Qi Jiang or a Jinx

Hidden high in a tree, Uchiha Kei quietly activated his Sharingan and watched the area around him.

Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta had already taken their positions. Neither of them looked in Kei's direction, which gave him the nerve to use his Sharingan again.

As he watched the faint chakra fluctuations in the forest, Uchiha Kei considered how to respond once things began. He had already made some preparations, but the exact way to carry them out was worth thinking through.

He had insisted they avoid using Explosive Tags. The blast would leave them in a very disadvantageous position.

Although the mission they had received had a strong element of mutual assistance, it didn't align with their true goal: surviving.

So, if they wanted to achieve their goal while drawing the enemy's attention, Fire Style was naturally the best alternative.

The size and range of the flames were still up for debate. If the fire was too large, it would become a beacon in the night, putting them in danger.

But if it was too small, it wouldn't attract enough Iwa Ninja to this area, making their plan harder to carry out.

Unfortunately, time waited for no one. While Uchiha Kei was still considering his options, the Iwa Ninja and their group of Konoha captives walked right into the ambush!

There was no time for Uchiha Kei to think it over. As the Iwa Ninja entered the ambush zone, he immediately deactivated his Sharingan.

There weren't many of them this time: one intact four-man squad, arranged in a diamond formation around the captured Konoha Ninja.

The Iwa Ninja bringing up the rear seemed nervous. Even though the Konoha Ninja they were escorting looked miserable, they still didn't dare get too close.

The one at the front, on the other hand, seemed like a tough opponent. That gave Uchiha Kei something to think about.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The moment the four Iwa Ninja stepped into the ambush zone, the sound of projectiles cutting through the air rang out. The attack had come suddenly, but the four of them had clearly been expecting it.

After all, this was a battlefield. Even though they were near their own rear lines, it was still no place to let down their guard.

The Iwa Ninja at the front seemed to have plenty of combat experience. Whether he was a Jonin or not, he stayed calm, drew his Kunai, and knocked away every one thrown at him.

The Kunai weren't aimed only at the Iwa Ninja. They also flew toward the Konoha captives. Uchiha Kei didn't need to think twice to guess that Hyuga Aya had acted on her own.

Still, Uchiha Kei didn't blame her. This test would help them gauge the Iwa Ninja's attitude toward the Konoha Ninja behind them, even if it risked injuring the captives.

It could also mislead the enemy.

If Uchiha Kei had been the one to make the call, he might have chosen the same thing. It was harsh, but misleading the enemy while learning something about them was useful.

As for the three Iwa Ninja who had seemed nervous, they hadn't been injured, but their formation was now completely broken.

This time, Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta didn't leave Uchiha Kei with the same headache as before. The moment the formation broke, the two of them charged out, and Kei knew it was time for him to act.

He formed the Hand Seals and completed his Ninjutsu in less than a second.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

The Dragon Fire Technique was only a C-rank technique, but to bring out its full power, it needed some tools—something long and narrow, or wire, for example—as well as plenty of chakra.

Uchiha Kei didn't bother with any of that. Their target was the man standing his ground, alert, because he was the only one who made Kei feel even slightly threatened.

Sure enough, the man's attention was drawn by what was happening behind him, but his reflexes were quick. In the space of a single breath, he leaped up and dodged Uchiha Kei's sneak attack.

Still, Kei hadn't expected the technique to kill a Ninja. Fire Style was supposedly the most destructive kind of Ninjutsu, but its strategic value seemed greater than its effectiveness in actual combat.

In the Original work, Uchiha Kei had barely seen anyone burn an enemy to death with Fire Style. Even he only used it to clean up a scene; otherwise, he used it to draw the enemy's attention.

Uchiha Kei drew his Kunai and used the Body Flicker Technique to close in. He was fast, but the Iwa Ninja, who had been focused the whole time, had clearly noticed him.

Clang.

The two Kunai struck each other, sending out a few sparks and a sharp metallic ring!

So fast!

Uchiha Kei felt a jolt of alarm. The Iwa Ninja's speed and strength were frightening. Who knew how things would have gone if Kei had faced him head-on instead of catching him by surprise?

But if a Ninja didn't use sneak attacks, what was the point of being one? Uchiha Kei had no qualms about it.

Even so, Uchiha Kei didn't let his guard down. The sneak attack had given him the initiative. What mattered now was figuring out how to make the most of that advantage.

Clang, clang, clang.

In an instant, the two figures clashed back and forth among the trees!

The longer Uchiha Kei fought, the more annoyed he became. How could his luck be so bad this time? He hadn't been out for long, and he'd already run into two Jonin!

But thinking back, his luck hadn't been much better before. His first squad had been ambushed by a Jonin and three Chunin.

If his first Captain hadn't protected him with his life, and if Uchiha Kei hadn't been sneaky enough himself, he might not have survived.

He'd been transferred between several squads since then. He'd survived every time, but his squads had always fallen apart.

Sometimes Uchiha Kei felt like he was a jinx, though he thought he was more like Qi Jiang. Otherwise, how could he have escaped every single time?

Looking at the opponent in front of him, Uchiha Kei knew his strengths and weaknesses. Without activating his Sharingan, he wasn't sure he could take the man down.

But Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta had already dealt with their opponents and were rushing to support him. Kei knew his chances had improved.

There was one thing Uchiha Kei knew for sure, though: neither of them wanted to help him. If the six Konoha Ninja weren't watching, they would have turned around and left.

He didn't know the details of their mission to provide cover, but no one would want to serve as bait—especially behind enemy lines.