“The reason I called everyone here is that I’m the lead in charge of this mission.”
Once Minato Namikaze and the others had all gathered, he spoke up.
“Your original squad leaders have been sent on other missions, so the three of you will be temporarily assigned under my command.”
Minato Namikaze looked toward Kiyohara, Kurenai Yuhi, and Genma Shiranui.
“Yes, Lord Minato.”
Genma Shiranui nodded.
With Minato Namikaze as their squad leader, this mission might turn out to be unexpectedly easy.
While the others looked like they were off on a spring outing, Kiyohara’s mind was far from careless.
With this lineup, the only real powerhouses were Minato Namikaze and Kakashi, who would soon become a Jonin.
Everyone else was Chunin.
The only Genin was Kiyohara alone.
In the past, he had tried his best to delay taking on dangerous missions, and had never participated in the Chunin Exams.
Now Konoha was facing a critical shortage of manpower.
Not just an experienced veteran Genin like Kiyohara, but even fresh rookies just graduated from the Ninja Academy had to join the fight.
This mission was called a reinforcement, but more likely it meant handling the grunt work—namely, drawing attention.
The main objective was to blow up the bridge.
With more people, they could confuse the enemy and buy precious time for whoever planted the explosives.
“To get a clearer picture of your abilities, I’d like to run a little test.”
Minato Namikaze spoke.
He knew his own students’ situations very well, but he had no idea about the capabilities of Kiyohara and his two companions.
Being a Genin sometimes didn’t mean one only had Genin-level strength.
It might just be that they never had the time to take the exams.
“Obito, you’ll spar with Kiyohara first.”
Minato Namikaze called out Obito.
Kakashi was too overpowered, and Rin Nohara was a medical-nin—the only one he could pick was Obito.
“Heh heh, perfect chance to stretch my legs a little!”
Obito grinned, pushing up his goggles with a relaxed look.
He took great care of those precious eyes of his.
He didn’t think much of the Genin standing before him.
After all, he was of the Uchiha clan.
Even if he hadn’t awakened his eyes yet, the confidence of that bloodline still flowed through his bones.
“Alright.”
Kiyohara nodded and stepped forward.
Besides teaching him ninjutsu, the rogue ninja Kiyohara had also been giving him one-on-one lessons in combat techniques these past few days.
After all, if he’d become a rogue ninja without decent combat skills, he would have been killed long ago.
So while Kiyohara hadn’t learned many ninjutsu, he had picked up a great many fighting techniques.
“Begin.”
Minato Namikaze said.
Kiyohara readied himself for battle.
His chakra reserves before had been close to that of a Chunin—he just had never taken the Chunin Exams.
Now, having merged with part of the rogue ninja Kiyohara, having reserves exceeding an ordinary Chunin was a sure thing.
So sparring with Obito felt like a sure win to Kiyohara.
Truth be told, Obito’s combat ability was solid too, but before he awakened his Sharingan, he wasn’t steady enough.
The rogue ninja Kiyohara’s spirit form appeared behind him.
“Remember, Obito has the physical prowess of the Uchiha clan.
All you need to do is seize on his opening.”
Kiyohara gave a slight nod.
“Begin.”
Minato Namikaze announced.
Obito made the first move!
With a push off his foot, dirt flew from the ground as he closed the distance between them in an instant.
The kunai sliced through the air, aiming straight for Kiyohara’s throat.
At that moment, Kiyohara also drew out his own kunai.
A sharp *clang* of metal rang out, bursting into a brilliant shower of sparks.
Kiyohara’s kunai blocked the incoming strike, and he simultaneously took a half-step back, dispersing the force.
“So fast…”
Obito had assumed Kiyohara was just a Genin, and had secretly looked down on him.
But now it was clear — this guy was no pushover.
Obito then flipped his kunai, slashed upward, chopped downward — a chain of attacks flowing in one seamless motion.
Kiyohara’s body moved almost on instinct.
“Your movement is wrong.
You should parry like this…”
The spirit of the rogue ninja Kiyohara continued to impart combat techniques to Kiyohara.
Listening to the experience of his future self, Kiyohara felt enlightenment flooding in.
Obito wasn’t just facing one person — he also had the old man, the rogue ninja Kiyohara!
The power of a Jonin, boy!
As time passed, Obito noticed that Kiyohara’s movements were getting sharper and smoother, as if a clumsy apprentice had suddenly found his own rhythm.
He could always attack from impossibly tricky angles.
And Obito could feel it — Kiyohara was improving bit by bit.
“His lower stance is unsteady, his center of gravity is shifted back.
Attack his left side, force him to move…”
The rogue ninja Kiyohara said.
Kiyohara twisted his wrist, turning his kunai from a thrust into a slash, striking at Obito’s left flank.
Obito indeed looked more awkward, a slight hesitation creeping into his parrying.
As the two exchanged blows back and forth, Obito gradually fell onto the back foot.
Obito’s eyes went wide.
Just a civilian, and he was improving this fast?
A few minutes ago he could barely keep up with the rhythm, and now he was actively suppressing Obito?!
“How is this possible?!”
The longer they fought, the more alarmed Obito grew, pressure mounting by the second.
Rin was watching.
He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of her.
“Kiyohara can trade blows evenly with Obito.
It looks like this mission won’t be a problem.”
Watching Kiyohara improve so rapidly, the thought involuntarily surfaced in Minato Namikaze’s mind.
“It feels like Kiyohara has gotten a lot stronger than before.”
Kurenai Yuhi’s ruby-like eyes reflected Kiyohara’s figure.
She and Kiyohara were old classmates — they practically knew everything about each other.
Could it be that under the pressure of survival, Kiyohara’s potential had been unleashed?
Regardless of what the others guessed, Obito was now under pressure as heavy as a mountain, his initial confidence gone.
Damn it, Rin is right here!
Carrying the name of the Uchiha, I absolutely cannot lose!
Obito’s left hand reached into his ninja tool pouch, and when it came out again, several shuriken were wedged between his fingers.
The Manipulated Shuriken Technique was the Uchiha’s specialty!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Three shuriken flew from Obito’s hand, sealing off Kiyohara’s high, middle, and low paths at tricky angles — clearly showing that Obito had put serious work into his throwing skills.
“Don’t forget the technique I taught you.”
The rogue ninja Kiyohara said.
His words could only be heard by Kiyohara alone.
To everyone else, he was a ghost no more substantial than air.
Kiyohara nodded slightly, then took out just a single shuriken.
Whoosh!
Kiyohara’s shuriken flew out, released after but arriving first, arcing through the air and striking the tail of the shuriken Obito had thrown earliest.
Ting!
After a crisp impact, the shuriken Kiyohara had just thrown curved as if turning, striking at the remaining two shuriken.
Ting!
Ting!
A series of clear ringing sounds, and Obito’s confident three-hit combo was completely dismantled by a single shuriken, scattering askew onto the ground.
“How is that possible!”
Obito’s eyes bulged round in disbelief.
A curving shuriken technique that even he hadn’t mastered yet — and Kiyohara could do it?!
Caught off guard, Obito’s parrying slowed for a split second.
How could Kiyohara let such a fleeting opportunity slip by?
Obito only saw a blur before his eyes.
He had just raised his kunai to defend when Kiyohara’s hand clamped onto his kunai-wielding wrist like iron pincers, while his foot hooked behind Obito’s leg.
“Ugh!”
Obito felt an irresistible force surge through him.
He completely lost his center of gravity, the whole world spinning around him.
Thud!
With a dull impact, Obito was slammed solidly onto the ground, kicking up a bit of dust.
And the tip of Kiyohara’s kunai was already resting gently against his throat.
The battle was over.
The field fell into silence.
Even in Kakashi’s perpetually lazy gaze, a flicker of surprise passed through.