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"What? Kagaya defected?"
The Third Hokage stared at Danzō in shock.
Danzō narrowed his eyes, speaking with a tone of bitter resentment.
"According to reports, he's joined a small organization called Akatsuki. Hiruzen, I told you long ago that a genius like Uchiha Kagaya might grow to resent the village because of the Uchiha's situation. Look now—he's defected! If you had agreed to eliminate his entire family back then, we'd have one less enemy today!"
The Third's expression flickered between emotions. Finally, he sighed.
"What's done is done. There's no use talking about it now. Immediately list Uchiha Kagaya as an A-rank rogue ninja."
"Of course. I'll send people to eliminate this traitor at once," Danzō said, standing to leave.
Left alone, the Third sat on the sofa, sighing repeatedly.
---
Anbu Headquarters.
Itachi held the wanted poster in silence.
'Uchiha Kagaya, A-rank rogue ninja.'
'So this is the path you've chosen? Fair enough. The village has been too cruel to you.'
'Stay safe.' Itachi silently prayed for Kagaya in his heart, then set down the poster and resumed his Anbu duties.
---
Kakashi's House.
On a table sat two photos. The first showed a blond Jōnin, smiling broadly as he pressed down on the heads of two boys, with a brown-haired girl in front making a peace sign.
That was Minato's team.
The second photo featured Saito Daisuke in the center, grinning foolishly. Suzuki Genji stood to his left, smiling gently, while Kagaya, expressionless, stared at the camera on the right. Kakashi stood behind, hands on Genji and Kagaya's shoulders, his eyes crinkled into crescents.
That was Kakashi's team.
Kakashi sat in silence for a long time, reaching out to touch Kagaya's head in the photo, as if to ruffle his hair.
"Are you okay? Has your heart lost all its light? That night when Shisui died… it must have been the last straw."
---
Half a month later, in the Land of Fire.
Swish!
A kunai pierced through a middle-aged man in a kimono. Kagaya spoke emotionlessly.
"How many missions is this?"
"The eleventh, I think," Tobi replied.
They had been tasked with killing this man, apparently a noble of the Land of Fire. But that didn't concern Kagaya. A mission was a mission—execute it, nothing more.
"Leader, what's the next mission?"
Kagaya communicated with Pain through his mind. With the Akatsuki ring, he could contact Pain anytime, and with enough time, he could even project himself to the Akatsuki base.
"Wait!" Tobi said, dropping his usual goofy demeanor. Kagaya knew his true identity, so Tobi didn't bother pretending around him.
"Someone's coming. Looks like Konoha's Anbu."
Kagaya understood immediately.
"Here for me?"
"Probably. Need me to handle it?"
"How many are there?"
"Over a dozen."
"Hmph, they really think highly of me. Help me out, then."
Operating in the Land of Fire, it was inevitable that Konoha would eventually track them down.
Upon receiving the intel, Danzō had immediately dispatched Root to eliminate Kagaya. Root and Anbu weren't much different on the surface, so it was reasonable for Tobi to mistake them for Anbu.
Kagaya didn't try to act tough. Whether it was Root or Anbu, their members varied in strength. If they were all elite Jōnin, Kagaya would have to go all out and use his Mangekyō to stand a chance.
He wasn't about to risk his life against a group of Root members.
Swish, swish, swish!
Root ninja appeared, surrounding Kagaya and Tobi.
The crimson eye beneath Tobi's mask turned cold.
"Split them evenly?"
Kagaya's eyes also turned blood-red, his three-tomoe Sharingan activating.
"Fine."
Swish!
Kagaya moved first. Before anyone could react, he snapped the neck of a Root member.
"So fast!!!"
The other Root members were stunned. They hadn't even noticed Kagaya's movement!
Though Kagaya couldn't use his Mangekyō yet and was limited to Jōnin-level strength with his three-tomoe Sharingan, one thing stood out: his Body Flicker Technique.
In terms of speed alone, Kagaya was absolutely at Kage level.
The Body Flicker Technique was to Kagaya what Kamui was to Obito—a complete game-changer.
Without it, Kagaya was a Jōnin. With it, he was a pseudo-Kage.
Taking on a group of Jōnin was no problem.
Kagaya turned his head.
Sharingan Genjutsu!
Even strong Root members could hardly resist the genjutsu of a three-tomoe Sharingan.
One Root member, caught in Kagaya's illusion, immediately drew a blade and killed a comrade beside him.
In a single move, Kagaya took down three Root members.
On the other side, a Root member died in terror, cut down by Tobi.
With Kamui, Tobi was untouchable, even if the Third himself had come.
Soon, Kagaya and Tobi ended the fight.
Kagaya used genjutsu to immobilize the last Root member, stepping forward and speaking calmly.
"Go back and tell Danzō that Uchiha Kagaya sends his regards. Remember—don't forget—I will be back!"
With that, Kagaya released the genjutsu. The Root member, realizing he could move, fled immediately.
Root members typically committed suicide if captured, but under genjutsu, this one had no chance. Once Kagaya let him go, there was no need for suicide, so he retreated swiftly.
"Akatsuki has no plans to move against Konoha right now," Tobi reminded Kagaya.
"I know. I'm not planning to kill Danzō yet either. This is just a greeting gift."
Kagaya looked at the scattered bodies of Root ninja, speaking calmly.
"Alright, let's move on to the next mission."
The lone surviving Root member quickly reported the incident to Danzō.
Danzō didn't fly into a rage. As noted before, his strength lay in his calm rationality. Facing Kagaya's provocation, he didn't take the bait. Instead, he saw another angle.
"Over a dozen Root members couldn't handle him? Fine. Cease all operations against Uchiha Kagaya. His strength is growing too quickly. The village is already short on manpower—we can't waste more resources on a rogue ninja."
Danzō remained composed. The relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha had reached a breaking point. Shisui's death, far from deterring the Uchiha's coup plans, had only fueled their anger and resolve.
It was around this time that Itachi said, "I've lost all hope in this pointless clan."
Shisui had died trying to change the Uchiha, but their response was an even stronger determination to rebel—a truly despairing outcome.
It was now February of Konoha's 56th year. Kagaya predicted that within this year, the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha would reach a resolution. The accumulated tensions had hit their peak, and an eruption was imminent.