Chapter 123: Just Appoint Shisui as the Fifth Hokage

Shisui, feeling heavy‑hearted, returned to the clan lands, and upon seeing Sima Yi, told him about some experimental projects he had obtained from Orochimaru.

"Wood Release, immortality, forbidden techniques, and the Copy Wheel Eye?"

Orochimaru's research is truly varied—bloodstains, human tissue, souls, forbidden techniques, and the like, all are present.

Some are hobbies, some are work, some are his own ideals.

However, the brief time Shisui spent in illusion made it impossible to obtain many concrete experimental data; he could only ask roughly, and after confirming the other's proficiency in this area, he approved Sima Yi's suggestion.

Shisui's face turned grim as he spoke; he hadn't expected Orochimaru to have already acted against the Uchiha, nor that Danzo's right eye, wrapped in bandages, would actually be a Copy Wheel Eye.

"Immortality, forbidden techniques~" Sima Yi sighed, having to admit Orochimaru's unconventional ideas and shocking methods.

Moreover, compared to methods of hating enemies, he was more inclined to lament the Uchiha's stupidity.

Even the world‑defying forbidden technique Izanagi could be leaked; the fact they weren't exterminated shows their great strength.

Oh, they were supposed to be wiped out. Being wiped out is fitting! "I didn't expect him to reach this level; your eye technique wasn't wasted, he'll give us an unexpected return."

Powerful ninjas are scarce, but the Uchiha can still find some.

And a talent like Orochimaru is truly unique, exceedingly precious in Sima Yi's eyes.

Unfortunately, they have no chance to meet for now.

Shisui paused briefly, offering no rebuttal; this eye technique was originally intended for the Third Hokage or Danzo, but Sima Yi's judgments rarely err, so he was willing to trust him.

After a brief chat about Orochimaru, Sima Yi began analyzing the current situation.

"Orochimaru, as one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin and a disciple of the Third Hokage, holds a special status, countless battle achievements, high prestige; his defection now deals an undoubtedly huge blow to Konoha."

Moreover, his solo departure will likely implicate some of his former subordinates; the northern army's morale may also waver. In the days ahead, Konoha's turmoil is inevitable, and the higher‑ups' surveillance of the Uchiha should relax considerably—we can seize the chance to dispatch more people for external deployment.

"This is an opportunity!"

Shisui listened, nodding repeatedly, and began contemplating the next steps under Sima Yi's prompting.

And reality was not far from Sima Yi's speculation; the next day Shisui learned that the ninjas dispatched to hunt Orochimaru returned empty‑handed one after another, and Konoha's higher‑ups gradually suspected that there were Orochimaru informants both inside and outside the Village; otherwise Orochimaru wouldn't have left so smoothly.

Additionally, Orochimaru's departure made the ninjas once close to him no longer reliable, so the higher‑ups began investigating Orochimaru's former subordinates.

Many ninjas were taken for interrogation, some even imprisoned and monitored, and some were sent to the interrogation department for torture and memory scans, only released after confirming they were unaware of Orochimaru's defection.

However, Yùshǒu Hóngdòu was rather lucky; when Orochimaru fled the Village, she was locked in the Police Department, barely escaping suspicion.

But she remains under surveillance; originally she should have been detained for half a month for inciting trouble, now it's been indefinitely postponed.

Konoha's unrest grew, and many ninjas and families who had once intersected with Orochimaru became uneasy; this atmosphere lasted over a month before easing slightly.

The Third Hokage seized the chance to select batch after batch of ninjas to send to the Northern Front.

Shisui simply guarded the Police Department, capturing some enemy‑state spies trying to act amid the chaos, and also dispatched a Chunin squad toward Shàngcūn Yìzhì.

However, the Third Hokage kept Orochimaru's research data under tight security, leaving Shisui with no way to proceed, so he had to pause for now.

Konoha, the bathhouse, water splashing endlessly, with soft voices murmuring continuously.

"Sss, wow~"

"This, and this, so nice, so nice."

Indeed, the average level of Konoha's ninja village is high; so many big thunderclaps, wonderful!

"Wait, what's that? It could totally rival Tsunade, really came to the right place, eh hee hee~"

Outside the bathhouse, a tall, white‑haired ninja perched on his butt, excitedly peeking through a crack at the secret garden that entices the opposite sex.

He swayed his hips, continuously praising with his mouth, paying no heed to the four Police Department ninjas staring at him from behind.

Yāngzhé looked at the lewdly behaving middle‑aged ninja before him, doubting, "This outfit should be Jiraiya, right? No, should I say that this kind of guy truly is the world‑renowned Legendary Sannin Jiraiya?"

Before the four could act, the bathhouse matron who had brought them over poured a basin of boiling water, splashing it directly onto Jiraiya's head under the four's shocked gazes.

"Ah~"

Jiraiya's ten fingers instantly stiffened, his tongue stretched absurdly long, his face flushed bright red, then he leapt three zhang high, wailing in pain.

"So hot, so hot! How could you splash boiling water~"

"You perverted brat, you should be beaten!"

Jiraiya kept wailing, but his strong prowess meant this minor injury was nothing.

He gritted his teeth, turned to complain, but saw four Police Department members standing behind the old lady; his face changed instantly, and he pointed behind them, shouting, "What is that?"

"Mm?"

The four all turned back at once, but quickly sensed something was off; when they turned again, Jiraiya had already leapt onto the roof and fled, leaving only a silhouette.

"This guy! Stop!"

Yāngzhé's face darkened; he hadn't expected Jiraiya to be such a person—peeking at the women's bathhouse was one thing, but using such petty tricks to toy with them, and they still trusted him.

The four immediately gave chase, but soon lost him; Yāngzhé had to relay the news to the Police Department.

Meanwhile, in front of the Hokage Tower, Shisui and Hui were heading toward the Hokage Tower when Jiraiya suddenly leapt down from a rooftop, landing right before them.

"Sss~ This old lady's move is too harsh, it hurts me to death!"

Jiraiya hit the ground, grimacing in pain, fanning his cheek, and after a complaint, he noticed the two people ahead; looking up, they were again Police Department members.

"Are you... Lord Jiraiya?"

Shisui examined him briefly and immediately recognized his identity.

Seeing that the two did not move to arrest him, Jiraiya calmed down, let out a loud laugh, struck a pose and replied, "Indeed, I am the handsome gentleman who can even silence a crying child; I am Lord Jiraiya!"

Shisui was startled, then gave a gentle smile; Hui twitched his mouth corner, giving a doubtful up‑and‑down look.

"We've long heard Lord Jiraiya's personality is rather unique; seeing him today proves it."

"Ah? Ahahaha, that's right, that's right, youngster, you have good eyes. After I'm done, I'll take you to explore the secret garden and collect materials together; I'm sure you'll be interested!"

Jiraiya took it as praise for Shisui, happily patting Shisui's shoulder and laughing aloud.

"Secret garden? Collecting materials?"

Shisui didn't quite understand, and politely declined, citing busy official duties.

"Oh~ so you're the new clan head of the Uchiha clan, Shisui Uchiha, huh? I see, being so young and already bearing such a heavy burden is really not easy."

After learning Shisui's identity, Zilai Ye restrained his smile; he had heard about various matters in the Village, and he was naturally well aware of the conflict between the Uchiha clan and the Village.

He couldn't help but remark, "The old man was right; Uchiha—no, Konoha is lucky to have a ninja like this."

Shisui shook his head and humbly replied, "I'm not mature enough yet; thanks to the trust and support of the Third Hokage, I can barely manage the work during this period."

Zilai Ye's expression froze as he looked at Shisui's familiar smile, recalling his own disciple, who was equally gentle and modest. He also remembered some information about Shisui; like his disciple, Shisui had become famous in that period, and his "Instant Body Shisui" reputation was no weaker than the Yellow Flash.

In various nations, an unwritten rule even emerged: if two people meet, they may abandon the mission without punishment.

Thinking so, Zilai Ye grew increasingly fond of Shisui, and the two chatted at length not far from the Hokage Building.

They talked about Police Department affairs, then family trivialities, then the Village's situation, followed by the North, the Ninja World, then novels and various books, and finally even Orochimaru.

Shisui's unique way of thinking, distinctive insight, and extensive reading attracted Zilai Ye, making him even more interested.

Zilai Ye, having traveled far and wide, was well‑read and knowledgeable, often mentioning things Shisui had never heard; although Zilai Ye did not endorse some of those views, he did not refute them immediately.

The two became more engrossed, and before they knew it, half an hour had passed.

Hui stood idly by; as dusk approached he wanted to remind Shisui that they were here to see the Third, but seeing the two so absorbed, he let it go.

At that moment, a person suddenly ran from the direction of the Police Department.

The person froze upon seeing the three, then with a strange expression approached Shisui and quietly informed him about Zilai Ye's peeking.

Listening to the description, Shisui's eyes widened instantly, and he looked at Zilai Ye with an incredulous expression.

He then immediately recalled others' descriptions of Zilai Ye's personality.

Lecherous!

"As expected of Lord Zilai Ye, it's a pleasure to have talked so much with you, but this place is inconvenient; if possible, we'd like Lord Zilai Ye to move elsewhere for our conversation."

Zilai Ye, feeling uneasy, averted his gaze; though the person lowered his voice, at such close range Zilai Ye could naturally hear what was said.

"Ah ha ha, if you have something to attend to, you can go first; as for chatting, let's do it next time—definitely next time~"

Saying that, Zilai Ye scratched his head and prepared to leave.

"No rush, Lord Zilai Ye, let's first go back to the Police Department and discuss the bathhouse matter."

Shisui chuckled, pulled out handcuffs and waved them; Zilai Ye immediately resumed a serious tone, pointing and saying, "Old man, why did you come down?"

The three, suspecting nothing, turned around, only to see no one behind them, while Zilai Ye stuck out his tongue, laughed wildly, and ran past them straight toward the Hokage Building.

Running, he shouted, "I, the great master, am truly a genius! Ah ha ha ha~"

The three were stunned in place; normally they would have noticed the situation behind them, but given Zilai Ye's notorious reputation, they instinctively chose to believe, finding it hard to imagine he would use such a trick to deceive them.

Hui's mouth twitched as he quipped, "Is this guy really Lord Zilai Ye?"

"Eh, hehe"

Shisui gave an awkward smile, watching Zilai Ye crawl in through the Hokage office window, then suddenly realizing something; he softly instructed the person, "I heard Lord Zilai Ye has been traveling abroad, and his sudden return to the Village must be about Orochimaru. I'll handle this matter, so you needn't look for him."

"Yes!"

Although Shisui also found the peeking behavior shameful, given Zilai Ye's status he couldn't do anything about it; moreover, the Third was already troubled by Orochimaru's defection, and Zilai Ye's return was undoubtedly a morale boost for the Third and Konoha.

"Then should we still go see the Hokage?"

"Maybe next time; it's not a big deal." Shisui shook his head. He had intended to report to the Third about the ninjas, including Gennai Mitarashi, who were detained in the Police Department because of Orochimaru, but now it was clearly untimely.

Hui let out a chuckle and immediately planned to run away.

"Fine, then I'll leave early; I have no classes tonight, I'm going to drink and have skewers with everyone~"

". Fine."

Meanwhile, Zilai Ye turned and entered the office; just as he was about to greet the Third, he was startled by the other's haggard appearance.

He ignored the three assistants beside him and said directly, "Old man, you're not young either; you should exercise restraint with such matters!"

The Third twitched his mouth, rolled his eyes, and immediately abandoned any thought of rekindling a master‑disciple relationship with Zilai Ye, instead detailing Orochimaru's situation to him.

"Orochimaru has indeed taken that path."

Zilai Ye's expression was solemn, his mood heavy; he knew Orochimaru's personality had drastically changed because of some people's deaths, but he hadn't expected it to be this severe.

"Don't worry, I'll be responsible for bringing him back; even if I have to beat him down, I'll carry him back!"

"No."

The Third shook his head and said, "Now there's a matter more troublesome than Orochimaru that needs your help."

"Eh? What matter?"

Zhuan Qin Xiaochun explained in time, "Because Orochimaru escaped, the Village's people are panicked; the Cloud Hidden side also received the news, and lately they've been restless, unable to hold back. A great war may be unavoidable."

Rizhan's body has developed further issues and needs a period of recuperation; we plan to have you become the Fifth Hokage to steady the Village and calm the people's hearts.

The three assistants, deep down, did not want to replace the Hokage at this moment, but the Village's situation was indeed getting more chaotic; they needed a new vitality to bring hope and steady the people's hearts.

Anyway, Zilai Ye is not an outsider; even if he became Hokage, they'd still give him a few token respects.

"Become Hokage? No, no, I won't. You go find Tsunade, or anyone else; I definitely won't."

Zilai Ye's complexion shifted, he gestured repeatedly, "I still have to pursue Orochimaru, chase him, and even travel the Ninja World to find a savior; how can I waste time in this damned place?"

"This isn't a negotiation; we have no choice. If you don't help, Konoha will truly be in danger."

Zhuan Qin Xiaochun scolded loudly, his attitude resolute; Mizuto Monen also advised from the side, while Danzo remained silent, eyes closed in meditation.

But regardless of how the two urged him, Zilai Ye remained unmoved.

At that moment, the Third sighed and said, "How about this: let the Orochimaru issue settle for now; you stay in the Village for a while to steady the villagers. When I find Tsunade or another suitable successor, you can leave. How does that sound?"

"This"

Zilai Ye looked very troubled; having already refused the Hokage position, he couldn't keep refusing the Third's request, so he reluctantly agreed.

But he knew Tsunade would definitely not return; as for a successor—Zilai Ye's expression shifted and he said, "Hey, old man, how about I introduce someone?"

"Hmm?"

The three of them were startled, and Tuan Zang also suddenly opened his single eye to stare at Zi Lai Ye, feeling a faint thread of expectation in his heart.

"Did someone already get chosen as soon as you returned to the Village? Who?"

Zi Lai Ye thought about the child's words and actions, then compared them with his disciple, becoming increasingly satisfied.

He then said plainly, "I think Shisui Uchiha is quite good; hasn't the Uchiha clan always wanted to produce a Hokage? Then just let him be one!"

Ah, this—there was originally some description and dialogue in the bathhouse, but it got censored as soon as it was posted, so I had to delete it all.

Off the main storyline, I didn't write anything, just said 'pink', 'big', 'white', and such as dialogue, and it all got censored. (Chapter end)