Chapter 21

When a person is sad, it can be seen.

Akihara Kagura tells his story with a deeply sorrowful expression.

At this moment, the boy doesn't seem like a person consumed by jealousy and hatred. He merely appears as a child who's been abandoned.

"..."

Kabuto Yakushi remains silent.

Kabuto Yakushi thought his own destiny had already been rough enough.

The old Kabuto Yakushi had sacrificed himself for more funding for the orphanage, and to prevent Nonō Yakushi from feeling too burdened. He willingly joined the Root organization, becoming a spy ninja who lived on borrowed time, constantly teetering on the edge of death.

Yet compared to Akihara Kagura...

Kabuto Yakushi feels so fortunate.

Because his sacrifices were worth it. The Headmaster, Nonō Yakushi, was always worried about him. Even this worry gave birth to jealousy in another child with the same fate.

"I... didn't know."

Kabuto Yakushi lowered his head slightly, appearing somewhat hesitant: "These past few years, I haven't received any news from the Headmaster, nor have I seen her..."

Kabuto Yakushi hesitated for a moment, as if he felt the need to apologize to the boy: "I'm sorry, I didn't know about all this."

It seemed like an apology from someone in a higher position to someone in a lower one.

Kabuto Yakushi never saw himself as someone superior.

Yet in front of this boy forgotten by Headmaster Nonō Yakushi, Kabuto Yakushi felt like a lucky individual who had accidentally obtained a treasure, while the boy was the hard worker who had been trying to get the treasure but got nothing.

This made Kabuto Yakushi feel like a thief...

At this moment, a sense of guilt suddenly arose in Kabuto Yakushi's heart.

Even though he hadn't done anything to harm Akihara Kagura, the excessive care from Headmaster Nonō Yakushi had brought a warm happiness to his heart, but also a guilt towards the forgotten boy.

Even with some guilt and apologies...

Kabuto Yakushi now felt truly blessed.

However...

One's happiness might be easily attained, but preserving it isn't as easy. It often requires enduring some hardships.

"You know nothing."

A mocking smile appeared on the corner of Akihara Kagura's mouth, as if he was looking at someone ignorant: "What a coincidence... Headmaster Nonō Yakushi also knows nothing."

"What?"

Kabuto Yakushi felt a bit blank and subconsciously asked, "What do you mean? The Headmaster also knows nothing, what does that mean?"

"Kabuto."

Akihara Kagura asked a critical question: "When you joined the Root organization a few years ago, you were even younger than I am now..."

"Yet you've been in the Root organization for over four years, and now you're around thirteen or fourteen, right? We've grown up quickly, our appearance changes from when we were younger... Do you remember how long you said it's been since you last saw Headmaster Nonō Yakushi?"

"Since I joined the Root organization..."

Kabuto Yakushi faintly felt that he and Headmaster Nonō Yakushi had fallen into a conspiracy.

"So..."

Akihara Kagura looked at Kabuto Yakushi and patiently asked: "Would you like to guess how the Headmaster Nonō Yakushi wanted to see you?"

"Photographs!"

Kabuto Yakushi's eyes turned cold, and he almost gritted his teeth to answer: "Headmaster Nonō must have asked for my grown-up photos, but you provided her with fake ones..."

Kabuto Yakushi was a very smart person, and he immediately recalled that Akihara Kagura had mentioned something about photos at the ninth training ground.

In an instant, Kabuto Yakushi also figured out this conspiracy against him and Headmaster Nonō Yakushi. A photo of him grown-up could cause problems!

"Truly smart, you guessed correctly again!"

Akihara Kagura looked at Kabuto Yakushi with a face full of admiration, then corrected: "However, it wasn't me who gave the fake photo, it was Lord Danzō... I'm just a child, what could I possibly decide in the Root organization?"

"That's not necessarily true..."

Kabuto Yakushi shook his head and replied: "All the ninjas in the Root fear you, proving that Danzō Shimura must value you highly. He wouldn't oppose what you want to do."

"Because of your jealousy towards Headmaster Nonō's care, Danzō Shimura gave her my fake photo. It couldn't be more normal..."

"Tsk..."

Akihara Kagura sighed without arguing and continued leisurely: "You're somewhat right about one thing, Headmaster Nonō Yakushi indeed cares a lot about you. She constantly asked for your pictures, wanting to know that you're safe and sound..."

"Really..."

"She's always thinking of you..."

"But she never once asked about me."

"To ensure that Headmaster Nonō Yakushi could continue to provide information for the Root organization, Lord Danzō gradually replaced your photos with fake ones. The photos that Headmaster Nonō Yakushi began to see were of an impostor. She doesn't even know what you look like."

"If it ended there, it would be fine, just needing an impostor to keep Headmaster Nonō Yakushi continuously providing information for the Root organization..."

"However..."

"The real you is still alive."

"Lord Danzō sent you on dangerous missions time and again, hoping you would die in the process, but you survived each time."

"You really have a long life..."

"Successfully completing the missions time and again..."

"Eventually, Lord Danzō acknowledged your talents, and wanted you to become a spy who would serve the Root organization forever, but found he had to face a problem."

"If you were to continue staying in the Root organization, you and Headmaster Nonō Yakushi would inevitably have to meet. At that point, all lies would be exposed."

As Akihara Kagura said this, he suddenly added, "That's not surprising. Since they are lies, they are bound to be exposed someday."

"But..."

"Lord Danzō does not make mistakes."

"So he would definitely deal with his own errors."

"So..."

Kabuto Yakushi adjusted the glasses on his nose bridge and said softly, "You don't want me to meet Headmaster Nonō alive, or you don't want Headmaster Nonō to meet me alive."

"Lord Danzō originally thought so."

Akihara Kagura crossed his arms and sighed, "Lord Danzō prefers you, because he thinks that Headmaster Nonō Yakushi is not loyal enough, so he has been considering when to kill Headmaster Nonō Yakushi..."

"..."

Kabuto Yakushi's body started to tremble.

This sense of panic when the most important thing in life, one's existence, is not under control, swept over his entire body.

Kabuto Yakushi's fingers dug tightly into his flesh, and a layer of cold sweat gradually emerged on his forehead. He felt as if he had guessed something: "Why... are you telling me this? Are you... trying to make me kill myself now, so that Headmaster Nonō can survive?"

"That was my original thought."

Akihara Kagura raised his eyebrows nonchalantly and continued, "But I heard something... Headmaster Nonō Yakushi has always wanted to make a deal with Lord Danzō. She can do anything for Lord Danzō, in exchange for your liberation, allowing you to leave the Root organization."

"Kabuto..."

"I'm even more jealous of you."

"Why didn't she think of saving me?"

"Why didn't she think of rescuing me when I was sent to the Root base, to be used as a human experiment?"

--x--

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