Itachi's Change

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.

Hyuga Kagami walked over, his expression somewhat complicated. "Uchiha Yuan, I was waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?"

"Is something wrong?"

Uchiha Yuan asked, confused.

Hyuga Kagami glanced at Hatake Harukaze beside him, then said, "I want to talk to you alone."

Seeing this, Hatake Harukaze said, "Yuan, I'll be going ahead."

Uchiha Yuan and Hyuga Kagami came to a riverbank near the Ninja Academy. Looking at the slowly flowing river, Hyuga Kagami spoke, "Uchiha Yuan, I actually envy you."

"Envy me?"

Uchiha Yuan looked at Hyuga Kagami in surprise, then heard him continue, "Your father is a son-in-law in the Uchiha family, and your household belongs to the outer branch of the Uchiha Clan. However, the main branch of the Uchiha Clan does not oppress or control the lives of you branch members."

Hearing Hyuga Kagami's resentful words, Uchiha Yuan sighed softly.

At this moment, Hyuga Kagami turned to him and suddenly pulled off the white cloth on his head, revealing his forehead with the Cage Bird Seal etched on it.

"Both of us are powerful clans in the Ninja World, both are clans with bloodline kekkei genkai. Why does the Hyuga Clan have a distinction between the main family and the branch family? This Cage Bird Seal is the slave brand of the main family on us branch family members."

Uchiha Yuan looked at the faint green curse mark on Hyuga Kagami's forehead and said, "I've heard some things about the main family and branch family of your Hyuga Clan."

"This Cage Bird Seal may be the cage that confines you, but on the other hand, it also provides you with protection, shielding you from covetous eyes from within and outside the village."

Uchiha Yuan suddenly smiled and said, "The members of our two clans have always been secretly competing over who is the number one kekkei genkai family. In my opinion, there's no need for that."

"In terms of individual strength, the Uchiha's Sharingan can provide powerful assistance. However, if I were a commander, I would choose the Byakugan over the Sharingan."

"The Byakugan's reconnaissance abilities can determine the outcome of a battle. Without the protection of the Cage Bird Seal, your Hyuga Clan would probably have to face constant surveillance from the shadows, worrying about your eyes being stolen."

Hyuga Kagami was stunned. He hadn't thought of these things. He only knew that after the Cage Bird Seal was etched, his life was in the hands of the main family, and he had always been filled with resentment. But he never expected that the Cage Bird Seal was also a form of protection.

After a moment of silence, Hyuga Kagami silently re-wrapped his forehead with a white cloth.

He said, "Uchiha Yuan, I wanted to spar with you on the first day I enrolled, but unfortunately, I never had the chance.

I wanted to prove that I could defeat an Uchiha even when bound by the Caged Bird. That's why I challenged you today, but unfortunately, I lost."

Uchiha Yuan looked at the river and smiled faintly, "It's a pity, even without the Caged Bird, you wouldn't have been my opponent."

Hearing this, Hyuga Kagami didn't show any signs of dissatisfaction or anger. Instead, he chuckled helplessly, "Indeed, in today's spar, I probably couldn't even make you go all out."

Uchiha Yuan's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this, and he said, "Kagami, don't underestimate yourself."

Hyuga Kagami smiled, "Yuan, you don't need to comfort me. My Byakugan clearly saw that you didn't even mobilize your Chakra when we fought."

Uchiha Yuan secretly thought he had been careless, not expecting to forget about the observational abilities of the Byakugan.

At this moment, Hyuga Kagami said, "Although I don't know why you're hiding your strength, don't worry, I won't say anything."

"But you should be careful, that guy Senju Gen is probably targeting you."

With that, Hyuga Kagami turned and left.

Senju Gen?

Uchiha Yuan recalled the boy with long black hair, and his brow furrowed slightly.

He remembered the intense fighting spirit in Senju Gen's gaze as he looked at him.

Returning to the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Yuan was passing through a forest when he heard the sound of metal clashing from deep within.

'This direction is...'

Uchiha Yuan went deeper into the forest and indeed saw a familiar figure practicing Kunai throwing.

It was Uchiha Itachi.

Swish, swish, swish!

Uchiha Itachi threw two Kunai with a raise of his hand, then threw a third.

The third Kunai struck one of the previous Kunai at an even faster speed. Immediately, both Kunai changed direction, and one of them then hit another Kunai.

In this way, the three Kunai changed direction almost simultaneously in the blink of an eye, and then all three simultaneously pierced the bullseyes of three targets.

"Good! Itachi, your Kunai throwing is getting more and more impressive. Such a technique is almost impossible to defend against."

Applause rang out, drawing Uchiha Itachi's attention.

Uchiha Yuan walked out, clapping. He had to admit that the Kunai throwing technique Uchiha Itachi had just displayed was indeed brilliant and beautiful.

I didn't expect that after not seeing him for a while, his Kunai Throwing Technique would have improved so much.

As expected of the genius Uchiha Itachi.

"So it's you, long time no see, Uchiha Yuan." Itachi said indifferently.

When he saw Itachi's eyes looking at him, Uchiha Yuan couldn't help but frown slightly.

At this moment, the Uchiha Itachi before him was completely different from when they last met.

The last time they met, Uchiha Itachi's face was still a bit childish, and his eyes were full of innocence.

But now, the Uchiha Itachi before Uchiha Yuan had a maturity and melancholy on his face that was beyond his years.

At the same time, in his eyes, Uchiha Yuan could feel Itachi's confusion, sadness, and helplessness.

"Itachi, how have you been lately?"

After a moment of silence, Uchiha Itachi said, "Yuan, not long ago, Father took me to the battlefield with Kirigakure."

Uchiha Yuan said, "War is cruel. The clan head shouldn't have exposed you to this bloody and brutal side so early."

Uchiha Itachi slowly said, "This is my second time on the battlefield. The last time was at the beginning of the war, when I was three years old."

He paused, then continued, "This time on the battlefield, we annihilated the invading Kirigakure ninja.

Then I saw a severely wounded Kirigakure ninja; I told him not to be afraid, and that I would save him.

But as I was bandaging his wounds, he suddenly attacked me; and by the time I reacted, I found that I had already drawn my kunai and slit his throat."

"I didn't want to kill him, but if I didn't kill him, I would have died by his hand."

"Yuan, why is there war? Isn't peace good? Why do people have to kill each other so cruelly?"

Uchiha Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If he could, he would definitely give Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku a beating.

What kind of thought process would lead someone to bring a child to a battlefield of brutal combat?

And twice at that.

Uchiha Itachi was clearly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Seeing the pain in Itachi's eyes, Uchiha Yuan said, "War is often caused by an imbalance of interests between parties.

Our Land of Fire occupies the most fertile land in the Ninja World, and Konoha has the most benefits.

The other countries and ninja villages want to take more benefits from us, and we also want to protect our own interests. This is how conflicts arise, and the way to resolve these conflicts is war."

"Itachi, don't overthink it; war is not what we want. Just like the kunai in your hand, we, as ninja, are just the kunai of the Daimyo and the village."