Kawasaki shrugged. "Everyone wants to study the Rinnegan, but Nagato has his own difficulties."
"So, you're just waiting for the Hidden Cloud's response now?" Orochimaru asked.
"That's right," Kawasaki replied. "When the time comes, I'll arrange for you to infiltrate Konoha and monitor their movements."
"Let Konoha think the Uchiha are planning to act independently. Once war breaks out, you can stab me in the back and build up your own political achievements."
Orochimaru's tongue darted out to lick his lips, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. Though brilliant, he rarely delved into such strategies and had suffered for it in the past. To experience it firsthand was a novel feeling.
"You can count on me."
Kawasaki then produced a written proposal, which Orochimaru took and quickly scanned.
"Lord Kawasaki, this is an excellent line of thinking."
Kawasaki shrugged again. "Present it to the Fire Daimyo as soon as possible. Consider it another one of your achievements."
After a brief discussion, Kawasaki took his leave. He had wanted to check on Minato, but Orochimaru informed him that Minato had gone out for a stroll. With Minato's skills and familiarity with the village, there was no need to worry.
Karin and Jugo had become captivated by the Uchiha's street food district, often staying out late into the night. That left only Kimimaro and Haku at their residence, so Kawasaki headed in their direction.
"Are you getting used to things here?"
Kimimaro and Haku, not expecting Kawasaki to visit, ran out excitedly to greet him.
"Lord Kawasaki!"
This time, Haku restrained himself from扑ing forward. Kawasaki hadn't paid close attention to Haku's attire before, but now he noticed the boy was still dressed in women's clothing, his long hair draped over his shoulders, making him appear strikingly androgynous.
Kawasaki didn't mind. What clothes someone wore or how they styled their hair was a matter of personal preference. Orochimaru cared even less; he wasn't concerned with his own gender, let alone Haku's. Kimimaro stood tall and slender beside Haku. With their snow-white skin, they looked like a pair of beautiful jade idols.
"Haku, are you and Kimimaro settling in well?"
Both Haku and Kimimaro nodded and began to chat with him. Kimimaro spoke little, with Haku doing most of the talking for both of them. The admiration in their eyes was plain to see. Although Orochimaru had been teaching them for some time, a place in their hearts had long been occupied, one a newcomer could not easily replace.
Though they were older than Naruto, Kimimaro had been imprisoned as a child and Haku had been abandoned to wander, making them seem more naive and innocent in comparison. Kawasaki felt a deep affection for these two.
He then asked what they had learned from Orochimaru. Kimimaro's inability to use his Shikotsumyaku limited his strength, but because he was largely self-taught, Orochimaru had designed a fundamental training regimen for him to build a solid foundation. Once he could use his Kekkei Genkai again, his power would surely skyrocket.
Haku was on a different path, better suited for ninjutsu. As soon as his body had recovered, he had dedicated himself to building up his chakra and learning new techniques.
"Kabuto told you about my plans, didn't he?"
Seeing them nod, Kawasaki continued, "In a while, you two will be stepping into the spotlight with Orochimaru. When that happens, I need you to support him with everything you've got."
Haku smiled. "You can rest assured, Lord Kawasaki."
Kimimaro added, "I am happy to be needed by you, Lord Kawasaki."
Kawasaki looked at them. These two had a tendency toward extremism in their thinking. They needed more guidance.
"You two." Kawasaki placed a hand on each of their heads. "Both you and Haku are people I need," he said gently. "But you must also remember to protect yourselves. Otherwise, how will you be able to help me in the future?"
"Yes!" Haku and Kimimaro nodded obediently.
.
Back in the Uchiha district, Kawasaki was by the training grounds, observing the progress of the clan's promising talents. A clansman approached to report, "Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy are here to see Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade now worked within the Uchiha district, so for Kakashi to see her, he naturally had to go through Kawasaki first. As for Might Guy, he was most likely just accompanying Kakashi.
"Let them in. Take them directly to the hospital office. Tsunade is there."
Professional matters were best left to professionals. Since Tsunade's arrival, Kawasaki had given her full authority over the hospital. All decision-making powers were hers, except for the finances. After all, with Tsunade's luck, no amount of money was safe from the gambling halls.
Since receiving her first month's salary, Tsunade had been living quite comfortably, often frequenting the casinos. Of course, she was quite popular there. Fortunately, her time was more limited now. Besides teaching her students, she also had dinner with Naruto every evening. This left her with far less time for gambling; otherwise, her wages would never have been enough to cover her habits.
....
Before long, Kakashi entered, followed by Might Guy, whom Kawasaki hadn't seen in years.
"Konoha's Sublime Azure Beast."
Might Guy was a social force of nature. They were the same age and had even been in the same grade, though not the same class. They used to see each other often at the Academy. In recent years, however, they had rarely met. Kakashi often lingered by the Memorial Stone due to his psychological issues.
Although Guy's grades were at the bottom during his youth, his specialty, the Strong Fist style of taijutsu, allowed for rapid improvement once a ninja's body matured. Guy was a prime example of this, pushing himself with a training regimen so insane it left people speechless. So, while he and Kakashi were close, they weren't attached at the hip every day. Guy claimed to have fought Kakashi over a hundred times. A hundred duels in ten years meant an average of ten per year, or almost one a month. It was clear Guy was a very busy man. It was no surprise Kawasaki hadn't seen him in so long.
"Kawasaki!" Guy waved from a distance, with an enthusiasm that would make a stranger think they were old friends. "I can't believe you're the clan head now! Your youth is truly dazzling!"
With that, he gave Kawasaki a thumbs-up, his smile so bright his teeth seemed to sparkle.
Kakashi covered his face with his hand, wondering if bringing Guy along had been a good idea, especially since Kawasaki was now the head of the Uchiha clan. Fortunately, Kawasaki wasn't one to put on airs and sometimes even enjoyed a bit of mischief.
He threw a thumbs-up in return. "Youth is meant to burn bright! Might Guy, it's been years, but you're as passionate as ever."
"Of course! Youth is synonymous with passion!" Guy struck a pose, completely unfazed by the stares of the Uchiha clansmen on the training grounds. A classic social nuke.
After a brief, spirited exchange, Kawasaki already felt he was outmatched. He could joke around and say such things casually, but Guy lived like this every single day, never caring what others thought. After all, Kawasaki was the head of the Uchiha clan. A few more exchanges with Guy, and he feared his authority would be seriously undermined.
Shedding his playful mood, Kawasaki called over a clansman and asked him to show Guy around.
"Kakashi, you're here for Tsunade. I'll take you to her." Kawasaki's playful expression vanished. His tone was neutral as he spoke to Kakashi, betraying no particular sentiment. This left Kakashi feeling anxious.
Because Danzo had escaped, Kabuto of the Hidden Sound Village had left abruptly, abandoning the Uchiha clansmen he was with. Although the Third Hokage had since reassigned their missions, the Uchiha were not receptive, and none were willing to accept any tasks. The many Uchiha clansmen remained within their district day after day, their activities unknown, which deeply worried the Third Hokage. He had granted Fugaku Uchiha the title of honorary elder, but Fugaku had failed to attend the last two high-level meetings. The Third feared Kawasaki was planning something. As a result, a large number of Anbu were now stationed outside the Uchiha district, keeping it under constant surveillance.
Kakashi had already entrusted the matter of his eye to Tsunade, and she had agreed to help. The Third Hokage had used this as an opportunity for Kakashi to enter the Uchiha district and see if he could gather any information.
"Kakashi..." Kawasaki's voice came from ahead, making Kakashi's heart skip a beat.
"Tsunade has been looking through a lot of data these past few days and experimenting with various medical devices. She's been working very hard."
"I don't know much about medicine, but this is a difficult problem. Just because it's not possible now doesn't mean it won't be in the future. You should be prepared for that."
Kawasaki didn't say much more, offering only a few words of comfort. Though Kakashi was on a mission, it wasn't the right time to ask direct questions, so he simply replied, "Don't worry, Lord Kawasaki. I understand."
Soon, they arrived at Tsunade's office. Kawasaki knocked before opening the door. Tsunade was hunched over her desk, writing, and didn't look up.
"Tsunade, Kakashi is here to see you."
Only then did she raise her head. "Oh, Kakashi. Have a seat. I was just about to examine you to check the specific condition of your eye and see if there's a solution."
Kakashi, his mind elsewhere, nodded and pushed up his forehead protector, revealing the empty socket of his left eye. Last time, not only was the eyeball gouged out, but the eyelid had also been injured. Tsunade immediately began her examination.
Kawasaki was curious about the state of Kakashi's eye, so he decided to wait nearby. He then noticed Tsunade's desk was piled high with medical texts and sketches he couldn't comprehend. Judging by the anatomical diagrams, they were also medically related. He wondered if Tsunade was reviewing old knowledge she had neglected or learning something new.
The examination was over quickly. Tsunade frowned, lost in thought for a long moment. Finally, she shook her head and turned to Kakashi. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I can't regenerate your left eye right now. It will take much more time to make any progress."
Though disappointed, Kakashi understood. The structure of an eyeball was complex; regenerating one was entirely different from transplanting one. If regeneration was impossible...
"Lady Tsunade, thank you. I can't take up so much of your valuable time," Kakashi said, not wanting to incur such a heavy debt of gratitude. Medical research could be time-consuming and laborious, and it might all end in failure. Tsunade had already done more than enough for him. "If regeneration isn't possible, a transplant is another option."
Tsunade shook her head. That was the quickest method, but not just any eye would be suitable for Kakashi. One could only know if an eye was a good match after it was implanted. A thought suddenly struck Tsunade: if she had continued her studies all these years, perhaps problems like this would have been simple to solve by now.
....
Kakashi and Guy left. The Uchiha clansman who had been tasked with showing Guy around looked utterly exhausted, as if he had endured a great ordeal. Kawasaki was just glad he had made his own escape quickly.
He suspected Kakashi's visit also included a mission to investigate the Uchiha. But Kakashi would have found nothing; the Uchiha clan had made no moves. Kakashi didn't show much emotion about his eye, seemingly searching for a sliver of hope amid his despair. He likely already had a plan concerning Obito.
...
Somewhere within the Land of Fire, a group from the Hidden Sound Village was traveling hastily. The Sound Four carried a palanquin in their midst, inside which sat Kabuto Yakushi. They had arrived with great fanfare but were now returning with only a dozen or so people. For the Kage of a village, it was a rather pathetic entourage.
"Stop! On guard!"
At Kabuto's command, all the Sound ninja halted and assumed defensive positions. Up ahead, fifteen figures in the woods exchanged confused glances. "What's going on?"
"Did you spot something?"
"Ah, who cares! The new village Kage is worth a hundred million ryo! Let's get him!"
"Charge!"
The group leaped from the trees.
"Go!"
"A hundred million ryo! Haha!"
"A Kage with just this many guards? Perfect for me to make a fortune!" they shouted, unleashing a barrage of kunai and shuriken.
The ninja at the front of the Sound procession fell back as Jirobo leaped forward and slammed his palm on the ground.
Earth Style: Returning Earth Flow!
With a deafening roar, the earth churned, and a massive wall of rock rose up to block the attack.
....
After a brief, chaotic battle, the fifteen bounty hunters lay defeated on the ground. The Sound Four had only needed to use a few ninjutsu. These so-called bounty hunters were not all skilled; some were just bandits who banded together. Often, they were manipulated by others, their attacks serving as a way to test an opponent's strength, making them little more than cannon fodder.
This was the seventh group the Sound ninja had encountered on their journey. As a newly risen village with a self-proclaimed Kage, many powers were eager to probe its true strength. A village Kage rarely left their village, but this time, the Otokage had traveled with over a hundred Uchiha. Anyone who dared to provoke them had a death wish.
But then things got interesting. After the Otokage separated from the Uchiha, he was left with only a dozen followers. This was when interested parties began to send people to test him. As they neared the border, these people grew bolder.
Fortunately, Kabuto's senses were now astonishingly sharp, allowing him to detect hostile intent long before an attack. This helped them avoid unnecessary casualties.
Kabuto stepped out of the palanquin and looked at his weary subordinates. Although the Sound Four were at the front, some of the weaker ninja had still sustained injuries. Kabuto first beckoned to Jirobo, who approached with heavy, steady steps.
"Lord Otokage."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "Give me your arm."
Jirobo obediently extended his arm, revealing a wound where a kunai had pierced through. The light of the Mystical Palm Technique glowed in Kabuto's hand as he gently pressed it against the injury. Jirobo's constitution was excellent, and the wound healed at a visible rate.
"Thank you, Lord Otokage," he said guiltily. "I was careless."
Kabuto didn't put on airs; he was quite familiar with the Sound Four. They had been there since the founding of Otogakure. Back then, Kabuto was no different from them, though as Orochimaru's assistant, he held a slightly higher rank. As the village grew, Kabuto took on more administrative and leadership roles, and his status gradually rose until he returned from Ryuchi Cave and was appointed Kage by Orochimaru.
Even so, Kabuto remained humble and discreet, and his habit of personally healing the injured had not changed.
"This journey has been difficult. We are approaching the Land of Rice Paddies, and there will be more attacks," Kabuto said to the Sound Four. "To avoid needless casualties, I have decided to split up from you."
Tayuya lowered her head. "Protecting you is our duty, Lord Otokage."
Sakon and Ukon replied, "If you were harmed before we fell, it would be our failure, Lord Otokage."
Kidomaru and Jirobo also voiced their objections.
Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "Your skills are still lacking. Traveling with me will only slow me down. I am less likely to be discovered if I move alone."
The four of them lowered their heads in shame. Kabuto's words were harsh but true. Their skills were indeed insufficient. Orochimaru hadn't focused much on Curse Marks, so none of them had received one, making them considerably weaker than their counterparts in the previous timeline. Kabuto wanted to cultivate talent for the Sound Village, so after returning from Ryuchi Cave, he had been considering how to strengthen the Sound Four.
"I already have a plan for your future development. There's no need to say more," Kabuto said with a wave of his hand. "I'll go on ahead."
His presence faded, and then he vanished from sight with a flicker of movement. The remaining Sound ninja encountered almost no other enemies on their journey and crossed safely into the Land of Rice Paddies.
....
Kabuto sped through the forest. Freed from the group, his pace was much faster. As a former spy, he disliked riding in a palanquin. It made him feel like a moving target. He preferred to act alone, which allowed him to flexibly change his route and conceal his presence.
He wasn't particularly interested in the title of Otokage, but if it would help Lord Orochimaru, he was willing to accept it.
Kabuto traveled stealthily. Having trained in Sage Jutsu, his abilities had improved dramatically, especially his sensory perception. Even without entering Sage Mode, his senses were exceptionally keen. This allowed him to avoid many dangers in advance, leaving those who tried to track or assassinate him empty-handed.
However, as he neared the border, he stopped. He sensed several powerful enemies ahead. What's more, their energies seemed to be subtly linked. Kabuto adjusted his glasses, but instead of moving, he settled onto a nearby tree branch.
A few minutes later, the man ahead who had released his Earth Grudge Fear threads, Kakuzu, frowned. The explosive tags he had set up in the area were now useless. This one's sensory skills were impressive. Worthy of a head with a hundred-million-ryo bounty.
Kakuzu manipulated several of his thread-beasts, sending them to emerge from the ground, the trees, and the water, rapidly closing in on Kabuto's position.