Chapter 4 - 4: Who Killed Kagami?

"Kazuki, you're back?" "Yesterday, the teacher said you took leave because something happened at home. Did something happen?" The next day, when Kazuki returned to the classroom, a classmate curiously inquired. Although he was an Uchiha, Kazuki was different from those arrogant Uchiha. As a successor of the Will of Fire, Kazuki's usual performance was impeccable. He wasn't like other Uchiha who held their heads high and looked down on others. Whether it was with children from other clans or civilian students, Kazuki could get along with them, and if someone came to ask Kazuki about training, he would patiently teach them. Of course, Kazuki couldn't reveal clan Ninjutsu. On one hand, the clan would never allow it, and on the other hand, the village wouldn't approve. The village still needed to use Ninjutsu to control civilian Ninja. If they didn't show kindness, how would they remember the Hokage's good deeds? This was also a means of winning over people's hearts. Kazuki could get along with his classmates, but he couldn't do the Hokage's job. Upon learning that something had happened to Kazuki's family, his classmates came to express their concern for Kazuki. The civilian students didn't know the exact situation at first, but the children of the ninja clans knew the crucial details. Kagami, a top-ranked Konoha Ninja, had sacrificed himself. Would Kazuki truly not be affected? "Don't worry, I'm fine now." Kazuki waved his hand indifferently, feeling the worried emotions of the surrounding classmates. He smiled and said, "My father sacrificed himself to protect the village and his comrades. He never regretted it. I will inherit his will and carry on the Will of Fire. Everyone, rest assured, I will not wallow in grief!" Kazuki's words touched everyone, especially the young blond boy sitting in front of him, who looked at Kazuki with a hint of something different in his eyes—a touch of knowing, or perhaps a hint of shared ideals. Indeed, Kazuki, like himself, was a man who had grasped the Will of Fire! However, what they didn't know was that at this moment, inside the Hokage Office, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hokage Advisor Danzo , and Elders Homura and Koharu were watching this scene through a crystal ball. "It seems this child, Kazuki, has very well inherited Kagami's Will of Fire." Koharu, for some unknown reason, looked at Kazuki's image with a strange expression, and only after a long time did she sigh with emotion. Homura glanced at Koharu, and then said, "However, it's a bit strange that he got over Kagami's death so quickly." "There's nothing strange about it. You can't say that Kazuki doesn't value emotions, can you?" "If he didn't care about Kagami, and was a cold-hearted child, he wouldn't have awakened his Sharingan." "Don't forget Tobirama-sensei's research on the Sharingan." Koharu frowned, but still spoke up for Kazuki. Homura looked at Danzo beside him. Danzo was staring at Kazuki's figure, his gaze incredibly profound, but he didn't say much, and just remained silent. "Ahem!" At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen had to speak. "Alright, there's no doubt that Kazuki is the successor of Kagami and the Will of Fire." "Our main focus this time is that Uzumaki girl." "As for Kazuki, we just need to observe if awakening the Sharingan has had any negative effects on him." "Moreover, even the Sharingan may not pose any harm to Konoha." "Don't forget, even when Kagami awakened that legendary eye, he still loved Konoha, and ultimately sacrificed his life for Konoha." After saying this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze swept over Danzo again. There were some things he ultimately didn't say, but a hint of suspicion arose in his heart. On that mission, Danzo and Kagami had gone together, accompanied by many Root members. In the end, Kagami told Danzo to bring Kushina back, while he himself covered their retreat. Everything seemed reasonable, and even Kushina could testify for Danzo. In order to retrieve Kagami's body, Root almost suffered complete annihilation, but the Mangekyo Sharingan was nowhere to be found. But Sarutobi Hiruzen, as Danzo's friend, was the one who understood Danzo best. He remained suspicious of Danzo. However, what concerned him even more was that, based on Kagami's corpse, his final fatal injury came from an incredibly powerful Fire Release, which made him inevitably suspect the Uchiha clan. Currently, in the Ninja World, when it came to Fire Release intensity, Sarutobi Hiruzen could definitely rank among the top three, but he was more skilled at using Five Element Ninjutsu. Besides that, there was Kagami himself, and other members of the Uchiha clan. This made Sarutobi Hiruzen deeply distrustful of the Uchiha clan, especially the main family line. Kagami was his classmate and a bridge of communication between the Uchiha clan and Konoha. Sarutobi Hiruzen was willing to trust Kagami. Although he wouldn't give Kagami much power, when it came to dealing with the Uchiha clan, he was willing to provide one hundred percent support. As long as Kagami was there, the Uchiha clan would not pose a great threat. He had high hopes for Kazuki, but Kazuki was still too young. It was because of this thought that even if Danzo might have taken Kagami's eyes, he did not pursue it. It was better for Danzo to take them than for the Uchiha clan to take them. If Kagami's eyes were still there, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't know how to handle them. "Monkey is right. Kazuki is, after all, Kagami's son. In the future, we will need his strength to appease the Uchiha, so we need to give him some help." Koharu's words left Homura speechless. If he were to voice any opposition at this moment, it would seem heartless. Regardless of the relationships between these people, at the end of the day, they were comrades who could entrust their backs to each other. Kagami had also saved his life more than once. "Why not entrust him to me? I guarantee I will train him to be Konoha's strongest Ninja!" Danzo, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, "This is also the best for him. Within the Root, he will receive the best resources and training, and he won't have to worry about the Uchiha clan harming him."