Naruto: Life as Kagami Uchiha (AU)

"!!!"

"An... an assassination of the Third Kazekage?!!"

Hatake Sakumo's breathing grew rapid.

His heartbeat became uncontrollably faster, yet he still lowered his voice, his expression filled with fear.

"Brother Kagami, are you insane?"

"That's the one known as the 'Strongest Kazekage.' Even Lord Ōnoki of Iwagakure has praised his Magnetic Release as practically unbeatable, saying only his Dust Release could contend with it. This is nothing short of suicide!"

"No, no, how is it suicide?"

Uchiha Kagami spoke persuasively. "Have you forgotten? I killed Chiyo without even unlocking my Mangekyō Sharingan. No matter how powerful the Third Kazekage is, do you really think he can withstand an ambush from the two of us? Your kenjutsu is formidable—it's more than enough to create an opening for me."

"And it's not impossible to trap him in my genjutsu. To be honest, once someone falls into this technique, death is certain! Even if Ōnoki himself were caught, he wouldn't survive. You know me—I would never act without confidence."

"But... what if we fail?"

"I have never cared about my own life, as long as I can protect Konoha. But if the Third Kazekage escapes, he will surely enrage the other villages. If the other Kage join the battlefield, the war will spiral out of control!"

Hatake Sakumo expressed his concern. "Brother Kagami, I want this war to end with Konoha's victory! But if we lose control of the situation, Konoha's defeat would leave many people displaced. This is too risky. I think we should return and discuss this with Lord Hokage before making a decision."

"We can't go back—the opportunity will be lost in an instant."

Uchiha Kagami spoke in a low voice. "If Sunagakure reacts, they will launch a counterattack first! Our village may withstand it, but how many young ninja will die in the process? Just like you, I want to protect Konoha."

"If our plan succeeds, Sunagakure will lose its 'Strongest Kazekage,' and defeat will be inevitable. The war has barely lasted a month, yet already one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages has fallen. The remaining four will be terrified, and the scales of victory will tilt toward Konoha."

"Sakumo, tell me... aren't you tempted by this chance?"

"I... I..."

Hatake Sakumo hesitated.

Of course, he was tempted—but he didn't want to go against the principles of a ninja.

After all, the Second Hokage had not given such an order. But Kagami was his savior—their bond was as close as brothers.

More than anything, he couldn't bear to watch his friend take this risk alone!

"Brother Kagami, I'll go with you!!"

"Good brother!!"

Uchiha Kagami smiled.

He wasn't surprised by Sakumo's decision.

Because Hatake Sakumo was a man of complex emotions—he could throw everything aside to complete a mission, yet he could also abandon a ninja's duty for the sake of a friend.

At the same time, he was prone to overthinking.

He could easily fall into emotional turmoil, leading to depression.

In the original timeline, he abandoned a mission to save his comrades, was condemned by Konoha's higher-ups, shunned by the villagers, and even scorned by the very comrades he saved.

Eventually, he took his own life to escape reality.

But this time, things were different. Even if the assassination plan failed, there would be no major consequences—after all, he had the Flying Thunder God Technique, making him nearly untouchable.

With Senju Tobirama in power and his own growing influence...

There would be no negative rumors spreading through the village. Not to mention, their battlefield achievements were undeniable, so the risk was actually minimal.

Low risk, high reward.

If they succeeded in killing the Third Kazekage, their prestige would soar.

Accumulating enough respect would massively boost their strength, achieving the goal of reaching the peak Kage level.

After that, they could use the war as an opportunity to take down Ōnoki, the Third Raikage, and others. As long as Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama remained absent...

There would be almost no one left in the shinobi world who could challenge them. Wouldn't that mean absolute freedom?

Just as the two were finalizing their assassination plan…

A significant number of Sunagakure ninja appeared. Upon seeing Chiyo's corpse, their faces twisted with fury.

"Ahhh! Lady Chiyo is dead?!"

"Damn Konoha shinobi, you've gone too far!!"

"Brothers, attack! Kill them both and avenge Lady Chiyo!"

"..."

Hatake Sakumo let out a cold snort.

Drawing White Fang, he charged forward.

His movements were swift and precise, making him almost impossible to track.

Squelch! Squelch!

The blade of White Fang shimmered like a flash of light.

Under the pouring night rain, it swiftly reaped the lives of his enemies.

Paired with Uchiha Kagami's Sharingan, the enemy vanguard suffered devastating losses. Before long, only one was intentionally left alive to escape.

The ground was littered with corpses—more than sixty in total.

As Sakumo collected the bodies, he frowned in confusion. "These Sunagakure ninja weren't strong. Why did they throw their lives away? Chiyo was already dead—did they really think they could defeat us?"

"Also, when I first raided their forward camp, the Sunagakure ninja fought like madmen. Some even tried to hug me while covered in explosive tags, completely unafraid of death. Brother Kagami, why do you think that is?"

"Because they have no choice."

"What do you mean?"

"Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Sunagakure's land is the most barren. Constant sandstorms make it difficult for their village to develop. Their military strength is the weakest among the five, which also makes them the least afraid of death."

"But if they're at the bottom, shouldn't they be more cautious?" Sakumo scratched his head.

"Let me ask you something: If Konoha hadn't declared war first, which village do you think would have started the war?"

"Kumogakure or Sunagakure? Kumogakure is a military powerhouse, and the Third Kazekage is a cunning leader—both could have made the first move."

"Wrong. It would have been Sunagakure."

"Why?"

"Because those with nothing to lose fear nothing."

Uchiha Kagami shook his head. "Sunagakure is too impoverished—so much so that they can barely train new ninja. This time… they didn't even have enough forces to send a proper vanguard to wear us down."

"They also lack enough elite jōnin to compete with the other villages. But precisely because they have nothing, they're willing to take risks and disrupt the balance of power. Even if they lose their vanguard, it doesn't matter. But if they win, it's a massive gain."

"The other villages have much stronger foundations, so they hesitate over potential losses."

"Then how can you be so sure the Third Kazekage will come?" Sakumo asked.

"Because Sunagakure can't afford to lose its key assets—like 'Centipede,' 'Venomous Snake,' or 'Ninja Flower.' The Third Kazekage would never expect you to kill two elite puppet masters, nor me to kill Lady Chiyo."

Uchiha Kagami's expression remained calm. "Such a loss could take Sunagakure decades to recover from. And as the 'Strongest Kazekage,' he must act. If he does nothing, his authority as Kage will be questioned."

"The one pushing him to act is none other than Chiyo's younger brother—Ebizō, a high-ranking elder of Sunagakure. Once the Third Kazekage learns that his enemy is waiting for him, even if he knows it's a trap, he has no choice but to walk into it."

"This is—an inescapable scheme."

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