"You're all right."
After cutting the ropes binding the battered Konoha ninjas, their bodies bruised and wounded, Uchiha Kai reassured them while dispelling their genjutsu-induced illusions.
The Iwa-nin Jōnin had finally fallen under the combined assault of Uchiha Kai, Hyūga Aya, and Imai Kenta. No matter how formidable he was, facing three skilled Chūnin-level opponents at once was too much—even for a veteran warrior of Iwagakure.
These three weren't ordinary fighters either. None of them were the type to waste energy unnecessarily. After a fierce battle, the Iwa-nin lay dead at their feet.
"Thank you… damn Iwa-nin," one of the rescued Konoha shinobi muttered, bowing slightly toward Uchiha Kai and his team before cursing their captors.
"How's your condition?" Uchiha Kai asked, ignoring the outburst. He was more concerned with whether these shinobi were still capable of movement. "It's not safe here. We need to leave immediately—we still have a mission to complete."
"Mission?" The Konoha ninja looked confused. "Isn't your mission to rescue us…?"
"Rescuing you was just a coincidence," Uchiha Kai replied bluntly. "We still have our own objectives. If helping you doesn't interfere, we'll do it—but we also expect you to assist us in return."
His words shattered any illusions of a noble rescue.
Save them? What a joke. The war was at its peak, and Konoha couldn't afford to deploy forces just for a handful of captives. Had they not been valuable enough, Uchiha Kai wouldn't have bothered intervening.
War was merciless. In peacetime, such sentiments might seem cold, but in this era, they were simply the reality of survival.
Even Kai himself didn't enjoy such pragmatism, but there was no room for sentimentality in the battlefield.
The Konoha ninja hesitated for a moment, then nodded, accepting the hard truth. He, too, had been in battle long enough to understand Uchiha Kai's reasoning.
Before the White Fang incident, no one would have dared to make such a decision. But in war, a ninja's worth was determined by their usefulness.
With a sigh, the Konoha ninja tested his limbs. Though weak, he quickly assessed his condition.
"I'm fine. A little exhausted, but the others should be okay too."
He glanced at his comrades before turning back to Uchiha Kai. The teenager before him might have been young—barely twelve or thirteen—but his eyes carried an experience far beyond his years.
"Good. Aya, lead the way. We're leaving now," Uchiha Kai ordered, then turned to the Konoha ninja. "My name is Uchiha Kai, team captain. These two are Hyūga Aya and Imai Kenta. Tell us your situation."
"Uchiha? Hyūga?" The ninja hesitated upon hearing their names, then sighed. "I'm Masato Yamanaka. Our unit was ambushed and scattered. We were captured, but luckily not for too long. Other than hunger, we're in decent shape."
"I see." Uchiha Kai nodded. That was good news.
Ninjas captured briefly were usually only subjected to genjutsu-based interrogation—rarely enough time for enemy forces to extract meaningful intel. The real danger came when captives were transported to the rear lines for more brutal torture.
Kai studied Masato carefully. The surname Yamanaka wasn't unfamiliar to him. The Yamanaka Clan was often associated with the Nara and Akimichi Clans.
Yet, looking around, Kai saw neither a pineapple-headed tactician nor a stocky companion. Either the others had escaped… or they hadn't made it.
Not that it mattered.
The flames from their battle were dying down. Without hesitation, Uchiha Kai signaled his team and the rescued shinobi to move out.
Moments after they departed, several Iwa-nin tracking squads arrived at the battlefield.
But Uchiha Kai and his team were no amateurs. They knew better than to leave behind traces. Unlike the genin from more than a decade later—who would blunder through a Chūnin Exam—it was clear that Konoha's young warriors were far sharper during wartime.
With Hyūga Aya's Byakugan leading the way, the group of nine evaded pursuit and eventually found refuge in a secluded cave.
While Kai and his team were still in good condition, the rescued Konoha ninjas were reaching their limits. Sheer willpower had kept them going, but now, exhaustion overtook them.
Masato Yamanaka sat against the cave wall, gnawing on a strip of dried rations. It was unclear how old the meat was, but to them, it might as well have been a feast.
"Uchiha-san," he began, between bites. "What exactly is your mission?"
Kai didn't hesitate. "Since we need your help, I'll tell you. Our mission is to act as a diversion—to lure Iwa's forces away so that Namikaze Minato's 'Hurricane Squad' can complete their objective."
"A decoy mission?" Masato Yamanaka's chewing slowed. His expression didn't change, but there was an unmistakable weight in his silence.
Finally, he swallowed. "I see. Understood. We'll cooperate."
"Good." Uchiha Kai observed the group. After revealing their mission, the cave's atmosphere grew heavier.
No one spoke against it—perhaps because they all understood the brutal nature of war.
They were the bait.
Their job was to draw Iwa's attention while Namikaze Minato—one of Konoha's most promising rising stars—carried out the real mission. It was dangerous, but necessary.
Kai studied Masato again. Given his surname and his clan's long-standing ties with Konoha's leadership, his willingness to comply wasn't surprising.
After all, in the original timeline, the Yamanaka Clan had remained fiercely loyal to the Hokage. It was no coincidence that the next Ino-Shika-Chō formation had been entrusted to Asuma Sarutobi.
Everyone made preparations for their successors.
Not everyone could be like the Second Hokage—Tobirama Senju.
Uchiha Kai spoke a few more words before stepping outside the cave to stand guard. He wasn't about to let their carelessness lead to discovery.
Unexpectedly, Hyūga Aya and Imai Kenta followed him. Aya, as blunt as ever, didn't bother with small talk.
"You've already figured out what the 'Hurricane Squad's' mission is, haven't you?"