บท 124: Chapter 124
Kaito had no idea what the three leaders of Konoha were plotting; all he knew was that his head was throbbing.
The suggestion made by Uchiha Fugaku was quickly adopted by Shisui, Uchiha Sō, and Uchiha Takechi.
For they did indeed feel that Kaito's previous residence was too shabby. Before, Kaito himself had never brought it up, nor did he have any thoughts about it, and they themselves were too busy and had overlooked it.
Now that Kaito's house had been destroyed by him, it was necessary to find a new residence that matched Kaito's status.
Kaito didn't know what to say about this, because he found it seemed that there was no use arguing against it.
Although he didn't really care about where he lived - it was all the same to this bachelor anyway - considering his position as clan leader, it was indeed a problem if he didn't have a house that matched his status.
At the very least, when clan members or others came to visit and found that the leader of the first wealthy clan of Konoha lived in such a place, it would indeed be quite embarrassing.
"However, why bring up my marriage issue when talking about changing houses? Are they just pushing me to sow more seeds?"
What truly bothered Kaito was not the relocation, but the fact that those three old guys mentioned the issue of his offspring when talking about changing houses.
In this era with a very low average age, especially in the high-risk profession of ninja, no one knew if they would live to see the sun the next day.
Therefore, people in this world tend to marry at a young age, even if the situation seemed to have improved a lot in the future, but this was subtly reflected in the original work.
Take Sakura, Ino, or even Hinata for example, they started thinking about love at a young age, which reflects some of the psychological thoughts of the people in this world.
Moreover, Kaito was a genius of the Uchiha, and his marriage should have been arranged long ago.
But back then, Kaito was a mission ninja, rarely in the village.
In addition, this guy didn't lean towards any side, so no one came to him, and he was able to continue this way.
Although things are different now, Kaito still isn't in the mood, mainly because he doesn't seem to like anyone in the clan.
After all, he realized back then that he had no say in the clan, and his strength wasn't enough to make people obey.
So, he thought the clan was beyond saving and was just waiting for its destruction, so he didn't bother thinking about raising a little girl.
If he had known that he could activate the system a year ago, he would have found a beautiful little girl to play with and raise!
Look at Sasuke, who has a celebrity father, didn't he start at a young age?
Sadly, there's no way to turn back on this matter, even if Kaito could draw the ultimate move of Aik, he didn't think he would return to that era.
"Forget it, why bother thinking about this? If there really is someone in the clan that I like, I'll just issue an order then.
After all, I'm the clan leader. No one would refuse me, and no one dares to!"
Kaito thought silently to himself, suddenly turned his head and looked at Shisui next to him. He instantly realized that this youngster seemed to be a bachelor like him.
However, he couldn't be bothered to meddle in this guy's affairs anymore. He'd already given him the "Icha Icha," if he couldn't glean anything from that, he would be truly foolish.
Also, Kaito was quite curious, what was the current status of this young man's health? Although he had been keeping an eye on him, the specific circumstances still had to be referred back to the person involved.
"I feel like I should be about ready, although the lab people say I still need to be observed, but I think my body has essentially adapted to these powers." Shisui promptly answered seriously after hearing Kaito's question. He wouldn't withhold anything about this matter, since it was directly related to the overall success rate of the experiment.
"I see, I understand." Upon hearing this, Kaito couldn't help but nod his head. Then he broke into a smile: "Looks like things are going pretty well. How about your eyes now?"
"Not bad. I can feel the power healing the damage in my eyes, but the progress is extremely slow," Shisui answered immediately. "I think, the experiment should be able to continue. When the time comes, you can use it without any worries, Kaito."
In fact, Shisui felt a faint change in his eyes from the first experiment.
But the change was so subtle that he even doubted his own sensations.
However, as time passed, his body gradually adapted to the new powers within, and his sensations began to intensify.
He could clearly feel his eyes recovering step by step, and his physical condition seemed to be improving as well.
The feeling was dreamlike. Though there were times when he experienced pain, he knew it was a natural reaction.
After all, if he could truly restore his eyes, and even use the Mangekyou Sharingan without worry as Kaito said, what would a bit of pain count for?
"We'll discuss this matter later. You focus on your own condition for now."
Shisui's words didn't overly concern Kaito. However, the fact that this guy always considered him made Kaito extremely happy.
"Take care of yourself, cooperate with the laboratory work. I'm looking forward to a Deputy Clan Head with power far beyond the current one."
"You won't be disappointed, Kaito."
Shisui nodded earnestly, but he quickly thought of something.
"By the way, Kaito, there's a kid in the lab who wants to be my apprentice, and the kid is a bit special, I..."
"Shisui, make the decision yourself on such trivial matters."
Before Shisui could finish, Kaito interrupted him, and his expression seemed somewhat speechless.
Although Shisui always asked him for advice and prioritized him in everything, which indeed made him feel good.
But to consult him about every little thing, wasn't that a joke? How could he have so much energy to get involved in everything, to manage everything?
The people in the lab were all pretty good. Although not everyone had high talent, their loyalty was unquestionable.
Among these people, if someone wanted to be Shisui's apprentice, Kaito would never refuse, as long as Shisui saw value in them.
Kaito's words made Shisui open his mouth slightly, but in the end, he obediently closed it. He could sense that Kaito seemingly didn't care about this matter at all.
It was an unmistakable 'figure it out yourself' attitude, a sign of his trust, yet it left him feeling somewhat helpless. The person who approached him was of too special a status, and the child was a genius, only the kid sought him out for the sake of revenge! And the child's name was Uchiha Izumi...
...
"Captain, the changing of the guard is here, we should go."
Inside the Hokage Building, Kakashi stood silently within his defensive area, as still as a statue. His eyes, like those of a hawk, watched the crowd below until his subordinate came to inform him. Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze.
"I understand. Dismissed."
Kakashi responded coldly, then turned to leave without looking back. His subordinate seemed to have become accustomed to this, showing no surprise.
The Anbu Kakashi was cold as deep ice, that bone-deep chill was more than most could bear. Were it not for the hierarchy, his subordinate probably wouldn't have bothered to inform him.
However, Kakashi was indifferent to such things. His mind was filled with everything he had heard the previous night.
To be honest, he was conflicted now. He never dreamed that what started as a search for traces of the Root Division's actions would lead to him accidentally overhearing the Hokage and his staff's plans for the Uchiha.
As an Anbu, he shouldn't have been concerned about these matters, he was not to intervene or concern himself, whether he heard about them or not.
But as Hatake Kakashi, it was hard not to care. After all, one of his eyes was given to him by Uchiha Obito!
Such a favor was unforgettable, not to mention that Obito was his best friend, the one who rekindled the light in his life amidst a world of darkness.
Now that Obito's family was being targeted by the Hokage, or rather, had always been targeted, how could Kakashi accept this?
Moreover, Kakashi thought of another thing. Was it right for the Hokage to target a major family within their own village?
After all, Kakashi was the student of the Fourth Hokage. Even though Minato Namikaze only served as Hokage for a year, and Kakashi was mostly in the Anbu.
But Minato's care for him was never lacking, he had taught him many things. He knew very well how dreadful it was for a Hokage to deal with families within the village.
"How should I handle this matter..."
As Kakashi walked outside, he pondered silently. After a while, he made a decision.
He didn't particularly like Kaito, after all, Kaito had attacked him and even used a genjutsu on him - something he could never forget.
But Kaito's genjutsu gave him a new goal, a desire and urge to pursue the truth.
Moreover, Kaito was the head of the Uchiha clan, and he did not want to see any trouble befall the family. After all, it was Obito's family
But Kakashi also knew that he couldn't directly hand over this information to Kaito, given his special position.
Although Kaito had instigated him to do certain things, Kakashi understood it was because Kaito wasn't afraid of being discovered, but his situation was different.
If he were to directly tell Kaito, Kaito might not even believe him, after all, he was an Anbu.
He even worried that if he were caught doing this, he might be endlessly threatened in the future. What would he do then?
After thinking about it, he decided he had to use some other method, one that wouldn't reveal his identity.
Having come to this conclusion, Kakashi had made up his mind.
He then silently walked towards his home, leaving behind a slightly lonely silhouette...
...
The next morning, Kaito looked at the letter in his hands with a strange expression.
Standing next to Kaito were Shisui, Fugaku, and two elders. Their expressions were a lot more solemn.
No one knew who sent this letter, even the camera didn't capture any traces. The content inside the letter was even more unnerving.
Because the letter detailed what Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others were planning to do, and each of these plans directly targeted the Uchiha and the Security Division's weaknesses!
To be blunt, if these things truly happen, both the Uchiha and the Security Division would be in a predicament.
"This method is really clever," Kaito couldn't help but shake his head and laugh after reading the letter.
He knew that Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't easily back down, he even guessed that during this so-called 'period of peace', the guy would not likely sit idle and let him develop.
Only he didn't expect that this would come so soon.
Is he impatient to stir up trouble before Danzo's body has even gone cold?
Kaito had thought before that if he couldn't destroy the opponent's will, then he could destroy the body that carries that will!
Is Sarutobi Hiruzen too impatient to join Danzo in the afterlife?
Although Kaito wasn't sure about the authenticity of this intelligence, he didn't know who sent it or what their true intentions were.
Just by looking at the contents of this intelligence, he felt that it was probably true.
After all, it so accurately pinpointed weaknesses and could deal heavy blows to both the Uchiha and the Security Division, chilling even the Hyuga clan who have just come to their side.
Making an example of others to warn the rest, this kind of move doesn't seem like something an ordinary person could casually think of, and the one who benefits the most in the end is still Sarutobi Hiruzen and his Hokage faction!
But Kaito decided to play it safe, because the source of this intelligence was unknown, and there was one crucial point not explained.
That was the identity of the person who may want revenge on Kaito, this point really left Kaito puzzled.
He prided himself on having eliminated most of the enemies he encountered during missions, and Danzo, one of his greatest enemies in Konoha, had already been taken out by him.
Although he didn't get a chance to hit him with a fire release, to completely reduce him to ashes, the fact was that a dead man was indeed dead, and he had confirmed this.
"Take this intelligence. Everyone who has seen it must remain silent."
After contemplating for a long while, Kaito finally decided to deal with the current matters first, speaking seriously to the four people including Shisui.
"As for what's mentioned in here, I am already aware. Even though I'm not sure if it's true, we can still prepare for it.
If it's true, then we will let them have their fun. If it's false, it would still serve as a wake-up call for us.
Everyone, the Uchiha crisis is not completely resolved. What we have is a temporary peace. Don't be fooled by the immediate situation.
We need to continue to maintain our focus and dedication. We absolutely must not let our guard down. Understand?"
"Yes, Clan Head!"
The four, including Shisui, immediately answered in unison. They had all read the intelligence. Aside from Shisui and Kaito who were somewhat skeptical, Fugaku and the two elders firmly believed in the report. After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen could really pull something like this off, and it was definitely to his advantage!
But they were a bit confused now, wondering who would attack Kaito. This question puzzled them.
"Clan Head, if this is true, then who would still attack you?" Uchiha Takechi hesitated before asking, "Who else hates you to the bone?"
"I'm also curious about that. I don't lack enemies, but not many of them are alive."
Kaito stroked his chin, and then slowly said,
"Firstly, it probably wouldn't be the clansmen of Sarutobi Hiruzen. Although he and I have a great feud, he wouldn't be foolish enough to do something like this.
That would just give people something to talk about. Moreover, the person carrying out this act wouldn't have any connection to him.
As the clan head and head of the security division, I wouldn't leave Konoha without any special reason.
So, who else within Konoha has such a grudge against me..."
While he was speaking, Kaito suddenly paused. He suddenly remembered there were indeed such people!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this group harbored deep hatred against him, for Kaito had killed their master—Danzo.
These people were probably the most loyal members of the Root, who Danzo had gathered from orphanages and battlefields!
After Kaito took care of Danzo, the Root members belonging to various clans were naturally taken back.
Only a few of them came voluntarily, like Aburame Torune of the Aburame clan and Yamanaka Fū of the Yamanaka clan.
But these people all had their own clans. Even if they were loyal to Danzo, they couldn't break away from their clans at this moment.
The war orphans were truly homeless. Kaito remembered handing this group over to Sarutobi Hiruzen to deal with, who seemed to want to absorb these folks into the Anbu.
But these matters were no longer something Kaito and the major clans could be involved in. Nobody knew what status these people now held, nor was it clear if they had joined the Anbu.
And this ambiguous identity truly suited them for dangerous yet extremely covert operations.
"Do you remember that group of orphans... those people who belonged to the Root and were gathered from the battlefield?"
Kaito tentatively asked. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that if anyone truly hated him, it would be them.
"The guys from the Root?" Shisui's response was quick, having had dealings with the Root before, "I heard that they were supposed to be absorbed by the Hokage, right?"
"But whether they were absorbed or not, would the Hokage tell us?" Fugaku spoke up before Kaito could respond, "And even if they were absorbed, the official documents are with the Hokage. Would it be really difficult for him to deny or disband them?"
"If that's the case, then they are indeed the most likely suspects." Shisui nodded, then turned to Kaito, "Clan Head, how about I check on them? I think I could probe a little."
These folks, being originally homeless, had come to regard the Root as their home after joining.
Now that the Root was gone, they naturally couldn't stay there anymore. They had all been moved to a temporary base in the eastern forest.
This forest was used for ninja exams. As Konoha temporarily had no large-scale ninja promotion exams, their living there couldn't be more suitable.
"No need. I'll go and see for myself."
Kaito pondered for a moment before laughing, his gaze subtly shifting and locking onto the Hokage Rock in the distance.
"As I said, if it is them, I can play along with their game.
If you go, Shisui, they might not do anything. But if I go, the situation might not be so straightforward.
What do you think will happen if they publicly attack a department head?"
...
In the eastern forest of Konoha, a group of ninjas dressed in black were stationed in a makeshift camp.
They were extremely quiet, with the entire camp seemingly only filled with the rustling of the wind and the crackling of the bonfire. Even those on patrol did not make a sound.
Such high ninja discipline proved their fearsomeness. Moreover, the fact that they could be so quiet during patrol meant they were very good at one thing.
Assassination!
They were all former Root ninjas, but now they had become rootless people, all because of Kaito.
In their hearts, from the moment they were brought to the Root, their lives belonged to only one person - Danzo!
But now Danzo was dead, and they seemed to have lost their faith.
They now existed like a bunch of walking corpses. Perhaps their only goal was to seek revenge on Kaito for Danzo.
To avenge Danzo, they even refused to be absorbed by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
They used silence to express their intentions: they would not serve unless they had their revenge!
But they couldn't act now because the Third Hokage didn't allow it. He even clearly told them that if they didn't obey in this matter, they could forever forget about seeking revenge.
In order to avenge Danzo, they had to endure, had to huddle in this place and wait in silence.
"Swish..."
Suddenly, a crisp sound of stepping on accumulated snow and grass resounded, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present.
The alert ninjas had already drawn their ninja swords, and those originally at rest had also stood up.
They did not attack immediately, as they weren't sure who had come.
However, the moment they saw clearly who the newcomer was, their eyes instantly reddened because the person who arrived was none other than Kaito, the clan leader of the Uchiha who had killed Danzo!
"Boom!"
Complex chakra was wildly unleashed, a chilling aura that almost suffocated began to spread stealthily, their gazes locked dead onto the newcomer, murderous intent filled their faces.
"Oh, it seems you have quite the grand welcome for me."
Kaito calmly looked at everything in front of him, a smile even appearing on his face.
"To be honest, I didn't expect the remnants of Danzo's followers to still be lingering here, not following your master in death. It's beyond my expectations.
But it's also normal...."
Here, Kaito paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over all the remnants of the Root present, before he continued in a low voice.
"After all, your master was a rat in the gutter, how much better could you be compared to him?"
As soon as his words fell, several cold gleams of weapons were already slashing towards Kaito....
//
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