Chapter 133: A Serpent's Bargain and a Summons
When Kagenori returned to the small, unassuming house he shared with Kushina, he found it empty. A faint layer of dust suggested she had been away on a mission for a few days. The silence was a stark contrast to the usual warmth her presence brought.
He stood in the quiet living room, allowing himself a rare, unguarded moment. Today, Danzo had formally presented the alternative Jinchuriki candidate to the Hokage. While Sarutobi Hiruzen had not given his explicit agreement, the political gears had been set in motion. It was as good as settled. Uzumaki Mito had, at most, a year. This war, however, would not be concluded so neatly. As long as he remained the key instrument in suppressing the Uchiha, Sarutobi would be forced to consider his loyalty and his… preferences. With Danzo's ruthless advocacy, the plan he had dedicated his life to was finally seeing the light of dawn.
After so many years of meticulous planning, of wearing a mask of loyalty, a path was clearing. A long, slow breath escaped Kagenori's lips, and a genuine, albeit faint, smile touched his features. If Kushina's fate could be averted, the great weight crushing his spirit would lift. He could continue his shadowed growth within Konoha's walls, or he could simply leave, taking her with him to a life of their own choosing. The future, for the first time, felt like his to shape.
Feeling a sense of lightness he hadn't experienced in years, he willed his system interface to life.
The familiar, translucent panel materialized before his eyes, but it was immediately accompanied by a prompt he had not expected.
[Ding. Witnessed the pivotal event: 'The Demise of Yahiko.' Reward: 2,000 Witness Points.]
Kagenori's eyebrows rose in mild surprise. Two thousand points—the same reward he had received for fundamentally altering the life trajectory of Hatake Kakashi. After a moment's consideration, he found it fitting. Yahiko's death itself was a minor footnote in the grand scheme. The true pivot point was the catastrophic shift in Nagato's worldview, the shattering of his idealism and his transformation into the vessel of a vengeful god. He had witnessed the birth of Pain, and the system had acknowledged it.
He turned his attention to his updated status panel.
[Character: Kagenori]
[Heritage: Uchiha Clan, Senju Clan]
[Kekkei Genkai: Mangekyō Sharingan]
[Chakra Reserves: Jounin-tier (Vast)]
[Ninjutsu: E-Rank: Three Basic Jutsu, C-Rank: Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique...]
[Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, Sharingan Hypnosis...]
[Taijutsu: Shurikenjutsu Mastery, C-Rank Taijutsu...]
[Abilities: Kyozetsu (Left Eye), Fumetsuzan (Right Eye), Thunder Breathing, Observation Haki]
[Remaining Witness Points: 4,000 points]
Looking over the list of his capabilities, he felt a cold sense of accomplishment. He was becoming a warrior without clear weakness, a master of multiple disciplines. He was a pentagonal warrior, honed for a single purpose.
Dismissing the system, he stretched his senses outward, the invisible waves of his Observation Haki washing over the immediate vicinity. He confirmed what he already suspected; no ANBU, no Root agents were watching his home at this moment. The coast was clear.
He bit his thumb, drawing a bead of blood, and weaved through a sequence of hand seals before slamming his palm onto the floor.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke erupted in the room, resolving into the form of a pale white snake, its scales glistening and its midsection visibly distended.
"Master Kagenori~" the snake hissed, its voice a sycophantic drawl. Since forming a contract with Kagenori, its life had become one of gluttonous indulgence. Each summoning meant a feast, and its body had grown notably thicker. Its loyalty was directly proportional to the frequency of its meals.
"Release him," Kagenori ordered, his voice devoid of warmth.
"Of course~"
The white snake convulsed, its throat bulging before it unceremoniously regurgitated the limp, mucus-covered form of Yahiko onto the floorboards.
"Just as you requested, Master," the snake crooned. "I took him straight to Ryuchi Cave, then applied our special medicinal herbs to his wound. He retains a faint body temperature. The spark of life still flickers."
Kagenori knelt, his movements clinical as he examined Yahiko. The boy was alive, but barely. His breathing was shallow, and the herbal poultice applied by the snake had only partially stemmed the bleeding; the edges of the kunai wound were already showing signs of festering. Left untreated, infection would finish what Nagato had started.
Working with efficient precision, Kagenori cleaned the wound properly, applied a fresh, high-quality antiseptic and healing salve from his own supplies, and rebound it with clean bandages.
"White Snake," he began, his tone leaving no room for debate. "I have a new task for you. Its importance is absolute. Should you fail, I will sever our contract permanently and seek a more competent serpent."
The snake recoiled as if struck. "No! Master Kagenori, no serpent could be more loyal than I! Whatever the mission, I swear upon my fangs to see it done!"
A faint, cold smile played on Kagenori's lips. "It is inconvenient for me to keep him here in Konoha. You will take him back to Ryuchi Cave. Your duty is to ensure he does not die. I will provide you with provisions. If he regains consciousness, you may feed him, then have a viper with paralytic venom bite him to keep him sedated. Is that understood?"
The white snake writhed in clear distress. "Master, this... this is problematic. The denizens of Ryuchi Cave have a taste for human flesh, and the White Sage does not permit unbonded humans to reside within our halls."
Kagenori shrugged, a gesture of supreme indifference. "That is your problem to solve. Succeed, and I will continue to summon you frequently. I am being deployed to the Land of Waves. The chaos of war there is immense, which translates to an endless supply of... sustenance. If you find the task too difficult, I am certain another, more ambitious serpent will not."
"Wait! Please, Master, allow me a moment to think!" the snake pleaded, its forked tongue flickering in agitation.
"Think carefully," Kagenori said, his voice a soft, threatening whisper. "You know how few summoners Ryuchi Cave has. It will be difficult for you to find another who provides such a... satisfying arrangement."
The snake's head drooped, then lifted with newfound resolve. "I will do it! I accept the mission, Master Kagenori!"
"Excellent. Remember, if you are discovered, you are to return to Ryuchi Cave immediately. Do not worry, it will only be for a few days. Once I am established in the Land of Waves, I will have other means to secure him."
"Understood. I must go now, Master! Before the White Sage takes notice! And please, do not forget my provisions!"
With that, the great snake convulsed once more, swallowing Yahiko's unconscious form back into its gullet before dissolving into a cloud of smoke.
No sooner had the summoning residue faded than a sharp knock echoed from the front door.
Kagenori froze, his senses immediately on high alert. He had just returned from Amegakure. His movements from the Hokage Tower to the Root base and then home had been direct and, he believed, unobserved. Even Kushina didn't know he was back. So who would be knocking?
He moved to the door and opened it a crack, his surprise carefully masked. Standing on his doorstep was Uzumaki Miyuki.
"It's late. What do you need?" Kagenori asked, his voice flat.
"It's not me," Miyuki replied, her own expression serious. "It's Lady Mito. She demands your presence. Since Kushina is away on her mission, I have been studying fuinjutsu with Lady Mito this evening. The Hokage came to speak with her just a short while ago. After he left, she instructed me to find you and bring you to her immediately."
Kagenori's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. So, Sarutobi had gone directly to Uzumaki Mito. The topic of their discussion could only be the selection of the next Jinchuriki. And if Mito was summoning him now, under these circumstances, it meant the final decision was at hand.
He gave a curt nod. "I understand. I will go at once."
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