Kyojiro sighed, running his hand through his hair once again. He looked towards his surroundings.
A black sky dotted with shining stars—balls of plasma that people of this world still thought of as their loved ones. The air smelled of fresh leaves, and the sound of crickets echoed in the air.
He looked towards Kakashi. The brat was as stoic as ever—despite the cold striking them both, the boy didn't utter a single complaint, only sticking out his hand close to the fire.Kyojiro didn't complain either, sitting with the rest of the scouts near a small bonfire. With the immense size of the camp, the small fire wouldn't alert anyone.
Shivers crawled up his spine from the biting cold. He coughed a bit before inching closer to the flame.
'It's been four days…' Kyojiro looked towards the night sky—the stars still seemed the same, stuck in place. 'Just like me… This mission is more boring than I thought it would be.'
For the past four days, both Kyojiro and Kakashi had been relentlessly searching through the forest in the north.At this point, the fiery-haired Uchiha had almost learned the exact number of trees—their differences, the trails, the tracks, the marks on the wood.
It didn't help that he had the Sharingan to begin with. Yet he continued every day, searching at full alert.
Today was the fifth day. The night had set wonderfully.And in a minute, all of them were to depart. The lack of time made Kyojiro stick a bit closer to the warmth—the heat reminding him of his swordsmanship.
A small smile tugged on his face as he nudged Kakashi. "Same route today?"
Kakashi simply nodded. "Hn."...
Rushing through the trees, Kyojiro looked at Kakashi. The boy was unusually quiet tonight. "Something on your mind?" he asked cautiously, knowing the Hatake didn't talk much.
Kakashi simply looked away, not bothering to respond.
Kyojiro sighed to himself before continuing on the path. He checked through the woods for any footprints, even watching if animals still remained in their burrows.
'It might not have made sense to me on Earth… but animals running away from their homes is the first sign something is up.'
However, the very next moment, something else caught his attention. His Sharingan gleamed in the ghostly night. "Kakashi!" he whispered.
The white-haired brat turned back in an instant, immediately joining the Uchiha. "What?"
"There." Kyojiro pointed at two horizontal lines on the trees. 'Marks on trees are one of the most commonly used signs in any warfare.' His eyes sharpened as both of them immediately spread out in the area, searching for similar signs.
Kyojiro's eyes widened as he soon found two to three more marks. 'An enemy attack? Information leak? What does this even mean… these signs shouldn't be so close to the camp.'
Signs were the most basic tool—not only for navigation in foreign jungles but as proof of authenticity. Yet using marks on trees like this could only mean one thing…
"Somebody was marking the way to the camp. Either someone from their side—" his eyes widened as the possibility emerged in his head, "—or ours."
Kakashi and Kyojiro nodded at one another in urgency before rushing toward the camp....
Loud shouts and choruses of grunts echoed across the ground. The wood that acted like a wall around the camp creaked and cracked, splintering into fragments.
Shinobi of the Leaf spread out at once, forming formations instead of defending the walls—their eyes shining with untold courage.
From within the corner of the camp emerged two figures—Kyojiro and Kakashi.Their skin felt the sheer pressure blanketing the entire area.
'We are late.' Kyojiro couldn't help but grit his teeth. His legs tensed as strength surged through them. "Let's go, Kakashi." The ground cracked beneath him in a second. A deep breath entered his body, rushing him full of vitality.
'Full Concentration Breathing.'
He calmly held his katana as he saw the huge swarm waiting outside—Kumo shinobi rushing in large quantities, cruel smiles etched on their faces.
Kyojiro tightened his grip on his katana, his stance widening. This time, there wasn't going to be any group warfare.
This time… it was going to be chaos.
SWISH
His figure blurred through the air, immediately rushing toward his closest target.'Flame Breathing, First Form — Unknowing Fire.'
The air split apart around his katana. His ordinary blade shook just from the technique's sheer force. The Kumo shinobi didn't even realize what had happened until his head fell to the ground with a satisfying THUD.
However, Kyojiro didn't pause. His eyes sharpened with a murderous glint. 'Flame Breathing…' His form flickered once more—his veins bulged as he immediately rushed at another shinobi.
The man tried to block the sword with a flimsy kunai defense—yet the Uchiha's katana sliced right through it and into the soft, blood-filled neck.
Hot blood burst from his veins, painting Kyojiro in a terrifying sight. Despite the cold, his blood pumped faster than ever—heat sizzled from his heart, spreading all around his body.
The Kumo shinobi couldn't help but shiver in fear.
Kyojiro Uchiha was slashing through their ranks like an exterminator....
Jiraiya was the first to notice something was off—despite never entering the jungles to scout in advance.
From his high vantage point, he had already spotted a scout acting differently—sticking his kunai into trees, making signs.
Jiraiya had waited for the last day before killing and extracting information out of him. 'A Kumo assault… Though this fool doesn't know much—just that they promised to make him a Jonin in their homeland.'
Looking from the highest tower in the camp, he surveyed the field. 'One… no—five Jonin. It seems Kumo was thoroughly prepared…'
His legs bulged with strength as a smile emerged on his face. 'Though I doubt you prepared for the emergence of a Sannin.'