Fame Spreads Across the World

"I know." A squeezed the words through his teeth. "Therefore, we must kill him before he fully matures."

He turned to look at Blue B: "How are you?"

"The effects of the genjutsu remain, but they are fading." Blue B rubbed his temples.

"That kind of genjutsu... it's terrifying.

It doesn't directly manipulate the mind; it distorts the senses.

What I see, hear, feel, and even what I perceive with Chakra, could all be falsified."

"Is there a way to break it?"

"Yes." Blue B put his sunglasses back on. "Either kill him before he activates it.

Or, use absolute power to overwrite all falsehoods."

He paused, then added:

"For example, a full Tailed Beast transformation."

A was silent for a moment, then patted Blue B on the shoulder: "Let's go. With this mission failed, the old man is going to yell at us again.

As for that Uchiha Ryūha..."

Killing intent flared in his eyes:

"There will be plenty of opportunities on the battlefield."

Late that same night, at the Konoha frontline base, in the medical sector.

The tent was filled with the pungent, mixed scent of disinfectant and blood.

Moans, stifled sobs, and the urgent commands of medical ninjas wove together into the most authentic background noise of war.

Uchiha Ryūha sat on a simple cot in the corner, eyes closed, regulating his breathing.

Matsumoto Ryūichi had two broken ribs and was receiving treatment in the next tent.

Haruno Kazuya and Fujiwara Itsuki had suffered minor injuries and shock, but were otherwise fine, so Ryūha had sent them off to rest.

His brief clash with the AB Duo had looked effortless, but the consumption had been significant.

Continuously using high-level Kido while maintaining the Complete Hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu was a heavy burden on his Reiatsu.

Fortunately, Captain-level Reiatsu not only amplified the power of Kido but also provided significantly better endurance than before.

The harvest this time was substantial—he had tested the effects of Kyōka Suigetsu on a prototype perfect Jinchūriki and gauged the current speed and strength of A.

More importantly...

"Did you hear? That Uchiha Ryūha from the Fourth Special Operations Squad fought the Kumogakure AB Duo at the border of the Land of Hot Water today!"

"The AB Duo? You mean 'Killer Bee' Blue B and 'A'?"

"Right! Word is they were evenly matched, and Uchiha Ryūha managed to retreat unscathed."

"For real? That's the AB Duo! The two strongest of Kumogakure's younger generation!"

"Absolutely true! The frontline patrol saw the aftermath of the battle; half that forest was leveled!"

"Tsk tsk, retreating unscathed from the AB Duo at eleven years old... with strength like that, could he be another White Fang?"

"More than that! I think he's even more exaggerated than White Fang was back in the day!

You don't know this, but he previously wiped out an entire elite Kumogakure scout squad by himself."

"No hand signs? Could it be a Kekkei Genkai?"

"Definitely! He's an Uchiha; if he has this kind of strength without even awakening his Sharingan, what will happen once he does?"

"It seems this war will produce another legend for Konoha..."

Outside the tent, the low murmurs of patrolling ninjas drifted in.

Uchiha Ryūha felt a bit helpless.

It wasn't that he didn't want to awaken his eyes; it was just that the necessary emotional stimulation was too difficult to come by.

Ever since he obtained Kyōka Suigetsu, every battle he encountered had been under his complete control.

Combined with his ever-growing Reiatsu, he finally understood why Aizen in the manga always maintained such a detached demeanor.

If all else fails, I'll just ask the clan head to hit me with a Tsukuyomi; that should be enough to awaken them.

With that thought, Uchiha Ryūha stopped dwelling on it. Just as he prepared to continue regulating his breathing, a commotion erupted outside the tent.

"...I've told you, that's not how you use a blade! That isn't Hatake Style at all!"

A crisp, youthful voice, laced with clear anger.

"Ha? You little brat, you're barely out of diapers and you're talking about swordsmanship? Do you have any idea how many Kumogakure ninja I've killed—more than the meals you've eaten!"

A rough, adult ninja's voice.

"Killing a lot doesn't mean you use it well! My father said that a blade is an extension of the arm, not a club for smashing things!"

"Your brute-force hacking is full of openings!"

"Your father? Who is your father? So arrogant?"

"Hatake Sakumo."

"...Uh."

Silence.

Then came a somewhat awkward cough: "So you are the son of White Fang... My apologies.

However, young master Kakashi, this is the Medical Corps, and the wounded need rest. Don't you think..."

"I'm just here to deliver medical supplies." The boy's voice remained cold. "And to point out your mistakes.

I'd hate for your next wound to be on your neck when you're carried in."

"You--!"

"Let him in."

Liuyu spoke up suddenly.

The voice was not loud, but it reached clearly outside the tent.

The curtain was lifted.

A silver-haired boy walked in carrying a crate of medical supplies.

It was none other than Kakashi Hatake.

He walked into the tent, his gaze sweeping across the room, and paused slightly when he saw Liuyu in the corner.

Then, he walked to the medical shelf in front of Liuyu, set down the crate, and began sorting the medicine.

His movements were so skilled that he didn't seem like a child at all.

"I heard what you just said," Liuyu said suddenly.

Kakashi Hatake's fingers paused, but he didn't look up. "Oh."

"You're right.

That Chunin's swordsmanship is indeed a complete mess." Liuyu smiled.

"However, pointing out flaws to someone's face is an easy way to make enemies.

On the battlefield, trust between teammates is very important."

"Trust is not built by hiding mistakes," Kakashi said coldly. "If he dies on the battlefield because of flawed swordsmanship, that would be the true irresponsibility toward all his teammates."

Liuyu raised an eyebrow.

Interesting.

He is sharper and colder than the Kakashi of this period in the original story, but also more... clear-headed.

It seems that the guidance from that day was useful, but the main reason is that his father is still alive.

It appears that Hatake Sakumo did not commit suicide, and since Kakashi did not lose his father, his personality has headed in a different direction.

He is no longer the "Copy Ninja" who numbs himself with rules.

Instead, he is a precocious genius who recognized reality early on, perhaps even a bit cold-bloodedly.

"That makes sense." Liuyu nodded and asked suddenly, "How is your father doing lately?"

Kakashi finally looked up at Liuyu. A faint ripple flashed through those dead-fish eyes.

"Father is doing well. He told me that if I met you, I should thank you on his behalf," Kakashi added after a pause.

"Although he doesn't say it, I know it was you who saved him."

"A mere trifle."

"It might be a trifle to you," Kakashi said, lowering his head to continue sorting the herbs, "but to me, it is everything."

He said it very calmly, but Liuyu could hear the weight behind his words.

"Why are you here?" Liuyu changed the subject. "The front-line base is no place for a Genin."

"Father sent me," Kakashi said. "He said that a true ninja is not raised in a greenhouse. And besides..."

He looked up toward the outside of the tent, where the sounds of groaning and crying were constant.

"I want to see with my own eyes what my father once faced. And," he looked at Liuyu, a sharp light flashing in his eyes, "I want to know just how strong the person who could repel the AB Duo really is."

Liuyu smiled.

"And have you seen it?"

"I've seen a part of it," Kakashi said honestly. "But I feel that is not your full strength."

"Smart." Liuyu stood up and walked over to Kakashi, looking down at the precocious boy. "So, Kakashi, do you want to become stronger?"

Kakashi's pupils constricted.

"Not through step-by-step training, and not by following the so-called 'righteous path'."

"Instead, use the fastest, most efficient method—even if it is branded as heresy—to gain the power sufficient to protect those who are important to you."

Uchiha Ryūha's voice was soft, yet carried a certain allure:

"Your father's path suited him, but it does not necessarily suit you.

You are a genius, but if a genius walks the wrong path, they will only fall all the faster."

"And so?" Kakashi's voice remained calm, but his fingers, clutching the medicinal herbs, tightened slightly.

"And so, I can teach you," Uchiha Ryūha smiled, "some... interesting things."

Outside the tent, the night wind howled, carrying the scent of smoke and blood from afar.

Inside the tent, the silver-haired youth looked up at Uchiha Ryūha, and for the first time, something fervent ignited within his cold gaze.