The massive wooden gates of Konoha stood open, revealing a convoy of supply carts and a battalion of shinobi ready for war. This was the Logistics and Reinforcement Division, tasked with bolstering the crumbling Iwa front.
However, the formation was stuck in idle.
At the head of the column, a young boy with gravity-defying silver hair and a mask covering the lower half of his face tapped his foot impatiently. Beside him stood a girl with short brown hair and purple ritual markings on her cheeks.
"Why am I always stuck with the 'always late' sensei and the 'dead last' teammate?" Kakashi Hatake grumbled, his eyes half-lidded with annoyance. "This is a war mission, not a field trip."
"Just wait a little longer, Kakashi," Rin Nohara said, offering a pacifying smile. "I'm sure they both have good reasons."
"Who are you calling 'dead last' behind his back?!"
A boy with goggles and a blue-and-orange jacket skidded to a halt in front of them, panting heavily. Obito Uchiha pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi.
Kakashi glared at him. "Where have you been? Everyone is waiting on you. Do you have no sense of punctuality?"
"Shut up, Kakashi!" Obito yelled back, flushing red. He quickly turned to Rin, his expression softening instantly. "Sorry, Rin! I got late because I was helping an old lady carry her groceries all the way to the other side of the village. I couldn't just leave her!"
Kakashi crossed his arms. "Does every old lady in Konoha wait for you to come out of your house specifically to ask for help? Or is your alarm clock just broken?"
"You wanna fight?!" Obito rolled up his sleeves, forming shaky fists. "Do you think I'm lying?!"
"Save your energy," Kakashi scoffed, turning away. "Besides, we can't leave yet anyway. Captain Kushina isn't here either. Like student, like teacher."
"I can hear you!"
A blur of red hair flashed past them. Kushina Uzumaki landed at the front of the column, looking slightly winded but commanding.
"Sorry, sorry!" she waved her hand dismissively. "I had something urgent to discuss with the Hokage regarding the sealing barriers."
Kakashi and Obito both looked at her with narrow, scrutinizing eyes. It sounded suspiciously like an excuse, but the aura radiating off her made them bite their tongues.
"Don't give me that look!" Kushina barked, her hair floating up slightly as her temper flared. "Hurriedly now! Move out! We have to reach the Land of Grass before the Iwa forces breach the line!"
Two days passed in a blur of forced marches. The division moved quickly, but dragging heavy supply carts through the dense forests of the Fire Country border slowed their pace.
As the sun began to set on the second day, Kushina raised her hand. "Halt! We set up camp here tonight. We are close to a town."
The Genin sprang into action. While the logistics team began erecting tents and camouflaging the carts, Kushina walked to the edge of the clearing. She closed her eyes.
"Mind's Eye of the Kagura."
An invisible pulse of chakra expanded from her body, covering a massive 10-kilometer radius. To Kushina, the world became a map of chakra signatures.
"Nothing suspicious," she muttered, relaxing her stance.
"Follow me to scout the town ahead," Kushina commanded.
Soon they reached the town. Despite the war, the streets were bustling.
The town was a vibrant anomaly amidst the encroaching darkness of the Third Great Ninja War. Lanterns glowed warmly, the air was thick with the scent of roasted meat and spices, and the laughter of civilians almost made the group forget the high-stakes logistics mission they were leading.
Kushina paused, and activated the Mind's Eye of the Kagura."Nothing," she whispered, her shoulders dropping an inch. "I didn't find any threatening individuals. It's clean."
A mischievous glint returned to her eyes. "Alright, team! Let's find a good place to eat. I've grown sick of eating soldier pills and ration biscuits. We'll pack some real food for the rest of the journey, too!"
Obito's eyes lit up, his stomach letting out a timely growl. "I'm with you, Sensei! Anything is better than those chalky pills!"
Kakashi, however, looked as if he were suffering from a physical headache. A series of black lines appeared on his forehead. "What about scouting? We are on a critical war mission, in case you both forgot."
"Don't be so tense all the time, Kakashi!" Kushina laughed, grabbing him by the collar of his flak jacket and dragging him toward a well-lit restaurant. "A hungry ninja is a sloppy ninja!"
They entered a cozy, busy restaurant. Kushina led them to a table, but as she went to sit down, her body suddenly locked in place.
The color drained from her face, leaving her ghost-white.
Obito, Kakashi, and Rin followed her gaze.
Sitting at a table in the center of the room was a teenager, around fifteen years old, casually licking a skewer of three-colored dango. It was Ren.
Feeling the weight of four intense gazes. He simply shoved the remaining dango into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, and gave Kushina a muffled, friendly wave. He swallowed hard, stood up, and began walking in their direction.
Kushina's survival instinct screamed. Her hand blurred as she reached for the kunai strapped to her thigh.
Zap.
Ren disappeared.
He reappeared directly beside Kushina, his hand clamped firmly over hers, stopping her from drawing the weapon. He leaned in close.
"Long time no see, Tomato."
Obito, hearing the fearsome "Red Habanero" addressed by her childhood nickname, burst into loud, barking laughter. "Tomato?! Someone actually called her that to her face?!"
Kakashi flinched, expecting Obito to be launched through the wall for such a comment. But Kushina didn't spare a single glance at Obito. She didn't scold him. She didn't move. Her entire world had narrowed down to the boy holding her hand. Her pupils were dilated in pure shock.
"Sensei?" Rin asked tentatively from the side. "Who is he? Do you know each other?"
Kushina remained silent, her jaw tight.
Ren smiled at the kids. "I am Kushina's old acquaintance."
Obito, Kakashi, and Rin looked at Kushina for confirmation. She didn't deny it. She couldn't.
"Who are you guys?" Ren asked.
Obito, being his usual over-enthusiastic self, puffed out his chest. "We are her students! I am Obito Uchiha! She is Rin Nohara, and this guy with the dead fish eyes is Kakashi Hatake."
Ren's eyes lingered on Obito for a second longer than the others, a flicker of recognition passing through his iridescent pupils.
Earlier That Day
Ren had actually arrived in this town two days prior.
Earlier, while he was walking through the market with his parents, his expanded sensory range picked up a battalion of ninjas in the forest outside the town. Initially, he ignored them as insignificant. But then, he felt a specific,chakra signature moving toward the town gates.
Ren stopped walking. He turned to Kaori and Satoshi. "Mom, you go with Dad and finish the shopping. I'm feeling hungry, so I will be going to get something to eat."
Satoshi looked at Ren, then at the direction of the town gate, and flashed a thumbs-up. "Very good! You really care about your parents. Go on, kid."
Ren walked away, scratching his head in confusion. 'I said I was hungry... how does that imply I care about them?'
Shaking his head at his father's logic, he had headed toward the restaurant closest to Kushina's trajectory.
Back in the present, the group was seated at a large table.
The dynamic was bizarre. Ren, Obito, and Rin were chatting. Ren asked about their missions, and Obito happily recounted his (exaggerated) exploits. Kakashi interjected occasionally with dry corrections, suspicious of this stranger's calm demeanor.
Meanwhile, Kushina just stared at Ren. She didn't eat. She didn't speak. She sat stiffly, fully aware that she was sitting across from the man who currently held a bounty high enough to buy a small nation.
After ten minutes of this surreal interaction, Kushina's nerve broke.
"Let's go," she said abruptly, standing up and knocking her chair back. "We are getting late. We are on a mission."
"Eh? But Sensei, I haven't finished my—" Obito started.
"Move!" Kushina barked.
She threw a stack of bills onto the table—far more than the meal cost—and grabbed Obito and Kakashi by their collars. She dragged them out of the restaurant, signaling Rin to follow immediately.
"Move to the camp as soon as possible!" she ordered, her voice trembling slightly.
The team sprinted out of the town, leaving the warm lights behind as they plunged into the forest path leading back to their encampment.
While running, Obito looked up at his teacher, panting. "Sensei! What was that big brother's name? I forgot to ask! And how do you know him? He seemed cool!"
Kushina didn't look back. She kept her eyes forward, her pace increasing.
"He once saved me from kidnappers when I was young," Kushina said, her voice grim.
PS: Kakashi graduated with Obito and Rin. Unlike graduating at 5 chunin at 6. More details in upcoming chapters.