Win or Not Win

Chapter 12: Win or Not Win

After Kagami's explanation, Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances. Itachi struggled to suppress a laugh, while Shisui burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahahaha, what is it, Kagami? You think that was my signal? Hahahaha."

Kagami realized something was off. For the past six months, he had been constantly learning from Shisui, who was in the Anbu. Consequently, Kagami had inevitably been exposed to many Anbu-related matters. Over time, when he heard anything strange, he subconsciously tended to overlook the surface meaning and delve into deeper implications.

Now that he thought about it, did Ino genuinely just want to see him?

Kagami was a transmigrator, after all. Although he hadn't reacted immediately due to spending so much time with an Anbu member, he now understood the reason behind it.

He curled his lip and said dismissively.

"At such a young age, learning something like this."

As a man of unwavering principles, Kagami was quite qualified.

Shisui looked at Kagami teasingly.

"Little Kagami, are you interested?"

Kagami's face flushed slightly. He didn't want to discuss this topic.

After a good deal of teasing, Shisui let Kagami off the hook and changed the subject.

"By the way, Kagami, since you came out looking for me by chance, I might as well tell you something. I was planning to tell you after school today, but since you're here now, I'll tell you first. Do you know about a genius senior in your Ninja Academy?"

The Ninja Academy had six years, and over such a long period, there were naturally divisions between seniors and juniors.

As for the most famous genius among the seniors currently studying, it should be…

Kagami asked uncertainly.

"Neji Hyuga?"

Shisui nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, him. I received intel from the Anbu that Neji Hyuga will challenge you tomorrow."

"Huh? Why?"

Shisui countered.

"Can't you tell? The conflict between the Uchiha and the village is growing larger, and at this time…"

Shisui stopped here, looking at Kagami, signaling him to continue.

Kagami did not disappoint Shisui. Over the past six months, he had been following Shisui. Although he had become increasingly naive in matters of [romance], Kagami had gained a very clear understanding of the overall situation and political landscape.

"And at this time, the Uchiha happen to have a genius like me, comparable to the elder brother Itachi of the past. Could it be that the village higher-ups are worried I might become the next Itachi, a potential major support for the Uchiha in the near future? So, they're having the Hyuga genius gauge my strength."

Itachi looked at Kagami in surprise.

"You saw through it at a glance? As expected of someone Shisui favors."

Shisui, however, was already accustomed to Kagami's perception, which rivaled Itachi's. He continued.

"You're right, but what I want to ask you most is, in this situation, what do you plan to do? Do you want to win, or not win? No, before that, I need to ask you, can you win? Are you confident you can win?"

Kagami chuckled lightly.

"The characteristic of a genius is usually confidence. The trait of an Uchiha is also confidence. And I possess both, so naturally, I am confident I can win that fight, but…"

Shisui smiled and asked as if testing him.

"Yes, that's the crux of the issue. You are confident you can win, but whether to win or not is a choice. How will you choose?"

This was a test, a test Shisui was giving Kagami.

If Kagami won the battle tomorrow, he would likely attract significant attention from the Konoha higher-ups. Over time, if the Konoha higher-ups discovered that Kagami was a staunch supporter of the Uchiha, especially being a genius, it was possible that some individuals in the shadows might target him, causing this genius to be nipped in the bud!

Conversely, if he deliberately lost the battle tomorrow, the Konoha higher-ups would only see him as an Uchiha clansman of little consequence, and their attention towards him would likely decrease. The advantage of doing so would be to conceal his abilities and remain very safe.

Considering this, it seemed losing was the better option.

However…

"Tomorrow, I will win!"

Kagami declared firmly.

The Night of the Uchiha Clan Extermination had already begun its countdown, and every second was rapidly approaching Kagami. In this situation, it was like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall back.

At such a time, one shouldn't consider safety but should rush towards the destination at all costs!

Winning would undoubtedly put Kagami in a precarious position, with potential life-threatening danger at any moment. But in return, winning would prove that Kagami was an absolute genius, greatly increasing the possibility of early graduation.

Becoming a genin and a ninja ahead of schedule was undoubtedly the best way to increase his strength.

As for whether certain individuals would target him for his allegiance to the Uchiha, Kagami thought about it. That old man with one eye covering his face might indeed do something like that. However, Kagami's current predicament was having Itachi and Obito ahead of him, and Danzō behind him.

If Kagami chose to endure, he would indeed avoid Danzō's attention. But in doing so, his strength growth rate would be far slower than becoming a ninja. In the future, he might evade Danzō, but he wouldn't be able to evade the Night of the Uchiha Clan Extermination by Obito and Itachi.

Kagami pondered. Compared to Obito and Itachi, he felt that the old scoundrel Danzō was easier to deal with. Therefore, he just needed to seize every opportunity to improve his strength. If he couldn't even evade assassination attempts by Danzō's subordinates, how could he evade the Uchiha clan extermination blade of Obito and Itachi?

Itachi frowned, looking at Kagami.

"Are you in a hurry?"

Kagami's eagerness to improve his strength indicated what? It indicated that Kagami was definitely not optimistic about the situation with the Uchiha and Konoha. However, Itachi was wholeheartedly trying to resolve this conflict peacefully. Kagami's pessimism was clearly a rejection of Itachi's pursuit.

Kagami calmly replied.

"Brother Itachi, are our views the same?"

As Kagami said this, Itachi also realized. That's right. He believed the Uchiha and Konoha could come to a peaceful resolution, while Kagami believed they couldn't. In the end, it was simply a difference of opinion. Without knowing the future, who was wrong? Neither of them was.

Itachi smiled.

"You're right. Among the Uchiha, your magnanimity is the only one I've seen so far, besides Shisui, that truly amazes me."

Itachi was by no means a petty person; he wouldn't act cold or anything just because of a difference in opinion. On the contrary, Itachi admired Kagami's ability to see the bigger picture and make his own rational judgments, rather than blindly following the crowd. Although Itachi didn't believe Kagami's judgment was correct, this "magnanimity" was already worthy of Itachi's praise. As Itachi said, in the entire Uchiha Clan, only Shisui and Kagami could achieve what Kagami had.

Shisui, however, didn't care about these things. Kagami was pessimistic about the outcome for the Uchiha and Konoha, while Itachi was optimistic. Shisui already knew all this and didn't have the inclination to argue with either of them about who was right or wrong.

"Kagami, since you want to win, I'll tell you my thoughts. My original suggestion was also for you to win. No matter what you want to do in the future, you'll need strength as your guarantee. Just focus on improving yourself. As for those things that shouldn't happen..."

At this point, Shisui tapped Kagami's head.

"Don't even think about carrying it all by yourself. Leave it to me. Before Shisui the Body Flicker dies, his younger brother will not be harmed in any way."