Konoha Back Mountain, Training Ground.
Lin Ye was practicing the Rasengan he had just learned. He had "copied" it from Naruto-using his Sharingan to see how the chakra rotated, then imitating it himself. Though he wasn't as proficient as Naruto, he could already form it reliably.
Suddenly, space twisted at the edge of the Training Ground, forming a vortex.
Two men stepped out of it.
One carried a massive sword and had a sharklike face: Kisame Hoshigaki. The other wore a mask: Obito Uchiha, currently posing as Madara Uchiha.
"Hey, little Uchiha. Getting some training in?" Kisame grinned, revealing his sharklike teeth.
Lin Ye instantly went on guard, activating his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. "Akatsuki?"
"Smart boy," Obito said in a disguised elderly voice. "Uchiha Ye, eight years old, Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Suspected of possessing a special ability to collect Sharingan power. Pain is very interested in you. Come with us."
"And if I say no?"
"Then we'll use force." Kisame planted Samehada in the ground. "Don't worry. The leader wants you alive. Missing arms or legs won't matter, as long as you don't die."
Lin Ye's mind raced. Kisame was Kage Level, and Obito's space-time ability was downright broken. He had no chance in a head-on fight, and he couldn't outrun Kamui either.
His only option was to call for help.
He quietly formed hand seals and used the Shadow Clone Technique he had just learned-not to fight, but to send a message. A clone slipped underground and left using Earth Release.
"A little trick," Obito said, seeing through it immediately, but making no move to stop him. "It's useless. I've set up a barrier around this area. No message can get out."
Sure enough, the clone struck an invisible barrier and dissipated.
"So, are you coming willingly, or do we have to 'escort' you?" Kisame asked.
Lin Ye gritted his teeth. He had no choice but to fight.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Towering waves of flame surged toward the two men. Kisame gave a disdainful smile. "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A massive wave met the sea of fire. Water and flame collided, filling the air with steam. But amid the steam, Obito had already appeared behind Lin Ye, reaching for his shoulder.
"Got-"
Before he could finish, Lin Ye's body suddenly turned into a log. The Substitution Technique!
The real Lin Ye appeared ten meters away, forming hand seals. "Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
He had copied this technique from Kakashi. Though it had only thirty percent of the original's power, it was extremely fast. A spear of lightning shot toward Obito.
Obito made no attempt to dodge. The lightning passed through his body and struck a tree behind him. Kamui's intangibility!
"It's useless," Obito said. "None of your attacks can touch me."
Kisame charged in as well, sweeping Samehada across. Lin Ye dodged with a burst of speed, but Samehada suddenly extended, grazing his arm. In an instant, he felt a huge chunk of his chakra drain away.
"Samehada can absorb chakra." Kisame grinned. "Be a good boy and surrender."
Lin Ye panted. He had only forty percent of his chakra left, while his opponents were practically unscathed. The gap in strength was too great.
But he couldn't let himself be captured. Once he fell into Akatsuki's hands, they might study the Wish System, and the secret of the Rinne Sharingan might be exposed. All his efforts would have been for nothing.
One last desperate gamble.
Lin Ye pressed his palms together and mustered all his remaining chakra. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun furiously. He saw the paths of the flowing chakra, saw the weaknesses in their techniques, saw... a sliver of hope.
"Combined Ninjutsu: Fire-Lightning Tornado!"
Fire Release in his left hand, Lightning Release in his right-the two combined into a crimson tornado of lightning and flame that roared toward Kisame and Obito. He had developed this technique himself. Fire rode the lightning's momentum, and lightning amplified the flames, bringing its power close to A-Rank.
"Not bad." Kisame formed hand seals. "Water Release: Five Feeding Sharks!"
Five water sharks lunged at the tornado. Water and fire collided and exploded. The shock wave leveled the Training Ground.
Amid the smoke, Obito turned intangible again to evade the blast, but Kisame was caught in the explosion. His clothes were torn, and he suffered minor injuries.
"Brat, you've made me angry." Kisame's gaze turned cold.
"Enough," Obito said. "We're making too much noise. Konoha's reinforcements will be here soon. Finish this quickly."
Both men struck at once. Kisame's Water Prison Technique trapped Lin Ye, while Obito prepared to draw him into another dimension with Kamui.
Just then-
"Lightning Blade!"
Kakashi descended from above, his Lightning Blade tearing through the water prison and freeing Lin Ye. At the same time, Itachi appeared behind Obito, pressing a kunai against his back, over his heart.
"Uchiha Itachi, are you betraying the organization?" Obito asked coldly.
"The mission has changed," Itachi said. "Pain's orders: suspend the capture of Uchiha Ye for now. We have a new mission."
"What mission?"
"The One-Tail Jinchuriki has left Sunagakure. The capture mission begins now," Itachi said. "Kisame, let's go."
Kisame glanced at Lin Ye and spat. "You're lucky."
The two slipped into the Kamui Dimension and vanished.
Kakashi supported Lin Ye. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine... thank you," Lin Ye said, then looked at Itachi. "Why did you help me?"
"I wasn't helping you. I was following orders," Itachi said. "But be careful. Pain has only given up for now. His interest in you hasn't faded. Once the One-Tail is captured, he'll come for you again."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because of Sasuke," Itachi said. "If you die, Sasuke's future will be even harder. For now, at least, you're useful to him alive."
With that, Itachi vanished as well.
Kakashi examined Lin Ye's injuries. "Chakra exhaustion and minor internal injuries. You need rest. Come on, let's head back to Konoha Hospital."
"Kakashi-sensei, Akatsuki has started capturing the Tailed Beasts," Lin Ye said.
"I know." Kakashi's expression was grave. "After the One-Tail come the Two-Tails, the Three-Tails... and finally the Nine-Tails. The Fourth Shinobi World War is about to begin."
"Can we win?"
"I don't know. But we have to." Kakashi hoisted Lin Ye onto his back. "Recover first. You can take your time getting stronger."
Lin Ye lay on Kakashi's back, watching the Training Ground recede into the distance.
Strength. I'm still not strong enough.
If he had the Mangekyo, if he had enough power, he wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state today.
I have to pick up the pace.
Before you continue