Chapter 28: Chrono Drift
Uchiha Kei was truly left with no other option. This cursed mission—plus this damn stonehead, Kitsuchi—had pushed him into a corner with no good choices left.
At this point, Kei even wondered if staying behind as one of those so-called "decoys" might've turned out better in the end. But there was no way to know now. He didn't even know whether the captives he rescued—the decoys—were still alive.
If Kei and the others survived, but all the decoys died—especially if Minato Namikaze reported everything—then it wasn't hard to imagine how bad things could get for them.
This mission wasn't just any mission—it was one of the most critical ones for Konoha. The higher-ups were counting on its success to use as leverage in negotiations with the Iwa-nin. They wanted to end this long-drawn-out stalemate and were clearly in a rush—probably hoping to wrap things up before the Cloud and Stone truly went to war.
That way, they'd be able to claim more at the negotiation table. Honestly, it was hard to blame them.
But if this mission ended in failure? Then there'd be only one path left for Kei: scratch a line through his forehead protector and flee to the Land of Rain.
He'd never had any intention of joining those extremist maniacs—never wanted to "fill the world with love" or "bring peace to all nations." That stuff was just nonsense to him. He was just an ordinary person—completely, utterly ordinary. His dreams were always small, always practical.
But now, he had to start considering an escape plan. He had no intention of dying out here.
Waiting for backup from Minato? That wasn't happening anytime soon. Kei didn't have time to decide whether to run or stay, and being relentlessly chased by Kitsuchi was seriously testing his patience.
You're going this crazy just because I killed one of your teammates? Fine then.
I'll kill your last remaining teammate, and I'll see just how far your madness can go.
Kei made up his mind. He still had one trump card—something he'd longed to use but had only just unlocked.
Evading another earth-style attack from Kitsuchi, Kei steadily retreated. Now that he had a plan, he deliberately moved in the direction of the remaining Iwa-nin.
Kitsuchi was clearly on guard. Kei had just killed one of his teammates a few minutes ago, after all.
But Kei was clever—he acted as if he realized he was getting too close to the Iwa-nin and immediately darted off in another direction, clearly trying to avoid being flanked.
His panicked behavior, paired with Kitsuchi's long observation of his abilities, made Kitsuchi lower his guard—just a bit.
From what he'd seen, this Uchiha brat didn't seem to have any genjutsu ability. He hadn't used any so far. Then again, Kitsuchi had made sure to avoid eye contact the entire time—he'd grown up hearing how terrifying the Uchiha could be.
As for taijutsu? Maybe not bad—but he was still young, still physically immature. Kitsuchi didn't see him as a real threat.
Powerful ninjutsu? Kitsuchi could sense the kid's chakra reserves—they were running low. Even if he had a strong technique, he probably didn't have enough chakra left to use it.
But just then—
Kei took a deep breath and slowly bowed his head.
Kitsuchi saw this and thought the brat was finally giving up. But he wasn't stupid. Uchiha were always full of tricks—who knew what kind of trap he was about to spring?
Still, tricks meant nothing in the face of overwhelming strength. Kitsuchi just needed to stay alert.
But in that moment—
The three tomoe in Kei's Sharingan began spinning wildly. In an instant, they fused together.
A triangular, diamond-shaped pattern formed in the center of his pupils. Kei lifted his head slightly, and the shape in his eyes started rotating gently.
Suddenly, Kei felt as though a floodgate had burst inside him. Chakra surged out like a torrential flood, flowing directly into his eyes.
The drain was overwhelming. Kei could tell—if it weren't for the sheer cost, and ignoring the strain on his vision, he could probably maintain this for ten minutes. Maybe.
But he didn't have that luxury.
He was thirteen. He wasn't a Jinchūriki. Where was he supposed to get all that chakra from?
And now he felt something else—a dormant force resting deep in his eyes. Silent and still, like stagnant water cut off from its source. But if awakened, it would burn—offering a terrifying burst of energy in exchange.
"Is this what they call ocular power…?"
Kei wondered to himself.
But there was no more time to dwell. Kitsuchi was closing in fast.
Kei clenched his fists and unleashed every bit of chakra he had left. His face turned pale almost instantly.
"Chrono Drift!"
With no hesitation, Kei activated the power of his right eye.
He didn't dare try the stronger ability—Chrono Freeze—not knowing what kind of monstrous drain it might have. But even Chrono Drift left him feeling like his legs would give out.
He couldn't collapse. Not here. He hadn't lived enough yet.
Clutching Minato's kunai, Kei stumbled aside to dodge another strike from Kitsuchi—then slashed toward Kitsuchi's neck with everything he had.
Clang!
The kunai clashed with something hard, nearly slipping from Kei's grip. The sound was like metal against stone.
He had no time to be shocked. He saw a thin red line appear on Kitsuchi's neck.
Without pause, Kei leapt toward the last remaining Iwa-nin. He locked eyes with him—activating the Chrono Drift effect on both targets.
At that moment, Kei felt a strange pressure build in his eyes.
Maybe it was because it was his first time using this power, or maybe because he lacked experience, but even though his ocular energy hadn't drained too much, his control and stamina were clearly not enough.
Clenching his teeth, he finally reached his target.
The Iwa-nin had sensed something was wrong—he spun around at lightning speed.
But to Kei, his movements looked no faster than a snail crawling.
He gave the enemy no chance to react.
Kei's kunai sliced cleanly across the ninja's neck.
This time, there was no clang—only the sickeningly familiar sensation of flesh being cut.
Kei saw the look in the man's eyes.
It was filled with disbelief… and just a hint of fear.
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