Mayuri Kurotsuchi Card Game, starting from Naruto

Chapter 27 The Tacit Understanding Between the Two

Hatake's residence.

Kakashi Hatake looked at Nara Shikano, who was visiting, with a somewhat indifferent expression.

He had just had a falling out with his teammates over a mission issue. Although he didn't care about that, he was still a little bewildered by the sudden arrival of Nara Shikano, with whom he had little interaction in the past.

"Nara-kun, is there something you need?" After a moment of silence, Kakashi finally spoke up, looking at Shikane who had been constantly looking around since he came in.

He didn't have time to waste here with Lu Nie; he still needed to train.

"There's some information that involves you, and I think you have the right to know." Lu Nie turned his gaze to the wiry young man opposite him, who wore a mask and had a head of unruly white hair that stood up like a hedgehog.

"Is it related to the mission?" Kakashi asked.

"No, it's related to the death of your father, Sakumo-senpai." Lu Nie took out a scroll from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Kakashi.

Kakashi instantly exuded a chilling aura that was clearly perceptible.

"Aren't you going to take a look?" Lu Nie seemed unaware of the terrifying chill emanating from Kakashi, and simply pointed to the scroll with his finger as a reminder.

"My father died by suicide after a mission failed," Kakashi replied curtly.

"Do you really think so?" Lu Nie asked rhetorically.

"Everyone says so, and my father proved it with his death." Kakashi's eyes revealed pain. Time had not yet healed his father's death, and he felt a strange fear about what Shinobu was about to say, as well as about the scroll that sat quietly on the table.

"Ninja missions, especially those carried out by Konoha's Sakumo, are usually classified, right?" Shikane said lazily, his elbows resting on the table and his hands supporting his chin. "Apart from high-ranking officials and relevant personnel, no one else has any way of knowing the details of these missions, right?"

Kakashi, who had already carried out many missions in the Anbu and knew the secrecy procedures, had a slight tremor in his eyes upon hearing this.

"So you knew too. Well, Sakumo-senpai's mission just failed, and then the news spread throughout the entire village, even to ordinary villagers who weren't ninjas. Didn't you ever have any doubts?" Shikagane pressed.

"It was my father's teammates who revealed it. They believe that my father's actions led to the mission's failure." Kakashi clenched his fist.

"Every ninja has a record of failed missions. Even the Legendary Sannin and the Kage of a village. I believe that Sakumo-senpai was a very mature ninja. When he made his decision, he must have considered the consequences of abandoning the mission and the benefits that the village would lose."

"Unless it's a mission of the magnitude that leads to a Fourth Shinobi World War, given Sakumo-senpai's achievements and strength, he wouldn't, and shouldn't, be subject to such condemnation from the entire village," Shikagami shook his head.

"They were my father's teammates. They believed that ninjas should prioritize missions." Kakashi repeated, his tone turning cold again.

"You prioritize the mission, but do you get along well with your teammates?" Lu Nie suddenly asked.

"That kind of thing is irrelevant, as long as the mission is completed, right?" Kakashi said with his eyes closed.

"So, I think you should take a good look at this information. At least, you should know why Sakumo-senpai wanted to commit suicide, right?" Shikano pushed the scroll to the edge of the opposite table, just within Kakashi's reach.

Kakashi's expression shifted, but under Shinobu's gaze, he finally picked up the scroll with trembling hands and opened it according to the seals for unsealing information that he had learned and mastered in the Anbu.

Reading the intelligence didn't take long, but the contents of the scroll clearly had a profound impact on Kakashi, who was still essentially a child. His pupils trembled violently, and tears streamed down his cheeks, leaving two deep tear tracks.

"Is this real?" Kakashi closed the scroll, forcibly controlling his boiling emotions, and looked at Shikane across from him with teary eyes.

"It was interrogated by a senior member of the interrogation team from the mountain center." Lu Nie brought out the interrogation team from the interrogation department.

"Why would they do this?" Kakashi felt a sudden emptiness in his heart. He had always thought that his father's mistakes had caused all of this, but now this information told him that the accusations in the village and the failure of the mission both stemmed from a dark secret within the village.

"Because Sakumo-senpai's reputation is too high," Shiro answered bluntly. "He's blocking other people's path to becoming Hokage."

"Blocking other people's way?" Kakashi looked at Shiro in astonishment.

"My master Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade-senpai, and a man named Shimura Danzo." Seeing Kakashi's expression change drastically upon hearing the last name, Shikamaru pressed on, "You should have heard of this name, right? The person in charge of the training department for Konoha's Anbu members, the one who controls Root."

"I do know Danzo Dai, his name." Kakashi felt as if all his strength was leaving him, and every word he uttered was incredibly heavy.

"In Orochimaru's words, he's someone who buries himself in darkness and does dirty things by any means necessary. His Root subordinates are the same under his ideology." To enhance persuasiveness and credibility, Shiro brought up Orochimaru as well.

"Was it him who manipulated and fabricated the rumors?" Kakashi asked through gritted teeth, recalling the gloomy old man he had met during his Root training who had tried to recruit him and bring him completely into Root.

"Besides Root, which has the same responsibilities as the Anbu, and a thorough understanding of all ninja missions within the village, who else could achieve this? Even my teacher Orochimaru couldn't do it!" Shikagure affirmed without hesitation.

"What about the Third Hokage?" Kakashi stared blankly at Shikano, his eyes bloodshot.

"It can only be said that Sakumo-senpai was not the Third Hokage's preferred candidate for Hokage. He probably just wanted to suppress Sakumo-senpai's reputation, but he didn't expect Sakumo-senpai to be so stubborn," Shika Nie said softly.

"What's your purpose in telling me all this?" Kakashi suddenly asked Rokugoro.

"I have no particular purpose, I just want you to know the truth and not fall into darkness. I learned from my teacher that Elder Shimura Danzo has always wanted you to formally join Root. Once you know who he is and what he has done, then I will have achieved my purpose in visiting you."

As he spoke, Lu Nie stood up and said goodbye, "I think you need some time alone, so I'll be leaving now. You'd better destroy that intelligence. Elder Shimura was recently punished by the Third Hokage, and he might summon you soon. If you don't want to join Root, you can try applying directly to the Third Hokage to join the Anbu directly under the Hokage."

……

Konoha Orphanage.

The orphanage director, Pharmacist Nonou, looked nervously at Orochimaru, who had suddenly come to visit. Skilled at gathering intelligence, she knew better than anyone just how terrifying and troublesome this pale-skinned man was.

"Lord Orochimaru, everything here is simple, and there's nothing much to offer you." Nonou was a very gentle woman, with a warm and approachable demeanor. She seemed to possess a quality that made people feel close to her, easily gaining their reliance and trust.

"I know. I'm here to invite you to join the technology development department I've established." Orochimaru didn't care about Nono's wariness and vigilance, or rather, he would have been surprised if he hadn't.

"Sorry, I've never heard of this department." Nono shook her head.

"This is the Third Hokage's letter of appointment." Orochimaru pulled out a scroll and tossed it over. "I believe you can tell if this is real or fake."

Yakushi Nonou took the scroll, examined it carefully, and confirmed the authenticity of the letter of appointment.

"What can I do?" Nonou handed the scroll back. "Do you need a spy like me?"

"No, no, no, what I value is your medical ninjutsu." Orochimaru shook his head, denying Nono's guess: "The walking shrine maiden is a famous figure in the ninja world."

"I belong to the Root," Nonou said.

"I can transfer you here. During this time, I have the authority to gather personnel from various departments to build a technology development department. I know you care about this orphanage, and I can give you more funding than Root," Orochimaru said softly.

"You're still so good at manipulating people's hearts." Nonou thought of the pitiful yet adorable children in the orphanage, and her heart softened instantly.

"I know very well that you are not the same kind of person as Danzo. You care about these children, don't you?"

Danzo uses these children as leverage to control you. What you've done for him far outweighs what he's given you. Join me, and you won't need to endure the torment of being a spy anymore. You just need to use your medical ninjutsu to assist and train some people." Orochimaru licked his lips and invited.

"Is it really that simple?" Yakushi Nonou looked at Orochimaru.

"Of course. As long as you can do one thing, I will do everything I promised you!" Orochimaru smiled faintly on his pale face.

"What is it?" Nono breathed a sigh of relief; she was afraid Orochimaru wouldn't make any demands.

"You should know a lot about the collection in the root, right? Tell me about it! Whether it's Hashirama cells, other research materials, or some of the threatening things Danzo did to the village, tell me everything you know." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.

"Do you need anything?" Nono frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed.

"The Root doesn't need those anymore. From now on, all technological development will be incorporated into the Technology Development Department. I just think Danzo will definitely hide something and won't honestly hand over everything. I don't have the time or inclination to play hide-and-seek with him," Orochimaru replied.

(End of this chapter)