Obito's temper snapped.
"Why the hell am I stuck on guard duty? What, am I useless now?"
Too bad for him—Kai wasn't in the mood to entertain whining. Not here, not in the middle of enemy territory.
He was commander. His word was law.
Any arguments could wait until after the mission.
Besides—Kai was already moving.
Shisui and Kakashi didn't hesitate either. They drew steel in unison and launched forward.
Shisui wielded a heavy tachi. Kakashi's hand gripped the White Fang's short blade, his father's legacy.
Kai, though, was already a blur.
"Soru… Tekkai Tama."
He vanished into a black whirlwind, stepping into the air with Geppo before slamming down like a thunderbolt.
BOOM!
The first Hidden Stone Jounin didn't even scream. His chest collapsed like paper, blood spraying wide.
"Enemy attack!" the second Jounin roared—
Too late.
"Shigan."
Kai's finger speared through his throat like a bullet.
Then lightning.
"Rankyaku — White Thunder!"
His body flashed white as he dropped a kick that split the ground apart. The third Jounin's body crumpled before he even realized he'd died.
Three strikes. Three corpses.
Ordinary Jounin weren't even warm-ups anymore.
By the time Kakashi and Shisui caught up, the fight was already over. They froze mid-step, staring at the carnage.
Too strong. He was simply too strong.
For the first time, even Kakashi was forced to admit it. The gap between them wasn't just big—it was a canyon.
But he clenched his jaw. He would bridge it one day. He had to—for his father's name, the White Fang of Konoha.
Shisui's chest tightened too, though in a different way. Awe, yes—but also pride. This monster of a shinobi was Uchiha, same as him.
The two of them leapt into the remaining chunin, blades flashing. Within two minutes, the clearing fell silent.
Obito and Rin finally arrived, faces pale as they took in the aftermath.
Even after Minato's explanations, some part of them hadn't believed. But now? Now there was no denying it.
Uchiha Kai was on another level.
"Clean it up," Kai said flatly.
His squad moved instantly, slipping into their well-worn roles. Kakashi's group hesitated a beat, then followed suit.
Five minutes later, the battlefield was scrubbed clean.
"Move."
Kai led them on, no wasted words.
By nightfall, they were deep into the Land of Grass.
They'd already crossed paths with Minato twice, dodged patrols, and cut down a dozen enemy units. The further they went, the sharper the danger.
Every ten minutes, another Stone kill-team emerged from the trees.
Kai's gut told him the truth: they were walking straight into the enemy's heartland.
Around nine, he finally halted, scanning the weary faces around him and the starless sky above.
"It's late. We won't march at night. Rest and recover."
He pointed toward the nearby valley.
"We camp there. Shisui, set up genjutsu. Aya, keep your Byakugan active. Kakashi, traps and perimeter. Kazama, Obito, Rin—fire and food."
Orders given, Kai vaulted into a tree, eyes closed, Observation Haki spread wide across the night.
Any disturbance, and he'd know.
The others set to work. Shisui weaving illusions, Kakashi laying wire and kunai, Aya's pale gaze sweeping the treeline. Kazama and Rin tended the fire.
Obito, of course, couldn't help himself.
"This is ridiculous! Everyone else is working, and he just gets to nap like a king? Who made him boss—"
Rin smacked him with a glare. "The captain is the strongest fighter. He stays fresh for emergencies. You don't get that?"
"I—no, Rin, don't be mad!" Obito flailed sheepishly.
"Work," she snapped.
Grumbling, he obeyed.
Kazama shook his head. Compared to Kai, Obito was a different species of Uchiha entirely.
Twenty minutes later, the smell of stew rolled through the valley. At Kai's quiet signal, the squads gathered around the fire.
As the warmth pushed back the night, the tension eased.
That was when Shisui spoke, eyes narrowing.
"Kai, I have questions."
Every head turned.
"Go on," Kai said evenly.
"Why here? We've been hitting more and more Stone patrols. From the way they're spread, I think their main camp isn't far. Shouldn't we push through while we can? Once patrols go missing and shifts change, they'll tighten the net. Our odds of discovery go way up."
His words hung heavy.
Kakashi's expression tightened—he'd thought the same thing, though tradition kept him from challenging a captain mid-mission.
"Exactly!" Obito jumped in. "See? Even Shisui thinks so. Uchiha Kai, are you even reliable—"
"Obito, shut up!" Rin barked, her voice sharp as a whip.
Obito wilted instantly, shrinking into himself like a scolded child.
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