Kakashi looked around and then jumped down.
Soon, another person wearing a cat-face mask and ANBU clothing jumped down. He was short and young.
A rumble came from below.
Kawasaki walked to the edge of the hole and stroked his chin.
The one who just went down was Yamato? Oh, now he’s called Kai.
Did Danzo send him to gouge Kakashi’s eyes?
I don’t know if Danzo is overconfident or just stupid.
Or maybe he’s superstitious about Yamato’s Wood Release?
Suddenly, Kawasaki felt something was wrong and leaped onto a tree.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh, three Root members arrived at the hole.
Two of them were cloaked, while the other jumped down.
I see. Danzo has backup plans. There’s surveillance, and replacements. If Kai fails, someone else will take over.
“The task isn’t everything. If the task is to kill your comrade, then that task is wrong.”
“Kakashi, who killed his comrade, can’t refute such accusations. But I never...I never wanted to kill Rin!
“I didn’t protect my comrade, so Rin died. I couldn’t protect her with Chidori. I couldn’t protect her...”
“Kai, give up your Root mission.”
“It seems Root members have been indoctrinated to abandon all emotions.”
“Not just emotions. They abandon their names, past, and future. They only live to complete their missions.”
“I’m your enemy. It’s understandable if you let me die.”
...
Kawasaki waited for a while. The Root member who followed Kai came out first and pretended to be waiting for him by the hole.
Soon, Kai jumped out.
Kai took out an eyeball preserved in a bottle. The two exchanged a few brief words.
I know this plot too well. Kakashi has already dealt with Kai.
Kai forged a fake Sharingan and will go back to Danzo to report.
Later, Kakashi and the Third Hokage stormed into the Root base and forcibly took Kai away. They renamed him Tenzo.
After the Kazekage Retrieval Arc, “Yamato” became his mission code. People gradually got used to calling him Yamato.
“You dare to forge it!”
A shout yanked Kawasaki back to reality. Why was he exposed as a fake here?
“Attack!”
The other three Root members jumped out with a swoosh.
“Danzo-sama truly doesn’t trust me.”
Kai muttered to himself.
Kai offered no resistance, allowing one of them to bind him.
The remaining three jumped into the hole, presumably to find Kakashi.
“Hey, tell me, how could you fabricate something like this?”
Kai’s eyes were vacant, showing neither joy nor sorrow, only a hint of somberness as he countered, “Hey, I’m really starting to not understand. What’s the point of a mission to kill your own people? So I gave up.”
Yotsuki’s anger flared, “A mission assigned by Danzo-sama is of utmost importance!”
“But Kakashi-san is also a Konoha ninja, our comrade. Can we really do it?”
Yotsuki pushed Kai to the ground and roared, “You need to remember this. Your only comrades here are us, your fellow Root members!”
Kai gritted his teeth and firmly stated, “Isn’t Root also serving Konoha?”
Yotsuki’s expression was as devout as a believer…
“Root is like the unseen roots beneath a tree, silently supporting the mighty tree of Konoha.”
“Trees have both aboveground and underground parts. Root naturally exists as one.”
“Root ninjas have no name, no lineage, no love, no hate. They have no past, no future. They only have their missions.”
Kai suddenly struggled desperately, “No! I’m a Konoha ninja! I’m not just part of Root. I have branches, I have leaves. I’m part of the whole Konoha!”
“All Konoha ninjas are my comrades!”
Yotsuki’s eyes turned icy as he subdued Kai, “Who’s been feeding you these delusional thoughts? I need to take you back and let Danzo-sama properly re-educate you!”
“Heh… besides Danzo, who else could be confusing him?”
A melodious voice drifted in from somewhere.
“Who’s there?!”
Yotsuki was drenched in cold sweat. Someone had approached undetected.
“Ugh!”
Before Yotsuki could turn around, he felt a sharp pain in his head and instantly fainted.
“Get up.”
Kawasaki said, loosening the restraints on Kai.
“Who are you?”
Kai didn’t recognize Kawasaki, but he recognized the Uchiha symbol from his attire.
“My name is Uchiha Kawasaki.”
Kawasaki said casually, considering whether he should go down and save Kakashi.
Perhaps I could just let Root take his Sharingan.
“You’re the deputy head of the Uchiha Clan?! Why did you save me?”
He had heard of Uchiha Kawasaki, who had given Danzo a hard time. Recently, he even caused Danzo to lose his position as advisor.
“Me? I just like to go against the grain. As for who you are, it’s not important.”
“But...”
Kawasaki’s lips curved slightly, “I actually do know something about you.”
“Know what about me?”
“Aren’t you one of the sixty babies Danzo stole back then?”
“What?!”
Kai’s heart pounded!
“Danzo-sama stole us?!”
Kawasaki nodded, “Yes. Danzo stole you, and Orochimaru used you for experiments. It seems you’re the only one left.”
Kai excitedly questioned, “Do you have any proof?!”
Kawasaki lifted his eyes, “I have my own sources. I don’t intend to prove it to you. Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”
“Over the years, Danzo has been trying to win people over, using the protection of Konoha as a pretext to fulfill his own desires.”
“This...”
Kai was shocked. The person he pledged his loyalty to was actually like this?!
“Zzzzt...”
Chidori’s shriek echoed from the hole.
“No! Kakashi-san!”
Only then did Kai realize that Kakashi was still trapped below.
He was about to rush to the opening but was stopped by Kawasaki, “Don’t worry. He’s coming up soon.”
Just as he finished speaking, Kakashi leaped out of the hole.
Kawasaki saw that Kakashi’s Sharingan was unharmed. Though he had injuries, they weren’t severe.
Tsk, he secretly sneered.
Danzo’s Root is so incompetent. Three against one, and they can’t even handle it. Do they know how to fight?
Kakashi jumped out of the hole and saw Uchiha Kawasaki standing by the edge.
He immediately took a fighting stance, “Kawasaki-san, what are you doing here?!”
Even if he wanted to, Kawasaki didn’t plan to take Kakashi’s Sharingan directly.
“You two go find the Third Hokage. Danzo’s men are coming.”
Kawasaki didn’t answer Kakashi, but after saying that, he vanished in a flash.
“Kakashi-san! Are you alright?!”
Kai hurried to check Kakashi’s condition.
Kakashi staggered slightly, “I’m fine. How did Kawasaki end up here?”
Kai supported Kakashi, “This isn’t the place to stay. Let’s go find the Third Hokage and explain along the way.”