Team 7

The front lines had long prepared camping sites for the Konoha Ninja who had come as reinforcements, all roughly within the same area.

Ninja were unlike conventional armies. They could not live packed together and needed private space, so the tents could not be placed too densely either. Open space had to be left between them.

Since Uchiha Gen was in no hurry and lazily lingered at the very back, he was the last among the final group to be assigned a spot.

"You two, wait a moment."

Kakashi and Rin turned around at the words, looking at Uchiha Gen in confusion.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked expressionlessly.

Since Uchiha Gen had been walking at the back the whole time, neither of them had seen the fan crest on his back armor.

Thus, Uchiha Gen turned slightly, revealing the fan crest on his armor to indicate his identity.

"Someone from the Uchiha Clan?"

"Hello."

"Hello."

Because of Obito, the two felt favorably inclined toward the Uchiha Clan. Smiling in unspoken accord, they greeted him in turn.

"Hello."

Uchiha Gen responded politely. His gaze paused briefly on Rin Nohara before shifting to Kakashi.

Sigh. From the moment Obito Uchiha fell for this girl, her fate had been destined to be tragic.

He wanted to change it, but he could only try his best. The chances of success were slim.

Killing Rin Nohara beforehand so Obito could not witness it with his own eyes was one way to prevent Obito from evolving.

Unfortunately, that method carried too many hidden dangers. Kakashi, Minato, and Obito would certainly spare no effort in uncovering the truth behind Rin Nohara's death.

Madara Uchiha would certainly not let off anyone who sabotaged his plan, even if Gen's identity was rather special—he was a descendant of Izuna Uchiha's line.

But what did that identity amount to compared with Madara Uchiha's plan?

According to the family records, Obito Uchiha was a descendant of Madara Uchiha's line, yet hadn't he still been manipulated completely?

After Madara Uchiha left the village and later attacked Konoha, his descendants had been implicated by the clan and swiftly declined.

Speaking of family ties, Gen was actually Obito Uchiha's distant cousin. Though he was only half a month older than Obito, even one minute older still made him the elder.

With Madara Uchiha's personality, he would never spare him!

Besides, the ninja world had all manner of bizarre ninjutsu. Who knew how many methods Madara Uchiha, Black Zetsu, and the others had hidden away? Even destroying the body and erasing all traces would not guarantee safety.

Unless he devoured Rin Nohara's soul as well as destroying her body and erasing all traces, only then could he avoid being discovered.

But that would be far too cruel for Rin Nohara. If her soul were devoured by him, she would be utterly dead—she would have no chance to go to the Pure Land, nor any chance of resurrection.

Those were secondary concerns. To avoid major trouble, including the Nine-Tails incident, he could harden his heart and do it.

The crucial issue was that he could not find an opportunity to act without being discovered!

As the key medium for Obito's complete descent into darkness, Madara Uchiha would definitely have White Zetsu secretly monitoring her to prevent any accidents.

Uchiha Gen was certain that White Zetsu were hidden within the camp, and there was more than one. The main body of White Zetsu might even be here.

At his current level of strength, he could not find them. If he could not find them, he could not eliminate them. How could he make a move?

Sacrificing himself for the ninja world was impossible. Doing so for Konoha or the clan was impossible too.

At heart, he was an ordinary man who put himself before others.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Kakashi felt uncomfortable under Uchiha Gen's unblinking gaze. Unable to endure it any longer, he frowned and spoke.

Uchiha Gen had actually gotten lost in thought, but his expression remained solemn as he said, "Your left eye is a Sharingan, isn't it?"

Kakashi raised a hand and carefully touched his eye socket. "It is."

"Do you know the rules of Kekkei Genkai clans?"

Kakashi and Rin Nohara's expressions changed drastically.

"Are you here on behalf of the Uchiha Clan to take back the Sharingan?"

Rin Nohara clenched her hands tightly, her face filled with anxiety and unease.

Kakashi's expression shifted several times before settling into determination. "This is a precious gift from Obito. I won't give it to you!"

Uchiha Gen smiled faintly. "You misunderstand. I'm not here to reclaim the Sharingan."

"I came to remind you that if you want to keep that Sharingan, you should make preparations early."

Kakashi and Rin Nohara temporarily relaxed, but their worries remained.

"Why?"

Kakashi was puzzled. This did not match the temperament of most Uchiha Clan ninja he had encountered.

Could this Uchiha be an oddity within the clan like Obito?

Of course, because I have my own plans.

"Because Obito is my distant cousin, and more importantly, he is a hero of Konoha. A hero's final wish should be respected."

"Thank you. Do you have a solution?" Rin Nohara asked, bowing at the waist.

Kakashi also looked at Uchiha Gen expectantly.

"The Third Hokage personally promised atop the Hokage Building that he would select the Fourth Hokage."

"With the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, along with his previous achievements, Lord Minato is already qualified to become a Hokage candidate."

"Even if Lord Minato fails the election, he will inevitably become one of Konoha's higher-ups in the future."

"If he negotiates with our Uchiha Clan, this can be settled as long as some price is paid."

"For example, selecting another suitable child from the Uchiha Clan to join Team 7."

Upon hearing that someone new would replace Obito's position, Kakashi and Rin Nohara instinctively resisted the idea. Yet in their hearts, they had to admit that it was a solution that benefited everyone.

Not only would the Sharingan issue be resolved, but their teacher might also gain the Uchiha Clan's support, increasing his chances of becoming Hokage.

Kakashi and Rin Nohara could not possibly be unaware of Minato Namikaze's dream.

"You want to join Team 7?"

However, Kakashi was not so easy to fool. He keenly noticed some of Uchiha Gen's intentions.

"I do, but it may not necessarily be me."

"Itachi Uchiha, the eldest son of the young clan leader, and Shisui Uchiha, who has risen to fame on the Hidden Mist Battlefield, both have better chances than I do."

"But it doesn't matter. As long as it's someone from the Uchiha Clan."

Uchiha Gen was speaking sincerely.

Ninja had to form teams. With his current strength, he was not qualified to operate independently, and leaders who were not from the Uchiha Clan would not indulge him.

Since he had to join a team no matter what, becoming Minato Namikaze's disciple would be best and yield the greatest benefits.

But if that did not work out, he had backup options. All things considered, they would not be bad either.

"What is your name?"

"Uchiha Gen."

"Thank you for the reminder and your help. We have something to do, so we'll be leaving first."

"Please, go ahead."

Watching Kakashi and Rin leave, Uchiha Gen bent over and entered his tent. After closing it, he released Zhurong and silently began studying Fire Release nature transformation.

There was no real need to study shape transformation. For Uchiha Gen, who possessed powerful spiritual strength and extraordinarily precise Chakra control, shape transformation was not very difficult.

After Kakashi and Rin Nohara left, they returned to the tent where Minato Namikaze was handling official matters.

Once he had finished discussing business and the others had left, the two entered the tent and explained what had happened.

After listening, Minato Namikaze pondered for a moment. "It truly is a solution that benefits everyone."

"The key is whether you can accept a new teammate taking Obito's place."

"If you can, then let Uchiha Gen temporarily become your teammate and give it a try."

"If you cannot, then forget it. Your teacher has the ability to protect Obito's keepsake."

Kakashi found himself somewhat conflicted, so he turned to his companion. "Rin, what do you think?"

Since he could not make the choice himself, he would listen to Rin. Whatever Rin said would be right.

Hearing this, Rin Nohara recalled Uchiha Gen's friendliness and his handsome appearance, which was no less striking than Kakashi's. Coupled with the fact that their team truly was missing a member, she made her decision.

"Obito's place in our hearts can never be replaced by anyone. But having one more person would indeed help us complete missions."

That's right. Rin is right. Obito's place will never be replaced.

Even if the new teammate earned their recognition, he would only occupy another place.

Having one more person would also make it easier to protect Rin. If it was just him alone, what if something unexpected happened?

"Sensei, let him give it a try."

Minato Namikaze broke into a bright, sunny smile and nodded slightly. "Then your teacher will temporarily assign him to Team 7."

Readers, please don't let the book sit unread. The editor said Naruto fanfiction needs either the potential for a major premium release or one to two hundred daily readers while going without promotion before it can get contracted. You don't want your bookmarks, recommendation tickets, investments, and time to go to waste either, right? (Sobs)