Chapter 125: Lava Release
"Watch out—it's the Sharingan!"
As Uchiha Kei cut down a Mist-nin with a single strike, the ninja's comrades immediately noticed something unusual. One of them shouted a warning to the others in the fog-drenched battlefield.
But Mist-nin were true to their name—cold and ruthless. None of them even flinched at the death of their comrade. The chilling indifference they displayed made Kei's skin crawl.
The Bloody Mist policy had long since taken root. Just look at that no-eyebrow freak Zabuza—he was born the same year as Kakashi and Kei, and yet, he had killed every one of his classmates during graduation.
Clearly, the Blood Mist Era began under Madara's control of the Mizukage. And once Obito took Madara's place, he inherited that "political legacy" without hesitation.
Under Obito's manipulation, Kirigakure became a village drowning in fear, violence, and silence.
Uchiha Kei paid no mind to the Mist-nin who'd just died by his hand. To him, an enemy's life wasn't worth a second thought.
His scarlet Sharingan spun rapidly, sweeping across the battlefield. In moments, he understood the enemy's tactics.
There were twelve Mist-nin, split into three teams, trying to overwhelm Kei's squad of five.
Kakashi had stayed close to Rin in order to protect her, effectively making them their own team.
But even so, did the Mist really think this strategy would work?
The Byakugan could pierce through the Mist-style smokescreen effortlessly, and this particular Mist Technique wasn't especially powerful. Even Kakashi could see through it using his Sharingan.
As for Imai Kenta—the only one in Kei's squad without a dōjutsu—he had refined sensory perception. In short, the Mist Jutsu was pointless here... if anything, it only worked against its users.
"Tell me," Kei said calmly, his voice cutting through the thick fog like a blade, "why would Mist-nin trek all the way to the Land of Grass?"
His gaze locked onto two chakra signatures hiding within the mist.
One was tall—clearly a grown man.
The other was shorter—seemingly around Kei's own age.
What intrigued Uchiha Kei the most was that the shorter Mist-nin appeared to be a woman.
A woman joining the Anbu wasn't particularly rare—female shinobi were often better suited for certain missions than their male counterparts.
Likewise, a young shinobi entering the Anbu wasn't unusual either; after all, geniuses appeared in every generation.
But a young woman in the Anbu?
That was worth noting. It meant this girl wasn't just special—she was likely exceptional.
Neither of the Mist-nin responded to Kei's earlier question. The tall and short duo stood side by side, eyes sharp with caution as they faced him.
That lack of reaction made Kei lose a bit of interest—but he didn't dare let his guard down. Being a shinobi was a profession where even the strongest could fall in an instant.
Countless renowned ninja had died to a simple kunai. Take Pakura of Sunagakure, for instance—dead despite his infamy.
Taking a deep breath, Kei made the first move.
With a flicker of his Body Flicker Technique, he instantly closed the gap between himself and the male Mist-nin, slashing down with his blue-tinged chakra blade.
But the Mist-nin was alert and fast—he dodged the moment Kei moved.
Meanwhile, the female Mist-nin wasn't idle either. Her hands blurred through hand seals, and in an instant, she launched a Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet from her mouth.
A massive, spiraling water dragon roared toward Kei.
He didn't flinch. After missing his first strike, he calmly turned to face the oncoming jutsu. His crimson eyes quickly analyzed its structure and pinpointed its weakness.
With a swift thrust of his blade, he pierced through the water dragon—splitting it clean in two.
But just as the dragon dissipated, the male Mist-nin tapped his toe lightly on the ground and glided forward with a strange grace.
Mid-air, he unsheathed his katana in one fluid motion. With a soft push, he let the empty scabbard fall—its tip embedding into the muddy earth below.
His movement was elegant, almost poetic. The blade danced in the air, forming a flawless arc, and with a silent, lethal precision, it aimed straight for Kei's throat.
Despite the beauty of the motion, even Kei—no sword master himself—could tell the form was unorthodox. There were subtle extra movements, ones even beginners might avoid.
And yet… Kei couldn't deny its pressure. In this man's hands, the flawed form became an elegant and deadly rhythm.
"A samurai?" Kei raised his blade defensively. "Or… one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
Regardless of who he was, the man was an enemy. And enemies—must die.
Kei's Sharingan locked onto his opponent. The three tomoe spun, capturing every detail.
With a crisp clang, the two blades collided mid-air. Kei's sword held steady, blocking the enemy's just twenty centimeters from his neck.
Such speed. Such finesse.
Kei's thoughts churned. He hadn't expected swordsmanship this refined.
The Sharingan's tomoe came to a halt, focusing sharply on the Mist-nin's eyes.
But the Mist-nin—clearly experienced in fighting Uchihas—immediately shut his eyes and shifted tactics.
His attack thwarted, he pivoted and launched a powerful kick toward Kei's side.
Kei easily evaded with a slight twist of his torso, and at that moment, his left hand lit up with crackling Chidori lightning.
But just then, the female Mist-nin's voice rang out:
"Now! Dodge!"
The male Mist-nin planted his foot into the ground and sprang away in an instant.
Kei suddenly sensed a shift in the surrounding chakra.
"Lava Release: Dissolving Monster Jutsu!"
A torrent of molten orange sludge—half magma, half corrosive acid—erupted and surged toward Kei.
The searing heat and caustic mist shocked even him.
But Kei wasn't unprepared. In the split second before the lava touched him, he activated Body Flicker once more and vanished.
Landing safely atop a nearby tree, he stared down at the scorched and sunken earth left behind. Then his eyes shifted to the masked woman responsible.
Just his luck.
This woman hadn't shown up in the original story.
In the canon timeline, every Mist-nin who tried to intercept Kakashi and Rin had been slaughtered by Obito. Not a single one survived—hence Kei's earlier shock at encountering Ao.
But timeline or not, an enemy was still an enemy. Kei never let the original plot cloud his judgment—especially when his life was on the line.
Then, without warning, a breeze stirred.
And riding that wind—came the telltale whoosh of a blade slicing through air.