After school.
Uchiha Yuan and Hatake Harukaze left the Ninja Academy together. At the school gate, they saw Hyuga Kagami standing there alone.
"Kagami."
Uchiha Yuan called out to him.
Hyuga Kagami walked over, his expression somewhat complicated. "Uchiha Yuan, I was waiting for you."
"Waiting for me?"
"Is something wrong?"
Uchiha Yuan asked doubtfully.
Hyuga Kagami glanced at Hatake Harukaze beside him, then said, "I want to speak with you alone."
Seeing this, Hatake Harukaze said, "Yuan, I'll be going first."
Uchiha Yuan and Hyuga Kagami came to a river near the Ninja Academy. Looking at the gently flowing water, Hyuga Kagami said, "Uchiha Yuan, I actually envy you."
"Envy me?"
Uchiha Yuan looked at Hyuga Kagami in surprise, then heard him continue, "Your father married into the Uchiha Clan, and your family belongs to the Uchiha Clan's outer branch.
But the Uchiha Clan's main branch does not oppress you lesser branches, much less control your lives and deaths."
Hearing the resentment in Hyuga Kagami's words, Uchiha Yuan sighed softly.
At that moment, Hyuga Kagami turned toward him and abruptly tore off the white cloth around his head, revealing the Caged Bird Seal carved into his forehead.
"We are both powerful clans of the Ninja World, both bloodline clans with ocular techniques. Why does the Hyuga Clan have a Main Family and Branch Family?
This Caged Bird Seal is the Main Family's brand of slavery upon us Branch Family members."
Uchiha Yuan looked at the pale green seal on Hyuga Kagami's forehead and said, "I have heard some things about the Main Family and Branch Family of the Hyuga Clan."
"This Caged Bird Seal may be a cage that traps you, but in another sense, it also protects you, shielding you from covetous eyes within and beyond the village."
Uchiha Yuan suddenly smiled. "Our clansmen have always secretly competed over who is the foremost ocular-technique clan, but in my opinion, there is no need for that."
"In terms of individual strength, the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan can provide tremendous aid. But if I were a commander, between the Sharingan and Byakugan, I would choose the Byakugan."
"The Byakugan's scouting ability can determine victory or defeat on the battlefield. Without the protection of the Caged Bird Seal, your Hyuga Clan would likely have to face hidden watchers at every moment, fearing that someone would steal your eyes."
Hyuga Kagami froze. He had never considered that.
All he knew was that once the Caged Bird Seal had been branded on him, his life was in the Main Family's hands, and his heart had been filled with resentment. But he had never expected that the Caged Bird Seal was also a form of protection.
After a stretch of silence, Hyuga Kagami silently wrapped the white cloth around his forehead again.
He said, "Uchiha Yuan, on the first day of school, I wanted to have a match with you. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity.
I wanted to prove that even bound by the Caged Bird Seal, I could still defeat an Uchiha. That was why I challenged you today, but unfortunately, I lost."
Uchiha Yuan looked toward the river and smiled faintly. "Regrettably, even without the Caged Bird Seal, you would not be my opponent."
Hearing that, Hyuga Kagami did not look unconvinced or angry. Instead, he gave a helpless chuckle. "Indeed. In today's exchange, I probably could not even make you fight seriously."
Uchiha Yuan's gaze flickered slightly. "Kagami, don't underestimate yourself."
Hyuga Kagami smiled. "Yuan, you don't need to comfort me. My Byakugan saw it clearly. During our fight, you did not even circulate Chakra."
I was careless. I actually forgot about the Byakugan's observational ability.
At that moment, Hyuga Kagami said, "Although I do not know why you are hiding your strength, don't worry. I will not tell anyone."
"But you should be careful. That guy Senju Gen seems to have his eye on you."
With that, Hyuga Kagami turned and left.
Senju Gen?
Uchiha Yuan recalled the boy with long black hair, and his brow furrowed slightly.
In his mind appeared the intense fighting spirit in Senju Gen's eyes when he looked at him.
After returning to the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Yuan passed through a stretch of woods and heard the sound of metal striking metal from deep within the forest.
That direction is...
Uchiha Yuan went deeper into the woods and, sure enough, saw a familiar figure practicing kunai throwing.
It was Uchiha Itachi.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Uchiha Itachi raised his hand and threw two kunai, then immediately threw a third.
The third kunai struck one of the first two at greater speed. The two kunai instantly changed direction together, and one of them then struck another kunai.
In this way, the three kunai changed direction almost simultaneously in the blink of an eye, then pierced the bullseyes of three targets at the same time.
"Excellent! Itachi, your kunai throwing is getting more and more impressive. A technique like that would be nearly impossible to defend against."
Applause rang out, drawing Uchiha Itachi's attention.
Uchiha Yuan emerged while clapping. He had to admit that the Kunai Throwing Technique Uchiha Itachi had just displayed was truly brilliant and elegant.
He had not expected Itachi's Kunai Throwing Technique to have improved so greatly after they had not seen each other for some time.
As expected of the genius Uchiha Itachi.
"So it's you. Long time no see, Uchiha Yuan," Itachi said flatly.
When Uchiha Yuan saw Uchiha Itachi's eyes, his brow could not help but furrow slightly.
The Uchiha Itachi before him now was practically a different person from when they had last met.
When they had met last time, Uchiha Itachi's face had still retained some childishness, and his eyes had been full of innocence.
But now, the Uchiha Itachi before Uchiha Yuan had a maturity and melancholy that did not suit his age.
At the same time, Uchiha Yuan could sense confusion, sorrow, and helplessness in Uchiha Itachi's eyes.
"Itachi, have you been alright lately?"
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Itachi said, "Yuan, not long ago, Father took me to the battlefield against Kirigakure."
Uchiha Yuan said, "War is cruel. The clan head should not have exposed you to such a bloody and brutal side so early."
Uchiha Itachi said slowly, "This was my second time on a battlefield. The first time was when the war had just begun. I was three then."
After a pause, Uchiha Itachi continued, "This time, on the battlefield, we had already wiped out the invading Kirigakure ninja.
Then I saw a badly wounded Kirigakure ninja. I told him not to be afraid, that I would save him.
But while I was bandaging his wound, he suddenly attacked me. By the time I reacted, I found that I had already drawn my kunai and slit his throat."
"I did not want to kill him, but if I had not, I would have died by his hand."
"Yuan, why is there war? Wouldn't peace be better? Why must everyone slaughter one another so cruelly?"
Uchiha Yuan could not help sighing inwardly. If possible, he would definitely beat Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku up.
What kind of thinking led someone to bring a child to a battlefield filled with brutal slaughter?
And twice at that.
Uchiha Itachi had clearly developed war trauma.
Seeing the pain in Uchiha Itachi's eyes, Uchiha Yuan said, "War is often caused when the interests of all sides fail to reach a balance.
Our Land of Fire occupies the most fertile land in the Ninja World, and Konoha possesses the greatest benefits.
The other nations and ninja villages want to seize more benefits from us, while we also want to protect our own interests. That is how conflict arises, and the way to resolve such conflict is war."
"Itachi, do not think too much about it. War is not what we want. Just like the kunai in your hand, we ninja are merely the kunai of the Daimyo and the village."
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