Konohagakure
The knock came before the sun had fully risen.
Not a polite tap. Not a neighbor's call. It was a sharp, practiced rhythm—four beats, a pause, then two more. Rei's eyes snapped open before the sound had even finished echoing through the walls.
Her body reacted before her thoughts did. Feet hit the floor. Hand found the kunai hidden under her pillow. The room was still cloaked in blue dawn light, shadows long and unfamiliar.
She moved to the door in silence, feet bare on the wooden planks. Her heartbeat was calm, but there was a tension in her chest.
She didn't need to look through the peephole to know who it was.
ANBU.
She cracked the door open just enough to see the porcelain mask, blank and expressionless in the dim light.
"Rei Arakawa," the voice behind it said. "By direct order of the Hokage, you're to report immediately to Mission Hall Four. Classified deployment. This is your summons."
The agent held out a sealed scroll.
Rei stared at it for a long beat before taking it.
The moment her fingers closed around the paper, the ANBU was gone—vanished. She didn't hear the retreating footsteps. Just the wind through the leaves. Just the way the house felt a little too quiet now.
She closed the door slowly, scroll still in hand, the wax seal unbroken.
She stood there for a moment in the half-light of the hallway, barefoot, tired, and somehow colder than she had been moments ago.
A mission. She didn't remember the last time she received a mission that wasn't a D-ranked or involved Orochimaru.
She brought the scroll to the kitchen, setting it beside the chipped teacup Takeshi had left drying near the sink. Her fingers hovered over the seal for a beat longer than necessary.
Then she broke it.
The Hokage's handwriting was unmistakable—elegant, precise, and burdened with weight. She read through it once, twice. Then again, slower.
Team Minato.
Land of Grass.
High-level infiltration. Sabotage.
Reinforcement required.
And her name at the bottom, written not with fanfare, but as if it had always been meant to be there.
Rei let the scroll curl in on itself on the counter. Her face remained unreadable, but something had changed in her eyes—something pulled tight and sharp. Not fear. Not even surprise. Just the silent recalibration of someone who lived in constant readiness.
She turned from the kitchen and walked back to her room, tying her hair back as she moved.
She didn't need to ask what this mission meant. Not really.
The Land of Grass was bleeding tension. Suna and Iwa were already cooperating on the border. The air had smelled different ever since Obito, Kakashi, and Rin returned from their last operation—thicker, charged. Everyone felt it, even if no one said it aloud.
Now they were calling her in.
Not a team mission with Akira. Not under Orochimaru's orders.
This came from the top.
And now that she found out Hiro is dead...
Rei opened her closet and pulled her gray flak vest from its hook. Her weapons pouch followed, then her field pack. Everything moved with practiced efficiency—shuriken loaded, scrolls sealed, backup supplies double-checked. Every motion was muscle memory. Every part of her had been preparing for something like this.
But even so... there was a knot in her gut.
She slid her forehead protector into place and stood in front of the mirror. Not to check her appearance—but to look herself in the eye.
And in that moment, Rei Arakawa wasn't a girl, or a student, or even a shinobi under suspicion.
She was a weapon Konoha was finally ready to point.
She blew out a slow breath, letting the cold calm of preparation settle over her.
Then she grabbed the scroll again, tucked it into her vest, and walked out the door.
She didn't wake Takeshi.
She didn't leave a note.
She meant not to look back—but as she reached for the door, the light shifted. A glint cut across the room, catching her eye. Pale and silver, quiet and sharp.
The Hisatsume.
It lay half-shrouded in dust where she'd left it—untouched for years. She'd refused to draw it, even during training. It didn't feel like hers. Not really. Not when she wasn't the clan head. Not when the weight of it felt like it belonged to ghosts older than her name.
But now, in the hush before sunrise, the blade shimmered.
Rei's breath caught.
She remembered that night. The warmth of Raiden Arakawa's presence.
The blade wasn't waiting for a title.
It was waiting for her.
She stepped back, slow and deliberate, and wrapped her fingers around the hilt.
The cold metal stung against her palm—but not because of pain. She couldn't feel pain. She just imagined it should.
The moment she lifted the Hisatsume, something shifted. Not in the house. In her.
A click, quiet and final.
Without another breath, she slung it over her shoulder and left.
The sun rose, beating down from a washed-out sky as cicadas hummed lazily in the trees. Just outside Konoha's west gate, a large stone sat half-sunken at the crossroads where the dirt path met the forest line. It was quiet out here—quiet in that heavy, waiting way. The kind of quiet that made you feel like you were already too far from home.
Rei stood a few steps apart from the group, back straight, arms crossed. The Hisatsume rested across her spine like it had always belonged there. She kept her eyes forward. Focused. Or trying to be.
"Hey, Rei!" Rin called, cupping her hands around her mouth before waving with a bright smile. "You decided to join us! This is great!"
"She was ordered to come, Rin," Kakashi deadpanned, turning her way. "At least you're not late."
Rei raised an eyebrow. "Where's Obito?"
"Late," Kakashi said simply.
"Glad to have you with us, Rei," Minato added, stepping out from behind the stone and leaning back against it, one foot braced casually against the base. His arms were folded loosely across his chest, his expression calm as always—but his eyes were sharp. "Especially on such short notice."
Kakashi stood beside him, quiet and unreadable behind his mask. Every so often, he shifted his weight, glancing up the road as if willing a certain idiot to finally show up.
Rin sat on the stone itself, legs swinging idly. Her voice broke the silence again, soft and familiar.
"He's late again."
Minato smiled faintly. "Obito's always late."
"Still," Rin murmured, glancing at the sun. "He said he wouldn't be this time. That he was getting better at it."
Kakashi snorted. "He's not."
Minato tilted his head, golden sunlight catching in his hair. "Let's be fair. He tries."
"Trying doesn't count when there's a war," Kakashi muttered.
"You sound like a forty-year-old," Rin teased.
"You'll thank me when you live past twenty."
Rei said nothing. She kept her eyes locked on the road, even though she was tuned in to every word. The conversation between them was easy—too easy. Familiar. Like they'd done this a hundred times.
She hadn't.
This wasn't her team.
She didn't belong here.
Minato must have noticed. He turned slightly toward her, enough to break the rhythm of conversation. His gaze flicked to the blade strapped to her back.
"You brought the Hisatsume," he said, voice low and casual.
Rei's brow twitched. "Yeah."
"You haven't drawn it yet, have you?" he asked gently.
"No," she replied. "It's not... ready."
Minato nodded, accepting the answer without pressing. "Still," he said, "you brought it with you. That's a start."
Kakashi, who had remained silent until now, glanced at the weapon over her shoulder.
"So it's true," he said. "You really have that sword."
Rei didn't react at first, though her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
"Takeshi said he didn't want the blade," Kakashi went on, his tone even. "Said he didn't feel worthy. But in the same breath said it only responds to Raiden Arakawa's direct bloodline."
Rei's voice came out flat. "It answers to who it chooses."
Kakashi didn't flinch. "You were born with the red streak, weren't you?"
Rei stiffened.
"They say only the reincarnation of Raiden is born with it. Everyone else in the clan had to awaken theirs."
"They also say Raiden could split the sky," she muttered. "Doesn't make it fact."
"It makes people afraid," Kakashi replied. "Especially now. Suna and Iwa asking about you? It's not coincidence."
Rei's jaw tightened.
Minato stepped in, calm but firm. "Enough."
He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
From somewhere down the road, a sudden shout rang out—followed by a loud thud and a rising puff of dust.
Rei turned just in time to see a blur tumble into view and roll to a graceless stop in front of the team.
Obito groaned, blinking up from where he lay sprawled across the dirt. "Did I make it?"
Kakashi stepped forward immediately, arms crossed and glare sharp enough to slice through steel. "No, Obito. You're late."
Obito sat up, brushing gravel from his sleeves. "Technically, I'm only a little late—"
Kakashi didn't let him finish. "What time did you think we were supposed to meet? You're a shinobi now. You don't just show up whenever it's convenient."
"I was on the way," Obito defended, rubbing his eyes, "but this old lady asked me for directions—and then I think I got something in my eye."
Kakashi's stare remained locked. "That's a lie."
Obito pulled out a small bottle of eye drops and squirted some into one eye. "I carried her groceries too."
"That's enough, Kakashi," Minato said from where he stood by the rock, glancing over with a patient smile. "I'm sure Obito did exactly what he said. Right?"
Obito grinned, still sniffling from the eye drops. "Of course I did! I'm a gentleman."
"You're too lenient, Sensei," Kakashi muttered, shifting his glare toward Minato now. "It's suspicious. There's always some excuse with him. It's like the universe sends an old woman into his path every time we have a mission."
He huffed and added, "Those who break the rules and regulations are regarded as scum."
Rei's eyes narrowed. Her shoulders tensed.
"And those who hide behind rules to feel superior?" she snapped. "What are they?"
Kakashi's gaze slid to her, cold and sharp. "It's not superiority if it's the truth."
Minato let out a quiet, uneasy laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
Obito, meanwhile, gave Rei a grateful look as he stood, wiping his pants off. "Seriously, Kakashi—don't you have any kindness in your heart? You act like memorizing regulations makes you better than everyone else."
Rin stepped between them quickly, both arms raised. "Okay—enough. We're supposed to be a team, remember? Let's not start the mission with a fight."
Kakashi turned his glare on her now, clearly still simmering. "You're too easy on him, Rin. You always take his side. This is an important day for me too"
"Y-You're right," Rin mumbled shrinking back.
Obito blinked. "Wait, what? What important day?"
Everyone turned to him.
Rei blinked.
Kakashi's eye twitched.
"...Are you serious?" he asked, voice now disturbingly calm.
Obito blinked again. "What? Did I miss something?"
"You didn't miss anything if no one told you," Rei said, stepping beside him. She cast a sharp glance at Kakashi. "He hasn't said anything about it."
"What do you mean?" Obito asked, confused by the knowing look in Rei's eyes as they lingered on Kakashi.
Kakashi let out a quiet sigh. "We should probably get moving."
"You're right, Kakashi," Minato agreed, glancing up at the sky. The sun had risen higher than expected.
Without another word, the group began walking.
Obito nudged Rei gently with his elbow. "Hey... you okay?"
Rei stiffened. "Yeah. I'm okay."
Rin's voice came softly from behind them, careful and hesitant. "News travels fast... I didn't know Hiro—"
"I said I'm okay," Rei cut in, sharper this time.
Silence fell.
They walked in it for a while. The path led them through thinning woods until they reached the top of a grassy hill, wind stirring the leaves and tugging at their clothes.
Minato glanced at Kakashi beside him.
Kakashi met his gaze—and gave a short nod.
The wind carried his words clearly as Minato spoke. "As of today," he said, voice steady, "Kakashi will be a Jōnin—like me. And to increase our efficiency, we'll be splitting into two teams. After all, presently the Leaf Village is at an unprecedented low on military strength"
Obito's brow furrowed. "Splitting up? Then..."
"Yes, that's right," Minato turned to look at him. "Kakashi will lead a four-man squad with you, Rin, and Rei. I'll be operating solo from this point on."
Rin clasped her hands together, eyes wide with admiration. "Wow, Kakashi, that's amazing! I actually brought a gift for you—though I would've given it to you even without the promotion."
Obito shifted, clearly annoyed. "I didn't bring anything... because no one told me."
"This is my gift," Minato said, pulling a kunai from his pouch. He held it up, blade glinting in the sun. "A custom-made Flying Raijin kunai. It's a little heavy and oddly shaped, but once you get used to it, it'll serve you well."
Kakashi caught it with one hand, effortless. "Thank you."
"And this is from me," Rin said, rummaging through her bag before pulling out a small wrapped box. "A personalized medkit. I adjusted the layout so it's faster to use in combat."
Kakashi accepted it with a small nod. "Thanks."
Then, without even glancing over, he raised his right hand toward Obito.
Obito blinked. "W-What's with the hand?"
"You're next," Kakashi said flatly. "Aren't you going to give me something?"
"I told you I didn't bring anything!"
"Well... I don't mind," Kakashi replied, voice completely deadpan. "I doubt it would've been useful anyway. Something pointless would just get in the way."
Obito's mouth dropped. "I still don't get how you became a Jōnin!"
"I didn't bring you anything either," Rei said suddenly. Her voice was even, but her hand fidgeted at the pouch strapped to her thigh. She'd packed something small—just in case. But now she wasn't sure why she bothered.
Kakashi didn't even blink. "I wouldn't expect a gift from someone who's not really on our team."
"Right..." Rei muttered, eyes flicking to the ground. She knew he was right. She wasn't part of Team Minato. But it still stung.
Obito glanced over. "Even if she's not officially on the team, she's still here to help us!"
Rei shifted uncomfortably, thinking, You're not making this better, Obito.
"When did I say otherwise?" Kakashi asked coolly.
"Please," Rin raised her hands between them, "can we not fight?"
"No one's fighting," Kakashi said. "Obito's just upset I outranked him."
Obito shoved a finger at Kakashi's face. "I'm Obito Uchiha of the Uchiha clan! I'll surpass you one day—the moment my Sharingan awakens!"
Kakashi tilted his head. "Everyone in your clan is elite, right? So you shouldn't need to rely on something like that."
"What was that?!" Obito stepped forward again.
"That's enough," Rei said, stepping in between them. "You're making Rin worry."
Minato sighed lightly and glanced toward the treetops. "Can I go over the mission now? We're getting close to the border."
Obito took a grudging step back. Kakashi said nothing.
The group followed Minato to a large, flat stone just off the trail. He knelt beside it, unrolling a weathered map across the surface as the wind tugged gently at the corners.
"This line here," Minato said, pointing along a jagged mark on the parchment, "marks where the Land of Earth is currently advancing into Kusagakure. Our enemy is Iwagakure."
He looked up at the group, expression serious. "We've received intel that over a thousand shinobi have already formed their front line."
Obito swallowed hard. "They've advanced way more than last time..."
"The Land of Fire shares a border with Kusa," Kakashi added quietly. "We should've stepped in sooner."
"Judging by the scale of their force," Rin said, worry creeping into her voice, "they must have a strong, steady supply line."
"They do," Rei spoke up, arms crossed as her eyes scanned the map. "That's what makes this bridge so important. Cut off the reinforcements, and the front line collapses from within. Fast."
Minato nodded approvingly, then circled a point on the map with his finger. "Which brings us here—the Kannabi Bridge. In battle, crushing the enemy head-on requires an overwhelming number of shinobi. But sabotage missions like this... they're meant for small, precise teams like ours."
"So it's an infiltration mission," Kakashi said.
Rei stayed quiet, but her gaze lingered on the marked location. She'd already known this. A sealed scroll delivered at dawn confirmed it. Maybe she was the only one who received it—but she wasn't sure why.
"Correct," Minato continued, turning to face them all. "Team Kakashi—your mission is to infiltrate enemy territory and destroy this bridge. It's used to transport supplies and reinforcements to the front. Once the bridge is gone, withdraw immediately. No detours. No delays."
"Yes, sir!" they all echoed in unison.
Obito raised his hand. "And you, Sensei?"
"I'll be engaging the enemy directly at the battlefront," Minato said. "I'll create enough of a diversion to make your infiltration possible."
Then he turned to Kakashi.
"In any case, Kakashi is your captain on this mission. We'll travel together to the border—but after that, you're on your own."
Minato placed his hand firmly atop the map. One by one, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi followed suit.
Rei hesitated.
She wasn't part of their team. Not really. Not officially.
Her eyes flicked to Kakashi—half expecting another comment, another subtle dismissal.
Instead, his gaze met hers with surprising calm. "We can't pull this off unless we all move together," he said. "So quit standing there like a ghost and join the squad."
Rei blinked, caught off guard. Then—almost grudgingly—she stepped forward and placed her hand on top of the others.
Their voices rang out together, solid and sure.
"Yes, sir!"
Tall trees stretched endlessly above, their canopies whispering in the breeze. Birds scattered from the branches with sharp flutters of wings as the squad moved swiftly and silently beneath them.
Kakashi led the formation, quiet and focused. His every step was deliberate, precise.
Behind him, Obito and Rei walked side by side, boots muffled in the underbrush. Rei kept her eyes forward, but her senses were tuned — something felt off. Obito tried not to stare, but every now and then, his gaze flicked toward her sword. She hadn't said much since they left the last checkpoint.
Behind them trailed Rin and Minato, keeping a careful eye on their surroundings and each other.
Suddenly, Kakashi came to a stop. His hand shot up.
Everyone froze.
Rei instinctively stepped forward, squinting ahead. The sunlight filtered through the leaves in thin beams, but there—perched along a thick branch—was a silhouette. Humanoid. Still. Watching.
She didn't wait for permission. Her chakra flared for a half-second, eyes narrowing.
"There's someone up there," she muttered, already sliding a hand toward her pouch.
"Take cover," Kakashi ordered, sharp and absolute.
They scattered instantly, ducking behind a massive tree trunk they'd passed moments before. Rei was the last to move, reluctant, but followed the others with a scowl.
Minato knelt, pressing his finger to the earth. "One..." He paused, brow furrowing. His voice tightened. "No—twenty. Be on guard, everyone."
Rei's heart kicked. Twenty? That didn't make sense. No way there were that many chakra signatures hiding this close without—
"Tch. Perfect," she muttered under her breath, already reaching for a kunai. "What is this, a welcoming party?"
Minato straightened. "It's probably Shadow Clone Jutsu," he said. "Still, that doesn't mean they're not dangerous."
Kakashi leaned forward from cover, scanning ahead with a calculating look. "I think you're right, sensei... I'll attack."
"Can you cover me?"
"No," Minato said, sharp. "Don't be hasty, Kakashi. You should back me up."
But Kakashi's hands were already forming signs.
"Sensei," Kakashi said, voice low but firm, "I'm the captain today. I want to test a new jutsu I've been working on."
Lightning crackled to life around his palm—pure white and seething like a wild animal. The sound pierced the forest, sharp and high-pitched like a thousand birds screaming.
"Chidori!"
Rei's eyes widened. The air around them charged with electricity, her skin prickling as the jutsu came alive in Kakashi's hand.
"What the hell..." she murmured, stunned. The sheer speed of the chakra was unreal—violent, honed, alive. It buzzed in her ears, almost drowning out her thoughts. She didn't even realize she had taken a step forward to get a better look.
That wasn't just a technique—it was a weapon.
As Kakashi prepared to launch forward, Minato stepped in front of him and raised a hand, blocking his path.
Kakashi's brows drew together. "No matter what their numbers are, with this jutsu, I can take them down in a flash. It's just like your nickname."
He looked Minato dead in the eye.
"Besides, Sensei... you said it yourself. Right now, I'm the captain. The rule says the team must obey its captain's orders."
There was a beat of silence.
Rei watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. Rules. Always rules. If it were her, she would've already thrown a kunai and forced the enemy to react. She didn't believe in waiting for permission—especially not when her gut screamed danger.
Minato held Kakashi's gaze for a long moment, then finally dropped his hand.
Kakashi didn't wait.
He launched forward like a bolt of lightning, tearing through the massive tree trunk ahead with his Chidori, leaving behind a smoldering hole and a flash of light that echoed through the woods.
Leaves fluttered down around them. Rei tightened her grip on her blade's hilt.
"That show-off," she muttered—but there was a flicker of something in her voice. Not mockery. Something closer to anticipation.
As Kakashi tore forward, the forest erupted.
Dozens of Iwa clones burst from the canopy and ground alike, kunai and shuriken flung in synchronized waves, forming a net of steel.
Minato was already in motion.
In an instant, he vanished—only to reappear mid-air above Kakashi, deflecting the incoming barrage with precise, lightning-fast movements. His kunai intercepted shuriken, his feet kicked away kunai. One clone lunged at Kakashi from the side, only to be struck down by a flash of yellow light as Minato reappeared and cut it clean through.
"Go!" Minato barked as he blocked the last of the volley. "Don't lose momentum!"
Kakashi didn't reply—he didn't need to. His Chidori howled like a wild beast as he leapt through the shattered tree line, ripping through trunks and branches toward the real enemy. The forest was a blur around him.
Behind the tree, Rei narrowed her eyes, chakra pulsing faintly through her limbs.
Iwa shinobi. Her chest tightened. That's who they were fighting. Her fingers flexed around the hilt of a kunai.
They're who took Hiro.
Without thinking, Rei stepped out from cover—but Minato's arm shot out, blocking her path.
"No," he said calmly but firmly. "You don't charge in."
Her jaw clenched. "I can help."
"I know," he said, locking eyes with her. "But your help means nothing if you get killed doing it. We do this smart, not emotional."
Rei's nostrils flared. Her instincts screamed to move, to avenge Hiro, to bury steel in the throat of the first Iwa bastard she could find. But Minato's presence—his grounded, unwavering calm—tethered her.
"Tch," she hissed, stepping back. "Fine."
A flash of white burst above the treetops—Kakashi had reached the enemy. His Chidori pierced the trunk of a massive tree, driving straight into the gut of an Iwa-nin.
Only for the figure to vanish in a puff of smoke.
"A clone," Minato muttered, his voice tightening.
Rin and Obito immediately broke formation, weaving through trees, eyes scanning for movement.
Rei didn't wait this time.
"I'm going," she said, already moving. "You said don't be reckless. Supporting isn't reckless."
Minato gave her a short nod. "Watch his flank."
She was gone before he finished the sentence.
Ahead, Obito slowed near a boulder, something catching his eye—but it was already too late.
From beneath the earth, a clone burst forth in a spray of soil and stone. The Iwa shinobi lunged, kunai raised.
Obito froze.
"Obito!" Rei's voice cut through the chaos.
She skidded into view, arm already cocked. A single shuriken whistled through the air, spinning with deadly precision. It struck the clone in the temple with so much force it didn't just disperse the jutsu—it left a small crater in the tree behind it.
The ground hissed where the Iwa clone had been, smoke rising.
"Pay attention!" she barked. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"
Obito blinked, stunned, before nodding quickly, his voice cracking: "Sorry!"
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and spun back into a defensive stance. Rei didn't wait—she was already scanning the trees again, chakra flaring slightly, sensing.
Elsewhere, Kakashi met the real Iwa shinobi mid-air. The enemy was faster than expected, sword drawn and gleaming.
The clash was violent.
Kakashi swung his Chidori low, aiming for the shinobi's gut, but the Iwa-nin parried, sidestepping with shocking speed. A flash of steel—Kakashi barely dodged, but not fast enough.
Steel sliced under his armpit.
Blood spilled.
Before the Iwa shinobi could finish the strike, a golden flash appeared between them.
Minato.
His kunai collided with the enemy's blade, sparks flying as he knocked the attacker back in a single fluid motion. He caught Kakashi mid-fall and teleported them back to the group in a yellow blur.
Kakashi stumbled as Minato set him down. His left arm trembled. Blood soaked through his uniform.
"Kakashi!" Rin gasped, rushing forward. Her medkit was already open, hands moving with practiced urgency. "Hold still. You've been cut deep."
Kakashi clenched his jaw, sweat forming at his brow. "It's just a graze."
"It's not," Rin snapped, already stitching chakra into his wound.
Rei emerged from the treeline, breath sharp, hands bloodied from close combat with another clone. She paused at the sight—Kakashi injured, Rin hunched over him, Minato standing like a sentinel.
She turned her gaze back toward the forest. The enemy was still out there.
"I have a shot," she muttered, low enough only Minato could hear. "I can end him."
Minato didn't look at her, just pulled his backpack straps from his shoulder, eyes narrowing at the trees ahead.
"Let me," he said.
There was no room for argument in his voice now.
As Minato dropped his backpack beside a moss-covered root, he vanished—gone in a flicker of golden light.
The remaining team stared, momentarily stunned by his sheer speed.
Seconds later, he reappeared a few steps back, landing silently behind them.
"Kakashi's wound is serious," Minato said, his voice calm but clipped. Rei's head turned instinctively. She hadn't even seen him engage the Iwa shinobi—but the silence in the forest said enough.
She looked to the trees, clenching her fists. The next one is mine.
Kneeling beside Kakashi, Rin pressed her hands over the bleeding gash under his arm. Pale green healing chakra glowed beneath her fingers.
Rei crouched beside her, observing her focus and steady control. "...You're good at this," she murmured. "Precise."
Rin offered a small smile without looking up. "I've had a lot of practice. And Obito usually gives me opportunities."
Obito winced but said nothing.
"We'll retreat and regroup," Minato announced, tone final.
"No!" Kakashi whipped around, trying to rise. "I'm all right!"
Obito stepped forward, throwing his arms wide in disbelief. "No, you're not! This happened because you ignored Sensei's warning and ran ahead!"
Kakashi's eye sharpened into a glare. "I don't need a lecture from the 'Uchiha elite' who froze the second danger showed up!"
"I—I didn't freeze!" Obito stammered. "I just... got some dust in my eye! That's all!"
Kakashi crossed his arms, cold and smug. "Do you even know the 25th rule of shinobi conduct?"
Rei groaned audibly. "Here we go again."
"A shinobi must not show tears," Kakashi recited.
Rei stood, arms crossed. "Rules written by men who've never bled for anything but their pride."
Kakashi turned to her, unimpressed. "Those rules are what keep us alive."
"And sometimes," Rei said sharply, "they're the reason people die too early. You think Hiro cared about the rulebook when he jumped in front of Yumi?"
Kakashi's expression didn't change—but the silence afterward said he heard her.
"Hey... stop it, you three," Rin muttered, her chakra still pulsing against Kakashi's wound. "You're making it worse."
"That's enough," Minato said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. Everyone fell quiet.
He stepped forward, eyes passing over them with clarity and command.
"Kakashi—yes, rules and regulations matter. But they aren't everything. Didn't I teach you there are times when the situation requires instinct? When it demands flexibility, not formulas?"
Obito grinned. "Ha! See?"
But Minato turned to him next. "And you, Obito. Don't act like you're innocent. You're wearing goggles. Dust didn't get in your eye. If you're going to preach about kindness and self-control, start by standing your ground."
Obito deflated, muttering, "...Sorry."
Minato's gaze shifted to Rei. "And you, Rei. You are now a functioning member of Team Kakashi. That means no more breaking formation. No more going solo. If you want to be trusted, you have to trust the team."
Rei met his eyes, jaw tight. She gave a stiff nod. "Understood."
Minato sighed and straightened, his voice softer now.
"And one more thing—Kakashi, don't use that jutsu again."
Kakashi looked up, caught off guard. "Why not?"
"That focal-point lightning strike—your Chidori—it has tremendous power. But it also propels you forward too fast to track your opponent's counters. You lose visibility in the rush. It's incomplete."
Kakashi didn't argue, but the tension in his shoulders told everyone how he felt about it.
Minato took one final look around the group.
"Before we move on, remember this: for a shinobi, the most important thing isn't power. It isn't speed. It's teamwork. That's what will keep you alive. That's what will carry you through this war."
The words hung heavy in the forest.
Rei said nothing. But for the first time in a long while... she listened.