Chapter 4: Three Paranoids
People tend to hate others who are just like themselves—and Uchiha Kei, Hyuga Ayaka, and Imai Kenta were no exception.
The three of them barely spoke as they moved forward, the tension so thick it could be cut with a kunai. Kei could practically feel the murderous intent from the other two. Were they seriously considering taking him out?
Not that he was scared. If anything, Kei might even welcome it. It'd save him the trouble of putting up with this idiotic mission. And if there was one thing he was good at—it was running.
Maybe his overall ninja skills weren't top-tier, but Kei had mastered one technique better than most: the Body Flicker Technique.
If a fight really broke out, he could activate his Sharingan, flicker in to take one down, and vanish before the others even realized what happened. He could then report them for attacking a fellow leaf ninja—maybe even pin them as traitors. Let the Yamanaka Clan dig through the survivors' memories and confirm the truth. He'd be in the clear.
Unfortunately, those two weren't that dumb.
They never made a move.
Suddenly, Kenta came to a halt and gave a hand signal: enemy presence.
Kenta had sharp senses. As a taijutsu-focused swordsman, his physical perception—especially his sense of smell—was impressive.
Ayaka activated her Byakugan, veins bulging around her eyes, giving her a far more grotesque appearance than the elegant manga depiction.
"Six," she mouthed silently.
Six. At least two squads. During war, it wasn't unusual for squads to be understrength. That was a bit of good news—fewer enemies meant better odds. What they didn't know was whether any of them were jōnin.
None of the three were jōnin themselves. This wasn't a team of prodigies. They weren't Kakashi-level monsters who made jōnin by age twelve. Just regular chūnin—no more, no less.
Still, six enemies made for decent spoils. Their forehead protectors alone would be valuable.
Kei signaled to the others. The trio scattered, vanishing into the treetops to set up an ambush.
Kei hid beneath a patch of low foliage and activated his Sharingan. Three tomoe spun lazily in his crimson eyes.
With his teammates distracted, he could use his abilities freely. Soon enough, chakra signatures appeared in his vision—six distinct flows.
The encounter was too sudden for proper traps. A shame—they could've made this a whole lot easier.
Kei took a deep breath, analyzing the situation.
One jōnin. Good news. The rest were two chūnin and three genin—not something to ignore, but manageable.
The world of Naruto was a strange one. Even someone like Madara Uchiha could fall prey to clever schemes.
Look at Black Zetsu sweet-talking Madara. Or Naruto winning over Kaguya with his harem technique.
Kei chuckled bitterly and pulled out a kunai. Still, he didn't dare attack first. Who knew if his teammates would bail the second he made a move?
And judging by how still they were, they were thinking the exact same thing.
All three crouched in place, watching as the six Iwa-nin passed directly in front of them.
"Damn it…"
Kei cursed under his breath. Without their jōnin instructor Fukuhiko Hayate, this squad was a masterclass in distrust.
Fine then.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Kei suddenly formed hand signs and launched a fire technique toward the Iwa-nin—conveniently also covering the area where Kenta was hiding.
A beat later, Kei created a shadow clone and used a substitution jutsu to shift back to a safe vantage point atop a tree, watching it all unfold.
Kenta couldn't keep hiding anymore. Cursing Kei with every foul word he knew, he leapt out with a flash of steel.
Draw. Strike. Evade.
It was fluid and lethal—one Iwa genin didn't react in time and was cut down instantly.
Kei smirked. That bastard Kenta wasn't exactly innocent either—his evasive roll landed right where Ayaka was hiding.
The ambush was botched. The Iwa-nin were shaken, but they weren't amateurs. They quickly regrouped.
A storm of kunai filled the air. Kenta retreated. Ayaka had no choice but to abandon stealth, gritting her teeth and leaping into the open.
"Just two kids?" the Iwa jōnin scoffed. "What guts. Kill them."
Not that he even needed to give the order. The chūnin and genin had already drawn their weapons, charging at Kenta and Ayaka.
The jōnin, though, held back. Something was off.
Four-man squads were standard. Only two had shown themselves. Even accounting for losses… someone was missing.
He hesitated. Until he caught a chill down his spine—a terrible, paralyzing sense of danger.
Fast. Too fast.
He felt his clothes tear—and blood. A kunai had slashed his back.
On instinct, he performed a substitution jutsu, vanishing at the last possible moment.
Simple techniques worked best in critical moments—and a jōnin would know that.
As he reappeared, his eyes darted back to his previous spot. Standing there was a boy—eyes glowing crimson with three spinning tomoe.
Sharingan.
Uchiha.
He realized immediately what he was up against. A Uchiha, even a young one, was never to be underestimated.
Ideally, you faced one with backup. Never alone.
But the rest of his squad was tangled up. And this Uchiha kid was fast—far faster than expected.
Then his eyes went wide.
The boy had disappeared again.
And now… there was a cool sensation on his neck.
So fast...