Upon hearing Shimoku's explanation, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"I see! These side effects are definitely much better than the previous experiments!"
This time's transplantation by Shimoku was clearly far superior to any previous attempts—undoubtedly the most successful yet, with minimal side effects!
It could almost be considered a major success!
In fact, it represented a groundbreaking leap in Orochimaru's research on transplant techniques.
Still, he wondered,
How many people would suffer terrifying nightmares in the future once this brat further perfected his [Sharingan] through his own transplant surgery?
"Ah well! Not my concern. I'm just a researcher after all."
Orochimaru thought helplessly to himself.
A few days ago, he could have still put up a decent fight against Shimoku if he gave it his all.
But now, even a dozen versions of himself combined wouldn't stand a chance against this kid.
Sigh!
Had the ninja world really changed so drastically recently?
One monstrous prodigy after another—before long, even he might be left in the dust.
...
After the operation succeeded, there was no reason for Shimoku to remain here any longer.
Truthfully speaking, the atmosphere and smell inside this laboratory were quite unpleasant.
Soon, Shimoku released his clone,
Retrieved his Divine Sword, and dressed himself properly.
Of course, before leaving,
He specially asked about the preparations concerning the [Land of Rice Fields].
"Is everything ready on the [Land of Rice Fields] side?"
After all,
The relationship between himself and Orochimaru had always been one of mutual use and transaction.
Their foundation lay in what each could offer the other.
And his strength remained the key bond keeping this relationship intact.
As long as he stayed strong—and kept growing stronger—
Even someone sly as a snake and sharp as a mouse like Lady Serpent would never dare openly turn against him!
Promptly, Orochimaru responded:
"Of course!"
"All arrangements have already been made. Today, that ruler will likely personally issue an official document recognizing the legitimacy of both the Uchiha Clan and the Homura Hidden Village."
Shimoku smiled, "You've certainly set up some useful political puppets."
Orochimaru: "You flatter me, Lord Shimoku. It's simply for convenience. I haven't harmed any regular citizens from the [Land of Rice Fields]."
"Most of the test subjects here are criminals and rogue ninjas captured from different places..."
"You can take whomever you want from anywhere else—I don't care.
But if you dare extend your hands toward my village,
You know the consequences."
Shimoku glanced again at the other man's still-bloodshot [Mangekyo Sharingan], a sight deeply unsettling.
"Of course, I'll keep that in mind!"
Orochimaru nodded with a faint smile—he understood the boundaries quite well.
Thus,
Shimoku quickly left the [Oto Village] and returned to his own hidden settlement.
...
By the time he got back to his village,
It was already noon.
Considering how long he must've spent at Orochimaru's base throughout the morning.
Now that he had successfully implanted Hashirama's cells, boosted his power, and freed himself from the Sharingan's side effects,
Shimoku now felt particularly cheerful and full of energy.
He no longer even bothered to hide his presence.
Instead, he strolled casually down the main street on his way back.
Well, I might as well take this chance to check how the village construction's coming along.
"Lord Shimoku!"
"Greetings, Lord Shimoku!"
"Shimoku-niisan!"
"Lord Shimoku, these are freshly grilled skewers. Please try them!"
"These fruits were just exchanged from villagers in a neighboring hamlet. Do give 'em a try, sir!"
...
Seeing their own young lord appear in person,
many simple and enthusiastic clansfolk gathered along the streets.
While greeting him, they presented Shimoku with all sorts of delicious snacks and fruits.
Soon, a tall pile of gifts had accumulated in Shimoku's arms.
This proved that despite how young Shimoku was,
to the Uchiha Clan who revered strength, an outstanding Young Master naturally deserved their respect and affection.
Moreover, it was Shimoku who led them away from the "Konoha prison."
So pretty much everyone here saw Shimoku as their savior and rightful Young Master.
Anyone who dared to go against him would probably get mobbed long before Shimoku even had to lift a finger.
...
Thus, Shimoku made his way toward his residence,
all the while cheerfully greeting people and accepting gifts.
By the time he reached his doorstep,
the pile of offerings in his arms had grown taller than himself.
Just looking at it brought a smile to one's face.
At that moment, before Shimoku could even open the door,
from inside the house, [Wandering Miko] Nonou, dressed in a maid outfit, hurriedly ran out,
taking most of the gifts off Shimoku's arms.
"Director Nonou, what are you doing?" His eyes lit up in surprise.
"These were gifts from Lady Hazuki."
"Since I've been granted the privilege of living here thanks to Lord Shimoku's generosity, I shall do my best to take care of your daily life for the coming period!"
"Please allow me this honor."
"Aunt Hazuki always worries about things unnecessarily!"
"Fine, have it your way. I can't exactly kick you out, can I?"
Shimoku waved his hand granting permission.
Come to think of it, this miko girl actually looked pretty good in a maid outfit!
"What about Kabuto?"
"He went to help with the orphanage construction in the west district."
"Good. There's plenty of food here already, so we don't need to cook lunch. Also, take some over to Kabuto and the workers to share."
"Thank you very much, my lord!"
Nonou bowed deeply in gratitude.
"They really are something. Practically everyone followed me defecting here with nothing but the shirts on their backs, yet they still gave me so much despite having little extra themselves..."
Looking at the huge pile of offerings before him, Shimoku couldn't help but smile wryly.
"This precisely proves how beloved you are by our clansmen, right?"
"Do miko always flatter like this?"
With a gentle smile, Nonou continued:
"Although I haven't been around long,
both the villagers here and Lord Shimoku himself are completely different from the Uchiha Clan I previously knew!"
"In Root, every ninja was drilled with:
"The Uchiha are a wicked clan—warlike and treacherous. We must always remain vigilant!"
"But right now, all I see are passionate and kind-hearted people, just trying their best to build this village and survive..."
"Perhaps... this is the real Uchiha Clan?"
Nonou couldn't help but exclaim emotionally.
Here, she felt much more relaxed than she had within Konoha...
"Exactly!"
"No one is born inherently evil."
"Discrimination and prejudice are often the very roots of evil—those that spark conflict and hatred."
"This was true of Root, and also true of Konoha itself!"
"It was never us who opposed Konoha from the beginning—it was Konoha that rejected us..."
"In any case, this place will definitely become a completely different village from [Konoha] in the future!"
Shimoku declared earnestly.
The Uchiha were masters of battle—but they never loved war!
There was a fundamental difference between knowing how to fight—and loving war!
After all, even the ancestor Madara Uchiha, during the early days of Konoha's founding when he attempted to overthrow the village and seize power by force,
the Uchiha clansmen had opposed Madara, unwilling to lose the hard-won peace.
So much for the lies claiming the Uchiha love war—those were nothing but pure slander!
And in the future, as the [Homura Hidden Village] develops and becomes stronger,
these slanders would naturally collapse on their own...
...
Later, Shimoku quickly ate some lunch.
His power had grown far too fast these past few days—if he didn't sharpen his skills now, it could cost him dearly in the next fight.
Then he went outside the village,
found an open space, and began practicing recently mastered ninjutsu and abilities.
Meanwhile, Nonou also went out to deliver lunch.
Inside the house, only a panda lying on the doorstep with its legs crossed was taking a nap in the sunshine.
However,
while the [Homura Hidden Village] was developing peacefully and orderly,
that same noon brought sudden news from the [Land of Rice Fields]—the announcement granting recognition to the legitimacy of the Uchiha Clan and the [Homura Hidden Village].
This message dropped into the ninja world like a meteor striking still water,
sending shockwaves rippling across the entire Ninja World within moments.
The five great hidden villages, and countless smaller ones, were all shaken to their cores.
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