You can start running now

Kagami Uchiha sat cross-legged, his mind largely focused on researching tailed beast Chakra.

Suddenly, something was thrown from Jiraiya's direction.

He raised his hand and caught it. It was a scroll.

"What is this?"

Jiraiya didn't turn around, his voice calm. "You and Minato have been researching how to add Nature Transformation to the Rasengan, right?"

"This is something I researched with the Old Man. Although we didn't succeed in the experiment, we did come up with a Prototype."

"Minato has signed a contract with Mount Myōboku. They only accept one Summoner per generation."

"Most of the ninjutsu I know, I've taught to you. I really don't have anything else impressive to offer..."

Jiraiya turned his head, wearing a silly grin.

"Consider this my birthday gift to you."

"Happy tenth birthday, Kagami!"

If... I wasn't an Uchiha.

I might have truly chosen you all...

Unfortunately, we will eventually go our separate ways, Teacher Jiraiya.

Kagami Uchiha held the scroll, his expression unreadable.

--

Year 47 of Konoha.

The brutal fighting had already lasted for over a year.

War, like a ferocious demon, lunged at the ninja world with bared fangs and claws.

It wielded the scythe of death, and wherever it passed, rivers of blood flowed.

The casualties of war between ninjas were no less than those caused by modern warfare.

Small Nations located on the borders of the Great Nations became slaughterhouses.

In the past ninja wars, the most heavily injured were not the great nations, but the small nations surviving in the cracks between them.

Ninjas do not ponder the essence of war; they fight only to protect their homelands.

The Will of Fire left by the First Hokage was very general, yet it cultivated generation after generation of Green Leaves who burned themselves for Konoha.

The ninja world is abnormal, whether for the strong or the weak.

To survive in such a world, one can only adapt to the abnormality.

Amidst the mountain forest.

Uchiha Obito was very excited the whole way.

"Kakashi! Will we get to see Kagami this time?"

"That bastard is really showing off on the battlefield! Hmph, once I awaken my Sharingan, even Kagami will have to bow down at the feet of Lord Obito!"

After doing low-level missions for so long, they could finally go to the front lines.

Even though it was just a supply transport mission.

Obito was already fantasizing about him slaughtering enemies, making that bastard Uchiha Kagami look at him with new eyes!

Hehe... and then Rin... hehe...

Kakashi held a book in one hand, its cover wrapped in black binding.

"Little Obito, you have to call me Teacher Kakashi."

"I'm your Squad Leader Jonin~"

At the age of eleven, Kakashi became a Jonin a year earlier than in the original timeline.

With the occasional beatings from Uchiha Kagami at the Ninja Academy and Jiraiya's dedicated tutelage, Kakashi's Talent was fully realized.

This often made Jiraiya sigh, lamenting that he was the Dead Last in his childhood, while his disciples were all Prodigies.

Compared to Uchiha Kagami, who was promoted to Jonin purely based on Battle Merit, Kakashi was only two months behind.

However, even for a genius like Kakashi, in Konoha, no one would compare him to Uchiha Kagami.

Equally famous as the Crimson Eyes was the Yellow Flash.

Including the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Kushina, they were already considered the new generation of Sannin by other ninja villages.

Compared to the origin of the title of the previous Sannin, the Prestige of these three was clearly much higher.

To this day, he has never been defeated!

Among his most dazzling achievements is Namikaze Minato, who defeated Kazekage Rasa.

Never mind if Rasa was weak or not, he was still a Village Shadow!

"Damn Kakashi, don't think you're all that! Wait until I awaken..."

"Let's talk after you awaken it."

Kakashi closed his book and said indifferently, "You're already a Disgrace to the Uchiha. As a ninja, if you haven't awakened the Sharingan by now, you probably never will."

"Just be content being a Genin. Don't even bother participating in the Chunin Exams that are coming up."

"What did you say!!"

Just as Obito was about to argue with Kakashi, he saw Kakashi's eyes change. He pushed Obito aside.

Whoosh!!

A Kunai landed exactly where Obito had been standing.

An Explosive Tag was tied to the end of the Kunai.

"Scatter!"

Boom!!

After the explosion and smoke cleared, five or six ninjas wearing Cloud Village Forehead Protectors stood on the treetops.

"Silver White Hair, Short Sword... Heh heh, I have your Intel. The son of Konoha's White Fang, Jiraiya's Junior Disciple, the younger brother of Yellow Flash and Crimson Eyes."

Whoosh!

A fleeting Blade Aura, as fast as lightning!

Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind the speaker. The Lightning Release extending from his Chakra Short Sword had already pierced his heart.

"Too many prefixes. You can just call me Hatake Kakashi."

"Asaru!"

"Damn bastard!"

"You damn Leaf ninja, how dare you kill Asaru!"

Kakashi twisted and forced back the attacking ninja, retreating into the team.

A pair of dead fish eyes showed no ripple.

"You Kumogakure always make the first move, and then you start yelling after we kill you. Do you have some kind of tradition like that?"

"Bastards! How dare you insult us Kumogakure ninja!"

"Damn it! Let us show you the power of our rage!"

Kakashi shook his head helplessly.

After spending a long time with Kagami Uchiha, he had become completely immune to such low-level insults and had learned some things...

"You keep calling us bastards and damn it, your Kumogakure have such small brain capacity. Did you learn nothing besides plundering?"

"I suggest you start from orangutans and re-evolve. You guys don't even count as humans yet."

Afterward, Kakashi said in a low voice, "Obito, Rin, send the attack signal, and protect yourselves!"

"Understood!"

Before going to the battlefield, Obito and Rin had also gone through the Bandit Experience, so they wouldn't panic at the sight of a dead person.

Just as Kakashi was about to draw his sword and reap another Kumogakure life, a shuriken landed beside him.

When...

He keenly sensed danger, and lightning flashed beneath his feet.

Lightning Body Flicker Technique!

Swish—Thump!

A giant shuriken appeared as if from nowhere, manifesting in the spot where he had just been!

"To be able to dodge the Magnet Release: Sparrow Bee Twin Blades, I must say you live up to being a disciple of the Crimson Eyes."

"Is your brain damaged by lightning? I'm his Junior Disciple." Kakashi's forehead beaded with a drop of cold sweat as he looked at the person emerging from behind the large tree.

Purple short hair, a yellow scarf, and this signature giant square shuriken...

Just as Kumogakure knew the strong ninja of Konoha like the back of their hand, Konoha also had files on Kumogakure's strong ninja.

Kumogakure Jonin, with the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai... Toroi!

An elite Jonin possessing a Kekkei Genkai, appearing within the Land of Fire!

"I originally just wanted to cut off your Leaf Village's Frontline Transport, but I didn't expect to run into a big fish."

Toroi said indifferently, "Junior Disciple or disciple, it doesn't matter. To Kagami Uchiha, you are ultimately an important person."

"You can try to escape, but your two comrades won't be able to."

Kakashi gripped his Short Sword and sneered:

"It's you Cloud Village who abandons comrades and runs away!"

Whether it was his father or himself.

Our Hatake Clan would never do something like abandoning a comrade!

"Is that so..."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Toroi, holding a scroll in his mouth, summoned three giant Cube Shurikens.

"You're vigilant, but those two brats have been touched by my shurikens. They can't dodge my jutsu."

!!

Obito and Rin were shocked, discovering the small shurikens at their feet.

"So, what will you choose..."

Whoosh!!

The giant shurikens tore through the wind!

"Obito! Rin! Get close to me!"

Kakashi shouted, Lightning Release Chakra erupting from his Short Sword!

Swish!!

The first shuriken was cut by the Short Sword, shattered fragments splashing and cutting Kakashi's arm.

Damn it!

There was no time to rest, the second one arrived!

The Short Sword cut halfway into the shuriken, but the interference from the magnetic release and the injury to his arm prevented Kakashi from cutting it completely.

Bang!!

A tremendous force sent Kakashi flying.

His eyes widened in fury as he saw the third shuriken flying towards Obito and Rin.

Obito gripped a kunai, his body trembling with fear, yet he unhesitatingly stepped in front of Rin.

Rin, I will definitely protect you!!

Absolutely!!

An inexplicable chakra gradually surged into his eyes, as if something was about to awaken...

Clang!!

Just then, a light sound occurred, and the shuriken before them was cut into pieces by an invisible force!

Clatter...

The sound of fragments hitting the ground caused everyone's expressions to freeze, and Obito's nascent evolution came to an abrupt halt.

Footsteps echoed through the forest.

A tall, slender figure slowly approached, without any shouts or terrifying aura.

The moment they saw him, all the Cloud Village ninja felt as if they had encountered their natural predator.

Their first thought wasn't to flee, but to stop breathing, their bodies trembling.

Like a rabbit beneath a lion's claw.

"Let me state this beforehand, Kakashi isn't a particularly important person to me."

"Secondly..."

His indifferent eyes swept over everyone, an invisible pressure trapping them as if in amber.

"You can start running now."