Chapter 570: Not Beneath Me

Chapter 570: Chapter 570: Not Beneath Me

With a blank expression, Sasuke followed his older brother Itachi and Shisui as they helped the clansmen Kagami had knocked unconscious back to their feet. Suddenly, a bewildered thought crossed his mind.

"Huh? What exactly did I come here for again?"

He had clearly dragged his brother and Shisui here to rescue Neji’s sensei. Yet no matter how hard Sasuke thought about it, he couldn’t understand how things had suddenly turned into this.

He discreetly glanced at Kagami not far away, his curiosity growing.

"So this is Neji’s sensei? Did he really defeat eight of our Uchiha jonin all by himself? H-How is that possible? Didn’t the clansmen say that the Hyuga Clan didn’t have any particularly powerful shinobi?"

Seeing Sasuke struggling somewhat, Neji hurried forward and helped him lift one of the unconscious Uchiha clansmen.

Taking the opportunity, Sasuke whispered, "Neji, were all these Uchiha clansmen defeated by your sensei alone?"

Neji nodded, his face brimming with pride.

Sasuke pursed his lips and said insincerely, "Your sensei is pretty strong, huh!"

Originally, he had wanted to help his good friend while showing off the strength of his own clan in front of him.

Who would have thought things would turn out like this?

Not only had the clansmen who came looking for trouble been thoroughly beaten, disgracing the Uchiha Clan, but even his brother and Shisui treated Neji’s sensei with the utmost respect.

Sasuke immediately felt his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Just then, the Third Hokage hurried into the Hyuga Clan compound, leading a squad of ANBU.

Hiashi quickly led the others forward to greet him. While explaining the entire incident, he also expressed the Hyuga Clan’s gratitude to the Third Hokage for rushing over to mediate the dispute.

Upon hearing that Kagami had single-handedly dealt with eight members of the Uchiha Police Force, the Third Hokage raised an eyebrow, a peculiar glint flashing through his eyes.

In his impression, although Kagami was an outstanding ANBU and one of the leading figures of the Hyuga Clan’s younger generation, his strength should have been somewhere between an ordinary jonin and an elite jonin, still beneath Kakashi.

In a one-on-one fight, it wouldn’t have been particularly surprising for Kagami to defeat a member of the Uchiha Police Force.

However, facing the combined assault of eight Uchiha Police Force members while vastly outnumbered, Kagami had not only emerged victorious but had also come through completely unscathed. That was quite an impressive achievement.

Temporarily suppressing his doubts, the Third Hokage approached Shisui and Itachi.

Dealing with the Uchiha clansmen who had barged into the Hyuga Clan compound to provoke trouble was merely the first step.

The real issue was how to appease the arrogant Uchiha Clan and quell the disturbance. Otherwise, once the Uchiha started making a fuss, there would be no end to the matter.

Just as the Third Hokage was carefully choosing his words, preparing to persuade Shisui and Itachi to put an end to the dispute, the two bowed to him and said in unison, "We’re truly sorry for troubling you to come here personally!"

"N-No, it’s fine."

The Third Hokage smiled and shook his head, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Logically speaking, after a dispute like this, the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans should have been at each other’s throats by now.

Yet judging from Shisui and Itachi’s expressions, neither seemed to harbor the slightest resentment or anger.

All the words of persuasion he had prepared were consequently left stuck in his throat.

He then glanced at the eight Uchiha clansmen Kagami had knocked unconscious.

With the Third Hokage’s experience, he could naturally tell at a glance that their injuries weren’t serious. A few days of rest would be enough for them to recover.

Thus, he said to Kagami, "You handled this matter very well."

Kagami smiled. "It was just a minor matter. I didn’t expect it to trouble you personally. My apologies."

The Third Hokage sighed and remarked, "When it comes to matters involving your two clans, even the smallest issue is a major affair. The village cannot afford the slightest negligence."

Kagami replied politely, "Sorry to have caused you so much trouble."

"As long as everything has been resolved satisfactorily, that’s what matters." After a brief pause, the Third Hokage continued, reminding him, "Make sure you properly prepare for the entrance ceremony. There mustn’t be any mistakes!"

"Mm!"

Kagami nodded.

Afterward, under the Third Hokage’s supervision, the eight Uchiha clansmen Kagami had knocked unconscious were quickly sent to Konoha Hospital, while the Hyuga clansmen who had gathered to watch gradually dispersed.

Among the departing crowd, however, a member of the Hyuga Branch Family cast a meaningful glance at Kagami. The corners of his mouth curled upward, revealing a strange smile.

As though sensing something, Kagami turned his head and swept his gaze over the departing Hyuga clansmen, wondering, "Mm? I clearly felt someone watching me just now. Why did that feeling suddenly disappear?"

Just then, Hizashi approached Kagami with Neji and said, "Kagami, having Neji become your disciple was truly the best decision I’ve ever made!"

Neji hurriedly bowed to Kagami and greeted him respectfully, "Sensei!"

Seeing that the confusion previously clouding Neji’s eyes had disappeared and that the boy seemed much more cheerful overall, Kagami smiled.

"The Ninja Academy will be reopening in a few days. This time, you and Uchiha Sasuke will be in the same class. Work hard!"

"Mm! I definitely won’t let you down!"

Neji nodded firmly.

For a child his age, the power of a role model was boundless.

Kagami cast one final glance in the direction from which he had sensed that mysterious gaze earlier, but still found nothing.

Thus, he stopped dwelling on it. After exchanging a few words with Clan Head Hiashi, he left the compound together with Rei.

...

Meanwhile, on the Third Hokage’s side.

After returning to the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage sat in his office, growing increasingly puzzled the more he thought about it.

The combat strength Kagami had displayed today had greatly exceeded his expectations. It was completely beyond the level of an ordinary jonin, even faintly displaying the caliber of an elite jonin.

With this thought in mind, the Third Hokage summoned Kakashi to his office.

Upon arriving, Kakashi removed his ANBU mask and asked, "Third Hokage, did you need something from me?"

Unlike Kagami, Guy, Shisui, and the others, Kakashi had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, just like the Fourth Hokage. Because of this, Danzo held him in high regard, and he was still serving in the ANBU.

The Third Hokage pondered for a moment before saying, "You and Hyuga Kagami were classmates, and you’re also colleagues. Tell me about him."

"Kagami?" Kakashi was momentarily taken aback before replying, "Kagami is a very responsible and trustworthy comrade. I didn’t interact with him much during our time at the Ninja Academy, but we’ve gotten along very well in the ANBU!"

The Third Hokage continued, "How much do you know about his strength?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Kakashi answered, "He’s very strong. He’s not beneath me!"

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage’s brows immediately furrowed.

In his impression, Kakashi, as the Fourth Hokage’s disciple who had become a jonin at the age of twelve, was undoubtedly one of the finest talents of Konoha’s younger generation.

Setting aside an outlier like Uchiha Shisui, Kakashi should have been the strongest shinobi among his peers.

He was also someone the Third Hokage had been particularly focused on grooming as a future Hokage candidate.

Therefore, he had never expected Kakashi to give Kagami such a high evaluation...