Fourth Shinobi World War

"If this is the extent of your capacity, then consider me as having never known you. Get out of here, Uchiha Itachi!"

Hyuga Kagami let out a cold snort, his expression as hard and unyielding as iron.

"Things change and people fade; Konoha has always been the same Konoha, never changing. It is only the people who change. Konoha is like a great tree; since it has already begun to rot, then all the parasites must be purged! If they cannot be purged, then push this tree over! Rebuild it from a new sapling!"

His face was full of wild ambition!

He was completely unshakable!

Uchiha Itachi's heart trembled. Looking up at Hyuga Kagami's handsome and peerless face, he felt an incomparable dominance and charisma!

Even... when the Hokage, the leader of Root, and countless clans were all rotting away.

Kagami-kun... still maintains such firmness in his heart?!

What kind of... will is this!

"Kagami-kun... I, I..."

The light gradually returned to Uchiha Itachi's ashen eyes, as if he had seen sunlight and hope in the darkness.

"You're right! I want to save Konoha, I want to... make Konoha better!"

Hyuga Kagami's lips curled upward.

As a genius who hid in the shadows and died without ever being vindicated, how could Uchiha Itachi be defeated so easily?

For Uchiha Itachi, he was in despair, but that was only because he had lost his purpose in life.

Since he had already lost it, wouldn't it be simple enough to just establish a new one for him?

Uchiha Itachi's core principle was to protect Konoha; now that Konoha was rotting, then he would simply change it to rebuilding Konoha!

"Very good, this is the Uchiha Itachi I know!"

Hyuga Kagami gave Uchiha Itachi's shoulder an approving pat: "Let us work together to build a new Konoha!"

Uchiha Itachi looked at Hyuga Kagami—his tall stature, his kind and sunny face, his powerful will, his domineering strength... his entire being radiated a light that made one want to submit.

This was a leader worth following!

Hyuga Kagami's mouth twitched; he wondered if this guy's brain had short-circuited again.

Uchiha Itachi stood up abruptly and nodded heavily: "Kagami-kun, you are right!"

His voice paused as he suddenly thought of something.

His gaze couldn't help but drift toward the three dead bodies.

"Now that the Cloud Village ninjas have been killed, the Cloud Village will surely realize something is wrong when they don't return for a long time. When that happens... a war might truly break out!"

Uchiha Itachi looked worried: "What should we do?"

War would drag countless ninjas into the fray.

For Konoha, this was by no means a good thing.

Hyuga Kagami's lips curled up: "War isn't necessarily a bad thing. Only through baptism can one truly bloom with brilliance; people are like that, and so is Konoha."

"Using war to purge the rot is the best method. What we must do is gain higher prestige during the war—high enough to... turn the tide of Konoha's situation!"

Prestige is a terrifying thing.

Especially on the battlefield.

Why was Namikaze Minato able to become the Fourth Hokage? Firstly, the Third Hokage was forced to abdicate, and secondly, it was Namikaze Minato's terrifying prestige, where a single call on the battlefield would bring a thousand responses!

He was practically a god in the hearts of Konoha's ninjas!

With absolute prestige, even if Namikaze Minato told them to rebel, they would follow without the slightest hesitation!

This was also the reason why Hitler could maintain absolute control over the military; it was because his prestige was too high!

"So war... has this kind of utility too?!"

Uchiha Itachi was stunned.

Suddenly, his pupils constricted as he thought of something, and his scalp began to tingle!

Kagami-kun... from the very moment he made his move, he had already thought of the strategy that would follow!

Killing the Cloud Village ninjas wasn't just to retrieve the body of Hyuga Hizashi; it was also to catalyze the start of a war, all to gain immense prestige and purge the darkness of Konoha!

His whole body trembled, and he couldn't help but take a deep breath: "This... this is truly too insane."

"To purge Konoha... you would start a war?"

This was too terrifying!

At this moment, he suddenly realized that he, who had been called a genius, was nothing but an ant compared to Hyuga Kagami!

Kagami-kun's spirit, his vision.

And the capacity of his heart were countless times greater than his own!

War!

How many people avoided this at all costs?

How many people feared the unknown of it?

Yet, Hyuga Kagami was not only unafraid, but calm and composed as he actively triggered the start of the war, plotting everything he desired amidst the chaos, like an invisible hand manipulating the conflict from within.

"Itachi, this plan is too massive, too dangerous." Hyuga Kagami's expression was calm, even carrying a hint of consolation. "Once discovered, there will be no place for your body to rest. Even if you were lucky enough to survive, you would become a rogue ninja."

"You are my friend, and I do not want to see you get hurt. Even now, you still have the chance to back out."

When dealing with geniuses.

Do not always try to deceive them.

Reverse psychology is far more effective.

"I will not back out!"

Uchiha Itachi's expression was resolute; the word "friend" had truly touched his heart.

"Please believe in me, Kagami-kun. I will become the blade in your hand, piercing through the darkness of Konoha and allowing it to be reborn!"

"Only a reborn Konoha is worth protecting. The current Konoha is already riddled with decay!"

Konoha must be swept clean of its darkness!

Hyuga Kagami rubbed his nose. As expected, the toxic "chicken soup for the soul" from his past life was still quite useful.

"Then work hard to improve yourself. Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. Let us wait for the right moment to arrive and strike with peerless force! Before that, you can join the Anbu to gain more opportunities."

Hyuga Kagami offered his advice.

Once in the Anbu, Uchiha Itachi would inevitably be valued, and he would be able to easily obtain a great deal of Konoha's intelligence and secrets.

"I understand!" Uchiha Itachi's dark eyes were firm. "I will make my father agree to let me join the Anbu!"

His father would basically never agree to this.

But so what?

For the sake of purging Konoha, he was willing to defy his father!

The night was deep. Hyuga Kagami casually conjured a ball of flame, burning the three corpses until nothing remained. The two exchanged a glance and vanished into the darkness.

Hyuga Kagami's lips curled upward. "A bountiful harvest tonight!"

"Having brought Uchiha Itachi under my command is equivalent to gaining a future powerhouse with the Mangekyou Sharingan!"

Uchiha Itachi was not just a genius in combat.

He also possessed an extremely high strategic vision.

For instance, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, everyone was struggling bitterly against the dead brought back by Edo Tensei.

Yet, Uchiha Itachi was the one who thought to undo the Edo Tensei.

By ultimately sealing Yakushi Kabuto, he paved the way for the Allied Shinobi Forces to achieve victory.

Otherwise, the dead brought back by Edo Tensei would have exhausted the Allied Shinobi Forces to death!

"This was a massive profit!"

Hyuga Kagami's lips curled upward. "Uchiha Itachi has been subdued; can Uchiha Shisui be far behind?"

He rubbed his chin.

Uchiha Shisui's loyalty to Konoha was deep-rooted. Trying to change him would be much harder than it was with the young Uchiha Itachi. This matter... would require a certain strategy and the right timing.

"Furthermore, perhaps... the Fourth Shinobi World War will happen sooner."

A sharp glint flickered in the depths of Hyuga Kagami's eyes. "Although the Raikage is reckless, he also has a clever and meticulous side. It seems I still need to do something to add a catalyst to the war."

His lips curled upward.

In the darkness, a pair of White Eyes shimmered.