Konoha Year 47. The Third Shinobi World War erupted.
Driven by their respective interests, the major shinobi nations suppressed, courted, and infiltrated the smaller neighboring countries while simultaneously vying with other great nations for control over the continent's core territories and resources. The Third Shinobi World War was, in essence, a continuation of the Second.
In the same year, Hatake Kakashi passed his test and was promoted to Jōnin.
April in the Land of Fire carried the vibrant scent of spring.
Clouds drifted across the unpolluted sky, occasionally obscuring the sun. Within the forest, apart from the calls of animals, only the whisper of wind rustling through leaves could be heard—a sibilant sigh across the landscape.
As far as the eye could see stretched a vast grassland, bordering a dense forest further in the distance. An expectant silence cloaked everything, heavy with the promise of an approaching storm.
Hatake Kakashi walked at a measured pace, arriving at the designated meeting point for the mission.
The three who had already arrived were engaged in conversation.
"Kakashi, congratulations! Starting today, you're a Jōnin, just like me."
The speaker was a handsome man with brilliant blond hair and a perpetually sunny smile. He attempted to use his height advantage to ruffle his student's silver hair, but Kakashi deftly sidestepped the gesture.
"Ha... Haha..."
Namikaze Minato retracted his hand, scratching his head with mild embarrassment. He then produced a box, roughly forty to fifty centimeters long, from behind his back and offered it to his student.
Nearby, Uchiha Obito looked on with a flicker of envy, quickly masked by a show of cockiness. He snorted and moved closer to his other teammate, Nohara Rin, muttering just loud enough to be overheard.
"It's just a Jōnin title, nothing special. I just haven't bothered taking the exam yet. If I had, I'd have been a Jōnin ages ago."
"You can do it, Obito," Rin encouraged gently.
"Next year at the latest! I'll definitely become a Jōnin then!"
"Keep trying, Obito!"
"That Kakashi guy just got lucky, that's all! Anything he can do, I can do too!"
"You can do it, Obito!"
....
Accepting the gift from his sensei, Kakashi, whose mind was already far more mature than his years suggested, found himself unable to engage with Obito's foolish, attention-seeking display.
He tapped the exquisitely wrapped box and gave it a slight shake, hearing the expected crisp, metallic clink from within.
Slowly opening it, his eyes fell upon a three-pronged kunai bearing a unique marking.
The signature weapon of the "Yellow Flash."
Minato watched Kakashi from the corner of his eye, hoping to catch a glimpse of surprise, perhaps confusion, or even puzzlement on his prized student's face. But disappointingly, from start to finish, Kakashi maintained his usual poker face, revealing nothing.
True, it wasn't exactly shocking, Minato thought, but still... he's almost unnaturally calm.
Tossing the empty box aside, Kakashi secured the kunai to the back of his waist. Under the sunlight, the special weapon gleamed, reflecting the light off its high-quality metal.
"Thanks," he said, nodding curtly to Minato. Rin stepped forward then.
"This is my gift. A personal medical kit."
"Thanks."
As anticipated, Obito hadn't brought a gift.
Kakashi sat down cross-legged, focused on controlling the chakra within his body, and resumed his training.
Seeing their teacher completely disregarded by his three students, Minato felt a touch of helplessness.
"It's almost time. We need to move out," Kakashi stated, breaking the quiet focus.
"Right," Minato agreed.
His usual smile and gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a serious, stern expression that made even the previously nonchalant Obito tense up.
"The mission objective is to destroy the Kannabi Bridge, a critical supply line for the Land of Earth," Minato briefed them. "You three will operate as a team under Kakashi's command. I will proceed alone."
"Stick close to me. Don't wander off," Kakashi instructed, specifically glancing at Obito. The Uchiha's face flushed immediately.
"Why do I have to take orders from this guy?" he protested.
"Because this operation originally called for two full squads," Kakashi explained calmly. "However, considering Sensei's capabilities, I, as the Jōnin, will lead you and Rin as a sub-unit. Our role is diversion and support."
"Shouldn't Sensei be the one supporting us?" Obito retorted.
"You can interpret it that way if you like," Kakashi replied evenly.
Rin covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. Though the young kunoichi had already weathered the crucible of battle, a core of innocence remained within her heart.
Obito, who had been stealing glances at her, saw her smile and abruptly dropped his objections. He puffed out his chest, attempting a look of maturity, and began scanning their surroundings vigilantly.
They were getting close to the Iwagakure perimeter near Kannabi Bridge.
Distant... chakra signatures... quite a few.
Sensing the presence, Kakashi raised a hand, halting Obito and Rin just as they were about to step forward.
Minato nodded grimly. "Most of them are likely Shadow Clones."
Understood, Kakashi thought. If memory serves, this is where I first use Chidori.
Slowly, Kakashi raised his right hand. A faint arc of electricity sputtered into existence. Before the slightly surprised gazes of his teammates, the sparks intensified, rapidly coalescing into a blinding sphere of crackling blue lightning that completely enveloped his hand.
Such violent chakra... - Minato noted internally.
A jutsu without hand seals? - Rin wondered.
Minato frowned slightly. He hadn't seen Kakashi perform any seals. Judging by the concentration in his right hand, the effective range must be...
Hm?
The Chidori, refined into a seal-less technique, erupted with the piercing sound of a thousand birds chirping. Lightning-nature chakra surged through Kakashi's body, launching him forward with blinding speed, like a living blade of blue light.
Schlick!
The instant the first clone was impaled, the real Iwa Jōnin, hidden nearby, felt a jolt run through him.
This kid...!
His own senses hadn't even registered the silver-haired boy's approach before the clone was dispatched. As one of Iwagakure's proud scouts, this Jōnin was skilled, but engaging in a fight now, discovered and at a disadvantage, was foolish.
Use the clones as cover and escape.
Shink! Shink! Shink!
Three more sharp sounds echoed as three more puffs of smoke dissipated. With a turn so sharp it defied the principles of human movement, Kakashi changed direction, rocketing toward another section of the clearing.
He tore through seven or eight more Shadow Clones. Within the smokescreen created by their dispersal, even more clones materialized, desperately trying to buy time for their originator to flee. They unleashed a scattered volley of jutsu, unable to pinpoint Kakashi's exact location. Kakashi didn't even consider dodging.
These opponents are pathetically weak, no better than small fry, he thought contemptuously. Weak ninjutsu, clumsy taijutsu, not a single decent clone... How dare they even stand on the same battlefield as me?
As the last Shadow Clone vanished, the Iwa Jōnin, now a hundred meters away, finally allowed himself a breath of relief. The pressure emanating from that kid had been suffocating. And the blond one... could that have been the Yellow Flash?
"Giving up on running?"
A cold voice spoke from right beside him, and the sudden press of a kunai against his neck sent the Iwa ninja's mind into a momentary freeze.
Kakashi gave him no time to react, swiftly ending his life.
Mercy towards the enemy is cruelty to oneself.
He crushed the Iwa ninja's forehead protector in his hand. Sharp metal shards bit into his palm, drawing blood.
Obito, do you understand what death means? - The thought crossed Kakashi's mind, but he dismissed it. Saying that would just lead to endless bickering... 'You don't need to tell me that!', 'Where do people go when they die?', 'People wouldn't die if they weren't reckless!' and so on.
Instead, Kakashi simply said aloud, "Obito. Don't die."
Obito nodded resentfully, then defiantly shot Kakashi a middle finger.
He won't die, Kakashi knew. Not yet. In over a decade, we'll face each other in a battle of Kamui.
A predictable plot is just so dull, isn't it?
Later, seeking greater efficiency, the Yellow Flash decided they should split up. Minato departed alone for the front lines to support their comrades, while Kakashi, as the team's Jōnin, led Rin and Obito on a mission deep into enemy territory. On the front, Minato would use his Flying Thunder God Technique to suppress the Iwa forces.
Their path led them through numerous Iwa ambushes.
Just as Kakashi anticipated, Rin was captured by the enemy shinobi. A flicker of dark amusement crossed Kakashi's face, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he were playing a part.
"Rin's been taken!" Obito yelled, furious. "What are you doing just standing there?!"
"Let's go. We'll rescue her," Kakashi replied, his momentary amusement vanishing.
Obito had been on the verge of spitting out his soon-to-be-famous creed - "Those in the ninja world who break the rules and regulations are called scum, but those who don't value their comrades are worse than scum!" - but Kakashi's immediate agreement caught him off guard. Looking like a throttled rooster, his face flushed beet-red as he hurried to follow Kakashi.
These guys are so weak, Kakashi mused internally. Are all Iwa shinobi this incompetent? He deliberately held back during the ensuing skirmishes, watching Obito's performance with a sigh. And Obito... he's even weaker.
Finally, seizing the right moment, Kakashi intercepted a blow meant for Obito, taking the hit himself. He intentionally slowed his pace.
"Go on! Save Rin!" he urged.
Obito hesitated, torn, but then grit his teeth and supported the now-injured Kakashi, refusing to leave him behind.
Rin really is a lucky girl, having someone like Obito care so much for her, Kakashi thought, watching the brief, heartfelt interaction between the two after they successfully rescued her. He offered them a silent, internal blessing. Finally... I can say goodbye to this damned world.
Three...
Two...
One...
"Earth Style: Rock Lodging Destruction!" Outside the cave they'd used as a temporary shelter, the pursuing Iwa shinobi intoned the jutsu's name.
Right on cue, the cave began to collapse violently. The two Genin scrambled desperately towards the exit. Kakashi kept pace just behind them. As they reached the mouth of the cave, a colossal boulder broke free from the ceiling, plummeting towards Kakashi. Just as Obito turned, intending to push him clear, Kakashi delivered a swift kick, sending Obito flying safely out of the collapsing entrance.
Farewell.
As the immense weight bore down, promising shattering bone and oblivion, Kakashi felt a long-forgotten agony wash over him – the searing pain of imminent death.
Please, if I die this time... don't let me transmigrate again.
He slowly closed his eyes.
A long moment passed...
Hm?
Kakashi's eyes snapped open again. He found himself staring at an unfamiliar, translucent UI interface hovering in his vision. He simply stopped thinking, unable to process it.
"Alert: Host detected in life-threatening situation," a synthesized voice announced flatly. "System has expended one System Unit to negate the fatal attack."
This damn system... Kakashi thought wearily as the notification faded.
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