When the Blade Aura faded, it was as if nothing had happened.
Pakura's body was completely unharmed. Only the fireballs surrounding her had gone out one by one.
Just like her life.
This legendary kunoichi, who should have made a name for herself during the Third Shinobi World War and died in its later stages...
Had died so quietly.
"An attack on the consciousness? So, Jing, would you say your secret technique counts as Yin Release?" Namikaze Minato asked as he approached.
Ordinary ninjas only knew of the Five Elemental Natures, but thanks to Jiraiya's teachings, Namikaze Minato knew that Chakra had seven natures.
Besides the conventional Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning, there were also Yin and Yang.
His girlfriend was one of the foremost representatives of Yang Release, as shown by her enormous Chakra reserves and extraordinary physique.
The most outstanding practitioners of Yin Release were the Uchiha.
Kagami Uchiha nodded and sat down directly, beginning to recover his Chakra.
With his current Chakra reserves, he could use a technique of this caliber at most two or three times.
"You developed this technique to deal with me, didn't you?"
Sukuna suddenly sneered from within him.
He had clearly learned Sukuna's slashing attacks, yet the effect resembled Infinite Void. His intent was far too obvious.
Kagami Uchiha neither confirmed nor denied it. He replied calmly, "The characteristic of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan is copying. If you think it resembles that, then I suppose it does."
He was indeed on guard against Sukuna.
The seal was extremely secure, and Sukuna showed no signs of being able to escape.
But Kagami Uchiha had to consider what would happen if Sukuna did get out.
Ordinary ninjutsu was useless against him. A technique that directly attacked the soul would certainly be effective.
It was not only Sukuna. Most ninjas also feared soul attacks. Otherwise, the Spirit Transformation Technique would not have been called the number-one Assassination Technique.
"Pakura of Sunagakure's Scorch Release... I've heard of her." Kakashi sighed.
"As expected of you, Jing."
Kakashi, I still preferred the unruly way you used to be...
Namikaze Minato smiled and patted them both on the shoulders. "An incredible battlefield debut. You both performed very well."
"I thought you'd say capturing her alive would have been more valuable." Kagami Uchiha brushed Minato's hand away and spoke calmly.
Minato shook his head. "I won't demand that you capture enemies alive. That would only increase unnecessary risks."
"Remember one thing!"
His tone and expression both grew solemn.
"On the battlefield, ensuring your own safety is the top priority. Understood?"
"Understood!" Kakashi replied energetically.
After resting briefly, he extracted some of Sukuna's Cursed Energy and used it to restore his Chakra.
The technique just now counted as Yin Release. It used a greater proportion of Spiritual Energy, so replenishing Chakra with pure mental power was also faster.
The Nine-Tails really was a useful power bank. It possessed both Yin and Yang, allowing for rapid recovery through both the body and the spirit.
When Kushina went berserk last time, Kagami Uchiha had collected some of the Chakra that had leaked from the Nine-Tails.
There was not much of it—nowhere near enough to enter Tailed Beast Transformation like the Gold and Silver Brothers.
Using adult Kakashi as a unit of Chakra, there might have been only a dozen or so Kakashis' worth.
Normally, Kagami Uchiha took it little by little to study Yin-Yang Release. He could not bear to waste it on ninjutsu.
--
Border Command Center, Land of Fire.
Orochimaru looked at the group returning after half a day away, assuming they had come to ask him for information on their mission target.
But the result...
More than a dozen intact Sunagakure corpses covered the command center.
After making a thorough examination, a Yamanaka Clan ninja said, "The brains are all intact. We should be able to extract some information."
A Pineapple Head from the Nara Clan crouched before Pakura's corpse. "This is... Pakura, Sunagakure's Kekkei Genkai User!"
"Why doesn't she have any wounds?"
"Genjutsu, I presume."
Orochimaru regarded Kagami Uchiha with his cold eyes, smiling in a somewhat sinister manner.
"Jing-kun must have been the one who killed her."
No wounds... He had killed a Kekkei Genkai User with nothing but Genjutsu!
You're even stronger than I imagined...
Hearing this, the Yamanaka Clan ninja who was collecting the corpses raised his head.
"You're Kagami Uchiha... Jing-kun, correct?"
"Is that how it is? Did your Genjutsu damage her brain?"
"It probably burned it out. You can try and see for yourself." Kagami Uchiha did not know the technique's actual effects. After all, this was his first time using it on a person.
Besides, he did not care about the information in Pakura's brain. If there was something he wanted to know, putting her under with the Sharingan would have been more convenient.
The secret technique of the mere Yamanaka Clan was nothing more than a fringe ability compared to the Sharingan's many powers.
After they carried the corpses away, the command center once again became what it had been half a day earlier, with only four people remaining.
Namikaze Minato immediately bowed ninety degrees. "Lord Orochimaru, I'm truly sorry! Please forgive Jing for his offense!"
Orochimaru's gaze turned dark and distant, his voice revealing no emotion. "This was not a simple offense... Attacking the front-line commander, Jing-kun..."
"Your actions could get you taken away by the Anbu for interrogation."
Kagami Uchiha remained completely calm.
"Putting aside the fact that you were the one who first looked at me with hostility..."
"Being trapped in Genjutsu by an eight-year-old like me, Lord Orochimaru—if word of this got out, would you still have any dignity?"
"I can report this only to the Hokage. My teacher should take my reputation into consideration."
Orochimaru leaned forward like a snake preparing to hunt. "There are several old geezers who are extremely wary of the Uchiha Clan."
"If they learned that you possessed this level of strength, how could they sleep at night...?"
"Are you threatening me?"
"Perhaps. What will you do, Jing-kun?"
Kagami Uchiha leaned toward Orochimaru as well, their two pairs of indifferent eyes meeting.
"If you want to play, then let's play bigger."
"Because of Orochimaru's persecution, I'll have no choice but to leave Konohagakure. At the same time, at least several hundred Uchiha ninjas will follow me."
Orochimaru scoffed. "Jing-kun, don't you know that even when your clan's strongest member in history left the village, no one followed him?"
"That was because the clan members at the time didn't know the Uchiha would face so many restrictions."
After a moment of silence, Orochimaru suddenly smiled. "It truly is unfair. Such a powerful clan, yet unable to obtain a status that matches its strength."
"Jing-kun, if I become Hokage, how about I train you to become the next Hokage?"
Hokage...
It could be said that every Leaf Ninja's earliest dream was to become Hokage.
Only a few could persist with that dream until the very end.
If someone else had said such a thing, it would have been nothing more than empty promises. But coming from Orochimaru, it was different.
The Third Hokage was gradually growing old, Hatake Sakumo had left, and neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade wanted to become Hokage.
Orochimaru was already the publicly recognized successor to the next generation of Hokage. His achievements were sufficient, and it would not have been surprising if he took the position now.
Only Kagami Uchiha knew that Namikaze Minato would overtake him on the curve.
"Let's talk after you really become Hokage. I think Minato Senior Brother is more likely to become Hokage than you." Kagami Uchiha spoke bluntly, showing Slippery Snake no consideration.
The Uchiha's innate lack of manners was one reason. Another was that Kagami Uchiha knew Orochimaru did not care about other people's attitudes toward him.
Hearing this, Minato scratched his head awkwardly.
"Haha, I still have a long way to go."
"But I will definitely become Hokage!"
As he spoke, the hands forming Seals behind him quietly lowered.
During the tense standoff just now, he had been prepared to help Kagami Uchiha silence Orochimaru.
There was no helping it...
Konohagakure could not bear the cost of the Uchiha Clan leaving. Minato had realized how much damage it would cause the village if the two of them fell out.
Fortunately, Lord Orochimaru had only been joking. Otherwise, for the sake of the village's stability, they would have had no choice but to try to eliminate Lord Orochimaru.
There was no helping it. It was for the village!
This was what he had learned from the Third Hokage!
Orochimaru still did not know that his death omen had been flashing wildly just moments ago. He had not intended to report them in the first place.
What he wanted most now was to see what kind of power Kagami Uchiha could display on this battlefield.
In just half a day, he had already received his first pleasant surprise.
Scorch Release... He was going to be busy tonight.
Before you continue