Malphegor
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Ch. 129: The Night of Genocide: Falling Deeper
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 16:03:41 +0000 UTCIn a dango shop, five young ninjas sat around a table, discussing recent events in the village.
"By the way, have you heard? The genius ninja from the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Shisui, was found dead, having apparently committed suicide. They even found a suicide note."
"Really? Shisui the Teleporter? Suicide? Is that true?" Iruka, who was sitting across the table, asked.
"Yeah, at least that's the news I heard."
"But Anko, how do you know about the Uchiha clan? These days, you rarely see any of them around the village."
Anko casually popped another dango in her mouth before answering. "Of course, recently Danzo-sama assigned me to monitor the movements of the Uchiha clan near their compound, so I know all about what's going on there."
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake.
Yugao, sitting on the other side of the table, quickly shot her a warning glance. "Senpai, isn't this something you shouldn't be talking about?"
Anko, after being reminded by her, tapped her head and flashed a playful expression, "Oops, I forgot."
In her carefree manner, she swung her hand and accidentally hit Kagami, who was sitting beside her.
She quickly turned around and apologized, gently patting his head like an older sister, "Sorry, Kagami-kun, did I hurt you?"
"N-No, not at all..." he tried to look flustered. This closeness... it's suffocating. When did I start feeling so detached from everyone?
"Anko, aren't you sitting a bit too close to Kagami?" Iruka said as he took a sip of his tea.
After his comment, the others at the table finally realized that while Anko and Kagami had originally sat on opposite sides of the bench, somehow, their bodies were now almost pressed together.
Looking closer, Kagami was still sitting where he had been at the start. It was Anko who had moved closer to him.
"No, I'm not! I didn't!"
"You're acting a bit suspicious. You're not interested in Kagami, are you?" Iruka teased, pressing further, but Anko quickly brushed him off.
"It's not like that at all! There are only four seats at this table, and since there are five of us, we have to make do."
Anko quickly scooted back to the other side of the bench, blushing, though secretly she was delighted.
I touched Kagami's hair just now! Awesome! She fought to keep a grin off her face.
Seeing Anko move away, Kagami let out a quiet sigh of relief. When she had moved closer earlier, her legs had been brushing against his legs under the table, intentionally or not.
He wasn't sure if it was Anko's own idea or some subconscious move influenced by Shoggoth, but it made him quite uncomfortable.
Sitting on the same side of the table was Kagami's older brother, Hayate. He had observed Anko's behavior.
Anko-senpai interested in Kagami? She's seven years older... No, it couldn't be. Could it? Hayate's eyes darted between his younger brother and Anko, trying to make sense of the interaction he'd just witnessed.
The atmosphere at the table grew a bit awkward, so Yugao quickly tried to change the subject, "If only we could still hang out with Itachi."
"Itachi and Shisui were good friends. Now that Shisui is dead, Itachi must be really sad. Maybe we could comfort him, right, Kagami?"
"Yeah, I can't imagine how he's coping with this loss," Kagami nodded.
"That's right, Yugao, you and Kagami were Itachi's teammates back when you were genin, right?"
"Yes, but ever since the three of us became chunin, we haven't been in contact much."
Iruka was genuinely curious. "You three were quite the team back then. What happened?"
Yugao sighed, her fingers tracing the rim of her tea cup. "Life happened. We all went our separate ways after becoming chunin."
"Oh."
The five continued chatting, but eventually, the conversation died down. They split the bill for the afternoon tea and went their separate ways.
---
Walking down the road, Kagami reflected on everything that had happened over the years and accidentally bumped into someone.
As a result, a book fell to the ground.
"I'm sorry," he said as he retrieved it, finding himself face-to-face with a man in dark clothing.
"Ah, thank you," the man said. "One must be careful with such... potent knowledge."
Kagami's eyes flicked to the book's cover - no title, just a strange symbol.
"Interesting design," he remarked, handing it back.
"Oh yes. Some might say it holds the key to... enlightening rituals."
For a split second, Kagami thought he saw the man's skin darken. Then everything was normal.
"I'm sorry again. Enjoy your reading," Kagami said, moving on.
These glimpses into what might be parallel worlds had been occurring more frequently. A side effect of his developing abilities, perhaps? The price of touching Cthugha's power?
A pregnant woman passed by, her swollen belly brushing against him. For an instant, he saw something else - a grotesquely bloated figure, skin stretching impossibly. He shook his head, and the vision faded.
Another movement above him caught his eye. A cat leapt from a low wall to a rooftop. It was a perfectly ordinary action, except for the brief moment when he could have sworn he saw wings unfurl to assist the jump.
Below, a cluster of cats turned to watch him pass. Their eyes - all nine of them on each feline face - blinked in strange synchronicity.
He kept walking, his pace unhurried. These visions were curious, but not frightening. If anything, they hinted at layers of reality he was only beginning to perceive.
An old man dozed on a bench ahead. As Kagami neared, the man's skin seemed to ripple and vanish, revealing raw muscle and sinew beneath. A group of children ran past, and when Kagami looked again, the old man was whole.
Fascinating.
A street vendor shouted nearby. "Relics from distant lands! Secrets of the ancients!"
Kagami paused. The vendor's face flickered, briefly taking on angular features and darker skin. A weird headdress glimmered gold before fading away.
"See anything that interests you, young man?" the vendor asked.
"Perhaps. What would you recommend for someone looking to... expand their horizons?" Kagami smiled.
The vendor chuckled. "Oh, I have just the thing. But be warned - some knowledge comes at a price."
Are these visions random? No, my instinct is warning me. Something is coming to Konoha. And now, with Shisui's death, it could be soon.
Ever since Danzo had come to power, he had longed to use his thread vision again. This special ability allowed him to see and touch what he called Threads of Destiny—invisible strands connected to a network spanning the entire Dreamland.
Without Atlach-Nacha summoning him to the Dreamland, he couldn't enter it with his current abilities. It was not possible to even touch one of these threads.
If only I was in the Dreamland...
However, he could sometimes glimpse some threads while using his spider vision. These glimpses were not specific and mostly random. They still provided some information, though, and one of them had shown him that Danzo wasn't supposed to be the Hokage at all.
That murky green thread... It reeks of paranoia and irrational fear. Danzo's path is tainted, Kagami recalled, thinking of the thread color he had seen and the pain that followed its use. At least his eye color stayed the same when using the ability. And luckily, no one had seen his eyes bleeding when he couldn't hold back the pain any longer.
Since completing the chunin exams alongside Yugao and Itachi, the three of them had gone their separate ways. Itachi had joined Root under Danzo, while Yugao had entered the ANBU and was currently an apprentice under Kakashi's ANBU team.
As for Kagami, he remained a regular chunin, ready to provide support to other ninja teams.
Danzo had once tried to recruit him into Root as well, but he politely declined. The memory of that conversation still made him uneasy.
---
"Kagami, your skills would be valuable in Root. Join us," Danzo had said, his visible eye scrutinizing Kagami intently.
Kagami had bowed respectfully, hoping he had shown the right amount of nervousness. "I appreciate the offer, Danzo-sama, but I believe I can serve Konoha best as I am."
After using his colored vision, he could verify Danzo's thread color, and it was not pleasant, to say the least.
Knowing this, he had one more reason to avoid being near him.
After all, working under Danzo meant the risk of having his memories inspected, and for someone like Kagami, who harbored so many secrets, that was far too dangerous.
---
Three years had passed, and Kagami felt he was now capable of handling smaller storms. Then, news of Shisui's death arrived.
He focused, attempting to use his spider vision on a spider in the Uchiha compound to glimpse the threads surrounding this event. As he concentrated, the colors began to take shape.
The threads are turning a dark, smoldering red. Anger is building within the clan.
Navy blue threads of the village's trust clashing with the clan's dark red rage.
Deep maroon threads mixing with steel gray... Ah, the clan's anger is hardening. They're planning something big.
He understood what this meant: the Uchiha clan had begun to plan a coup d'état, and the upper echelons of Konoha were preparing to respond.
He deactivated his vision as pain began to throb behind his eyes. As he walked, lost in thought, a shadow caught his attention. Looking up, he saw Itachi jumping from roof to roof, heading towards the Hokage building.
He activated his colored vision again, this time focusing directly on Itachi. His thread... It's a mix of royal purple and charcoal gray. Pride and shame.
Seeing Itachi's destination, he swiftly located a spider in the Hokage's office. Despite the growing pain, he pushed through, activating his colored vision once more.
He began to see how the threads were connecting. Danzo's sickly green threading through Itachi's conflicted colors. He's using him.
Interesting... The colors are shifting towards a deep, violent red tinged with indigo. Bloodshed? This won't end well.
I see it coming, but what can I do? Warning the clan could make things worse, but staying silent... Only Hayate truly matters now.
If Itachi really does turn on the clan... No, when Itachi does it, it could be an opportunity for Spidey. All those souls, suddenly without bodies. Ripe for the taking. It's not so different from the natural cycle, is it? Bodies nourish the earth, so why shouldn't souls nourish Spidey?
No killing. Just... making use of an unfortunate situation.
With that many souls, Spidey might evolve again. And with that power, we'd be better equipped to protect Hayate.
That's what matters most, right?
Hm... When did I start thinking this way?
It doesn't matter. All I do is for survival.
---
Inside a secret chamber of the Hokage's office, Koharu, Hiruzen, Danzo, and Homura sat upright behind a long table. Before them knelt Itachi on one knee, his posture rigid with respect.
"I have confirmed that the Uchiha clan is planning a coup d'état," Itachi reported, relaying the information he had just gathered at the Uchiha clan meeting to the four high-ranking officials of Konoha.
"It has come to this?" Hiruzen sighed regretfully, as if lamenting the Uchiha clan's fate within Konoha. Like the conflict between the First Hokage and Madara years ago, it seemed the Uchiha were cursed to never fully integrate into Konoha like the other ninja clans and live in peace.
History repeats itself.
On the other hand, Danzo's expression remained unchanged. "There's no time to waste. We must act before they cause trouble," he calmly said.
"The Uchiha were once our comrades, and they have contributed greatly to Konoha. I believe we should attempt to resolve this through dialogue. If possible, I will find a solution," Hiruzen glanced at Danzo, seemingly seeking his approval.
Danzo didn't respond immediately. After a brief silence, he finally spoke, "As the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, I cannot allow any instability to remain within the village."
"Therefore, I've decided to strike first and eliminate the Uchiha clan before their coup d'état begins."
The word eliminate stunned the other three elders and shocked Itachi.
To Itachi, the words eliminate and Uchiha sounded harshly in his ears. Yet, despite the turmoil in his heart, his face remained expressionless.
"To protect the village, we must quell this chaos before it spreads. Itachi, as a double agent of the Uchiha and Konoha, where do you stand?"
"Will you stand with your clan, and be destroyed with your family and kin? Or will you choose Konoha, and spare your beloved younger brother's life before the coup d'état? Make your choice, Itachi."
"Choose wisely."
Shocked by Danzo's ruthlessness, Hiruzen and the other two elders remained silent, leaving the chamber in complete silence as everyone awaited Itachi's decision.
The village? Or the clan? Forgive me, Father, Mother... Sasuke.
"The village." Itachi whispered.
"What?" Danzo asked again, seeking confirmation despite hearing his soft response.
"I choose the village. I accept the mission. I will eliminate…"
"The Uchiha."
Upon hearing this, Danzo nodded slightly, while Hiruzen silently exhaled a sigh of relief.
Why did I feel relieved? Did I truly support Danzo's plan all along? Then why did I speak such hypocritical words earlier? Is the… Am I that weak?
Putting aside Hiruzen's inner turmoil, Danzo began to set the plan in motion.
"Three days from now."
"On the night of the third day, Itachi, you will carry out the plan to exterminate the Uchiha clan."
"You will not receive any missions for the next three days. Prepare yourself. By the morning of the fourth day, I expect a report from Root confirming the Uchiha's annihilation."
"That's all."
Itachi vanished from the chamber, the wind from his departure stirring a spiderweb in the corner.
---
Meanwhile, a figure lying at home withdrew their spider's sight and slowly sat up from a tatami mat. This was Kagami, and now he had confirmed the exact timing of the Uchiha massacre: three nights from now.
No matter the circumstances, as long as those four individuals remained in charge, the Uchiha clan's fate would not change. Just as he had predicted.
Such is the world of shinobi.
He never intended to change anything. After all, planning a coup d'état carries inherent risks. The Uchiha's downfall wasn't entirely unjust.
As for the innocent Uchiha civilians who were not ninjas but would still be slaughtered, there was only one thing to say: "It's not my fault, it's the world's."
If there's a second statement, it's this: "All unfavorable situations in life arise from one's own lack of ability."
Regarding Itachi's choice, he had nothing to say. He had never tried to influence Itachi's decisions. If Itachi willingly wanted to reduce Konoha's carbon footprint, who was Kagami to object?
Am I a monster for standing by? Or merely a realist in a cruel world? He pondered, his thoughts as cold and detached as his expression.
In fact, the Uchiha clan's demise would benefit him. After all, if the Uchiha truly rebelled, it would inevitably cause turmoil in Konoha. Whether he had the power to survive such chaos or not, he had no reason to make things harder for himself.
If he were a member of the Uchiha clan, he would do everything possible to avoid such a fate. But, unfortunately, he wasn't.
From the ashes of the Uchiha, new opportunities will arise. The dead have no use for their resources. Why shouldn't I profit? Kagami already considered how to position himself in the aftermath of the massacre.
In the shinobi world, morality is a luxury only the strong can afford.
And I am not strong.
