Aside from the two eyeballs sharing a single socket being a bit crowded, there were no particular issues.
The entire surgery was completed in just ten minutes.
Itachi's tolerance for pain was extremely high; aside from an initial grunt, he made no sound throughout the procedure.
Though connecting the nerves and blood vessels was excruciating, the pain actually subsided once the eyeballs were in place.
After applying medicine to promote healing, Orochimaru bandaged both of Itachi's eyes.
"In the coming days, your eyes and Fugaku's will fuse, and your ocular powers will merge. You need to carefully experience this sensation."
"Once the fusion of ocular power is complete, you will be able to open your eyes."
Itachi, feeling the pain in his eyes had already lessened, replied, "I understand, Lord Orochimaru."
Kawasaki instructed Shisui, "Itachi will stay here for now so Orochimaru can observe him. You will take care of him."
"Understood, senior."
Kawasaki glanced at Fugaku, who was lying nearby.
With his eyes gone, Fugaku's eyelids were sunken, creating a rather horrifying sight.
Within the clan, the clansmen came first. Between husband and wife, Mikoto came first.
Between father and sons, Itachi and Sasuke always came first.
Tch, what a quintessential tool of a father.
...
After Orochimaru finished the surgery, he sent Karin out.
Karin left Orochimaru's laboratory and stepped outside. Under a tree, she knocked twice.
An ANBU member materialized before her.
Recalling Lord Kawasaki's instructions, Karin reported, "Report to Lord Hokage that Uchiha Fugaku has indeed suffered a problem with his eyes and is now blind."
"Uchiha Itachi's vision is also nearly gone. Both of them require cloned eyes from Lord Orochimaru."
"Uchiha Shisui has been recalled by Kawasaki and is currently with Fugaku and Itachi at Lord Orochimaru's facility."
"Understood."
The ANBU operative said nothing more, and with a flicker, he vanished.
A sly smile played on Karin's young face. She thought the Third Hokage was a complete fool, constantly being led around by Lord Kawasaki and Lord Orochimaru.
...
The ANBU operative quickly arrived at the Hokage's office.
After hearing the report, the Third Hokage waved his hand, dismissing him.
Hearing this news, the Third Hokage felt a great sense of relief.
With both Fugaku and Itachi having lost their sight, even if they received cloned eyes, they would no longer possess the Mangekyo Sharingan.
This meant the Uchiha's top-tier fighting force was reduced to just Kawasaki and Shisui, drastically lowering the probability of a coup.
As long as the Uchiha couldn't seize power by force, the burden on the Third Hokage's shoulders felt much lighter, especially during this critical period.
However, Kawasaki was cunning and unpredictable. The Third Hokage dared not underestimate him and could only wait to see his next move.
Just as he was thinking, another ANBU operative reported from outside.
After leaving Orochimaru's lab, Kawasaki had gone alone to visit the Hyuga clan.
The Third Hokage's brow furrowed once more. Ever since the incident with the Hidden Cloud Village years ago, the Hyuga had gradually grown distant from the Hokage.
Later, despite the incident where a Hyuga clan member stole a restaurant recipe, the relationship between the Uchiha and the Hyuga had not soured.
On the contrary, the Uchiha had entrusted the management of all their shops on Eighth Street to the Hyuga.
The close relationship between the Uchiha and the Hyuga put the Hokage in a very passive position.
Over the past few years, the Hyuga had managed the Konoha Military Police Force with great success, handling all matters competently.
Even as the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no grounds to criticize the Hyuga clan.
Now, Kawasaki was visiting the Hyuga again. He wondered what the man was plotting.
With the monthly Konoha high-level meeting approaching, it was uncertain whether the Uchiha would even participate.
The situation regarding the conflicts with the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist was also unclear.
With a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, the Third Hokage felt exceptionally weary.
He sighed and rose from his chair.
Walking to the window, he gazed at the bustling lights of the village below, took his pipe, and drew a long, deep breath.
...
Within the Hyuga clan compound.
Kawasaki was warmly welcomed by the Hyuga clansmen upon his arrival.
He had been here once before, and he still found the layout of the Hyuga compound to be grand and impressive.
Rock gardens, courtyards, green bamboo, and mountain springs were all arranged perfectly.
Furthermore, the grounds were heavily guarded, with sentry posts everywhere.
Tall trees prevented spying, and perception-dampening barriers were densely deployed.
Even Kawasaki's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was significantly suppressed.
As he walked, Kawasaki observed his surroundings, noting many things his own Uchiha clan could learn from and improve upon.
Since the visit was pre-arranged, Hyuga Hizashi was waiting for him inside the clan grounds.
"Hizashi, it's been a while."
Kawasaki once again found himself in Hizashi's study, sitting face to face with him.
Hizashi poured a cup of tea for Kawasaki and said, "It's rare for you to find the time to visit, Kawasaki."
Kawasaki took a light sip of tea. "You've been busy lately, haven't you, Hizashi?"
Hizashi nodded. "The Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist are on the brink of war. The future of the conflict is uncertain, and Konoha has raised its alert level."
Kawasaki gently tapped the table. "Don't worry. The war between the Cloud and the Mist won't last long."
His voice was filled with certainty.
Hizashi looked at Kawasaki with a questioning gaze.
Kawasaki returned his look with a meaningful smile.
Seeing that Kawasaki had no intention of elaborating, Hizashi didn't press the matter, but he silently took note of this piece of intelligence.
The Hyuga clan was aware of the recent confrontation between Kawasaki and Orochimaru.
The Third Hokage had directly ordered the Hyuga to seal off the surrounding streets.
However, the Hyuga did not know the specifics of what had transpired within the barrier.
All they knew for certain was that Orochimaru was on the Hokage's side.
"You had a match with Orochimaru the other day?"
Kawasaki waved his hand dismissively. "I took a small loss and made a bit of a trade with the Third Hokage."
"The Third Hokage gave me a position as an honorary elder."
If a clan had two honorary elders, its influence in Konoha would be substantial.
Before this, only the Hyuga clan boasted two such respected honorary elders. Now, the Uchiha had joined their ranks.
"Hizashi," Kawasaki began, his tone shifting, "have you ever thought that Sarutobi Hiruzen has been in the Hokage's seat for a little too long?"
Kawasaki's sudden question made Hizashi's hand pause slightly.
He clearly hadn't expected Kawasaki to bring this up so abruptly.
After a moment, Hizashi slowly replied, "It has indeed been a very long time."
Kawasaki let out a soft chuckle. "Hizashi, who do you think would be a suitable Fifth Hokage?"
Unsure of Kawasaki's true intentions, Hizashi didn't give a direct answer.
"In any case, the Hyuga clan is not suitable. But it doesn't seem like the Third Hokage has any intention of retiring."
Kawasaki spoke casually. "That's just because the clan elders and the families have gotten used to it. If a newcomer could help our clans prosper even more, someone would surely bring it up."
The position of Hokage was typically passed on only when the predecessor died or chose to retire. Only then would an election for the next Hokage be held.