Kakashi watched Xuanye sit down and go back to slurping his noodles. He looked nothing like the brutal man he had been moments ago.
A common villager had said a few harsh words to the Uchiha Security Force, and for that, he was going to be dragged off to the Security Division's Prison.
With an accusation like that hanging over him, a brutal interrogation was inevitable. He would be extraordinarily lucky to come out alive.
Kakashi had wanted to intervene, but after considering Xuanye's strength, he had silently sat back down.
There were plenty of ways to save someone. He didn't need to clash with the Uchiha Security Force on the spot.
"Why did you do that? You know that villager is innocent," Kakashi finally said, unable to hold back.
Xuanye gave Kakashi a puzzled look.
"I was showing you how to deal with rumors properly."
"Don't tell me you've forgotten how your father died."
Kakashi clenched his fists.
An old wound had been torn open, and Kakashi bristled.
He even wondered whether Xuanye had staged the scene outside.
How else could the timing be so perfect? Just as he and Xuanye were about to discuss his father, a Konoha villager had appeared and shown his hostility toward the Uchiha.
It was as though the whole thing had been arranged for Kakashi.
After taking a deep breath, Kakashi said,
"Whatever you're trying to say, just say it."
This fell outside the scope of his mission. He would have to report it later and let the Third Hokage and Minato-sensei worry about it.
As for the scroll containing the Chidori training method... he could judge for himself whether Uchiha Genya was lying.
Xuanye took a moment to collect his thoughts. "If I remember correctly, the official report says Hatake Sakumo killed himself out of guilt after a mission failed. Right?"
"But have you considered that it might not have been the failed mission that drove your father to his death? What if it was the rumors spreading throughout Konoha?"
Kakashi's one exposed eye fixed on Xuanye.
Xuanye smiled and went on. "You've had quite a career. You've served in both Root and the Anbu, so you must have seen plenty of Konoha's darker side. Tell me, then: what kind of man do you think Shimura Danzō is?"
Before Kakashi could answer, Xuanye smiled. "Forget it. I won't tease you. Here's the conclusion: Shimura Danzō would do anything to become Hokage."
"He would use every means at his disposal to remove anyone standing in his way."
"And your father had distinguished himself in battle. The Daimyo even bestowed a Hokage Haori on him... You know what that meant. If your father had lived, he would have been a serious contender for Fourth Hokage."
"Am I wrong?"
Kakashi's thoughts were in turmoil.
If Xuanye had told some far-fetched lie, Kakashi would have brushed it off with a smile.
But lies didn't cut deep. The truth did.
As far as motive went, Shimura Danzō was an obvious suspect... No, Kakashi was already convinced that Shimura Danzō had been behind the rumors that drove his father to his death!
That was what made Uchiha Genya so formidable. All he had offered was a motive, without a shred of evidence.
Yet Kakashi's own impressions had led him to connect the two.
The cleverest lie was the truth.
"Why are you telling me this? Do you want me to assassinate Shimura Danzō?" Kakashi stared hard at Xuanye, his hands clenched so tightly he didn't even notice.
Xuanye answered with an enigmatic smile.
"Unfortunately, you won't. And you couldn't."
"Why?" With his ability called into question, Kakashi instinctively wanted to know how Xuanye could be so sure.
"Because Sarutobi Hiruzen won't allow Danzo to die. And before you object, do you really think Sarutobi Hiruzen doesn't know about Shimura Danzō's little schemes?"
"Besides, whatever you think of Shimura Danzō as a person, he's capable. You could never break into Root and kill him on your own."
"Even now, with the Fourth Hokage in office, who actually holds Konoha's power?"
"As an Anbu member, you should know that better than I do."
Kakashi said nothing.
After a long silence, Kakashi formed a few hand signs and summoned a scroll onto the table. Then he stood to leave.
Before he went, Kakashi looked at Xuanye, who was still slurping his noodles as if no one else were there, and found himself asking,
"Why are you telling me all this? What are you trying to do?"
Anyone could see that Xuanye was trying to drive a wedge between Kakashi and the Konoha High Command. Yet Kakashi couldn't refute a single word he had said.
Still, he wanted to know what Xuanye was after.
Xuanye smiled. "Because you're worth winning over, and we have a common enemy."
Kakashi hadn't touched his noodles. What a waste of food, Xuanye thought.
He had wanted to see what Kakashi looked like beneath his mask, too.
He pulled Kakashi's bowl over. The noodles were untouched, so he didn't mind eating them.
Xuanye didn't expect one conversation to bring Kakashi over to his side. Planting a seed in his mind was enough.
It was only an idle move, anyway, and he had gained a scroll for an A-rank jutsu out of it. Why wouldn't he be pleased?
After finishing the noodles, Xuanye tucked the money beneath the bowl. Then he took the scroll Kakashi had given him and studied it as he walked back to the clan grounds.
Chidori was particularly well suited to the Uchiha Family.
The Uchiha were famous for Fire Release, but plenty of clan members were born with a Lightning Release affinity, too.
The barrier to learning it was high, but once mastered, it could greatly improve the Uchiha Family's fighting strength and chances of survival.
Used well, Chidori could even punch a path out of a desperate situation. Its potential for high-speed assaults was enormous.
Next time, I'll have to find a way to buy the rights to this jutsu from Kakashi.
The jutsu was already in his hands, but Kakashi might still be useful later. Spreading Chidori widely without his permission could wait.
Absorbed in the A-rank jutsu, Xuanye spared a thought for something else.
Given how efficient Root and the Anbu are, what happened today is probably already on Shimura Danzō's and Sarutobi Hiruzen's desks.
When it comes to targeting the Uchiha, don't disappoint me.
The more pressure his enemies put on them, the sooner he could unite the Uchiha Family.