Naruto: Starting with Tsunade

Chapter 410 Strengthening the Clan

A mansion belonging to the Uchiha clan.

Itachi opened the door, and everyone in the room turned their gazes towards him. Inahime, seeing that it was Itachi, grinned. Normally, this guy might have made sarcastic remarks, but his current posture meant that someone had already greeted him.

Soon, this idea was confirmed by Itachi's conjecture.

"Welcome to this world, Uchiha Itachi..." Inahime said, her tone slightly teasing.

Itachi remained silent and found a seat.

Seeing that the appointments had been made, Aokiji clapped his hands, signaling everyone to focus their attention on him: "Alright, I won't waste any more time. You all probably already know why I invited you this time."

Inahime was the first to speak up: "Lord Aokiji, tell me what to do, I'll do whatever you say."

Aokiji looked at Itachi in the crowd and gave his first order: "Itachi, resign from your job in the Anbu tomorrow. I'm afraid Danzo might turn against you someday. As for the reason, you can figure it out yourself."

Now that we've obtained Hashirama cells, we no longer need to keep the higher-ups on our side too tightly.

There's no need to worry about Itachi's strength in a direct confrontation; the real concern is what kind of underhanded schemes he might pull.

Itachi nodded.

After issuing the first order, Aokiji immediately issued the second order: "Next, hold your positions and do what you were doing. I still need to do some final preparations."

"Yes."

Everyone responded in unison, saying that since they had already waited for so many years, they wouldn't mind doing something else.

The mere thought of a successful coup and the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream ignited a frenzy in the hearts of the people.

"Very good, next I'll introduce you to someone."

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback and became curious about who this person was that Aokiji would specifically introduce.

Just then, a man carrying a suitcase slowly walked in through the door. He had pale skin and distinctive purple eyeshadow.

It was none other than Orochimaru.

Orochimaru?

Upon seeing them, he couldn't sit still any longer and immediately stood up.

They never expected that Orochimaru, a rogue ninja, would return, especially at a time when the Uchiha clan was discussing how to stage a coup.

"Calm down, Orochimaru is on our side."

On this occasion, Aokiji called Orochimaru over to introduce him to everyone, partly to reinforce the clan's information, and partly to signal that Orochimaru was his closest comrade.

"But……"

The group was somewhat worried. Although Orochimaru had betrayed the village, he was still the disciple of the Third Hokage, and they couldn't feel at ease with that relationship.

Aokiji saw the worry in his clansmen: "I know what you're thinking, but Orochimaru is not an outsider. He is a comrade I can trust. I hope you will treat him as you would treat me, without any prejudice."

Since the clan leader had already spoken, everyone had no choice but to give up, at least outwardly to save face for Aokiji: "Alright, since Lord Aokiji has said so, let's try to trust him."

Aokiji knew there was still some estrangement among his clansmen, but it didn't matter; he had another trick up his sleeve. With a sidelong glance, Orochimaru understood and opened his briefcase, inside which was something that looked like a reagent.

Seeing this, everyone looked curious, wondering what it was used for.

Aokiji explained, "This is an enhancement drug that I commissioned Orochimaru to create specifically for the Uchiha clan. It can permanently increase one's chakra. I've already tried it, and the effect is good, with no side effects. It's newly developed, and there aren't many available. Who wants to try it?"

The Uchiha clan members were stunned when they heard this.

What kind of drug is so powerful that it can permanently increase chakra without any side effects?

With Aokiji as the spokesperson, no one doubts its authenticity.

Soon, some of the bolder members of the tribe couldn't wait to act as guinea pigs: "Let me try it."

Aokiji took out the reagent and handed it to the other party. The tribesman took it and couldn't wait to stick it on his body. The effect was immediate. He had probably never experienced such a powerful thing before, and his eyes widened in surprise.

The tribesmen standing nearby, thinking there might be some side effects, couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright?"

"This is amazing! I can feel the power surging out of my body!" The clansman who had received the Hashirama reagent exclaimed excitedly, unable to contain his emotions.

The amount of reagents that the blue pheasant uses for its people is quite small, so there's no need to worry too much about accidents. After observing for a period of time, the dosage can be gradually increased.

Upon seeing this, everyone realized that it truly lived up to Aokiji's description of its brilliance. Their gazes towards the potion changed instantly, their breathing quickened, and their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

If it weren't for Aokiji still being there to keep watch, these people would probably have flocked to the news immediately.

"Captain Fugaku, you should use it."

There were only a few bottles of medicine, not enough to go around. If anyone else took some, it would cause some resentment. After much consideration, everyone decided to offer the medicine to the most respected people in the clan: Fugaku, Inahime, and Yashiro.

Fugaku was initially reluctant to use it, but seeing the kindness of his clansmen, he couldn't refuse. After using it, he couldn't help but marvel at the miraculous power of the reagent, feeling a visible increase in his chakra.

Fugaku asked curiously, "What an amazing thing! What is it made of?"

Aokiji explained, "The cells of the First Hokage."

"The cells of the First Hokage?"

Fugaku was taken aback. He knew about this thing; the village had experimented with it in the past, but without exception, they had all failed.

Aokiji reassured her, "Don't worry, the one I have is the perfect version, and I used a very small dose, so it won't cause any side effects for you."

Fugaku looked at Orochimaru with surprise: "You've already mastered this technique?"

Orochimaru demurred, saying, "It's all thanks to Aokiji's help. I just did a little bit of work on it."

Fugaku looked at Aokiji in surprise, not expecting that the other party would know this kind of technology.

"Let me take this opportunity to say something as well. Although this thing doesn't have any side effects, it is still an external force. Everything has its limits. Only in this way can it achieve twice the result with half the effort; otherwise, it will have the opposite effect. From now on, I will regulate this kind of thing. Only those who have passed the test will be able to obtain this thing to enhance their strength."

Even before Aokiji had officially taken power in Konoha, his clansmen had already received many tangible benefits from him. They firmly believed that following him would bring them good fortune, and naturally, they obeyed his every word.

"Lord Aokiji, you don't need to say anything more. Everyone can see your good intentions. When you become the ruler of the Land of Fire, we will do our best to assist you and live up to your expectations."

Having won over a group of people, Aokiji smiled with satisfaction.

After the meeting, Aokiji found Itachi alone and handed him the remaining bottle of reagent.

Itachi's situation is rather special. Giving him a certain amount in person would cause dissatisfaction among the clan members, so he can only give it to them privately.

The effects of the medicine were obvious, and Itachi knew very well what benefits he would gain from injecting it, but he still declined: "Uncle Aokiji, I appreciate your kindness, but you should give it to someone else."

"Let me finish speaking before you decline," Aokiji said with a smile. "Actually, during the meeting just now, this medicine had another effect that I kept quiet about."

Itachi looked puzzled.

"This medicine can reduce the side effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly, revealing a surprised expression.

"So now you know why I specially saved a bottle for you, right?"

This time, Itachi did not refuse. It could reduce the side effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan, which was too important for him to be reserved.

"Thank you..." He could only express his gratitude verbally now.

Having won over Itachi's hearts, Aokiji immediately prepared for the next wave of winning over hearts, and quietly slipped into the Hyuga clan's territory alone.

When Hiashi Hyuga saw that it was Aokiji who had arrived, and in this way no less, he immediately became wary. Last time, this guy had used the same method to forcibly pull him into his ranks.

Aokiji sneered, "You don't need to look at me like I'm a plague god."

Hiashi Hyuga let out a breath, his eyes filled with helplessness: "What do you want from me this time?"

"I'll give you a little interest so you won't overthink it."

Aokiji took something out of his pocket and tossed it to the other person.

Hiashi Hyuga reached out and caught it steadily. He looked at it and found it was a box: "What is this?"

Aokiji smiled and said, "You'll understand once you take a look."

Hiashi Hyuga opened it and saw a bottle of reagent inside. He looked up in confusion, waiting for a reply.

"I know someone like you isn't interested in money," Aokiji chuckled. "That's why I specially prepared this for you. By injecting this, you can permanently enhance your chakra and even improve your physical condition."

Aokiji spoke somewhat casually, but Hiashi Hyuga was far from calm.

"If you don't believe me, you can try it on a branch family member. However, I won't let you try it on any other ninja clans except for the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki clans. If problems arise, I can't guarantee anything."

The ninja clans mentioned above all belong to the same ancestor, so theoretically, this small number of Hashirama cells would not have a significant impact on them.

Hiashi Hyuga understood the subtext: "If this thing is really as amazing as you say, then you haven't already used it on your clan, have you?"

"Of course, I'm very generous to my own people. Good things are naturally given to them first," Aokiji said with a smile. "Of course, you're one of us too."

Hiashi Hyuga paused, then picked up the reagent and started injecting it into himself.

Aokiji was slightly surprised: "You trust me that much? Why don't you find someone else to try it out on?"

"No need. If this thing is fake, I'll just give up on the idea of ​​cooperating with you."

Hiashi Hyuga verbally agreed to cooperate with Aokiji on this matter, but later wavered on his decision.

That's why he needs to use this incident to make a firm decision.

As they were talking, as the medicine completely flowed into his body, Hiashi Hyuga felt his chakra increase at a visible rate.

Aokiji teased, "Judging from your expression, it must have worked very well."

"It's truly astonishing that you possess such technology."

"Alright, I've given you the things, and you've tried them. I'll be going now. If you feel unwell, remember to come find me immediately."

Having said that, Aokiji disappeared without a trace, leaving Hiashi Hyuga staring blankly at the potion in his hand, lost in thought. After a long while, gazing at the bright moon, he sighed deeply: "It seems this is the only way..."

Aokiji's strength was already considerable, and now that he has mastered this technology, he has further enhanced the entire Uchiha clan.

The Konoha leadership has absolutely no chance of winning against this group of people in their current state.

Even if he wanted to, he was powerless; now he could only go with the flow.

(End of this chapter)