The eight Anbu Ninja and Guy, trailing behind them, continued making their way across the rooftops.
The sun had already sunk halfway below the horizon, yet Konoha remained bathed in the evening glow.
"Pakkun, any luck? Have you found them yet?" Kakashi asked his Ninja Dog urgently.
Pakkun was tucked under the arm of an Anbu Ninja.
"No. There hasn't been a trace of their scent along the way!"
Kakashi's heart sank. He steeled himself and made a decision.
"Move out! Target: Chuanhe Residence!"
The other seven paused for the briefest moment, then quickened their pace.
"...Yes, sir!"
The eight of them increased their chakra output.
It was a dangerous decision, but Naruto Uzumaki's safety mattered more. They were willing to lay down their lives for him. The evening light made their masks glow as if they were burning flames. This was their undying Will of Fire!
At last, Kakashi spotted Guy behind them. His heart sank, but he didn't stop him.
Guy had always been like that. Kakashi had never said it outright, but he knew in his heart that Guy was his closest friend.
The group arrived at the Uchiha Compound, but it looked nothing like the place they remembered.
There was no Military Police, no passersby, and not a single person seemed to be inside any of the houses they passed.
Kakashi felt as if everything were part of some scheme. Could this be a trap?!
"Stop!" Kakashi suddenly signaled for them to halt.
Everything they'd encountered was far too strange. The Military Police had been on duty in Konoha that very morning, yet after their shift ended, there wasn't a single living soul in the compound. Kakashi suspected an ambush.
Kakashi spoke rapidly. "Pakkun, is anyone else nearby?"
Pakkun quickly sorted through the scents. "There's one person behind us. The other scents are strong, but there really isn't anyone else around. It seems they're all headed toward Naka Shrine."
"The scents of those people on the rooftops... I've got it. That way."
Pakkun pointed with his paw, in the direction of Chuanhe Residence!
Kakashi had no other choice. He could only face the "culprit" head-on.
He took a deep breath, then called back, "Guy, I'm counting on you. Make sure you deliver this information to the Third Hokage."
Guy was in an alley behind them.
He stopped. He was a ninja—a ninja of Konoha.
Guy clenched his jaw, his expression grave, then turned and ran with all his might toward the Hokage Building. He no longer cared about keeping his movements covert.
Even as he ran, Guy kept thinking of Kakashi and worrying about him. He'd noticed how strange everything had been along the way, too.
He prayed for Kakashi. "Youth never turns back! Kakashi, my lifelong friend, don't you dare stop here!"
Kakashi paid Guy no further attention. He trusted Guy not to let him down. They were comrades who trusted each other.
Kakashi spoke in a low voice. "Get ready... Move out!"
The Anbu Ninja responded without hesitation. "Yes, sir!"
In front of Chuanhe Residence stood the familiar "Uchiha Hui," perfectly still, with a calico cat perched on his head.
At the sight of this bizarre scene, Kakashi first asked Pakkun, "Are they inside?"
Pakkun looked conflicted. "Kakashi... Their scents are very faint, as if they're extremely far away. But I can tell they're somewhere inside this house."
Hui spoke without expression. "Sorry, but you can't go in. Please leave."
Kakashi lifted the edge of his forehead protector, revealing his distinctive Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
First, Kakashi released the Summoning Technique. It was too dangerous for Pakkun to remain here.
Lightning began to crackle in his right hand. This wasn't Chidori—it was Lightning Blade. He was going all out from the start.
The situation left no room for mercy, even if his opponent was a first-year student at the Ninja Academy.
The other seven spread out around Chuanhe Residence, gathering chakra as they prepared to form Hand Seals and unleash their techniques.
"Amber, you should go. It won't feel good when you get those memories back," Hui said calmly.
"Meow, all right. Have fun. Lord Chuanhe has activated the protective barrier this time."
Amber stood up on Hui's head, then dissolved into a faint cloud of smoke.
A Shadow Clone? No!
Information about the Flame Explosion Technique flashed through Kakashi's mind.
Kakashi, who had already used the Body Flicker Technique to rush forward, immediately dispelled the Lightning Blade in his hand and signaled for everyone to regroup.
**Joint Technique—Water Formation Wall** × 4 **Joint Technique—Earth Style Wall** × 4
Water in front, earth behind—the eight of them huddled together.
There was something a little different about the Earth Style Wall. Several dog heads were carved into it.
Perhaps they would make the technique more effective at defense.
Hui completed the entire sequence of techniques in just one second.
Fire Release—Flame Explosion Technique!
Rumble!
BOOM!
Centered on Hui's Shadow Clone, a blinding blaze tore through the sky, completely outshining the last of the setting sun.
The fireball swelled, swallowing several blocks. Nearby walls melted like wax. The shock wave swept through, leaving everything in its path seemingly on the verge of crumbling to dust.
The Barrier Team had activated soundproofing barriers throughout the compound as soon as the Uchiha Military Police Force had finished their shift.
The explosion thundered through the entire compound. Every Uchiha who hadn't yet left looked toward the blast.
Guy, still running toward the Hokage Building, felt something stir. He faltered for a moment, then pressed on without wavering.
"Kakashi, wait for me! I'm coming!" Guy lowered his head, his expression dark.
Back with Kakashi.
Kakashi and the others could only wonder if Uchiha Hui had gone mad. Using that technique right outside his own home—wouldn't it hit them, too?
The heat and shock wave battered their only two lines of defense.
But it wasn't enough. The destructive light tore through the last glimmer of hope before them.
Right in front of Kakashi, their defenses crumbled completely in an instant.
With their hearts in despair, they closed their eyes and looked back on their lives.
After what seemed an eternity, they opened their eyes in confusion.
Everything before them was pitch-black. Had they arrived in the Pure Land?
The darkness suddenly vanished. They stood unharmed, but the area in the distance had changed.
From the account of the only sensor among the eight, they pieced together what had happened.
Everything within a hundred meters of Chuanhe Residence was untouched. Beyond that, it was like a living hell: glassy, crystalline earth and flowing magma. It all spoke to the technique's terrifying power. They were standing right at the hundred-meter boundary, at the edge of an artificial cliff...
"Why did he save us?" Kakashi wondered.
"Is he still a spy from Kumogakure? Was all of this an Uchiha trap?" The same questions arose in the minds of all eight.
While they were still trying to make sense of it, Hui appeared out of thin air at the entrance.
"Give up. There's no need to keep fighting. This was all a misunderstanding to begin with." This Hui seemed a little different; there was a hint of emotion in his voice.
The Anbu Ninja weren't swayed, however.
They were well trained. Almost as soon as Hui finished speaking, they adjusted their formation, and four of them began forming Hand Seals at lightning speed.
Lightning Blade
Body Flicker Technique
Kakashi didn't hesitate. He gave a low shout, and his figure blurred. His silver hair traced a cold arc through the air. The lightning gathered in his right hand blazed like daylight, its shrill hum accompanying his lunge toward Hui's head.
At the same time, an Anbu Ninja slapped the ground and shouted,
"Lightning Release—Earth Flow!"
Countless lightning snakes slithered out of the earth. Blue-white currents wrapped around Hui like living creatures, attempting to paralyze him.
A second Anbu Ninja quickly formed Hand Seals.
Wind Release—Wind Cutter Technique
The invisible blades of wind didn't target Hui directly. Instead, they cut through the space on either side of him, completely blocking his escape routes to the left and right.
A third Anbu Ninja suddenly brought his hands together.
Earth Release—Earth Dragon Bullet
The cliff behind them shook with a roar. A blazing earthen dragon burst through the rock, carrying scorching rubble and waves of heat as it crashed down from above!
The remaining four Anbu Ninja held their ground, firmly guarding the three behind them. Their gazes were sharp as blades, ready to respond to anything that might happen.
Lightning Blade closing in, Earth Flow binding him, wind blades sealing his escape, and an earth dragon bearing down from above—Hui was completely engulfed in the devastating combined attack. It seemed there was nowhere left to run.
Kakashi's Lightning Blade was now mere inches from Hui's head. Death seemed all but certain.
Before you continue