Chapter 518: Danzo Let His Guard Down
"Kakashi, welcome to Root. During your time here, if there's anything you want, just ask me."
After Obito reported to Root, Danzo began making grand promises in an effort to win Kakashi over.
Though "grand promises" wasn't entirely accurate. As long as the request wasn't too outrageous, Danzo was willing to grant it.
After a brief hesitation, Obito requested a supply of the special drug.
"What did you say?!"
When Danzo heard "Kakashi's" request, he was both surprised and delighted.
"Kakashi, I knew I wasn't mistaken. There's darkness hidden deep inside you. You're exactly the kind of person Root needs!"
Danzo never doubted Kakashi's motives.
After all, why else would someone want that kind of drug? He had obviously set his sights on some girl.
That was perfectly normal for a young ninja.
Wasn't Hiruzen's disciple Jiraiya exactly the same kind of person?
"Danzo-sama, if you can grant me this request, I'm willing to pledge my loyalty to you."
Obito immediately dropped to one knee and put on the performance of a lifetime.
"Excellent!"
Danzo pulled a rope hanging beneath his desk.
A moment later, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in."
After Danzo spoke, Aburame Torune entered the room.
"Bring Kakashi a vial of Agent 83."
"Yes, sir."
After receiving the order, Torune quickly returned with a glass tube containing the drug. He handed it to Obito and left without another word.
The room was once again occupied by only Obito and Danzo.
Danzo sat behind his desk, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingers while staring directly at Obito.
The meaning couldn't have been clearer.
He had fulfilled Kakashi's request.
Now it was time for "Kakashi" to swear his loyalty.
"Danzo-sama, please wait a moment."
Obito turned and left the room.
Under Danzo's puzzled gaze, he walked around outside for a while before returning with a steaming cup of tea.
"Please accept this tea, Danzo-sama!"
Obito knelt on one knee once again, raising the tea high above his head.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Danzo immediately understood.
So Kakashi intended to use noble etiquette as part of his oath of loyalty.
His satisfaction was so great that he praised him three times in a row.
Danzo stepped forward and accepted the tea.
Even though it was almost too hot to drink, he emptied the cup in a single gulp.
"Danzo-sama, the reason I wanted this drug isn't what you think."
"I'm doing this for the good of the village."
Seeing Danzo finish the tea, Obito began his "heart-to-heart."
"Oh? Explain."
Danzo put on a curious expression.
Inside, however, he sneered.
For the village?
How could a filthy drug like this possibly be for the village?
To increase the village's birthrate?
"The Uchiha."
"The Uchiha Clan is a ticking time bomb for the village. For Konoha's sake, we must eliminate this threat while paying the smallest possible price."
"This is the mission the Second Hokage left for our generation."
"Only by completing it can someone truly inherit Second Hokage-sama's will and become a genuine Third Hokage."
"If we want to deal with the Uchiha, we must first destroy their reputation."
"I plan to start small by using this drug on Uchiha Obito and the elderly woman he always helps."
"I'll make him lose all his honor."
"Then, Danzo-sama, you can use that as an opportunity to investigate and expose other scandals involving the Uchiha Clan."
"The Uchiha are ruled by their emotions. They'll definitely do something reckless when pushed."
"And once that happens... mud splashed on your pants looks just like crap. Even if it's not true, everyone will believe it is."
Obito revealed his "plan."
Of course, his real goal wasn't nearly that ambitious.
He simply wanted to drug Kakashi-in-Obito's-body, ruin his reputation, and at the same time stimulate him into awakening the Sharingan.
As for getting Danzo to target the Uchiha, that was merely a way to muddy the waters and create more opportunities for himself.
"Excellent! Kakashi, that was beautifully said! I thought being friends with that brat Uchiha Obito would have influenced you. Instead, you've endured everything for the greater good and sacrificed yourself!"
"You're absolutely right. The Uchiha Clan is a cancer within the village. We must find a way to eliminate them!"
The more Danzo looked at Kakashi, the more pleased he became.
The two of them hit it off immediately and enthusiastically discussed plans for the future.
As they talked, Danzo's eyelids gradually grew heavier.
Eventually, he collapsed onto his desk and fell into a deep sleep.
A smile spread across Obito's face.
That's right.
The tea he had served Danzo was also Sleeping Tea.
The only difference was that Danzo was far stronger than "Obito" and Rin.
Even after increasing the dosage, it took a long time before the drug finally took effect.
Looking at the unconscious Danzo, Obito got to work once again.
Why knock Danzo unconscious?
Because Obito suddenly remembered...
Danzo possessed Hashirama's cells.
The only question was whether he already had them at this point in time.
Still, there was no harm in checking.
Obito didn't remove the seal on Danzo's arm.
Once it was broken, resealing it afterward would be troublesome.
Besides, Danzo definitely didn't have Sharingan implanted yet.
If removing the seal caused Hashirama's cells to run wild, things would get ugly.
So...
Obito resorted to his old method.
---
The next day.
Obito was disappointed.
His own strength hadn't increased at all.
That meant Danzo hadn't yet implanted Hashirama's cells.
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage met with Danzo and scolded him, warning him not to tempt Kakashi into falling into darkness.
After Danzo left, a member of the Inuzuka Clan jumped through the Hokage's office window with a ninja dog.
"Well?"
"There was Kakashi's scent on him. And... it was strongest around that particular area."
"...I understand. You may leave. Keep this confidential."
The Third Hokage waved his hand.
He knew it.
The Third Hokage hadn't used the crystal ball to spy on Danzo.
Given Danzo's strength, he would certainly have noticed.
So instead, to determine whether Danzo had fallen victim to Kakashi, the Third Hokage had the Inuzuka Clan verify it through scent.
The ninja dog had detected the smell of Kakashi's hands on Danzo's body.
That confirmed both the Third Hokage's suspicions and his fears.
The Third Hokage silently thanked himself for letting Danzo take his place.
Otherwise...
He would have been the one who suffered.
In the Third Hokage's mind, he was like the aloof and untouchable leader of an immortal sect.
Danzo, meanwhile, was like an elder secretly cultivating demonic arts within that same sect—a seductive demoness in disguise.
Yet in Kakashi's eyes...
Both were irresistible delicacies.
While the Third Hokage was busy congratulating himself, he neglected to continue his surveillance.
He naturally assumed that after obtaining both "Obito" and Danzo one after another, Kakashi would settle down for a while.
And if not, he would probably just find someone inside Root to amuse himself with.
So he stopped using the crystal ball to monitor him.
As a result, Obito successfully began carrying out his plan of playing matchmaker between Kakashi-in-Obito's-body and an elderly woman.
---
On the streets of Konoha.
As usual, Kakashi-in-Obito's-body was helping an elderly woman carry her groceries home.
But something wasn't right.
"Obito" suddenly found the old woman unexpectedly attractive.
He immediately helped her into the bedroom.
Obito crouched on the rooftop outside, carefully watching everything unfold.
"Hey, kid. What are you doing up here?"
Jiraiya, who had just returned to the village, appeared behind Obito without him noticing and casually patted him on the shoulder.
(End of this chapter)