"Kagami-sama, you're back."
The ninja in the camp bowed respectfully. After years of war, he had been promoted to deputy commander of the Northern Front.
This temporary wartime position was given to him because his reputation was so great that the higher-ups had no choice but to grant it to him.
Furthermore, the people under his command were all from the Ninja Clan like the Ino-Shika-Cho and Inuzuka Clan, while his own clansmen were assigned to the Eastern Front.
About half a year ago, Kirigakure officially joined the war, wanting to take a bite out of Konoha.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen also began to gain fame, becoming a special force that struck fear into the hearts of many.
Konoha is fighting on four fronts, with the situation in the north and west being the most difficult.
Iwagakure and Kumogakure are very strong. Even disregarding the difference in the number of top-tier experts, the combined military strength of the two villages is no weaker than that of Konoha.
This led Danzo to repeatedly berate Kagami Uchiha at the Konoha Four Gods Conference for disregarding the bigger picture and killing the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.
It's just that Kagami Uchiha couldn't hear it, otherwise that old man would have died long ago.
Danzo was already hiding and rarely seen, but ever since Kagami Uchiha became famous, he couldn't find Danzo even after sending people to look for him.
They're like rats in the gutter, utterly disgusting.
Just as Jing returned to her tent and sat down, she heard a series of hurried footsteps outside.
"Kagami-sama, Lord Jiraiya requests your immediate presence; there is an extremely urgent matter!"
Has the Kumogakure attacked?
When Kagami Uchiha opened the Commander-in-Chief tent, a suffocating atmosphere filled the air.
His gaze swept over the people inside the tent: Jiraiya, Uchiha Fugaku, Rin Nohara, Kakashi.
Kakashi stood there motionless, his expression mirroring that of his father back then.
Glancing at Fugaku, Kagami Uchiha bluntly asked, "Why are you here?"
"Let's talk about that later."
Jiraiya's expression darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Kagami... Obito has sacrificed himself..."
Kagami Uchiha's expression remained unchanged; he had noticed this even before he saw Obito when he came in.
Upon closer inspection, Kakashi's eyes were found to be intact, but a large area of his chest was covered with gauze.
It seems that Obito's giving Kakashi his eyes in the original timeline was just a coincidence, and not a scheme by Uchiha Madara.
Jing would find it strange if things really developed the same way as before.
He stepped forward and faced Kakashi.
His eyes were filled with deathly stillness as he slowly raised his head.
"Kagami... Obito is dead..."
"I understand, no need to repeat myself."
Kagami Uchiha looked at Kakashi indifferently. "So?"
Kakashi remained silent for a long time before finally managing to utter a word from his hoarse voice.
"Where did you go...? Minato Senior Brother didn't answer me either..."
"I almost... I almost saved him!"
Tears streamed down Kakashi's mask, dripping onto the ground.
Before this, he had remained silent and had not eaten or drunk anything for several days.
It was only when he saw the mirror that he truly broke down emotionally.
Smack!
A loud slap rang out inside the tent, and Kakashi fell to the ground.
"Mirror! What are you doing!"
Kagami Uchiha ignored Jiraiya, placing one foot on Kakashi's chest, his condescending gaze extremely indifferent.
"Do you think Minato and I have to revolve around you?"
Do you think you deserve our continued protection?
"My cultivation is always about the same in ordinary times, but when it really matters, I always fall short by just a little bit!"
Kagami Uchiha leaned down, grabbed Kakashi by the collar, and their eyes were very close together.
"Always thinking about relying on others, if only I were here, if only Minato were here..."
"Why should I?"
"Giving up on any partner mission doesn't make you a waste of time."
"A guy like you who gives up on himself is the real trash!"
Kagami Uchiha pointed outside with one finger and said coldly, "This is war, a war of life and death. Perhaps while I'm talking to you, some Konoha ninja will die."
"Obito is nothing special, neither are you, and even me."
"Go cry somewhere else, I have no interest in listening to your complaints."
Bang!
Kagami Uchiha kicked Kakashi away, Rin Nohara quickly followed.
"Mirror... your method of motivation is too extreme."
Jiraiya sighed; he felt bad that his disciple had encountered such a thing.
But he was even more unwilling to see Kakashi fall into depravity, so he did not stop Kagami Uchiha.
Kagami Uchiha turned to look at him and said calmly, "You've misunderstood. This isn't some kind of stimulation therapy; I just wanted to scold him."
I'll just assume you have a sharp tongue but a soft heart...
To put it bluntly, if Obito hadn't been Kakashi's best friend, Jiraiya wouldn't have cared about the life or death of such a lowly ninja.
After exchanging a few words, he turned the conversation to Uchiha Fugaku.
"During the time you were away from the battlefield, Kumogakure launched several attacks. There haven't been any major battles on the Iwagakure battlefield recently, so Fugaku came to fill your vacancy."
Kagami Uchiha raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Oh~ then I guess the current deputy commander is also the head of the Fugaku, right?"
Fugaku's expressionless face remained blank as he calmly stated, "This is the Hokage's order."
"Jing, you've worked hard these past few years. You can go back and rest for a while."
Kagami Uchiha narrowed his eyes, his smile widening.
"Don't overthink it. The old man really wants you to rest for a while before coming back."
"Minato and Kushina are still on vacation. Since you had something to do before, you probably haven't had a break since you got back."
Jiraiya patted Kagami Uchiha on the shoulder and forced a smile, saying, "You're still young, so be a little more lenient with yourself. Training also requires a balance of intensity and relaxation."
"I'll handle it myself, Jiraiya... teacher."
Kagami Uchiha turned and walked out, glancing back at Fugaku and saying with a faint smile, "Clan Chief Fugaku, come on, I have something to tell you."
"I also have something I want to talk to you about."
Fugaku followed.
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Jiraiya had a vague sense of unease.
But...
This is an internal matter of the Uchiha clan, and he shouldn't interfere too much.
Jiraiya understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts, but from his perspective, he did want Kagami Uchiha to stay away from the battlefield for a while longer.
Jing is still so young; it's not a good thing for her to be exposed to the battlefield for so long at such a young age.
Even if Kagami has a strong will, it's hard to guarantee that he won't encounter setbacks like Kakashi's.
After all... even Tsunade...
——
Kagami Uchiha walked a long way, and the camp was almost out of sight.
Fugaku said nothing and silently followed behind.
Turning around in front of a large tree, Kagami Uchiha looked at Fugaku with a light smile.
"Having already obtained the power of the Mangekyo, why did they still choose Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Fugaku's expression changed, but he quickly calmed down.
"Mirror, your eye power is indeed very strong, you sensed it..."
Fugaku's eyes revealed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, which slowly rotated and connected to form the shape of a three-edged shuriken.
"This curse-like power, if I could, I wouldn't want you to awaken it..."
"Mirror, I see the future... If the Uchiha Clan rebels by force, it will not end well."
"Let's compromise, at least until the Uchiha have enough power."
Kagami Uchiha crossed his arms, showing no surprise at Fugaku's Mangekyo, and gave a mocking smile.
"It's just a future you've speculated about based on your shallow understanding."
"The future is unpredictable, all I know is..."
"The future of the Uchiha is in my hands."
"Alright, Fugaku."
Kagami Uchiha stretched out a hand and beckoned.
"Charge forward with all your might, don't die too easily."