Naruto: I am Uchiha Fugaku

"Shimura Danzo's last known location was in the Land of Fields."

Kabuto continued.

"The Land of Fields, no wonder he chose that place for our transaction."

Orochimaru's tone carried a trace of realization.

The location for the deal he had arranged with Shimura Danzo was indeed within the Land of Fields.

It was clear that Danzo had business there, which explained why he had chosen to meet there.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru's influence in that region had yet to take root. Though he had plans to establish a base, he hadn't yet implemented them.

If his network had already been established, he might have been able to learn who exactly had killed Danzo.

"Danzo can no longer be relied on. Looks like I'll have to find a new trading partner."

He spoke with some regret.

Over the years, he had made numerous deals with Danzo. Having such a stable and high-quality trading partner had saved him a great deal of trouble.

Now that Danzo was gone, he would need to find someone else. And finding another Danzo wasn't going to be easy.

"Still, this particular deal doesn't necessarily have to be with Danzo…"

A person came to mind—someone who likely possessed what he wanted.

And perhaps… he wouldn't even need to trade for it.

"As for future dealings… I suppose it's time I paid that organization a visit."

Not long ago, he had received an invitation from a certain group. Initially, he hadn't been very interested.

But considering the need for a stable long-term partner, he could no longer ignore it.

"Lord Orochimaru, may I ask what kind of organization could actually interest you?"

Kabuto asked with a smile.

"An organization called Akatsuki. Perhaps the most powerful faction in the shinobi world today."

Orochimaru said with a hint of awe.

"The most powerful in the shinobi world?"

Kabuto's eyes flickered with surprise.

A moment later, both he and Orochimaru left the abandoned building, disappearing into the night.

That night, at the Uchiha Clan compound.

Inside the bedroom, Uchiha Mikoto sat at the bedside in a nightgown, her elegant figure gracefully outlined.

Her long legs, revealed beneath the hem of the gown, were fair, slender, and firm without a trace of excess flesh.

Looking at the beautiful and alluring Mikoto, Uchiha Fugaku, also in sleepwear, felt a slight flush of heat.

Suddenly, his expression changed slightly, and he looked sharply in a particular direction.

He got up, opened the bedroom door, and stepped out.

"Fugaku, what's wrong?"

Seeing her husband suddenly leave the room, Mikoto asked curiously.

"Just going to the restroom."

Fugaku replied and vanished from the doorway.

But instead of heading to the bathroom, he made his way to the courtyard.

Activating his three-tomoe Sharingan, his gaze turned cold as he scanned the darkness of the rear garden.

A figure silently emerged from the ground.

Clad in a dirt-yellow robe, with a large rope belt tied in a butterfly knot and a pale, paper-white face, he had vertical, snake-like pupils and wore violet eye shadow.

It was Orochimaru—now in his usual attire, different from earlier.

"Hm?"

Seeing someone watching him from nearby right after surfacing from underground, Orochimaru raised his eyebrows.

Then, with a meaningful smile, he spoke:

"Clan Head Fugaku… It seems I've underestimated you."

He had suppressed his chakra completely while sneaking in, but Fugaku still noticed him.

This caught Orochimaru slightly off guard. Fugaku clearly wasn't as simple as he appeared.

While speaking, Orochimaru raised a hand and cast a soundproof barrier around them.

"A soundproof barrier."

Realizing the nature of the jutsu, Fugaku didn't immediately break it.

"Orochimaru, as a rogue ninja, you dare sneak into Konoha—and into the Uchiha compound, no less!"

He said coldly.

"If I wanted to leave, no one could stop me."

Orochimaru replied confidently.

Fugaku neither confirmed nor denied that claim.

He wondered how Orochimaru would react if he knew it was Fugaku who had made him suffer so badly back in the Land of Water.

Then he asked:

"What is your purpose in infiltrating the Uchiha compound?"

"To propose a trade."

Orochimaru looked around as he spoke.

Originally, his intent was to steal. But since he'd been discovered, it became a trade.

"A trade?"

Fugaku's expression turned curious.

Orochimaru, seeking a deal with him?

After a moment of silence, Fugaku said:

"You must be joking. A rogue ninja like you wants to trade with me?"

His gaze was filled with suspicion.

"I have something you want. You have something I want. That makes a trade possible."

Orochimaru licked his lips, smiling coldly.

"What makes you think you have something I need?"

Fugaku asked with interest.

"You're familiar with Wood Release kekkei genkai, yes?"

Orochimaru asked, voice filled with implication.

"What are you trying to say?"

Fugaku's mind grew alert. Had Orochimaru discovered that he was impersonating a Wood Release user?

Everyone who knew of that secret was dead, their corpses disposed of.

And though Orochimaru knew Edo Tensei, he couldn't use it without flesh remains.

"Wood Release users are powerful because of Hashirama's cells."

"According to my research, the Uchiha clan is the most compatible for transplanting those cells."

Orochimaru explained.

'So that's what he meant.'

Fugaku quietly breathed a sigh of relief. So Orochimaru hadn't discovered his secret.

Feigning surprise, he responded:

"The Uchiha clan is the most compatible for Hashirama's cells?"

"Yes. My research shows that the Sharingan can balance Hashirama's cells."

"It allows stable transplantation and the awakening of Wood Release."

Orochimaru's voice turned persuasive:

"You know how powerful Wood Release is. I have both Hashirama's cells and the transplant method."

"And you want to trade that with me?"

Fugaku narrowed his eyes. He was genuinely interested.

He knew Orochimaru was withholding a truth—that even with Hashirama's cells, replicating Hashirama's full power was almost impossible.

Still, the cells and the transplant technique held great value. After all, Hashirama's cells could slow or stop the blindness caused by the Mangekyō Sharingan.

While Fugaku himself no longer needed it, future Uchiha who awakened Mangekyō would.

Moreover, for Sasuke to evolve his eyes into the Rinnegan, aside from the Eternal Mangekyō and the power of the Sage of Six Paths, Hashirama's cells were essential.