"Itachi, do you know what the Sharingan is?"
"The Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai. The Eye of Insight, the Eye of Copying, the Eye of Hypnosis..."
"Wrong." Kazuhiko interrupted him.
"The Sharingan is a mirror deep within the hearts of the Uchiha."
He looked at the mother and son on the sofa.
"It doesn't reflect your enemies. It reflects the fear deep in your heart."
"Some people are afraid of loss, so they awaken the Sharingan to protect what they have."
"Some want to change the status quo, so the Sharingan becomes the power they use to overturn everything."
"Some have no control over their own lives. The Sharingan lets them seize their fate with their own hands."
"What about you? Why did you awaken the Sharingan?"
After a brief moment of thought, Itachi answered without hesitation:
"I want to protect my family, Konoha, and peace."
Kazuhiko watched Itachi, lost in thought.
Two of the choices in his question hinted at Itachi's future Mangekyō Sharingan abilities.
Amaterasu represented power: the ultimate force Itachi would wield to change the Uchiha's circumstances.
Tsukuyomi represented control: the ultimate genjutsu Itachi would use to take his fate into his own hands.
It was because he held such convictions that Itachi gained these two abilities after witnessing Shisui's death.
What Itachi wanted now was to protect.
If Kazuhiko kept guiding him in this direction, would his Mangekyō abilities change when he awakened them one day?
This was clearly a case well worth studying in depth.
If Itachi's Mangekyō abilities could really be changed...
"Doctor Kazuhiko? Is something wrong?"
Kazuhiko shook his head and smiled.
"Of course not. That was a good answer. A very good one."
Knock, knock!
Someone suddenly rapped on the door of the Psychology Clinic.
"Doctor Kazuhiko!"
"Come in."
An Anbu member wearing an animal mask entered the office and looked at Kazuhiko, speaking respectfully.
"Doctor Kazuhiko, Lord Hokage summons you."
"Understood. Give me a moment, and I'll be right out."
Kazuhiko frowned slightly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen?
Why did he want to see him now?
He glanced at Mikoto and Itachi, then smiled apologetically.
"Looks like that's all for today's conversation."
Mikoto stood and straightened her kimono.
"That's all right. Since Lord Hokage has summoned you, you should take care of official business first, Doctor Kazuhiko. Itachi and I can visit another day."
Kazuhiko took out Itachi's Psychological Diagnosis Report and handed it to him.
"Itachi, I understand you better than you might think, and I have high hopes for you."
He reached out and rested a hand on Itachi's shoulder.
"Because you want to protect your family, your Sharingan will be powerful—powerful enough to awaken the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan."
"So always remember why you want the power of the Sharingan."
Itachi stared at him, stunned.
At seven years old, the Sharingan still seemed a long way off to Itachi.
Could the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan really exist?
Kazuhiko nodded to Mikoto, then turned and left.
Outside, the Anbu Ninja waited quietly.
"Please, lead the way."
Judging by the Kage Level entry Sarutobi Hiruzen had contributed earlier, this summons couldn't be bad news.
Kazuhiko could go without a worry.
Hokage Building, Third's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, pipe in hand, frowning as he read a document.
"Lord Hokage."
Only then did the Third look up and study Kazuhiko.
"Uchiha Kazuhiko, right? Have a seat."
Kazuhiko sat down without either deference or defiance, meeting the Third's gaze calmly.
"I've read about your Psychological Medicine. It's very innovative. I'm quite interested in the Placebo Therapy you describe. Tell me more."
The Third got straight to the point.
His time was valuable. He wouldn't have summoned Kazuhiko without a reason.
Kazuhiko smiled.
"Positive beliefs can heal, while negative beliefs can kill. Put simply, a psychological placebo works like this: if you believe, 'This medicine will cure me,' then your brain and body will make real changes to your physiological indicators, pushing you in a positive direction. At the very least, you won't get worse."
The Third narrowed his eyes.
"It seems this method could be used for more than just psychological treatment..."
"Of course." Kazuhiko admitted it openly.
"This treatment works for ordinary illnesses, too."
The Third's eyes lit up as he saw the potential of this approach.
War meant enormous losses, and there could never be too many medical resources.
Placebo Therapy seemed capable of producing remarkable results when medicine was scarce.
He looked at Kazuhiko, his earlier judgment confirmed.
In truth, the Third hadn't summoned Kazuhiko because of Placebo Therapy.
It was because Kazuhiko had helped Shota awaken the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, proving the potential of psychological treatment.
Placebo Therapy was merely an unexpected bonus.
"Kazuhiko, would you be interested in coming to the Konoha Medical Headquarters and establishing a psychological healthcare system?"
Here it was.
This was the real reason the Third had summoned him.
Kazuhiko's heart tightened, but his expression didn't change.
"Lord Hokage, you seem to have a lot of faith in my approach to psychological healthcare."
"Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't have hurried over to see you myself. So, are you unwilling?"
Kazuhiko spoke frankly.
"I am. The Konoha Medical Headquarters is biased against Uchiha Ninja. I'd have less freedom there than I do at the clinic in the clan compound. But Lord Hokage could assign Ninja to study at the Psychology Clinic. I'd teach them everything I know."
The Third paused, then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha... Kazuhiko, you certainly don't mince words."
[Sarutobi Hiruzen's favorability toward you has increased]
"I'm only telling it like it is."
Kazuhiko laughed as well. The Third clearly liked people who spoke their minds.
Naruto, you were right, weren't you?
The Third stood and walked to the window, turning his back to Kazuhiko.
"When the light of the fire kisses the fertile earth, when the cold wind sweeps through the forest, when war takes those we love, our hearts still beat in time with Konoha!"
He turned around, eyes shining.
"Those were your words, weren't they?"
Kazuhiko nodded. "Yes."
So you had noticed how loyal I was to Konoha after all.
"Good! Kazuhiko, take a look at this."
The Third picked up a scroll from his desk, marked S-Rank Classified.
He released the scroll's seal and showed Kazuhiko what was inside.
The contents were easy to sum up:
[One of the Sannin, Tsunade, suffers from Hemophobia and can no longer undertake combat missions.]
"The severity of Tsunade's condition is considerable."
The Third's smile vanished, his expression growing grave.
"You know Tsunade. Her Hemophobia is clearly caused by a psychological problem."
"That's why she disappeared and has remained out of sight until now."
"With Konoha's current medical technology, there's no way to resolve Tsunade's psychological problem."
"So I have a personal favor to ask of you today. I hope you'll use your psychological treatment to try to cure her Hemophobia."
"Of course, since this concerns Tsunade, the mission will be classified as an S-Rank top secret."
The Third looked at Kazuhiko, utterly solemn.
"Kazuhiko."
"You established psychological healthcare to address genuine psychological problems like this."
"Whether or not you succeed, I'll support you in establishing a Psychology Clinic at the Konoha Medical Headquarters."
"If you need anything, report it directly to me."
"Will you accept this mission?"
Before you continue