"In the grand scheme of things, a pawn like Kiyohara is irrelevant."
Madara Uchiha sat in the darkness, his voice raspy.
But his time was running out. His body, sustained only by the Gedo Statue, was failing.
He had to finalize the executor of the Eye of the Moon Plan quickly. Only then could he sever the tubes and rest, sleeping until the day of his resurrection.
"Hashirama... I will prove it. I will reach the other shore."
Madara touched his chest. The grafted flesh of his rival throbbed against his own, the catalyst that had awakened the Rinnegan.
The Forest.
Just as Kiyohara pretended to scan the horizon, the spirit of the Missing-nin floated back, his expression grim.
"What's wrong?" Kiyohara asked internally. "Don't scare me. Are we surrounded? Is it time to write my will?"
"Ahead," the spirit pointed. "That's where Rin is being held. And Obito is almost there."
Unbeknownst to them, they had reached the vicinity of Kannabi Bridge.
Because Minato was wreaking havoc on the front lines, Iwagakure had pulled troops from the rear to reinforce the main army. This left the bridge guard depleted.
"Is that so..." Kiyohara nodded.
He understood the implication.
The timeline was converging.
Obito would arrive. Kakashi, after his internal struggle, would follow. Kakashi would lose his eye. Obito would be crushed.
'This is Ground Zero. Madara is definitely watching.'
Although he couldn't sense him, Kiyohara felt the phantom gaze of Black Zetsu or a White Zetsu clone lurking in the earth. The Mayfly Technique made them impossible to detect.
'I don't have a Bloodline Limit, so I shouldn't pique Madara's interest,' Kiyohara reasoned. 'At most, I'm a variable. A nuisance.'
Madara's script was precise: Force Rin to become the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, then engineer her death at Kakashi's hands to break Obito.
'I just need to make sure I'm not chosen as collateral damage,' Kiyohara thought grimly. 'I don't want Obito shouting "Resurrect, my beloved!" for me.'
"The enemies inside aren't simple," Kiyohara projected his thought. "At a critical moment, possess me."
"You don't have to go in," the Missing-nin countered. "We can wait here. Let history play out."
"If I don't go, the butterfly effect might ruin everything," Kiyohara argued. "The bridge must be destroyed for me to get the merit points. I need that promotion to unlock the rest of your talent."
The Missing-nin sighed. He understood.
Time was running out for his spirit. If he faded before the transfer was complete, Kiyohara might get stuck with a useless future self next time.
'What if I roll "Ramen Chef Kiyohara" or "Civilian Kiyohara" next? I need combat power now.'
"Fine," the spirit agreed. "I'll take the wheel if things get ugly."
"How much power can you exert?" Kiyohara asked. "My body is still Chunin-level."
"It doesn't matter. I can force your body to unleash 100% of its potential," the Missing-nin explained. "The brain limits muscle output to prevent injury. As a separate entity, I can override those limiters."
"So... like the Eight Gates?"
"Exactly. But without the green aura. I don't know the Eight Gates technique—Orochimaru wasn't interested in Taijutsu—but the principle of removing safety limiters is the same."
"Okay." Kiyohara cracked his neck. "Let's go. Quietly."
He signaled Kurenai and Genma.
"Target ahead. Three-man formation. Stealth approach."
Inside the Cave.
"Kakashi! Obito!"
Rin Nohara cried out, relief flooding her voice. The Genjutsu holding her had wavered as her captors turned to face the intruders.
Kakkō stood over her, his sword drawn.
Taiseki stood in the shadows, his form flickering.
"You handle the brats," Kakkō ordered. "I'll finish the interrogation."
Taiseki nodded. He formed a seal.
Camouflage Concealment Technique.
He vanished from sight.
"Damn it! He disappeared again!" Obito shouted, looking around frantically.
"It's just two kids," Taiseki's voice echoed from nowhere.
He moved silently, circling behind Obito. He raised a Kunai, aiming for the Uchiha's unprotected back.
"Kakashi! Behind you!" Rin screamed.
Kakashi spun around, his left eye throbbing with pain from an earlier injury. He couldn't see anything.
'Where is he?!'
Just then—
BOOM!
The entrance to the cave exploded inward.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A fierce gale roared into the cavern. It didn't aim for the enemy; it aimed for the environment.
The wind kicked up a massive cloud of dust, dirt, and loose gravel from the cave floor.
The dust filled the air, clinging to everything.
Including the invisible man.
A silhouette appeared in the dust cloud—a man-shaped void where the dust settled on an invisible surface.
"There you are!"
Kiyohara stepped through the smoke, Kunai in hand.
"Sorry I'm late to the party."
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