Setting Out

"Is this... Chidori?"

As he leaped from tree to tree, Uchiha Kei examined what was supposedly Kakashi's gift.

Looking at something while moving was perfectly normal for a ninja. Sometimes they had to keep going while checking intelligence, and after spending so long on the battlefield, Uchiha Kei could obviously handle that.

What he hadn't expected was for Kakashi to give him Chidori. Uchiha Kei didn't even know what to say.

Uchiha Kei really was short on decisive Ninjutsu—techniques that could force their way through an enemy's defenses.

His Mangekyo ability was powerful. Truly powerful. Its cost was terrifying, but it could decide the outcome of a battle.

The trouble was that, in a sense, he could only treat that ability as support for now.

And at present, it was still a "nonrenewable resource." Uchiha Kei didn't dare mess around and risk going blind.

That was why Uchiha Kei had picked up a sword from an Iwa Ninja's corpse. Its material was much like that of a Kunai, but when it came to sharpness, he was more willing to trust a sword.

There was another important reason: a sword was much longer than a Kunai!

Back when he had to use the Sharingan in secret, he could only close in and fight with a Kunai. That gave him a smaller chance of being exposed.

Now that Uchiha Kei dared to use the ordinary Sharingan, he naturally had to make sure he was safer.

But just as Uchiha Kei had decided to use Sword Techniques, Kakashi turned around and gave him the scroll containing his insights from training with Chidori. It left Uchiha Kei at a loss.

Couldn't he have brought it out sooner?

Uchiha Kei didn't seem to have time to learn the technique now. He knew Kakashi probably meant for him to study it later—in other words, he was telling him to make it back alive.

It was a fine wish, but how could Uchiha Kei not be tempted with something like this in his hands?

He took a deep breath and forced himself to set aside those unrealistic thoughts.

After quietly stowing the scroll, Uchiha Kei looked up at Namikaze Minato. "Thank Kakashi for me."

"You should thank him yourself." Namikaze Minato shook his head. "Have a little confidence. No matter how this turns out, I'll bring you all back."

At those words, Uchiha Kei finally relaxed. That was the assurance he'd been waiting for!

Imai Kenta's brows lifted, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he put on that harmless smile of his again.

Why follow Namikaze Minato?

Aside from the fact that he was genuinely powerful, there was also the fact that he could bring Uchiha Kei and the others back to Konoha's base!

At first, Uchiha Kei had felt a little envious of that woman, Hyuga Aya. But now he wasn't thinking about her anymore. He might even be able to return with some honors of his own.

Uchiha Kei had always thought honors and the like were useless. All he wanted was to survive, and he'd done plenty of outrageous things for that sake.

But now that his life was secure, he could consider things like that. He was thinking about the future.

If Uchiha Kei really became the only "Sharingan Hero," his standing in Konoha would naturally rise, even if there were "three Sharingan Heroes"!

Of course, that would also draw more attention from Konoha High Command.

So what?

At that time, the Third Hokage would be resigning in disgrace and dealing with the trouble Orochimaru had caused.

Danzo, meanwhile, would seize the opportunity to pursue his Hokage dream. It would be a window of opportunity, and even if people paid attention to Uchiha Kei, it wouldn't be too intense.

By the time they finished dealing with everything, Uchiha Kei might have already had plenty of time to study his Mangekyo.

The Fourth Hokage had embraced Jiraiya's ideals, and one of his disciples had been a member of the Uchiha Clan. Unfortunately, he had died too soon.

And the newly installed Fourth Hokage hadn't had a chance to consolidate his power. Otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have bluntly called him the Third Hokage's puppet.

Without the Nine-Tails Incident, perhaps the Uchiha Clan's future would have taken a different path—or perhaps it would have, if the Fourth Hokage hadn't been taken out during the incident.

As Uchiha Kei was thinking about all this, Namikaze Minato suddenly raised a hand, signaling for them to stop.

Uchiha Kei immediately became alert, but inwardly he cursed himself for letting his guard down.

There was a sense of security in standing beside a strong person. Otherwise, Uchiha Kei wouldn't have let his mind wander so much. He focused, steadied himself, and activated his Sharingan.

Uchiha Kei's chakra had recovered only so-so, but he could still fight.

"There are quite a few targets up ahead." Namikaze Minato rested one hand on the ground and sensed the area for a while before speaking quietly. "Most have ordinary chakra levels, but a few have fairly strong chakra. I can't tell whether they're Shadow Clones or real people."

"Looks like we're close to the target." Uchiha Kei took out the map and glanced at it. "Captain Minato, do you have any information about our opponents?"

"Sorry, I don't. And just call me Minato." Namikaze Minato shook his head. "We may be the first—and only—Konoha Ninjas to make it this far. We'll have to adapt as we go."

"I understand." Uchiha Kei took a deep breath and slowly drew the Ninja Sword tucked at his waist. "In that case, let's end this quickly. Kenta and I will clear out the Ninja on the perimeter. You handle the rest, Captain Minato. How does that sound?"

Namikaze Minato nodded. Uchiha Kei might have been overstepping a little, but he didn't mind.

Besides, it was the plan he'd had in mind too. Those with stronger chakra might only be Jonin.

Namikaze Minato might have been modest, but he really was powerful enough to handle quite a few Jonin with ease.

It would be better to leave the ones with ordinary chakra levels to Uchiha Kei's squad. The two of them were old teammates, so their coordination should be flawless.

Namikaze Minato had no idea he'd completely misread the situation. He had already taken out a Kunai and drawn a deep breath.

In the next instant, that terrifying Body Flicker Technique was on full display. He vanished from in front of Uchiha Kei and Imai Kenta in a flash.

Uchiha Kei and Imai Kenta exchanged a glance, then quickly followed. They were very close to completing the mission. All they had to do now was speed things up and bring it to an end!

"Your left, my right?" Once Namikaze Minato was completely gone, Uchiha Kei tilted his head and suggested it.

"Sure. You're the Captain, so you decide." Imai Kenta nodded with a smile, making no objection.

"Then let's go."

"Right, Captain."