Cursing to Someone's Face

"The Hokage and the leader of Root are fighting over Kagami-kun?"

"This is... just too absurd, isn't it?"

Standing to the side, Uchiha Itachi watched in stunned silence.

As the top student in his grade, was he really no longer the most sought-after talent?

He couldn't help but glance at the wall Hyuga Kagami had just struck; it was now nothing but ruins. It was terrifying to imagine what would happen if that attack had landed on a person!

At this moment, Hyuga Kagami suddenly looked up and said to the two men, "Lord Hokage, I wish to join the Anbu."

"Thank you for your favor, Lord Hokage."

His expression was calm, neither servile nor overbearing.

It was as if he were speaking of something as simple as eating or drinking water.

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in admiration. Although the boy was only eight, he already possessed the spirit of a powerhouse. To remain so composed even when facing him, the Hokage—this was the heart of a true warrior!

"Hyuga Kagami, have you considered the consequences of refusing me!"

Shimura Danzo suddenly spoke, his face as dark as deep ink.

A terrifying chill erupted from the depths of his eyes.

Refusing his goodwill?

From this day forward, he would be an enemy of Root!

"You are already over fifty, yet you still linger at the level of an elite jonin. What... kind of methods could you possibly have?"

Hyuga Kagami scoffed, his eyes sharp as he looked down upon Shimura Danzo!

If not for the Sharingan, Shimura Danzo would never have stepped into the realm of Kage-level powerhouses even at the moment of his death.

Years of stagnation had already proven his lack of talent!

A rat hiding in the sewers of Konoha was not worthy of his regard!

"You are courting death! Hiruzen, is this the kind of subordinate you have? Hyuga Kagami is still a student, yet he dares to talk back to me, the leader of Root and a high-ranking official of Konoha. Are we to tolerate such a student in our village?"

Shimura Danzo's face turned the color of liver!

His expression was grim!

He was the leader of Root!

He was a high-ranking official of Konoha, yet he was being talked back to by a child. It was a complete loss of face!

"A ninja with such a lack of discipline would be better off being sent to Root for proper correction!"

Once he entered Root, everything would be up to him. Even if the boy died there, he could easily stage an accident!

A member of the Hyuga Branch Family... was not worth much!

"A rat hiding in the underground of Konoha—Danzo, your only contribution to the village is tarnishing its name!"

Hyuga Kagami sneered, refusing to back down.

Shimura Danzo was furious to the point of death.

His eyes were dark, and his hand rested on his kunai!

"Enough, Danzo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted sharply, "Kagami-kun is now a member of my Anbu. As the leader of Root, you are provoking him at will—do you expect Kagami-kun to simply endure such humiliation?"

"As the leader of Root, you should lead by example!"

Hyuga Kagami certainly shouldn't have talked back to Shimura Danzo.

But Shimura Danzo had been far too presumptuous lately; seeing Hyuga Kagami stand up to him brought a sense of satisfaction to his heart!

"Hiruzen, one day, you will regret today's decision!"

Shimura Danzo's face was unsightly as he spat out a final threat.

He turned and left.

He didn't even bother fighting for Uchiha Itachi anymore!

If he stayed any longer, he feared he would die of rage!

Beside them, Uchiha Itachi was already dumbfounded, his eyes wide with disbelief: "Danzo... that's the leader of Root, and Kagami-kun just pointed at his nose and cursed him? And there were no consequences?"

This was too absurd!

Could it be... that Kagami-kun was some illegitimate son of the Hokage, which was why he received such treatment?

Otherwise, talking back to Shimura Danzo would surely have resulted in a harsh lesson!

Furthermore... Kagami-kun had joined the Anbu, and Uchiha Itachi looked on with envy; this was the place he had always wanted to enter!

"From this day forward, Kagami-kun, you shall be an Anbu ninja!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was very satisfied.

Given Hyuga Kagami's strength, he didn't need any training at all and could begin executing missions immediately.

"And what about you, Itachi-kun? Would you like to join the Anbu as well?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Uchiha Itachi with a beaming smile.

"You two are classmates; once you enter the Anbu, you can look out for one another."

His gaze was eager, filled with excitement!

Hyuga Kagami was already an unexpected windfall.

If Uchiha Itachi could also join the Anbu, then the strength of the organization would be even greater, and he might even be able to use Uchiha Itachi to tighten his grip on the entire Uchiha Clan!

After all, Uchiha Itachi was the son of the Uchiha Clan head, Uchiha Fugaku!

As the eldest son.

With Uchiha Itachi's talent, his future as the head of the Uchiha Clan was a certainty!

"Lord Hokage, I need to discuss this matter with my father."

Uchiha Itachi's expression was stirred.

Although he wanted to join the Anbu, such a matter required consulting his father first; after all, Konoha and the Uchiha Clan... had certain conflicts!

"Of course you may."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was benevolent: "Both of you are now Genin."

He handed over the forehead protectors he held in his hands.

"You two may go back and rest now!"

Watching the retreating backs of Uchiha Itachi and Hyuga Kagami, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes shone with excitement!

"Uchiha Itachi already possesses the strength of an elite Chunin, while Hyuga Kagami's physical power can even rival an elite Jonin! The talent of these two is even greater than that of Orochimaru back in the day!"

"They will surely become assets in my hands!"

His expression was excited, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

Lately, Shimura Danzo's activities had become increasingly frequent, leaving him feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

Now that he had Hyuga Kagami, things would be much easier; he hoped... that Uchiha Itachi would also be able to join the Anbu!

However... a cold glint flashed in the depths of his eyes!

The loyalty of these two still needed to be confirmed!

Uchiha Itachi and Hyuga Kagami walked toward their homes.

Now that the two had become Genin, there was no longer any need for them to stay at the academy.

"I never expected your strength to be so formidable, Kagami-kun!"

Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but exclaim: "With your power, I fear you can rival an elite Jonin-level taijutsu specialist! You will surely shine brilliantly in the future!"

That power, speed, and oppressive force were simply terrifying.

They left one with no time to react at all!

Suddenly, he seemed to think of something.

He sighed.

"Kagami-kun, I truly envy you for being able to join the Anbu, while I have to ask my father, and in the end, I might not even be able to join."

He looked somewhat dejected: "After all, there has always been a rift between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha."

"But, we are all in the same village, so why must there be a rift between us?"

Uchiha Itachi was somewhat puzzled.

In his view, reconciliation between the two sides was a very simple matter.

The ninjas and villagers within the village were all family!

To protect Konoha was to protect his clan!

"It's not that simple."

Hyuga Kagami glanced at Uchiha Itachi, the future King of Kings, who was still just a little brat.

He didn't even understand why the Uchiha Clan and Konoha had such a deep rift.

"When the village was founded, the Uchiha Clan was ostracized by others because they were not good with words, had gloomy personalities, and possessed the trait of undergoing drastic personality changes after awakening the Sharingan."

Hyuga Kagami narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke slowly.