Kabuto Yakushi, How Unjust This Is

Chapter 20: Kabuto Yakushi, How Unjust This Is…

Akihara Kagura was telling the truth.

In his past life's memories, Akihara Kagura had a certain impression of Kabuto Yakushi.

The future Kabuto Yakushi was a remarkably useful talent; his espionage skills alone were superior to many, likely only slightly inferior to Akihara Kagura's.

Furthermore, Kabuto Yakushi's mind was incredibly sharp and he excelled at acquiring knowledge. In the future, he could even assist with human experimentation, improve various ninjutsu and forbidden techniques, and perhaps even help Akihara Kagura learn the ninja world's most mysterious Sage Mode.

In short.

This gentleman was a talent.

What did the ninja world need most? Talent.

To foster a closer relationship with Kabuto Yakushi, Akihara Kagura fabricated a story about growing up in an orphanage within Training Ground Nine. This could only barely elicit a favorable impression from Kabuto Yakushi, but it couldn't earn his genuine trust.

The best method…

Was, of course, a strong bond.

What was the most important thing in the ninja world? Bonds.

By creating a potentially strong bond with Kabuto Yakushi, he could ensure Kabuto Yakushi remembered his existence, creating an opportunity to make him his own in the future.

However…

There was actually no connection between the two of them…

So, Akihara Kagura first spoke of his own origins from the Konoha orphanage, spoke of how he missed his orphanage days, and spoke of how he missed the orphanage's director…

These…

Were all lies.

Yet, these lies were Kabuto Yakushi's true inner feelings.

Kabuto Yakushi was the one who truly came from an orphanage, Kabuto Yakushi was the one who truly missed his orphanage days, Kabuto Yakushi was the one who truly missed the orphanage director, Yakushi Nonō, and Kabuto Yakushi was the one who truly wanted Yakushi Nonō to see a picture of him when he grew up…

Akihara Kagura's lies were merely a warm prelude, designed to make Kabuto Yakushi believe they had common ground;

Now, Akihara Kagura needed to shatter this warm prelude with a tragic story, to make Kabuto Yakushi believe that a bond truly existed between them.

Once a bond was established between them…

There would be a future possibility of Kabuto Yakushi helping him.

After all, Akihara Kagura didn't possess the Kotoamatsukami genjutsu that could alter someone's will, nor did he have a system that could monitor the target's loyalty, nor did he resort to crude, dangerous, and troublesome methods like implanting Cursed Seals in vital areas to control them…

Akihara Kagura was just a working man.

A working man who wanted to gain more could only employ some crude tactics, trying to make more capable friends.

"Kabuto Yakushi."

Akihara Kagura gazed at the wary Kabuto Yakushi, a playful smile spreading across his face, and asked, "What do you think I want you to do?"

"I don't know yet…"

Kabuto Yakushi furrowed his brow, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "But I do know one thing. When you first saw me, it wasn't with the joy you claimed, of meeting someone from the same orphanage..."

"When you first mentioned Director Nonō's name, your face showed no longing, more like you were talking about someone you hadn't seen in a long time..."

"However."

"I am very happy today."

"Because it's been a long time since anyone brought up the past."

"Because everything you said in the training ground was what I wanted to say."

"Perhaps it's because I've been too suppressed in this organization..."

Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses and said softly, "I miss my days at the orphanage more and more, and I miss the person who treated me like a mother more and more..."

As Kabuto Yakushi reached this point, he suddenly changed his tone, "However… you don't miss your orphanage days, and you don't miss Director Nonō…"

"Is that so?"

"Lord Kagura of the Root Organization."

A hint of determination flickered in Kabuto Yakushi's eyes. He trusted the intuition and experience gained from his years as a spy. "You resent me… and you resent Director Nonō…"

"You say you want to take care of me, yet you've made me offend other members of Root, the combat ninjas I cannot afford to offend, just like you."

"You don't want me to stay in Root…"

"You even… want to use Root members to kill me…"

Kabuto Yakushi felt as if he had stumbled upon some truth and asked softly, "Am I right, Lord Kagura?"

"..."

Snap… snap… snap… snap…

The young man couldn't help but clap his hands, his smile growing wider, and he nodded in praise, "Well said, you've guessed it all."

Well said my ass!

That guy got everything wrong!

Did this Kabuto Yakushi not suspect anything? Or did he think I wasn't worth deceiving? Is this Kabuto Yakushi really that smart?

Fine.

Everything was fake to begin with.

Kabuto Yakushi could only guess at false outcomes from a false premise. It was already good enough that he could guess the tragic storyline I just concocted.

"I don't quite understand."

Kabuto Yakushi looked at the young man with a hint of confusion in his eyes: "You were also adopted by Dean Nonō, and you lived in the orphanage in the village. There shouldn't be any hatred between us."

"Why wouldn't there be?"

Akihara Kagura couldn't help but laugh with a bit of joy.

The young man slowly spread his palm open and said word by word, "Many great hatreds often stem from a trivial matter, a sudden thought that arises in someone's mind..."

"What do you mean?"

Kabuto Yakushi didn't quite understand.

"Jealousy."

"One of the original sins of the world."

Akihara Kagura slowly walked towards Kabuto Yakushi, the smile on his face gradually turning cold: "If there were no comparisons in this world, there would be no harm, nor would emotions like jealousy be born..."

"Jealousy?"

"Yes, unprecedented jealousy..."

Akihara Kagura approached Kabuto Yakushi, his eyes gradually becoming sharp: "Why do you share the same surname as Dean Nonō? Why does Dean Nonō always remember you? We are both just adopted children, and I was here first..."

"Because..."

Kabuto Yakushi hesitated before giving the answer: "When Dean Nonō adopted me, I had forgotten all my memories. I didn't remember my name or my parents, so Dean Nonō gave me her surname..."

Kabuto Yakushi remembered the woman who was as warm as a mother and continued, "Dean Nonō... always remembers me?"

"Yes..."

"She always remembers you..."

"She even forgot that another child was sent to the Root base."

Akihara Kagura slowly turned around and walked step by step into the corridor bridge: "I didn't want to hate her, nor did I want to hate you. I even hoped you wouldn't enter Root..."

"But..."

"I saw what she did for you. I saw her constantly inquiring about you within the Root Organization, but she never remembered me. She had no idea what kind of life I lived here, how much I was bullied as a child!"

"Perhaps... she had forgotten me long ago."

"I started to dislike her and resent you, who were being cared for. I realized something: I, who had embodied the will of Root, had developed the emotion of jealousy..."

"Even though we both entered Root..."

"Even though we are exactly the same..."

"Kabuto Yakushi..."

"How unfair this is..."

Second update