Itachi, Don't Become a Burden to the Squad

Detected Host's Lie: "Uchiha Inheritance"; received the recognition of Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi

They were [half-convinced], reward: Deception Points: 200

Current Deception Points: 500

While Kakashi and Itachi were left at their wits' end by Youhu's words, Youhu was counting the Deception Points that had just been credited.

Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi truly were important plot characters. Merely being "half-convinced" about the Uchiha Inheritance had earned him 100 Deception Points—several times more than those Jonin within the clan.

It had not been for nothing that he had deliberately guided Kakashi to Grass Country, then pretended to become enlightened while staring at a mural.

However, getting Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi to believe that he had obtained the Uchiha Inheritance and allowing the rumor to continue spreading was only the first step of his plan.

His next plan was to bring out the ancestors of the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan: Asura and Indra.

Asura and Indra had been at odds over their ideals when they were alive. Even after death, they had turned into Chakra and continued to entangle their descendants. It would be easy to fabricate some decent schemes to support his lie.

When the time was about right, Youhu opened his eyes again. After rising from the stone bed, he said, "Captain Kakashi, what happened to me just now? My body feels really heavy, and my head is dizzy."

Kakashi sighed and said:

"You sat on the stone bed for half an hour. You must have overdrawn your mental strength. Tell us about the Uchiha Ancestor and Senju Ancestor. What was going on with them? Why did they kneel to an old man?"

"I don't know..."

Youhu shook his head. "I only saw that one scene here. Maybe it's because my mental strength isn't strong enough yet."

"It's good that you're fine. Being able to obtain Uchiha Madara's Inheritance was also a stroke of luck."

Seeing that Youhu genuinely looked like he knew nothing, Kakashi did not press him any further.

The Senju Ancestor and Uchiha Ancestor had been figures from ancient times. Even if they had some connection to present-day Konoha, it was no longer all that significant. There was no point in digging deeper.

At this moment, Youhu walked over to Itachi and said apologetically:

"Senior Itachi, I'm really sorry for taking your inheritance this time. If you had accepted it, you might have already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and attacked your parents and clansmen."

I told you not to call me Senior...

And why are you so certain that I would attack my father and clansmen after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan?

Itachi's expression was extremely unpleasant, but for the sake of team harmony, he could only force a smile and say:

"Youhu, it was your luck that you entered this room first. Besides, this thing didn't belong to me in the first place, so how could you have stolen it from me?"

Youhu's expression changed instantly. He placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder and said earnestly, "That's good, then. Itachi, you still need to work harder and try not to become a burden to the squad."

"..."

"..."

A four-character idiom surfaced in Kakashi's mind: a petty man drunk on success.

Itachi looked innocently at Kakashi. What had he done wrong to deserve being placed in the same squad as Youhu?

Was the Third Hokage, who trusted Youhu, really a good Hokage? Could the Third Hokage be trying to use Youhu to indirectly destroy the entire Uchiha Clan?

As usual, after teasing Itachi for a while, Youhu went to the other rooms.

After packing up and taking away all the furniture and weapons in the base, Youhu returned to the stone wall and asked Kakashi for help:

"Captain Kakashi, can you use Earth Style to cut this section of stone wall out?"

"There really isn't any need..." Kakashi frowned. He was quite displeased with Youhu's habit of packing everything up. They had come to find Obito, not rob the place.

"I've heard that Captain Kakashi's Earth Flow Wall has another meaning."

Youhu folded his hands before his chest and spoke as casually as he could.

"Fine!"

Kakashi was concise. Under Youhu's threat, he began using Earth Style Ninjutsu and separated the stone wall.

Youhu was not idle either. He took out his largest Storage Scroll and packed the entire stone wall into it. After organizing everything, he nodded in satisfaction.

"That's more like it, Captain Kakashi."

"Uchiha Madara was a missing-nin from the village, so his belongings naturally count as village property. We have to bring everything back."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Kakashi's tone was extremely perfunctory. He merely felt that Youhu was wasting Anbu resources.

However, Anbu's funding came from the Hokage. What business was it of a Squad Captain's? In the future, he wanted to take more Anbu weapons as well. He would save them carefully, and Youhu would only waste them in the end anyway.

After emerging from the underground space, Kakashi began explaining their next plan.

"The Uchiha Base near Kannabi Bridge has already been searched. We haven't found any trace of Obito or the forces behind him for now. Next, we'll go to Kusagakure and see whether Obito has already taken control of it."

"We can finally cut loose! I was just thinking of testing my newly increased Chakra!"

Youhu raised his hand and cheered, looking as though he was ready to enter Kusagakure and slaughter everyone at any moment.

"Don't act recklessly, and don't kill people recklessly either..."

Kakashi was somewhat worried about Youhu's mental state. He had heard many rumors about Uchiha whose personalities changed drastically after evolving their Sharingan.

Although Youhu had only increased his Chakra this time, it was more or less the same as evolving his Sharingan.

He was genuinely worried that Youhu would laugh and joke while slaughtering his way through Kusagakure. Just imagining such a scene made him shudder.

Itachi was different. Although he was usually quiet and reserved, he was surprisingly dependable at critical moments.

Moreover, Itachi possessed an advantage Youhu lacked: he was honest and obedient enough. He strictly carried out his superiors' orders and never raised unnecessary objections or acted recklessly.

"Captain Kakashi, I've never killed anyone. I'm a Kind Uchiha."

Faced with Kakashi's accusation, Youhu immediately began to protest.

"Fine, fine, you've never killed anyone..."

Kakashi did not want to argue with Youhu and casually humored him. He did not believe for a moment that Youhu had never killed anyone.

Anyone who joined the Anbu had blood on their hands.

He had become a Genin at six and begun killing at seven. Itachi, meanwhile, had gone to the battlefield at four and fought bravely there, laying the foundation for his reputation as the Uchiha Prodigy.

How come no one believes me when I occasionally tell the truth?

Youhu grumbled inwardly, feeling somewhat helpless. He could only follow behind Kakashi and Itachi as they headed toward Kusagakure.

However, just before the three of them reached Kusagakure, a figure blocked the middle of the mountain path.

The other party wore a black Fire Cloud Robe with red patterns and a slashed Takigakure Headband on his forehead. He stared fixedly at Kakashi, like a beast sizing up its prey.

Seeing this, Kakashi raised a hand as a signal, and the three members of the squad stopped together.