Mirror Flower Water Moon

The atmosphere in the command room suddenly turned icy.

Orochimaru looked at Kagami Uchiha with a faint smile, his gaze gradually turning cold.

"Kagami-kun... it seems Jiraiya really never taught you any manners."

Sinister chakra fluctuations coiled through the air like a giant serpent.

Kakashi was the first to buckle under the pressure, his hand settling on his short blade.

Minato Namikaze looked from one side to the other, equally troubled.

He deeply respected Jiraiya's companion, but he also knew what this little Uchiha junior brother was like.

He was even harder to get along with than most Uchiha. Even when Jiraiya taught him, he showed no respect for his teacher whatsoever.

Of course... Jiraiya was partly to blame too.

After all, how could he dump the blame on two eight-year-old children after getting caught peeping?

A short blade slid from Kagami Uchiha's sleeve. Its snowy-bright edge flashed with a glint of light.

Time and space seemed to freeze.

"Let's go, Minato Senior Brother." Kagami Uchiha turned and left.

Minato Namikaze glanced back at the motionless Orochimaru and said with a wry smile, "Jiraiya-sensei clearly said you can't use that technique on companions, didn't he?"

"What kind of companion is he?" Kagami Uchiha strolled onward, saying flatly, "If I have to explain it, I sensed that he coveted my eyes just now."

"Not killing him was already out of respect for Jiraiya-sensei."

"Lord Orochimaru is a renowned powerhouse. He only fell for your technique because you're a companion and he let his guard down. Don't let that make you think..."

"I get it, you nagging blond senior brother."

Kakashi caught up and patted Minato Namikaze on the back. "Don't be so down. My nickname is White-Haired Dead Fish Eyes. Kagami is already being very gentle with you."

"Kakashi... you're the truly gentle one." Minato smiled bitterly and looked back.

Lord Orochimaru... should be able to break the genjutsu soon, right?

Inside the command room.

Orochimaru summoned a massive snake that coiled around Kagami Uchiha.

He had no intention of hurting Kagami Uchiha, but this arrogant brat still needed a lesson.

Only after that arrogant face had turned bright red, and Minato Namikaze began pleading for him, did Orochimaru release the snake's restraints.

"Kagami-kun, remember that next time, toward your elders..."

Suddenly, he sensed that something was wrong...

"Dismantle!"

After his vision blurred for a moment, the layout of the command room came back into view.

There was no one there.

Orochimaru's dark golden pupils constricted sharply, and a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead.

A genjutsu...

When did it happen?

Even if he's just a brat, I was prepared for genjutsu when I met the Sharingan's gaze.

I definitely wasn't caught in a genjutsu then, so...

It was when he drew his blade!

Orochimaru clearly remembered seeing that flash of blade light. Then he had moved to subdue Kagami Uchiha.

What terrifying ocular power...

What horrifying genjutsu...

Was he really only eight years old?

This was... too wonderful!

In the dark command room, a greedy serpent flicked its tongue.

"Hey, Kagami, what are the activation conditions for that technique of yours?" Kakashi leaned in and asked.

Kagami Uchiha impatiently bumped him aside. "Don't you know that ninja aren't supposed to casually pry into other people's techniques? That's a declaration of war."

Kakashi leaned closer again. "That's between ordinary ninja. We're fellow disciples, so what's wrong with telling me?"

Under the influence of Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze—and, in truth, Kagami Uchiha as well—Kakashi had emerged from the psychological shadow left by his father's departure.

But spending too much time around Jiraiya had also turned the lewdness he kept hidden into something openly displayed.

He had even started reading Make-Out Paradise already!

He was nothing like his father...

No, that wasn't right. Anyone capable of developing a technique like Thousand Years of Death couldn't possibly be a proper person.

The Hatake family was seriously shameless.

Minato Namikaze watched his two junior brothers fool around with a smile. "Kagami's technique should be cast through Sode no Shirayuki, right?"

"A genius concept—casting genjutsu through swordsmanship. Why not call it... Uchiha's Black Shadow Dark Moon Bloom Phantom Style: First Form!"

"Mirror Flower Water Moon."

Kagami Uchiha helplessly picked a name from his memories.

Inspired by Maruboshi Kosuke, he had developed this illusory sword technique.

Reflecting his ocular power through blade light was really just a small trick—using another medium to cast Sharingan genjutsu.

The reason he could control Orochimaru was because of Kagami Uchiha's powerful ocular power.

"Sigh, what an ordinary name. I still think Uchiha's Black—"

"Stop showing off your naming talent."

Kagami Uchiha helplessly rubbed his temples.

Minato Namikaze was perfect in every respect. Even from Kagami Uchiha's perspective, he was a great saint without a single flaw to pick at.

Not long after becoming Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze had taught the two of them the Rasengan.

After learning the details, Kagami Uchiha discovered that the name Rasengan had indeed not been chosen by Minato.

Given his tendencies, unless his brain had shrunk, there was no way a technique name of his would have fewer than ten characters.

This technique carried Minato's love for Kushina, so Kagami Uchiha had no interest in stealing the naming rights.

After pretending to practice for two days, he began asking Minato how to add nature transformation to the Rasengan.

He knew clearly that his talent was inferior to Minato's, and he couldn't cheat like Naruto. He had no idea how to develop the Fire Release: Rasengan.

Minato Namikaze truly had not given that question much thought.

Indeed, Naruto's Rasenshuriken was the Rasengan's ultimate form, but Minato had no need for it.

He knew Flying Thunder God. All he had to do was teleport in and slam a Rasengan into someone's face. Its power was enough.

But since it was Kagami Uchiha's request, he still spent considerable time further developing the technique. Recently, he had gained some ideas about adding attributes to the Rasengan.

"By the way, why did we come out here?" Kakashi suddenly said.

It seemed they had not received a clear mission. Orochimaru had only said there was a squad of Sand Ninja; he hadn't said how they were supposed to deal with them.

Minato Namikaze slapped his forehead. "Sorry! I'll go back and ask Lord Orochimaru."

"What's there to ask?"

"Isn't knowing where the enemy is enough?"

A glint of red flashed in Kagami Uchiha's eyes.

He had been looking forward to this war for a long time.

This would be the cruelest war in shinobi history, lasting nearly a decade.

Countless ninja would die, brewing endless pain, while the flames of war would temper true powerhouses.

In this war, Kagami Uchiha would completely change the Uchiha Clan's standing.

The Uchiha were the foremost great clan of the shinobi world.

Not Konoha's Uchiha!