The Tacit Understanding Between Two

Hatake Estate.

Kakashi Hatake looked somewhat coldly at Nara Kagetsu, who had come to visit.

He had just parted on bad terms with his teammates over a mission. Though he did not particularly care about that, he was still somewhat bewildered by the sudden visit from Nara Kagetsu, someone he had barely interacted with before.

"Nara, what do you want?" After a moment of silence, Kakashi finally took the initiative, watching Kagetsu continue to look around and inspect the surroundings ever since entering.

He did not have time to waste here with Kagetsu. He still needed to train.

"I have some intelligence concerning you. I think you have the right to know." Kagetsu fixed his gaze on the lean youth across from him, his face covered by a mask and his unruly white hair standing up like hedgehog spines.

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

"No. It concerns your father, Sakumo-senpai's death." Kagetsu took a scroll from his robes, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Kakashi.

A chilling aura instantly radiated from Kakashi's entire body.

"Aren't you going to look?" Seemingly oblivious to the frightening chill emanating from Kakashi, Kagetsu merely pointed at the scroll and reminded him.

"My father killed himself after failing a mission," Kakashi answered stiffly.

"Do you really believe that?" Kagetsu asked in return.

"Everyone says so. My father proved it with his death." Pain showed in Kakashi's exposed eye. Time had yet to heal the wound of his father's death. He felt an inexplicable fear toward Kagetsu's next words and the scroll lying quietly on the table.

"Ninja missions, especially those carried out by Konoha Sakumo, are generally classified, aren't they?" Kagetsu rested his elbows on the table and propped his chin up with both hands, saying lazily, "Other than the higher-ups and those directly involved, no one else should have any way of knowing the details, right?"

Having already completed quite a few Anbu missions and understanding confidentiality procedures, Kakashi's eye trembled slightly at those words.

"Looks like you know that too. Then tell me—Sakumo-senpai's mission had only just failed, yet the news spread across the entire village. Even ordinary civilians who weren't ninja knew about it. Didn't you ever suspect something?" Kagetsu pressed.

"It was leaked by Father's teammates. They believed Father's actions caused the mission to fail." Kakashi clenched his fists.

"Every ninja has failed missions on their record. Even the Sannin, and even the Kage of a village. I believe Sakumo-senpai was a very mature ninja. When he made that choice, he must have considered the consequences of abandoning the mission and the losses the village would suffer.

Unless it was a mission on the scale of triggering a Ninja World War, then given Sakumo-senpai's merits and strength, he would not—and should not—have been subjected to condemnation from the entire village." Kagetsu shook his head.

"It was Father's teammates. They believed ninja should put the mission first." Kakashi repeated himself, his tone turning cold again.

"Did you get along happily with your teammates when you put missions first?" Kagetsu suddenly asked.

"That sort of thing is irrelevant. As long as the mission is completed, isn't that enough?" Kakashi said with his eyes closed.

"That's why I think you should read this intelligence properly. At the very least, you should know why Sakumo-senpai chose to die, shouldn't you?" Kagetsu pushed the scroll to the edge of the table, within Kakashi's reach.

Kakashi's expression shifted uncertainly, but beneath Kagetsu's gaze, he ultimately picked up the scroll with trembling hands and opened it using the seals for decrypting intelligence that he had learned and mastered in the Anbu.

It did not take long to read the intelligence, but the contents of the scroll clearly dealt a tremendous blow to Kakashi, who could still be considered a child. His pupils trembled violently, and tears flowed down his cheeks, leaving two deep tracks.

"Is what's written here true?" After closing the scroll, Kakashi forcibly reined in his surging emotions and looked at Kagetsu across from him through tear-blurred eyes.

"Interrogation Team Yamanaka Ichizu-senpai and his people extracted it during an interrogation." Kagetsu invoked the Interrogation Unit.

"Why would they do something like this?" Kakashi felt as though a huge piece had suddenly been torn out of his heart. He had always believed that his father's mistake had caused all of this, yet this intelligence told him that both the overwhelming condemnation within the village and the mission's failure had originated from darkness within the village itself.

"Because Sakumo-senpai's prestige was too high." Kagetsu answered bluntly. "He blocked other people's path to becoming Hokage."

"He blocked other people's path?" Kakashi stared at Kagetsu in shock.

"My teacher Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade-senpai, and a man named Shimura Danzō." Seeing Kakashi's expression become unreadable upon hearing that final name, Kagetsu struck again. "You've heard that name before, haven't you? The man who controls Root, the training division for Konoha Anbu members."

"I... do know Danzo... his name." Kakashi felt as if even the strength to speak was leaving him. Every word that emerged weighed heavily.

"In Orochimaru Sensei's words, he is someone who bows to darkness and will do anything to get his hands dirty. The Root under him is the same under his ideology." To make himself more persuasive and trustworthy, Kagetsu brought Orochimaru into it as well.

"So he was the one who orchestrated and fabricated those rumors?" Recalling the gloomy old man he had seen during Root training, the man who had wanted to recruit him and bring him fully into Root, Kakashi gritted his teeth as he asked.

"Other than someone who commands Root, which bears the same responsibilities as the Anbu, and who knows every ninja mission in the village, who else could have done this? Even my teacher Orochimaru couldn't!" Kagetsu affirmed without hesitation.

"Then what about the Third Hokage?" Bloodshot veins appeared in Kakashi's eye as he stared blankly at Kagetsu.

"One can only say that Sakumo-senpai was not the Third Hokage's preferred candidate for Hokage. Perhaps he merely wanted to suppress Sakumo-senpai's prestige, but he never expected Sakumo-senpai to be so unyielding." Kagetsu spoke softly.

"What is your purpose in telling me all this?" Kakashi suddenly asked Kagetsu.

"I have no particular purpose. I only want you to know the truth and not fall into darkness. I learned from my teacher that Elder Shimura Danzō has always wanted you to formally join Root. As long as you know what kind of person he is and what he has done, then my purpose in visiting has been fully achieved."

Kagetsu stood as he spoke and bade him farewell. "I think you need some time alone, so I'll leave first. You'd best destroy that intelligence. Elder Shimura was recently punished by the Third Hokage, so he may summon you soon. If you don't want to join Root, you can try applying directly to the Third Hokage to enter the Hokage's Direct Anbu."

Konoha Orphanage.

Yakushi Nonō, the orphanage director, watched Orochimaru's sudden visit with some nervousness. Skilled at gathering intelligence, she understood better than anyone just how terrifying and troublesome the pale-skinned man before her was.

"Orochimaru-sama, this place is very modest. There is nothing worth offering you." Nonō had a gentle face that made others feel as though they were basking in a spring breeze. She seemed to possess a quality that made people want to draw close to her, making it easy for her to earn their dependence and trust.

"I know. I came to invite you to join the Technology Development Department I established." Orochimaru did not mind Nonō's wariness and vigilance. Or rather, he would have found it strange if she had not been wary.

"My apologies, but I've never heard of this department." Nonō shook her head.

"This is an appointment letter from the Third Hokage." Orochimaru took out a scroll and tossed it over. "I trust you can tell whether it is genuine."

Yakushi Nonō accepted the scroll and examined it carefully before confirming the appointment letter's authenticity.

"What can I do?" Nonō returned the scroll. "Do you need an intelligence agent like me as well?"

"No, no. What I value is your Medical Ninjutsu." Orochimaru shook his head, dismissing Nonō's guess. "The Wandering Miko is quite famous throughout the ninja world."

"I belong to Root," Nonō said.

"I can transfer you over. For this period, I have the authority to draw personnel from every division to build the Technology Development Department. I know you care about this orphanage, and I can give you more funding than Root does." Orochimaru spoke softly.

"You are still so skilled at striking at people's hearts." Thinking of the pitiful yet adorable children at the orphanage, Nonō's heart immediately softened.

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

Danzo uses these children as leverage to control you. What you have done for him far exceeds what he has given you. Join me. You will no longer need to endure the torment of being a spy. You only need to use your Medical Ninjutsu to assist us and train some personnel." Orochimaru licked his lips as he extended the invitation.

"Is that truly all I need to do?" Yakushi Nonō looked at Orochimaru.

"Of course. As long as you can do one thing, I will fulfill everything I promised you!" A smile appeared on Orochimaru's pale face.

"What is it?" Nonō let out a breath of relief. She had been afraid Orochimaru would make no demands at all.

"You should know Root's collection very well, right? Tell me about it. Whether it is Hashirama Cells, other research materials, or things Danzo has done that threaten the village—tell me everything you know." Light gleamed in Orochimaru's eyes.

"You need them?" Nonō frowned slightly, but soon relaxed.

"Root no longer needs those things. From now on, all technological development must be incorporated into the Technology Development Department. I simply believe Danzo must have hidden some things and will not honestly hand everything over. I have neither the time nor the inclination to play hide-and-seek with him." Orochimaru replied.