Yakushi Kabuto is a medical ninja.
As a medical ninja, he should not face any obstacles when entering the hospital.
However, this time, when he entered Konoha Hospital, the Anbu ninjas stationed there seemed to be on high alert, and even the Sannin personally came to greet him.
"Please do not harbor any hostility towards me."
When Yakushi Kabuto saw Tsunade, he wore a gentle smile on his face, "If I am not mistaken, is Kagura about to turn against the entire ninja world?"
"You know his plan?"
Tsunade's face immediately turned grim.
As she looked at Yakushi Kabuto, she began to contemplate whether to immediately capture him and send him to the interrogation department.
"I know a bit."
Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the lenses glinting in the sunlight, "After all, Kagura and I are both from the same orphanage. He even told me about his intention to go against the ninja world, but unfortunately, I couldn't persuade him to change his mind..."
"Why didn't you report this to the village?"
Tsunade's face was stern as she questioned Yakushi Kabuto.
"Kagura is one of the village's top officials."
Yakushi Kabuto looked up at Tsunade, a mocking smile on his face, "If I had reported this to you, wouldn't you have chosen to kill me to prevent a conflict between the Hokage and her advisor?"
"I am the most senior member of Root..."
"I've been in Root since the first leader, Shimura Danzo, was still in charge. Root assassinated many ninjas who wanted to report Shimura Danzo to the Third Hokage, and I've seen many intelligence reports laid on the Third Hokage's desk that he never acted upon..."
"..."
Tsunade was momentarily speechless.
Because...
Everything Yakushi Kabuto said was true.
Even when she was younger, Tsunade knew some things about Danzo.
Shimura Danzo indeed committed many infractions, and even if someone reported him to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, those matters were never addressed.
If Shimura Danzo could do so much...
What about Akihara Kagura, who is even more powerful than Danzo?
If Yakushi Kabuto had reported these matters to her at that time, Tsunade might not have killed him to keep Akihara Kagura in line, but she would have certainly imprisoned him.
During that period, Konoha could afford to lose a Yakushi Kabuto, but it absolutely couldn't lose a Akihara Kagura. Until Akihara Kagura completely turned against Konoha, Tsunade could only find ways to make him change his mind, rather than spark internal conflict.
Speaking openly about it...
The higher-ups in Konoha had indeed wronged the ninjas who were sacrificed.
"Now that you are here..."
Tsunade looked at the bark-like object in Yakushi Kabuto's hand, frowning slightly, "Is it to provide us with information on Kagura?"
"..."
Yakushi Kabuto shook his head, then nodded, taking the initiative to explain, "I don't know Kagura's intentions, but this object should be very important to him..."
After speaking, Yakushi Kabuto handed the bark to Tsunade.
"What is this?"
Tsunade signaled an Anbu member to take the bark from Yakushi Kabuto.
"I don't know."
Yakushi Kabuto shook his head, indicating that he wasn't sure. He fabricated a story, "I have only seen Kagura use his Wood Release chakra to check the information on it. The material of this bark is very hard and seems to be ancient..."
Yakushi Kabuto looked at the bark and continued, "I also researched it secretly. It seems to be able to absorb a lot of chakra. I was afraid that using powerful jutsu might destroy the information on it, so I didn't dare to tamper with it too much..."
"This bark must be extremely useful."
"Kagura always kept it close to him when he was in the orphanage. After leaving the orphanage, he hid it. When he returned to Konoha, he retrieved it and kept it in his office. I took it while he was away..."
"..."
Tsunade frowned, puzzled by the bark she had received.
"If it requires Wood Release chakra to read the information on the bark..."
"If Kagura has held onto it since he was a child…"
Orochimaru glanced at the piece of tree bark, and his expression suddenly became grave. He thought of something extremely terrifying: "When I picked him up back then, it wasn't by chance, but that little guy deliberately wanted to get close to me..."
Orochimaru's face turned exceptionally ugly, and his heart started beating faster. He felt a fear as if he were falling into an abyss: "Akihara Kagura... this was all his plan. He needed to awaken the Wood Release, so he deliberately approached me..."
"That's right..."
"I remember now..."
Orochimaru recalled the incident in the laboratory in the Land of Grass: "That little guy approached me on his own, gained my trust, and proposed the experiment to transplant cells from the First Hokage. His goal was to transplant the First Hokage's cells to awaken the Wood Release..."
"..."
Tsunade and Jiraiya faces also changed.
"How old was he back then?"
"Could that child have had such a scheming mind at that age?"
If all these plots were strategies Akihara Kagura devised as a child, it would be too terrifying; no one had any inkling of it! The three legendary Sannin of Konoha simultaneously envisioned a scene.
A little boy with a sinister face staying at the Konoha orphanage, tightly holding a piece of tree bark, knowing that it hid a great secret.
However, to unlock the secret of the tree bark, Wood Release chakra was required as the key. To obtain Wood Release chakra, the First Hokage's cells had to be transplanted...
But...
These were Konoha's secrets.
How did this child obtain them?
Regardless of how the little boy learned the secret of Orochimaru's experiment with the First Hokage's cells, he deliberately let himself be captured by Orochimaru, who loved scientific experiments, to gain his trust and eventually be transplanted with the First Hokage's cells, successfully awakening the Wood Release.
After awakening the Wood Release, the little boy took advantage of Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo's secrets to return to Konoha, retrieve the tree bark he had hidden in the orphanage, and uncover the secret information on it, thus beginning to execute the plot he had devised since childhood...
"We need to return to the beginning..."
Orochimaru, being very clever, said in a deep voice, "How did Akihara Kagura know that the tree bark hid a secret? From what source did he learn about it, and why does the tree bark require Wood Release to unlock it..."
While Tsunade and Kabuto were talking, the Second Hokage, Tobirama, and the Fourth Hokage, Minato, simultaneously received an order!
"Go and seize that piece of tree bark!"
Akihara Kagura's will appeared in their minds, coldly giving the order: "Kabuto has betrayed me and stolen my possession. That piece of tree bark must not fall into Konoha's hands!"
"Tree bark?"
Tobirama heard a familiar term in surprise.
The Second Hokage immediately recalled something.
Back then, in their investigation of Uchiha Madara, they had visited the Naka Shrine to see the stone tablet passed down through the Uchiha clan for a thousand years...
At that time...
It was somewhat strange that there were no historical records from the Senju clan, who were on par with the Uchiha clan...
At that time...
Akihara Kagura had casually mentioned the possibility of a piece of tree bark belonging to the Senju clan!
Does this mean...
Akihara Kagura had already obtained that piece of tree bark!
He was probing Tobirama and his brother, Hashirama, to find out if the tree bark belonged to the Senju clan!
Tobirama immediately confirmed that the piece of tree bark might belong to the Senju clan and that Akihara Kagura had already obtained it!
It contained the secrets of the Senju clan!
However, Tobirama and Minato could not defy Akihara Kagura's order. They instantly charged towards Tsunade to seize the tree bark in her possession!
"They're moving!"
Jiraiya's face showed shock.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru simultaneously intercepted the two Hokages!
While being forced to fight Orochimaru, Tobirama conveyed his guess to Tsunade: "Tsunade, that piece of tree bark is an heirloom of the Senju clan. It must contain extremely secret historical information and must not fall into the wrong hands!"
"I understand..."
Tsunade immediately reacted.
"You must quickly decode the information on it!"
While swinging his kunai at Orochimaru, Tobirama reminded her: "It is a treasure passed down through the Senju clan, possibly recording the history of the ninja world or its secrets!"
Tobirama continued, "The Uchiha clan's stone tablet can only be deciphered with the Sharingan. Uchiha Madara used his Sharingan to uncover the secrets of the tablet, and thus secretly began his plan to gather the Tailed Beasts..."
"As the once-opposing Senju clan of the forest, perhaps there is a secret record that could thwart Uchiha Madara's plan. We must ensure that the piece of bark does not fall into our hands and quickly uncover the secrets it holds!"
"Understood!"
Tsunade nodded and quickly agreed.
Konoha is not without Wood Release ninjas.
On the contrary.
Currently, Konoha has many Wood Release ninjas.
According to Yakushi Kabuto, this piece of bark requires Wood Release chakra to read the information on it. I just need to find a Wood Release ninja.
Wait...
Something seems off.
Tsunade suddenly realized something. Most of Konoha's Wood Release ninjas are in the Root, and they are all out on missions. The only Wood Release ninja under the Hokage, Yamato, was also sent out leading Team 8...
This is bad!
At this moment...
Konoha doesn't have any Wood Release ninjas!
Underground.
Black Zetsu also saw the piece of bark.
Compared to the short-sighted Konoha ninjas, Black Zetsu immediately recognized the true nature of the bark. It was the outer skin of the Ten Tails' shell, the shed skin of the Gedo Statue of the Outer Path!
In other words...
Only one person in history could have created this!
The Sage of Six Paths...
Only the legendary Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, could have made this, and only he would record information on such bark and leave it to the Senju clan!
Both the Uchiha and Senju clans are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. One inherited his eyes, the other his physique.
The Uchiha clan has a stone tablet that records history...
How could the Senju clan not have a historical record?
Black Zetsu had never found any historical record from the Senju clan. After Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki's death, it searched everywhere for traces of his recorded history, only finding the Uchiha clan's stone tablet, leading Black Zetsu to believe that the Senju clan had no such historical record...
But now...
Black Zetsu suddenly realized it was wrong!
The ancestors of the Uchiha, Indra, and the Senju, Asura, clashed, and their chakra continually reincarnated and clashed. The Uchiha clan has a historical record; how could the Senju clan not have one?
No!
The Senju clan's bark must not expose the secrets of the ninja world!
Black Zetsu moved frantically underground, hidden beneath Tsunade's feet, ready to snatch the bark at any moment!
No, no...
There must be more information I've missed.
Black Zetsu eavesdropped on the conversation, pondering why the bark ended up in Akihara Kagura's hands and how Kagura knew the secrets on the bark...
"The Senju clan..."
Black Zetsu shuddered, realizing, "That kid, Akihara Kagura...is a Senju!"
"The Senju clan..."
Orochimaru, also very clever, fighting Tobirama, recalled, "Akihara Kagura...is a Senju!"
"Only then..."
"Does everything make sense!"
"Akihara Kagura is a Senju, even a direct descendant, which is why he could successfully transplant the First Hokage's cells and awaken Wood Release!"
"Precisely because Akihara Kagura is a Senju..."
"That kid knows the secrets of the bark!"
"Indeed..."
Tobirama, equally wise, quickly figured it out.
During the Warring States period, the Senju clan had lost many members, even the children of the clan leader lived precariously.
War meant sacrifice and even disappearance. Perhaps a clan leader's descendant who knew the secret of the bark stole it and vanished, leading to the complete loss of this historical artifact...
The bark was very portable, unlike the immovable Uchiha stone tablet...
Tobirama could even imagine the historical figure who stole the bark: a scheming and cunning individual like himself but with ill intentions, aiming to seize the clan's secrets...
Akihara Kagura...
Is a descendant of that Senju clan member.
~~~
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— Ending + Extra Chapters!
Read upto Chapter 348: End! + Extra Chapters of Sasuke's Rebirth where the world Akihara Kagura is not around. Thank you!