After school, Uchiha Yuan and Hatake Harusora left the Ninja Academy together.
At the front gate, they saw Hyūga Kagami standing alone, quietly waiting.
"Kagami," Yuan called out.
Kagami walked over, his expression conflicted. "Uchiha Yuan, I've been waiting for you."
"For me?" Yuan asked, slightly puzzled. "What's the matter?"
Kagami glanced at Hatake Harusora before saying softly, "I want to speak with you alone."
Understanding, Harusora nodded. "Yuan-kun, I'll head off first."
The two walked to a small river near the academy. The water flowed gently beneath the afternoon sun.
Kagami stared at the rippling surface for a long moment before murmuring, "Uchiha Yuan… I envy you."
"Envy me?" Yuan looked at him with surprise.
Kagami continued, bitterness lacing his voice. "Your father married into the Uchiha Clan, so your family is considered an external branch.
But the main family doesn't control your life and death like they do to us in the Hyūga Clan."
Hearing the pain in his tone, Yuan sighed softly.
Then Kagami suddenly turned toward him and tore off the white headband from his forehead—revealing the mark of the Caged Bird Seal.
"Two great clans, both descended from the Sage's bloodline, both famed for our dōjutsu…
So why must the Hyūga be divided into the Main House and Branch House?
This Caged Bird Seal—this is nothing but the brand of slavery the Main House carves upon us."
Yuan gazed at the pale green seal etched upon Kagami's forehead and spoke calmly, "I've heard a little about the Main and Branch House of your clan.
This seal may indeed be your cage… but in another sense, it's also your protection.
It shields you from the covetous eyes of those within and outside the village."
He smiled faintly. "Our two clans have long competed in the shadows—who is the true number-one dōjutsu clan? But honestly, there's no need for that."
"In terms of individual strength, the Sharingan grants tremendous power.
But if I were a commander choosing which eye to rely on in battle… I'd choose the Byakugan."
"The Byakugan's scouting capabilities can decide the outcome of a war.
And without that Caged Bird Seal's 'protection,' your clan would be hunted constantly, your eyes targeted day and night."
Kagami froze. He had never thought of it that way.
To him, the Caged Bird Seal was nothing but a mark of bondage—a shackle of humiliation and pain. Yet now, he saw another perspective.
After a long silence, he quietly rewrapped his forehead with the white cloth.
Then he said, "Uchiha Yuan… I wanted to challenge you since the very first day we entered the academy, but the chance never came.
I wanted to prove that even with this cursed seal, I could still defeat an Uchiha. That's why I challenged you today.
But I lost."
Yuan smiled faintly, his eyes on the flowing river. "It's unfortunate, but even without that seal, you still wouldn't be my match."
At that, Kagami didn't show anger or resentment. Instead, he gave a soft, wry laugh. "You're right.
During our fight, I doubt I even made you take me seriously."
Yuan's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise. "Kagami, don't underestimate yourself."
But Kagami only smiled knowingly. "There's no need to comfort me.
My Byakugan saw it clearly—you didn't even activate your chakra when we fought."
Yuan blinked. He'd been careless, forgetting how keen the Byakugan's perception was.
Kagami continued, "I don't know why you're hiding your true strength, but don't worry—I won't tell anyone.
Still, you should be careful. Senju Gen seems to have his eyes on you."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Senju Gen…
Yuan frowned slightly, recalling the boy with long black hair.
The memory of Gen's sharp, battle-hungry gaze flickered in his mind.
When Yuan returned to the Uchiha compound, he passed through a wooded area and heard the sound of steel clashing in the distance.
That direction…
He followed the sound into the grove—and there, he saw a familiar figure practicing shuriken throws.
Uchiha Itachi.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Itachi flicked his wrist, sending two shuriken spinning through the air, then launched a third even faster.
The third struck one of the earlier shuriken midair, changing its course—then both redirected blades hit two separate targets.
A split second later, the third shuriken ricocheted off another, striking a third bullseye.
Three targets—three perfect hits in one seamless sequence.
Yuan clapped his hands lightly. "Impressive! Itachi, your shurikenjutsu has grown even more precise.
That kind of technique would be nearly impossible to defend against."
The applause drew Itachi's gaze.
Yuan stepped forward, smiling in genuine admiration. It had been a while since they last met, and Itachi's growth was astonishing.
As expected of a true prodigy of the Uchiha.
"So it's you," Itachi said quietly. "Long time no see, Uchiha Yuan."
When Yuan met his eyes, his smile faded slightly.
The boy before him was no longer the same as before.
The youthful innocence that once lingered on his face was gone—replaced by a somber, mature expression far beyond his years.
In those eyes, Yuan saw confusion… sorrow… and pain.
"You've changed, Itachi. Are you all right?"
Itachi was silent for a long moment before replying softly, "Yuan… not long ago, Father took me to the battlefield against Kirigakure."
Yuan frowned. "War is cruel. The clan leader shouldn't have let you witness such bloodshed at your age."
"This was actually my second time," Itachi said. "The first was when the war had just begun—back then, I was only three."
He paused, his voice trembling faintly.
"This time, we defeated the enemy forces from the Hidden Mist.
After the battle, I found a wounded Mist ninja. I told him not to be afraid—that I'd save him.
But as I was bandaging him… he suddenly attacked me.
Before I even realized it, my hand moved on its own. I had already drawn a shuriken—
and slit his throat."
His voice quivered. "I didn't want to kill him… but if I hadn't, I would have died."
"Yuan, why must there be war? Isn't peace good?
Why do people have to slaughter each other so mercilessly?"
Yuan sighed deeply. If he could, he would have given Clan Head Fugaku a beating right then and there.
What kind of twisted thinking made him bring a child—twice—to a battlefield soaked in blood?
Itachi, he realized, was suffering from what could only be described as battlefield trauma.
Seeing the anguish in the boy's eyes, Yuan spoke gently:
"War arises when the balance of interests between nations collapses.
The Land of Fire holds the most fertile lands in the world, and Konoha reaps the greatest share of those benefits.
The other nations and villages want to seize those gains for themselves—while we fight to defend our own.
That clash of interests breeds conflict… and when diplomacy fails, war becomes inevitable."
He looked at Itachi steadily.
"Don't blame yourself. War isn't something we, as individuals, desire.
Just like the shuriken in your hand—
we shinobi are nothing more than weapons, thrown by the daimyō and the village."
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