Chapter 18

Even a high-level powerhouse like Orochimaru was interested in the secret technique, so for Hyuga Kagami to say he wasn't curious would be deceiving himself. So, he spoke candidly: "What do you need me to do for you?"

Orochimaru asked a seemingly unrelated question, "What do you think of Uchiha Itachi?"

Hyuga Kagami answered without hesitation, "Unlike many so-called geniuses, he is a true prodigy. Maybe in just three to five years, he'll grow to a level others can't even dream of."

Orochimaru took a scroll from his cloak and tossed it to Hyuga Kagami. "Keep an eye on him for me. I'm very interested in that Uchiha."

With those words, Orochimaru vanished into the shadows as if he had never been there.

Holding the scroll Orochimaru had given him, Hyuga Kagami wondered inwardly, "What exactly is Orochimaru after? Itachi's Sharingan, or his entire body?"

There was no doubt about Itachi's talent—even the Third Hokage had praised him publicly. Still, Kagami couldn't quite understand what Orochimaru meant by "keep an eye on him."

Back at the camp, Kagami noticed Itachi scribbling in a small notebook and asked casually, "What are you writing?"

"I'm recording the mission log," Itachi replied earnestly.

According to the village regulations, shinobi were required to keep mission logs. These would be submitted and archived when the mission was completed.

But while that was the rule, very few ninjas actually documented everything meticulously.

Most, like Hyuga Kagami, simply recounted the mission verbally, and a staff member would record it at the mission center.

Kagami was impressed. "Itachi, you're the most meticulous and serious ninja I've ever met. You may be young, but you do everything with great care."

Closing his notebook, Itachi said, "I just want to learn more from my seniors."

Kagami smiled and didn't press further.

The return trip went smoothly. Unlike the slower pace on the way there, the two moved at full ninja speed and reached the village in just one week.

After submitting their mission logs, the Mission Center upgraded their mission rank from B to A-level.

This was due to the mission involving Cloud Village—another of the Five Great Shinobi Nations—and the fact that the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, had been involved.

Jinchuriki were considered among a village's top-tier combat forces, second only to the Kage. So, encountering one and still completing the mission warranted an upgrade in mission rank.

Of course, the reward they received was still based on B-rank pay. However, both Kagami and Itachi now had an A-rank mission completion on their records.

Completing an A-rank mission was rare for a Chuunin, let alone a student who hadn't even graduated yet. Itachi was clearly thrilled as they left the Mission Center.

Looking at Itachi's smiling face, Kagami thought, "Only now does he truly look like a child."

Itachi then bowed deeply and said sincerely, "Thank you for your guidance, senpai. I learned so much from this mission. You're a true shinobi of the Leaf."

Kagami chuckled. "I don't remember teaching you anything."

"You're not exactly talkative," Itachi admitted, "But your actions taught me a lot. Especially when we encountered the Two-Tails. You showed me what it means to stand firm as a Leaf ninja."

Kagami was momentarily stunned before asking, "Didn't you think I looked rather pitiful back then?"

Itachi shook his head.

Kagami grinned. "Do you know why I could stay calm in the face of the Cloud ninja's insults?"

Itachi thought for a moment and guessed, "Because anger clouds judgment, and a ninja shouldn't be emotional?"

"Nope," Kagami waved his hand and smirked, "It's because knowing Uchiha Itachi was suffering right alongside me made me feel a whole lot better!"

Itachi took it as a joke, exchanged a few more words, then took his leave.

As Kagami watched him go, he sighed lightly.

The Uchiha clan really was unique. They were extreme—Obito wanted to destroy the world over a lost love, while Itachi slaughtered his own family to protect the village.

If they were merely idealistic, it wouldn't be so concerning—the world had plenty of people like that.

But the Uchiha were different. The more extreme their emotions, the stronger their eyes became. And once their Sharingan evolved into Mangekyo Sharingan, they not only had the will to act on their beliefs—they had the power to do it.

It was a terrifying thought.

---

In the Hokage's office—

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffed on his pipe as he read through a file.

"The Uchiha kid just completed an A-rank mission?" he asked his aide.

Because the village was already closely monitoring the Uchiha, Itachi's mission report had reached the Hokage's desk almost immediately.

"Yes," the aide replied. "It was originally a B-rank, but since it involved Cloud Village and their Two-Tails Jinchuriki, the Mission Center upgraded it."

Hiruzen flipped through the records. "This Hyuga Kagami… is he connected to Orochimaru?"

"Yes," the aide confirmed. "During the war, Orochimaru used his connections to transfer Kagami from the front lines to a field hospital, where he worked as a guard. He didn't use medical ninjutsu but was skilled in treating trauma and had a good reputation. No red flags, aside from his close ties to Orochimaru."

Hiruzen opened Kagami's personal file and frowned. "He's already been through a cleansing operation?"

"Yes. The Root division targeted him, but the mission failed due to interference from an unidentified rogue ninja. One of the Root agents, Mitsui, was killed."

Hiruzen's frown deepened. "A rogue ninja? Are we sure about that?"

"We received similar intel from the Sand Village. Their assassination squad was also wiped out. Their report was vague—they likely know the culprit but won't tell us. Our intelligence division believes the so-called rogue ninja might be a defector from Sand."

Hiruzen finally relaxed. "If we're sure Kagami wasn't responsible, then observe him for a while longer. If nothing unusual happens, remove him from the purge list."

With Orochimaru's defection and the chaos following the Nine-Tails attack, the village had lost three Kage-level fighters in rapid succession: Orochimaru, the Fourth Hokage, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Spy reports from other villages suggested they were gearing up for something, sensing Konoha's weakened state.

Combined with the internal issues surrounding the Uchiha, Hiruzen was overwhelmed. The cleansing operations proposed by Danzo had been indefinitely postponed.