051 Destroying My Persona? Impossible

Just like Uchiha Shinsuke, Fugaku was unwilling to give up. But unlike the impulsive youngster, Fugaku knew there were questions that could not be asked openly. Orochimaru cast a deep look at Fugaku, refusing to answer directly and instead replied, "At this moment, Shisui's eyes recovering—is that truly a good thing for the Uchiha, for the village?"

Fugaku's heart tightened. Greed had clouded his judgment, and he suddenly realized he had been too impatient. Military achievements, prestige, momentum... In this war, the Uchiha had gained tremendously, and compared to their gains, the losses suffered by the Police Force seemed insignificant. If not for Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan going blind, it would be hard to dispel the suspicion that the Uchiha were behind it all. This was why, before the war, Fugaku had agreed to Orochimaru's request to use the heavy losses of the Uchiha to clear the suspicion from the Nine-Tails incident.

However, the retreat of the Cloud Ninja was faster than expected, and after two major battles, with top-tier medical ninja like Orochimaru treating the wounded, the losses to the Uchiha Police Force were not as severe as anticipated. Fugaku had thought that, at this stage, Orochimaru could hardly manufacture casualties on purpose. Unexpectedly, the missing portion had already been compensated for through Shisui.

Realizing this, Fugaku's tone became somewhat bitter. "Shisui, he knows about the deal between us?"

"That's right. But you don't need to worry about him leaking it—Shisui volunteered to become a sacrifice," Orochimaru nodded. "I agree with him. The symbolic significance of the Mangekyo Sharingan far outweighs the lives of other Uchiha."

"Orochimaru-sama, is there truly no way to save Shisui's eyes?"

After a moment of silence, Fugaku asked again. Learning of Shisui's choice had not diminished his previous hopes; instead, it made him all the more eager for an answer. But, unlike before, Fugaku was no longer thinking about having another Mangekyo Sharingan ninja in the clan, but rather about Shisui himself.

"In the medical room, I did not lie. The body-enhancement surgery is still immature; it is dangerous for Shisui right now." Orochimaru glanced at Fugaku, and seeing the clear disappointment in his eyes, shifted the conversation. "However, if we attempt it a few more times, perhaps a better method could be developed."

"But didn't you reject Shinsuke's proposal before? And if Shinsuke were to die..."

Fugaku’s voice trailed off, aware of the consequences if Orochimaru’s human experiments led to the death of a ninja in the village. The village had finally produced a high-ranking official who bore no ill will toward the Uchiha; even for the sake of the clan, Fugaku did not want Orochimaru to be forced into defection.

"Indeed, the surgery carries risks for Uchiha Shinsuke as well, even greater ones. But..." Orochimaru extended his tongue, licking his lips, his face showing a playful smile. "I don't only know how to perform one kind of surgery."

Fugaku’s eyes widened slightly; the situation had taken a turn, and hope appeared once more. "The inferior version of the body-enhancement surgery—its effectiveness is only thirty percent of the original, but the risk is much lower." Orochimaru's lips curled in disdain, clearly dissatisfied with such a procedure. "Of course, even though it’s inferior, it still greatly improves surgical experience."

"But, since that's the case, why didn’t you say so from the start, Orochimaru-sama?"

Fugaku was delighted, but more than that, he was confused, even slightly resentful.

"The consequences of conducting human experiments on the village’s ninjas—I understand them even better than you do. As long as it's done, someone like Danzo will be quick to slander me," Orochimaru shot Fugaku a glance, his eyes filled with clear contempt. It was as if he were saying, ‘Uchiha Shinsuke is a blockhead, but you’re not much better.’

Fugaku’s face flushed with embarrassment as he tried to compose himself, just as Orochimaru continued, "Now, from the Hokage’s advisors to the ordinary ninja, they all know the risks of the surgery. If they’re concerned, it’s only whether someone actually dies. In this situation, as long as the surgery doesn’t fail, no one will use it to tarnish my reputation."

Some things simply cannot be concealed. Whether it’s surgery or human experimentation, it’s just a different name for the same act—the key lies in the intent of those involved. Since it was unavoidable, Orochimaru would naturally prepare early. He wanted the villagers to understand that performing human experiments was not a stain on his record; only failed surgeries resulting in the deaths of comrades would be. For others, this might be hard to achieve, but for Orochimaru, it was effortless. Because in Konoha, he was never a typical ninja.

With Orochimaru’s reputation, whether they knew him personally, or had merely crossed paths, if you told them Orochimaru was conducting human experiments, they would be only slightly surprised before accepting it—even without clear evidence. Destroying his public image? Impossible. If the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, showed a sinister and arrogant side, that would be a true collapse of character. Just as Tsunade would be found in the casino and Jiraiya in the women’s bathhouse, finding Orochimaru beside a bloodstained surgical knife, face twisted in a sly smile, would hardly shock anyone; instead, they’d think it was only natural.

—Orochimaru always looked wicked.

As for whether he would be punished for it, Orochimaru cared little. The threat of war had forced Konoha to tolerate many evils; even someone like Danzo could take root, and the Intelligence Division could invade people’s memories and toy with their minds at will. As long as Orochimaru remained one of the Legendary Sannin and the village’s top combatant, and did not use surgery to kill his comrades, mere human experimentation was nothing of consequence.

The fate that befell Sakumo Hatake did not apply to Orochimaru. A good man who would sacrifice the village’s interests for his comrades—people felt free to target him. But a villain cruel enough to conduct human experiments—they would only keep their distance. Of course, people like Orochimaru, much like Danzo, would never be chosen as Hokage.

But Orochimaru did not care about that.

Fugaku struggled to keep up with Orochimaru’s train of thought, but faintly sensed the extraordinary and unfettered status the man held in Konoha, feeling both admiration and envy. "Since Orochimaru-sama has considered everything so thoroughly, then... when will the surgery be arranged?"

"After we return to the village," Orochimaru replied, emphasizing, "Though this surgery isn’t as effective as the original, it’s enough to greatly enhance the abilities of a jonin. The price will not be cheap."

"I understand," Fugaku nodded. "For each jonin, the Uchiha clan will pay ten million ryo as compensation."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes; this price was higher than he’d expected, as he had thought the most he could demand was seven or eight million ryo. It seemed the Uchiha clan’s resources were indeed impressive.

With the surgery and price settled, Fugaku was eager to return and continue organizing the ninja army. "Orochimaru-sama, do you have any further instructions?"

"There is one thing... No, never mind," Orochimaru frowned, then changed his mind. "There’s nothing more for you here."

After Fugaku left, still perplexed, Orochimaru spoke to the empty air, "Why stop me? Wouldn’t it be perfect to have Fugaku involved in the genjutsu experiment?"