Kai Uchiha's tone was calm, devoid of any jest. His eyes had unconsciously turned red, and the three tomoe of his Sharingan spun slightly.
Nohara Rin was completely stunned by the scene before her. She never imagined that teammates would act against each other like this.
Hyūga Aya, on the other hand, was even more shocked—not only by what was happening but by the fact that the usually composed Hyūga had activated her Byakugan without hesitation.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew unbearably tense. Yet, despite this, Imai Kenta maintained his usual harmless demeanor. However, his gaze lingered on Rin with a dangerous glint.
The affairs of their team were their own to handle, and it was imperative that their secrets remained hidden.
Imai Kenta wasn't acting for the sake of the team—his motivations were purely self-serving. Keeping someone alive who could expose them was a risk too great to ignore.
Especially after the intense battle between Hyūga Aya and Keishan Uchiha, it was clear that certain matters had spiraled beyond easy resolution.
Still, Kenta believed that, in the end, they wouldn't need to fight—unless, of course, Aya lost control.
Sure enough, Hyūga Aya ultimately restrained herself. As for Kai Uchiha, without his Sharingan activated, he seemed indifferent to her presence.
Restricted by clan traditions, Aya had long dismissed the potential of someone who lacked a Kekkei Genkai.
But things had changed.
Now, Kai Uchiha, possessing the fully awakened Sharingan, had become someone she couldn't ignore.
Especially after he had managed to evade Minato Namikaze's deadly strike. Aya wasn't arrogant enough to believe she could match that feat.
"Tell me your plan." Though visibly displeased, Hyūga Aya closed her Byakugan. "You'd better have something concrete rather than leading us to our deaths."
"I haven't even begun to live yet," Kai Uchiha replied, deactivating his Sharingan. The sensation of using it had been exhilarating. "Like I said before, Iwanin's positioning makes it clear that this area, despite having the fewest enemies, is actually a trap. Once Kakashi makes his move, reinforcements from other locations will rush in at full speed."
"So what?" Aya studied the map intently. "You want to take us and Kakashi straight into a suicide mission?"
"If we choose another point to break through, enemy forces will simply regroup and reinforce their positions. And unlike other areas, this place is the hardest to secure. We're outnumbered." Kai's voice was cold and rational.
Though he had analyzed the map extensively, he hadn't discovered any hidden details. But based on the available information and Aya's insight, he had deduced plenty.
Iwa-nin weren't fools. Leaving this sector lightly defended was clearly intentional—it was either a trap to surround them or a deceptive strategy to lure them in.
Kai didn't believe Iwa-nin would dare pull a complete bluff. Given the current war conditions, it was more likely that a squad of elite shinobi was stationed here, ready to intercept attackers or reinforce other sectors at a moment's notice.
A traditional response would be to set a diversion and strike another location.
But Uchiha Kai intended to do the opposite—he would take them head-on.
It was a gamble, but if they won, the path to Kannabi Bridge would be wide open.
Kai disliked taking risks, but this time, he had an ace up his sleeve.
Before departing, Kakashi had entrusted him with Minato Namikaze's special kunai. This meant Kai could determine the perfect moment to summon the Yellow Flash.
"You're worried it's a setup?" Aya and Kenta seemed to follow his reasoning.
"I'm not worried—I'm certain of it," Kai corrected her. "That's why I'm going to take an unconventional approach."
"If we go in like this, isn't it still suicide, Captain?" Kenta scratched his head. But as he watched Kai create several shadow clones, he immediately understood. "Ah, I see… You're sending the clones as decoys?"
"Exactly." Aya smirked. "Enemy support teams will conserve chakra, avoiding excessive jutsu use. If we send clones to attack a key position, their forces will rush to reinforce it. Meanwhile, Kakashi's attack will create further confusion. We can exploit that window to launch an all-out assault."
Kai Uchiha smiled.
Though he found Aya and Kenta annoying, he had to admit that working with intelligent teammates made missions far easier.
His gaze flickered toward Nohara Rin, who still seemed clueless about the unfolding strategy. She might be a capable medic-nin, but she clearly lacked tactical awareness.
With their plan set, Kai and the others dispersed, each summoning shadow clones to run in different directions.
The real team moved swiftly behind Kakashi. Summoning multiple chakra-heavy clones was draining, but there was no other option.
Kai noticed that both Kenta and Aya immediately popped ration pills, maximizing their chakra recovery even as they moved.
He did the same. As a seasoned battlefield ninja, he understood the importance of preparation.
Even a sliver of chakra could be the difference between life and death.
No doubt, the Iwa-nin were prepared for a typical strategy. But they weren't expecting someone crazy enough to charge straight into their trap.
Swallowing his ration pill, Kai adjusted his breathing and maintained a steady pace behind Kakashi, ensuring he conserved as much chakra as possible.
"I just hope you don't get me killed," Aya muttered, unconcerned that outsiders could hear. "I've survived seven years on the battlefield—I don't intend to throw it all away now."
"I've been on the battlefield for six," Kai replied evenly. "Kenta's been here the longest—eight years, right?"
Kenta nodded silently. His usual smirk was absent.
Kai continued, "If we didn't share the same goals, we wouldn't be working together. I might hate both of you, but like it or not, our survival depends on cooperation."
Aya hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Only Nohara Rin remained bewildered, unable to grasp the deeper layers of their conversation. She couldn't comprehend the dynamics between the three or the weight of their decisions.
The night was cold and quiet. Five figures darted through the dense forest, moving as shadows beneath the moonlit sky.