Chereads / A Sage's Pursuit of Power / Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Kakashi’s Promotion

Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Kakashi’s Promotion

In Aoba's laboratory.

It was the seventh day since he'd completed the transplant surgery. Finally, Aoba removed his eye patch, revealing the Mangekyo Sharingan in his right eye.

"How does it feel?"

"Better than I expected. While it won't revert to a normal state, I can voluntarily downgrade it to the three-tomoe form. Considering my current chakra reserves, using it in three-tomoe form hardly consumes any chakra.

"With the lens I designed to reduce consumption (the same one I made for Kakashi), the energy usage is practically negligible."

"That's good."

Yumi had been concerned that Aoba's strength might decline after the Mangekyo transplant, just as Kakashi's had. But it seemed there was no such issue.

The Mangekyo Sharingan, which contained the most powerful genjutsu Kotoamatsukami, provided Aoba with more than just access to this unique ability.

The greatest advantage the Mangekyo brought Aoba was that it addressed his weakness in genjutsu.

Aoba had never been particularly skilled in genjutsu, which was one reason he felt cautious about Uchiha Itachi, whose genjutsu prowess went beyond mere strength. At present, few in the entire ninja world could surpass Itachi's mastery of genjutsu.

Previously, he had tried to develop ninja tools that could assist with genjutsu, but ultimately, that approach proved limited.

Now, with this Mangekyo, his weakness was finally addressed.

The Mangekyo could do more than just perform Kotoamatsukami. It was a formidable asset for conventional genjutsu and reflecting genjutsu attacks.

And since Shisui had never used it, this Sharingan was still brimming with ocular power.

After completing the fusion, he was eager to test it himself.

The long cooldown of Kotoamatsukami made it precious, which was why Danzo had always kept it in reserve rather than using it.

But he was different; he had already decided on Kotoamatsukami's target.

Unlike a weapon of strategic deterrence like the Tailed Beasts, which nations kept as threats but rarely used, Kotoamatsukami was too dangerous to leave unused. If word of Kotoamatsukami's effect spread, Konoha's higher-ups would stop at nothing to kill Aoba and seize control of it.

Thus, Kotoamatsukami was destined to remain a hidden trump card. Given that, Aoba decided to use it directly.

In a separate room, Hidan's body had been reassembled. He had recovered, though bound by ropes and sealing techniques, rendering him immobile.

Seeing Aoba enter, Hidan started yelling again.

"You! Let me down! We had a deal—I kill for you, and you set me free! If you don't keep your promise, I'll never kill for you again."

"No, you misunderstood. I'm actually here to fulfill our deal. I'll release you right now."

"... Are you serious?"

Aoba said nothing, showing his response through actions instead. He cut the ropes binding Hidan and removed all the sealing techniques. He even returned Hidan's scythe.

Feeling his strength return, Hidan reverted to his true self without hesitation.

"You idiot, you actually let Lord Hidan go free. I'll..."

He was cut off by Aoba's right eye, glowing ominously red with Kotoamatsukami.

A few minutes later, in the lab, Aoba and Hidan sat across from each other, having a calm conversation.

"Tell me about the Jashin religion."

"... Well, actually, I don't really know what Jashin is or where it's located. I was raised by the Jashin cult since childhood.

"Since I can remember, I've been able to sense Jashin's presence. But that's all—I can only sense it. The cult itself can't communicate directly with Jashin. Only I can feel its existence and emotional changes."

"It likes slaughter?"

"To be precise, it enjoys death and fear. When I kill, I like to torture my targets, because that excites Jashin."

"Your powers come from this, then?"

"Yes. I'm not truly immortal. If I go too long without killing or making sacrifices, my immortality fades. If I were locked away somewhere, I'd eventually starve to death.

"But as long as I can perform sacrificial rituals regularly, it's nearly impossible to kill me."

"What if I use fire-style techniques to burn you to ash?"

"... Uh, yeah, that would probably work."

Aoba nodded, doubting that Jashin could reach such extremes.

"Your chakra is strong, but you don't seem to use it much. Why is that?"

"... Well, thanks to Jashin's blessing, my body is extremely strong and immortal, so... I never bothered learning ninjutsu or anything."

Aoba understood immediately; it was simply laziness. But Hidan's carefree days were over.

"Alright, now let's discuss your new arrangements."

...

In the Hokage's office, after a week of repeated discussions, Shikaku's proposal was finally approved. Kakashi became the new Hokage advisor.

According to Shikaku, Kakashi was the most suitable choice. Clan heads like Hiashi Hyuga or Choza Akimichi were technically more qualified for the position.

But Shikaku knew Hiruzen would never agree. These major clans already controlled substantial resources within the village. Allowing them direct influence in Konoha's highest decision-making body could threaten the Hokage's authority.

However, Hiruzen also didn't want to promote an entirely civilian ninja. The reason was that the Sarutobi family itself was a prominent Konoha clan.

Yes, Hiruzen came from a major clan, which made him wary of other clans.

But if a civilian ninja truly rose to power, that posed an even bigger issue for him, as it ran counter to the interests of the shinobi clans.

Moreover, in the current Konoha, the most representative civilian ninja was Aoba Kamikawa. Hiruzen felt apprehensive about him. Although Aoba seemed unambitious, his strength and influence were immense. The prospect of him gaining a leadership position was unsettling for Hiruzen.

Shikaku didn't spell all of this out, but everyone understood his meaning. The new advisor had to be someone between a clan member and a civilian ninja.

Thus, Kakashi became the perfect candidate.

The Hatake clan had risen to prominence thanks to White Fang, but now that White Fang was gone, Kakashi was the last of the Hatake line.

This meant Kakashi could be seen as both a clan ninja and a civilian ninja. His strength and reputation were more than sufficient.

In the end, Kakashi smoothly ascended to the advisory position.

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