Keep Bluffing

He explained, "And during the Nine-Tails' Rampage a few years ago..."

"Quite a few ninjas saw a pair of strange, crimson Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes with their own eyes!"

His voice was calm, yet his words were deafening!

Uchiha Itachi's pupils contracted. He suddenly realized something.

He couldn't help asking, "Was the Nine-Tails' Rampage caused by the Uchiha Clan?!"

"How is that possible!"

"Countless ninjas died in the village during the Nine-Tails' Rampage. If the Uchiha Clan really did it... then everyone would surely reject them!"

Uchiha Itachi's breathing quickened, his eyes filled with shock!

He understood the reason.

"The Nine-Tails' Rampage was why the Uchiha Clan was rejected!"

Despair crept into his dark eyes, and they gradually dimmed.

Countless ninjas had died in Konoha because of the Nine-Tails' Rampage.

Countless families had been shattered by the Nine-Tails' Rampage. Every one of those lives was crimson evidence of sin. If the Nine-Tails' Rampage really had been caused by the Uchiha Clan, then whatever the Uchiha Clan did... would be futile!

Evil was a heavy set of shackles!

"But there's no concrete evidence for any of this."

Hyuga Kagami's lips curled upward.

He glanced at the System Mission Panel.

[Mission Five: Sign in at the Clan Land Secret Room of the Uchiha Clan!]

[Mission Reward: Mangekyō Sharingan!]

[Mission Six: On the night of the Uchiha Clan's massacre, sign in at the Uchiha Clan!]

[Mission Reward: Rinnegan!]

Both missions required him to interact with the Uchiha Clan.

Especially the Uchiha Clan's secret room.

He'd need Uchiha Itachi to take him there.

Tsk.

Looks like he'd have to bluff the King of Bluffing, Uchiha Itachi!

"Without evidence, all speculation is baseless."

Hyuga Kagami's lips curled upward. "It's like those people at the Ninja Academy who are always picking on you and calling you ignorant and useless. Are they telling the truth?"

Uchiha Itachi stared at him, stunned.

He looked confused.

"There's no evidence... but it really was the Sharingan. Only the Uchiha Clan has the Sharingan."

Hyuga Kagami's mouth twitched.

Uchiha Itachi was great in every way, but damn, he could be stubborn! Uchiha Stubbornness!

"Not just anyone can control the Nine-Tails. A Three-Tomoe Sharingan doesn't have that kind of power."

Hyuga Kagami said coolly, "If the Uchiha Clan really could control the Nine-Tails, why wouldn't they just rebel?"

"With the Uchiha Clan's strength and the Nine-Tails' power, becoming Hokage would be a sure thing."

He sneered. "But your father didn't do that. Instead, he was constantly pushed aside, and in the end, he couldn't do anything about relocating the clan grounds."

"Everyone knows the Nine-Tails had nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan. It was just an excuse."

"Things aren't always as simple as they seem."

With that, he said no more.

Sometimes, less was more.

Planting a seed of doubt in Uchiha Itachi's heart was enough. A genius like him needed to discover the "truth" for himself.

That would make him trust Hyuga Kagami even more!

"Things... aren't as simple as they seem?"

Uchiha Itachi seemed to understand, as if he'd grasped something, but when he thought it over, he still wasn't quite sure.

But his dark eyes had grown much more somber.

As if... he had more to think about!

What Hyuga Kagami hadn't expected was that, when he reached his front door, he saw a lovely young woman waiting there.

She had flowing purple hair, a graceful figure, and delicate, gentle features. She paced back and forth restlessly, clearly having waited for quite some time.

"Hyuga Kagami!"

Uzuki Yugao's eyes lit up. She rose onto her toes and waved with a radiant smile.

When she smiled, it was as if the colors of the world around her changed. Sunlight fell across her delicate face, and her bright, sparkling eyes seemed to speak.

"I didn't know where to find you, so I had to come to the Hyuga Clan to look for you."

A hint of apology showed on her face. "Thank you for what you did last time. If you hadn't been there, Uchiha Lengfeng really would have bullied me."

As she spoke, Uzuki Yugao's cheeks flushed.

She held out a lunchbox with her slender, delicate hands.

Looking at Hyuga Kagami's tall, straight figure and his sharp, unruly White Eyes, she felt a strange flutter in her heart, and her pulse quickened.

"Here, I made you a bento. I hope you don't mind!"

"About that?"

Hyuga Kagami didn't think much of it. "There's no need to thank me. It was nothing."

"I'm sure anyone else would have done the same."

He hadn't expected Uzuki Yugao to come all the way to his home to thank him.

She was nothing like the women in his previous life who only ever ate and never treated anyone.

Or perhaps, in this world, ninjas were truly equal regardless of gender.

Uzuki Yugao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and lowered her eyes. "Not necessarily. Some things Kagami-kun thinks are perfectly normal—other people might see them and still not lend a hand."

"After all, making an enemy of the Uchiha Clan isn't a wise choice."

She smiled brightly. "Some people... might hide nearby and watch, then show up afterward as if nothing had happened."

If Hyuga Kagami hadn't been there, perhaps she really would have been touched by that sort of concern.

"Is that so?"

Hyuga Kagami considered her words, but didn't say anything more.

"You don't need to do this again. We're both ninjas from the same village, and besides, I'll rarely be home from now on."

After becoming an Anbu Ninja,

he'd have a constant stream of missions. He'd barely have any free time during the day!

That was why Hatake Kakashi had become so relaxed and laid-back after leaving the Anbu. Anbu missions were incredibly demanding!

Konoha might be at peace, but the Shinobi World wasn't!

Tensions simmered between the great nations and their hidden villages!

Uzuki Yugao was just about to say something when an angry shout suddenly rang out!

"Yugao! Is this why you turned me down?"

In the distance, Gekko Hayate glared furiously at the two of them, his eyes practically blazing!

"We've been friends since we were kids."

"Are you saying that someone you just met matters more to you than I do?!"

Gekko Hayate's chest heaved violently, and he couldn't help coughing.

He and Uzuki Yugao had been friends since they were kids!

They were classmates, and now they were both Anbu Ninjas, too. They were a match made in heaven!

But Uzuki Yugao had turned down his invitations more than once!

And now she was even making bento for someone else!!

"We've known each other for so many years, and I've never even had a bento you made, Yugao!"

Gekko Hayate sneered, his expression utterly grim.

Uzuki Yugao's brows drew together, her eyes cold as frost. "You followed me!"

"We've been friends since childhood, but what I choose to do is none of your business!"

Gekko Hayate panicked.

He hurriedly said, "I—I was worried someone might bully you."

"Other than me, no one will truly protect you. I'm your Childhood Sweetheart, the only one who'll protect you with all my heart!"

Disappointment filled Uzuki Yugao's eyes. "Protect me?"

"Can you really do that?"