Uchiha Clan underground training ground; the cold rock walls shone with a metallic luster under the faint blue light of the Kido lamps, and the air was filled with the lingering smell of spiritual pressure, gunpowder, and a faint scent of sweat.
Hiroki's figure appeared at the top of the stone stairs at the entrance without warning, having just returned from the Kidō Corps barracks.
His gaze swept over the spacious arena below, where faint traces of spiritual pressure from the Uchiha elites practicing Shunpo hours ago still lingered, along with several scorched craters that shimmered with crystallized luster after being bombarded by high-level Hado.
The training ground was as empty and solemn as ever, carrying the restrained intensity and sharpness characteristic of the Uchiha Clan.
Just as Hiroki slowly walked down the steps, preparing to think about the next phase of planning for the Kidō Corps, three figures appeared in the center of the training ground with extremely subtle spatial ripples, as if they had merged into the shadows.
Leading them was none other than Uchiha Itachi. He was still wearing that standard black Anbu attire, but he looked travel-worn, with the corners of his clothes stained with a bit of the grayish-white sand unique to Hueco Mundo.
Behind him followed three Uchiha elites in the same attire, with fierce auras. The scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan in their eyes rotated slowly, carrying a hint of fatigue from completing the mission, but more so, a sharpness precipitated by having experienced slaughter.
They knelt on one knee, their movements uniform.
"My Lord." Itachi's voice was calm and waveless, like a deep pool.
"Good work." Hiroki nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Itachi and the three people behind him. The lingering aura on the three elites carried the fishy smell unique to Hueco Mundo and the spiritual power imprints left by high-level Hado burns; clearly, they had just experienced a high-intensity battle.
"How is the situation?"
"Yes. The three Arrancar-level Menos Grande in the target area have been eliminated. The soul cores have been brought back as you instructed and sealed in special talismans." Itachi reported concisely, his voice devoid of any fluctuation, as if he were talking about disposing of a few small fry.
The three people behind him maintained a respectful kneeling posture, their eyes lowered, waiting only for orders.
"Very good." Hiroki nodded with satisfaction.
These pure and powerful Hollow soul cores were precious materials for his Hollowfication experiments and spiritual power research.
He waved his hand, "Task well done. You all, go back and rest first, clean up, and restore your state to the best."
"Yes, my Lord!" The three Uchiha elites responded in unison, their voices causing a slight echo in the empty underground space.
After saluting again, their figures turned into three blurred black shadows, silently merging into the shadows in the corner of the training ground, as if they had never appeared.
Only Hiroki and Uchiha Itachi remained in the arena.
Hiroki's gaze fell on Itachi, examining him more carefully.
No obvious fatigue could be seen on Itachi's face, but deep within those profound eyes, there seemed to be an lingering weariness, as if he were shouldering an eternal burden.
This was not physical exhaustion, but rather a kind of mental consumption originating from the depths of his soul—continuously executing missions in the extremely harsh and dangerous environment of Hueco Mundo, hunting powerful Arrancar, and having to be constantly vigilant against potential Vasto Lorde; it was tremendous pressure for anyone.
Not to mention, Itachi also carried that heavy, indelible guilt towards the Uchiha Clan in his heart.
"How is your condition, Itachi?" Hiroki's voice lowered a bit, carrying a hint of imperceptible concern.
He knew Itachi's willpower was as tough as steel, but he also understood that the interior of this steel might already be covered in fine cracks.
He was not only concerned about whether the tool was easy to use, but also assessing the sustainability of his core combat power.
After all, Itachi was one of the few beings with the potential to challenge First Class Spiritual Pressure.
Itachi raised his head, looking directly at Hiroki, his tone still calm, as if stating an established fact: "Intact." The word was crisp and clear, without the slightest hesitation or self-aggrandizement.
This was Uchiha Itachi, always putting missions and promises first, compressing his own state to the extreme.
Hiroki did not press further.
If Itachi said "intact," then he really could be immediately deployed into the next battle.
"Hmm," he nodded slightly, sinking his consciousness into the system interface in his mind.
That vast and complex mission list appeared again, and he locked onto a mission entry marked with [B-Rank]: [Investigate the source of abnormal energy in the "Forest of Shadowy Phantoms" and eliminate the threat].
The mission location was located in a special spatial rift formed by a secondary dimensional fragment, with space-time chaos and unknown energy pollution, which carried a certain degree of danger, but with Itachi's strength and Mangekyo abilities, as long as he did not encounter rule-level entities or large-scale sieges, it should be enough to cope.
"There is a new mission," Hiroki's voice pulled Itachi's attention back completely, "The mission difficulty is rated as B-Rank."
He paused, his gaze sharply fixed on Itachi, "The mission location is called the 'Forest of Shadowy Phantoms', where there are space-time rifts and unknown energy disturbances. Your task is to investigate the nature and threat level of the energy source, and eliminate the source of the threat as much as possible."
"Remember," Hiroki emphasized, "This mission is primarily for investigation! The core is intelligence gathering. Once you detect the source and assess the risk, if it is determined to be beyond your individual capability to handle, or if you encounter force majeure, you are allowed—no, I order you, to retreat immediately! Preserving yourself is the first priority. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my Lord." Itachi's response remained concise, without the slightest hesitation or argument.
His gaze was even more focused, clearly having engraved the mission details into his mind.
For him, understanding mission priorities and retreat orders was the basis of execution, which was far more important than blind bravery.
Looking at this silent and extremely efficient subordinate before him, Hiroki couldn't help but have that thought, both emotional and slightly cold, rise in his heart again: 'Itachi, this workhorse... is really too easy to use.'
No matter how difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant the mission was, as long as he gave the order, Itachi would only reply "Yes," and then meticulously and unscrupulously complete it.
This absolute obedience and terrifying execution were extremely rare in the entire Soul Society.
Hiroki's gaze swept over Itachi's calm, waveless face, trying to capture a crack of emotion: 'What is the driving force behind him? Is it that deeply ingrained sense of responsibility? Is it in repayment for the second chance I gave him? Or... that heavy guilt towards the Uchiha Clan, which has long been twisted but remains the pillar of his life? Especially... towards Sasuke...'
However, this thought only flashed by.
Hiroki quickly suppressed it: 'Forget it, there is no benefit in digging deep. It's enough that he is useful. This loyalty and efficiency driven by guilt are exactly what I need. As long as the goals are aligned, it doesn't matter what the fuel inside the engine is.'
He composed himself, preparing to give the final order: "Then, prepare to set o..."
"Ding—"
A cold, mechanical voice, sounding only in Hiroki's consciousness, interrupted the "set out" he was about to say. This voice came from the system deep within his consciousness!
[Emergency Notification: Second Pillar Uchiha Sasuke has sent a request. He requests to return to the Uchiha Clan.]
[Request content: Apply to return to the Uchiha Clan group coordinates (requires plane traversal authority and consumption of corresponding points).]
[Request status: Awaiting host confirmation.]