Chapter 517: Slaying My Shadow
A few kilometers outside Konoha, Kakashi was being carried on an ANBU's back, speeding toward the village.
The exhausted Kakashi forced himself to look at the dozen or so people around him and sighed.
Kakashi still remembered the feeling he had back in Iwagakure, the first time he truly sensed the gap between himself and Ishiro.
Back then, his strength was still in its growth phase, and he believed that as time went on, he could slowly close the distance between them.
But... sigh.
Now, Kakashi's strength had long since crossed into the Kage-level, and he was past his rapid growth period, yet he still couldn't see Ishiro's limits.
Kakashi sighed again. This time, he hadn't even seen Ishiro's face before he was already on the ground, unable to move.
Even so, the fact that Kakashi and a dozen other lucky survivors were alive was all thanks to Shisui Uchiha, who had desperately used his Susanoo to protect them.
The other twenty-plus shinobi, whom Shisui didn't have time to rescue, were now dead, without even a trace remaining.
Thinking of Shisui Uchiha, Kakashi's mood sank even lower.
Hadn't he trained so hard precisely so he would never have to watch his comrades sacrifice themselves for him again?
But what about now? Although he didn't see Shisui's fate, he didn't need to guess. Shisui was almost certainly dead.
Twice in his life, he had let a comrade sacrifice himself for him, and both of them just had to be Uchiha.
He could only hope that Shisui Uchiha was able to use his legendary Body-Flicker Technique to escape quickly after holding back the enemy.
However, Kakashi didn't know that Ishiro hadn't come alone; he had brought two Mangekyou Uchiha with him.
Kakashi understood one thing clearly: he had already fled in disarray. There was no way Konoha would dispatch reinforcements to confront Ishiro directly.
Hearing Kakashi's sigh, the Aburame-clan ninja next to him, who had been the first to spot the enemy, spoke. "Lord Kakashi, you already did your best."
"If it weren't for your jutsu, none of us would have survived. Even Lord Shun's giant Susanoo wouldn't have had the chance to save us."
He had been fortunate enough to survive because he had been closer to Shisui, reporting the situation to Kakashi.
Kakashi didn't respond, instead asking, "Is the Tsuchikage pursuing us?"
The Aburame ninja shook his head. "No. I scattered a large number of my Kikaichū behind us, and there are many in the air as well. So far, there's been no reaction at all."
"The Tsuchikage probably isn't giving chase, unless he's intentionally taking a detour to avoid my insects."
Kakashi nodded with some confusion. A detour was, of course, impossible. There was no need.
"Could it be... that Shisui Uchiha successfully held the Tsuchikage back?"
Before Kakashi could think it through, a green figure suddenly appeared up ahead.
Might Guy approached Kakashi's group at an astonishing speed. Before he even arrived, his blood-pumping voice echoed in everyone's ears.
"Kakashi! You look terrible! Where is your YOUTH?! Hurry and burn with me!"
Although Might Guy was spouting his usual nonsense, his body immediately shot past the group, landing behind them and facing the direction they had come from.
"Kakashi, where are your enemies?" Might Guy asked, finally noticing no one was behind them.
Kakashi, who had stopped, couldn't see Might Guy due to the way he was being carried, so he didn't speak.
The Aburame ninja spoke instead: "Lord Guy, the enemy did not pursue us. But Lord Shun stayed behind to cover our retreat."
Hearing this, Guy was about to charge forward again when Kakashi spoke. "Guy, don't go. It's too late. Besides, the opponent is the Tsuchikage. It's too dangerous for you to go alone."
Guy hesitated, then turned his head and asked, "Shun... is Shisui Uchiha?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. He saved us with his Mangekyou Sharingan dōjutsu, the Susanoo."
"I was exhausted from using my own dōjutsu, so he chose to stay behind and buy us time."
Hearing this, Might Guy said no more. He knew that when Kakashi said those words—telling him to give up on Shisui Uchiha—he must have felt worse than anyone.
Everyone else also understood Kakashi's feelings. They had been saved by Shisui Uchiha, yet they didn't even have the right to stay behind and help him delay the enemy.
Following that, no one spoke. They just grimly pushed their heads down and ran for Konoha.
A short time later, they met up with the other reinforcements whom Might Guy had left in his dust.
The two groups merged and headed for Konoha Village together.
Upon returning to Konoha, Kakashi was immediately taken away by men sent by Danzō.
Might Guy wanted to intervene, but Kakashi stopped him. He truly did need to report properly to Danzō about this mission.
Kakashi was carried away by a Root ninja. His treatment was, at least, not bad.
Konoha had too few top-tier powerhouses right now. Even Danzō couldn't afford to push them too far.
So, while the Root members wouldn't obey Kakashi's orders, they still afforded him a basic level of respect.
Soon, Kakashi was brought by the Root ninja to the Hokage's office.
While Kakashi and his team were fleeing, they had sent a distress signal to the village. Danzō already knew the operation had failed, and he knew he had been played by the Tsuchikage.
Might Guy and the others had been dispatched by Danzō, but Danzō still didn't know the full details of the battle.
Danzō had initially assumed it was Orochimaru who was provoking Konoha, so the ninja he sent out were all specialists in dealing with Orochimaru.
The team that went out with Kakashi included many shinobi skilled in sealing jutsu, specifically to seal the Edo Tensei bodies of the First and Second Hokage.
Danzō had also prepared various measures to deal with giant snake summons.
But in the end, the one who showed up was Ishiro. Not only was Ishiro's fighting style completely different from Orochimaru's, but the simple fact that Ishiro could fly meant he could ignore all of those regular shinobi.
"Kakashi, I want to know... where is Shisui Uchiha?" Danzō's voice was laced with rage and killing intent.
Kakashi had been placed in a chair. His entire body was so weak that he couldn't even adjust to a more comfortable position.
He could only answer weakly, "Lord Hokage, I have failed the mission. We were no match for the Tsuchikage. Shisui Uchiha stayed behind to cover our retreat."
Danzō slammed his hand on the desk, demanding, "And Shisui Uchiha's eyes? Why didn't you retrieve them? They belong to the village! You just left them for the Tsuchikage?"
Kakashi remained silent. He couldn't even be bothered to argue with Danzō about this.
At that moment, Shisui Uchiha had voluntarily stepped up to delay the enemy. It was impossible for Kakashi to demand he dig out his own eyes.
Furthermore, without his Mangekyou Sharingan, how could Shisui Uchiha possibly face the Tsuchikage? How could he have delayed the enemy's advance?
And besides, after his experience with Obito Uchiha digging out his eye for him, Kakashi never wanted to go through anything similar ever again.
Seeing Kakashi's silence, Danzō's fury grew. He hammered the desk as he shouted, "Shisui Uchiha's eyes were spoils of war from the village's suppression of the Uchiha clan's rebellion!"
"That priceless pair of Mangekyou Sharingan was only temporarily entrusted to Shisui Uchiha. And now you and he have just lost them?"
"Kakashi Hatake, can you bear this responsibility?"
He wasn't wrong. If one ignored the fact that Danzō had stolen Shisui Uchiha's other eye, then this statement was perfectly correct.
Speaking of which, Danzō had not yet successfully transplanted Shisui's eye into himself.
The main reason was that his research on the First Hokage's cells was still just short of completion.
Unlike in the original timeline where he had Orochimaru's help, in this world, Danzō could only rely on Root's researchers.
Of course, after Danzō became Hokage, all of Konoha's researchers were at his service.
Unfortunately, research with Orochimaru and research without Orochimaru were two completely different things.
Danzō had successfully transplanted a White Zetsu clone's body, but he was unable to withstand the pressure from Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyou.
He usually had to use sealing jutsu to keep it suppressed.
Originally, Danzō had planned to let Fugaku Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan be held in storage by Shisui Uchiha. That way, if his own Mangekyou dōjutsu was ever exhausted, he would have a backup.
Of course, he also had to consider that the village had too few top-tier fighters and needed Shisui.
That was why Danzō had delayed for so long in "reclaiming" the eye that belonged to him.
Kakashi said, "Lord Hokage, I am willing to accept any punishment."
This was the exact sentence Danzō was waiting for. He said, "Kakashi Hatake, you failed a critical mission, causing immense losses for the village."
"I have decided. I am stripping you of your freedom and placing the Tongue-Cursing Seal on you. Do you have any objections?"
Kakashi's heart stirred. He hesitated for two seconds, but still nodded.
Just at that moment, the door to the Hokage's office was suddenly pushed open.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in with a deep frown. "Danzō, you've gone too far. Kakashi is one of the village's finest shinobi, an inheritor of the Will of Fire. You cannot do this to him."
It wasn't that Hiruzen Sarutobi had a particularly close relationship with Kakashi.
It was just that Kakashi was the most suitable candidate for the Seventh Hokage. He could not be allowed to become an emotionless tool who only knew how to follow orders.
Danzō ignored Hiruzen Sarutobi, his gaze still fixed on Kakashi. He asked in a flat voice that was thick with killing intent, "Kakashi Hatake, are you going back on your word?"
Kakashi paused. He naturally understood the meaning behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, "inheritor of the Will of Fire."
But in the end, he still said, "Lord Hokage, I am willing to accept any punishment."
Hearing this, Hiruzen glared at Kakashi, his face a mask of "anger that iron could not become steel."
Only then did Danzō turn his gaze to Hiruzen. He said, "Hiruzen, remember: I am the Hokage."
Hiruzen was so choked by these words that he couldn't say a single thing.
Finally, he could only slam the door angrily as he left, leaving behind one last sentence: "Danzō, you will regret this!"
After Hiruzen left, Danzō, feeling incomparably satisfied, personally applied the Tongue-Cursing Seal to Kakashi.
"How the tables have turned. Hiruzen, to think you would have a day where you are so powerless. I overestimated you in the past."
"From now on, in our relationship, I will be the one taking the lead."
At this happy thought, even Danzō's perpetually emotionless face revealed a trace of an excited, expectant smile.
Once the Tongue-Cursing Seal was in place, Danzō said, "Kakashi, from this day forward, your codename is 'Kinoe'! You will obey only my orders!"
Kakashi painfully accepted the mask Danzō handed him and put it on. Then, he said, "Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Right at that moment, the Hokage's office door was thrown open again, and a certain yellow-haired brat charged in once more.
"Hokage Jiji, I, Namikaze Naruto, challenge you to a duel! I'm going to become..."
Namikaze Naruto's grand declaration wasn't even finished before he ran head-first into the chair Kakashi was sitting in.
As Namikaze Naruto knocked Kakashi over, he also clutched his own face, howling in pain.
Namikaze Naruto looked at the white-haired, masked man lying motionless on the floor and said, "Hokage Jiji, you're too evil! You actually set up an ambush!"
"I was careless this time! I didn't see it coming! I, the Seventh Hokage, Namikaze Naruto, will be back!"
After saying his piece, Namikaze Naruto ran off as chaotically as he had arrived. From beginning to end, no one else had said a word.
Kakashi, his face pressed to the floor, couldn't see Namikaze Naruto. But hearing his voice, his heart trembled. "Namikaze Naruto? Is that... is that Sensei's child? Is he already this big?"
"He's so lively... just like his teacher's wife, Kushina!"
Namikaze Naruto's coming and going was a whirlwind. In just a few seconds, he had completely ruined Danzō's good mood.
Right now, the four words Danzō wanted to hear least were "Seventh Hokage."
"Kinoe, after this is done, go back and recuperate. Once your injuries are healed, you will become Namikaze Naruto's private tutor."
The original Danzō would have strictly forbidden a "soft" ninja from Hiruzen's faction like Kakashi from getting anywhere near Namikaze Naruto.
But now... Kakashi was "Kinoe." He was naturally qualified to guide Namikaze Naruto on his behalf.
In any case, with Namikaze Naruto's level of talent, Danzō had no desire to teach him personally.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Kakashi replied, still lying on the floor, his voice devoid of emotion.
Danzō gave a light cough and waved his hand. Two Root members immediately appeared and helped Kakashi up.
Danzō said, "Kinoe, report the details of today's battle."
"Yes, Lord Hokage." Kakashi recounted the events, his voice still flat and emotionless.
After listening, Danzō's expression turned grim. "Someone, prepare for war. If the Tsuchikage doesn't give me an explanation, I will declare war on Iwagakure."
Kakashi was soon taken to the Konoha Hospital.
Danzō remained alone in the Hokage's office. His earlier anger was now gone. He pondered for a moment and said, "Someone, bring me Sasuke Uchiha."
...
In the Land of Fire, at the junction between the shinobi world and the Kamui dimension, another half a day passed. The passage was finally about to close.
Watching the passage grow smaller and smaller, Ishiro felt a little anxious. To this point, Akino Atsumi still hadn't placed a Flying Thunder God marker inside the Kamui dimension.
At the beginning, Ishiro could still help out, but later on, Akino Atsumi had been completely engrossed in studying the space-time fluctuations as the passage mended itself.
Ishiro really couldn't bear to interrupt her, so he never had a chance to remind her.
Now the passage was getting smaller and smaller, to the point where a person could barely fit inside.
Just as Ishiro sighed internally, planning to give up on placing a marker in the Kamui dimension, Akino Atsumi suddenly pulled a palm-sized iron plate from her storage pouch.
She carefully inscribed something on the plate, then tossed it into the passage, which was now only half a meter wide. It landed inside the Kamui dimension.
After doing all this, Akino Atsumi finally let out a long breath and stretched her body.
Ishiro looked at the iron plate inside the Kamui dimension and said to Akino Atsumi, "Akino? Is that your Flying Thunder God marker drawn on it?"
Akino Atsumi nodded. "Yes, Ishiro-sensei. This is the simplified Flying Thunder God seal I finished. This is the final version. It will look like this from now on."
Ishiro looked at the Great Fireball-like pattern on the iron plate inside the Kamui dimension, stared blankly for a few seconds, and said, "It's so small... It's no different from Tobirama Senju's or Minato Namikaze's."
Akino Atsumi smiled confidently. "In terms of size, there's indeed no difference. But I heard the Fourth Hokage could set a marker just by lightly tapping the place he needed to mark."
"That... is something I'm afraid I'll never be able to do."
Ishiro fell silent. It was true. That kind of ability was like a hand-seal-less jutsu, or rapid-seal casting.
Akino Atsumi's talent in that area was far too lacking. Ishiro hadn't expected it from her anyway.
However, there was one thing that could be practiced: the speed of teleportation.
So Ishiro asked, "Do you need to perform hand seals to use the Flying Thunder God now? Does it take a long time?"
Hearing this, Akino Atsumi immediately smiled. "Ishiro-sensei, I've definitely made progress in that area, too!"
She glanced at the passage, which was still slowly closing. "We still have time. It's a good chance to test it."
As she spoke, she took out another iron plate, preparing to draw, but Ishiro stopped her.
Ishiro handed Akino Atsumi a kunai. "Try drawing it on this."
Akino Atsumi nodded, took the kunai, spun it in her hand once, and then, picking a spot, began to inscribe.
A moment later, Akino Atsumi finished. She threw the kunai toward a large tree that had fallen on the ground in the distance.
After watching the kunai stab into the ground next to the tree, both Ishiro and Akino Atsumi were silent for a moment.
Ishiro asked, "Akino, have you... not been in any battles at all these past few years?"
Akino Atsumi's face flushed red, and she nodded in embarrassment.
Her talent at the Ninja Academy had been poor, but... no matter how bad her grades were, she still possessed the basic standard of a ninja, like throwing a kunai.
It was just that ever since leaving Ishiro's Team 5, she had never experienced combat again.
She was protected by dedicated ANBU members arranged by the village whenever she went out, so she never had to worry about her own safety.
She had long since grown used to using a pen for research. How to use a kunai... she was long out of practice.
Ishiro patted her shoulder. "Alright, this was never your strong suit. No need to mind it."
Akino Atsumi let out a sigh of relief. She adjusted her state, then began to form hand seals.
This time, Ishiro saw it clearly. Akino Atsumi formed only one seal, and then her entire person vanished from the spot.
In an instant, Akino Atsumi appeared next to the kunai in the distance.
Ishiro nodded. Compared to before, Akino Atsumi's progress was terrifying.
But to use it in actual combat... was impossible. Putting aside everything else, just seeing the way she looked left and right in confusion after appearing next to the kunai, Ishiro would absolutely never dare to let her go out and fight.
Ishiro raised a hand, and a Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull) sucked the kunai into his grasp.
Akino Atsumi understood Ishiro's meaning, formed the seal again, and reappeared by Ishiro's side.
Ishiro thought for a moment. "Akino, after we return to the village, make more of these Flying Thunder God kunai with your marker on them."
"The more, the better. I will hide them in various places throughout the shinobi world, just in case."
Akino Atsumi nodded. "Understood."
After thinking again, Ishiro added, "One more thing. When you get back, spend more time practicing the Flying Thunder God. This jutsu is just too useful."
"Even if you can't fight like Minato Namikaze, it can still have miraculous effects at critical moments."
Akino Atsumi immediately said, "Ishiro-sensei, rest assured. I guarantee I'll complete the mission."
Ishiro smiled. "The passage is about to close. Is there anything else you need to research?"
Akino Atsumi said, "I've researched everything I can. But I want to feel the space-time fluctuations at the exact moment the passage closes completely."
Ishiro nodded and said no more, waiting together with Akino Atsumi.
Not long after, the passage closed completely. Ishiro didn't feel any change, but Akino Atsumi beside him seemed to be lost in thought.
After another moment, Akino Atsumi came back to her senses. Ishiro asked, "How was it? Did you gain anything?"
Akino Atsumi shook her head, then nodded again. She hesitated, "I can't quite describe it. I wanted to use the moment the passage closed to understand how to communicate with that dimension."
"But the time was too short. Although there was a peculiar fluctuation at that instant, I couldn't grasp it."
Ishiro said, "Forget it. Communicating with that dimension is an ability of Obito Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan dōjutsu."
"Mangekyou Sharingan dōjutsu are special abilities that touch the realm of the Sage. They aren't something you can easily master. It's fine if you can't figure it out for now."
"By the way, can you still sense that Flying Thunder God marker?"
Akino Atsumi nodded. "I can sense it. It just feels... so far away. It's far beyond my teleportation limit. I don't dare to try."
Ishiro nodded. "Then we'll just leave it for now. Maybe one day it will be useful."
With that, Ishiro looked around at their surroundings and continued, "Alright, our business here is finished. Let's go back to the village."
"This time, I've well and truly pissed off Danzō. I need to get back to the village quickly and find a way to appease that warmonger."
The current Iwagakure wasn't afraid of Konoha, but Ishiro needed to maintain this peaceful environment. This was Iwagakure's strategic direction, and Ishiro didn't want to change it lightly.
Ishiro activated his Porcelain Release, preparing to fly with Akino Atsumi.
Akino Atsumi thought for a moment and said, "Ishiro-sensei, if you're in a hurry, I can try to teleport directly with the Flying Thunder God."
Ishiro's heart skipped. That's right. The current Akino Atsumi knew the Flying Thunder God. This was much faster than flying himself.
So Ishiro asked, "Are you confident you can teleport with another person?"
Akino Atsumi said, "I've tried teleporting with people before, it's no problem. It's just... it's a bit far from here to the village. I need to sense it carefully."
Ishiro said, "You don't need to go all the way to the village. Just to the nearest branch base is fine."
Akino Atsumi nodded, and then she began to sense.
A moment later, Akino Atsumi had Ishiro place one hand on her shoulder, and then she began to form the seal.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Ishiro only felt his vision blur, and his surroundings changed.
Turning his head to look around, Ishiro found that they were at the Iwa branch base in the former northwest of the Land of Fire.
Ishiro and Akino Atsumi were standing right on the base's secret teleportation formation.
(End of Chapter)
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