Akame ga Kill!

Intelligence from the Iwagakure front had also reached Orochimaru.

Looking over the report, Orochimaru fell into deep thought.

Wasn't the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Kushina?

No matter how muddleheaded Teacher Hiruzen was, he couldn't possibly have made an Uchiha into a Jinchuriki!

There had to be some anomaly here that he didn't know about.

However...

Defeating the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, directly withstanding Dust Release...

Forcing Ōnoki to promise not to invade the Land of Fire for half a year...

That brat's rate of growth was far too fast!

There was also another piece of secret intelligence.

Danzo had arranged for Minato Namikaze to reinforce the Land of Wind battlefield, but he had defied the order.

The Iwagakure front clearly wasn't in any immediate danger, yet Minato still refused to help Orochimaru. His intentions were truly reprehensible.

"Heh heh."

Orochimaru burned Root's secret letter and sneered.

"Nothing more than a shadow hiding behind the old man. Since you've chosen to be a shadow, don't even think about stepping back into the spotlight."

After some thought, Orochimaru personally wrote a letter and handed it to his summoned white snake.

Land of Fire border.

After several days of recuperation, all his bandages apart from the brace on his arm had been removed.

The newly grown skin was fair and tender, making Kagami Uchiha appear even more handsome.

A little white snake appeared beside him and spat out a scroll.

"Kagami-kun, I hope this letter finds you well.

I heard that Kagami-kun had been injured, and it troubled my heart. Yet the fighting at the front is intense, and I cannot spare myself.

I hereby permit Jonin Minato Namikaze to escort you back to the village for recuperation.

As your senior, I have failed to protect you.

Attached is a chakra activation technique of my own creation. Please study it yourself."

Kagami Uchiha silently leafed through it. It contained some of Orochimaru's ideas regarding body modification, using chakra to stimulate cellular activity. It was essentially a roundabout Self-Healing Technique.

It was probably the precursor to the regenerative ninjutsu he would develop later.

This technique was extremely valuable. By comparison, it was equivalent to Jiraiya's secret technique, the Wild Lion's Mane Technique.

The current Orochimaru had yet to join Root as a Third Hokage spy, nor had he been influenced by Danzo. His ideas were not yet insane.

Perhaps his purpose in doing this wasn't so complicated...

He simply wanted to become Hokage and win over powerful supporters.

When had Orochimaru completely fallen into depravity?

The exact time was uncertain, but one thing was certain: it happened after Minato Namikaze succeeded as Fourth Hokage.

Perhaps Orochimaru didn't care about the position of Hokage itself. He only wanted Hiruzen Sarutobi's acknowledgment.

Simply put, I may not want it, but you can't refuse to give it to me.

Given Orochimaru's status, what kind of ninja couldn't he find for experiments? Did he really need to pick ordinary ninja from the village?

With his intelligence, would he truly get caught red-handed?

Of course, that wasn't to say Orochimaru was a good person who had been forced into becoming that way.

It was only that this venomous snake still cared about his teacher and could restrain himself.

Kagami Uchiha would not define the people he encountered now by the images from his original memories. Just as Minato Namikaze had said, people changed.

Of course, except Shimura Danzō.

Ever since the day the Second Hokage died, that man's nature had been set. Resentment and regret had entangled him for his entire life.

He could only spare no effort in carrying out the Second Hokage's ideals, using that to prove himself.

Shimura Danzō still held the fantasy that Hiruzen would pass the position on to him. Once a few more years passed and he realized Hiruzen Sarutobi would never choose him...

That would be when he, too, fell into madness and colluded with Orochimaru to continue research into Wood Release and the Sharingan.

Kagami Uchiha would never allow that filthy man to lay a hand on the Sharingan's power.

He had to find a way to send Shimura Danzō to his grave during this war.

Perhaps... the Land of Rain would make a suitable burial ground for him.

Not long after, Minato Namikaze entered with Kakashi.

"Yo, Senior Brother Kagami, you're hurt pretty badly~"

Kagami shot Kakashi a cold glance. "You think I can't beat you to death with one hand?"

"You can! Of course you can!"

Kakashi leaned in to examine Kagami Uchiha's right arm. "I heard all about it—you actually drove off Iwagakure's Tsuchikage! That's incredible! Isn't that way too outrageous?!"

I gave it everything I had and paid quite a price just to withstand one of his ninjutsu.

Yet it had somehow turned into me driving off the Tsuchikage...

Seeing Kagami Uchiha frown, Minato said, "It was news spread by Iwagakure."

"A newly risen Uchiha prodigy not only defeated the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, but also forced back the Third Tsuchikage and set a six-month agreement."

"You already have a title outside."

Building me up just to bring me down...

What six-month agreement? Kagami Uchiha had never taken it seriously.

He had originally planned to send someone to inform Kumogakure that Iwagakure was vulnerable. Why not take the opportunity to raid them?

Someone else had simply done the job for him.

Raising a brow, Kagami Uchiha asked with interest, "What title?"

"Crimson Eyes!"

Kakashi made an exaggerated chopping motion with both hands, his words brimming with envy.

"What a cool title! Just like my father's!"

That nickname was hardly auspicious...

Rubbing his brow, Kagami Uchiha looked at Minato. "Why did you bring Kakashi back?"

Minato rested a hand on Kakashi's head and smiled. "I've thought it over carefully. Unless it becomes absolutely necessary, someone his age shouldn't be on the battlefield."

"Huh?"

Kakashi froze. That wasn't what Minato had said before coming here. He had still been out on patrol when Minato came to collect him, saying he had an important mission.

"Lord Orochimaru sent me a message. He asked me to take you back to the village to recuperate, so I thought I'd bring Kakashi back along the way."

"According to Kushina, a little girl at the Ninja Academy keeps asking where Kakashi went."

"And an Uchiha boy has also been asking about you and Kakashi."

Kakashi thought about it. There were plenty of girls at the academy who liked following him around... but the most persistent one was probably Rin.

As for the Uchiha boy, there was no need to think about who it was.

Obito, obviously.

"I'm already a Chunin. Minato Senior Brother, don't you trust my abilities?" Kakashi was somewhat dissatisfied, feeling that this was disrespectful toward him.

"Kagami has already made a name for himself. I want to as well!"

It made perfect sense for Kagami to return after getting injured, but he hadn't even done anything yet. Was he supposed to go back just like that?

Kagami Uchiha looked at Kakashi. With his father still alive and Minato and Jiraiya guiding him, Kakashi had not fallen into his dark period.

He had entered his adult personality early: calculating beneath the surface, reservedly flirtatious, lazy, and unserious.

He loved reading Make-Out Paradise.

Tsk. If you'd seen the original history of the ninja world, you'd have to kneel and thank my ancestors for eight generations.

You think you're worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as me, you white-haired brat?

"Kagami! What's with that look?!"

"Don't stay silent—that's the look you give trash, isn't it?!"

Kakashi knew that look all too well. He used to look at Obito like that all the time.

This was karma.

"Stop fooling around, Kakashi."

Kagami Uchiha tapped Kakashi's forehead with his left hand and gave it a light flick.

"You're still far from good enough. Go back to the village and play ninja games with them."

"You bastard! What did you say?!"

Watching his two junior brothers laugh and bicker, Minato wore a motherly smile.

He placed one hand on each of them.

"All right, treat it as a temporary vacation. Get ready."

Whoosh!