Chapter 25: Securing the Foundation
Uchiha Mikoto spoke up, her voice laced with caution. "Danzo is the Hokage's right hand, his oldest friend. And we have no proof."
Her words hung in the air, a chilling dose of political reality. Uchiha Fugaku stood frozen, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths, the fury inside him a palpable, simmering storm. His face was a mask of dark clouds, his scarlet Sharingan burning with icy fire.
He stood there, silent, for several long minutes. Finally, the tension seeped out of him in a long, defeated exhale. The fight, for now, was not one he could win in the open.
He turned his gaze back to Akira. "Your proposal, then. About the Wood Release research. What is your plan?"
Akira felt a surge of triumph but kept his expression neutral. "We acquire a biopharmaceutical research company outright. Then we invest continuously—massive funds—and recruit a large team of specialized researchers to lead the studies."
Individual genius was potent, but the systematic power of a dedicated, well-funded institution was on another scale. While shinobi had unique skills, in pure, methodical research, trained scientists could achieve what lone medics could not.
"Ordinary people?" Fugaku's brow furrowed with skepticism. "Can they truly contribute? They lack chakra. They operate on an entirely different level."
"Were all of Konoha's past research endeavors led solely by shinobi?" Akira countered.
"Almost exclusively. Konoha's medical-nin typically spearheaded such projects. We rarely recruited civilian scientists from the outside," Fugaku confirmed.
"This…" Akira shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips. "That is a closed-minded approach. It vastly underestimates those without chakra."
"They are not ninja," Fugaku said simply, as if that explained everything. "What takes a medical-nin moments of concentrated chakra control might take a team of civilians days of preparation and complex machinery."
His attitude reflected the common shinobi worldview. Those with chakra existed on a higher plane of capability and convenience. A complex eye transplant could be performed in a field by a young kunoichi like Rin. To a civilian, such a procedure was the stuff of science fiction. It was a fundamental disparity.
Uchiha Akira's expression grew serious. "Do not underestimate them."
As a traveler, he knew the formidable power of collective human intellect and organization. A unified, awakened populace, even without supernatural energy, could reshape the world.
"The number of shinobi is minuscule compared to the civilian population," Akira pressed. "That larger base means true geniuses will emerge among them. If we identify and harness those minds, our research will advance faster and more reliably than anything Konoha has achieved through insular methods."
Fugaku considered this, his mind drifting to the televisions and other advanced appliances in his own home—inventions born not from chakra, but from civilian ingenuity.
'What have we shinobi contributed to the world, beyond killing?' The thought, unbidden and uncomfortable, flickered through his mind.
"Very well. We will attempt it," Fugaku conceded with a nod. "I will have the arrangements made immediately." He then fixed Akira with a practical question. "Location? I am hesitant to base it within Konoha proper. The Hyuga's Byakugan poses too great a risk."
"There is no need for secrecy," Akira replied, having anticipated this. "We place the research institute openly within the Uchiha district."
"Is that not too bold?" Mikoto interjected, concern in her voice.
"Sister Mikoto," Akira said with a calm smile, "we will be a legitimate corporation, violating no laws of Konoha or the Land of Fire."
Cloning technology was not illegal. The true purpose—research into Senju cell transplantation—could be masked behind the publicly stated goal of advancing biomedical cloning. The shinobi of Konoha were masters of death, not molecular biology. Without a Sharingan or Byakugan to perceive the unique chakra signature, Hashirama's cells would be indistinguishable from any other tissue sample to a routine inspection.
Crucially, the Uchiha clan controlled the Konoha Military Police Force. Any regulatory inspections would be conducted by their own people. Self-investigation was the perfect cover.
As long as no live human experimentation was conducted within the village walls, they were safe. The Uchiha district was also sufficiently distant from the Hyuga compound, placing it outside the normal observational range of the Byakugan. And given the current chilly relations between the two clans, a Hyuga snooping around Uchiha territory was highly unlikely.
"I understand," Fugaku said, a strategic glint in his eye. "Under the nominal protection of the Police Force, we will face little scrutiny."
"Exactly," Akira agreed. "No one would suspect the Uchiha, proud inheritors of the Sharingan, of secretly coveting the Senju's Wood Release. It is a cognitive blind spot."
A bitter smile touched Fugaku's lips. "We have fallen far from our ancestors' pride… Uchiha, seeking the power of the Senju. Our forefathers in the Pure Land must be speechless."
"Fugaku," Mikoto said softly, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "This is not about pride. It is about survival, about securing the clan's future in a dangerous world. We must be pragmatic."
Fugaku sighed, the weight of leadership heavy on his shoulders. He looked back at Akira. "Regarding human trials… when the time comes, we can procure test subjects from the Fire Country's prison system—condemned criminals. But the experimentation itself cannot occur within Konoha's borders."
"Of course," Akira agreed readily. "Danzo needs only a single pretext to move against us. We will not hand him one."
"Oh, one more thing," Akira added, his tone turning serious. "Clan Head, we must limit knowledge of our true objectives. Only a trusted few can know. And especially… we must keep this from Shisui."
Fugaku frowned. "Shisui? Why single him out? He is a loyal son of the clan."
"His loyalty to the village is absolute," Akira clarified. "The Will of Fire is ingrained in his very bones. It is safer if he remains unaware of our… extracurricular pursuits."
"You think he would inform the authorities?" Fugaku asked, skepticism returning.
"Just a precaution," Akira said with a shrug. "Consider: the Third Hokage plans to induct Shisui directly into the Anbu. He would be the first Uchiha granted such access in generations. His primary allegiance will be tested."
Fugaku was silent for a long moment, weighing the point. Finally, he gave a slow, reluctant nod. "Very well. Shisui will not be informed."
(End of Chapter)
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