"This guy, Uchiha Shisui, is not bad..."
The next day, in the dense forest of the Land of Whirlpools.
After bidding farewell to Uchiha Shisui's squad, Hyuga Makoto couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
But these words almost made Kakashi roll his eyes.
After cleaning up the battlefield last night, Uchiha Shisui took the initiative to invite them to stay over.
After all, they needed to rest after a battle, and the mission to investigate the abandoned laboratory was not urgent.
Therefore, Kakashi did not object, and they were well entertained last night.
However, he hadn't forgotten Hyuga Makoto's words from yesterday, nor Uchiha Shisui's dejected look last night.
"Now you know he is a good guy?"
Kakashi was somewhat helpless as he looked at Hyuga Makoto and spoke.
"Be more careful with your words in the future."
"Yeah, he didn't sleep well all night..."
Tenzo also joked at this moment, but seeing Kakashi's glaring eyes, he immediately changed his tune.
"Look, how bad is that!"
"Senior, aren't you the same as me?"
Hyuga Makoto looked at Tenzo with some amusement and asked back, which made Tenzo scratch his head in curiosity.
"Was I? Why don't I remember anything?"
"You two..."
Kakashi was left somewhat speechless by Hyuga Makoto and Tenzo, these two 'problem youths', yet he couldn't do anything about it.
However, he didn't stop them either, because this 'lively' atmosphere seemed to let him see the shadow of the former Team Minato...
It wasn't until the two quieted down that his expression became a bit more serious.
"Makoto, you are already an Anbu member, and since we just happened to meet Uchiha Shisui, there are some things you must be made aware of, so you don't run into trouble later."
"Hmm?"
Hyuga Makoto found it a bit strange but still nodded honestly.
"Please enlighten me, Captain."
"Do you have any understanding of the current situation in Konoha?"
Kakashi pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Especially regarding the relationship with the Uchiha."
"I've heard some things, but I don't know the specifics."
Although Hyuga Makoto wanted to be 'honest' as always, as a member of the Hyuga Clan, it was impossible for him not to have heard about it, so he simply nodded and said.
"I heard from the clan members that after the Nine-Tails incident, the relationship between the Uchiha and the village became very delicate, and the Military Police Force has become increasingly strict."
"That's right, but it's not just delicate."
Kakashi's expression became serious, and he said in a deep voice.
"There is mutual suspicion, and both sides are facing a crisis of trust."
"Didn't you just say that the Military Police Force is getting stricter? That's because the Uchiha didn't mobilize during the Nine-Tails incident."
Tenzo also sighed at this moment and added from the side.
"This caused resentment in the hearts of many people, and when this resentment reached the ears of the Uchiha, it made them even more dissatisfied, and their behavior became increasingly excessive."
"..."
Hearing this, Hyuga Makoto couldn't help but glance at Tenzo.
The Uchiha not participating in the battle, wasn't that the doing of your former boss?
"And after the Nine-Tails incident, the village suspected that the Uchiha were pulling the strings behind the scenes. After all, according to legends, the Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails."
Kakashi subconsciously touched his left eye before continuing.
"Therefore, the village placed the Uchiha compound under round-the-clock surveillance. The Uchiha also sensed the village's distrust, coupled with some historical factors, so..."
"I see."
Hyuga Makoto nodded as if suddenly realizing, and he couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
"It seems the relationship between the Uchiha and the village has indeed fallen into a vicious cycle."
"Exactly."
Kakashi patted Hyuga Makoto's shoulder.
"So in the future, when you encounter people from the Uchiha, it's better to be careful."
"I understand."
Hyuga Makoto nodded in response, but he couldn't help but complain inwardly.
Danzo's move was indeed ruthless enough. By using the Nine-Tails incident, he turned the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha into this!
If he didn't know that Uchiha Obito's actions were random, he would have suspected that Danzo had conspired with Obito.
However, he still had a question in his heart, so he asked tentatively.
"Captain Kakashi, what about Uchiha Itachi?"
"He is our companion."
Kakashi paused for a moment before speaking slowly.
"And the Third Hokage has also said that the Uchiha are our companions, not our enemies."
"I understand, Captain."
Hyuga Makoto nodded thoughtfully. Now, he truly suspected one thing.
"Was Uchiha Itachi monitoring his own clan intentional on the part of the Third Hokage?"
In his memory, the Third Hokage genuinely wanted to resolve this matter peacefully.
As for Uchiha Itachi, who didn't know he was a double agent...
"Could it be that he wanted to use him to inform the Uchiha that their every move is under Konoha's watch, so they shouldn't act recklessly?"
Whether this was the case or not, Hyuga Makoto wasn't entirely sure, but he remembered that Uchiha Itachi didn't seem to have ever revealed anything to his family.
"If it's really as I guessed, then Uchiha Itachi truly possesses world-shocking wisdom..."
Hyuga Makoto couldn't quite hold back his reaction. Although, given the Uchiha's personality, it was highly likely to be 'Even if you know, I'll still fight you!'
But even if Konoha intervened, it wouldn't go as far as wiping out the old, the young, women, and children all together, leaving no one alive...
"Alright, let's continue moving."
While Hyuga Makoto was thinking, Kakashi's voice sounded again.
"Finish the mission early, go back early. You did something major this time."
"Yeah."
Tenzo also didn't want to talk about the Uchiha anymore. He smiled and patted Hyuga Makoto's shoulder.
"The 'Byakugan Killer' actually fell into your hands, that's amazing!"
"You flatter me, you flatter me."
Hyuga Makoto also cast aside his thoughts, unwilling to let these messy affairs affect his mood.
Although, he really needed to thank Uchiha Shisui properly.
Because the Yin Release provided by Shisui had allowed him to make progress again!
[Name: Hyuga Makoto]
[Bloodline: Moon Otsutsuki (10%)]
[Dojutsu: Tenseigan (2%)]
[Chakra Natures: Yin, Yang]
Perhaps it was because Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan had already reached the Mangekyo level, the effect of his Yin Release was even better than Tenzo's Yang Release!
The bloodline development had increased by 3%, and the resulting improvement in chakra and physical fitness had already pleasantly surprised him.
Most importantly, his Tenseigan had finally undergone a change.
Even though it only increased by 1%, the effect was indeed significant!
"My perceptive insight has improved again, and the abilities of the Tenseigan seem to have grown stronger..."
His perceptive insight gave him tremendous help in battle, and Ao was the best example.
Improving it again would only make him stronger and stronger. He even began to look forward to the possibility that in the future, he could reach the level of Uchiha Madara!
As for the abilities of the Tenseigan, although he hadn't used them up to now, he could clearly feel the changes within.
These abilities were also extremely crucial for his future.
After all, he had already figured out what to do, and the stronger these abilities were, the better!
"What are you thinking about, Makoto?"
Seeming to sense Hyuga Makoto's good mood, Tenzo couldn't help but ask, and Kakashi also turned to look over.
"Are you thinking about returning to the village?"
"Yeah."
Hyuga Makoto snapped back to reality and said with a smile.
"After all, there will be a huge bounty waiting for me when we get back!"
"..."
Kakashi fell silent, and Tenzo also felt that perhaps he shouldn't have asked, but Hyuga Makoto became even more excited.
"Captain, Senior, you must definitely do me this favor!"
"..."
"Also, Senior, to correct you, Ao didn't fall into my hands."
"?"
"His head is in my pocket..."
"..."
...