"Furthermore, you should stop using that Technique," Minato said, his tone unusually firm.
He looked Kakashi in the eye.
"The technique you just used concentrates chakra into a single point for a high-speed linear assault. It certainly has great destructive power, but because of the excessive speed, your eyes cannot track the enemy's counterattack. It creates a tunnel vision effect that leaves you wide open."
Kakashi remained silent.
He understood the flaw. He had just lived it. If not for Minato, his head would be rolling on the forest floor right now.
But understanding the flaw didn't fix it. He was a talented civilian ninja, but he had human eyes. He lacked the dynamic vision of a bloodline limit like the Sharingan.
"Before we split up, I'll say this one last time: for a Ninja, teamwork is paramount."
Minato sighed, hoping the lesson would stick.
"Alright, let's make camp. We move out at first light."
The sky was already darkening. They set up tents in silence, the only sound the crunching of dry rations.
Nightfall.
"So that's how it works... The lightning chakra needs to be grounded first?"
Kiyohara sat cross-legged near the perimeter, eyes closed. To an outsider, he looked like he was resting. In reality, he was in a heated debate with the spirit in his mind.
'You have to visualize the current flowing from your feet, not just your hands,' the Missing-nin lectured. 'Ground the charge, then release.'
Kiyohara glanced at Obito.
The Uchiha was already asleep, snoring lightly.
Minato had just pulled Obito aside for a private talk, likely explaining the tragedy of the White Fang so Obito would cut Kakashi some slack. It seemed to have worked; Obito looked less angry and more thoughtful before drifting off.
'How can you sleep at your age?' Kiyohara shook his head. 'The Chunin Exams are eternal. The grind never stops.'
He finished his rations and moved to a secluded clearing. Minato's sensory range was vast; he would know Kiyohara was training, but he wouldn't interrupt.
'Lightning Release: Earth Flash (Jibashi).'
Kiyohara molded his chakra.
Snap.
Pale blue electric arcs danced along the grass, sizzling in the damp night air.
"Not bad," the Missing-nin nodded approval. "Once you fully absorb my talent, the output will double."
Kiyohara looked at the spirit. It seemed fainter than before. Translucent.
"Why do I feel like you're fading?" Kiyohara asked, concerned. "If you disappear before I become a Chunin, I'm suing you for breach of contract."
"..."
The Missing-nin glared at him.
"This guy really is me. I said the exact same thing to my future self."
"Don't worry," the spirit sighed. "I'll last until the job is done. Being dead gives you a lot of patience."
"Kiyohara-kun? You're training?"
Kurenai Yuhi stepped into the clearing. Her ruby-red eyes reflected the moonlight.
"Kurenai," Kiyohara said, not stopping his chakra flow. "Have you ever seen Konoha at four in the morning?"
"Four in the morning?" Kurenai covered her mouth, impressed. "You wake up that early to train?"
"That's right."
Kiyohara nodded solemnly.
'That's why I haven't seen it either. I'm usually asleep. That's why I'm training at 8 PM.'
"Then I'll join you," Kurenai said, determination setting in. "If you're working this hard, I can't slack off."
She sat down nearby and began practicing her Genjutsu hand seals.
The Next Morning.
The sky was a pale grey. Minato had already packed the tents.
"Starting today, we split into three groups. Give it your best."
Minato looked at them, his expression serious.
"Yesterday's enemy was a solo scout. What follows will be squad-based combat. Do not let your guard down."
"Yes, sir!"
Minato vanished, heading straight for the front lines to distract the main Iwa army.
Kakashi led Rin and Obito deeper into the forest toward Kannabi Bridge.
Kiyohara took Kurenai and Genma in the opposite direction. Their job was to be loud, annoying, and dangerous enough to pull patrols away from the bridge.
Afternoon.
The bamboo forest was stiflingly hot.
"Target acquired," the Missing-nin's voice echoed. "Ahead, 200 meters. A small outpost. One Chunin, two Genin. It's the weakest link in their chain."
Kiyohara nodded. He turned to his team.
"Ahead. One Chunin, two Genin. It's a soft target."
"Kiyohara... how did you know?" Kurenai asked, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"I sensed it," Kiyohara lied smoothly.
"Sensory abilities..." Kurenai looked at him with renewed respect. To sense chakra signatures at that distance without hand seals was Jonin-level skill.
"Alright. Let's warm up here," Kiyohara commanded.
"Genma, loop around and ambush their escape route. Kurenai, you stick with me. We'll kick the front door down."
"Understood."
Genma vanished into the bamboo.
Kiyohara and Kurenai moved in.
"Enemy Attack!"
The Iwagakure Chunin was sharp. He spotted them the moment they broke cover.
He didn't throw a weapon. He locked eyes with Kiyohara.
His chakra flared.
Genjutsu: Paralyzing Gaze.
Kiyohara felt his muscles lock up. The world blurred. His own chakra system was being disrupted, severing the link between his brain and his limbs.
"Kurenai! Stay back!" Kiyohara shouted—or tried to. His mouth wouldn't move.
The Iwa Chunin grinned, drawing a Kunai. "Got you, little brat."
In his mindscape, Kiyohara sighed.
'The principle of Genjutsu is disrupting the victim's cranial nerves by injecting foreign chakra. To break it, you have to disrupt your own flow.'
'But...'
'You controlled Kiyohara's nervous system. What does that have to do with me?'
"Take the wheel," Kiyohara projected.
"With pleasure," the Missing-nin replied.
Partial Possession.
The Iwa Chunin watched confidently as his victim stood frozen. He stepped forward to slit the boy's throat.
Suddenly, Kiyohara's head snapped up.
His expression had changed. The panic was gone, replaced by the cold, bored stare of a veteran killer.
He stepped forward.
The paralysis was still there, affecting his nervous system. But the Missing-nin's spirit was piloting the body like a puppet master pulling strings, bypassing the jammed signals entirely.
"W-what?"
The Chunin froze. "How are you moving?! That was a B-rank binding Genjutsu!"
Kiyohara (or rather, the ghost piloting him) cracked his neck.
"Genjutsu works on the mind," the boy said, his voice overlapping with a spectral echo. "Too bad nobody's home right now."
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