Mirror Flower, Water Moon

The atmosphere in the command room suddenly turned cold.

Orochimaru looked at Kagami Uchiha with a half-smile, half-frown, his gaze gradually turning icy.

"Jing-kun... It seems Jiraiya really never taught you any manners."

A sinister Chakra surge coiled around them like a giant serpent.

Kakashi was the first to buckle under the pressure. He placed a hand on his Short Sword.

Namikaze Minato looked from side to side, feeling troubled as well.

He respected Jiraiya-sensei's companion greatly, but he also knew what this Uchiha junior disciple was like.

He was even harder to get along with than an ordinary Uchiha. Even when Jiraiya-sensei taught him, he had shown no intention of respecting his teacher.

Of course... Jiraiya-sensei was partly to blame.

After all, how could he shift the blame onto two eight-year-old children after peeping on them?

A Short Sword slid from Kagami Uchiha's sleeve. Its blade shone like snow, and a glimmer of light flashed across it.

Space-time seemed to freeze.

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

Namikaze Minato glanced back at the frozen Orochimaru and said with a bitter smile, "Jiraiya-sensei clearly said you couldn't use that technique on your companions, right?"

"What kind of companion is he?" Kagami Uchiha walked along leisurely and said blandly, "If I have to explain it, I sensed that he coveted my eyes just now."

"Not killing him was already me showing Jiraiya-sensei some respect."

"Orochimaru-sama is a renowned powerhouse. You only caught him off guard because you're companions, and he fell victim to your technique. You mustn't let this make you think..."

"I understand, you long-winded Blondie senior brother."

Kakashi caught up and patted Namikaze Minato on the back. "Don't be discouraged. My nickname is still White-haired dead fish eyes, you know. Jing was being very gentle with you."

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

Orochimaru-sama should be able to break free from the Genjutsu very soon, right?

Inside the command room.

Orochimaru summoned a giant serpent and had it coil around Kagami Uchiha.

He had no intention of hurting Kagami Uchiha, but he still wanted to teach the arrogant brat a small lesson.

Only after that arrogant face had flushed bright red, and Namikaze Minato had begun pleading for him, did Orochimaru release the serpent's restraint.

"Jing-kun, remember next time, when dealing with your elders..."

Suddenly, he sensed that something was wrong...

"Dismantle!"

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

There was no one there.

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

Genjutsu...

When did it happen?!

Even if he was only a brat, Orochimaru had prepared himself against Genjutsu when meeting the Sharingan's gaze.

He definitely had not fallen under Genjutsu then. In that case...

It was when he drew his blade!

Orochimaru clearly remembered seeing that flash of sword light, after which he had immediately subdued Kagami Uchiha.

What terrifying Dojutsu Power...

What frightening Genjutsu...

Was this really an eight-year-old boy?

This was... wonderful!

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

--

"Hey, Jing, what are the activation conditions for that technique of yours?" Kakashi asked, leaning closer.

Kagami Uchiha impatiently shoved him away. "Don't you know that ninjas aren't allowed to casually pry into other people's techniques? That's a declaration of war."

Kakashi leaned over again. "That's between ordinary ninjas. We're senior and junior disciples. What's wrong with telling me?"

Influenced by Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato—and partly because of Kagami Uchiha as well—Kakashi had stepped out of the psychological shadow left by his father's departure.

However, spending too much time around Jiraiya had also turned his hidden lecherous side into an overt one.

He had even started reading Icha Icha Paradise already!

He was nothing like his father...

No, wait... Anyone capable of developing a technique like Thousand Years of Death couldn't possibly be a respectable person.

The Hatake Clan was really full of lechers.

Namikaze Minato watched the two junior disciples playfully bicker with a smile and said, "Jing's technique should be performed through Sode no Shirayuki, right?"

"A genius concept—casting Genjutsu through swordsmanship. How about calling it... Uchiha Pitch-Black Dark Shadow White Moon's Flower Illusion: Isshiki!"

"Mirror Flower, Water Moon."

Kagami Uchiha helplessly picked a name from his memories.

This was the Illusion Sword Technique he had developed after being inspired by Maruboshi Kosuke.

Reflecting his Dojutsu Power through the blade's light was actually just a small trick: casting Sharingan Genjutsu through another medium.

The reason he had been able to control Orochimaru was that Kagami Uchiha possessed formidable Dojutsu Power.

"Sigh, what an ordinary name. I still think Uchiha Pitch-Black..."

"Stop showing off your talent for naming things."

Kagami Uchiha helplessly rubbed his temples.

Namikaze Minato was perfect in every aspect. Even from Kagami Uchiha's perspective, he was a great saint whose flaws were impossible to find.

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

After learning the circumstances, Kagami Uchiha discovered that Minato really hadn't come up with the name Rasengan.

Going by his personality, unless his brain had shriveled up, the name of this technique could never have been fewer than ten words long.

The technique contained Minato's love for Kushina, so Kagami Uchiha had no intention of pointlessly snatching the naming rights.

After pretending to study it 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 that he couldn't cheat the way Naruto did. He had no clue how to develop the Fire Release Rasengan.

This was something Namikaze Minato truly hadn't considered much.

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

He knew Flying Thunder God. All he had to do was press the sphere against someone's face and fire it. Its power was sufficient.

Still, since it was Kagami Uchiha's request, he spent quite a bit of time continuing to develop the technique. Recently, he had also begun to get some ideas about adding attributes to the Rasengan.

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

"We don't seem to have received a clear mission. Orochimaru only said there was a squad of Sunagakure ninjas. He never said what to do with them."

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

"What is there to ask?"

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

A crimson glint flashed in Kagami Uchiha's eyes.

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

This would be the most brutal war in the history of the Ninja World, lasting nearly ten years.

Countless ninjas would die, giving rise to endless suffering. The flames of war would also temper true powerhouses.

In this war, Kagami Uchiha would completely change the status of the Uchiha Clan.

The Uchiha were the foremost clan in the Ninja World.

And not merely the Uchiha of Konohagakure!