Chapter 19: Mirror Flower, Water Moon
The atmosphere in the command room suddenly chilled.
Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Kagami with a mocking smile, his gaze growing icy.
"Kagami… it seems Jiraiya never taught you manners."
A chilling chakra presence coiled around like a giant snake.
Kakashi was the first to feel the pressure, his hand instinctively moving to his short sword.
Minato looked between the two, feeling troubled.
He respected his teacher's old friend, but he also knew his junior Uchiha disciple's temperament. Kagami was even more difficult to deal with than most Uchiha, with little respect even for Jiraiya as his mentor.
Of course, that was partly Jiraiya's fault, given how he'd once used the two eight-year-olds as excuses after his own peeping escapades.
A short sword slid out from Kagami's sleeve, the blade gleaming as a glint of light flashed across it.
Time seemed to pause.
"Let's go, Minato-senpai," Kagami said, turning to leave.
Minato glanced back at the motionless Orochimaru and gave a wry smile. "Didn't Jiraiya-sensei explicitly say not to use that technique on allies?"
"Who said he's an ally?" Kagami replied coolly. "If you need an explanation, I sensed him coveting my eyes. Not finishing him off was already giving Jiraiya-sensei face."
"Lord Orochimaru is a seasoned shinobi. He only got caught in your jutsu because he was caught off guard as an ally. Don't get cocky just because—"
"I get it, you're a nagging blonde senpai."
…
Kakashi followed along, patting Minato on the shoulder. "Don't take it personally. I'm still called Dead-Fish-Eyes, White-haired Ghost. Kagami's actually pretty nice to you."
"Kakashi… you're the real kind one here." Minato gave a bitter smile, glancing back.
Hopefully, Lord Orochimaru would break free from the genjutsu soon.
In the command room, Orochimaru summoned a large snake, binding Kagami with its coils.
He didn't intend to hurt Kagami, but wanted to teach this arrogant kid a lesson. Only after Kagami's face turned red and Minato started pleading did Orochimaru release the serpent's hold.
"Kagami, remember to treat your seniors with…"
Suddenly, he felt something was off…
"Release!"
After a moment of blurred vision, the command room came back into focus.
There was no one there.
His amber eyes narrowed, a bead of sweat slipping down his forehead.
A genjutsu…
When did it happen?
Even with a Sharingan user, I was prepared to counter genjutsu the entire time.
I was definitely not caught then, which means…
It was when he drew his sword!
Orochimaru distinctly remembered that flash of the blade, then moving to subdue Kagami.
Such a terrifying level of genjutsu…
This boy is only eight years old…
How… marvelous!
In the dimly lit command room, a serpent of greed slithered in his mind.
---
"Hey, Kagami, what's the trigger for that technique of yours?" Kakashi asked, moving in closer.
Kagami pushed him aside impatiently. "Don't you know it's taboo among shinobi to ask about someone else's jutsu? That's a declaration of war."
Kakashi moved closer again. "That's true for most shinobi, but we're teammates. What's the harm in telling me?"
Influenced by Jiraiya, Minato, and even Kagami, Kakashi had moved past the trauma of his father's departure. However, being around Jiraiya so much had made him a bit more… flirtatious. He'd even started reading Icha Icha Paradise!
Nothing like his father… then again, a man who invented the Thousand Years of Death couldn't have been all that serious either.
So bold, the Hatake family.
Minato watched his two younger teammates sparring with a smile. "Kagami's technique must be activated through Shirayuki, right? A brilliant idea—to use swordplay to trigger a genjutsu. Perhaps it could be named… Uchiha Midnight's Lunar Blossom Illusion Technique!"
…
"Mirror Flower, Water Moon."
Kagami sighed, picking a name from his memories.
He'd developed this technique, inspired by Marusei Kosuke's(The eternal Genin) style, as a genjutsu through swordsmanship. Using the blade's reflection as a medium, it was essentially a way to cast Sharingan illusions through an alternative channel—a small trick, really.
Being able to trap Orochimaru with it was more due to Kagami's exceptional visual prowess.
"Oh, what a plain name. I still think Uchiha Midnight's…"
"Stop showing off your naming skills," Kagami said, pressing his fingers to his temples.
Minato was perfect in nearly every way—a saint, even in Kagami's view. Not long after becoming Jiraiya's disciple, Minato had taught the other two the Rasengan.
When Kagami learned the story, he realized that Minato hadn't actually named the Rasengan. With Minato's tendency, it was unlikely he'd come up with a name shorter than ten syllables.
This jutsu represented Minato's love for Kushina, so Kagami didn't bother taking credit for the name. After pretending to practice for a couple of days, he'd begun asking Minato how to add nature transformation to the Rasengan.
Kagami knew he wasn't as naturally gifted as Minato and couldn't rely on cheat abilities like Naruto's. He found it difficult to grasp the development of a Fire-style Rasengan.
Minato hadn't considered this issue, though he acknowledged that Naruto's Rasenshuriken would be the final form of Rasengan. But since Minato had no need for such a technique, he'd perfected Rasengan to use alongside his Flying Thunder God technique, dealing ample damage up close.
Still, Minato respected Kagami's dedication, spending additional time on this jutsu to work toward adding an elemental nature.
---
"Why are we even out here?" Kakashi asked suddenly.
We didn't receive a clear mission; Orochimaru just mentioned a Sunagakure squad and didn't specify further.
Minato clapped his forehead. "Right, sorry! I'll go back and ask Orochimaru-sama for clarification."
"What's there to ask?"
"Knowing where the enemy is should be enough."
A crimson glint flashed in Kagami's eyes.
He'd been anticipating this war for a long time.
This would be the most brutal war in shinobi history, lasting nearly a decade. Countless shinobi would perish, and it would leave deep scars, yet it would also forge true warriors.
In this war, Kagami planned to redefine the Uchiha's place in the world.
Uchiha should be the first noble clan in the shinobi world—
Not just Konoha's Uchiha.
---
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