Chapter 6: Rescue Our Comrades?
As a member of the Uchiha clan, the task of interrogation naturally fell to Kei.
There was a common perception that the Uchiha were masters of genjutsu. While not entirely accurate, it was a deeply rooted belief. Not every Uchiha excelled at illusion techniques—having a Sharingan only meant they were better equipped to use or resist genjutsu, not necessarily proficient in it.
Kei's interrogation style was calm and composed. The captive had a strong will, but Kei's genjutsu wasn't something easily brushed off. Besides, the man had already been beaten to a pulp by Ayaka Hyuga and was barely clinging to consciousness. Kei also had no qualms about using a few underhanded tricks during the process.
After nearly a full day of work, Kei finally extracted the intel he wanted—and even stumbled upon something particularly interesting.
"A transport unit is moving Konoha prisoners deep into Iwa territory."
Naturally, Kei had no intention of handling this alone. He relayed the intel to the other two, though not all at once.
The world of Naruto was a strange one. In the thirteen years Kei had lived in it, he'd experienced nothing but its darker sides. Just look at the suicide of Sakumo Hatake a few years ago.
Yet, when watching the show back in his past life, it was filled with bright ideals, constantly emphasizing bonds and how comrades are more important than missions.
But in reality? Sure, comrades were important—especially in wartime, where your teammate might just be the one to take a kunai for you.
History is written by the victors. Kei understood this well. He knew why Sakumo had drawn so much ire: it was wartime. Without powerhouse individuals like the First Hokage or Madara to tip the scales, the power of a single person was often irrelevant.
Sakumo wasn't wrong—he was just born in the wrong era. Add someone like Danzo stirring the pot behind the scenes, and Konoha lost one of its top combatants.
Still, his death served as a brutal warning to other shinobi: don't overthink things—if your hesitation costs the mission, you're as good as dead.
In Naruto's era of peace, priorities shifted. Without the constant threat of war, teachings leaned more toward camaraderie. Bonds became a method of keeping people loyal to the village. If you're emotionally tied down, are you really going to defect?
If it were any other day, Kei wouldn't give a damn about these prisoners. He had his own survival to worry about.
But he knew how things would unfold. The war would end within the year. The Third Hokage was preparing to hand things over to Minato Namikaze—a major shift in direction.
Minato believed in Sakumo's ideals. He also happened to be Kakashi's jonin instructor. Without his support, both Kakashi and Obito might've been locked up even if Konoha won the war.
"Captain, you're not seriously thinking of rescuing them, are you?" Ayaka Hyuga sneered at Kei. "Don't forget our mission. Or do you want to be the next Sakumo Hatake?"
"We'll follow the transport and infiltrate enemy lines," Kei replied calmly. "We might get even more intel that way."
"You're insane," Ayaka scoffed. "Are you trying to get us killed? Or thrown in Konoha prison?"
"You really think that's likely?" Kei shook his head. "The fact that we're even alive says a lot already. I want to make it back—and so do you. So we'd better work together, got it?"
That shut her up. Even the usually carefree Kenta Imai glanced over seriously.
They were all in the same boat, after all. And the type of people who couldn't say everything out loud.
What they didn't know was that Kei had already started planning for the future. He was considering this a sort of… political investment.
Of course, none of that would matter if he didn't make it out alive.
"So what's your plan?" Ayaka asked as she sat down casually. Then, without looking, she hurled a kunai into the neck of the half-dead Iwa-nin. "You're not seriously planning to assault their rear lines, right? I'm out if you are. I haven't lived long enough yet."
"Don't worry, I'm not that dumb—I'm only thirteen." Kei chuckled. "The prisoners are being sent to the rear, but according to this guy, there are still smaller holding sites along the way."
"That's not surprising," Ayaka crossed her arms. "It'd be stupid to keep them all in one place. Iwa isn't exactly known for sealing techniques…"
She stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Kei, then fell into thought. Kenta, who'd been all smiles, also turned quiet.
Keeping prisoners scattered minimized risks. They were tortured constantly, likely filled with hate for their captors. And since most of Iwa's forces were focused on the front lines, the guards left behind probably weren't elite—maybe even just a few low-ranking ninja tasked with clean-up.
And by clean-up, it likely meant executing the difficult ones and relocating the rest for bargaining chips.
But the real question was—had they been relocated yet?
"How much time do we have?" Ayaka asked. "And who was that guy?"
"One of the guards, sent to the front two days ago. Ran into us yesterday," Kei answered with a smirk.
"You really are... unbelievable." Ayaka paused, then nodded. "If we move fast, we might actually save quite a few."
"Then let's go," Kenta chimed in, wearing that harmless smile again. "Let's rescue our comrades—and finish our mission."