the upper ranks of the village severely depleted, if the Uchiha could turn the tide, perhaps they could advance even further.

“Clan Chief Fugaku, I know what you’re thinking.” Orochimaru gave a slight, cold smile. “Had this been before the Nine Tails Incident, it might have worked. But now, think carefully—why is the village facing war? Why is it only the Uchiha who can distinguish themselves in battle?”

Fugaku’s heart trembled.

During the Nine Tails Incident, the village’s ninja suffered heavy losses, while the Uchiha remained largely intact. If, in the coming Cloud War, they seized the opportunity to earn merit and raise their standing, suspicion toward the clan would only deepen.

More than that, if their life-and-death achievements were ignored or criticized, resentment among the clansmen would fester. What might happen then was too dreadful to imagine.

“My thinking was too simplistic.”

Fugaku spoke with a hint of bitterness. “What solution do you propose, Orochimaru-sama?”

“Simple.”

Orochimaru replied calmly, “When the Uchiha join the battle, the focus shouldn’t be on how much merit they gain, but how much loss they suffer.”

Fugaku blinked, at first unable to grasp the meaning, then his expression slowly changed.

He forgot the status of the man before him, anger flaring, “Such ruthless advice, such venomous strategy—do you mean to send Uchiha to their deaths?”

“That’s not my intention.”

Orochimaru paid no heed to Fugaku’s attitude, speaking slowly and clearly, “Because I will also be on the battlefield, facing the most dangerous enemies.”

“If your losses are heavy, I won’t escape unscathed. I will carefully control the extent of casualties.”

“That’s still unacceptable!”

Uchiha Fugaku stood firm. “I am the clan chief of the Uchiha. How could I conspire with outsiders to harm my own clan?”

“Clan Chief Fugaku, you—”

Orochimaru was about to continue when a police squad approached them directly, their demeanor not one of greeting the clan leader.

Fugaku straightened, addressing the foremost clan member, “Jinsuke, what’s happened?”

“Clan Chief, we’ve already cleared the ruins, yet the craftsmen responsible for rebuilding the compound are still not being assigned by the village.”

Uchiha Jinsuke’s face was filled with indignation. “I went to find those in charge, but they just passed the buck, refusing to take responsibility.”

“Yes, some even say our compound is being relocated, that working there now is a waste of effort.”

“Clan Chief, are we really being moved?”

…

Among the police force, some had heard rumors from the Hokage meeting—that because of suspicion from the Nine Tails Incident, the Uchiha were to be pushed to the village’s outskirts.

It had been mere gossip, but confronted with such circumstances, doubts arose, leaving them shocked and angry.

Faced with the clan’s questions, Fugaku fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Just then, Orochimaru interjected, “Moved? The village will not force the Uchiha to relocate. The Third Hokage has issued no such order.”

“Go back and repeat my words exactly as I’ve said.”

“This… yes, Orochimaru—Orochimaru-sama.”

Uchiha Jinsuke hesitated before nodding in response, as if only now realizing Orochimaru was present.