"That's… Chidori!"
The moment Kai Uchiha heard the screeching sound of lightning, he instantly recognized it. That was Hatake Kakashi's Chidori—also known as Raikiri. Kai hadn't expected Kakashi to have recovered enough chakra to fight again, but if he could help, that would change everything.
In a proper three-on-three battle, Kai and his team should never have split up for one-on-one fights. The optimal strategy was to concentrate two fighters on one opponent, eliminate them quickly, then shift focus to the remaining enemies.
But teamwork was a foreign concept to them.
There was no trust between Kai, Aya Hyuga, and Kenta Imai. Forced together by circumstance, they rarely coordinated. No matter how powerful the enemy, each chose to fight alone.
Now, all three looked battered and worn, but not one of them moved to aid the others. It was no surprise that the future Konohagakure prioritized teamwork during the Genin exams—maybe because of shinobi like Kei Uchiha that such reforms were born.
Still, Kai didn't care. The mistrust between him, Aya, and Kenta ran deep. If they'd had a choice, none of them would have accepted this mission—or each other. At least with naïve Genin, you could count on basic cooperation.
Now, they could only fend for themselves.
But Kai's luck seemed to turn. Kakashi had arrived just in time to save him.
As Kai landed from his last dodge, Kakashi blurred forward and thrust his Chidori at Loess—better known in the manga as Kurotsuchi's uncle and the Tsuchikage's trusted man, though here, seemingly Tsuchikage Ōnoki's son.
The crackling blade of lightning surged forward. Loess reacted with impressive speed, slamming his hands to the ground and raising an Earth-Style: Earth-Style Wall just in time to block the Chidori's piercing strike.
Kai exhaled in relief. Just as he prepared to counterattack, he saw Kakashi retract his hand and leap forward again with another Chidori assault.
Kai's eyes widened. What's this guy doing? Helping or screwing everything up?
While Kakashi's entrance had disrupted Loess's assault, it had also thrown off Kei's own rhythm. It was a mess.
Clearly, coordination was a problem. Kakashi wasn't used to adjusting to others—others usually adapted to him. Kai grit his teeth. He'd have to match Kakashi's pace if they wanted to win this.
Still, this wasn't easy for him. He wasn't Uchiha Shisui, and definitely not Uchiha Obito.
"What a reckless guy…"
But there was no other way. Kai had to adapt. Chidori was a powerful jutsu—its piercing and explosive force was terrifying. But it had its flaws. It required both sprinting space and exceptional dynamic vision.
The latter was typically solved through the Sharingan—Kai's own eyes were up to the task. The technique was essentially designed with Uchiha in mind.
But the sprinting distance? That couldn't be conjured up mid-battle.
Loess—far from a pushover—understood this instantly. As the son of the Tsuchikage, he hadn't earned his place through nepotism alone. He recognized the flaw and made sure not to give Kakashi the room he needed.
Still, Kai wouldn't let him have his way. If Kakashi needed an opening, Kai would make it.
He moved in again, intending to harass Loess just long enough for Kakashi to land a decisive blow. He knew—take down Loess, and the remaining two Iwa-nin wouldn't pose much of a threat.
Of course, killing the Tsuchikage's son could start a war. But that wasn't his problem right now.
"Guess this is what they call a 'good' outcome…"
Whether he liked it or not, Kai and Kakashi's aggressive coordination was pulling the attention of the other two enemy shinobi. It gave the others a chance.
He scanned the battlefield. Aya Hyuga, bloodied but unbowed, held her own. Compared to Hyuga Neji or Hinata from Kai's memories, Aya was sharper—tougher. The battlefield forged true shinobi, after all.
Despite being overwhelmed, her Gentle Fist defensive stance kept her standing. She was bruised, bleeding, but still in the fight.
Kenta Imai, meanwhile, held off one of the enemy Jonin while protecting Rin Nohara. His constant smile hid strength Kea hadn't fully grasped until now. Carrying a medic-nin while fending off a Jonin? That took serious skill. Eight years on the front lines made Kenta a different beast.
With that in mind, Kai launched himself back toward Loess. Kakashi's second Chidori was already closing in, but again—Loess didn't flinch.
At that range, the attack lacked the acceleration it needed to penetrate his defenses. Kakashi was getting desperate. Understandable. This wasn't the cool-headed "Copy Ninja" who'd go toe-to-toe with Itachi Uchiha years later.
Loess struck back with a vicious counter-kick, and Kakashi stumbled. Just as Loess moved to finish him—
Kai appeared.
His kunai slashed toward Loess's chest, sharp and fast. Loess aborted his follow-up and blocked, frustrated. He tried to retaliate, but Kei had already leapt back.
But Loess wasn't done.
He quickly formed seals, slammed his hands into the earth, and Earth Spear erupted from the ground. Kai's Sharingan flared.
As he landed, he twisted midair, palm hitting the dirt to vault himself aside. Spears of earth shot up through his afterimage, but missed his real location entirely.
He kept moving—fast, slow, circling, darting, unpredictable. He weaved through the chaos with practiced ease, a blur of movement.
Whether it was rising spears or Loess's explosive-tag-laced kunai, Keli dodged them all.
There was a clear difference between Kai Uchiha with Sharingan and Kai Uchiha without it. Two different shinobi entirely.
Even Loess could feel it. He narrowed his eyes—this wasn't going anywhere. With a frustrated growl, he turned his attention back to the weakened Kakashi.