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Chapter 109 — Temporary Captain
Fukuhiko Kōhei's actions left Uchiha Kei both amused and a little exasperated.
It seemed Kōhei had underestimated the strength of Kei's team.
True, the enemy had the advantage in numbers, and there were quite a few powerful ninja among them.
But Kei's side wasn't exactly weak either.
Aside from Nohara Rin, every member of their group was strong.
There was no need to mention Kakashi's prowess, and both Hyūga Ayaka and Imai Kenta had already proven their abilities through tough battles.
Yet Kōhei had taken it upon himself to single-handedly block all of Iwagakure's strongest fighters—including Kitsuchi—which led to him being severely injured in less than half a minute of combat, coughing up blood.
Still, Kei didn't object to his arrangement.
Fukuhiko Kōhei was most likely doing it to protect him.
He probably knew, through Minato Namikaze, about Kei's history with Kitsuchi:
All three of Kitsuchi's former teammates had been killed by Uchiha Kei.
Afterward, an enraged Kitsuchi had nearly killed Kakashi and had come dangerously close to finishing off Kei and Kenta as well.
Fortunately, Minato had arrived just in time to stop Kitsuchi and save them.
Glancing at Fukuhiko Kōhei, who was still clutching his chest with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, Kei asked quietly,
"Do you need treatment?"
"No. The enemy is pursuing too closely," Kōhei shook his head.
"And don't forget, Kitsuchi is among them. There are at least six or seven Jōnin-level enemies.
Kakashi, have you summoned Captain Minato yet?"
"I have, but there's been no response so far," Kakashi shook his head, then added seriously,
"Fukuhiko-senpai, I really think you should accept treatment. Your injuries are severe."
"There's no time," Kōhei insisted, shaking his head again.
"Besides, we have another mission to complete. Here's the plan: I'll lure the enemy away. You all scatter and escape."
Kōhei's suggestion made Kei frown slightly.
Was he planning to sacrifice himself?
While it was a sound tactical decision, Kōhei was clearly underestimating their capabilities.
Then again, Kei realized, it wasn't entirely Kōhei's fault for thinking that way.
Throughout their time working together, Kei, Ayaka, and Kenta had always acted moderately and never revealed their true strength.
Their combat skills seemed to match the rank assigned to them, and with Kōhei being strong and warm-hearted, the three had been more than happy to hide their true potential behind him.
Kei's feelings toward Kōhei weren't exactly warm, but neither were they hostile.
If it weren't for Kōhei's firm loyalty to the Hokage faction, Kei might have even considered becoming real friends with him.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Kei reminded himself that death and separation were nothing new to him—especially on a battlefield, a place that ground people into dust without mercy.
"I understand," Kei nodded solemnly. "I'll take care of your younger brother."
"Captain Fukuhiko," Kakashi suddenly spoke up before Kei could finish.
"You're badly injured. But we still have two Jōnin in our squad—myself and Kei.
I propose transferring command to Kei. He has led a team through top-secret missions before, and he successfully cooperated with Captain Minato during the Kanabi Bridge mission.
He's the best choice!"
"No way!"
Before Kei could even respond, Hyūga Ayaka immediately protested.
"Captain Fukuhiko is only injured, not dead," she said sharply.
"Transferring leadership now would be rash. Besides, even if we must assign a new captain, shouldn't Kakashi-senpai be the more appropriate choice?"
Ayaka clearly didn't want Kei to become captain.
Her relationship with him was far from good—especially after he had seen through her secrets.
She was even less willing to acknowledge him now.
Still, her arguments made sense.
Kōhei was still alive, and transferring command while he was merely injured was indeed premature.
However, to Ayaka's surprise, just as Kōhei opened his mouth to respond, he suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood.
His face turned even paler.
"I'm not up to it," Kakashi shook his head grimly after glancing at the rapidly approaching Iwagakure ninjas.
"We don't have time. They're almost on us."
"...Alright," Kōhei said with difficulty, clutching his chest.
"Kei, I'm counting on you again."
He truly hadn't expected that Kitsuchi's single kick would inflict such devastating injuries on him.
As a seasoned Jōnin who had fought through countless battles, Fukuhiko Kōhei might not have known medical ninjutsu, but he could certainly assess his own physical condition.
Right now, he knew things were looking grim.
Kitsuchi's power wasn't to be underestimated—
That single kick had likely broken at least three of his ribs and possibly damaged his internal organs.
He couldn't accurately judge the extent of his internal bleeding, but he knew one thing for sure:
If he tried to lure the enemy away again, he might not even last a full minute.
At this moment, Fukuhiko Kōhei couldn't help but silently complain—
Why hasn't Minato arrived yet?
"I understand," Uchiha Kei nodded, though inwardly he sighed and cast a sidelong glance at Kakashi.
After thinking for a moment, he gave his instructions:
"Rin, take Captain Fukuhiko and stabilize his injuries.
Kakashi, Kenta, Ayaka—you'll each break off in different directions to cover their retreat.
Good luck, everyone."
"Understood, Captain," came the instinctive reply—
As if they had all returned to those earlier days of tight coordination under Kei's command.
Even Hyūga Ayaka didn't object.
As a shinobi, even if she disliked the decision, she wouldn't openly defy an order during a mission.
Ayaka's previous opposition to Kei becoming captain had always been within reasonable bounds.
She knew Kei probably harbored some dark intentions toward her, but as long as things stayed within professional lines—and as long as Fukuhiko Kōhei was around to supervise—she believed she was safe.
Still, she remained cautious of Uchiha Kei.
She knew very well the kind of reputation Kei had back in the village—
Cold, calculating, and ruthless about protecting his secrets.
Ayaka understood perfectly:
Kei would never allow certain matters to be exposed, especially not by someone like her—someone from the Hyūga branch family, someone without freedom or power.
That's why Ayaka had never wanted Kei to take command.
She had tried to align herself with Fukuhiko Kōhei whenever possible.
But now that Fukuhiko had formally appointed Kei as the new captain, she had no choice but to comply.
Her priority was to leave no opportunity for Kei to target her—and especially never allow herself to be alone with him.
That was Ayaka's way of surviving.
After receiving Kei's clear orders, Fukuhiko Kōhei gave him a long, meaningful look before sighing and following Nohara Rin away from the battlefield.
Uchiha Kei, Kakashi, Imai Kenta, and Hyūga Ayaka exchanged a brief glance.
Then, without hesitation, they each turned and fled in different directions.
As for when—and how—they would regroup…
They would deal with that after shaking off the Iwagakure pursuers.