The Land of Waves mission.
In the original story, this was a crucial turning point.
It was here that Team Seven first understood what missions truly meant—and what it meant to risk a ninja's life.
It was also where they met Haku and Zabuza.
And where they learned—
Not to be deceived by appearances.
Uchiha Kai remembered this clearly.
Zabuza and Haku were strong—but manageable.
Naruto, in his current overclocked chakra state, could handle it.
So he casually nudged the suggestion forward.
"…Land of Waves?"
Hatake Kakashi blinked.
He had no idea what Uchiha Kai was referring to.
"You mean you want to leave the village?" Kakashi asked.
"Of course!" Naruto shot up immediately. "Catching cats and walking dogs is boring!"
He had just developed the Thousand-Naruko Barrage.
He couldn't exactly test it on teammates.
He needed a villain.
Preferably one durable.
"Wait here. I'll check the mission board at the Hokage Tower."
Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished.
Team Seven waited.
Uchiha Kai calmly unsealed a scroll, sending a thin thread of chakra into it.
Poof.
Two books popped out.
A sealing scroll—similar in principle to explosive tags, originally invented by the Uzumaki clan.
Times had changed.
In Konoha, only Naruto remained of that bloodline.
Uchiha Kai examined the books, contemplating which to read.
Sasuke stared.
"You seriously don't train?"
Recently, Sasuke had noticed something.
He trained.
Naruto trained like mad.
But Uchiha Kai?
Reading.
Always reading.
"You're a ninja," Sasuke muttered. "Not a librarian."
"Training requires balance," Uchiha Kai replied thoughtfully.
"But you're right."
He did ten squats.
"…That's fake," Sasuke snapped.
Yet—
A realization crept into his mind.
Maybe Uchiha Kai didn't skip training.
Maybe—
He no longer needed it.
Sasuke quietly hugged his knees.
Naruko (currently transformed Naruto) blinked.
"You okay?"
"Don't comfort me as a girl," Sasuke muttered. "I'm not into that."
Naruto: ???
Hokage Tower
There really was a Land of Waves mission.
A bridge builder named Tazuna had filed a D-rank escort request.
Low pay.
Suspicious background.
"If you see a chance," the Third Hokage said gravely, "eliminate the evil spirit behind Uchiha Kai."
"If necessary…"
"…Naruto does not have to return."
Kakashi went silent.
Sacrifice the Nine-Tails jinchūriki?
Just to eliminate a suspected shadow of Madara Uchiha?
How afraid are you?
Kakashi suddenly wondered whether fear—not strategy—was guiding the leadership.
Still—
He accepted the mission.
Departure
By 3 PM, preparations were complete.
Kakashi had even fronted the money—his students were broke.
Tazuna matched canon:
Poor
Drunk
Hunted by Gatō
Lying about mission rank
A mission involving potential ninja attackers should be C-rank minimum.
But he couldn't afford it.
So he lied.
Naruto squinted at him.
"That old man's weird."
Growing up ostracized had sharpened his instincts.
Uchiha Kai nodded slightly.
"Sasuke. Your turn."
"…What?"
"In front of the Uchiha," Uchiha Kai said calmly, "what happens when someone lies?"
Ten seconds passed.
Understanding dawned.
"Oh."
Sharingan.
Sasuke stepped forward.
"Sharingan."
One tomoe spun to life.
Tazuna stiffened.
"What are you doing—"
His voice faltered.
Then—
"…Your eyes turned red," Tazuna said awkwardly. "Doesn't that hurt?"
[Uchiha Revival Path]
[Uchiha Fugaku]: ...
[Uchiha Izuna]: ...
[Elder Madara]: ...
[Uchiha Izuna]: That's embarrassing.
[Uchiha Fugaku]: He only has one tomoe. Beginner level.
Illusion casting at that stage was crude.
Even Fugaku sighed internally.
Compared to Itachi—
Sasuke had a long way to go.
Back on the road, Sasuke's illusion wavered.
Tazuna remained mostly conscious.
Uchiha Kai rubbed his temples.
Then—
A faint oppressive aura surfaced behind him.
Not fully manifested.
Just enough.
The air pressure shifted.
Tazuna's face drained of color.
He fell to his knees instantly.
"I lied!"
"There are rogue ninja after me!"
"It's Gatō! He wants me dead!"
Before the Uchiha—
Lies truly had no meaning.
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