After Chigen and the boys of Minato's team departed, the atmosphere inside the Hokage's office only grew heavier.
Minato Namikaze stared at the location circled in red on the map, his expression more grave than ever before.
"Hokage-sama… isn't it really too soon to have Kakashi act as team leader?" he asked quietly. "The three of them are still just children."
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not answer right away. He relit his extinguished pipe, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly. The drifting smoke obscured his aged features.
"Minato," he said at last, "look outside."
Minato followed his gaze. The village appeared peaceful—but upon closer inspection, most of the ninja patrolling the streets wore unfamiliar, inexperienced faces. Some were barely past graduation.
"The Wind Country front. The Grass Country front," Hiruzen said, his voice carrying unmistakable fatigue. "Every elite shinobi we could spare has already been deployed."
"There's no one left."
Minato fell silent.
He understood. This wasn't a matter of choice—it was the only option left.
War was a merciless meat grinder, devouring generation after generation of shinobi.
All he could do was pray in his heart.
Kakashi. Rin. Obito.
You must come back alive.
---
Outside the Hokage Tower, the sunlight felt almost blinding.
Uchiha Obito had completely shaken off the tension from moments ago. He pumped his fist into the air, brimming with excitement.
"Did you hear that? The Hokage called us an elite squad!" he shouted. "Once this mission is done, the name Uchiha Obito will echo across the entire shinobi world!"
"Brainless idiot."
Kakashi's cold voice poured over him like a bucket of ice water.
"What did you say?!" Obito snapped instantly, pointing at Kakashi's nose. "You're the idiot! Your whole family's idiots!"
"This is an S-rank mission," Kakashi replied flatly. "That means we'll be facing elite forces at jōnin level at minimum. Someone who charges in without understanding the situation will only slow us down."
His tone was calm—but every word cut deep.
"You—!"
Obito was so angry he nearly choked on his words. Then, as if grasping at a counterargument, he blurted out:
"Then what about Chigen-senpai?! He's only a chūnin—are you saying he'll be dead weight too?!"
Hearing his name, Chigen finally lifted his gaze.
Kakashi glanced at him. The usual scrutiny in his eyes was gone—replaced instead by acknowledgment.
"He's different," Kakashi said.
"He defeated an elite jōnin skilled in ambush and sensory techniques head-on during the chūnin exams. In terms of combat ability, he's long past being the ultimate repeater student you like to mock."
That made both Obito and Rin freeze.
They knew Chigen had passed the exam—but not how.
For Kakashi, who almost never praised anyone, to openly recognize Chigen's strength… that alone spoke volumes.
Obito snorted, unconvinced. He moved beside Rin and thumped his chest confidently.
"Just watch, Rin! I'll surpass Chigen-senpai—and one day, I'll surpass this annoying Kakashi too!"
Rin smiled helplessly at his bravado and said nothing.
Among them all, only Chigen remained silent.
His face was pale. A fine sheen of cold sweat glistened at his temples.
Kannabi Bridge.
As someone who knew the future, he understood the weight those words carried better than anyone.
This wasn't just an S-rank mission.
This was a mainline event—the kind where people die.
Not nameless extras, either.
This was where a future monster who could contend with godlike beings would be forged.
His original plan had been simple: stay safely in Konoha Hospital, build favor with Tsunade, copy a few practical bloodline abilities, and survive the war quietly.
But now, he'd been forcibly shoved onto the most dangerous stage imaginable.
He could almost feel it—somewhere beyond sight, beyond space and time.
A pair of Rinnegan gazed down coldly.
Watching Uchiha Obito.
Watching him.
Uchiha Madara.
Just thinking that name made Chigen's teeth ache.
This wasn't S-rank difficulty.
This was a hell-tier opening.
"Hey—what's wrong with you?"
Kakashi's voice snapped Chigen back from the abyss.
At some point, Kakashi had walked over, his eyes studying him carefully.
"You've looked awful since earlier. Are you worried about the mission?"
"Worried?" Chigen tugged at his lips, trying—and failing—to force a relaxed smile. His facial muscles felt stiff.
He took a slow breath and replied in a half-joking tone:
"Something like that. After all… every teammate I've ever gone on a mission with seems to have ended up dead."
The air froze.
Obito and Rin's expressions stiffened instantly.
The vicious rumors they'd once overheard at the barbecue shop resurfaced in their minds.
"Every mission he survives, he's the only one who comes back…"
"Either he steps over his teammates' corpses, or he uses them as bait…"
Obito stared at Chigen's expressionless face. Anger and fear surged together, flooding his head.
"You bastard… what are you trying to say?!"
He lunged forward and grabbed Chigen by the collar, eyes bloodshot.
"Are you threatening us?! Planning to do the same thing again—get us killed and take all the credit for yourself?!"
"Obito! Calm down!"
Rin panicked and rushed forward, trying to pull him back.
"I can't calm down!"
Obito completely lost control. He pointed at Chigen and shouted at both Rin and Kakashi:
"Did you forget?! Everyone in the village says the same thing! He's cursed! An omen of death! I'm going to tell the Hokage—I refuse to be on a team with someone like this!"
And he actually turned and started toward the Hokage Tower.
"Obito!"
Rin clung desperately to his arm, on the verge of tears.
"Chigen-senpai was just joking! Please—don't take it seriously!"
Chigen watched the chaos unfold without defending himself.
He didn't get angry.
He simply looked at the emotionally shattered Uchiha Obito.
This boy still had no idea what kind of cruel fate awaited him.
And now—
This so-called omen, this "harbinger of death"…
Had become part of that fate.
What a damn joke.
I'm not the one in danger.
YOU are sir...