Time Rewind

Uchiha Kei really had been driven into a corner. This damn mission, combined with this damn Kitsuchi, had left him with no good options.

Now he even wondered whether things might have turned out better if he were still acting as one of those "decoy" prisoners.

But there was no answer to that question, because Kei still had no idea whether the decoys he'd rescued were alive.

If Kei and the others were still alive, but all the decoys had been killed—and especially if Namikaze Minato had reported what happened—then it was easy to imagine that things might not go well for them either.

What's more, this was Konoha's most critical mission. The Konoha High Command was waiting for it to be completed so they could negotiate with the Iwa Ninja.

They were counting on the mission to bring this war of attrition to an end, and Kei suspected they were in such a hurry because they wanted it over before Kumogakure and Iwa truly began fighting.

That way, they could secure more benefits at the negotiating table. There was nothing unreasonable about that.

So if Kei really caused the mission to "fail," he'd have only one path left: slash his Forehead Protector and head straight for the Land of Rain.

Kei had never considered working with that band of violent lunatics, much less "filling the world with love and contributing to world peace" or anything like that.

He was just an ordinary person, a genuinely ordinary person. His wishes had always been modest, but practical.

But now Kei had no choice but to consider a way out. He didn't want to lose his life here.

Minato's reinforcements probably wouldn't arrive anytime soon. And Kei, who still hadn't decided whether to run, was getting fed up with being chased by Kitsuchi.

You were so furious just because I killed one of your teammates?

Fine!

Then I'll kill your last teammate, too. Let's see just how far you're willing to take this!

Kei had made up his mind. He still had a trump card—one he'd been longing for, but had only just obtained.

After dodging another Earth Style attack from Kitsuchi, Kei continued to retreat. With his plan in mind, he deliberately moved toward the last Iwa Ninja.

Kitsuchi seemed wary, since Kei had killed his friend just minutes earlier.

But Kei was clever. As soon as it looked like he was getting close to the other Iwa Ninja, he immediately dodged in another direction, as though he were afraid of being ambushed himself.

Kei's pitiful appearance, along with Kitsuchi's assessment of his abilities after fighting him for so long, eased Kitsuchi's worries a little.

This kid didn't seem to have any Genjutsu abilities. At least, Kei hadn't used any so far. Of course, the main reason was that Kitsuchi had been careful not to meet his eyes.

As the Third Tsuchikage's son, he'd grown up hearing about the Uchiha's terrifying reputation!

As for Taijutsu?

Kei might not be bad at it, but he was young, and his physique reflected that. Kitsuchi hadn't taken him seriously. And as for a Ninjutsu that could decide the fight in one strike?

Kitsuchi could sense Kei's chakra. Surely, even if he had one, he didn't have enough chakra left to use it!

But just then, Kei suddenly took a deep breath and lowered his head slightly.

Kitsuchi thought the Uchiha kid had given up, but he didn't dare let his guard down. The Uchiha were full of tricks. Who knew what kind of scheme Kei was plotting now?

Still, even if the kid had some trick up his sleeve, it wouldn't amount to much against overwhelming strength. Kitsuchi only had to stay alert.

Then, all at once, the three Tomoe in Kei's lowered eyes began spinning wildly. In the blink of an eye, they joined together!

A triangular, diamond-shaped mark appeared in Kei's eyes. He raised his head slightly, and the mark rotated with them.

At that moment, Kei felt his chakra surge out like floodwaters released from a dam, rushing toward his eyes!

The chakra drain was almost unbearable. If it weren't for the strain, Kei felt he could use the ability for ten minutes or more without worrying about his Dojutsu Power.

But he was already running low on chakra. He was only thirteen, and he wasn't a Jinchuriki. How could he have enough chakra to fool around with?

What's more, Kei could sense a strange power in his eyes, too. It was like still water cut off from its source, utterly dormant.

But once activated, it would provide terrifying energy by "burning itself up."

Is this Dojutsu Power?

Kei thought to himself. But seeing Kitsuchi closing in, he simply released all his remaining chakra. His face turned pale.

"Time Rewind!"

Without hesitation, Kei used the ability of his right eye. He didn't dare use his most powerful ability, Time Stop. Who knew how terrifyingly much chakra that Dojutsu would consume?

But even Time Rewind left Kei feeling as though he could barely walk. Still, he knew he absolutely couldn't fall. He wasn't ready to die!

Grabbing Minato's Kunai, Kei staggered out of the way of Kitsuchi's attack, then slashed hard at his neck!

"Clang!"

When the Kunai struck Kitsuchi's neck, Kei nearly lost his grip on it. Even more incredibly, the blow rang out with the sound of metal striking rock!

But Kei couldn't worry about that now. He glanced at the faint red mark on Kitsuchi's neck, then used what little strength he had left to leap toward Kitsuchi's last subordinate.

Kei focused his eyes on the other Iwa Ninja. That meant both men were now affected by Time Rewind. At the same time, Kei could feel his eyes beginning to swell.

Perhaps because this was his first time using such an ability, Kei could tell that his Dojutsu Power hadn't been depleted much. But he was in terrible shape, and his control was poor.

Gritting his teeth, Kei finally reached the Iwa Ninja. The man seemed to sense danger and turned around as fast as he could, but to Kei, his movements were no different from a snail's.

Kei gave the Iwa Ninja no chance to fight back. Once again, he aimed his Kunai at the man's neck and slashed.

This time, Kei didn't feel as if he'd struck rock. Instead, he felt the familiar sensation of cutting through flesh. And at that moment, he saw the look in the Iwa Ninja's eyes.

It was a look of utter disbelief, mixed with a hint of fear.

The old book was almost finished, so there's only one update today.