"This... what's the situation?"
Seeing the Iwa shinobi leaving their camp one by one, Uchiha Kai was momentarily stunned.
Just as they were about to take action, a messenger hawk suddenly flew in. These birds were commonly used for transmitting information, making them an efficient means of communication.
However, what happened next struck Uchiha Kai as strange. The elite Iwa-nin quickly gathered together, and after executing the remaining three Konoha captives, they abruptly abandoned the camp.
Not only was Uchiha Kai confused, but even Yamanaka Masato seemed perplexed by the sudden retreat.
Once the Iwa-nin had completely withdrawn, the surviving Konoha forces stealthily emerged from their hiding spots and regrouped.
Masato Yamanaka quickly assigned several ninja to check on their fallen comrades while the rest gathered to discuss their next move.
"Something's off," Masato muttered. "Retreating so suddenly like this... it doesn't sit right."
"Aya-kun, can you check what those Iwa shinobi are doing?" he asked, turning to the only Hyūga in their squad.
"Yes," Hyūga Aya responded. "But if their destination is too far, I might not be able to see clearly. My Byakugan has its limits..."
"That's fine. We can follow them to get a better look."
At that moment, a jōnin named Jingsan Kōsuke spoke up. "If they're regrouping at a base, we could launch a strike there. If we cause enough disruption, we could draw Iwa forces away and ease the pressure on Minato-sama's squad."
Uchiha Kai frowned, feeling an immediate sense of irritation toward the man.
"Another fool infected by the Will of Fire," he thought bitterly.
"You speak of Konoha's ideals, but do you even understand where that phrase came from? Do you really think this is the right move?"
To Kai, blindly charging into an unknown situation was tantamount to suicide. If things went south, he was fully prepared to abandon the team and act on his own.
"Kōsuke-kun, don't be reckless," Masato Yamanaka said, shaking his head. "We should gather more intel before deciding. Impulsiveness will only get us all killed—don't waste Kai-kun's effort in saving us."
"Save you? I only rescued you to use you as a distraction," Kai thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
Seeing the others move forward to track Iwa's retreating forces, Uchiha Kai had no choice but to follow.
The ability to command others was a powerful thing. If he were a jōnin, his authority as an Uchiha would carry far more weight in this situation. But that also meant something else—his Sharingan would have already been exposed.
At this stage, hiding it was impossible. His three-tomoe Sharingan couldn't simply disappear, and revealing it now would put him in a dangerous position. The higher-ups in Konoha already distrusted the Uchiha Clan. Even during the war, they were given limited chances to prove themselves. And years later, the entire clan was wiped out.
"The Nine-Tails incident was just an excuse," Kai thought grimly. "The way Konoha's leadership moved—so swift, so coordinated—I don't believe it wasn't premeditated."
As an Uchiha, it was impossible not to think in worst-case scenarios.
The looming threat of the Uchiha Clan Massacre felt like a blade constantly hanging over his head. Uchiha Fugaku, their clan leader, surely had a way to prevent the tragedy—he was no fool. He had hidden his Mangekyō Sharingan all his life. He could have made a last stand.
Yet, in the end, he chose not to act. Perhaps he had lost faith in the clan, or perhaps his love for his son, Itachi, overshadowed everything else.
Either way, the Uchiha Clan was doomed.
As they continued following the Iwa-nin's trail, something seemed off.
The enemy was being careless—leaving behind too many traces, moving hastily. It wasn't the behavior of trained shinobi. Even Masato Yamanaka suspected it might be a trap.
Then, after ten minutes of pursuit, Hyūga Aya suddenly spoke up.
"I see their meeting point," she reported, frowning. "The terrain there has collapsed… and there are a few people… Wait—it's Kakashi!"
"Kakashi?" Uchiha Kai's eyes widened. "Are you sure? What's going on?"
Not just Kai—Masato and the others were also stunned.
Kakashi was part of Team Minato. Their mission was to cover his squad's retreat. If he was in trouble, it meant their mission had failed.
Did that mean all their efforts had been for nothing?
But Uchiha Kai's mind was racing.
He knew what this meant.
By now, Uchiha Obito had already been crushed under the boulders. His left eye had likely been transferred to Kakashi.
And Kakashi, wielding his new Sharingan, was about to unleash a brutal counterattack. But that eye wasn't his own—it would drain him of chakra quickly, leaving him exhausted and unconscious.
Right around this moment, Namikaze Minato should be on his way.
On the surface, Kakashi and the others were in grave danger, but in reality, they were moments away from being rescued.
"This is it," Kai thought.
"Where's Namikaze-sama?" Masato Yamanaka asked, frowning.
"I don't see him," Hyūga Aya replied. But her tense expression betrayed her excitement.
If the key team had already fallen, that meant their mission was effectively over. They could finally retreat.
The war would go on, but at least they would survive.
"It can't end like this!" Jingsan Kōsuke suddenly shouted. "We have to rescue them! Our entire mission was to ensure their safety!"
For the first time, Uchiha Kai found himself agreeing with the man.
Before, he had regretted saving Kōsuke. But now, he saw an opportunity.
Mission or not, the safest place to be right now was beside Namikaze Minato. If they reached him in time, they'd be shielded from whatever came next.
"I'll go," Kai declared. "You intercept Iwa's forces—I'll take my team and get to Kakashi's group."
"You?" Masato looked surprised.
"Yes. Once we secure them, our Hyūga can guide us back to you."
Masato hesitated for only a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'm trusting you with this."
Uchiha Kai smirked.
"Trust, huh? In this world, trust is just another tool."
Without another word, he took off toward the battlefield.