Chapter 9: Are you so unlucky?

"Goodbye, kid~"

Tsunade's cheeks were rosy, and she waved to Uchiha Sogetsu as Sogetsu stumbled out of her room.

On the other hand, Uchiha Sogetsu was looking utterly drained. His eyes were dull, his legs wobbly, and he had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing.

Just to clarify, he hadn't used any hypnosis to do anything inappropriate to Tsunade.

"It's really not easy to give Psychological Cue to a Kage-level ninja's island of consciousness," he muttered to himself, his restored spiritual energy already dwindling. 

After two consecutive attempts, he could hear faint whispers in his ears—a sign that he might be losing control. Next time, he thought, I won't risk it like this. It could lead to serious consequences if he wasn't careful.

"Dr. Sogetsu, are you okay?" asked a medical ninja passing by, noticing him leaning heavily against the wall as he left Tsunade's office. The look on his face suggested he had some pretty wild thoughts about what had happened.

Without even checking his own spiritual aura, Uchiha Sogetsu knew what that guy was thinking. He quickly explained, "I used too much chakra while treating Tsunade-sama."

"Yeah, I get it," the medical ninja said with a nod, patting his own chest to emphasize his understanding. "Don't worry, Dr. Sogetsu, your secret is safe with me. My lips are sealed."

Uchiha Sogetsu grimaced, his mouth twitching with frustration, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. "I'm telling you, I really was just treating her!"

"Of course!" the other ninja replied with a sly grin. "No need to explain, I'm rooting for you and Tsunade-sama~"

Before Uchiha Sogetsu could respond, the guy scampered off, looking like he'd just uncovered the biggest secret of the century.

Dammit, Uchiha Sogetsu swore to himself. If he weren't worried about losing control, he'd give that guy a piece of his mind, using the full power of his psychic abilities to play mind games with him.

Despite the curious stares from medical ninjas and nurses along the way, Uchiha Sogetsu finally made it out of the hospital, a couple of tears rolling down his cheeks. But they weren't for the reason everyone thought.

His reputation is ruined now. It's no use pretending otherwise—those gossipers at the hospital are sure to spread the news everywhere. 

Sogetsu just hoped Tsunade would find out about it before it got too far, so she wouldn't come down on him too hard.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm his restless thoughts. He decided to head back to the Uchiha Residence to rest for a bit. As he rounded a corner into a quiet alley, he suddenly felt a chill.

Out of nowhere, an ANBU with a cat-mask appeared, like a ghost. The ANBU's voice was flat and cold. "Uchiha Sogetsu, I have a mission for you. Follow me."

Sogetsu barely flinched, but he could feel the hostility in ANBU's eyes. As a Beyonder of the Visionary Path, his early combat skills might not be much to write home about, but his mental strength and perception were exceptional. 

After promotion, he could go beyond the physical, sensing deeper levels of aura and Ether Body. And when he combined these abilities, he could even glimpse thoughts hidden in other people's minds.

He noticed indifference, hostility, and a touch of murderous intent in the ANBU's eyes. The vibes were bad, but he kept his expression calm, nodding slightly. "Got it," he replied.

The cat-masked ANBU led him to the Forest of Death. Sogetsu looked around when they stopped, adjusting his glasses. 

The dense canopy overhead provided a wide stretch of shade, and the branches intertwined, creating a maze-like atmosphere. Insects buzzed, and birds sang intermittently. It was a quiet spot, but not exactly a relaxing one.

The ANBU turned to face him, the coldness in his eyes more apparent now. Sogetsu knew this wasn't going to be a typical mission briefing.

There were no signs of an ambush; he was alone. Sogetsu felt a slight sense of relief and once again appreciated the advantages of Spirit Vision. Even if a ninja could hide their presence and appearance, they couldn't mask the Ether Body of a living being.

"Uchiha Sogetsu, as per ANBU procedure, I'm going to interrogate you now." The cat-masked ANBU agent said, "As a genjutsu specialist, you've used illusions on several people in the village. What was your purpose? Is Uchiha Fugaku behind this? Are you still loyal to Hokage-sama?"

"Rather than interrogation, I'm more interested in knowing who sent you to me," Sogetsu replied, his gaze lowering, and a swirling vortex seemed to form in his eyes. "Shall I take a guess?"

"Uchiha Sogetsu, don't change the subject!" The cat-masked ANBU agent's voice suddenly sharpened, a kunai already in hand, and a hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes. "This is an order. ANBU operatives don't question; they don't need emotions, nor personal will. They only execute orders. Do you understand?"

Sogetsu tilted his head with a sly grin, eyeing the cat-masked ANBU from head to toe. "Hmm, where have I heard that line before?" he mused aloud. "Oh, that's right. There's only one place in Konoha where you can talk about human will without any hint of emotion—you're one of Danzo's 'Root' people, aren't you?"

The cat-masked ANBU shifted slightly, forming the tiger seal with his hands, chakra swelling beneath his fingertips. "So, you're refusing to comply with the interrogation," he said, his voice laced with menace. "Danzo-sama always knew that you Uchiha clan would never play along."

Leaves swirled and danced in the wind.

In a blink, the cat-masked ANBU used the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing from view and reappearing behind Sogetsu, striking with a swift and lethal kunai aimed at his heart. 

The kunai pierced Sogetsu's chest, but instead of agony, the Uchiha looked amused.

Poof!

The body that was impaled burst into a puff of smoke.

"It's a shadow clone!" The cat-masked ANBU's eyes widened, realizing he'd been outsmarted. He jumped back, but the noise behind him made him turn quickly.

A dozen high-speed shurikens flew through the air in a deadly arc, encircling him in a web of steel, cutting off any escape route.

Damn Uchiha, he cursed internally. When did he make a shadow clone?

The cat-masked ANBU gritted his teeth in frustration, unsheathing the short sword strapped to his back. With a series of quick slashes, he deflected the shurikens, sending them clattering to the ground.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

He barely caught his breath when Sogetsu saw his opening. With a burst of chakra, Sogetsu shot forward like black lightning, appearing right in front of the cat-masked ANBU.

The moment their eyes met, the cat-masked ANBU's heart sank as he saw three red tomoe spinning rapidly in Sogetsu's eyes.

In the ninja world, there is a saying: the Sharingan is not just a tool, it's a deadly force.

If you encounter an Uchiha ninja with the Sharingan, you should run if you're alone. This saying is well-known among shinobi and implies that an Uchiha with the Sharingan has a significant advantage in one-on-one battles.

In a typical scenario, if the two combatants lock eyes, the fight is over in an instant.

*Boom!*

But this time, under the intense gaze of the Sharingan, the ANBU with a cat-shaped mask transformed into a cloud of smoke.

"Smart move. You'd expect no less from one of Danzo's men," commented Sogetsu, showing no signs of surprise.

After all, his opponent was an ANBU. If he fell from just one Sharingan glance, he'd have never survived long in a brutal organization like "Root." You can criticize Root for many things, but incompetence isn't one of them.

"This concludes the test."

Sogetsu's eyes, with three swirling tomoe, shifted to a nearby treetop. He spoke in a calm but authoritative tone: "Our time is valuable, let's not waste it here."

"Uchiha Sogetsu, you're not as simple as you seem." 

ANBU with a cat-shaped mask descended from the treetop: "As you wish, let me show you what real cruelty looks like."

A soft buzzing sound filled the air as a swarm of dense, black bugs emerged from the ANBU's sleeves. The cloud of insects rapidly spread, enveloping the cat-masked ANBU in a thick, black mist. 

The bugs were tiny, nearly invisible even to the Sharingan. Their numbers were so overwhelming that anyone with trypophobia would have been paralyzed with fear.

The wings of the insects buzzed, and their hard shells rubbed together, creating an unsettling noise.

"An Aburame clan member," noted Sogetsu, raising an eyebrow. With such an obvious display, it had to be.

"Danzo-sama knew you'd refuse, so he sent me," said the cat-masked ANBU, his voice as cold as the cloud of insects. "Our Aburame clan's ninjutsu can't be copied by the Sharingan, and our vast swarms are a perfect counter to your abilities."

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