Chapter 336: The Two Women Secretly Compete; Uchiha Itachi: I Will Carry Out My Way of Protecting... [HN]

The starlight beside the Naka River gently fell upon the two people embracing each other, but this peaceful moment did not last long.

Chiya keenly sensed a familiar and hurried chakra approaching, so he gently patted Konan on the back. “Looks like the Hokage’s rest time is over.”

His tone carried a hint of helplessness, but there was no displeasure in it.

Konan understandingly released him and straightened his slightly wrinkled collar. A trace of reluctance flashed through her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by understanding. “Go.”

Chiya nodded, and the next moment, his figure disappeared from where he stood.

When he appeared again, he was already standing beside the window of the Hokage Building.

Inside the office, Nara Shikaku, Namikaze Minato, and Teuchi had already been waiting for him, and the expressions on their faces were somewhat grave.

“Lord Hokage.”

Minato spoke first, his voice urgent.

“We have received an emergency report from the border. The outpost at the border between the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Fire lost contact half an hour ago. Based on the vague signal sent back before contact was lost, it may have encountered a powerful barrier or… been destroyed in an instant.”

Shikaku added, “At the same time, several miniature chakra sensors from the Scientific Academy deployed in the border area detected a brief but extremely powerful fluctuation of Natural Energy. The pattern… is different from any known summoning beast or Sage Chakra.”

“Natural Energy?”

Chiya’s eyes narrowed. He had only just been thinking about how to guide the next generation toward Sage Jutsu, and he had not expected the clue to appear in this way.

“Are you certain it isn’t a Tailed Beast or some special bloodline ability?”

“That possibility has basically been ruled out.”

Shikaku answered firmly.

“Dean Orochimaru’s preliminary analysis suggests that its nature is closer to the Sage Jutsu of Ryūchi Cave, but much more violent and chaotic.”

Ryūchi Cave?

Thoughts raced through Chiya’s mind. Ryūchi Cave, one of the three great sacred lands.

‘If their power has leaked out, or if someone has mastered this power and used it to attack others…’

“Minato, personally lead a team of ANBU to the incident site and investigate as quickly as possible. Confirm the safety of the personnel first, then determine the source of the energy. Take the latest communication seal array with you and maintain contact.”

“Understood!”

Minato accepted the order and instantly disappeared in a flash of golden light.

“Shikaku, raise the village barrier alert level, especially the monitoring of abnormal Natural Energy. Inform Orochimaru and have him fully analyze the energy data. Also…”

Chiya paused for a moment. “Secretly inform Jiraiya and have him keep an eye on Ryūchi Cave’s movements.”

“Yes.”

Shikaku nodded and turned to leave to make the arrangements.

Chiya walked to the window and looked out over Konoha.

Beneath the appearance of peace, undercurrents had never stopped surging.

This sudden Natural Energy fluctuation could be a crisis, but it might also be a key.

The next morning, Chiya did not allow the sudden incident from the previous night to disrupt his original plans.

He arrived at a training ground upstream of the Naka River, where Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui were already waiting.

“Teacher.”

Itachi respectfully bowed. His ANBU mask was hanging from his waist, revealing a handsome yet slightly tired face. After awakening his Sharingan, he seemed even calmer.

Shisui still wore his usual cheerful smile. “Teacher, are you giving us some special training today?”

Chiya looked at the two Uchiha and spoke in a serious tone. “Itachi has awakened his Sharingan, and Shisui, your Mangekyō Sharingan also requires deeper strength to control. Regular training in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu is certainly important. But if you want to reach a higher level, you must understand the more fundamental power of this world, Natural Energy.”

“Natural Energy?”

A light of curiosity appeared in Itachi’s eyes.

“Yes.”

Chiya nodded and began explaining it in simple terms.

“The chakra we use is formed by combining physical energy and spiritual energy. Natural Energy is a vast power that exists within all things in the world, including mountains and rivers. When Natural Energy is perfectly balanced and fused with your own chakra, it forms Sage Chakra, allowing you to use Sage Jutsu, whose power far exceeds that of ordinary ninjutsu.”

He extended his palm, and strands of energy visible to the naked eye, carrying a faint glow, began gathering toward his palm.

“Detecting Natural Energy is the first step, and it is also the most dangerous step. If you cannot absorb and balance it properly, you will be assimilated by Natural Energy and become a strange stone statue.”

Chiya’s voice became serious.

“I will guide you through the initial process of sensing it. Remember, keep your minds completely calm, like still water.”

Under Chiya’s protection, Itachi and Shisui sat cross legged and tried to empty their minds, attempting to sense the invisible yet omnipresent Natural Energy.

For two Uchiha with strong minds who had also experienced pain, this was not easy.

Shadows of their ANBU missions occasionally flashed through Itachi’s mind, while Shisui was concerned about the situation inside and outside the village.

Just as the two struggled with the process and Chiya carefully guided them, a fiery red figure rushed into the training ground like a whirlwind.

“Lord Hokage! So you were here!”

Yūhi Kurenai appeared breathlessly. She seemed to have just finished intense training, with fine beads of sweat covering her forehead and a healthy flush on her cheeks from exercise. Her tight ninja outfit outlined her graceful figure.

When she saw Chiya instructing Itachi and Shisui, she froze for a moment.

A trace of disappointment flashed through her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

“Kurenai?”

Chiya’s eyes narrowed slightly. Training in Natural Energy was extremely dangerous, and this training could not be disturbed.

Kurenai took a deep breath as if she had gathered all her courage, then took out a carefully wrapped food box from behind her.

“I… I made some snacks. I thought you might not have eaten breakfast yet… Also, regarding my newly developed Genjutsu, Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death Reformed, there are some key points I wanted to ask you about! I feel that with just a few adjustments, its binding power and activation speed could both be increased by thirty percent!”

Her words came in a rapid stream, and she looked at Chiya with burning eyes. Her intense feelings were almost completely undisguised.

Shisui, who had broken out of his meditative state, could not help secretly winking at Itachi.

Itachi kept his eyes lowered and his expression calm, as if he were an old monk deep in meditation, but his slightly reddened ears revealed that he was not completely unaware of what was happening.

Chiya felt a headache coming on.

Kurenai’s approach was as aggressive as ever, and she had never cared much about the occasion.

He was just about to speak when another cool voice came from nearby.

“I have already prepared Chiya-nii’s breakfast.”

Konan had arrived at some point. She carried an old fashioned food box in her hand, and her calm gaze swept over the snack box in Kurenai’s hands before finally settling on Chiya.

“Also, the preliminary list of candidates for the Transnational Young Ninja Exchange Program needs you to review and make the final decision.”

She walked over to Chiya and naturally handed him the food box before looking at Kurenai and giving her a slight nod.

“Jonin Kurenai, good morning. It does not seem appropriate to disturb someone during training.”

Kurenai’s face instantly flushed red. She tightened her grip on the food box and responded without backing down. “Lady Konan, good morning. I am only concerned about Lord Hokage’s health, and I only asked for his guidance during a break in the training. As for you, as a foreign guest, you seem a little too concerned about Lord Hokage’s schedule.”

That familiar and subtle tension once again filled the air.

Shisui had already lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly as he desperately tried to hold back his laughter.

Itachi remained expressionless.

Chiya sighed, knowing that today’s training could no longer continue.

He accepted Konan’s food box, then spoke to Kurenai in a gentle but firm tone. “Kurenai, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, and I will keep the snacks for now. As for your new technique, first write a report detailing the technique’s structure and the problems you have encountered, then submit it to Shikaku. I will make time to review it. For now, Itachi, Shisui, and I have something important to discuss.”

He then looked at Konan. “I will review the list later. We can discuss the cooperation arrangements in my office.”

This handling essentially gave both sides equal treatment while temporarily sending them away.

Konan gave Chiya a deep look without saying anything else, then turned and left gracefully.

Kurenai pursed her lips unwillingly before stuffing the snack box into Chiya’s hands and speaking softly.

“Then… remember to eat it.”

After saying that, she also turned and ran away.

Chiya looked at the two food boxes in his hands and helplessly shook his head.

Shisui finally could not hold back his laughter. “Hahaha, Teacher, you really have… a happy problem!”

Itachi also raised his head. A trace of barely noticeable sympathy appeared in his eyes as he softly asked, “Teacher, should we… continue?”

Chiya looked at his two disciples, placed the food boxes to one side, and spoke seriously.

“Continue. No matter how much turmoil exists outside, your heart for cultivation must not be disturbed. Remember the feeling from before, especially how to quickly regain inner calm when your emotions fluctuate. That is also part of cultivation.”

His gaze swept over Itachi and Shisui. “For a ninja, especially one who may step into the shadows, controlling emotions is more important than controlling power.”

Itachi’s body trembled slightly, as if he had understood something, and he closed his eyes again.

This time, his breathing became longer and steadier.

Shisui also put away his joking expression and became serious.

…

Three days later.

Uchiha Itachi’s ANBU career faced its true test.

The ANBU squad he belonged to received a pursuit mission.

The target was a Konoha Chunin named Aota Kenichi, who was suspected of leaking some civilian technology data from the Scientific Academy to Kumogakure.

However, during the pursuit, Itachi used the insight of his Sharingan and his calm analysis to discover that the matter was not as simple as it appeared.

Through interrogation and tracking the clues, he discovered that Aota Kenichi had been coerced.

Kumo ninjas had kidnapped his daughter and used her to force him to steal the data.

After handing over some unimportant information, Aota was tormented by guilt and tried to seek anonymous help from ANBU, but he was accidentally exposed and had no choice but to flee.

Deep inside an abandoned mine, the ANBU squad found Aota Kenichi hiding there.

His clothes were tattered, his mind was on the verge of collapse, and he tightly clutched a small hair clip that belonged to his daughter.

“I… I never wanted to betray the village… They took my daughter… Please, save her…”

Aota knelt on the ground, tears and mucus streaming down his face.

The ANBU squad captain, a cold man with the codename Leopard, expressionlessly raised the short blade in his hand.

“Leaking the village’s intelligence makes you a traitor. A traitor has only one path, death. As for your daughter, we will try to rescue her, but we cannot guarantee that she is still alive.”

“No! Don’t! I know a secret meeting point used by Kumo ninjas in the Land of Fire! I can take you there! Please, give me a chance!”

Aota screamed in despair.

Leopard’s blade did not stop in the slightest.

At that moment, Itachi moved.

He stepped in front of Aota. Although he was small, his figure was exceptionally firm.

“Captain, what he said is true. The information about that meeting point may save his daughter and could even help us uncover more of Kumo’s spy network. Killing him now would be a waste.”

Leopard’s gaze passed through his mask and coldly fell upon Itachi.

“Raven, are you questioning my judgment? Or has your Sharingan given you unnecessary sympathy? Have you forgotten the rules of ANBU?”

“I have not forgotten the rules.”

Itachi’s voice remained calm, but carried an undeniable force.

“ANBU’s duty is to eliminate threats to the village and protect the village’s interests at the lowest possible cost. Right now, he is more valuable alive than as a corpse. I believe we should take him back to the Interrogation Department, extract all the information, and then deal with him.”

The atmosphere inside the mine instantly became tense.

The other ANBU members silently watched the confrontation between the two.

Although Itachi was young, the three tomoe of his slowly rotating Sharingan gave off a chilling presence.

Leopard stared at Itachi for a long time before finally slowly lowering his short blade and snorting.

“Fine. I will give you this chance. Raven, you are responsible for watching him. If anything goes wrong along the way, you will answer for it!”

After the mission ended, Aota Kenichi was taken back to the Interrogation Department and quickly revealed the key intelligence.

Based on the information he provided, ANBU successfully raided Kumo’s meeting point and rescued several kidnapped people, including Aota’s daughter, who was barely alive.

The incident caused considerable shock within ANBU.

Itachi’s calmness, decisiveness, and precise judgment of value earned him the respect of some members, but others believed that he had acted too emotionally and had damaged the purity of ANBU.

That night, Itachi once again climbed the Hokage Rock.

He touched the cold stone as Aota’s desperate cries, the captain’s cold blade, and the hollow look in the eyes of the little girl who had been rescued echoed through his mind.

‘Does protecting Konoha mean eliminating traitors without hesitation?’

‘Even if that traitor was forced into it?’

‘Can protecting the interests of the majority really justify sacrificing the minority?’

He remembered the words of his teacher, Chiya.

“The meaning of power lies in protection… True protection is not empty talk. It means possessing enough power to withstand the storm before it arrives, and becoming a blade that can cut through the fog when darkness begins to spread.”

‘Was the choice I made today right or wrong?’

‘Am I protecting them, or am I going against that very protection?’

Amid his intense thoughts and emotional conflict, the tomoe in his eyes once again appeared uncontrollably. Their rotation accelerated, and a faint burning sensation emerged.

He felt that his insight had improved slightly again. His perception of chakra flow and the emotions of others had both become sharper.

He still had no answer.

But he knew that he could not execute the rules without emotion like Leopard.

His path of protection had to be forged by himself, step by step, in the gap between darkness and light.

Itachi took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination.

“I will carry out my way of protecting…”

As his voice fell, his body instantly disappeared from where he stood.