"Kagura."
Uchiha Itachi whispered the identity of the newcomer.
Uchiha Itachi could see that the murderous intent shown on the face of his teammate, Akihara Kagura, was not feigned; he was angry about wanting to kill these two people.
"You really are bold."
Akihara Kagura kicked Uchiha Itachi!
Uchiha Itachi quickly released his grip on the ninja sword, his body flew backwards, somersaulting in the air to land on the ground, the battle as elegant as ever!
A vine sprouted from the ground where he landed!
Uchiha Itachi leaped onto the vine, using it to spring back instantly!
"Kagura!"
Someone called out to stop Akihara Kagura!
Hatake Kakashi stood in the distance, loudly halting Akihara Kagura's intention to continue the attack: "First, check the injuries of Dean Yakushi Nono!"
"We saw it…"
Akihara Kagura's eyes were fiercely ablaze, he coldly said: "This guy didn't go with me to save people in Rock Village but came here to kill, even wanting to kill the relatives of his teammates…"
Akihara Kagura had never known what extreme anger was like, but for a child from the Konoha orphanage, seeing someone wanting to kill his dean, this rage that wanted to kill Uchiha Itachi on the spot must be something like that, right?
"This is the person Lord Danzo wanted to kill."
Uchiha Itachi lowered his head, no longer looking into Akihara Kagura's eyes, perhaps wanting to use this gesture to firm up his own heart.
"Are you really from the Root?"
Akihara Kagura couldn't help but laugh out, a hint of coldness in his eyes: "People from the Root are sensible, no one dares to falsely convey Lord Danzo's orders in front of me."
"I'm not falsely conveying orders…"
Uchiha Itachi frowned, wanting to argue.
"You really don't understand the Root at all."
Akihara Kagura coldly watched him: "If it's not an order personally issued by Lord Danzo in front of me, I can regard it all as falsely conveyed."
Akihara Kagura snorted coldly, continuing indifferently: "Do you think I don't know Lord Danzo's stance?"
"I've mentioned wanting to kill them before, Lord Danzo personally said that Yakushi Nono and Yakushi Kabuto are still useful, they can't be killed casually…"
"Even if they were to die, I would be the one to do it!"
After Akihara Kagura finished speaking, he looked down at Yakushi Kabuto, who was still trying hard to treat Yakushi Nono, and was coldly reprimanded!
"Not even able to protect the dean…"
"I'm sorry…"
Yakushi Kabuto lowered his head.
When Akihara Kagura appeared, Yakushi Kabuto knew that this crisis had at least temporarily passed and that he and Dean Yakushi Nonk could survive.
No matter what harsh words Akihara Kagura uttered, Yakushi Kabuto had no right to offer any objection because Akihara Kagura had already told him all about the conspiracy.
Yakushi Kabuto bowed his head, earnestly treating the Dean, and apologized softly, "This is my mistake, I never guessed..."
"Shut up!"
Akihara Kagura's words silenced Yakushi Kabuto immediately.
"This... This is not Kabuto's fault..."
The breathing of Yakushi Nono seemed to gradually stabilize, her chest and abdomen had only been hit by a shuriken shot out sneakily during a fight by Uchiha Itachi.
The Dean struggled to turn her head, apparently wanting to see Akihara Kagura's face clearly: "This is my fault, I didn't know... you were still alive... Kagura..."
Akihara Kagura awkwardly turned his head away.
If unsure what to do, it was best to keep silent at this time, rather than embracing the Dean Yakushi Nono in tears, right?
However...
Since Yakushi Nono herself believed she was an orphanage child, others would probably believe it too, right?
"I didn't know..."
Yakushi Nono tried hard to sit up.
"Dean, you are still injured!"
Yakushi Kabuto quickly pressed down on her shoulders.
"Lie down for a while."
Akihara Kagura, without looking back at Yakushi Nono, coldly said to Yakushi Kabuto, "Take good care of the Dean, don't even fail at this small matter..."
"Yes..."
Yakushi Kabuto slowly nodded.
"Lord Kagura."
The voice of Karin came through.
Hatake Kakashi, along with Karin and their captive, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, quickly arrived. When their team arrived, they saw Uchiha Itachi advancing towards Yakushi Kabuto with a ninja sword, fortunately, Akihara Kagura, a user of the Flying Thunder God Technique, arrived in time.
At that moment...
Hatake Kakashi felt a chill.
If Akihara Kagura, like the previous user of the Flying Thunder God Technique, had arrived late, and if Uchiha Itachi had killed Yakushi Nono and Yakushi Kabuto, Hatake Kakashi didn't even want to imagine what kind of chain reaction it would trigger.
"Let me help."
Karin proactively extended her arm, about to place it near the mouth of the Yakushi Nono, "Just one bite, take a sip of my blood, and it can heal your wounds…"
This was the little girl voluntarily offering to let someone bite her.
Although Karin did not know who this woman was, she knew that this woman must be very important to Akihara Kagura; as long as she could be saved, that was what mattered…
"…"
Yakushi Nono slowly but firmly shook her head, revealing a weak yet gentle smile, "No need, the medical ninjutsu of Kabuto is excellent, it will soon heal my wounds, it's better not to have scars on the body of a little girl…"
"…"
A look of surprise flashed in Karin's eyes.
Yakushi Nono was the first person to refuse to bite her, even speaking in a manner that seemed afraid of scaring her, concealing her own pain, as if terribly afraid of frightening the child.
"Kagura, don't blame Kabuto…"
Yakushi Nono, looking at Akihara Kagura who seemed still angry, struggled to speak, "It's not Kabuto's fault, it was to help raise funds for the orphanage…"
"I already knew that."
Akihara Kagura interrupted the Yakushi Nono, coldly saying, "Otherwise, I would have killed him already, Dean, you rest for a while."
"…"
Yakushi Nono shook her head.
Akihara Kagura in front of her was nothing like the smiling young man she knew from some time ago, the one who, even when accidentally wounded by her, still wore a smile…
This child was still angry…
Perhaps this child had the most right to be angry among those present.
"Kagura."
Yakushi Nono called Akihara Kagura's name, softly saying, "Sorry, when you were kidnapped and went missing, we all thought you were already dead…"
"I don't care anymore."
Akihara Kagura slowly shook his head, seemingly indifferent, "When I was taken to Orochimaru's laboratory, I thought I was going to die…"
Akihara Kagura looked up, seemingly not wanting his tears to fall, "Being able to survive, and to see you again, is already a fortune to me."
"…"
Hatake Kakashi slowly came over, reaching out to pat Akihara Kagura's shoulder, wanting to offer his subordinate a silent comfort in this way.
Hatake Kakashi turned to another of his subordinates and suddenly said, "Uchiha Itachi, you may leave now."
...
Uchiha Itachi hesitated, standing in place.
Akihara Kagura looked back at his superior and asked in a deep voice, "Captain Kakashi, are you asking me to let him go?"
"Do not act rashly."
Hatake Kakashi held Akihara Kagura's shoulder and slowly shook his head.
Uchiha Itachi's identity was extraordinary; he was the son of Uchiha Fugaku from the Uchiha clan and had been personally recommended by Danzo to join the Anbu. Even the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had agreed to this.
This meant...
Uchiha Itachi's existence involved the relationship between Konoha's higher-ups and the Uchiha clan.
"Kagura."
Hatake Kakashi's words calmed Akihara Kagura down: "The Dean, Yakushi Nono, is still alive. She needs to stay in the village to take care of the other children at the orphanage, right?"
Hatake Kakashi continued, "If you kill Uchiha Itachi, Danzo will not allow you to become the future leader of the Root. Yakushi Kabuto and Yakushi Nono will never be able to return to the village. Do you want to make them homeless?"
"But..."
Akihara Kagura immediately hesitated.
"Let's go back to the village."
Seeing his subordinate somewhat moved, Hatake Kakashi earnestly persuaded, "After we return, we'll report this to Lord Hokage first. Lord Hokage will definitely not allow such things to happen again..."
Theoretically speaking.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, might not intervene.
However, the Third Hokage's attitude seemed to change when it came to Akihara Kagura, even starting to forbid Danzo and Akihara Kagura from contacting each other.
"Uchiha Itachi."
Taking advantage of Akihara Kagura's contemplation, Hatake Kakashi immediately looked towards the distant Uchiha Itachi and commanded in a deep voice, "To prevent the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, from being intercepted by enemies from Rock Village, I order you to return to the village immediately to report and seek reinforcements to support us!"
The real meaning of this command was not so much for reinforcements, but to separate Uchiha Itachi from them, to prevent Akihara Kagura from impulsively killing him.
...
Uchiha Itachi immediately leapt away!
"I haven't decided yet!"
Akihara Kagura immediately wanted to step forward to stop him.
"Calm down!"
Hatake Kakashi stopped him and explained, "If you really kill him, there will be no chance for redemption, and even Lord Hokage would have a hard time dealing with it…"
Hatake Kakashi grasped Akihara Kagura's shoulders, holding onto Kagura's weak points, and said, "Kagura, just bear with it for now, and go back to ask for Lord Hokage's decision!"
"The person has already left."
Akihara Kagura looked at Hatake Kakashi, raised an eyebrow, and coldly huffed, "This time, I'll spare that guy, hoping he won't regret it in the future…"
Not to regret it in the future, rather than dying at this moment.
Akihara Kagura looked down at the Dean, Yakushi Nono, whose injuries were healing, and then turned to the medic, Yakushi Kabuto, instructing, "Kabuto, you and the Dean find a place to stay for a while. Wait for me to return to the village to see the situation, and then I'll come to take you back."
"Okay."
Kabuto was very obedient.
Kabuto didn't dare refuse anything Akihara Kagura said, feeling guilty for the Dean's favoritism towards him and now even more guilty for his misunderstanding towards Akihara Kagura.
If he had chosen to believe that Akihara Kagura wouldn't kill him and had actively sought help, perhaps it wouldn't have come to this point, nearly costing the Dean and himself their lives…
Fortunately.
Fortunately, Akihara Kagura arrived in time.
"Thank you."
Kabuto whispered his thanks.
Perhaps Akihara Kagura didn't need it, or even didn't want to hear it, but Kabuto still had to say it, owing Akihara Kagura too much…
For safety reasons, Kabuto decided to hide with the Dean for the time being, continuing to hide in the Land of Earth to avoid being discovered by Danzo's Root in the Land of Fire again.
Yakushi Nono thought this was safer too.
In the entire Land of Earth, only she and Kabuto were the intelligence members, and the Land of Fire was Konoha's main base. Their movements might not escape Danzo's surveillance.
Akihara Kagura seemed somewhat helpless but agreed to them, taking Hatake Kakashi, Karin, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, and leaving first.
"Take good care of the Dean."
Akihara Kagura's gaze was fixed on Kabuto, instructing, "If you encounter any difficulties, it's okay to seek help from Rock Village. After all, I've captured their Third Tsuchikage, at worst, we can just exchange hostages…"
"Cough cough cough cough…"
Hatake Kakashi and the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki coughed.
These two personally experienced how Akihara Kagura exchanged hostages…
Yakushi Kabuto shook his head and said softly, "We will be careful. Once the dean and I find a place to hide, we will find a way to tell you."
"Okay."
Akihara Kagura nodded slowly.
Although he had already found the next stop for Yakushi Kabuto and Yakushi Nono, it was not convenient to mention it at this time. Fortunately, the person responsible for wrapping things up had already arrived...
"We are leaving."
Akihara Kagura picked up the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.
Karin quickly stepped forward and grabbed the hem of his clothes, while Hatake Kakashi stepped forward and placed a hand on Akihara Kagura's shoulder, waving goodbye to Kabuto and the Dean.
In an instant.
Akihara Kagura disappeared from the spot.
After Akihara Kagura disappeared, Yakushi Kabuto and Yakushi Nono helped each other, attempting to leave the dangerous Tsuchi River Gorge that almost became their grave.
Suddenly, a white snake slithered out from a crack.
The white snake suddenly opened its mouth wide, and a figure slowly emerged from its mouth, not minding the saliva on him, but frowning and falling into thought.
"Kagura, this child..."
~~~
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