Chapter 160: The Prelude to Kannabi
Uchiha Obito's face flushed a deeper shade of red, his frustration boiling over at Kakashi's dismissive tone. "What's that supposed to mean?! How did someone like you even make Jonin? It's unbelievable!"
Kakashi didn't even grant him a full look, his single visible eye sliding toward Obito with profound boredom. "Your opinion on the matter is irrelevant."
"I am Uchiha Obito!" the boy declared, thumping a fist against his chest. "Of the Uchiha clan! I'll surpass you one day, just you wait! Once I awaken my Sharingan—"
"The Uchiha clan?" Kakashi interrupted, his voice dripping with icy mockery. "What of it? An awakened Sharingan doesn't automatically make you strong. My sensei unlocked his long before any of your proud clansmen. Isn't that right, Sensei? How old were you?"
A cold, knowing smile touched Kagenori's lips. He played his part perfectly. "Nine."
Kakashi turned his disdainful gaze back to Obito. "You hear that? Don't hide behind your clan name. You're twelve, and your eyes are still dormant. And even if they do open, you'll likely still be a liability."
Obito sputtered, his fists clenching, but the retort died in his throat. The mention of Kagenori's early awakening was a well-known, bitter pill for the Uchiha to swallow. More than that, a primal fear of Kagenori himself chilled Obito's anger. The name 'Kagenori' was spoken in hushed, fearful tones within the Uchiha compound, synonymous with the cold, systematic culling of their clansmen on the front lines. He was their boogeyman, made flesh.
"Really, you two, stop it!" Nohara Rin pleaded, her voice strained.
"Enough," Minato interjected, his tone firm. "It's time to focus on the mission." He unfurled a map of the ninja world, laying it flat on the ground. "Our intelligence indicates the enemy has consolidated their forces. They've pulled back from the Land of Grass and are now operating from within the Land of Rain. Our primary adversary remains Iwagakure."
He pointed to a location where the borders of Fire and Rain met. "A force of a thousand Rock-nin is poised to push across this border. Our defensive line, led by Mimura, is holding them for now, but they won't last long against those numbers."
Rin's face paled. "If they're already this close, it means their supply lines and reinforcements are firmly established."
"Precisely," Minato confirmed. "Which is why our mission objective is here." His finger landed decisively on a specific point on the map. "The Kannabi Bridge."
The name hung in the air. Kagenori's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly toward Uchiha Obito, a flicker of premonition in his gaze. Sensing the weight of that look, Obito shivered involuntarily. Kagenori looked away, his mind working. So, this is where it happens. This is where the boy meets the ghost in the cave. He felt no particular concern for Kakashi; his disciple was strong, forged in a colder fire than the original timeline. He would not be so easily broken.
Minato continued his briefing. "A direct assault on their main force is impossible with our numbers. Our strategy must be one of disruption. We will operate as a small, elite team striking at a critical vulnerability."
"A bridge… so it's an infiltration and demolition mission," Kakashi deduced, his tactical mind already analyzing the parameters.
"Correct," Minato said. "Team Kakashi, your mission is to infiltrate behind enemy lines, destroy the Kannabi Bridge to sever their primary supply route, and exfiltrate immediately. Kagenori, do you have any input?"
Kagenori saw the clean, brutal logic of the plan. It was a textbook special operations strike. "No. The plan is sound."
"What about you, Sensei? Where will you be?" Obito asked.
"Kagenori and I will provide a direct assault on the enemy's front line," Minato explained. "Our attack will serve as a diversion, drawing their attention and resources while you complete your objective. We will travel with you to the border and then separate. Understood? Then the mission begins!"
In a gesture of forced camaraderie, Minato extended the back of his hand. Obito, Rin, and Katsuhiko quickly stacked their hands on top of his. All four then looked expectantly at Kagenori and Kakashi.
Kagenori simply turned his head away, viewing the ritual with detached amusement. Kakashi mimicked his teacher, muttering under his breath, "How juvenile."
Seeing their lack of participation, Minato's team gave a half-hearted cheer of their own before setting off.
The journey was swift and silent, the two Jonin and their charges moving like ghosts through the dense Fire Country foliage. Kakashi, as team captain, took point. Suddenly, he raised a closed fist, bringing the entire group to an immediate, soundless halt.
Kagenori felt a surge of pride. His disciple's senses were sharp.
Ahead, hidden within the thicket, was their first obstacle: the Iwagakure Jonin, Maki. Known as 'the Demon Leech,' he was an elite scout, renowned for his blistering speed and lethal swordsmanship. Currently on a lone reconnaissance patrol, he was a master of stealth, and had already skillfully employed his signature Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
From his concealed position, Maki's blood ran cold. His eyes, wide with disbelief, locked onto the two figures at the group's center. It can't be… The Blood-Eyed Shura… and the Yellow Flash… together? He decided to observe, not engage. Twenty perfect shadow clones dispersed and melted into the surrounding woods, their chakra signatures expertly muted.
Kagenori's Observation Haki had already painted a perfect picture of the scene—one solid chakra source and twenty flickering, identical copies. He said nothing, allowing his student to lead.
Minato, however, knelt, pressing his fingertips to the earth. His sensory ninjutsu flared. "One primary chakra signature… but be careful, there are twenty additional presences now. He's using Shadow Clones."
Kakashi's eye narrowed, his gaze sharp as a kunai. "Confirmed." He then looked to Kagenori. "Sensei, I'm moving in. Please provide cover."
Before Kagenori could affirm, Minato interjected. "Hold on, Kakashi. Let me handle this. You should provide backup."
Kakashi ignored him completely, his focus remaining on his teacher, awaiting the only order that mattered to him.
A faint, approving smirk touched Kagenori's lips. "Do it. I have your back." He then turned his flat gaze to Minato. "Kakashi is the mission captain. On an operation, the captain's authority is absolute. Even I do not override his tactical decisions in the field."
Empowered, Kakashi's hands flew through a sequence of seals. "Good. It gives me a chance to show you the new ninjutsu I developed. The principles of Thunder Breathing… applied to Lightning Release." He focused a torrent of chakra into his right hand, the air crackling and shrieking as a ball of concentrated lightning took form, its sound like a thousand birds crying out at once.
Uchiha Obito, Rin, and Katsuhiko stared, awestruck and horrified by the dense, violent chakra coalescing in their comrade's palm.
Kagenori observed the Chidori with a quiet, internal acknowledgment. So he created it anyway. Not from the Rasengan's failure, but as an evolution of the swordsmanship I taught him. The path is different, but the destination remains the same.
As Kakashi tensed to launch himself forward, Minato's hand shot out, gripping his arm. "Kakashi, wait! Even with that jutsu, engaging twenty enemies at once is too reckless!"
Kakashi fixed Minato with a look of pure, cold resolve. "This technique can eliminate multiple targets instantly. And I am the captain. The team follows the captain's orders. Is that not the rule?"
The logic, thrown back in his face from their earlier conversation, was unassailable. Minato's hand fell away.
In that instant, Kakashi vanished in a blur of motion and sound, the screech of the Chidori tearing through the forest silence as he charged directly into the heart of the demon leech's ambush.
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