Chapter 64: The Serpent's Lieutenant
Kagenori's question hung in the air, sharp and precise. "Are there Uchiha among the reinforcements?"
Orochimaru gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Yes. The Uchiha clan is dispatching five chunin and one jonin."
A flicker of understanding passed through Kagenori's eyes. "You need not worry, Sensei. I will not allow my personal history with the Uchiha to compromise the war effort."
Orochimaru shook his head, a faint, calculating smile playing on his lips. "On the contrary. My confidence in your control is precisely why I am giving you this task. I intend for you to lead the five chunin."
This time, it was Jiraiya who was visibly startled. "Orochimaru, isn't that too rash?" he interjected, his voice laced with concern. "You know how the Uchiha are. If they're sending a jonin, they'll expect him to lead the team. Based on his strategic mind, I'd agree Kagenori is ready to lead a squad. But this squad? There's no chance those Uchiha will take orders from him."
No one in Konoha's upper echelons held any particular fondness for the proud Uchiha clan, and Jiraiya was no exception.
Orochimaru's golden eyes slid toward his old friend. "It is because I know their character that I am placing them under Kagenori. I require shinobi who follow my orders, not a squad of arrogant clansmen who might prioritize their pride over the mission."
Jiraiya frowned, his brow furrowed. "But is he ready for that kind of fight? Not a battle of ninjutsu, but a battle of wills. Suppressing those Uchiha... it's a different kind of challenge altogether."
Orochimaru ignored Jiraiya's protest and fixed his gaze on Kagenori. "Well? Will you accept this assignment?"
Kagenori fell silent, his expression unreadable as he weighed the proposition. Orochimaru did not rush him, allowing the silence to stretch.
Jiraiya watched, convinced that someone as rational as Kagenori would never willingly take on such a volatile, troublesome responsibility. It was like volunteering to carry five live explosives.
Finally, Kagenori looked up, his eyes meeting Orochimaru's. "I have only one question, Sensei. What is the extent of my authority over them?"
Orochimaru's smirk widened. "You have full authority. However," he added, his tone laced with dark promise, "you must have a justifiable reason for its use."
A slow, cold smile spread across Kagenori's face. "Understood. I accept the mission, Orochimaru-sensei."
Jiraiya, who was not a fool, felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the five Uchiha chunin who were, at this very moment, unknowingly marching toward their fate. Full authority. Kagenori could order them to do anything, so long as he could frame it with a tactical reason. These weren't just hot potatoes; they were five walking outlets for every ounce of resentment and calculated cruelty the boy possessed. Jiraiya looked at Kagenori's serene smile and shuddered internally. This boy was not like his pure-hearted Minato. Those Uchiha were going to be flayed alive, if not physically, then certainly in spirit.
"Out of curiosity, Sensei," Kagenori continued, "which other clans are sending support?"
"The Hyuga, the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans, among others," Orochimaru listed. "Ordinarily, clans with prized bloodlines or secret techniques are held in reserve until a war is fully escalated, to prevent their secrets from being captured. But Konoha's situation is strained. We need every capable shinobi. With the Hyuga's Byakugan and the Yamanaka's mind-reading techniques, our intelligence-gathering capabilities will improve dramatically. In war, information is everything."
Kagenori felt a slight easing of the tension in his shoulders. The situation on the Hot Springs front had been dire from the moment they arrived. They had rushed from Konoha and launched the assault on Yugakure with barely a moment to breathe. Now they were pushing the line again. Reinforcements, especially of this caliber, would provide a crucial reprieve.
Taking his leave, Kagenori's primary objective shifted to finding food. His stomach was a hollow ache. With the dedicated logistics corps wiped out in earlier fighting, the cooking duties had fallen to any shinobi with the spare moment and minimal skill.
The ninja currently serving food, a man named Tanaka Kazuyoshi, began to tremble visibly the moment he saw Kagenori approach. The spoon in his hand rattled against the pot.
Kagenori watched him with a detached curiosity. Was the shaking some kind of culinary technique? Or did this man have a personal grievance? He decided he didn't care.
In truth, Tanaka Kazuyoshi was trembling with fear. To him, Kagenori was a cold-blooded demon. He had been there, in Yugakure. He had seen Daigo, who had shoved him out of the way of an explosion, get handed those explosive tags by this boy. He had watched Daigo's final, sacrificial act be turned into a tactical calculation. If Daigo hadn't pushed him, it would be him that Kagenori had used as a human bomb. The thought made his blood run cold.
Impatient, Kagenori simply took the spoon from Tanaka's shaking hand and served himself a generous portion. He ate methodically, finished the entire bowl, and left without a word, leaving the cook to slump in relief.
Don't worry, Daigo, Tanaka thought, his heart heavy. If I make it through this, I'll look after your family. I swear it.
...
With his hunger sated, Kagenori sought out a quiet clearing to train. The battle with Kuroiwa had been instructive, especially regarding the Seventh Form: Fire Thunder God. He needed to consolidate those gains, to refine the technique that had nearly broken his body.
He found a flat, secluded spot among the trees, but as he began to focus his chakra, a flicker of movement caught his eye. Deeper in the woods, another figure was practicing, a blur of motion darting between the trunks.
Kagenori's Sharingan activated instinctively, the twin tomoe spinning as they sharpened his vision. The figure solidified, landing on a thick branch.
It was Namikaze Minato.
Minato stopped, his own senses alert. He turned, and his bright blue eyes locked directly with Kagenori's crimson gaze across the shadowed distance. The air between them grew still and heavy, charged with a rivalry that had just been given a new, official dimension.