Akihara Kagura shrugged.
As a modern person, it's impossible to ignore the progress of technology, especially in the Ninja World where Chakra, an energy that can develop alongside technology, exists.
After Orochimaru left, Akihara Kagura raised his finger and communicated with his Deva Path Puppet Shisui, ordering him to lurk in Orochimaru's shadow to monitor his actions, lest Orochimaru conceive any cunning ideas.
Since Deva Shisui could utilize Akihara Kagura's Chakra and was also endowed with Kagura's Curse Seal, if Orochimaru made any moves, Deva Shisui could quickly use the Curse Seal to control him.
Late night.
Root Base.
Akihara Kagura returned here with a group of reanimated Hokages and Root Ninjas, Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama noticed these Double Bloodline Ninjas with Sharingan and Wood Release along the way, and immediately sensed the anomaly in their Chakra.
"Kid..."
Senju Tobirama stared at a Root Ninja, then suddenly turned to Akihara Kagura: "Something seems odd about these experiments..."
"Oh."
Akihara Kagura seemed to realize just now and explained: "These are the survivors I rescued on the night of the Uchiha clan's massacre, but according to orders from Root's founder, Danzo-sama, they have no names or past, they are no longer considered Uchiha."
"Survivors!"
Senju Tobirama frowned and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Monkey, didn't you say the Uchiha clan was completely annihilated? Only a little guy named Uchiha Sasuke was left...
"They're not Uchiha."
Akihara Kagura sighed innocently: "Though they have the Uchiha clan's bloodline, they no longer bear the Uchiha name..."
"Danzo-sama used to have a fondness for the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, and I thought he would appreciate the Uchiha clan, so I kicked out the trash recruited by Danzo-sama and stuffed all these survivors into the Root that Danzo-sama established."
"..."
Senju Tobirama clenched his fist tightly.
This damn kid, not bearing the Uchiha name doesn't mean they aren't part of the Uchiha clan!
And, what's going on with that fellow Shimura Danzo, the Uchiha clan not only didn't perish, but was even used as sacrifices, and his department is filled with Uchiha!
"..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a bit dumbfounded.
Sarutobi Hiruzen simply didn't know where to begin.
Hiruzen thought Akihara Kagura's operations tonight were enough to make him feel a bit uneasy, but upon hearing the Root established by Danzo filled with Uchiha, his brain instantly felt a great absurdity and incongruity!
Shimura Danzo...
Probably wouldn't rest in peace upon his death, right?
After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew his old friend's intentions, Shimura Danzo was fixated on destroying the Uchiha clan, yet the Root is filled with Uchiha...
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression became somewhat complex, hesitantly looking at Akihara Kagura: "I remember the members of the Konoha Police Force were slaughtered by Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Itachi killed the people in the Uchiha Clan Land, and even used the Tailed Beast Ball to clear the Uchiha Clan Land... "
"Didn't I conspire with Uchiha Obito?"
Akihara Kagura shrugged, continuing: "Didn't the village send away the Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura on the eve of the massacre night?"
"I gave information about the Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura to Uchiha Obito, allowing him to capture the Three-Tailed Jinchuriki and hand it over to Uchiha Itachi."
"On the night of the massacre, Uchiha Itachi couldn't find these survivors, he thought someone was hiding them, and directly used the Tailed Beast Ball to cleanse the Uchiha Clan Land, everyone thought these survivors' bodies were destroyed by the Tailed Beast Ball..."
"..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt his perception was overturned once again.
The Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen felt his perception refreshed repeatedly, every time he thought everything was over, a new 'surprise' would pop out.
However...
Maybe it's a good thing, at least there are still Uchiha bloodlines in Konoha Village, not just Uchiha Sasuke alone.
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly remembered Akihara Kagura asking him for Uchiha Sasuke: "No wonder you always said before, to let Uchiha Sasuke join your Root, to let him meet his clansmen, I thought..."
"The Root won't accept him."
Akihara Kagura shook his head indifferently and continued: "I'm just continuing Danzo-sama's ideology, Uchiha Sasuke is just a kid whose fate is controlled by his brother, the survivors in Root are the true avengers."
"..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was silent for a while, then took the initiative to speak: "Kagura, Itachi is also a pitiful person, everything he did was out of utmost helplessness..."
"Don't worry, Third Hokage-sama."
Akihara Kagura looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and chuckled softly: "I won't let his life be too easy, considering he didn't even save Captain Kakashi Hatake back then, I haven't killed him actively, which is already very merciful, isn't it?"
"..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't find the words to speak.
After a long time, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and said: "Back then, I was also contemplating how to resolve the Uchiha problem, who would've thought my role as Hokage couldn't achieve what you've done...perhaps my choices were biased, always swayed by your extremes, your heart harbors that kindness and is the best candidate for the Fifth Hokage."
"..."
Senju Tobirama strongly disagreed with this.
However, Senju Hashirama and Namikaze Minato believed Akihara Kagura did a good job with this matter.
Though the means of utilizing Uchiha Itachi appear somewhat dark, successfully resolving the issue between Konoha and the Uchiha, preserving Uchiha bloodlines for Konoha, even if these Uchiha are loyal to Akihara Kagura.
However...
Konoha's top brass has surely ended up taking on a hefty black pot.
The deceased Shimura Danzo died rather aggrieved and wronged.
Yet...
The utility of Shimura Danzo is not yet over.
"Just in time, we can take this opportunity to expand the Root."
Akihara Kagura glanced at Karin and instructed: "Karin, select fifteen squads from the remaining survivors, I'll help them graft the First Hokage's cells, outwardly claiming Danzo-sama handed his Double Bloodline Ninjas over to me..."
"Isn't the number a bit mismatched?"
Karin, being an extremely cautious assistant, reminded: "Kagura-sama, Danzo-sama initially recognized the Sharingan deficit to be a hundred and forty-three, theoretically it should be fifty-nine people, fifteen squads is sixty people, should the sixtieth person only have one Sharingan?"
"What is the point of bothering with these details now!"
Senju Tobirama grumbled in dissatisfaction, interrupting Karin's speech: "This kid has already become the top candidate for the strongest in Konoha, who would question? I genuinely want to see how you created ninjas possessing both Sharingan and Wood Release, to see the full extent of their strength..."
"No, it's better to be more rigorous."
Akihara Kagura shook his head, rejecting Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's disregard for details and instructed: "Let's directly select then, I remember they have all awakened the Sharingan, right? Anyone under forty can be directly incorporated into the Root..."
"There are quite a few people."
Karin adjusted her glasses, contemplating the Uchiha rescued by Akihara Kagura back then, some of these children have already grown up: "Kagura-sama, if assessed without gender distinction, you can select more than seventy individuals, if the Sharingan count doesn't match, wouldn't someone guess there are other Uchiha alive in this world..."
"Few people know about this."
Akihara Kagura already had a solution, continued: "Then forge a document from Danzo-sama, claiming he was secretly collecting Sharingan all along, these experiments were created by Danzo-sama, the Root is merely the receiver, when questioned in the future, we will have evidence."
"..."
The several Hokages present felt their eyelids twitch.
Senju Tobirama's face became particularly grim, looking darkly at Akihara Kagura: "Danzo is already dead, but you still want to utilize him?"