Nameless Hero

Chapter 9: Unsung Hero

"Not bad, you're improving quickly. You truly are a genius," Shisui appeared behind Kagami at some point, arms crossed, having watched everything Kagami had just done.

"No, I can't compare to you, Shisui-bro."

When it came to being called a genius, it depended on who you were comparing yourself to. Compared to his peers, Kagami was certainly a genius. But compared to Shisui, he was far from it, at least, that's how it seemed for now.

"You're quite eloquent. I remember once, I encountered Itachi and complimented his skills. His answer was just like yours."

For some reason, Shisui always liked to associate Kagami and Itachi.

"I-I'm not Itachi-bro, and Itachi-bro isn't me."

Kagami hadn't sought out Itachi at all during the past half month. After that conversation with Shisui, Kagami realized he had overlooked a fact: his ideals and Itachi's were not the same! Their paths were different. As a transmigrator, Kagami couldn't bring himself to slaughter the family that raised him for the sake of Konoha, a village he didn't feel much belonging to. His roots were in the Uchiha clan, not Konoha.

Kagami and Itachi could be friends, even very close friends, but they could never be like-minded friends, at least not before the Uchiha clan massacre.

When Kagami said he wasn't Itachi, he wasn't referring to appearance or actions, but to their ideals. Kagami was reminding Shisui that he would not "become Itachi," that he would not place Konoha above the Uchiha.

"Of course, I know you're not Itachi."

Kagami had misunderstood Shisui's meaning. Shisui was simply making an observation.

"By the way, you don't have any classes at the academy tomorrow, right?"

"Mm, no classes."

"Then, are you interested in spending tomorrow learning some things from me?"

Kagami answered without hesitation.

"Of course, I'm interested."

"Alright, I'll come find you tomorrow. Wait for me at home."

"Okay, Shisui-bro."

After a brief chat, Shisui left. That day, Shisui didn't stay to teach Kagami at the training ground as usual.

Kagami stayed behind alone, practicing his hand seal speed and nature transformation for a while before heading home.

The next day.

In a forest.

Shisui handed Kagami a twig.

"What I'm going to teach you today is tracking and counter-tracking for ninjas. This is a mandatory course for your future. I'm giving you special tutoring now, hahaha. After all, this isn't something a student at the ninja academy should be learning."

Kagami took the twig and examined it carefully.

"This twig has been stepped on. Someone passed through here."

"Then, can you tell how long ago that person passed through here?"

Kagami certainly couldn't.

"No, I can't."

Shisui corrected him.

"No, it's not that you can't, but that you can't yet. With just this one clue, we can only know that someone passed through here. To know more, you need to find other clues. As long as you find enough clues, you'll be able to find out what you want to know. Let's go."

Saying that, Shisui walked forward, and Kagami followed immediately.

This was a forest, surrounded by trees, with plenty of grass on the ground. Some clues would be very difficult to find in such an environment, but...

Kagami narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Conversely, some clues are very obvious in this kind of setting. Some traces might even be impossible to conceal."

Shisui clapped his hands and laughed.

"That's right, Kagami, you're absolutely correct. So, in this kind of environment, what are the most obvious traces?"

Shisui asked Kagami as they walked forward.

Kagami had already thought of his answer and immediately replied.

"It's the destruction or disturbance of the environment."

Kagami walked to a patch of grass. At first glance, the grass looked normal. However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that some blades of grass were bent in half, and some were even pressed firmly to the ground.

"There's a lot of grass here, so if an escapee passed through, they would inevitably damage the original appearance of this grass."

Shisui nodded continuously. Only after Kagami finished speaking did Shisui open his mouth.

"Kagami, your thinking is very agile. You can quickly determine what clues an escapee might leave in this kind of environment. However, you've overlooked one thing."

Kagami was taken aback and asked.

"What thing?"

Shisui pointed to his head.

"That's the escapee's thoughts. Look, there's so much grass in this forest. It's almost too obvious. So obvious that an escapee would surely know that if they walked on the ground, they would leave traces. So, Kagami, if you were the escapee, what would you do?"

Kagami froze. He thought for a moment, unsure of what to do, but in the next second, his eyes inadvertently swept across a tree, and Kagami suddenly understood.

"It's the trees! If I were a fugitive, knowing that traveling on the ground would inevitably leave tracks, I would run by leaping from tree to tree!"

Kagami almost forgot, this was the world of Naruto, not the real world. People jumping between branches was commonplace. If that was the case, why would a fugitive bother traveling on the ground?

Shisui nodded.

"That's right. This is very common sense. The clue you just found should be a disguise by the fugitive. Such a crude disguise is usually used to deceive ninjas on their first tracking mission."

Kagami felt a little embarrassed but still earnestly expressed his thoughts.

"But, Brother Shisui, what if the fugitive actually went in another direction on the ground, making the clue we thought was fake, the real clue?"

Shisui chuckled lightly.

"What you're saying is also possible, but you need to understand a principle: jumping through the trees is faster than simply running on the ground. As a fugitive, no matter what tricks he uses, his ultimate goal is to escape capture as quickly as possible! In such a situation, the choice to jump through the trees far surpasses running on the ground."

Kagami frowned, seemingly wanting to say more.

"But..."

Shisui raised his hand to stop Kagami's words.

"You don't need to think so much. I know the fugitive might also use this idea against us and keep running. But Kagami, you have to know, anything is possible in this world, nothing is absolute. If you consider every possibility, do you have enough time? You know, the fugitive is escaping every second! You need to catch him quickly. Secondly, even if you consider all possibilities, do you have enough manpower? To eliminate all possibilities, how many people would you need to send? Could it be that the village needs to send half its ninjas to catch one person?

The best way is to choose one or a few fugitive routes that you believe are the most likely. That way, the tracking mission can be completed as quickly as possible."

Kagami nodded, accepting the lesson.

"Brother Shisui, I understand. It's my fault."

Shisui laughed heartily.

"No, you're not wrong. If you didn't make mistakes, I would be troubled. Then I wouldn't know what to teach you. It's precisely because you made mistakes that I have something to teach you, hahaha. Alright, let's continue."

After that, Shisui led Kagami forward, teaching him a lot about tracking and counter-tracking knowledge.

In the evening, Shisui and Kagami sat by a river, started a fire, and grilled fish.

Shisui's eyes held a hint of nostalgia.

"Do you know? The day I taught Itachi ninja tracking and counter-tracking, in the evening, we also sat by this river and grilled fish. I really miss it. Guess what Itachi said the first thing when he saw me starting a fire to grill fish?"

Kagami replied helplessly.

"I can't guess."

Shisui burst into laughter.

"Haha, he said, 'The textbook says fire is strictly forbidden when camping at night, but you're doing this, which means there's a hidden reason?' So cute. At that time, I simply wanted to eat fish with him. Where was there any hidden reason? If I had to say one, it was that I felt good at the time, eating with someone I could relax with felt unexpectedly easy. I was just being lazy. It's the same now, so don't ask me the same question, okay? Hahaha."

Kagami asked unexpectedly.

"Brother Shisui, don't you have anyone you can relax with while eating?"

Shisui smiled gently.

"Yes, you and Itachi."

Kagami was silent for a moment, then asked cautiously.

"Anyone else?"

Shisui lowered his gaze slightly and said with a touch of loneliness.

"I'm in the Anbu, Kagami. Do you know what Anbu is?"

Kagami instantly understood. What was Anbu?

"Assassination Tactics Special Forces, abbreviated as Anbu."

Shisui said with self-mockery.

"Yes, in a unit whose purpose is assassination, how could I dare to completely relax?"

Kagami said anxiously. Not daring to relax even while eating, wasn't such a life agonizing?

"But, if that's the case, why, Shisui, you could have retired..."

Shisui interrupted Kagami.

"No, Kagami, do you know what I want to become? I want to be an unsung hero who secretly protects peace. The Anbu might not be so good right now, but I... I... you can mock me, perhaps I'm overestimating myself, but I want to change its current state. The Anbu is definitely not for assassinating for the sake of assassination, it must be for assassinating for the sake of peace! I want to change it! I know the Anbu is not yet an unsung hero who secretly protects peace, but precisely because of this, I want to change it!

If everyone flees the Anbu, then who will change it?

Don't worry, even if I can't change it, I won't let it change me. Shisui will always be Shisui, and the person Shisui wants to become will always be an unsung hero who secretly protects peace. This will never change. After all, I am considered your older brother, I can't lose face."

In chapter 674, facing Danzō's Root, Shisui said that he believed those who secretly protect peace are true ninjas.