Carefully observing the short-statured Uchiha in front of him, Hyuga Kagami's thoughts began to drift.
Uchiha Shisui.
A young man who profoundly influenced Itachi's life and indirectly contributed to the downfall of the Uchiha clan. A boy who yearned for reconciliation with the village but was ruthlessly betrayed and ambushed by Danzo.
After losing one of his Mangekyo Sharingan, he chose to end his own life to prevent further escalation between the Uchiha and the village.
This Uchiha, whose talent may have even surpassed Itachi's, ended his brief yet brilliant life in a truly tragic manner.
"Such a pity..."
Thinking about Shisui's fate, Hyuga Kagami couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow.
Shisui's downfall was partly due to his innocence. He shouldn't have revealed the existence of his Mangekyo Sharingan, let alone the fearsome genjutsu technique Kotoamatsukami, to the village elders.
Putting himself in the Hokage's shoes, Kagami understood: if someone in the midst of a coup had such an ability, he'd also find it difficult to rest easy.
Clearing his wandering thoughts, Hyuga Kagami smiled. "I've heard many stories about the Sharingan. I hope we get the chance to spar so I can witness its power firsthand."
Shisui smiled back. "Compared to your Byakugan bloodline, the Sharingan doesn't have much advantage. Still, I look forward to a match with you."
After a few polite exchanges, Shisui turned and left.
He was well aware of the village's growing suspicion toward the Uchiha, so he kept a respectful distance from others—for their safety as well as his own.
Watching Shisui walk away, Hyuga Kagami sighed lightly.
The Uchiha coup was laughable only because their top three talents were either sabotaging the effort or flat-out defecting.
Shisui and Itachi were traitors to the cause, and even the clan head, Fugaku Uchiha, was reluctantly swept along. He lacked strong conviction and ultimately gave up resistance upon learning his son had turned against the clan, sacrificing himself for Itachi's path.
Realistically, if the Uchiha had been united, even if success wasn't guaranteed, they could've torn Konoha apart. Shisui alone, with Kotoamatsukami, could have wiped out the village's upper echelon.
As Hyuga Kagami mused over these thoughts, Guy leaned over and whispered, "Hmm, Shisui may be famous, but he seems pretty easy to get along with for a Uchiha!"
Genma, chewing on a senbon needle, scoffed. "That depends on who he's dealing with. Kagami is from the Hyuga clan, of course he'd be polite. If it were you, he might not even give you the time of day."
Asuma also joined the conversation, face serious. "Don't let his demeanor fool you. If you run into him during the test, be very careful."
Guy looked curious. "How strong is he, really?"
"I heard he's taken down three Mist Jounin. He's acknowledged as a genius in the Uchiha clan." Asuma paused, then added, "My old man said he's already qualified to be a Jounin. This special Jounin exam is just a formality."
Everyone nearby was stunned. "What!?"
As they looked around the venue, it became clear: Shisui was the only Uchiha present. That said a lot.
Asuma shrugged. "Nothing surprising here. It's obvious the Uchiha only sent him."
People immediately looked around and confirmed that indeed, Shisui was the sole ninja wearing the Uchiha crest.
A heavy feeling settled over the group.
Asuma wasn't lying—of the fifteen available promotion spots, one was essentially guaranteed for the Uchiha.
Of course, this wasn't unfair. Given Shisui's strength, passing the exam was a given. In fact, reserving a spot for him limited how many other Uchiha could compete.
Hyuga Kagami then realized something—he seemed to be the only one from the Hyuga clan present. "Could the clan have struck some deal with the village, securing me a spot as well?"
Noticing the change in Kagami's expression, Asuma nudged him with a smirk. "Figured it out, huh? Your Hyuga clan probably did the same for you."
Kagami crossed his arms and pretended to be displeased. "Totally unnecessary."
Resentment over favoritism might have seemed hypocritical, but in front of his peers, he had to appear indifferent to special treatment.
Guy nodded seriously. "Yeah, with your strength, Kagami, this test won't be a problem."
Everyone had heard about Hyuga Kagami's recent accomplishments and knew his power had grown immensely. While they were surprised, they didn't hold a grudge—it was expected that noble clans would use their influence.
Just then, the Third Hokage appeared in the testing field.
Since all participants were experienced shinobi, Hiruzen didn't waste time with speeches. He went straight to the exam rules.
The test was primarily to assess combat ability. As long as you had sufficient power or a unique talent, you could pass.
That meant bloodline users or those with secret techniques had an edge over average ninja.
The matchups were random. Through a draw, Hyuga Kagami was paired against his classmate, Kurenai Yuhi.
Practice Field No. 9.
Hyuga Kagami stood with one hand on his hip, speaking calmly. "Kurenai, you're a bit unlucky."
Kurenai's expression turned dark. She didn't speak, only stared at Kagami intently, trying to spot a weakness.
As a genjutsu-type ninja, facing a dojutsu user was a tough matchup.
Everyone knew that both the Byakugan and Sharingan had natural resistance to genjutsu. They weren't completely immune, but standard illusions were far less effective.
Kagami himself was curious about how well his Tenseigan would resist genjutsu, so he didn't go on the offensive like usual. Instead, he calmly waited for Kurenai to act.
His composure put immense pressure on Kurenai, and she felt an ominous sense of foreboding.
Eventually, the tension forced her hand.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"
She opened with her signature genjutsu, one of her clan's secret techniques.
Kagami faltered for a moment, then immediately returned to a calm state, as if nothing had happened.
Kurenai gasped. "How is this possible!?"