Why is this suddenly on me?
How did it end up on me?!
Uchiha Kagami felt the sharp gazes stabbing into him.
The disappointment in his former teammates' eyes was unmistakable. Just moments ago, the six of them had been huddled together, clinging to one another to withstand the immense pressure emanating from Uzumaki Mito.
Now—
They had fallen apart.
Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Akimichi Torifu all retreated instinctively, as if by unspoken agreement, distancing themselves from Kagami.
Only Sarutobi Hiruzen remained where he was, staring at Kagami with a conflicted expression.
At that moment, Uzumaki Mito's hair began to float faintly.
Anyone who knew her understood—
She was on the verge of absolute fury.
The vast chakra within Mito surged outward. A visible aura formed around her body, and fine cracks spread across the solid floor beneath her feet. If she applied even a little more force, the stone would shatter completely.
Say something.
You have to say something!
Kagami alone bore the crushing pressure pouring from Mito. He felt like a lone boat adrift on a boundless sea.
Above him, storm clouds churned. Thunder roared. Waves dozens of meters high crashed toward him, threatening to swallow him whole.
A suffocating sense of helplessness flooded his chest.
Killing intent, mixed with chaotic and malevolent chakra, wrapped tightly around his body—yet his limbs refused to move.
So weak…
Kagami had never felt his own weakness so keenly.
The elderly woman before him had always seemed gentle in his memories—kind eyes, a warm smile.
Even so, Kagami had never underestimated her.
Her identity was no secret to the Uchiha. Her strength was often spoken of with respect by the clan elders.
"That old woman Mito… she's not easy to deal with. Even I could only fight her to a draw at best,"
an Uchiha veteran from the Warring States Era had once claimed.
Now Kagami understood.
Those old men had exaggerated—but in the opposite direction.
He had imagined her strength. Believed that even if he couldn't win, he could at least fight.
Now?
He realized how arrogant that thought had been.
"It wasn't me!" Kagami said hoarsely. "I would never leak intelligence—nor would I ever swear falsely in the name of the Uchiha!"
He invoked his clan, but Kagami had not fallen so low as to casually swear a death oath on the annihilation of his entire family.
Even so, his defense sounded pale and powerless.
The facts were brutal.
The six of them had returned directly to the Senju compound to report the tragedy. None of them had met anyone else along the way. After arriving, none of them had left.
And yet—
Within a single afternoon, news of Senju Tobirama's death had spread throughout Konoha.
The source?
The Uchiha.
Including Mito, only seven people had known of Tobirama's death—and Kagami was the only Uchiha among them.
Did passing information really require face-to-face contact?
The Uchiha had never lacked covert means of communication.
Kagami's explanation could not convince Mito.
The incident had already happened. Someone had to bear responsibility.
Whether Kagami had actually done it no longer mattered.
Once the news traced back to the Uchiha, Kagami was already a conspirator.
Because he was Uchiha.
Mito rose slowly to her feet.
Killing intent spilled from her eyes. This Uchiha brat couldn't be killed—but beating him so badly that he'd be bedridden for half a year?
That was entirely feasible.
"Lady Mito!"
A voice rang out.
"I believe Uchiha Kagami!"
Hiruzen stepped forward, placing himself squarely in front of Kagami, staring straight at Mito.
Shock rippled through the room.
At a moment like this, Sarutobi Hiruzen still dared to stand up—to protect Kagami.
Mito's expression flickered with surprise, though it vanished in an instant. She stared at Hiruzen's resolute face for several seconds before speaking:
"Monkey brat," she said coldly.
"Do you even understand what you're saying?"
"Trying to play the hero here? Putting on a show?"
"These little tricks won't move me."
The pressure bearing down on Kagami suddenly shifted.
It locked onto Hiruzen instead.
Kagami looked at Hiruzen with gratitude and sucked in deep breaths of air. The suffocating sensation—like drowning in an endless ocean—finally receded.
His underclothes were soaked through with cold sweat, clinging uncomfortably to his skin. But he had no attention to spare for that now.
"Hiruzen, don't force it," Danzo said urgently. "Uchiha Kagami is still an Uchiha!"
Danzo watched his old friend shoulder the pressure alone—to protect an Uchiha who was suspected of leaking information.
In Danzo's mind, the culprit among the six had to be an Uchiha.
Their teacher Tobirama had always guarded against the Uchiha. No matter what, Kagami was still one of them.
Leaking information to his clan?
That wasn't exactly unimaginable.
"Silence."
Mito's gaze snapped to Danzo.
"Did I give you permission to speak?"
Under her killing stare, Danzo immediately shut his mouth, shrinking back like a frightened quail.
"Lady Mito," Hiruzen said steadily, "I'm not trying to play games."
"I believe Uchiha Kagami is not that kind of person."
His eyes were bright, his tone unwavering.
"Give me your reason," Mito demanded.
"Kagami is different," Hiruzen replied. "He doesn't have the arrogance or contempt common among the Uchiha."
"He is gentle. Kind."
"He treats his companions with warmth. On the battlefield, he's a reliable comrade—someone I can trust with my back."
He spoke slowly, carefully.
From everyday interactions to life-and-death moments on the battlefield, Hiruzen described everything he knew about Kagami.
In his memories, most Uchiha were proud to the point of arrogance—especially those who had awakened the Sharingan.
But among his generation, two stood apart.
One was Uchiha Kagami.
The other was Uchiha Nan.
Powerful, yet humble.
Ordinary shinobi could joke with them freely.
Even when someone occasionally crossed a line, neither truly took offense. A smile, a laugh—and the matter was let go.
Because of this, Senju Tobirama had once attempted to take on disciples.
Kagami had accepted.
Nan had refused.
Hiruzen's words were detailed and sincere, and they stirred something in everyone present.
Even Danzo—who moments earlier had been convinced Kagami was the traitor—began to doubt his own judgment.
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