Chapter 33: The Gift
The Kannabi Bridge mission had completely transformed. What was originally a covert sabotage operation had now turned into a semi-public one, practically on display.
Its danger level had shifted from "a slim chance of survival" to something perilously close to "no chance at all."
It had to be said: having a transmigrator involved had truly flipped the mission—and the entire Iwa-nin front—on its head.
In the original timeline, Konoha's performance on the Iwa-nin battlefield was mediocre at best. Fresh off their grueling battle at Kikyo Pass, the Konoha forces barely had time to rest before being sent straight to the Land of Grass to hold the line against the Iwa-nin.
Under such conditions, even the most resilient soldiers would have broken, were it not for the thought of protecting their homeland keeping them going.
Konoha's command likely had no better alternative—or perhaps, as Uchiha Kei suspected, they were simply after greater strategic gains. That might explain their decision to launch the surprise attack on the Kannabi Bridge.
By severing Iwa's supply lines, they hoped to force them to the negotiating table and bring a swift end to the war.
But things had changed dramatically. While the mission's initial goal remained intact, Kei had—through a series of coincidences and some cunning—teamed up with a group of rescued prisoners and wreaked havoc in Iwa's rear lines.
Now it was Iwa whose morale was plummeting and forces retreating on the front lines.
This unexpected turn of events boosted Konoha's spirits. Word had spread among the frontline shinobi that a small team was operating deep behind enemy lines.
And not just among the rank-and-file—even the top brass of Konoha had received reports.
Most notably, the intel about Uchiha Kei awakening the Sharingan had been passed on by Namikaze Minato to Jiraiya, who in turn relayed it to the higher-ups. It was only a matter of time before the Uchiha clan itself learned about Kei.
Even if they did, they wouldn't be able to pull him back.
Kei was too deep into enemy territory, engaged in a mission of utmost secrecy and importance. Konoha couldn't afford to compromise now.
In fact, for the top brass, Kei—who awakened a full three-tomoe Sharingan right off the bat—was probably best left buried in the Land of Grass, just like Obito, who awakened two tomoe.
Kei wasn't privy to this information, but he wasn't clueless either. It was precisely because he could guess what was going on that he continued moving forward without hesitation.
Time was against them—any delays could lead to unspeakable consequences.
While Namikaze Minato was evacuating the wounded and non-combatants, Kei stayed behind with Imai Kenta to clean up the battlefield.
All nations had sensor-type shinobi. They needed to delay discovery for as long as possible.
To Kenta's surprise, Kei bent down and picked up a blade, strapping it to his back.
"You know kenjutsu?" Kenta asked while digging a shallow grave to bury the fallen.
"Nope," Kei replied, shaking his head and frowning at the corpses littered around them.
They couldn't even start a fire to dispose of the bodies using Fire Style, let alone burn them for good measure. Neither of them knew Earth Style either, so they had no choice but to go old-school—digging graves.
"Then why pick up one?" Kenta narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "Don't tell me…"
"Relax," Kei rolled his eyes. "Your swordsmanship's too fancy and too complicated. My Sharingan can't copy it instantly. Besides, do you really think I need sword skills?"
Kenta thought about it for a second and then nodded. It was true—Kei didn't really need it.
Kei had terrifying body flicker techniques. His speed was ridiculous. And more importantly, he had the Sharingan.
With high-speed movement paired with dynamic visual tracking, Kei only needed to strike vital points precisely. That was enough to take down most enemies.
The Sharingan was truly a powerful gift. No matter the stage of battle, it provided incredible advantages. Sure, its evolution was a maddening process that often drove its users insane, but strength still trumped sanity for many.
The Sharingan was a top-tier tool from early stages all the way to endgame.
Kei glanced at Kenta, who didn't press the topic further, so he let it drop too.
Of course Kei had secretly copied his kenjutsu techniques.
Just as he said, he didn't need them—but having a backup option gave him peace of mind.
While Kenta finished burying the dead, Kei remained nearby, recovering. He wasn't in any shape for heavy labor.
Besides, Kei was technically Kenta's squad leader, despite Minato's presence. Minato wasn't a regular member of the unit.
As long as he wasn't around, Kei's word held command. Kenta didn't complain. This kind of work was nothing to him—and he wanted Kei back to full strength, since his survival hinged on it.
Once the bodies were dealt with, the two set off. Kei had one of Minato's marked kunai with him, so they weren't worried about losing contact.
Staying in place was riskier—they could be ambushed at any moment.
Their instincts proved right. Not long after leaving, Kenta sensed multiple Iwa-nin converging on the area they'd just vacated.
They quickened their pace. About ten minutes later, Minato appeared beside them.
"Looks like Iwa's onto us," Minato said after surveying the area.
"Seems so. If we'd stayed, we'd be surrounded by now," Kei nodded. "How's Kakashi doing?"
As a former team leader, Kei knew it was important to show concern, especially in front of Minato.
"He's alright. The Hyuga Chūnin is stable, but Kakashi needs to be sent back to Konoha," Minato sighed. Then his expression lightened. "Oh—and I ran into Jiraiya-sensei. He's willing to work with us."
"Really?" Kei blinked, then nodded. That was good news.
With Jiraiya delaying the Iwa forces on the front lines, they'd gain a few extra hours at least—maybe not much, but enough to make a difference.
"Oh, and Kakashi asked me to give you something," Minato added, pulling a scroll from his pouch. "Consider it… a gift."
"A gift?" Kei took the scroll and slowly unrolled it…