Chapter 115: The Weight of a Name
Uchiha Masaki was one of the few minds in his clan who could see the chessboard, not just the pieces. He understood the precariousness of the Uchiha's position. The end of the war would not bring glory; it would bring a reckoning. His desperate attempt to mend fences with Kagenori—a discarded half-breed—by sending his own son to apologize, was a testament to the clan's dire straits. It was a move of sheer political survival.
Kagenori knew this. He was a weapon, honed and bitter, and Sarutobi Hiruzen would inevitably see his value. If Konoha moved against the Uchiha, who better to wield the knife than one of their own scorned children? The purge wouldn't come after the war, when the Uchiha's military contributions would be at their peak. It would come during the war, when the chaos could mask the deed, just as Konoha's position stabilized.
If Kagenori made himself indispensable in that grim task, his value to Sarutobi would skyrocket. Then, the Hokage would be forced to weigh his demands. The question would become: what is worth more? A stable, predictable Jinchuriki in Kushina, or a uniquely powerful, utterly loyal, and deniable asset who could solve the "Uchiha problem" and control the Nine-Tails with his Mangekyō?
Kagenori let out a slow breath, the plan crystallizing in his mind. "Then, before that day comes," he murmured to himself, "the name 'Blood-Eyed Shura' must echo across the entire shinobi world. Even tools for dirty work have a minimum threshold of notoriety."
Days later, in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen read Jiraiya's letter. His expression darkened as he absorbed Nara Shinsuke's cold, logical dissection of Kagenori's motives. The Jinchuriki was Konoha's ultimate strategic weapon. Any interference was a direct challenge to his authority, a touch on his absolute bottom line.
Yet, he felt no immediate urge for punitive action. The boy's ambition, while infuriating, was currently contained. As long as he, the Hokage, refused, the substitution could not happen. Furthermore, Kagenori was proving to be a highly effective weapon on the battlefield, and the war was far from over. Granting the transfer to the more volatile Land of Hot Springs front was a simple tactical decision.
He was midway through drafting the orders when a second hawk arrived. He unrolled the new scroll, and his eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
The words seemed to burn on the parchment. He had seen that power firsthand, a lifetime ago, on a battlefield shaped by gods. The world-ending prowess of Uchiha Madara was a core memory of his youth.
His first reaction was a surge of triumph. Konoha had gained a new apex predator. And this one was not a Uchiha in name or loyalty; he was Orochimaru's disciple, a product of the Hokage's own line, an outsider who hated the clan that birthed him. He was, for all intents and purposes, their weapon.
But the triumph was quickly tempered by cold calculation. This power confirmed Kagenori's claim—he could control the Nine-Tails. But it also made his ambition far more dangerous. The risk was still too high, the variables too many.
After a long, contemplative silence, Sarutobi made his decision. He would not approve the Jinchuriki substitution. Kagenori's value, while immense, was not yet great enough to overturn a decision of such monumental importance. He finished the transfer order, adding a few lines of bland encouragement, and sealed it. He would handle this with silence, by pretending the entire affair had never been proposed.
Kagenori read the transfer scroll in his hands, a faint, cynical smile touching his lips. As expected. Sarutobi had approved the transfer but ignored the elephant in the room. The silent treatment. It was the first move in a new, more complex game. The fact that he wasn't being reprimanded or recalled was a victory in itself. The scales had begun to tilt, however slightly.
Uzumaki Miyuki was already en route to Konoha under guard. "Jiraiya-sama," Kagenori said, his tone perfectly neutral. "Kakashi and I will take our leave."
They departed the Land of Grass without a backward glance, heading for the fiercer fires of the Land of Hot Springs.
Orochimaru was unchanged, a serpentine presence in the command tent. His golden eyes flickered from Kagenori to Kakashi. "It seems your endeavors have been… fruitful, Kagenori."
"They have proceeded adequately," Kagenori replied. "We located an Uzumaki survivor in the Land of Grass and secured her transfer to Konoha."
Orochimaru's tongue darted out, a gesture of keen interest. "And your next move?"
In response, Kagenori met his gaze, and the air seemed to still as the complex, scythe-bladed pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan swirled into existence.
Orochimaru's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before a slow, genuine smile spread across his face. "I see. The Mangekyō. Then you are indeed ready to step onto a larger stage. Very well. You are hereby assigned to independent operations. No standard missions. If you wish to carve your name into the annals of this war, you will need a worthy opponent to help you." His meaning was clear: he was unleashing Kagenori upon the Cloud-nin.
"I understand, Sensei," Kagenori said, deactivating the dread ocular power. "However, I will be leaving Kakashi in your care. The battles to come are no place for him."
Orochimaru's gaze slid to the silver-haired boy. "Agreed. I will see to his… continued development."
As they exited the tent, they found a small group waiting nearby: Minato Namikaze, and his team—Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, and their other teammate, Katsuhiko Takei.
"Kakashi!" Obito called out, waving energetically.
Rin blushed, her eyes fixed on Kakashi.
Takei offered a respectful bow. "Lord Kagenori."
Minato's attention, however, was locked solely on Kagenori, a silent, intense assessment passing between the two rivals.
"Kakashi," Kagenori said, not taking his eyes off Minato. "You will follow Orochimaru-sensei's instructions from now on."
"Yes, Sensei. Please be careful."
A dry smile touched Kagenori's lips. "Worry about your own training. I will be checking your progress." With that, he vanished in a flicker of the Body Flicker technique.
Obito ran up to Kakashi. "Hey! Kakashi! Didn't you hear me?"
Kakashi's single visible eye was cold, the warmth it had once held for his former rival utterly extinguished. "I have nothing to say to you." He brushed past Obito without a second glance, the gulf between them now as wide and desolate as the one that separated him from the village itself.
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