He was someone who believed in fairness.
If the enemy's invisibility was too troublesome, then he would level the playing field—and use his superior experience to win the fight.
Kiyohara closed his eyes.
Behind him, the ghostly form of Rogue Kiyohara materialized.
"Come forth… my stand!"
With his eyes open, the lingering lime in the air would've stung too badly to fight.But Rogue Kiyohara could act as his second pair of eyes.
"To your left. He's about to form seals to vanish again."
The foggy haze allowed Rogue Kiyohara to clearly make out the faint outline of Daishi.
"Got it."
Kiyohara nodded and reached into his pouch.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two shuriken flew, slicing through the dusty air, whirling toward Daishi's position.
He heard the sound and was forced to break off his hand seals to dodge.
Each time he tried to recast his concealment, Kiyohara would interrupt him again.
"Is this kid completely unaffected?!"
Daishi clenched his fists, his eyes streaming from the lime.If he didn't treat them soon, he risked permanent blindness.
Worse still, he could hear the familiar puff of more lime being scattered into the air.
"Are you even a ninja?!"
"Sorry," Kiyohara replied."Ninjas are assassins. You're the one trying to play warrior."
Spying, poisoning, ambushing—those were the real ninja arts.Fighting with honor? That was your mistake.
'Talk to my shuriken about ideals.'
Kiyohara infused Wind Chakra into one, the blade glowing with enhanced sharpness.
Slice!
Daishi couldn't dodge in time—blood flowed from a fresh wound.
"HIKARI!"
He finally shouted for his teammate.
But there was no reassuring reply—only a scream of pain from deeper inside the cave.
"No way… Hikari can't be losing to those brats, can he…?"
A chill crept into Daishi's chest.He and Kiyohara were by the entrance. The fight deeper inside was out of sight.
"What's going on?" Kiyohara asked aloud.
Rogue Kiyohara peered inward—
"Obito awakened his two-tomoe Sharingan. He slashed the enemy's arm.Kakashi got wounded protecting him—his left eye's been cut."
"I see…"
It was unfolding just like the original timeline.Kakashi lost his left eye. Obito awakened the Sharingan out of rage and grief.
A coincidence?
No… maybe not.In this world, fate exists…
Naruto was destined to be the "Child of Prophecy."Even the Sage of Six Paths had spoken of this future.
"The time has come. The Child of Prophecy shall change the world."
All the tailed beasts knew about it too—he must've told them long ago.
"I have the Will System.The butterfly effect from the future grows stronger…But I'm still too weak to stir the winds that change fate."
The will came from countless possible futures branching from him.It was the greatest "variable" of all.
"Tch."
Daishi grunted, ripping the shuriken from his side.
If Hikari was really down, he'd have no way to escape alone.
"Let's end this now!"
His left arm hardened—Rock Fist Technique!A giant stone-covered punch rocketed toward Kiyohara.
"He's using Rock Fist."
Rogu Kiyohara's voice echoed in his mind, unimpressed.
"He put all his training into stealth. The rest of his skills are mediocre."
"Half step left. Duck."
Kiyohara followed the instructions—the massive rock fist roared past, barely grazing his hair.
"Now—Lightning Style: Ground Walk!"
Zap—electric arcs crackled across the floor.
Crack!
The jutsu shattered most of Daishi's stone gauntlet.
"This brat still has chakra left?!"
Daishi was shocked.
He had no clan insignia—just a civilian.How did he still have so much chakra?
"That's it. Tag in."
Kiyohara felt dizzy—chakra nearly drained.He hadn't rested since the start, and he'd already cast multiple jutsu.
If not for the stimulant pills he took beforehand, he'd have long collapsed.
Daishi steadied himself and prepared another Rock Fist.
This time he was cautious—trying to detect sound cues.
"Too slow."
Rogue Kiyohara whispered.
Guided by him, Kiyohara moved like a phantom in the dusty mist,each step landing precisely in Daishi's blind spots.
"Take over. Right hand. Kunai. Three inches up."
Kiyohara obeyed—stab!
The kunai pierced Daishi's elbow joint.He screamed as the rock gauntlet disintegrated.
"Impossible… You're just a Genin…"
He stared at Kiyohara, blood and disbelief on his face.
But Kiyohara didn't speak.
Even a single word would give away his position.
RUMBLE!
Suddenly the ground trembled violently—the cave shook.
"The other Iwa jōnin used Earth Style: Stone Roof Collapse,"Rogue Kiyohara said.
Kiyohara nodded grimly.
That jutsu caused rocks to drop from the ceiling, collapsing cave interiors.
'Hikari must be going for a kill shot.'
Now was the moment.
Kiyohara gripped a kunai tight and threw a barrage of shuriken to distract Daishi—
"Everyone, head for the exit!" Kakashi shouted.
Kiyohara burned the last of his chakra—
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
The gust blew away the lime mist clouding the exit path.
RUMBLE RUMBLE—
Kiyohara dashed ahead and reached the mouth of the cave, turning to look back.
Kurenai and Genma followed quickly.
Kakashi was slower—his injured left eye created a blind spot.
Thud!
A falling rock slammed into that very blind spot—
At the last second, Obito shoved Kakashi away.
CRASH!
Obito was crushed beneath the boulder—only half his body still visible.
Kiyohara could faintly hear a sorrowful piano tune echo in the back of his mind…