The Konoha Village Archive Room.
The shelves were stacked with all sorts of strange scrolls.
Hatake Kakashi had been here before. When he first encountered Tenzo, the first Wood Release ninja, he had sneaked into the archive room to investigate and was somewhat familiar with it.
It was Akihara Kagura's first time here.
Akihara Kagura had always known that they wouldn't find any traces of Uchiha Obito here and had no real interest in researching. He was just casually flipping through the materials.
"Kagura,"
Hatake Kakashi's movements of examining the scrolls suddenly stopped, and he looked towards Akihara Kagura: "There should be some information here that interests you."
"What kind of information?"
"About the inflow and outflow of materials from some laboratories."
Hatake Kakashi tossed the scroll in his hand to Akihara Kagura and pointed to a row of scrolls in front of him, continuing, "Do you want to come over and check?"
"Oh?"
Akihara Kagura showed a bit more interest.
However, when Akihara Kagura picked up a scroll, he realized a problem. These were some complications left behind when Orochimaru defected from the Konoha Village.
[July 3rd, need eleven test subjects, one ton of human cultivation liquid and medicinal herbs, twenty valves, fifteen experimental protective glass covers…]
[Delivered, signed by Ding.]
[July 9th, need five test subjects, one hundred test tubes, twenty beakers, one generator, three hundred meters of wire…]
[Delivered, signed by Ding.]
[August 16th, need sixty test subjects, one hundred test tubes, ten tons of human cultivation liquid and medicinal herbs, sixty chakra test papers…]
[Delivered, signed by Aburame Tatsuma.]
[November 17th, need ten ninja test subjects, one hundred test tubes, ten tons of human cultivation liquid and medicinal herbs, a pair of Sharingan…]
[Delivered, Sharingan currently unavailable, signed by Aburame Tatsuma.]
"In theory, there should be more data..."
Hatake Kakashi, frowning, continued: "Orochimaru might have thought about defecting long ago. Most of the data in the lab was destroyed by him, only these are left…"
Only four documents remained here, two of which bore the name of Aburame Tatsuma, and the other two bore the name of someone named Ding, a member of the Root.
These documents indicate...
It seems that all along, it has been the Root members who have been sending experimental materials to Orochimaru.
Akihara Kagura, seemingly oblivious, slowly began to speak, "Out of the four documents, three are about test tubes. That guy named Orochimaru has broken quite a few test tubes..."
"..."
Hatake Kakashi's eyes twitched.
Is this kid focusing on the wrong things?
"What a hassle..."
In fact, Akihara Kagura had already realized something.
The reason why Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Hatake Kakashi to bring him to the data room to look for information was precisely to let him discover the true nature of Shimura Danzo!
Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted him to find out that Danzo's Root has been providing experimental materials to Orochimaru all along, making him realize that the tragic childhood he spoke of was caused by Danzo, and there was no need to remain loyal to him!
Unfortunately...
All those tragedies were fake.
This so-called evidence of Danzo supporting Orochimaru in illegal human experiments was nothing to Akihara Kagura... Because he is the biggest evidence of Danzo's collusion with the S-class rogue ninja Orochimaru from Konoha still exists!
"These documents seem quite unfavorable to Lord Danzo..."
Akihara Kagura, seemingly displeased, spoke nonchalantly, "It's just the two of us here, let's take these away for now, they're not that important anyway."
"We can't take away documents from the lab's data room."
Hatake Kakashi shook his head, not allowing Akihara Kagura to destroy the evidence: "These are all evidence of Shimura Danzo's past collusion with Orochimaru..."
"Captain Kakashi."
Akihara Kagura sighed and said, "You should know, and so does the Third Hokage, that I am fiercely loyal to Lord Danzo, yet he still let me see this so-called evidence. Perhaps it's to have me hand them over to Lord Danzo for disposal?"
Hatake Kakashi frowned.
"Why do I suddenly feel that there's some truth in what Kagura is saying?"
Initially, when Shimura Danzo sent someone to assassinate the Third Hokage, he still received the Third Hokage's magnanimous forgiveness. What more for just having had a bit of collusion with Orochimaru?
"The Third Hokage also had good intentions..."
Akihara Kagura, with a tone beyond his years, sighed deeply, gathering several scrolls to eventually hand over to Shimura Danzo.
"Perhaps the Hokage's intention wasn't like that?"
Hatake Kakashi's thoughts were more complex.
Hatake Kakashi remembered how he was once deceived by Shimura Danzo, almost betraying the Third Hokage. It was here in the Konoha's archives that he learned the truth.
What good intentions could the Third Hokage have?
Was it clearly a scheme to make Akihara Kagura and Shimura Danzo turn against each other?
"Kid, aren't you angry?"
Hatake Kakashi, watching Akihara Kagura's actions, couldn't help but ask, "Back then... you were also sent to Shimura Danzo as an experimental subject..."
"What's the use?"
After putting away the evidence scrolls, Akihara Kagura spoke calmly, "I had noticed some clues. What I hated the most was the days of living as an experimental subject in my childhood, not knowing if I would survive each day..."
"But..."
"I have no way of turning back now."
Akihara Kagura looked deeply at Hatake Kakashi and continued, "Even if Lord Danzo treats me as a tool for murder, I will never betray him. I'll be even colder and more ruthless than he expects. My origins dictate that I can never leave Lord Danzo..."
"You're just an innocent kid."
Hatake Kakashi felt that the kid was somewhat slow to understand and reminded him, "Looking at these pieces of evidence, you were probably also sent by Shimura Danzo to Orochimaru as an experimental subject, and now you've joined the Anbu..."
"Captain Kakashi."
Akihara's Kagura interrupted Hatake Kakashi with a cold voice, saying, "The Dean of the Konoha Orphanage, Yakushi Nono, is still under the command of Lord Danzo. We are different, I can't abandon someone who is more important to me for my own sake…"
"I've always wanted to kill Tenzo."
"It's not just to please Lord Danzo."
"It's also because I'm jealous of his freedom from attachments."
"I'm also jealous of someone who can take him away from the Root."
"…"
Hatake Kakashi remained silent for a while, then buried his head in continuing his research. He understood the difficulties faced by Akihara Kagura and also realized the extreme nature of this kid's character.
If it weren't for Shimura Danzo...
Wouldn't this kid also be a bright and kind person?
Even with the threat of Shimura Danzo...
This kid's heart still harbors that kindness.
While searching through the scroll information, Hatake Kakashi pondered how he should report tonight's events to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, hoping that the Third Hokage would be willing to rescue Yakushi Nono from the Root, which could also save Akihara Kagura.
"There are no traces of Obito here."
After reviewing all the information about Hashirama Cells, Hatake Kakashi looked towards Akihara Kagura, who was somewhat distracted, and said, "I will report to the Hokage and also apply for us to leave Konoha for a reconnaissance mission in the Mist Village."
"I want to rest for a while."
Akihara's Kagura feigned to touch his ninja tool bag.
That ninja tool bag contained the incriminating evidence against Shimura Danzo. Anyone who saw Akihara Kagura's action would immediately realize that he was using rest as a pretext to meet Shimura Danzo.