I'll Be the Bait

Sometimes good fortune really did arrive without warning. Just like when Uchiha Kei had awakened the Mangekyo—he'd been completely unprepared for it.

This time was no different. Thanks to a series of things he'd done, Uchiha Kei had earned Namikaze Minato's approval. For a variety of reasons, he'd also joined Minato's team.

This team was the key to surviving. In the Original work, Kakashi stood alone beneath the collapsed Kannabi Bridge, and his lonely figure had left a deep impression on Uchiha Kei.

Uchiha Kei also remembered the scene in the Original work where Namikaze Minato stood on Kannabi Bridge, watching Kakashi.

It proved one thing: at the final moment, Namikaze Minato would take part in the mission and ensure its success.

With the protection of Namikaze Minato, the future Fourth Hokage, Uchiha Kei felt far safer than Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta could imagine.

Of course, having the future Fourth Hokage's protection didn't mean they'd be safe the whole way. On the contrary, they might encounter all sorts of dangers and trouble along the way.

But Uchiha Kei had now been given temporary command of the team. He could do everything in his power to avoid trouble and complete the mission as safely and reliably as possible.

After all, with command came the ability to "summon" Namikaze Minato, even if the Kunai wasn't in his hands.

Kakashi was a Ninja, too. He had to obey the Captain's orders. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter if he was White Fang's son or Namikaze Minato's student—he'd still be in trouble when they returned!

As for why they'd given the Captain's position to Uchiha Kei, he only needed a moment to figure it out.

Besides Namikaze Minato's explanation that they were "a complete squad," it was also to prevent Kakashi from doing anything reckless.

Even with Namikaze Minato's guidance, Kakashi's mental state was terrible. Minato was genuinely worried that he might do something reckless or contrary to the mission's requirements.

As a fellow member of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Kei could, to some extent, ease some of the guilt weighing on Kakashi.

And Uchiha Kei and his team had saved both Kakashi and Nohara Rin's lives. With that debt of gratitude, combined with Kei's identity, Kakashi certainly wouldn't resist too much.

As it turned out, that was more or less the case. Kakashi didn't object at all when he heard the order.

As for their mission, it was more or less what Uchiha Kei's team had expected. That made Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta glance at him again.

This guy really had figured it out from the very start. He'd even made a whole series of arrangements to ensure they ended up in the safest place. He was kind of terrifying!

If Uchiha Kei had known what they were thinking, he might have asked them, "Do you know Demiurge?"

With Uchiha Kei's team in place, Namikaze Minato left the rear and headed for the front lines. Apparently, he felt the situation there demanded more of his attention.

Uchiha Kei led the team out at once. There wasn't much to adjust; he knew what Kakashi could do.

Nohara Rin was a Ninja skilled in Medical Ninjutsu. Uchiha Kei didn't expect her to do much, so he assigned Imai Kenta to protect her.

Uchiha Kei really wanted to do it himself, but he knew he'd probably have to face the enemy head-on.

Kakashi and Hyuga Aya were both powerful fighters, and their abilities couldn't be wasted. So Imai Kenta, who was skilled in Taijutsu and had some sensory abilities, got the relatively easy task.

Still, Uchiha Kei knew it probably wouldn't be simple. Once the enemy noticed they had a Medical Ninja, Imai Kenta might well be the one in the most danger.

The five of them raced through the forest. Along the way, they ran into quite a few Iwa Ninja.

Overall, though, they didn't encounter much trouble. With Hyuga Aya's Byakugan, they spotted the enemy from several kilometers away.

And the Bait Squads led by Yamanaka Masato had proved immensely useful. They'd set out before Uchiha Kei's team and drawn away a great deal of enemy fire.

As a result, Uchiha Kei's team had enjoyed some of the best conditions they'd had since entering enemy territory. They barely had to worry about all sorts of complications.

But after traveling for several days, they began to feel the pressure.

There weren't many Iwa Ninja in the Garrison Force, but Hyuga Aya's Byakugan revealed that they'd blocked off almost every route the team might take.

Even when they found a gap, they discovered that the wretched place was already riddled with traps!

Never mind anything else—even the Explosive Tags hidden in the trees were enough to wipe them out a thousand times over!

"This won't work," Uchiha Kei thought silently as he sat in the cave where they were hiding. He hadn't expected the enemy's rear to be so heavily guarded.

"Maybe the Iwa Ninja caught on after we attacked the prisoner camp and several squads went missing."

Hyuga Aya sat beside Uchiha Kei and spoke calmly. "So what do we do now? There aren't many Ninja in the Iwa Ninja's rear, with the front lines under pressure, but judging by their chakra, they're probably not easy opponents."

Uchiha Kei glanced at Hyuga Aya. This woman was saying nothing useful.

If they were easy opponents, Konoha would've dealt with them in no time. There'd be no reason for the fighting to have reached this point.

Since none of them were pushovers, Uchiha Kei could only choose to force his way through. Who knew whether the Bait Squads had all been wiped out by now?

They couldn't wait for the bait to draw the enemy's attention. That left them with a direct assault, the option Uchiha Kei least wanted to choose.

"Can you tell which unit they belong to?" Uchiha Kei rubbed his chin and asked after a moment's thought.

"Are you kidding me?" Hyuga Aya looked at Uchiha Kei like he was an idiot. "Instead of asking me that, you might as well catch an Iwa Ninja and interrogate him. You already have the Sharingan, don't you?"

"Captain, I think we could try heading toward the area with fewer people." Kakashi spoke up just then, but the moment he started, Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya both frowned.

Kakashi's expression was calm as he continued, "I know it could be a trap. The moment we show ourselves, the other Iwa Ninja might become alert and send people over."

"Then why are you suggesting it?" Uchiha Kei asked, puzzled. Was there something wrong with Kakashi's head?

"So I'll go alone." Kakashi stood up, his voice calm. "I can use Shadow Clone. Just like when you took on the bait mission earlier, Captain, this time I'll be the bait!"