Transfer Orders

Uchiha Kei opened his eyes. The scene before him gradually shifted from blurry to clear. The light was dim, the air cool and damp, and the stone walls around him were rough and roughly oval in shape. He was probably in a cave.

Seeing all this, Uchiha Kei drew a deep breath. His whole body felt uncomfortable, but a sense of relief still washed over him.

He had finally completed that damned mission and made it back safely to Konoha's position!

He rubbed his left eye, which still felt a little swollen, though his vision didn't seem to have been affected.

It made sense. If using it just a few times were enough to make him go blind, how could Uchiha Madara have fought Senju Hashirama for so long before gaining the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?

As long as he didn't use his eyes recklessly like Uchiha Sasuke, who had been trying to quickly adapt to and familiarize himself with them, he wouldn't go blind that easily.

But Uchiha Sasuke had been well prepared—or rather, Uchiha Obito had been well prepared—so they hadn't been worried about Sasuke going blind.

Still, Uchiha Sasuke had grown incredibly fast through that method. His Susanoo's progress had been even more astonishing.

"Peaceful days like these are what make me feel safe."

Once the swelling in his left eye had eased, Uchiha Kei lowered his hand. The surroundings weren't exactly pleasant, and he was in a cave, but he knew he was safe. That feeling of security put him at ease. This was the most comfortable he'd felt in the half month since he'd gone to the battlefield.

It was hard to believe that just yesterday, Uchiha Kei had still been fighting the Iwa Ninja tooth and nail on the battlefield!

Just yesterday, Uchiha Kei had used the power of his left eye, Time Leap, to push his speed to an unbelievable level. Thanks to that power, he had taken out those four Iwa Ninja with ease.

While under the time-acceleration effect, Uchiha Kei had realized that it separated the flow of time around him from that of everyone else. The Iwa Ninja were still experiencing time at its normal pace.

That was why he could move faster than people experiencing normal time. But he hadn't dared to increase his speed too much.

He knew that if he went too fast, his body and eyes would definitely suffer. His chakra would be consumed too quickly, and his eyes' Dojutsu Power would run out too fast, leaving him completely unable to fight.

So Uchiha Kei hadn't pushed his speed too far. Even so, after the battle, his eye had throbbed with pain, and his chakra was badly depleted.

"The Akimichi Clan's medicine has worn off, I used up chakra quickly, and the fatigue I've accumulated over this past stretch finally caught up with me. That's why my body feels so awful."

Uchiha Kei shifted slightly, and immediately felt soreness throughout his body. The sensation made him afraid to move again.

Those four Iwa Ninja had been quite skilled, especially when they worked together. Uchiha Kei had struggled to handle them.

Without the Mangekyo Sharingan, he probably would've had no choice but to follow his old approach and find a way to run. The Three Tomoe Sharingan was powerful, but it really wasn't enough.

Fortunately, Uchiha Kei wasn't the same person he'd been before. Using the Mangekyo's Dojutsu had caused some adverse effects, but to someone with such a strong will to survive, those effects were nothing much.

This time, using Time Leap had also given Uchiha Kei some new insight into the technique. Its effects when applied to himself, in particular, were worth recording and studying.

So far, Uchiha Kei had used two Dojutsu: Time Leap and Time Rewind. These two techniques, opposites in every way, had given him plenty to think about and learn from.

"If I could control it a little more precisely, I could use Time Leap on a kunai at the instant I threw it. An ambush like that would be even harder to guard against, wouldn't it?"

Uchiha Kei thought to himself, By the same logic, if someone ambushes me, I could use Time Rewind at the instant they attack and deal with them more easily, right? More importantly, that seems like it'd take less effort and be less tiring.

Ninja needed to conserve time and energy in battle, because no one knew what they might face next. For Uchiha Kei, conserving energy was probably even more important.

Using the technique this way would conserve chakra and Dojutsu Power.

Maintaining a Dojutsu on someone for a long time was an entirely different matter from applying it to an object or an enemy for only an instant.

Experience came from practice and reflection. Uchiha Kei had already paid a small price once. If he faced those four Iwa Ninja again, he definitely wouldn't let them leave him in such a sorry state.

As the thought crossed his mind, Uchiha Kei heard crisp footsteps approaching. Almost instinctively, he drew a kunai and watched the cave entrance warily.

But soon, Uchiha Kei smiled. Staying on the battlefield too long really did leave you with all sorts of aftereffects. Overreacting was clearly one of them.

But Uchiha Kei didn't think that was a bad thing. Staying alert at all times was an essential quality for a Ninja, in wartime or in peacetime!

"Kei-kun, you're awake?" Namikaze Minato walked in. He watched Uchiha Kei slowly put the kunai away and smiled. "No need to be nervous. We're safe. Looks like you've had a decent rest."

"Captain Minato, hello." After putting away the kunai, Uchiha Kei shook his head. "My whole body's still a little sore, but it's nothing serious. I'm afraid I won't be much help in a fight, though."

"There won't be any more fighting, Kei-kun." Namikaze Minato sat down. "The higher-ups have sent the transfer orders. You're going back to the village."

"Back to Konoha?" Uchiha Kei nodded. He was a little surprised, but it wasn't beyond what he'd expected.

He had revealed the Three Tomoe Sharingan. Even if the Third Hokage and his advisors could stay calm, the Uchiha Clan probably wouldn't be able to sit still!

During wartime, no matter how many conflicts there were between the Uchiha and Konoha, both sides still had to behave themselves. The Uchiha couldn't go too far, and the village couldn't afford to make things too difficult for them.

So now that Uchiha Kei had the Three Tomoe Sharingan, he couldn't be left on the most dangerous battlefield. Even if they had to send a few Uchiha Ninja to replace him, they would still bring him home!

Drawing a deep breath, Uchiha Kei nodded. He was more than willing to leave the battlefield. He really needed time to recover.

Above all, he needed to properly record his thoughts about his Mangekyo.