Naruto: Assistant to the Hokage

When someone is truly hurting, it shows.

As Akihara Kagura recounted his story, his demeanor exuded profound sadness.

At that moment, the boy didn't appear driven by jealousy or hatred. Instead, he simply looked like an abandoned child yearning for acknowledgment.

"…"

Kabuto Yakushi fell silent.

He had always thought his life was harsh.

In the past, Kabuto had willingly sacrificed his own freedom to secure funding for the orphanage, sparing Yakushi Nonō from making difficult decisions. He chose to join the Root organization as a covert ninja, a perilous life where death lurked at every corner.

But compared to Akihara Kagura...

Kabuto began to see himself as oddly fortunate.

His sacrifices felt worthwhile—Nonō had always cared for him deeply. This unrelenting concern had even sparked jealousy in another person, someone who shared a fate similar to his own.

"I... didn't know."

Kabuto lowered his head slightly, his expression tinged with uncertainty. "All these years, I've never received any news from the director. I haven't seen her once…"

After a pause, Kabuto hesitated and said softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't know any of this."

It was like a moment of pity from someone in a position of privilege.

Kabuto never considered himself privileged.

Yet standing before this boy, forgotten by Nonō and the world, Kabuto felt like someone undeservedly holding onto a precious treasure. The boy, on the other hand, was left struggling in vain.

This left Kabuto feeling like a thief…

Right now, guilt tugged at his heart.

Though Kabuto hadn't wronged Akihara Kagura directly, he couldn't ignore the pang of remorse for the care he'd received—the care denied to the boy before him.

Despite this guilt…

Kabuto couldn't deny that he also felt happy.

But happiness can be fleeting. Protecting it often demands a steep price.

"You know nothing," Kagura said, his tone laced with disdain as he offered Kabuto a pity smile. "And, as it happens, Yakushi Nonō knows nothing either."

"What?"

Kabuto's mind went blank as he instinctively asked, "What do you mean? What does it mean that the director knows nothing?"

"Kabuto."

Kagura's question hit like a dagger: "When you joined the Root, you were younger than I am now…"

"You've been here for over four years. You're about thirteen or fourteen now, right? We grow quickly at this age. Our appearances change, too. Didn't you just say how long it's been since you've seen Yakushi Nonō?"

"Since I joined the Root…"

A sinking realization dawned upon Kabuto as a chilling thought crept into his mind.

"Then…" Kagura continued, his voice calm yet piercing. "Can you guess how Nonō tried to see you all these years?"

"Photos!"

Kabuto's expression turned icy, his teeth clenched as he forced out the answer. "She must have requested photos of me growing up. But you gave her fake ones…"

Kabuto's sharp intellect quickly connected the dots. He recalled Kagura's earlier mention of photographs during their conversation at Training Ground Nine.

In an instant, Kabuto realized he and Nonō had fallen victim to a cruel conspiracy. A single falsified photo was enough to twist their bond.

"Smart, very smart!" Kagura praised with mock admiration before correcting him. "But you're wrong about one thing. I didn't give her fake photos—Lord Danzo did. I'm just a child. What power do I have in the Root?"

"That's not entirely true…"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, a bitter smile forming. "Everyone in the Root fears you, which means Lord Danzo holds you in high regard. Anything you want to do, he won't oppose."

"Your jealousy over the director's care would've been reason enough for Lord Danzo to swap my photos with fakes. That's not surprising…"

"Ha…"

Kagura let out a short sigh and, rather than deny it, continued, "Well, one thing is true: Yakushi Nonō does care about you. She's been requesting updates about you, wanting assurance that you're safe and well…"

"Honestly…"

"She keeps worrying about you…"

"But she's never asked about me."

"To ensure Nonō kept providing intelligence to the Root, Lord Danzo gradually replaced your photos with fakes. The Nonō she became attached to—the one she saw—was a fabrication. She doesn't even know what you look like anymore."

"If it had ended there, perhaps it would've been fine—a fake image would suffice to keep her loyalty intact…"

"But…"

Kagura's tone darkened.

"The real you wouldn't die."

"Time and again, Lord Danzo sent you on dangerous missions, hoping you'd perish in the line of duty. But you always returned alive."

"What resilience…"

"You completed every mission flawlessly…"

"You even earned Lord Danzo's approval. He began seeing you as an indispensable agent for the Root, but then faced a dilemma."

"If you stayed in the Root, it would only be a matter of time before you and Nonō crossed paths, unraveling his lies."

As Kagura finished his sentence, he added grimly, "It's no surprise, really. Lies always come to light eventually."

"But…"

"Lord Danzo never makes mistakes."

"So he'll always fix his errors."

"Which means…"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses again, his voice low and firm. "You don't want me alive to meet the director. Or you don't want the director alive to meet me."

"Exactly what Lord Danzo thought at first."

Kagura crossed his arms, a sigh escaping his lips. "But then something unexpected happened… Yakushi Nonō proposed a deal to Lord Danzo. She offered to do anything he asked—if only he would let you leave the Root and regain your freedom."

"Kabuto…"

"I'm even more jealous of you now."

"Why didn't she ever try to save me?"

"Why didn't she think of rescuing me when I was sent here to be experimented on, to be used as a disposable tool?"

"When I was suffering in silence…"

"Why didn't she care about me?"

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one more chapter later ;)