Chapter 337: Yakushi Kabuto
"...It's been a long time since I last saw Nono Yakushi." Kabuto shook his head and cautiously studied Kenichi's clothing. He had no memory of meeting this man before, and those clothes were far too distinctive. More importantly, judging from what that other person had said earlier, the man standing before him was the Heavenly Demon.
That was no ordinary figure.
"Nono was a good person. She was just a little unfortunate." Kenichi smiled.
He did not mind revealing his identity to Kabuto, because he knew Kabuto's future did not belong to Konoha.
Compared to Kabuto, though, the truly tragic one was Nono. She died at Kabuto's hands without even recognizing the child she had once adopted. Even if the root of it all lay with Danzo, the whole affair was undeniably cruel.
Kenichi had always remembered Kabuto quite clearly. After all, once Orochimaru died at Sasuke's hands, Kabuto stepped forward as the next major threat. He was also the one who helped bring Obito and Black Zetsu onto the stage, the hidden schemers behind everything.
On top of that, Kabuto had also played a major role in advancing cremation across the Ninja World. Edo Tensei had created enough chaos for the Five Great Nations to understand just how troublesome reanimating the dead could be.
Even Madara had been revived through Kabuto's use of Edo Tensei. To a certain extent, Black Zetsu had guided that outcome, but Kenichi suspected that Black Zetsu did it partly to keep Obito in check. Reviving Madara with Edo Tensei was like tying a tight band around Obito's head and making sure he could never truly stray.
"You know Director Nono?" Kabuto asked carefully.
Even though he had spent most of his life engaged in espionage, he was not cut off from the world. He had heard intelligence regarding the Heavenly Demon before, including the Heavenly Demon's attack on Konoha.
Although this senior before him seemed to know Konoha, or more specifically, Nono, Kabuto still could not determine what sort of attitude he had toward the village. It was always safer to remain cautious.
"I do." Kenichi removed his mask.
The sight behind him was one of corpses strewn across the ground.
Sasori, still controlling the First Great Machine, had caught the ninja captain who had roared earlier. The massive construct was slowly crushing him apart.
"It looks like it can even work as a juicer." Kenichi rubbed his chin. Sasori really did seem to be in a bad mood. Fortunately, these unlucky people had delivered themselves right to him as a way to vent it. Otherwise, keeping that anger bottled up for too long would not have been good for his health.
As for the unfortunate ninja who never even got the chance to state his name, Kenichi felt nothing at all. Such things were perfectly commonplace in the Ninja World, and he had never had any sympathy for enemies.
Kabuto's pupils shrank, and then he lowered his head.
He had seen Kenichi's face before.
When he left the village to carry out a mission, the Root ninja responsible for contacting him had shown him a picture of Kenichi. He had been told that if he ever discovered Amamiya Kenichi's whereabouts, he was to report it immediately. The priority level on that intelligence had been extremely high.
After that, however, there had been no further information about Kenichi. Kabuto had never expected the man to reveal his face openly in front of him like this.
Cold sweat ran down his forehead.
Kabuto was a smart person. Precisely because he was smart, he understood what it meant for Kenichi to reveal his face now.
"Am I going to die?" Kabuto pressed his lips together. His trembling legs betrayed the unrest in his heart, but he still forced himself to ask.
"Why would you think that?" Kenichi asked with an amused look.
He genuinely wanted to see what kind of state Kabuto was in right now. This poor kid had been worked like a slave by Danzo. Kenichi knew Kabuto's future potential was enormous, but even geniuses needed time to grow.
Before Orochimaru's death, Kabuto could at best be called a highly capable medical ninja. He was still far from the monstrous figure he would later become. It was Orochimaru's death that pushed Kabuto to truly seek his own path, eventually leading him to a perfected Sage transformation.
Of course, it was the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave, which looked unsettling to say the least. In Kenichi's view, it was also a somewhat flawed kind of sage transformation. After all, he felt he understood a thing or two about sages. The sages of the myths in his previous life were the true ideal.
The Sage Modes trained through the three great holy lands of the Ninja World all displayed certain visible traits. Jiraiya grew toad like features. Kabuto's body became bizarre and unnatural. In a sense, those changes were closer to a kind of demonization.
That made Kenichi curious.
What exactly were so called natural energy and Sage Mode? Before chakra ever appeared, what did Sage Mode look like? And how had the three great holy lands first mastered it?
These were all questions that genuinely interested him.
"The Heavenly Demon and Senior Amamiya are the same person. You obviously wouldn't let me spread that information, would you?" Kabuto forced out a bitter smile.
The identity of the Heavenly Demon had always been a secret. Kabuto himself had received side instructions to investigate that identity, though it was more like a reminder than a core mission. If he happened to discover something, great. If not, it did not matter. His real assignment remained something else.
In other words, uncovering the Heavenly Demon's true identity was like finding a lottery ticket. If an intelligence agent stumbled upon it, they could report it and earn a major reward. If not, nothing was lost.
But even so, the Heavenly Demon's identity had remained a complete mystery. Up until now, no one had uncovered it, or at least the mission to investigate that identity had never been withdrawn.
And now, the Heavenly Demon had shown him his face.
Kabuto naturally understood what that meant.
It meant the Heavenly Demon had no intention of letting him leave alive. Otherwise, the moment Kabuto got this information back to Konoha, it would cause a massive uproar.
"Very smart." Kenichi shrugged.
He truly did not intend to let Kabuto freely carry that information away, but that was not the main issue. The main reason was much simpler.
Kenichi wanted Kabuto to work for him.
And he had already more or less planned out Kabuto's future path. First, medical ninjutsu. Then Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode. By the time that was complete, Kabuto would grow into a formidable combatant.
On top of that, Kabuto had extensive experience as an intelligence operative. That made him perfect for gathering information, especially information related to Konoha.
Kenichi had already thought of one very practical use. He could send Kabuto back to Konoha as a double agent, letting him continue operating inside the village as a spy.
Still, when it came to Danzo, Kenichi felt some caution was necessary. That old man really was the darkest existence inside Konoha.
"What do I need to pay?" Kabuto asked again.
If Kenichi did not intend to kill him, then he clearly had some use for him. Kabuto just did not know what he had that was worth this level of interest.
He was a man, not a woman, so it could not be that sort of service. As for strength, while he was not weak, there was nothing worth boasting about in front of the Heavenly Demon. Just look at the companion standing nearby.
The Hidden Sand ninjas who had chased him like a dog were all dead now, their bones destined to remain beneath this desert forever.
So perhaps it was espionage. Perhaps he was being sent back to Konoha as a spy.
That was the only possibility Kabuto could think of.
"Work for me. In exchange, I'll bring Nono to you, so the two of you can reunite." Kenichi smiled faintly.
He knew exactly where Kabuto's soft spot was.
And just as expected, the moment he heard Nono's name, Kabuto nodded without any hesitation.
For Kabuto, working for Konoha and working for Kenichi were not all that different. Besides, although Danzo had once promised that he would be allowed to see Nono again, that promise had never once been fulfilled.
"Why were you discovered by the Hidden Sand?" Kenichi asked, a little curious.
Kabuto's skills as a spy were actually excellent. Otherwise, he would not have been sent out on missions so often.
"I gathered intelligence that the Hidden Sand had suffered heavy casualties after being attacked by the Heavenly Demon, and that you seemed to have used a completely new method of attack. That was classified as high priority intelligence, so it had to be delivered as quickly as possible. And then I..." Kabuto explained honestly.
Kenichi fell into thought.
It seemed that gathering information on him had now become standard procedure for all the major villages. It was not just Konoha. The others were definitely doing the same.
Still, this worked out well enough. Since the information from the Hidden Sand could be cross checked with intelligence from other villages, Kabuto's return would not appear suspicious to Danzo. In fact, this accomplishment might even earn him a better position inside Konoha.
That said, given Danzo's temperament, caution was still necessary. The old man was truly dangerous.
"Then go back and deliver this intelligence. Find a way to stay in Konoha and gather information there, especially on Root." Kenichi rubbed his chin.
There was not much point in dragging Kabuto along with him right now. It would be far more useful to send him back into Konoha first.
Besides, since Nono was still alive, she should remain safe for a while. Kenichi was already planning to visit Konoha himself before long. When that time came, he could retrieve information on Nono's whereabouts and bring her away.
After all, she was a genuinely kind person who had devoted herself to the orphanage. Kenichi felt it would be a terrible waste for her to die at Kabuto's hands. There were plenty of orphans in the Land of Snow too. Perhaps Nono would actually like that place.
"Alright." Kabuto did not refuse.
He was curious, of course. Kenichi was sending him back just like that. Was he really not worried that Kabuto would leak his secrets?
"Give me your hand." Kenichi took a syringe out of a sealing scroll.
Kabuto obediently held out his hand, and Kenichi injected a strange liquid into the vein in his arm.
Kabuto looked down at his hand.
There was no unusual sensation. No discomfort at all. If anything, only the puncture site felt faintly sore.
"Alright, you can go. I'll come find you when the time is right." Kenichi waved him off.
Though Kabuto would become very powerful in the future, he was not that valuable right now. At this stage, the best use for him was still the one he was already suited for.
"...Alright." Kabuto left in a daze.
He was certain Kenichi had injected something into him.
But he had no idea what it was.
There was no pain, no illness, no discomfort whatsoever.
Still, this was Amamiya Kenichi. The Heavenly Demon. Kabuto did not believe for even a second that he had been allowed to leave without any hidden measure being placed on him.
Kenichi stood there and watched him go.
Then he turned to find Sasori.
There was nothing to worry about where Kabuto was concerned.
Originally, Kenichi had intended to plant a parasite in him. But after thinking about Konoha's Byakugan users, he abandoned that idea. So in truth, what he had injected into Kabuto's arm was nothing more than glucose solution.
Nothing special at all.
"Aren't you worried he'll leak your information?" Sasori had seen everything from the side, and now he looked at Kenichi curiously.
"No. Besides, identity is like a key buried underground. If someone really wants to dig for it, sooner or later they'll find it." Kenichi shrugged.
He had never expected his identity to remain hidden forever. Obito's true face had been exposed in the end too.
More importantly, some people had already suspected Obito's identity long before it was confirmed. The only reason they had never dared believe it was that the truth sounded too absurd. Even Kakashi had once harbored suspicions, but because he had seen Obito die with his own eyes, he could never bring himself to accept it.
"Come on. We should head back too and report the mission to the leader." Kenichi stretched lazily.
The job was done.
And it was time to go to Amegakure and have another talk with the leader.
The things Obito had been doing lately had left Kenichi feeling uneasy. He needed to solidify Nagato's thinking as soon as possible, deal with that bastard Obito, and send him down to the Pure Land to reunite with Rin.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]