The Uchiha clan's medical corps bound for the Capital of the Land of Fire, along with their families, were all packed and ready to go. Their escorts consisted of two units: the newly reorganized Fugaku Squad and the veteran Uchiha Kairen Squad.
Each of these escort teams was made up of ten shinobi and ten ninken, guarding the clan members as they made their slow journey toward the Capital. The people riding in the carriages were mostly silent; the children looked especially gloomy. After all, they were leaving their homes, and it would be years before they returned—only after they came of age and entered the Academy.
By the time they came back, the world would no longer be the same—their childhood friends might not even recognize them. The kunoichi medics and nursery instructors riding in the carriages, however, seemed rather composed; they had accepted this mission without much resistance.
After traveling for some time, Uchiha kairen spoke up.
"Let's stop here. Rest for a bit. The road ahead gets rough."
"Yeah, we always rest here," said Uchiha Retsu as he walked to the roadside, crouching by a tree. "I wonder if the thing I buried last time is still here."
He began digging in the dirt while muttering to himself. "Huh? It's gone? That's weird—it shouldn't be."
Uchiha Honō watched his friend quietly, amused. Hahaha… after you left last time, Gorou shared that bottle of sake among us. No way you're finding it now.
Uchiha Gorou broke out in a cold sweat, thinking, Damn, if he finds out I drank it, he'll definitely get revenge on me again.
Uchiha Danten shook his head with a wry smile. That sake, brother… it's long been in our stomachs.
"Alright, let's move. There's still a long way to go," Uchiha Kairen said, not wanting to see his friend lose his mind.
"You guys go ahead, I'll just dig a little longer! I don't believe it—the sake didn't grow legs and run off!" Retsu grumbled, but the others finally dragged him away by force.
The convoy moved on again, the sun gradually dipping below the horizon as everyone's faces grew weary.
Just as they were about to set up camp, several of the ninken gave sharp warning barks.
Everyone quickly formed a defensive ring around the children and caretakers. The others spread out as the ninken growled lowly toward both the forest ahead and the direction of Konoha.
"Heh… looks like we've got company," Uchiha Retsu said.
"Yeah, they came after all. Never fail to disappoint, huh?" Uchiha Honō smirked and shook his head.
"Fugaku, your squad handles the rear—the Konoha side. Kurokiba, take your ninken brothers and guard the convoy. As for our friends in the forest…" Kairen grinned. "They're ours."
Uchiha Gorou sighed inwardly. How forgetful can these people be? They keep marching right into death every time.
Uchiha Danten tightened his grip on his blade, looking at his junior ahead. Kairen… let me show you how much I've improved these past six months.
"You ready?" Uchiha Jōka laughed. "Wish the seniors were here to see my skills today."
"Muyō, Yakumi—keep an eye on the convoy. Everyone else, move!" Fugaku activated his Sharingan and vanished toward the shadows ahead.
Once he moved, the others sprang into action as well—swift and deadly.
In an instant, ninjutsu flared in every direction, turning the forest into a battlefield.
The children in the carriages remained surprisingly calm, trusting their older brothers in the clan completely—confident that such a small skirmish would soon be over.
The kunoichi in the convoy stood alert, eyes sharp, watching for ambushes.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!" shouted a masked shinobi, unleashing a torrent toward the convoy.
Uchiha Lisa and another kunoichi reacted quickly, raising "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!" to block and redirect the rushing water.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!" Another ambusher struck from the other side, targeting the rear of the convoy.
Moments later, several enemy shinobi erupted from underground, charging the convoy. The ninken lunged to intercept them, but despite the defense, two attackers broke through.
The children could already see the whites of the enemy's eyes. A moment later, death loomed over them—their Swords swung down toward the young ones.
But before the swords could land, the eyes of three children spun into full three-tomoe Sharingan.
In the next second, the two intruding shinobi were cleaved cleanly in half.
"Let's begin—kill these tools!" barked a twin-blade ninja, surging into the fray like a tiger among sheep, cutting one man down instantly.
Two other attackers with three-tomoe Sharingan shot toward Uchiha Kairen and Uchiha Fugaku.
Kairen held off four enemies at once and still didn't fall behind. The others each faced two or three foes. Hearing the commotion from the convoy, Kairen muttered, So it's begun… then let's show them a trick or two.
"Light Release: Luminous Chain Kick!" His legs gleamed with golden light, his speed suddenly skyrocketing.
"Light Release: Radiant Fist!" He deflected a sword with his right hand, then slammed his glowing left fist into the ground. Boom!—dust and debris exploded upward.
"Light Release: Refractive Blitz!"
Within the swirling smoke, a beam of light connected the four enemies together. A glowing silhouette flashed through it in an instant—slashing all four down in a single motion.
"Chidori!"
"Light Release: Luminous Chain Kick!"
A youth with lightning in his hand and golden light around his feet darted through the chaos, dropping masked enemies one after another.
The three-tomoe who had rushed over saw the scene and chuckled. "Looks like I don't even need to step in. Kairen's already come up with another monstrous jutsu."
It was none other than Uchiha Sa—he had been heading to the Capital anyway, and Kairen had roped him into staging this counter-assault. The dual-blade ninja, of course, was Uchiha Kirito.
After finishing his fight, Kairen turned to his master. "Sensei, we should go back up Fugaku's squad—they're still new to coordination. Mistakes could happen."
Sa smiled. "I doubt it. Ankoku went too—and you know whose son is in that squad."
"Kairen, what was that golden light just now?" Retsu asked.
"That's my new technique—a fusion of Fire, Lightning, and Wind chakra. I call it Light Release. It's the result of my six months of training," Kairen said lightly, deliberately concealing the full truth. Even among comrades, not everything could be shared.
The others stared at him like he was a monster. Sa, understanding how hard fusion techniques were, felt genuine awe. He himself had taught Kairen the theories behind nature transformation, form manipulation, and combination ninjutsu.
For this child to traverse in six months what others could not achieve in a lifetime—yes, the Uchiha had many geniuses, but this one was a monster.
The others, having trained desperately over the past half year to catch up, now felt utterly crushed.
Three-element fusion? Are you writing fiction? You demon! And Light Release? That name even sounds terrifying! And it's only been six months—meaning there's still room to grow?
"I can't take this anymore! You bastard, teach me now!" Retsu shouted, shaking Kairen's shoulders wildly.
"Junior, your kenjutsu's improved too, hasn't it? Spare some guidance for your seniors, or I'll start dragging us down," Danten said with a bitter smile.
Gorou's eyes sparkled. From now on, my old captain is my big brother! I don't care if I'm older—hugging this golden thigh is the smartest move ever!
Uchiha Honō's heart swelled with emotion. He remembered their old words—their dream was truly within reach now. Whatever Kairen's talent or cunning, in this shinobi world, power reigned supreme. Light Release… incredible. Just incredible.
When everyone regrouped at the convoy, Fugaku's team had returned as well. After exchanging brief words, they all looked toward the smiling Kairen, grinning like a fool.
In each of their hearts echoed the same thought—
"Heaven bless the Uchiha."