"What's your opinion on the newly joined Uchiha Shisui?"
After the meal, Orochimaru's shadow clone walked alongside Kagetsu on the way back to the Nara clan's territory and suddenly asked.
"He's strong, and his talent is obviously outstanding—exactly the type you, Orochimaru-sensei, like," Kagetsu replied.
"Deeper than that?" Orochimaru seemed somewhat unsatisfied with Kagetsu's answer.
"What do you mean by that, Orochimaru-sensei?" Kagetsu stopped and looked up to meet Orochimaru's gaze, responding with a question.
"He held back today." Orochimaru abruptly changed the topic.
"Maybe he was deliberately restraining himself to fit into our team?" Kagetsu avoided discussing Shisui's strength. As a powerful observer, Orochimaru's insight and judgment were far more accurate than his own, allowing him to see many more details.
"The world of ninjas is quite cruel, Kagetsu. Even among the same village, you should always stay alert. I've heard of Shisui; he's a Anbu talent that the old man is quite fond of, and he directly serves under him."
After saying this, Orochimaru fell silent, escorting Kagetsu back to the Nara clan's territory.
In the days that followed, it seemed like Orochimaru had forgotten what he said to Kagetsu that night. Uchiha Shisui's integration into the team went incredibly smoothly.
A strong, humble, and polite Uchiha—unlike the inexplicable arrogance often associated with his clan—was able to earn the trust and friendship of those around him.
At least, Anko didn't dislike Shisui and soon considered him a true member of the team.
Of course, it was hard to say whether it was just Shisui's willingness to patiently train with her, explaining her mistakes and helping her improve, that made her so satisfied.
"Are you not bringing Kagetsu along for training?" The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Having just finished a teaching session, Shisui looked at Kagetsu, who was lying on a branch in the distance, and curiously asked Anko. In the days they had spent together, Shisui noticed that Kagetsu rarely engaged in combat training.
"That's typical for the Nara clan, I suppose? I heard Kagetsu is considered pretty diligent. But if you hadn't joined us, I wouldn't have even had a training partner," Anko complained a bit.
"Kagetsu is our support and medical ninja; it's normal for him not to excel in combat. However, his support and medical ninjutsu, along with the Nara clan's intelligence, are still very important during missions," Shisui smiled.
"Kagetsu does have fighting ability; he just hates engaging in aimless battles," Anko corrected Shisui's impression of Kagetsu.
If Kagetsu lacked combat power, she would have long become the leader.
Shisui nodded thoughtfully. Although he hadn't seen Kagetsu demonstrate much fighting power these days, during their first mission as a team, Kagetsu had summoned a giant snake with his summoning jutsu, which at least proved his chakra capacity.
"Let's take a break," Shisui suggested, raising his hand.
"Then I'll go catch some game for lunch," Anko said, patting her stomach. After speaking, she dashed into the nearby woods. They had been mostly preparing their own lunches these days, which they claimed was to develop their wilderness survival skills.
A slightly nervous voice called out, waking Kagetsu, who felt tired and groggy after being pulled into Orochimaru's late-night research session.
As he opened his eyes, Kagetsu looked up from under the tree with a mix of anticipation and hesitation. "Where's Anko?"
He jumped down from the tree, landing smoothly in the open space in front of Shusui. He looked around but didn't see Anko, who always had a strong presence, and asked without thinking.
"She said she was going to hunt something for lunch," Shusui replied honestly.
"Is there something you want to talk about?"
Noticing Shusui's serious demeanor, Kagetsu decided to ask first. Despite the reasons for joining this team, he remembered Shusui as a good person from the original story, and because of his bloodline, Kagetsu wanted to keep their friendship.
"What do you think of the Uchiha clan?" Shusui hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke up under Kagetsu's gaze.
Kagetsu was surprised. He noticed Shusui's young face, which reflected a deep confusion and inner turmoil.
"What do you mean?" Kagetsu sat down in the shade of the tree, looking at Shusui, who was sitting cross-legged across from him.
"I want your opinion on what the village thinks, and what the higher-ups say," Shusui said, relieved that Kagetsu was open to talking, and grateful that he could express his feelings.
"Is this something you want to ask, or did someone ask you to? And why me, a kid younger than you?" Kagetsu rested his arm on his cheek, his eyes looking dull, almost like a dead fish staring at Shusui.
"It's my own question!" Shusui quickly changed to a serious kneeling position, placing his palms on his knees and speaking sincerely.
"As for why I'm asking you, I think you're more mature than me and can give me an answer. After all, the Nara clan is known for their intelligence, and many of them are the village's strategists.
Also, as one of Orochimaru-sama's most valued disciples, you should have insights into what some of the higher-ups are currently saying about the Uchiha.
You know, the Uchiha clan doesn't have a good reputation in the village, and some of the older members are more extreme about certain things."
"You're quite perceptive! You think so much at your age," Kagetsu replied after listening to Shusui.
"It's just that the clan head spoke to me about some issues, so I learned about the situation," Shusui explained frankly, shaking his head.
"It's a complicated question that can't be answered easily. Since your clan head made you aware of some problems, what does he think?" Kagetsu asked.
"The clan head wants me to be valued here by Orochimaru-sama," Shusui thought seriously about what the clan head had told him that day and summed it up.
"Just do your best then," Kagetsu said briefly.
"Huh? Is that all I need to do?" Shisui looked at Kagetsu in surprise.
"Your clan leader hopes for a future where the Hokage will be kind to the Uchiha. Right now, he has no better candidates, so you have become a bet for the Uchiha's future. There may be others in the future, but just focus on doing what you need to do," Kagetsu explained without lecturing Shisui.
"Is it about the Fourth Hokage?" Shisui pondered for a moment.
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