After school.
Uchiha Gen and Hatake Seiko left the Ninja Academy together. At the school gate, they spotted Hyūga Kagami standing alone, as if waiting for someone.
"Kagami," Uchiha Gen called out.
Hyūga Kagami stepped forward, his expression complicated.
"Uchiha Gen… I was waiting for you."
"Waiting for me?" Gen asked, surprised. "Is something wrong?"
Kagami glanced at Hatake Seiko beside him before saying quietly, "I want to talk to you alone."
Understanding the situation, Hatake Seiko smiled faintly.
"Go on ahead, Gen-kun. I'll see you later."
Uchiha Gen nodded and followed Hyūga Kagami toward a quiet river near the Ninja Academy.
The water flowed gently, reflecting the afternoon light. After a long silence, Kagami spoke.
"Uchiha Gen… I envy you."
"Envy me?" Gen turned to him in surprise.
"Yes," Kagami replied. "Your father married into the Uchiha Clan, making your family part of its branch line. Yet the Uchiha main family doesn't control or oppress the lives of its branch families."
There was bitterness in his voice.
Hearing this, Uchiha Gen let out a quiet sigh.
Hyūga Kagami suddenly stopped, turned toward him, and removed the white cloth wrapped around his forehead.
The Caged Bird Curse Mark was clearly engraved there.
"As one of the great dōjutsu clans of the shinobi world, why does the Hyūga Clan still maintain such a cruel division between main and branch families?" Kagami said bitterly.
"This mark is nothing more than the main family's brand of slavery on us branch members."
Uchiha Gen looked at the pale green seal on Kagami's forehead and spoke slowly.
"I've heard about the Hyūga Clan's system."
He paused, then continued,
"This Caged Bird Curse Seal may bind you… but from another perspective, it also protects you."
Kagami frowned slightly.
"It prevents the Byakugan from being stolen," Gen said. "Whether by enemies outside the village or traitors within it."
Gen smiled faintly.
"Our two clans have secretly competed for generations over who possesses the strongest dōjutsu. But honestly, I don't think that competition matters."
"In terms of individual combat, the Sharingan is powerful. But if I were a battlefield commander, I'd choose the Byakugan without hesitation."
"The Byakugan's reconnaissance abilities can determine the outcome of an entire war. Without the protection of the Caged Bird Seal, the Hyūga Clan would constantly be targeted, your eyes stolen, your people hunted from the shadows."
Hyūga Kagami was stunned.
He had always seen the curse mark as nothing but a chain around his neck. He had never considered that it was also a shield—albeit a cruel one.
After a long silence, Kagami quietly rewrapped the cloth around his forehead.
"Uchiha Gen… on the first day of enrollment, I wanted to fight you," he said softly.
"I wanted to prove that even with the Caged Bird binding me, I could still defeat an Uchiha."
He smiled bitterly.
"That's why I challenged you today. But I lost."
Uchiha Gen gazed at the flowing river and smiled faintly.
"It's a shame. Even without the Caged Bird, you wouldn't have beaten me."
Kagami didn't bristle or grow angry. Instead, he chuckled lightly.
"You're right. During today's match, I probably couldn't even make you fight seriously."
Gen's eyes flickered slightly.
"Kagami… don't underestimate yourself."
Kagami shook his head.
"My Byakugan saw it clearly. You didn't even fully circulate your chakra during our fight."
Gen inwardly cursed his carelessness. He had momentarily forgotten just how terrifying the Byakugan's perception truly was.
After a brief pause, Kagami said,
"I don't know why you're hiding your strength, but don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
He turned to leave, then stopped.
"Still… be careful. That guy—Senju Gen—has probably noticed you."
With that, Hyūga Kagami walked away.
"Senju Gen…"
Uchiha Gen frowned, recalling the boy with long black hair and eyes burning with battle intent.
---
When Uchiha Gen returned to the Uchiha Clan compound, the sound of metal cutting through the air echoed from deeper within the forest.
That direction…
He followed the sound and soon saw a familiar figure practicing shurikenjutsu.
Uchiha Itachi.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Itachi threw two shuriken in quick succession, then hurled a third at even greater speed. The third shuriken struck the first, altering both their trajectories. A heartbeat later, one shuriken struck another mid-air once more.
In the blink of an eye, all three shuriken changed direction simultaneously—embedding themselves perfectly into the bullseyes of three separate targets.
"Impressive," a voice said.
Uchiha Gen applauded as he stepped forward.
"Itachi, your shurikenjutsu just keeps improving. That technique is incredibly hard to defend against."
Itachi turned, his expression calm and distant.
"Oh… it's you. Long time no see, Uchiha Gen."
As Gen met Itachi's gaze, his brow subtly furrowed.
The Itachi before him felt completely different from the boy he remembered.
Back then, Itachi still carried traces of childish innocence. Now, his face bore a maturity—and a melancholy—that didn't belong to someone his age.
More than that, Gen sensed confusion, sorrow, and helplessness hidden deep within Itachi's eyes.
"Itachi," Gen asked after a moment, "have you been alright lately?"
Itachi was silent for a long time before speaking.
"Not long ago… Father took me to the battlefield. Against Kirigakure."
Gen's expression darkened.
"War is cruel. Clan Head Fugaku shouldn't have exposed you to something like that so early."
"This was my second time," Itachi said quietly.
"The first was when the war had just begun. I was four years old then."
He paused before continuing.
"This time, after we had wiped out the invading Mist ninja, I saw a severely wounded enemy shinobi. I told him not to be afraid… that I would save him."
"But while I was bandaging his wounds, he suddenly attacked me."
Itachi clenched his fist slightly.
"By the time I realized it, my shuriken was already in my hand… and his throat was cut."
"I didn't want to kill him. But if I hadn't, I would have died."
He looked up at Gen, his eyes filled with pain.
"Gen… why does war exist? Wouldn't peace be better? Why do people have to kill each other so mercilessly?"
Uchiha Gen let out a deep sigh.
If he could, he truly wanted to punch Uchiha Fugaku.
What kind of father took a child to a battlefield—twice?
Itachi was clearly bearing scars no child should have to carry.
"War happens because interests can't coexist peacefully," Gen said quietly.
"The Land of Fire is rich and fertile. Konoha holds enormous power and resources."
"Other nations want a share of that. We want to protect what we have. When interests clash… war becomes inevitable."
He looked at the shuriken in Itachi's hand.
"Itachi, war isn't something anyone truly wants."
"We shinobi are like these weapons—tools of the village and the daimyō."
"We don't choose where we're thrown."
---
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