There were five people working with Uchiha Kai, and only one among them was familiar—Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi was chasing ghosts from the past, and Kai didn't need to guess twice to know who haunted him. It was Rin Nohara—the girl taken by Kirigakure operatives during a mission gone awry, and whose fate would alter the course of Kakashi's life.
Thinking of this, Kai nearly lost control. He wanted to abandon the present and rush to Kakashi's side, to find Rin—if it wasn't already too late.
But Kai forced himself to breathe deeply and regain composure. They were still negotiating.
Unfortunately, the Kiri-nin they faced was no fool.
Ao—an experienced sensory-type ninja of the Hidden Mist—eyed Kai suspiciously. No matter how quickly Kai masked his emotions, Ao had already caught a glimpse beneath the surface.
Without warning, Ao seized Hyuga Aya by the throat. His voice dropped into a dangerous coldness.
"It looks like you have more important matters, Uchiha brat."
"Whether I have a mission or not is none of your business."
Kai cursed internally, but kept his gaze steady and calm. "And even if I did, what's the point if my teammates can't keep up?"
"Oh?" Ao's lips curled into a grim smile. "So you're planning to abandon this girl? Bold. Ruthless. Calculated. But have you thought about the consequences?"
"Then we fight." Kai's tone was resolute, but inside, calculations swirled like a storm. He didn't know how long Rin had been gone, or where Kirigakure's forces had taken her. Every minute wasted here risked losing the trail completely.
He needed to move.
Still, facing off with Ao was no small matter. Kai estimated that unless he activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and used his time-based dōjutsu, the battle could drag on—and even then, it wasn't guaranteed. Worse, using such power might alert Zetsu... or even Madara.
No. Obito had to awaken his own Mangekyō first. Madara had invested too much in him. Kai understood all too well—he would never be the chosen one if he revealed himself too soon.
But if he sacrificed Aya to escape cleanly, it would be... convenient.
Terumi Mei stood nearby—young, ambitious, and powerful despite her age. She had already awakened two Kekkei Genkai. If Kai struck quickly, he could eliminate her too. Kill both her and Aya with a single strike. Let Ao retaliate, and slip away in the confusion.
But that kind of gamble came with a price.
If Kai fought here, it would cost him time, chakra, and worst of all—stealth.
"Too costly..." Kai thought, jaw tight. "Fighting him exposes too much. But letting them go leaves too many threats behind. Dammit..."
Kai's eyes locked with Ao's. Neither man blinked.
Ao was a veteran. He might not have guessed Kai's full thoughts, but he could sense the tension. And so he simply stood there—kunai still at Aya's throat—making it clear he was ready to die if Kai pushed.
"...Fine. Let it go," Kai muttered, exhaling. "I don't have time to waste on you. You're lucky."
"No, you are." Ao scoffed, only lowering his kunai after Kai relaxed the grip on his sword, which had been poised above Terumi Mei's throat.
Terumi Mei slumped, her limbs trembling. She was still recovering from her earlier injuries. Aya, meanwhile, was barely better off. Several of her chakra points had been struck during the skirmish, and her flow was unstable.
Yet their mental states were polar opposites.
Terumi Mei burned with shame. A child prodigy, hailed as the future of her village, she had been thoroughly beaten by a masked Uchiha whose name she didn't even know. It was unbearable.
Aya Hyuga, by contrast, was stunned. She had fully expected Kai to let her die. From what she knew of him, mercy was not in his nature. That he spared her now, of all times, made no sense.
Both women limped away—twenty meters apart, heads down. But neither looked back. Their paces were even, steady. Soon, they crossed paths.
And then—it happened.
Kai's hands flickered into hand seals—rapid, precise. Fire Release.
Across the field, Ao did the same—Water Release.
Fire Dragon vs. Water Dragon—the jutsu collided midair, a violent clash of elements erupting into thick white steam that blanketed the clearing.
Kai blinked in disbelief.
Aya stared in shock.
Ao and Kai had unknowingly targeted the same moment—each aiming to kill the girl they'd just spared.
Aya Hyuga recovered faster. As Terumi staggered, Aya ran. She didn't look back. Whether it was toward Kei or away from Ao, even she didn't know.
From within the mist, Ao's voice rang out:
"Uchiha brat—I won't forget this! We will meet again!"
Kai scoffed, watching the mist swirl. He had been a breath away from executing both of them—two dangerous kunoichi from opposing factions. And yet, chance and hesitation had undone his plan.
It was a tactical misstep. An opportunity lost.
But it also gave him cover to disappear.
"Next time," Kai muttered. "Next time I won't hesitate."