Chapter 279: Emotional Investment

Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Emotional Investment

Recalling his earlier clash with Hiruko during the Kekkei Genkai fusion ritual, Hyuga Kagami slowly said, "If nothing unexpected happens, Hiruko will definitely retaliate against the village in the near future."

Hiruko’s personality—his desperate desire for recognition and attention—had already predetermined the way he would act.

In truth, this wasn’t particularly difficult to predict.

Moreover, within the Akatsuki, Obito was completely fixated on destroying Konoha, destroying the Uchiha clan, and tearing down the entire order of the shinobi world. So even if Hiruko himself managed to restrain his impulses for a while, Obito would inevitably provoke him into attacking Konoha sooner or later.

Hearing this, Shisui’s face filled with worry.

Shisui had always placed absolute faith in Hyuga Kagami’s judgment. In his mind, if Kagami concluded that Hiruko would seek revenge against the village, then it was something that was bound to happen.

The only uncertainties were when it would happen and how Hiruko would strike.

Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, night descended.

Blanketed beneath pristine white snow, Konoha bathed in the cold, pure moonlight, looking even more dreamlike than usual.

The vast expanse of snow reflected the moonlight back into the sky, casting an enchanting halo across the deep night. As a result, tonight seemed far brighter than nights past.

Hyuga Kagami stood at the entrance of a small alley, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the wall.

Just then, little Naruto emerged from the alley with his head hanging low. He looked completely dejected and absentminded. Snowflakes had accumulated all over him, yet he didn’t even bother brushing them off.

The corner of Kagami’s mouth curled upward as he smiled. "Hey, little guy. Hungry?"

Naruto looked up at Kagami standing by the alley entrance, then lowered his head gloomily again and continued trudging along at the same unhurried pace, seemingly oblivious to Kagami’s words.

No one on the streets had ever taken the initiative to greet Naruto before.

So Naruto instinctively assumed Kagami must have been talking to someone else and simply kept walking.

Kagami froze for a moment and thought, "What’s with this kid? Why is he ignoring me? Is he sulking?"

Kagami then stepped forward and blocked Naruto’s path.

Naruto pointed a finger at himself. "Big Brother, were you talking to me just now?"

Kagami smiled and nodded.

Only then did Naruto notice Kagami’s eyes.

"Big Brother, your eyes look exactly like the eyes of a little girl I met today!"

"They’re called the Byakugan. It’s the Kekkei Genkai of our Hyuga clan." After a brief pause, Kagami continued, "That little girl you saved today is a young lady of my clan. To reward you for being so brave, I’ve decided to treat you to ramen. How does that sound?"

Naruto immediately perked up, as though his entire body had suddenly sprung back to life.

"Big Brother, really?!"

Kagami stepped forward and patted Naruto on the head with a smile.

"Come on!"

When they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto stared at the menu with a conflicted expression, seemingly unable to decide what flavor of ramen he should order.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked quietly, "Big Brother, can I order anything I want?"

Kagami smiled. "Order whatever you like—as long as you can finish it!"

Naruto immediately brightened up and ordered three huge bowls of ramen. Practically burying his entire face in a bowl larger than his head, he began wolfing it down with loud slurps.

Kagami stared at him, dumbfounded, and inwardly muttered, "Is this another ability that comes with the Uzumaki clan’s Sage Body?!"

The villagers’ harsh treatment and rejection of Naruto were indeed unfair to him, but for Kagami, it also presented an excellent opportunity to win Naruto over.

In Naruto’s eyes, having been rejected by everyone around him, the entire village undoubtedly seemed filled with inexplicable hostility toward him.

At a time like this, if someone were willing to step forward and show Naruto even the slightest bit of care and affection, no matter how insignificant, that person could gain an irreplaceable place in his heart.

In the original timeline, Naruto’s teacher, Iruka, was exactly such a person.

Unlike Sasuke, who could turn against someone at the drop of a hat and show absolutely no mercy even toward Kakashi, who had taught him without holding anything back, Naruto was the kind of person who, once you treated him well and earned a place in his heart, would remember that kindness for the rest of his life.

So, if emotional bonds could also be considered a form of investment, then the Naruto standing before him right now was undoubtedly a potential stock with the lowest investment cost and the greatest future prospects.

"Burp..."

After polishing off three bowls of ramen in a row, Naruto let out a satisfied belch.

Kagami smiled. "Full?"

"Thanks for the meal!" Scratching his head, Naruto suddenly looked a little embarrassed. "Big Brother, actually... actually, I wasn’t the one who saved your little lady today. It was someone named Uchiha Sasuke."

"Brat’s not stupid after all. He waited until after he finished eating before confessing!"

Chuckling inwardly, Kagami said, "Oh? In that case, this Uchiha Sasuke must be pretty strong, huh?"

Naruto hurriedly nodded. "Yeah, yeah! He beat three people all by himself! He’s really strong!"

The corner of Kagami’s mouth curled upward as he deliberately said, "So the one who saved my little lady was Uchiha Sasuke. Then I’ll have to properly thank him another day."

Naruto lowered his head. "Sorry..."

"It’s fine." Kagami smiled and stood up. "Well, I’ll be going now. See you around!"

With that, Kagami walked out of Ichiraku Ramen.

Naruto hurriedly chased after him and called out, "Big Brother! I forgot to ask—what’s your name?"

Without turning around, Kagami answered, "Hyuga Kagami."

Naruto shouted after him, "Big Brother, my name’s Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto! Don’t forget it, okay?!"

Kagami raised a hand and waved.

"Mm."

Naruto shouted again, "Then... are we friends now?"

Kagami stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and gave Naruto a smile.

"Of course we are!"

With that, Kagami turned and walked away.

When it came to Naruto, Kagami couldn’t appear overly enthusiastic. Otherwise, he risked drawing the Third Hokage’s attention. So even though he had already decided to make an emotional investment in Naruto, Kagami still maintained an appropriate distance.

If Naruto hadn’t crossed paths with Hinata today, giving Kagami, as a fellow member of the Hyuga clan, a perfectly legitimate excuse to approach him, Kagami would never have recklessly made contact with Naruto.

After walking down a long street, Kagami suddenly furrowed his brow and turned into a narrow alley.

Inside the secluded, deserted alley, Kagami said calmly, "Come out."

A figure emerged from the shadows.

"As expected of someone Lord Orochimaru holds in such high regard, Senpai. Your sensory abilities truly are remarkable. I didn’t expect you to discover me so quickly."

Kagami’s expression sharpened as he looked at the person who had stepped out of the shadows.

It was none other than Orochimaru’s trusted right-hand man—Kabuto Yakushi.

However, Kabuto was only thirteen or fourteen years old at this point, so compared to his appearance during the Chunin Exams in the original timeline, he looked considerably younger and more immature.

Kagami asked coldly, "Did Orochimaru send you?"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses.

"That’s right!"