Under the burst of Fire Release, the Iwagakure Chunin was reduced to ashes. Nothing left to identify him with.
Kisuke and his two teammates moved out quickly. Now that they had a goal, there was no time to waste. Not that this made Kisuke feel any better. These two were sharp—too sharp. Not the kind of people you'd want reading between your lines.
Unfortunately, he needed them. Badly. He couldn't pull this off solo.
Sure, the ones guarding prisoners were probably just Genin. But it'd be stupid to assume there were no Jonin lurking in the rear, maybe sipping tea while waiting to gut someone.
Kisuke's plan was simple. He had some information about the future, and if he could make a few moves that benefited him long-term—without blowing himself up in the process—why not?
As for rescuing prisoners? That was just a bonus. One that happened to make the mission easier.
The captured Konoha ninjas likely knew exactly what kind of hell they were in. Fear, hatred, despair—the usual war combo. But the fact that they were still alive? That meant they hadn't cracked under torture or illusions. Yet.
And let's be honest, once you spill your guts, you're just a liability. The Iwagakure weren't going to waste food on someone who already talked.
The plan was to break these prisoners out, drop a few hints about a "bigger picture," and let their rage do the rest. Nothing motivates a half-dead shinobi quite like revenge.
It was dirty, manipulative, and would almost certainly get some of them killed. But if it caused enough chaos to help Namikaze Minato's team succeed? Worth it.
That said, Kisuke and the others weren't about to explain this plan out loud. Talking too much got people killed.
Luckily, Aya and Kenta weren't idiots. Cold, calculating, and as desperate to live as Kisuke was. They got the idea without needing a flowchart.
What Kisuke didn't get was how people like this never made it into the history books. No mentions. No legacy. Probably because they died on this exact kind of mission.
The odds weren't great. If Minato failed, the "cannon fodder" team would be expected to clean up the mess. And if Minato succeeded? The Rock Ninjas would go full-on psycho in revenge, starting with whoever stirred the pot in the first place.
Option C? Become a missing-nin. Cut your forehead protector and run. Not glorious, but breathing was better than fame.
Kisuke wasn't against the idea. Better a nobody than a dead hero. Especially since he hadn't forgotten about the Uchiha Clan's scheduled extermination down the road.
After two days of cautious travel, they finally encountered a group of Konoha prisoners being escorted to the rear. Technically, this meant Kisuke's team was already behind enemy lines. And it showed—patrols were everywhere.
Aya handled reconnaissance. Without her Byakugan, they probably would've walked right into a Rock Ninja squad.
"There are four guards. Full team. The Konoha side has six people, but they look pretty rough," she reported flatly.
"No surprise," Kisuke said. "Where's the nearest support unit?"
"Three to four kilometers out. Moving away from here," Aya answered, closing her Byakugan. "We've got a small window."
"Captain, maybe we can get in front of them?" Kenta chimed in with his usual grin. "Set up some traps. Maybe something loud."
A basic ninja move: predict their path, set traps, cause chaos. Solid idea. Kisuke had thought the same.
Except…
"Too noisy," Kisuke said after a pause. "We're here to rescue, not paint a target on our backs."
He thought for a moment, then outlined a more controlled plan: "We'll set some traps. When they trigger, you two flank from the sides. I'll hit them head-on with Fire Release. Simple. Clean. Got it?"
"Understood," both of them said instantly. Smart people. Easy to work with.
Explosive tags were flashy, sure—but flashy wasn't always smart. Sometimes a tripwire and some patience did more damage than a fireball.
The trap was set quickly—basic, quiet, effective. Then, all three vanished into the forest, lying in wait.
Now they just had to be patient… and hope the bait bit before the reinforcements circled back.
***
Perched quietly in a tall tree, Kisuke activated his Sharingan and scanned the forest below.
Aya and Kenta were already in position. Neither glanced his way, which gave Kisuke the confidence to risk using the Sharingan again.
He tracked subtle chakra flows beneath the canopy, trying to finalize the next step of their plan. The rough outline was in place, but the execution still had holes.
The detonating talisman was off the table—his idea. Too much noise, too much attention. In theory, it aligned with the mission. In practice, it would get them killed. And surviving took priority.
If they needed a flashy distraction, Fire Release was the next best option. The trick was balance. Too large, and they'd light themselves up like a bonfire. Too small, and the Rock ninjas wouldn't bother checking it out. Either way, the timing had to be perfect.
Unfortunately, time didn't wait.
A group of Iwagakure shinobi came into view, escorting a pack of battered Konoha captives—and walked straight into the kill zone.
No more thinking.
Kisuke snapped his Sharingan shut and narrowed his focus. The Rock team was a standard four-man squad, arranged in a loose diamond formation around the prisoners. The three in the rear looked twitchy. Despite the Konoha ninja barely staying upright, their escorts kept their distance.
The one in front, though—he moved like someone worth worrying about. Kisuke took note.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
The ambush triggered the moment they crossed the invisible line. Kunai flew from the shadows. The Rock ninjas had clearly been expecting trouble—this was a battlefield, after all. Rear zone or not, nowhere was safe.
The lead Iwa shinobi reacted instantly, calmly swatting down the incoming kunai with his own. Experienced. Possibly jōnin. Definitely a headache.
The kunai barrage had also targeted the Konoha captives. Kisuke didn't need to guess—Aya must've done that on purpose. A test. See how the Rock ninjas reacted under pressure. Risky, but useful intel, though some prisoners are gonna be injured in the process.
Kisuke didn't blame her. He might've done the same. It was cold, but sometimes cold got results.
The other three Rock ninjas—already shaky—fell apart. Their formation scattered.
Aya and wasted no time. They charged in the moment the line broke, leaving Kisuke to focus on the only opponent that mattered: the one in front.
Kisuke formed hand seals and unleashed his jutsu.
"Fire Style: fire Phoenix Jutsu!"
C-rank, sure. But with enough chakra and a decent setup, it could still sting. Normally it needed wires or threads to guide it properly, but Kisuke didn't have time to care. His goal was simple—hit the one guy who gave him a bad feeling.
Predictably, the ninja reacted fast. Too fast. He leapt clear in an instant, dodging the fire head-on.
Not that Kisuke expected the jutsu to kill him. Fire Release, for all its hype, was rarely lethal. Even in the original comics, he couldn't recall many moments where it actually burned anyone to death. Half the time it was just for flushing enemies out or torching corpses after the fact.
Still, it served its purpose.
Kisuke flickered forward, body-flicker technique closing the gap in a blink. His kunai was already drawn. The enemy matched his move with eerie precision.
Clang.
Their weapons collided. Sparks flew. The sound rang out sharp and clear.
Kisuke's mind raced. This guy was no pushover. If he'd faced him directly from the start, he probably wouldn't be standing.
But stealth was half a ninja's job. And anyone who didn't use it was just an idiot playing samurai. Kisuke felt no guilt about the sneak attack—just irritation that it hadn't worked better.
They clashed again.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The fight broke into a blur of movement among the trees.
Kisuke gritted his teeth. Just his luck. Barely out in the field and he'd already run into another top-tier opponent. Two now, if he counted the last time.
Thinking back, maybe it was always like this. His first squad got wiped by a jōnin and three chūnin. Only reason he survived was because his captain died covering him. That, and Kisuke was sneaky enough to stay alive.
Every team since had ended the same. Dead or disbanded. Honestly, he was starting to feel cursed. A disaster magnet. A jinx in ninja form.
Kisuke refocused. He knew his limits. Without the Sharingan, he probably wouldn't win this one-on-one.
Luckily, Aya and had already cleaned up their end and were moving in to help. With backup, the odds were finally tilting in his favor.
Not that they were helping out of the goodness of their hearts.
Kisuke knew exactly how this worked. If the six Konoha prisoners hadn't been watching, his so-called teammates would've ditched him without a second thought.
Whatever their real mission was, it clearly didn't involve playing bait behind enemy lines.