"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Blazing Gale Slash!"
"Light Release: Laser Beam!"
A storm of jutsu burst across the battlefield—one seamless combo wiping out several Iwagakure shinobi in an instant. The attackers were none other than Uchiha Kairen's squad.
"What's your name? What's going on here? Why are you fighting Iwa-nin?" Uchiha Honō questioned the Konoha ninja they had just rescued.
"My name's Kangen Rakzen. I'm not entirely sure—our team was ordered to scout the area when we ran into an ambush by Iwa-nin," the Konoha ninja answered breathlessly.
"Oh?" said Uchiha Danten, narrowing his eyes. "Your squad had a kid named Kyōgo, right? A boy who fights with a sword?"
"Yeah, Kyōgo should still be up ahead. I was separated while looking for clues when they ambushed me. But by now, the others should've circled back to back me up... unless—" Rakzen's face changed mid-sentence, and he suddenly sprinted forward.
The others exchanged glances. His reaction told them everything—his comrades had likely been ambushed too. And the odds of survival? Slim.
They soon heard the faint sounds of battle ahead. The group hurried their pace. In the clearing, a young swordsman struggled desperately against two Iwa-nin, while a Konoha jōnin in full uniform fought off four others—not for long by the looks of it.
"Light Release: Refractive Blitz!"
"Uchiha-Style Kenjutsu—Lighting Burst Combo!"
Uchiha Kairen darted forward in a flash of golden light, weaving through the four Iwa-nin like a dancer in midair. In mere moments, four bodies hit the ground—cut clean.
At the same time, Uchiha Danten intervened and struck down one of the swordsman's opponents.
No one else moved. They simply watched—the young swordsman's duel was his own trial. Without walking this path himself, his blade would never advance further.
"If you win, I'll let you go," Uchiha Danten said.
The Iwa-nin roared in defiance, "Die, you bastard!" and charged headlong, fighting with reckless fury—intent on taking his enemy with him.
The young swordsman faltered at first, shaken by his foe's sheer ferocity. But as the fight went on, his rhythm steadied, his breath aligned—and then something clicked.
His swordplay began to change. Between slashes, his movements grew more fluid, his transitions smoother—his strikes unpredictable yet seamless.
Kairen, Danten, and the twin-blade warrior all nodded in unison. To masters of the sword, it was clear—the kid had broken through. Which meant... his opponent's role was over.
"Alright, that's enough. We're all in a hurry; toying with the dying isn't a good look," Uchiha Kirito said coolly.
"One-Sword Style—Godspeed."
Uchiha Kairen vanished in a streak of light. A heartbeat later, the Iwa-nin's head hit the ground. The last thing he heard was Kairen's calm voice:
"He said he'd let you go. I didn't."
"Rest in peace."
"Danten," the young swordsman exhaled, lowering his blade, "I'd wanted to face you again someday... looks like I was overconfident. But I won't give up. You're just a few steps ahead of me—that's all."
"I get it, Kyōgo. I'll be waiting," Uchiha Danten said with a grin. "Even I have someone I'm chasing after. He's a monster."
He pointed straight at his junior brother, Uchiha Kairen.
Kairen just shrugged helplessly—what could he say? Talent wasn't something he could control.
"Shūko-sensei... is Rito really...?" Kangen asked in a low voice.
The jōnin named Shūko didn't answer. He only shook his head. Beside him, Kyōgo stayed silent too. Their team had lost another comrade.
"Take your fallen brother's remains home. We'll continue our mission," Uchiha Honō said flatly.
"No need," Shūko replied quietly. "Rito didn't leave much of a body behind. He blew himself up with explosive tags—took the enemy with him."
"Then we'll go with you," said Kangen Rakzen, his voice trembling with rage. "I want to butcher a few more Iwa-nin myself."
"It's better if we split up," Kyōgo interjected. "Our teams have different levels of skill—and probably different missions."
"Agreed," said Shūko. "Your squad's clearly more than just a scouting unit. We'll stay on the perimeter, try to locate other Konoha shinobi, and gather intelligence."
"Then we'll move on ahead," Uchiha Retsu said. "We'll carve straight through to Takigakure. You'll notice the trail we leave behind."
Danten and Kyōgo nodded to each other, and the Uchiha squad set off once more.
"Kyōgo," Shūko said as they walked, "you shouldn't get too close to the Uchiha. It could affect your future."
"Sensei, Danten and I were rivals in the Sword Tournament. I respect his sword and his spirit. I just... think the village misunderstands the Uchiha," Kyōgo replied, puzzled.
"Kyōgo," Shūko sighed, "we're civilian shinobi. Our squad's a civilian squad. The rift between the Uchiha and the village isn't something we can meddle in. I've seen too much—I'll tell you plainly: if you don't want yourself or our whole squad dying meaningless deaths... stay far away from them."
"But Sensei... the village shouldn't treat them like that," Kangen Rakzen protested. The gratitude in his eyes was still fresh.
"Shut it," Shūko snapped. "You don't understand. These are the elders' decisions. As long as we steer clear of the Uchiha, we'll be fine. But side with them? Then you're dead.
How many have died already? How many Uchiha have fallen?
And for what? Everyone knows what kind of people they are—so why doesn't anyone speak up for them? Because those who do... end up dead.
Understand? The dead can't speak."
"...I see now," Kyōgo murmured. "So what Danten said was right. Trying to 'blend into Konoha' is nothing but a dream. I used to envy his bloodline... now I pity it. Things shouldn't be like this."
Thud!
kangen punched the ground hard. "They just saved our lives... and we're talking about avoiding them? I feel disgusted with myself."
"I get it," Shūko said softly. "But we've got families—mothers, wives—waiting for us back home. We can't change anything.
And precisely because they saved us... the best thing we can do now is get the hell away from them."
His clenched fists trembled. It wasn't cowardice—just unbearable helplessness.
He didn't want to repay kindness with betrayal, so he'd keep his distance.
He didn't want to die for a village like this, so he'd live—to go home.
Danten... your dream will never come true, Kyōgo thought quietly. Do you know that?
***********************
Read advanced chapter ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell