Should we silence Orochimaru?

As the Blade Aura dissipated, it was as if nothing had happened at all.

Pakura's body remained unscathed, yet the fireballs that had been circling her flickered out, one by one.

Just like her life.

This legendary kunoichi, who was destined to make a name for herself during the Third Shinobi World War only to perish in its later stages...

Died just like that, without a sound.

"A strike against consciousness? So, Kagami, would your secret technique be considered Yin Release?" Namikaze Minato asked as he approached.

Ordinary shinobi only knew of the five elemental natures, but thanks to Jiraiya's tutelage, Namikaze Minato knew there were seven types of Chakra.

Beyond the standard Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning, there were also Yin and Yang.

His girlfriend was one of the representatives of Yang Release, manifested in her massive reserves of Chakra and extraordinary constitution.

The most prominent practitioners of Yin Release were the Uchiha.

Kagami Uchiha nodded, sitting down immediately to begin recovering his Chakra.

With his current Chakra levels, he could use a technique of this magnitude at most two or three times.

"You developed this technique to deal with me, didn't you?"

Inside his body, Sukuna suddenly sneered.

Even though he had learned his slashing techniques, the effect was more like Infinite Void; the intent was far too obvious.

Kagami Uchiha remained noncommittal, responding indifferently: "The trait of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan is replication. If you think it looks like that, then so be it."

He was indeed guarding against Sukuna.

The seal was secure, and there were no signs that Sukuna could break free.

But Kagami Uchiha had to consider: what if Sukuna were to escape?

Ordinary ninjutsu would be useless against him, so a technique that attacked the soul directly would certainly be effective.

It wasn't just Sukuna; the vast majority of shinobi feared soul-based attacks, which was why the Spirit Transformation Technique was known as the premier Assassination Technique.

"Scorching Release Pakura of Sunagakure... I have heard of her," Kakashi sighed.

"As expected of you, Kagami."

Kakashi, I still prefer how you used to be so unruly...

Namikaze Minato smiled and patted both of them on the shoulders: "A remarkable Battle Debut; both of you performed very well."

"I thought you would say that capturing her alive would have been more valuable," Kagami Uchiha said, shaking off Minato's hand with a flat tone.

Minato shook his head: "I will not demand that you capture enemies alive; that would only increase unnecessary risks."

"Remember this!"

His tone and expression turned serious.

"On the battlefield, ensuring your own safety is the primary objective, do you understand!"

"Understood!" Kakashi replied with great spirit.

After resting briefly, he squeezed out some of Sukuna's Cursed Energy to restore his Chakra.

The technique he had just used was a form of Yin Release, which utilized a higher proportion of Spiritual Energy, making it faster to replenish Chakra using pure mental power.

The Nine-Tails Power Bank was still the most useful; it possessed both Yin and Yang, allowing for rapid recovery of both body and spirit.

Last time Kushina lost control, Kagami Uchiha had collected a small amount of the Nine-Tails' leaking Chakra.

It wasn't a large amount, not enough to enter a Tailed Beast Transformation like the Gold and Silver Brothers.

If one were to use an adult Kakashi as a unit of Chakra, it was perhaps only about a dozen "Kakashis" worth.

Usually, Kagami Uchiha used it bit by bit to research Yin-Yang Release, never willing to waste it on mere ninjutsu.

--

Land of Fire Border Command Center.

Orochimaru watched the group return after being out for half a day, assuming they had come to ask for intel on their mission objectives.

As it turned out...

Over a dozen intact Sunagakure corpses littered the command center.

After a thorough examination, a shinobi from the Yamanaka Clan said: "The brains are all intact; we should be able to extract some intel."

A Pineapple Head from the Nara Clan crouched before Pakura's body: "This is... the Kekkei Genkai User of Sunagakure, Pakura!"

"Why does she have no wounds?"

"It must be Genjutsu."

Orochimaru looked at Kagami Uchiha with a cold, chilling gaze, his smile somewhat eerie.

"I presume it was you, Jing-kun, who killed her."

No wounds... killing a Scorch Release jonin using only genjutsu!

You are even stronger than I imagined...

Hearing this, the Yamanaka Clan ninja who was collecting the body looked up.

"Uchiha... Jing-kun, is it?"

"Is that so? Did your genjutsu destroy her brain?"

"It should have been burned away; you can try to check if you like." Kagami Uchiha did not know the actual effect of the technique either, as it was his first time using it on a person.

Besides, he did not care about the intel inside Pakura's brain; if there was anything he truly wanted to know, using the Sharingan to hypnotize her would be much simpler.

A mere secret technique of the Yamanaka Clan was nothing more than a scrap of the many abilities of the Sharingan.

Once they left with the corpse, the command room returned to the state it had been in half a day ago, with only four people remaining.

Namikaze Minato immediately bowed at a ninety-degree angle: "Lord Orochimaru, I am truly sorry! Please forgive Jing for his offense!"

Orochimaru's gaze was deep, his voice betraying neither anger nor joy: "This is not a simple offense... attacking the commander of the front line, Jing-kun..."

"For behavior like this, you would be taken away for interrogation by the Anbu."

Kagami Uchiha was not the least bit flustered.

"Not to mention that you were the one who looked at me with hostile eyes first."

"To be controlled by a brat of eight years old like me using genjutsu, Lord Orochimaru, if this gets out, will you still have any face left?"

"I could report this only to the Hokage; my teacher would likely consider my reputation."

Orochimaru leaned forward, like a snake preparing to strike: "There are a few old fossils who are very wary of the Uchiha Clan."

"If they knew you possessed such strength, how could they ever sleep at night..."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Perhaps. What will you do, Jing-kun?"

Kagami Uchiha also leaned toward Orochimaru, two pairs of cold eyes locking onto each other.

"If you want to play, let's play for higher stakes."

"Because of Orochimaru's persecution, I was forced to defect from the Leaf, and at least several hundred Uchiha ninja would follow me."

Orochimaru let out a mocking laugh: "Jing-kun, don't you know that when your clan's greatest powerhouse in history left the village, not a single person followed him?"

"That is because the clan members at that time did not know the Uchiha would be subjected to so many restrictions."

After a moment of silence, Orochimaru suddenly laughed: "It is indeed very unfair. To be such a powerful clan, yet unable to attain a status that matches it."

"Jing-kun, if I become Hokage, how about I groom you to be the next one?"

Hokage...

It could be said that the initial dream of every Leaf Ninja was to become Hokage.

It was just that few could persist until the end.

If someone else said this, it would be pure empty talk, but coming from Orochimaru, it was different.

Now that the Third Hokage was gradually aging, Hatake Sakumo had left, and both Jiraiya and Tsunade were unwilling to become Hokage.

Orochimaru was already the acknowledged successor to the next Hokage; his achievements were sufficient, and it would not be strange for him to take the position now.

Only Kagami Uchiha knew that Namikaze Minato would complete the overtake on the bend.

"Wait until you actually become it before saying that. I personally think Minato Senior Brother is more likely to become Hokage than you." Kagami Uchiha spoke bluntly, not giving the Slippery Snake any face at all.

The Uchiha's natural lack of manners was one thing, but furthermore, Kagami Uchiha knew that Orochimaru did not care about how others treated him.

Hearing this, Minato scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Haha, I'm still far from that."

"However, I will definitely become Hokage!"

As he spoke, his hand, which had been forming hand seals behind his back, quietly relaxed.

In the tense standoff just moments ago, he had been prepared to take action to help Kagami Uchiha silence Orochimaru.

There was no choice...

The Leaf could not bear the cost of the Uchiha Clan defecting; Minato realized how much damage it would cause the village if the two had a falling out.

Fortunately, Lord Orochimaru was only joking; otherwise, for the sake of the village's stability, he would have had to try to take out Lord Orochimaru.

There was no help for it, for the sake of the village!

This was the teaching that came from the Third Hokage!

Orochimaru did not know that his Death Star had been flashing wildly just now, and he had no intention of snitching anyway.

What he wanted to see most now was what kind of power Kagami Uchiha could display on this battlefield.

In just half a day, he had already reaped his first surprise.

Scorch Release... he would be busy tonight.