Chapter 22: The Intel Brought by Sakumo Hatake
While the information about Scorch Release was interesting, it was the young Uchiha Kagami before him that truly captured Orochimaru's attention.
After the group left, Orochimaru summoned his subordinates back in Konoha through a summoning snake and gathered more detailed information about Kagami.
Previously, all he knew was that this young boy had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan at an early age.
Orochimaru had seen plenty of three-tomoe Sharingan users before, and while impressive, they were not extraordinary.
But Kagami's ocular power clearly surpassed that of ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan users by a significant margin. Orochimaru even suspected that Kagami might have already awakened the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan.
Kagami made no effort to conceal his abilities.
His unparalleled Uchiha swordsmanship, his ability to assist in sealing the Nine-Tails during its rampage using his ocular power, and his mastery of the A-rank jutsu developed by Minato within just two days…
He excelled in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.
Additionally, Kagami possessed an invisible slashing technique with power akin to a kekkei genkai.
Coupled with his cold and decisive personality, such a person…
Unless there was overwhelming raw power to suppress him, even Orochimaru couldn't think of a strategy to defeat him.
Poison or ambush? Such tricks were laughable under the watchful eyes of the Sharingan.
If I summon Manda, could I take him down?
Orochimaru even began considering using his trump card.
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"About the jutsu you used to kill Pakura, Kagami… what's its upper limit?" Orochimaru asked.
"I'm not trying to pry into the secrets of your technique," Orochimaru clarified with an eerie smile. "It's for better mission planning."
After a moment of thought, Kagami replied, "If the opponent isn't prepared, it should be capable of killing an elite Jonin."
"Strictly speaking, even the Hokage is only an elite Jonin…" Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed. "A technique with such lethal potential upon first encounter—was it wise to use it so early?"
"Ninjutsu is developed to be used," Kagami said dismissively. "There's no need to keep it hidden. Orochimaru, I suggest you don't place too much emphasis on this technique."
He leaned forward slightly, staring directly into Orochimaru's eyes with faint amusement. "By the time you figure out how to counter it, I'll have iterated on it several times over."
...
"This is the confidence of a true genius…" Orochimaru murmured, ending the topic with a sly smile.
Changing the subject, he asked, "Minato, Kagami, what do you think? Why has Sunagakure suddenly increased its infiltration of the Land of Fire? Based on the intel we have, it seems they're searching for someone. Who could be worth such effort?"
…
"It's the Third Kazekage."
The voice didn't belong to Kagami—he wasn't foolish enough to divulge such critical information.
Instead, it came from a bloodied silver-haired man who lifted the curtain of the command tent and stepped inside.
"Sakumo-senpai!"
"Hatake-senpai!"
Even Orochimaru was startled, noticing the numerous wounds covering Sakumo's body. The most severe was on his wrist, where nearly half of his hand had been severed.
Sakumo's face was pale as his gaze landed on his stunned son.
"It's been a while, Kakashi."
Thud!
Unable to suppress his emotions, Kakashi dashed forward and threw himself into his father's arms, sobbing silently.
Sakumo gently patted Kakashi's back with his uninjured hand, his eyes full of love and guilt.
No matter the circumstances, Kakashi was still just a child. Abandoning him by leaving the village had been deeply unfair.
After the emotional reunion between father and son, Orochimaru pressed for details.
"Sakumo, what do you mean by the Third Kazekage?"
Suddenly, a Nara clan ninja burst into the tent without announcement. The news he carried was too critical to wait.
"Orochimaru-sama! The intel from Yamanaka Yuen—it confirms that they're searching for the missing Third Kazekage…"
He trailed off, noticing Sakumo's presence.
Orochimaru frowned and gestured toward him. "Guard the entrance and ensure no one else comes in."
Turning back to Sakumo, Orochimaru continued, "Please, go on."
Compared to the fragmented intel extracted from the Sunagakure shinobi, Orochimaru was far more interested in what Sakumo had to say.
He was also curious about what could have left the legendary White Fang in such a state.
"I encountered Sunagakure's Sasori, Chiyo's grandson."
"The genius puppeteer—I've heard of him."
Skipping over unnecessary explanations, Sakumo's next words plunged the tent into a chilling silence.
"He assassinated the Third Kazekage and turned both himself and the Kazekage into human puppets."
"I fought him. It ended in a stalemate, and he managed to escape."
...
...
"So that's the situation…" Kakashi muttered, glancing at his father's battered state.
"Then, if we tell Sunagakure about this, they'll abandon the war to hunt down Sasori, right?"
Only Kakashi was naive enough to believe such a thing.
Orochimaru shook his head. "Without the Kazekage puppet's body as evidence, Sunagakure won't believe us."
"They'd assume we not only killed the Kazekage but also Sasori."
"Even if they did believe us, it wouldn't help," Minato interjected, his quick mind connecting the dots.
"Chiyo is a shrewd strategist. If she hears this, she'll claim it's a Konoha ploy to sow discord within Sunagakure."
"She'd escalate the conflict, shifting their efforts from searching for the Kazekage to seeking vengeance against Konoha."
Kagami chuckled, glancing at Kakashi. "The best way to redirect internal conflict is to turn it outward."
Beyond just combat skill, Kakashi felt his intellect was also being overshadowed.
Sensing his son's dejection, Sakumo gently ruffled Kakashi's hair.
"What happens next is up to you. I only came to deliver this intel before leaving."
"Leaving… Father, where are you going?!"
Sakumo sighed and smiled faintly. "Sasori's target is me. As long as I leave the Land of Fire, he'll follow."
Above all, Sakumo feared Sasori might target Kakashi. Anyone who dared assassinate the Kazekage and succeed was too dangerous to ignore.
Orochimaru frowned. "There's no need for a sacrificial move. To me, Sakumo-senpai, you're worth far more than both the Third Kazekage and Sasori combined."
"I can leverage this intel to clear your name. There's no need to remain in exile."
Truthfully, Orochimaru hoped for Sakumo's return. The legendary White Fang had aided him, Tsunade, and Jiraiya on the battlefield numerous times.
After Sakumo's departure, Tsunade had been so enraged she refused to speak with Hiruzen, and even Orochimaru and Jiraiya had harbored grievances against the Third Hokage.
Anyone with insight could see the truth behind what had happened.
Sakumo shook his head, smiling faintly. "There's no need. I've grown used to this life. Freedom feels good."
"Is that so…" Orochimaru didn't press further, choosing to respect Sakumo's wishes.
"Father! I want to—"
Sakumo silenced Kakashi with a hand gesture, crouching to meet his son's gaze.
"When you've grown into a capable shinobi, you can decide your own path."
He turned to Minato and Kagami. "Minato, Kagami, please take care of him. I trust you both with Kakashi."
"Sakumo-senpai, I promise to protect Kakashi," Minato said firmly.
Konoha was second only to Kushina in Minato's heart. He deeply respected this great ninja who had given so much for the village.
Kagami turned to Orochimaru. "Now that we know this intel, what's your plan?"
Orochimaru's tongue instinctively flicked out, his expression dark and predatory. "Strike Sunagakure while they're leaderless and make them feel true pain."
"An excellent choice," Kagami replied with a satisfied nod. If the elders back in Konoha were in charge, they might have tried to use this information to negotiate peace with Sunagakure.
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