You've Got to Be Kidding

"What, a Kekkei Genkai formed by fusing Lightning Release and Water Release?"

Hyuga Kagami scoffed. "But I don't think I need Storm Release to control Thunderbolt!"

In an instant,

Thunderbolt gathered behind him, forming a terrifying Azure Dragon!

Its whiskers and mane were visible, its scales seemed almost tangible, and its lively eyes turned slightly.

It was as if... that really was a living Thunder Dragon!

"Kill him!"

Hyuga Kagami gave a quiet command, as if he were a king!

Boom!

The Thunder Dragon roared!

With a furious bellow, it shot toward the four Kumogakure shinobi, its violence unleashed!

"This—this can't be!"

Darui's eyes widened in disbelief. His entire understanding of the world had been shaken!

"You don't even know Storm Release, so how can you control Thunderbolt to this extent?!"

"This is impossible!"

Only Storm Release allowed someone to control Thunderbolt freely.

That was practically common knowledge.

But the man before him had shattered that understanding!

The terrifying, savage bolt of Thunderbolt came surging toward them, blotting out the sky like divine judgment!

Darui's own Thunderbolt was nothing compared to his!

"Run! We're no match for him!"

His heart was full of shock and unwillingness, but now he had no choice but to flee!

The others' physical abilities, speed, and resistance to Thunderbolt were nowhere near Darui's. In the blink of an eye, they died in the sea of lightning!

"Konoha! Kumogakure will never forgive you!"

Darui roared, his hair bristling with rage, his bloodshot eyes filled with madness!

But now... all he could do was flee in disgrace!

"If you're running, then run. Why bother making threats?"

Hyuga Kagami scoffed.

Terrifying bolts of lightning erupted from his hands, like divine judgment. They carved arcs through the air and sent Darui flying!

"Ah!"

Darui cried out in pain, but stubbornly forced himself back to his feet.

His eyes were bloodred with fury, but there was nothing he could do.

Of course, Hyuga Kagami hadn't put all his strength into that attack. If he killed Darui, how would the Raikage know Konoha had done it?

"For the sake of a brand-new Shinobi World, I really am going to great lengths!"

Hyuga Kagami clicked his tongue in admiration.

Nagato hadn't grown up yet, and the Tailed Beasts hadn't been gathered.

None of the conditions were in place. He was eager to see Black Zetsu's bewildered expression when the time came.

Darui roared as he disappeared from sight. "Konoha! Kumogakure will never forgive you! Just wait for Kumogakure to bring you to justice!"

Flames of rage burned in his eyes. He had never imagined that he, an elite Jonin,

would end up in such a sorry state.

And three Jonin had died!

"We can't catch up."

Hatake Kakashi's expression was grave. "From what Darui said, the Kumogakure shinobi who signed the alliance earlier never returned to Kumogakure. And now we've left Darui and the others badly wounded."

"War may be unavoidable!"

"We need to return to the village at once and report to Lord Hokage. We have to prepare for war!"

Then something occurred to him, and his expression darkened.

If his teacher were still alive, he would never have let Kumogakure act so arrogantly. But would Lord Hokage, who always believed in "peace above all," choose to... hand them over?

In an instant!

Hatake Kakashi thought of Hizashi Hyuga's tragic death and felt as though he'd fallen into an icy abyss!

Would he... meet the same fate as Hizashi Hyuga in the end?

"Hmph!"

Hyuga Kagami snorted. "Kumogakure are nothing but a bunch of brutes. If they want a fight, then we'll show them which village is the strongest in the Shinobi World!"

"Konoha has been quiet for too long. People have forgotten Konoha's glory!"

Hatake Kakashi's eyes quivered slightly.

Those words struck a chord in him.

How could he not want Konoha to regain its former glory?

But the Third... was too cowardly!

"Let's return to the village first and report to Lord Hokage. With Kirigakure's support, we don't need to fear Kumogakure!"

Hatake Kakashi's expression was grave.

But he didn't notice the contempt and ridicule in Hyuga Kagami's eyes.

For a shinobi like Kakashi, Konoha naturally came first. But the two men leading Konoha now—

One only wanted to hold on to the Hokage Position and avoid starting a war.

The other only wanted to seize the Hokage Position.

Konoha was now... nothing but a collection of useless men occupying their posts!

Three days later.

The Hokage's office.

Hyuga Kagami and the other two reported what had happened over the past few days, their expressions grave. Hatake Kakashi didn't hold anything back.

"What!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Hyuga Kagami in disbelief, his eyes alight. "Hyuga Kagami, you're strong enough to hold your own against the Fourth Mizukage—and you've even become brothers with him?!"

"From now on, Kirigakure and Konoha are allies?!"

He shot to his feet with a thump, breathing hard.

It all sounded absurd!

"Kakashi, you're sure you're not joking? The Fourth Mizukage's Water Release Ninjutsu is no weaker than the Second's, and as a Perfect Jinchuriki, he's strong enough to fight me to a draw!"

Hyuga Kagami: "..."

He gave the balding Third a cool glance.

The old man sure knew how to spin a tale!

Was that "draw" he was talking about the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, which would kill them both?

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Hatake Kakashi replied earnestly. "I don't know what happened, but Kagami-kun earned the Fourth Mizukage's friendship. This is the alliance agreement! Kirigakure will also send shinobi to formally establish the alliance later!"

"If I remember correctly, Kagami, you were only an elite Chunin before, weren't you?"

A cold glint flashed in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes. He was suspicious!

Had Hyuga Kagami been hiding his strength all along?

Why?

Could it be... that Hyuga Kagami had an ulterior motive?!

"That's not the case, Lord Hokage. I really was at the bottom of the class before. But one night, I saw a figure!"

Hyuga Kagami's eyes grew distant, as if recalling something. He spoke earnestly. "He had blond hair and gentle blue eyes!"

"He appeared in my bedroom in the middle of the night and sealed a purple dragon inside me!"

He spun the tale with a straight face.

"He also told me that I would have to carry on the Will of Fire."

"And when I woke up, I had a vast amount of chakra inside me!"

Hyuga Kagami looked puzzled, as though he didn't quite understand. "He also hoped I'd take care of a boy named Uzumaki Naruto when I had time."

Blond hair?

Blue eyes?!

A purple dragon... the Dragon Vein!

And he wanted Hyuga Kagami to look after Uzumaki Naruto?

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened. Could it have been Namikaze Minato?!

The mission scroll for Namikaze Minato's Rōran mission had mentioned the purple Dragon Vein, which had the power to reverse time and space!

Could Namikaze Minato have been caught in a rift in time,

and arrived in the present?

And given the Dragon Vein to Hyuga Kagami!

Was this... really happening???

It all sounded absurd, but Hyuga Kagami looked so serious, with such innocent eyes and an unblemished expression. How could it not seem true?

And there was...

No way to investigate it!

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Hyuga Kagami for a long while. Other than the Will of Fire, he couldn't see anything else in him.

He still chose to believe Hyuga Kagami—or at least, he chose to believe him on the surface.

No one could fool him to his face!

Besides, the man had already become the Mizukage's brother!

What else could he do?!

"Kagami, you did well with Kirigakure!"

"Forming an alliance with Kirigakure means Konoha's position is even more secure!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression returned to normal!

His own Hokage Position was now rock-solid!

"Kagami, you are one of Konoha's pillars. Konoha will need you to protect it in the future!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen beamed with excitement.

He had just painted a grand vision. Anyone else would have been thrilled by now.

Hyuga Kagami remained calm, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Of course. I'll protect Konoha in the future."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was delighted.

Just look at that Will of Fire! So steadfast!

He caused no trouble, picked no fights, and only found allies for Konoha!

But he failed to notice the cunning in Hyuga Kagami's eyes, or the real meaning behind his words: Hyuga Kagami meant that he himself would control Konoha!

"Lord Hokage, there's something else we need to be on guard against!"

Hatake Kakashi's face was grim. He went on to recount their encounter with the Kumogakure shinobi, then released a storage scroll.

"These are the bodies of the Kumogakure shinobi!"

Thump!

A cloud of smoke appeared.

Three bodies materialized in the Hokage's office.

The air fell silent!

The smile froze on Sarutobi Hiruzen's lips. He slowly turned toward the three of them, fury and coldness in his eyes. "You... killed Kumogakure shinobi?!"

They had just formed an alliance with Kumogakure.

And now they'd killed Kumogakure shinobi. Wasn't this a precursor to war?!

"Lord Hokage..."

Hatake Kakashi's expression was grim, and disappointment showed on his face.

As expected... Lord Hokage didn't care whether they'd been in danger at all!

Hyuga thought with a sneer, Sarutobi Hiruzen was such a rotten old schemer.

Now he was scared.

A spineless coward who only dared to bully his own people!

"Lord Hokage, we didn't want to fight, either. But the Kumogakure shinobi killed civilians in the Land of Fire!"

Hyuga Kagami spoke passionately, his words righteous and resolute. "If we didn't kill them, the people's anger would never be appeased!"