Seeing Mikoto appear, Kushina was stunned, but only for a moment.

  She already knew about Mikoto's retionship with Orochimaru, but what confused her was the job Orochimaru had entrusted to Mikoto.

  After Mikoto left, Kushina couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer.

  "Lord Orochimaru, you mentioned that the Uchiha cn has conflicts with the vilge. So why would you entrust Mikoto with something so sensitive?"

  "I'll expin ter," Orochimaru replied indifferently, brushing off her question as he turned his attention back to the screen in front of him.

  On the screen, the masked, white-haired Kakashi stood in the corner of the Hokage ceremony, isoted from the crowd.

  ---

  With Orochimaru's discreet assistance, Tsunade had successfully assumed the mantle of the Fourth Hokage.

  Behind the Hokage Building, work had already begun on carving Tsunade's face into the Hokage Rock.

  Although many ninjas were puzzled by the sudden resignation of the Third Hokage, for the majority of them, it hardly mattered who held the title as long as their lives remained unaffected.

  Three days ter, within the Uchiha Cn Compound…

  When Tsunade arrived at the Uchiha compound to visit shortly after becoming Hokage, many members of the cn were visibly surprised.

  "Lord Hokage," Uchiha Fugaku greeted respectfully.

  Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha cn and a man who advocated for peace, naturally maintained the proper respect when addressing the Hokage.

  "I'm here to see Mikoto. Carry on with your work," Tsunade said simply, nodding to him.

  "Yes, Lord Hokage," Fugaku replied, though his tone carried a trace of confusion.

  While Fugaku didn't dwell on it, the news quickly spread throughout the Uchiha compound.

  The retionship between the Uchiha cn and Konoha was a sensitive topic, one known to every adult Uchiha ninja.

  Many specuted about Tsunade's unexpected visit.

  Was she here to investigate their cn's situation? Perhaps to find a pretext to suppress them?

  But when word got out that Tsunade was specifically here to meet Uchiha Mikoto, the cn members were even more bewildered.

  ---

  Inside Mikoto's house…

  In the living room, Uchiha Akihara, Mikoto's father, sipped on tea prepared by his wife as he pondered the cn's current situation.

  At fifty-something, Akihara was one of the cn's senior advisors. Having survived countless battles, he was considered a figure of wisdom within the Uchiha.

  However, despite his status, one regret always weighed on his mind the decision to push his daughter, Mikoto, into forging ties with Orochimaru.

  What seemed like a smart move at the time had proven to be a grave miscalcution when Orochimaru defected from the vilge.

  To make matters worse, Mikoto refused to marry after meeting Orochimaru, a decision Akihara couldn't understand.

  Although he'd noticed certain oddities in their interactions, the possibility of his daughter being involved with Orochimaru seemed too scandalous to believe.

  The shame such a retionship could bring to the Uchiha cn was unthinkable, yet he chose to remain silent, adhering to the old principle that family scandals should not be aired publicly.

  As he sat in quiet contemption, a knock came at the door.

  "Who is it? Come in," Akihara called out.

  A cn member stepped inside, bowing slightly.

  "Akihara-sama, is Mikoto at home?"

  "Yes. Why do you ask?"

  "Lord Hokage is here. She wants to see Mikoto."

  "What?!" Akihara was taken aback.

  Tsunade, one of the Sannin and the current Hokage, had personally come to his home?

  More importantly, Tsunade was known to be Orochimaru's wife.

  Why would she, of all people, come here instead of summoning them to her office?

  Akihara's thoughts spiraled. Could Tsunade have discovered Mikoto's connection to Orochimaru? Was she here to exact revenge?

  Suppressing his anxiety, Akihara went to greet Tsunade.

  The ensuing conversation left him utterly stunned.

  "You want Mikoto to be your assistant?"

  "Correct. Is there a problem?" Tsunade asked, her tone firm.

  "N-no… no problem at all," Akihara stammered, his voice trembling.

  Being Hokage's assistant wasn't just a desk job. It was a position of immense influence, second only to the Hokage and the advisors in terms of authority.

  For Tsunade to offer such a prestigious role to a member of the Uchiha cn was nothing short of astonishing.

  Even after Tsunade left, Akihara remained in a daze, unable to process what had just happened.

  ---

  "Let Mikoto become Tsunade's assistant, introduce a new curriculum to the Ninja Academy, and eventually reassign the Uchiha cn to different roles. These steps will significantly ease tensions between the Uchiha and Konoha."

  Walking through the wilderness, Orochimaru expined his strategies to Kushina, who listened intently.

  After a moment, she asked, "I understand how Mikoto becoming Tsunade-sama's assistant could make the Uchiha feel more valued by the vilge, but why introduce a new course at the Ninja Academy?"

  "Ideological shifts start with the younger generation," Orochimaru expined patiently. "The new course will highlight the Uchiha cn's contributions to Konoha, helping civilian ninjas see the Uchiha in a positive light. This will foster better integration and mutual acceptance."

  "What about reassigning their jobs? Isn't the Police Force already a powerful role? Why take that away from them?"

  "Powerful, yes. But also deeply unpopur. The job requires dealing with prisoners and enforcing ws, which fosters resentment and amplifies their cn's more extreme tendencies. Reassigning them to different roles will help diffuse those tensions."

  "Wow… you've thought of everything," Kushina said, impressed. "You really are incredible, Lord Orochimaru."

  Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smile. "It's nothing. These are just ideas on paper. Tsunade will have to figure out how to implement them and ensure the Uchiha cooperate."

  "But still…" Kushina trailed off before suddenly perking up. "By the way, where are we headed now?"

  "To meet someone," Orochimaru replied cryptically.

  "Who?"

  Before Orochimaru could answer, a voice rang out ahead of them.

  "So, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is indeed in your hands, Orochimaru."

  The pair turned to see several ANBU members fnking none other than Danzo, who stood with a cold gre.

  "Danzo-sama?" Kushina whispered in disbelief.

  ***

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