Chapter 47: The Transfer Order
Uchiha Kei slowly opened his eyes. The scenery before him shifted from a blur to clarity. The lighting was dim, the air damp and cool, and the stone walls around him were uneven and rough—mostly oval-shaped. It didn't take him long to realize he was in a cave.
Despite the discomfort coursing through his entire body, Kei let out a deep breath of relief. For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt safe.
The cursed mission was finally over. And more importantly—he had made it back to the Konoha encampment alive.
He reached up to rub his left eye. It still throbbed dully, swollen from overuse, but thankfully, his vision didn't seem to be impaired.
Which made sense. If his eye were to go blind after just a few uses, how could Uchiha Madara have fought Senju Hashirama for so long before obtaining his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?
As long as he didn't recklessly spam his ocular techniques like Sasuke Uchiha did just to get used to them faster, he'd be fine. Sasuke had the luxury of backup—more specifically, Obito had the foresight to prepare everything for him. Even if Sasuke went blind, they had contingencies.
Still, Kei had to admit: Sasuke's growth rate using that method was terrifying. His mastery of Susanoo progressed with almost unbelievable speed.
"Peaceful days like this... they're what make me feel truly at ease."
The pain in his left eye was subsiding, and Kei finally let his hand drop. The cave wasn't the most comfortable place to rest, but right now, he didn't care.
He was alive. He was safe.
That feeling of safety was worth more than anything right now. It had been the most peace he'd felt in the entire half-month he'd spent on the battlefield.
It was hard to believe that just yesterday, he had still been locked in brutal combat with Iwagakure shinobi.
Yesterday, Kei had activated the power in his left eye—Chrono Leap—which drastically accelerated his movements. Using this ability, he had easily taken down four Iwa shinobi.
In that accelerated state, Kei essentially separated his personal time flow from the rest of the world. The Iwa ninja still operated under normal time, while he moved faster than their eyes could follow.
But he had to be careful. Going too fast could destroy his body and his eyes. The chakra drain and ocular strain would leave him completely incapacitated.
So he didn't push the technique to its limit. Even so, by the end of the battle, his eye was throbbing, and his chakra reserves were dangerously low.
"The effects of the Akimichi clan's medicine wore off... chakra use was too intense... and the accumulated fatigue finally caught up with me. No wonder my body feels like it's falling apart."
Kei tried to move, only to feel a deep ache ripple through every muscle in his body. He quickly gave up that idea.
Those four Iwa shinobi had been no joke. Their teamwork, especially, had been incredibly difficult to counter.
If it hadn't been for his Mangekyō Sharingan, he would have had no choice but to retreat using conventional tactics. The standard three-tomoe Sharingan simply wasn't enough anymore.
Thankfully, he wasn't the same Kei from before. While using his Mangekyō had its drawbacks, the gains far outweighed the losses—for someone with a strong desire to survive like him.
More importantly, his most recent use of Chrono Leap had given him new insights—especially when it came to applying the technique on himself versus on external objects.
So far, Kei had used two Mangekyō techniques: Chrono Leap and Chrono Drift. The two were complete opposites, and both had offered invaluable inspiration.
"If I can fine-tune my control, I could throw a kunai and activate Chrono Leap on it the instant I let go. That kind of sneak attack would be almost impossible to defend against."
He thought for a moment.
"Same with Chrono Drift—if I cast it at the exact moment someone ambushes me, I could instantly undo the situation. It'd be cleaner... and far more efficient."
Efficiency mattered a great deal in a shinobi's fight. You never knew what came next—and for Kei, conserving energy was even more important than conserving time.
Short bursts of ocular jutsu applied to weapons or enemies used significantly less chakra and ocular power than long-duration techniques on oneself.
Experience came through trial and error. Kei had already taken one hard lesson. If he were to face those four Iwa shinobi again, he'd never end up so worn out.
As he reached this conclusion, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the cave.
Reacting instinctively, Kei drew a kunai and snapped his attention to the entrance.
Then he chuckled to himself.
Too long on the battlefield, and you started developing all kinds of post-battle trauma. Overreactions like this were just part of it.
Still, he didn't think being overly cautious was a bad thing. Vigilance was essential for any shinobi—during wartime, and in peace.
"Kei-kun, you're awake?" Minato Namikaze stepped into the cave, smiling as he noticed Kei calmly slipping the kunai back into his pouch. "No need to be so tense. We're safe now. Looks like you rested well."
"Captain Minato," Kei nodded and forced a smile. "Still a little sore, but nothing serious. Though I doubt I'll be any use in battle right now."
"You won't need to fight anymore, Kei-kun," Minato said as he sat nearby. "Your transfer orders just came in. You're being recalled to the village."
"Back to Konoha?" Kei blinked, a little surprised, but not entirely caught off guard.
He had revealed his Sharingan after all. Even if the Third Hokage and his advisory council were willing to wait and see, the Uchiha clan certainly wouldn't stay quiet.
During wartime, tensions between Konoha and the Uchiha were kept in check by necessity. The village wouldn't dare mistreat the Uchiha too openly—and the Uchiha wouldn't act out either.
But now that someone with a three-tomoe Sharingan had emerged, Kei was far too valuable to leave on the front lines. Even if it meant rotating in other Uchiha shinobi, the clan would demand Kei's safe return.
Kei took a deep breath and nodded. He didn't mind leaving the battlefield at all. In fact, he needed the rest.
And more than anything, he needed time to carefully document and explore his thoughts on the Mangekyō Sharingan.