Konoha Archives.
The shelves were piled high with strange scrolls.
Kakashi Hatake had been here before; when he first met the Wood Release ninja, Tianzang, he'd sneaked in here to investigate and was somewhat familiar with the place.
It was Akihara Kagura's first time here.
Akihara Kagura had always known there were no traces of Uchiha Obito here and had little interest in searching, casually flipping through the materials.
"Kagura."
Kakashi Hatake suddenly stopped checking the scrolls, casting his gaze at Akihara Kagura: "There might be some information here that interests you."
"What information?"
"About the in-and-out of some laboratory supplies."
Kakashi Hatake tossed the scroll in his hand towards Akihara Kagura, pointed at a row of scrolls in front of him, and continued: "Do you want to come over and check?"
"Oh?"
Akihara Kagura showed a bit more interest.
However, when Akihara Kagura picked up a scroll, they realized a problem; these were some of the troubles left behind by Orochimaru's defection from Konoha.
[July 3rd, requiring eleven test subjects, one ton of herbs for body cultivation liquid, twenty valves, fifteen experimental protection glass covers...]
[Delivered, Ding.]
[July 9th, requiring five test subjects, one hundred test tubes, twenty beakers, one generator, three hundred meters of wire...]
[Delivered, Ding.]
[August 16th, requiring sixty test subjects, one hundred test tubes, ten tons of herbs for body cultivation liquid, sixty Chakra test papers...]
[Delivered, Aburame Ryuma.]
[November 17th, requiring ten ninja test subjects, one hundred test tubes, ten tons of herbs for body cultivation liquid, one pair of Sharingan...]
[Delivered, Sharingan not available, Aburame Ryuma.]
"Theoretically, there should be more information..."
Kakashi Hatake frowned and continued: "Orochimaru might have long considered defecting; most of the information in the laboratory was destroyed by him, leaving only these..."
Only four pieces of information were left here, two of which bore the name of Aburame Ryuma, and two the name of someone called Ding, a member of Root.
This information indicated...
It seemed that people from Root had always been supplying experimental materials to Orochimaru.
Akihara Kagura appeared unfazed, slowly stating, "Four documents, and three of them are for test tubes. That guy Orochimaru sure broke quite a few test tubes..."
"..."
Kakashi Hatake's eye twitched.
Is this kid focused on the wrong thing?
"What a hassle..."
In fact, Akihara Kagura had long realized.
The reason Sarutobi Hiruzen had Kakashi Hatake bring him to the archives to gather intelligence was to let him uncover Shimura Danzo's true face!
Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted him to realize that Shimura Danzo's Root had been providing experimental materials to Orochimaru all this time, and that the tragic childhood he talked about was all caused by Shimura Danzo, and he no longer needed to remain loyal to him!
Unfortunately...
That tragedy was fake.
These so-called evidence of Shimura Danzo supporting Orochimaru's illegal human experiments meant nothing to Akihara Kagura... Akihara Kagura himself was the biggest evidence of Shimura Danzo's continued collusion with the S-Class Traitorous Ninja of Konoha, Orochimaru!
"This information seems quite unfavorable to Lord Danzo..."
Akihara Kagura appeared somewhat displeased, speaking nonchalantly: "It's just the two of us here; let's take these away. They're not important materials anyway."
"The laboratory archive materials can't be taken away."
Kakashi Hatake shook his head, not allowing Akihara Kagura to destroy the evidence: "These are evidence of Shimura Danzo's past collusion with Orochimaru..."
"Captain Kakashi."
Akihara Kagura sighed and spoke: "You should know, as does the Third Hokage, that I am loyal to Lord Danzo, yet he still lets me see this so-called evidence, perhaps it's to have me hand it over to Lord Danzo for disposition?"
"..."
Kakashi Hatake's brow furrowed.
Why does it suddenly seem like Akihara Kagura is making some sense?
Back then, Shimura Danzo sent people to assassinate the Third Hokage, and yet he still received the Third Hokage's gracious forgiveness. Let alone some past collusion with Orochimaru?
"The Third Hokage has good intentions..."
Akihara Kagura sighed with a maturity unfitting his age, waving to put away the scrolls, intending to hand them over to Shimura Danzo in the future.
"Perhaps the Hokage had a different intention?"
Kakashi Hatake's thoughts were a bit more complicated.
Kakashi Hatake recalled when he was almost swayed by Shimura Danzo to betray the Third Hokage, and it was here in Konoha Archives he learned the truth.
What kind intentions could the Third Hokage have had!
Clearly, it was to use this chance to make Akihara Kagura turn against Shimura Danzo?
"Kid, aren't you angry?"
Kakashi Hatake looked at Akihara Kagura's actions and couldn't help asking: "Back then... you were also sent to Shimura Danzo as a test subject..."
"What use is it?"
After putting away the evidence scrolls, Akihara Kagura calmly spoke: "I've noticed some signs. What I hated most was the days I spent as a test subject, constantly on edge, not knowing when I might die..."
"But..."
"I can't turn back anymore."
Akihara Kagura gazed deeply at Kakashi Hatake and continued: "Even if Lord Danzo uses me as a tool for killing, I will never betray him. I must be even more ruthless than he wants me to be. My origin dictates that I cannot leave Lord Danzo..."
"You're just an innocent child."
Kakashi Hatake felt this kid was a bit dull, and reminded: "Judging by this evidence, you seem to have been sent to Orochimaru by Shimura Danzo, not to mention you're now in the Dark Department..."
"Captain Kakashi."
Akihara Kagura interrupted Kakashi Hatake, coldly stating: "The head of Konoha Orphanage, Yakushi Nonou, is still under Lord Danzo's command. We're different, and I can't abandon someone more important to me for my own sake..."
"I've always wanted to kill Tianzang."
"Not merely to please Lord Danzo."
"But also out of jealousy for his freedom from ties."
"Jealousy that someone could take him away from Root."
"..."
Kakashi Hatake remained silent for a while, burying himself back in the documents. He understood Akihara Kagura's dilemma and knew the extreme nature of this kid's character.
If it weren't for Shimura Danzo...
This kid would be a bright and kind person, right?
Even under Shimura Danzo's threats...
The kindness in this kid's heart still lingered.
While browsing through scrolls, Kakashi Hatake thought about how to report tonight's events to the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, hoping he would rescue Yakushi Nonou from Root, thereby saving Akihara Kagura as well.
"There's no trace of Obito here."
After going through all the information on Hashirama Cells, Kakashi Hatake looked at Akihara Kagura, who seemed distracted: "I'll report to the Hokage and apply for a mission to leave Konoha and scout the Hidden Mist Village."
"I want to rest for a while."
Akihara Kagura feigned a gesture, touching his ninja pouch.
The ninja pouch contained the incriminating evidence against Shimura Danzo. Anyone seeing Akihara Kagura's actions would immediately realize that he intended to meet Shimura Danzo under the guise of resting.