Akihara Kagura was telling the truth.
From the memories of a past life, Akihara Kagura had a certain impression of Yao Shidou.
In the future, Yao Shidou is quite a useful talent. His espionage skills alone far surpass many others, perhaps just a bit less than Akihara Kagura.
In addition, Yao Shidou's mind is very clever, adept at learning knowledge, and could even assist with human experiments, improving various Kinjutsu, maybe even helping Akihara Kagura learn the most mysterious Immortal Technique in the Ninja World.
In short.
This man is a talent.
What does the Ninja World need most? Talent.
To bring himself closer to Yao Shidou, Akihara Kagura fabricated a story of his own background in the Konoha Orphanage in Training Ground No. 9. It could only barely make Yao Shidou feel favorable towards him but couldn't truly make Yao Shidou trust him.
The best way…
Of course, is a strong bond.
What's the most important thing in the Ninja World? It's bonds.
As long as he can create a potential strong bond with Yao Shidou, it will make Yao Shidou remember his existence. In the future, there's the opportunity to make him one of his own.
However…
No actual connection exists between the two…
So, Akihara Kagura first recounted his own background in the Konoha Orphanage, talking about missing the orphanage life, recalling the dean…
All of it…
Was false.
Yet these falsehoods were Yao Shidou's true inner feelings.
The one truly from the orphanage is Yao Shidou, the one who truly misses orphanage life is Yao Shidou, the one who truly longs for the orphanage dean, Yakushi Nonou, is Yao Shidou, and the one who truly wants to show her his grown-up photos is Yao Shidou...
Akihara Kagura's lies were just a warm prelude, making Yao Shidou think they shared similarities;
Now, Akihara Kagura needs a tragic story to burst the warm prelude, making Yao Shidou believe there is indeed a bond between them.
As long as there's a bond between them…
There could be a possibility in the future for Yao Shidou to help himself.
After all, Akihara Kagura doesn't know any Kotoamatsukami Genjutsu to change another's will, nor does he have the system's ability to monitor the other's loyalty, let alone implanting Curse Seals into the other's vital points—such low and troublesome control methods…
Akihara Kagura is just a laborer.
A laborer who wants more, has to use some crude methods, try to make more capable friends.
"Yao Shidou."
Akihara Kagura looked at the wary expression of Yao Shidou and smiled playfully: "What do you think I want you to do?"
"I don't know yet..."
Yao Shidou furrowed his brow, pondered for a while, then replied: "But I do know one thing, when you saw me, it probably wasn't as you said, that you were thrilled to see someone from the same orphanage…"
"When you first mentioned Dean Nonou's name, you didn't look like you missed her; it was more like you were talking about someone you hadn't seen for a long time..."
"However."
"I am still very happy today."
"Because it's been a long time since anyone mentioned past events."
"Because everything you said at the training ground was exactly what I wanted to say."
"Perhaps I've been too suppressed in this organization..."
Yao Shidou adjusted his glasses and said softly, "I'm increasingly nostalgic for those days in the orphanage and miss that person who treated me like a mother..."
When Yao Shidou reached this point, he suddenly changed his tone: "However…you do not miss the days in the orphanage, nor do you miss Dean Nonou..."
"Is that so?"
"Lord Kagura of the Root Organization."
Yao Shidou's eyes showed a hint of firmness as he trusted the intuition and experience his years of espionage had brought him: "You hate me... and you hate Dean Nonou..."
"You claim to want to look after me, yet you're making me offend other people in the Root Organization, those combat ninja I can't afford to offend..."
"You don't want me to stay in the Root Organization any longer..."
"And... you even want to use the people in Root to kill me..."
Yao Shidou felt like he was starting to guess some truths and softly questioned, "Am I right, Lord Kagura?"
"..."
Clap... clap... clap... clap...
The young ninja couldn't help but clap his hands, his smile growing, nodding in praise: "Well said, you've guessed it all."
No way, he's got it all wrong!
This guy guessed everything incorrectly!
Did Yao Shidou not question the truth? Or does he think there's no value in deceiving him? Is Yao Shidou really that smart?
Oh well.
Everything was originally false.
Yao Shidou could only guess false results from false directions, and it was already good enough for him to guess the tragic storyline I just made up.
"I have some trouble understanding."
Yao Shidou looked at the young man with a hint of confusion: "You were also adopted by Dean Nonou, also lived in the village's orphanage, there shouldn't be hatred between us."
"Why wouldn't it exist?"
Akihara Kagura couldn't help but laugh heartily.
The young man slowly opened his palm, speaking each word clearly: "Great hatred often stems from a small matter, a thought that one suddenly gets..."
"What do you mean?"
Yao Shidou was somewhat perplexed.
"Jealousy."
"One of the original sins of the world."
Akihara Kagura slowly walked towards Yao Shidou, his smile turning cold: "If there was no comparison in this world, there wouldn't be hurt, nor would there be emotions like jealousy..."
"Jealousy?"
"Yes, unprecedented jealousy..."
Akihara Kagura approached Yao Shidou, the young man's eyes turning fierce: "Why is it that you share the same surname with Dean Nonou? Why does she always care about you? Clearly, we're just adopted children, clearly, I came first..."
"Because..."
Yao Shidou hesitated, then gave an answer: "When I was adopted by Dean Nonou, I had forgotten all my memories, I didn't remember my name or parents, so she gave me her surname..."
Recalling that woman as warm as a mother, Yao Shidou continued: "Did Dean Nonou... always care about me?"
"Yes..."
"She always cared about you..."
"To the point she forgot that another child was also sent to Root's base."
Akihara Kagura slowly turned around and walked towards the corridor: "Initially, I didn't want to hate her, or hate you, I didn't even want you to enter Root..."
"But..."
"I saw what she did for you, saw her inquiring about you in the Root Organization, but she never remembered me, she doesn't know what kind of life I lived here, how I was bullied as a child!"
"Perhaps... she forgot about me long ago."
"I began to dislike her, and resent you for being cared for, realizing that someone embodying the Root Will like myself had developed such an emotion as jealousy..."
"Even though we both entered Root..."
"Even though we are exactly the same people..."
"Yao Shidou..."
"How unfair this is..."