IV

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Arc IV Chapter 8

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Armed with a proud smile of victory, Asami strolled towards her audience. She killed Orochimaru, which was not a small feat of arms. Applause. Applause. She deserved some recognition, didn't she?

Asami approached Kakashi. His bored, blank look and his mask made him difficult to read, He was always a hard nut to crack. Kakashi maintained his guard. He remained suspicious of her. 

A staring contest between them commenced, she against him. Who first blinked lost. Neither of them gave in.  Neither he, nor she backed down. The awkward silence continued. Meanwhile, Sasuke gradually regained his consciousness. A stubborn boy, wasn't he?

Asami cleared her throat, “Ahem, I think that some introductions are in order. It is a pleasure to meet you again after all these years, Kakashi, albeit under different circumstances.” They were both ninja of Konoha. No need to treat each other like enemies.

Kakashi's expression softened. A calm nod was his response. “I remember you, Asami. In fact, I remember you well. I have heard a lot about you. Some of my old ANBU friends told me about you, a certain black haired girl with a little princess complex. They call you the Black Princess of Konoha. I suspected that it was you. As it turns out, I was right. Now I see that the rumours are true, you have grown quite strong since the last time we met, although you seem to have retained your destructive tendencies.” He glanced at the number of destroyed pillars.

Asami took his compliment with humour. Of course, Kakashi knew her identiy. It was only natural. He was a former legendary ANBU Captain with plenty of contacts. No need to be surprised. “You hurt me, Kakashi, I am not that destructive. My methods merely tend to be overly effective.” 

Kakashi ignored her comment. “Overly effective ... That is a curious point of view. Anyway, what you are doing here? What is an ANBU doing at the chunin exams?” He wanted an explanation.

Asami tilted her head, smirking. “Well, you know best how things work in our line of business. Let's say, I stumbled across a suspicious looking person sneaking around the tower. I decided to follow him and investigate the person in question further. A good kunoichi wouldn't allow him to roam around without supervision.”

“...” Kakashi looked neither pleased, nor displeased. “I see ...”

“Anyway, I think that some thanks are in order, Kakashi. After all, I just saved your arse.” Asami grinned with a sense of superiority.

Kakashi disagreed, “Tsk, sure ... He would have left if you hadn't interfered. It was you who decided to pick a fight with him. You are the troublemaker here.”

Asami rolled her eyes. “How ungrateful ... So, you are telling me, Kakashi, that we should have allowed Orochimaru, a traitor and an arch enemy of Konoha, to escape? Truly an excellent idea, Kakashi. I think I did us all a service by dispatching him. Especially,”

“...” Kakashi remained reserved. “What are you trying to imply?”

Asami clicked her tongue. “Please, Kakashi, do not deny the obvious. Do you think me blind? I saw you. I saw the naked fear in your eyes the moment you faced Orochimaru. You were scared, Kakashi, weren't you?”

“...” Kakashi chose silence, his mood impossible to read.

“Not that it matters now that he is dead. I succeeded where you failed. Orochimaru is now a figure of the past.” Asami approached his corpse, snapping her fingers. Her beautiful fire, her brilliant purple flames, devoured Orochimaru's lifeless corpse. He was not needed any more. Her fire expanded, nourished by her chakra. The very air burned in an inferno of blazing heat. “Still, I must congratulate you, Kakashi. You have probably already heard it, haven't you?” 

“...” Kakashi narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

Oh, so you don't know ... How curious ... I guess, you should consider what I am about to tell you a small favour of mine, Kakashi.” Asami giggled. “It is the Hokage who carries Konoha's Will of Fire, but even the brightest flame is destined to dim. The years pass, and age strikes. Hiruzen is old. His health ... is declining. His constitution is not the best any more. The day is coming that someone else has to bear his burden. From what I have heard among the ANBU, this is why he intends to relinquish his power and designate another successor after the chunin exams.”

“...” Kakashi listened.

“As you might know, the next Hokage is traditionally chosen from among the village's strongest, most talented, and most experienced ninja. Tsunade is a candidate, yet she is unfortunately currently unavailable. Jiraiya is another possible choice, but considering his dubious reputation, his chances are minimal. The elders wouldn't support him. Especially, Lord Danzo. Danzo, however, is also out of the question, for obvious reasons. He lacks popular support. Ther clan heads would oppose his designation. That means that there only remains one last candidate, one last ninja, a ninja renowned across the lands for his skill and experience, a ninja hailed as the second coming of the White Fang ... It is you, Kakashi. I strongly suspect that he will designate you. Not that he has much of a choice. So, congratulations ...”

“...” Asami stopped, her fist clenched, her eyes focused on Orochimaru's supposed corpse. It was a corpse that wasn't. “It seems that our snake has a few tricks up his sleeve. How troublesome ...”  Orochimaru's hollow carcass crumbled to ash. The snake had shed his skin. He had escaped.

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