Toroi's eyes reddened, whether from anger or tears, he did not know.
"My father... he always treated that bastard as his best brother and friend, but what about him?! For power, he did not hesitate to murder his own kin."
"I discovered this secret, but before I could tell anyone... he noticed."
Toroi's voice became hoarse and despairing.
"He sent his most trusted Anbu—the three people who chased me—to eliminate me, an unstable element... What grand-sounding excuse would they use? Probably betraying the village and colluding with foreign enemies, right? In any case, there would be no evidence once I was dead."
The Third Kazekage called himself the strongest Kazekage, yet his performance in the original story had been somewhat disappointing. It was clear that he and Sarutobi Hiruzen were the same kind of people: vain and hungry for praise.
He gave a bitter laugh and looked at Uchiha Shaoyu and the others.
"Now you know? Saving me means offending Sunagakure's Third Kazekage. So? Do you regret it? Are you planning to hand me over, or... simply kill me, this troublesome burden?"
Uchiha Shaoyu looked at the Magnet Release ninja before him, who had been betrayed by his own kin, lost his family, and been hunted to the brink of death, rapidly weighing his options.
A jonin who harbored bone-deep hatred for Sunagakure's current leader, possessed the precious Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, and had nowhere left to go...
This was practically... a recruitment target tailor-made for Kumogakure.
Uchiha Shaoyu, young Ai, and Uchiha Lianhuo exchanged glances.
No words were needed. The coordination they had built over the past few days allowed them to reach an agreement at once.
Toroi's value had already surpassed their initial expectations.
Not only did he possess the precious Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai and considerable strength,