Hyūga Aya was moving toward Uchiha Kai's position, but in her heart, it felt more like an evacuation than an investigation.
Sharp as ever, she could sense a faint but undeniable malice from Kai — a malice that made her uneasy.
It wasn't the first time she had encountered such hostility, but from a comrade, it made her think deeply.
In extreme situations, Aya was prepared to risk her life, but under normal circumstances, she would eliminate all uncertainties.
Yet against someone like Uchiha Kai, she found herself with few options.
In terms of strategy and cunning, Hyūga Aya didn't fear him.
In terms of technique and tactics, she believed herself to be his equal.
But when it came to a direct fight — against a fully matured Sharingan user — she had her doubts.
If she were given a few more years, maybe things would be different.
She believed that with time her strength would grow — but for now, standing against a three-tomoe Sharingan user was reckless, especially one as cold and calculating as Uchiha Kai.
Aya was jealous — not just of Kai's sudden surge in strength, but also of something deeper: his freedom.
She couldn't even remember when exactly the cursed seal — the Caged Bird Seal — had been branded on her forehead.
As she grew older, she finally understood its meaning: the mark of a slave, the loss of freedom.
In her youth, Aya had dreamed of changing her fate through excellence, hoping that if she stood out, things would be different.
Graduating from the Academy with top grades, she had once been full of hope — until the cold reality shattered it.
The moment she stepped out of the Academy, she realized: for a branch member of the Hyūga clan, no achievement could erase the curse of servitude.
The battlefield hardened her.
Once an innocent, romantic, and optimistic girl, she became cautious, calculating, and detached.
She had witnessed too many comrades die — sometimes for nothing — and learned that survival was the only victory that mattered.
Aya's dream remained simple: to break free of her cursed fate, to become a bird that could truly fly.
She had grown stronger, carefully hiding her true thoughts, sharpening her skills, but she knew it wasn't enough.
It would never be enough — not against the chains of tradition, not against the power structures of Konoha.
Now, her new teammate was Uchiha Kai — a member of the Uchiha clan, rivals to the Hyūga, and famed for their fearsome Sharingan.
Even if the Uchiha were said to be declining slightly after the war, in many eyes they still held an overwhelming advantage over other clans.
Through Kai's record, Aya realized he was not an ordinary Uchiha.
Alongside him was another teammate, Imai Kenta — a civilian ninja.
Aya didn't pay much attention to Kenta.
In her mind, no matter how talented a civilian shinobi was, they would always be at a disadvantage compared to those born into noble clans.
But Uchiha Kai was different.
Even though he had been a marginal figure within his clan, Aya dared not underestimate him.
At first, she even looked down on him slightly — he hadn't activated his Sharingan during the Academy years, which in Hyūga standards was considered unimpressive.
Worse, Kai had been appointed their team captain — a decision Aya found hard to accept.
She worried he might act impulsively or foolishly on the battlefield.
However, reality proved otherwise.
Uchiha Kai was neither reckless nor sentimental.
He was cold, ruthless, and far more careful than most.
He valued survival above all else — perhaps even more than she did.
Under pressure, Kai had quickly pieced together the enemy's strategy, adapting on the fly.
He had deduced Iwa's movements and saved their team by making rapid, ruthless decisions.
Then came the final blow: he awakened the Sharingan — and not just one tomoe, but the fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan.
Aya knew the reputation of the Uchiha all too well.
Even without the Sharingan, a skilled Uchiha could be dangerous.
But once the three-tomoe Sharingan was awakened, even a Chūnin-level Uchiha could fight on par with Jōnin.
Experience, chakra control, and tactics still mattered — but the sheer gap in perceptual ability was terrifying.
Aya understood: if Kai had stayed an ordinary ninja, she could have fought him evenly.
But now, facing a full-fledged Sharingan user, the balance tilted sharply.
And what made her even more bitter was the freedom he enjoyed.
After the mission, Uchiha Kai had been promoted to Jōnin — an extremely rare achievement at his age — and, even more outrageously, had been appointed Deputy Commander of the Konoha Military Police Force.
Aya didn't care much about titles like "Jōnin" or "Deputy Commander."
But in her eyes, these were proof that Uchiha Kai was a free man, unburdened by cursed seals or predetermined fates.
Unlike her.
His rapid promotions weren't a blessing for Aya — they were a warning.
A reminder of how far she still was from true freedom.
And now, as Deputy Commander, he had been sent personally to this mission — which only meant one thing: this operation was not simple.
The Uchiha clan rarely moved without purpose.
Kai must have his own goals, and Aya couldn't rule out the possibility that she might become expendable if she got in his way.
If the Uchiha wanted to erase a branch member who knew too much, who would stop them?
"You always have to plan for the worst," Aya reminded herself coldly — a lesson she had learned from years of war.
"I hope not..." she muttered under her breath. "Fighting him under mission rules is one thing... But if he breaks them..."
As these thoughts consumed her, Aya noticed that Kai seemed to genuinely be searching according to plan.
Breathing a small sigh of relief, she allowed herself to slow down slightly.
Honestly, finding the missing Kiri-nin wasn't her main concern — sticking together was simply safer.
She relaxed a little, deactivating her Byakugan.
Yet after only a few steps, something odd caught her eye — subtle traces that her Byakugan had missed at first.
Her heart tightened.
This battlefield was far more dangerous than she had imagined.