The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed in thought. "He can do both?"

Daiko confirmed it. "Yes, Hokage-sama. And he executed them perfectly in the heat of battle."

Mastery of the Three Basic Techniques was the standard for graduating from the Academy.

If the boy had already mastered two of the three without needing seals...

He murmured to himself, "With skills like that, he could pass the graduation exam today. Enroll in the morning, graduate by afternoon... it would be unprecedented."

But he quickly shook off the thought. Being a ninja was about more than just ninjutsu.

"What about his other abilities?" he asked, leaning forward.

Daiko hesitated before responding, "His throwing techniques were decent, on par with most clan children."

The Third Hokage's brow furrowed. "And what about his combat instincts? How's his strategic thinking under pressure?"

Daiko's eyes lit up. "That's where he really shines, Hokage-sama."

"The way he used those techniques in sequence to misdirect and confuse his opponent, it's not something you typically see in a beginner. It's as if..."

He paused, searching for the right words. "It's as if he's no stranger to battle. As if he's witnessed true ninja combat and learned from it."

The Third Hokage leaned back, taking a moment to process this information. In his years of leading the village, he'd seen countless young shinobi train.

He knew that real combat intuition, the kind Daiko was describing, couldn't be taught – it had to be earned through experience.

For the boy to already possess such instincts raised questions. Ones that he wasn't sure he wanted answered.

But that was a concern for another day. For now, there was a more pressing issue.

"Does anyone else know of this?" he asked sharply. "Has word begun to spread?"

Daiko shook his head. "No, Hokage-sama. I came straight to you."

"Good. See that it stays that way. For now, this information is classified" The Third Hokage steepled his fingers.

"Itachi and Kagami are to be treated like any other students. No special attention, no advanced training. Let them develop at their own pace."

Daiko looked like he wanted to argue, but the Third Hokage's stern look silenced him.

"If we push them too hard, we'll break them or drive them away. Konoha needs to be a safe haven for them, not a prison. Their loyalty must be genuine, not forced. Understood?"

Daiko bowed deeply. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I understand perfectly."

The Third Hokage nodded. "Keep a close eye on them, but be discreet. Report any developments to me. And Daiko?"

The teacher straightened up. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

For the first time since the conversation began, a hint of a smile touched the Third Hokage's lips. "Well done. Your service to the village will not be forgotten."

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With a deep bow, Daiko took his leave.

Alone in his office, the Third Hokage searched through the piles of paperwork on his desk until he found what he was looking for - Kagami's Ninja Recommendation Letter.

He scanned the page, his brow furrowing. The letter, written by his older brother Hayate, said the boy was too sickly to be a shinobi.

It was a common excuse, especially after the Third Great Ninja War and the Nine-Tails Attack.

Many families were hesitant to send their children into such a dangerous profession.

But the village needed new blood to rebuild its strength.

So, he had overridden Hayate's recommendation and admitted Kagami to the Academy.

Now, it seemed that decision had been more than justified. The boy was a prodigy, with the potential to become one of the greatest ninja the village had ever produced.

And yet...

He couldn't shake off the feeling of unease as he remembered Daiko's words.

That uncanny combat sense, the way Kagami wielded advanced techniques with ease...

The Third Hokage stood up from his chair and walked to the window, gazing out at the village.

For a moment, he thought he saw the face of his late wife, Biwako, in the distance, as if she were still watching over Konoha.

"What would you make of all this, my love?" he whispered. "These gifted children... are they a blessing or something more?"

Lost in thought, he didn't notice the spider's web in the corner of the window frame at first.

When he finally saw it, he frowned. When was the last time he'd opened this window and let in some fresh air?

Too long, it seemed.

With a sigh, he unlatched the window and pushed it open.

The cool breeze that swept in was refreshing, carrying the scents of the village - cooking food, blooming flowers, and the faint smell of metal from the blacksmith's forge.

The spider, startled by the sudden gust, scurried along its web and disappeared into a crack in the woodwork.

----------

"Kagami?" Hayate knocked on his brother's door. "Dinner's ready. I made your favorite, broiled saury."

No response.

He frowned. His brother had been so excited about his first day at the Academy.

He'd barely been able to sit still long enough to eat breakfast. For him to skip dinner...

"Kagami, you in there? Is everything alright?"

Still nothing. He tried the door handle, found it unlocked.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

The door swung open, revealing his tidy room. The bed was made, books and scrolls lined up neatly on the shelves.

And there, at the desk, sat Kagami himself.

Hayate's relief was short-lived.

He was leaning forward, his nose almost touching the glass of the spider's terrarium, his mouth moving as if...

As if he were talking to it.

And the spider, with its creepy human-like face, seemed to be listening.

Its big eyes followed Kagami's every move, its mouthparts twitching in a weird rhythm.

Hayate's blood ran cold. He'd seen his brother like this before, caught glimpses of these weird one-sided conversations.

But never this close, never this... intimate.

He strained his ears to hear what his brother was saying.

But his voice was too quiet, the strange clicking noises he made too weird, for Hayate to understand.

And then, suddenly, Kagami laughed.

It was a sound unlike any Hayate had ever heard from his brother.

High-pitched, almost crazy, with a dark edge that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"K-Kagami?"

Kagami spun around, his eyes wide. For a split second, Hayate could have sworn they flashed an inhuman silver in the fading light.

But then he blinked, and the moment passed. His eyes were back to normal, his face calm and surprised.

"Bro! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in. Did you need something?"

Hayate swallowed hard, trying to calm down. "I... dinner's ready. I called for you, but..."

He trailed off, glancing past Kagami to the terrarium. The spider stared back at him, unblinking. He looked away quickly.

"Sorry," Kagami said again, standing up and stretching. "Guess I got caught up in my studies. I'll be right down, okay?"

Hayate nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He watched as Kagami gave the terrarium one last look before heading for the door.

As he passed Hayate, he paused, placing a hand on his brother's arm. "Hey. You don't have to worry about me, you know. I'm not going anywhere."

The words were meant to be reassuring, but there was something in Kagami's tone, in the way his fingers dug into Hayate's skin, that made them sound more like a threat than a promise.

He forced a smile. "I know. I just... I want you to be careful, Kagami. The ninja world is tough."

Kagami's returning grin was sharp, almost wild. "Don't worry, big brother. I can handle myself."

And with that, he was gone, his footsteps echoing down the hall towards the kitchen.

Hayate stood there a moment longer, trying to shake off the chill that had settled deep in his bones.

His gaze was drawn back to the terrarium, to the spider that watched him with a gaze that was almost too smart for any animal.

Whatever dark path his brother was on, whatever secrets he kept... Hayate feared that this creature, this abomination, was somehow at the heart of it all.

And for the first time since their parents' death, he found himself wondering if he truly knew his brother at all.