Chapter 118: Rising Peace
Things would not proceed as usual from this point. After Uchiha Itachi confirmed Kakashi as his teacher, the young prodigy's mood visibly improved.
Even without direct tutelage from Nagato, Itachi could still seek his guidance on matters of genjutsu
and dojutsu. At the very least, whenever he privately approached Nagato with questions, Nagato always responded.
Hatake Kakashi then turned his attention to this legendary man who, in the original timeline, had slaughtered his entire Uchiha clan and later changed the
course of the Fourth Great Ninja War. Now, he was still just a child: Uchiha Itachi.
His large eyes were devoid of any impurity, and his face was etched with 'I am calm' and 'I am composed.' The moment he opened his mouth, it was with
a thirst for knowledge. This child, with nasolabial folds that belied his young age, successfully made the silver-haired youth dissociate him from
that deeply bitter and vengeful character.
This was the genius of Rain Village, not Konoha.
Thinking this, he supposed he had indeed changed Itachi's destiny.
As the misunderstanding concluded, he had expected Uchiha Fugaku to simply utter a few closing remarks and leave. To his surprise,
he delivered another piece of news.
"My wife is pregnant. This will be the first child born to the Uchiha clan here in Rain Village. He will
bear witness to our clan's rise in this place."
Everyone present offered words of congratulations, but Itachi alone didn't understand.
He was getting a younger brother, but what did that even mean?
"Sarutobi Sasuke, father of Konoha's Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, is a powerful shinobi I greatly admire. He once
taught me for a period of time. I want my second child to bear the same name as him, so that he may become a powerful shinobi just like Sarutobi
Sasuke in the future. We shall name him Uchiha Sasuke."
[Uchiha Sasuke]
Since arriving in this world, this was the most unexpected name Kakashi had heard. He had originally thought Sasuke wouldn't
be born, or at least wouldn't bear that name. Yet, the gears of fate had still managed to restore one of the future's two main protagonists
back onto their normal track.
Now that he thought about it, his sensei's wife should be getting pregnant soon too.
"Terumi Mei, how time flies."
"Huh? We've only been here for a little over a year."
Kakashi's sudden sigh made the blonde-haired girl conclude that he was once again spouting things she couldn't quite grasp.
Having finished her last skewer of dango, Terumi Mei felt a surge of curiosity towards Kakashi's newly accepted disciple, Uchiha Itachi.
This little guy also seemed to have a sweet tooth, just like her.
"Itachi, come over to Big Sister."
Waving to the child, Uchiha Itachi obediently walked to Terumi Mei's side.
"Do you like dango?"
"I do."
"Big Sister will buy you dango next time. All you have to do is help me with a small favor. Not a bad deal, right?"
"What's a 'deal'?"
"A deal is when I give you something, and you promise me something in return."
Uchiha Itachi thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Heh."
"Your teacher, Hatake Kakashi, the silver-haired one: if any suspicious people appear around him from now on,
you tell me immediately. Each time you report something, I'll give you three skewers of dango."
"The terms of the deal aren't equal."
"Not equal?"
Just a moment ago he was asking what a 'deal' was, and now he's bringing up the concept of 'equal terms'...
Terumi Mei's smile froze. In an instant, she wondered if this little rascal had just been playing her.
"The terms of a deal should be equal. You must offer something commensurate with my labor for the deal to be
valid."
"Who taught you that?"
The little boy raised a finger and pointed at Obito.
"Don't listen to him in the future. I'll increase it to five skewers, how's that?"
"Deal."
He silently weighed in his mind how long five skewers of dango would last him. He probably couldn't eat that much himself;
he could just take the rest back for Izumi.
The evening banquet concluded, but Kakashi and Yahiko still hadn't found an opportunity to discuss the Tsuchikage's
demands with Uchiha Fugaku. After everyone else had left, Kakashi asked Terumi Mei to wait for him outside for a moment. Then, with Yahiko,
he stopped the Uchiha clan head who was preparing to leave.
They were ready to explain the entire situation to him in detail.
"The Tsuchikage requested a few Uchiha clan members proficient in genjutsu to assist Iwagakure in attacking Kumogakure and surrounding
the Raikage," Kakashi explained. "Iwagakure has very few genjutsu masters, and even fewer capable of interfering with the Raikage.
Most of them rely on ninjutsu control rather than genjutsu. Furthermore, the Raikage's mobility allows him to leave the battlefield
at any time. That's why they need Uchiha clan members. I suspect their true intentions are similar to my own."
"Has Iwagakure sent anyone here already?"
After two pieces of good news in a row, this matter made Uchiha Fugaku's face fall once more. Fortunately, Kakashi and Yahiko
conveyed Onoki's message. Otherwise, if Fugaku and the Tsuchikage had met directly, given the Uchiha clan's pride,
they might have immediately started fighting, even against a Kage.
"The Tsuchikage came in person."
"My Uchiha clan will never be threatened. If the Tsuchikage comes again next time, I will explain it to him myself."
As Uchiha Fugaku finished speaking, he saw Hatake Kakashi raise a single hand, faint light shimmering around it.
"Uchiha Clan Head," Kakashi began, "I don't think you need to refuse the Tsuchikage so quickly.
Whether they can truly contain the Raikage is still a question. Moreover, both the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth pose threats
to us. This time, I intend to personally accompany the Land of Earth's forces to confront the Land of Lightning."
"Why?"
Akatsuki's ideology strictly forbids members from privately interfering in other nations' wars, especially by helping one nation
against another.
However, the Uchiha clan head didn't seem concerned; he didn't quite agree with Akatsuki's current, pure ideals.
Yahiko opened his mouth, but remained silent as he had been since earlier. He truly hadn't known how to broach the
subject with the Uchiha clan head, nor had he expected Kakashi to volunteer to participate in this war.
"Because peace will inevitably require some people to pay a price," Kakashi continued. "Prolonged wars are caused by the endless conflict
of interests among the higher echelons. The Third Great Ninja War was a continuation of the Second Great Ninja War. If we don't change this situation, then
even if wars cease, they will eventually erupt again."
"Kakashi… do you intend to provoke war?
Even if war ceases, it will eventually erupt again."
Yahiko's expression gradually grew serious. Although he possessed the resolve for bloodshed and sacrifice, if peace was bought with the
lives of others, then such peace was not worth having.
"No, Yahiko," Kakashi countered, "I merely wish for the Land of Rain to rise. Until Rain Village can rival the Five Great Nations, and even surpass
them – until it possesses absolute military might, such that the Five Great Nations dare not wage war – then true peace will finally arrive."
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