Kyōka Suigetsu

The atmosphere in the command room suddenly turned cold.

Orochimaru looked at Kagami Uchiha with a half-smile, his gaze gradually chilling.

"Jing-kun... it seems Jiraiya Teacher really hasn't taught you any manners."

A sinister chakra fluctuation coiled like a giant snake.

Kakashi was the first to buckle under the pressure, his hand resting on his short sword.

Namikaze Minato glanced between the two, equally troubled.

He deeply respected Jiraiya Teacher's comrade, but he also knew what kind of person this Uchiha junior disciple was.

This was someone even harder to get along with than the average Uchiha—he hadn't shown a shred of respect for his teacher even when Jiraiya was instructing him.

Of course... part of that was Jiraiya Teacher's fault.

After all, who blames two eight-year-old kids after getting caught peeping?

A short sword slid from Kagami Uchiha's sleeve, its blade gleaming white, a flash of light streaking past.

Space-time seemed to freeze.

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

Namikaze Minato looked back at the frozen Orochimaru and gave a wry smile. "Jiraiya Teacher explicitly said you can't use that technique on comrades!"

"What comrade is this guy?" Kagami Uchiha strolled leisurely, speaking flatly. "If I have to explain, I just sensed his coveting of my eyes just now."

"Not killing him is already giving Jiraiya Teacher face."

"Orochimaru-sama is a veteran powerhouse. He only fell for your technique because he let his guard down, thinking you were a comrade. Don't get the idea that—"

"I know, you noisy blondie senior brother."

Kakashi caught up and patted Namikaze Minato on the back. "Don't feel bad. My nickname is White-haired Dead Fish Eyes. Jing was pretty gentle with you."

"Kakashi... you're the real gentle one." Minato gave a bitter smile and glanced back.

Orochimaru-sama... should be able to break out of the genjutsu soon, right?

In the command room.

Orochimaru summoned a giant snake to coil around Kagami Uchiha.

He didn't intend to hurt Kagami Uchiha, but he still wanted to teach this arrogant brat a lesson.

Only when that arrogant face flushed red, and Namikaze Minato started pleading, did Orochimaru release the snake's bindings.

"Jing-kun, remember next time to show your elders—"

Suddenly, he felt something was off...

"Dismantle!"

After a blur of vision, the command room's layout came back into view.

No one was there.

His dark-gold pupils contracted sharply, and a bead of cold sweat slid down Orochimaru's forehead.

Genjutsu...

When had it started?!

Even against a brat, I was prepared to counter genjutsu when locking eyes with a Sharingan.

I definitely wasn't under genjutsu at that moment, so...

It was when he drew his sword!

Orochimaru clearly remembered seeing that flash of the blade, and then he had moved to subdue Kagami Uchiha.

Such terrifying dojutsu power...

Such horrifying genjutsu...

Is this really just an eight-year-old youth?

How... magnificent!

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

--

"Hey, Jing, what are the activation conditions for that technique of yours?" Kakashi leaned in to ask.

Kagami Uchiha shoved him away irritably. "Don't you know a ninja can't just pry into someone else's techniques? That's a declaration of war."

Kakashi leaned in again. "That's between ordinary ninjas. We're fellow disciples. What's the harm in telling me?"

Influenced by Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato—and also by Kagami Uchiha—Kakashi had moved past the psychological shadow of his father's departure.

But too much exposure to Jiraiya had also turned his hidden perversion into an open one.

He'd even started reading Icha Icha Paradise already!

Not a bit like his father...

No... someone who could develop a technique like the Thousand Years of Death couldn't possibly be a proper person.

What a wild bunch, the Hatake Clan.

Namikaze Minato watched with a smile as his two junior disciples roughhoused, then laughed. "Kagami's technique is probably executed through Sode no Shirayuki, right?"

"A genius idea—using swordsmanship to cast Genjutsu. How about calling it... Uchiha Pitch-Black Dark Shadow White Moon Flower Illusion One-Style!"

"Kyōka Suigetsu."

Kagami Uchiha helplessly pulled a name from his memory.

This was an Illusion Sword Technique he'd developed, inspired by Maruboshi Kosuke.

Reflecting Dojutsu Power through the blade's light was really just using another medium to cast Sharingan Genjutsu—a small trick.

Being able to control Orochimaru came down to Kagami Uchiha's formidable Dojutsu Power.

"Tch, such a plain name. I still think Uchiha Pitch-Black..."

"Stop showing off your naming talent."

Kagami Uchiha pressed his temple in exasperation.

Namikaze Minato was perfect in every way. Even from Kagami Uchiha's perspective, he was a great sage with no flaws to pick.

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

After learning the situation, Kagami Uchiha realized the name "Rasengan" definitely wasn't Minato's choice.

Given his nature, unless his brain shrank, there was no way that technique's name would be under ten characters.

The technique contained Minato's love for Kushina, so Kagami Uchiha wasn't bored enough to fight over naming rights.

After pretending to study for two days, he started asking Minato how to add Nature Transformation into the Rasengan.

He clearly knew his own talent couldn't match Minato's, and he couldn't cheat like Naruto either—he was stuck on developing the Fire Release Rasengan.

This was a question Namikaze Minato hadn't really considered.

Indeed, Naruto's Rasenshuriken was the Rasengan's final form, but Minato didn't need it.

He had the Flying Thunder God—just stick the orb in someone's face and fire. The power was enough.

Still, since it was Kagami Uchiha's request, he spent considerable time continuing to develop the technique. Recently, he'd even found some leads on adding attributes to the Rasengan.

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

We didn't seem to get a clear mission. Orochimaru just said there was a squad of Sand Hidden Ninja, but didn't say how to handle them.

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

"What's there to ask?"

"Knowing where the enemy is should be enough."

A faint red glint flickered in Kagami Uchiha's eyes.

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

This would be the cruelest war in the Ninja World's history, lasting nearly a decade.

Countless ninja would die, brewing endless pain and grief, but the flames of war would also temper true powerhouses.

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

The Uchiha were the number one noble clan of the Ninja World.

Not some Konoha's Uchiha!