Chapter 15: Played Out

The Iwa-nin in front of Uchiha Kei shattered into a cloud of smoke, revealing it to be a Shadow Clone. This jutsu, originally developed by the Second Hokage of Konoha, had become widespread across the ninja world.

It's likely that some unlucky ninja gathering intelligence was captured, and the jutsu was extracted from their minds. As a result, any ninja of some skill, regardless of their village, would likely know this jutsu.

After using the Body Replacement Technique, Uchiha Kei's substitute was sliced in half, turning into a pair of tree branches. A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead; these enemies were relentless.

Even with Uchiha Kei's quick reflexes, he had sustained minor injuries, with blood seeping from his left shoulder. But there was no time to tend to such wounds. The relentless attacks from the Jonin-level Iwa-nin kept him on the defensive, leaving him no time to weave signs for jutsu.

Uchiha Kei remembered how in the manga, low-level genin could battle Jonin with ease, sometimes even taking down boss-level enemies. Yet here he was, a Chūnin-level fighter without using his Sharingan, struggling against an unknown Iwa-nin. A single misstep could mean death.

Life's disparities were stark. Without using his Sharingan, Uchiha Kei could only rely on basic combat techniques. He knew that if he exposed his Sharingan without having the Mangekyō, he would draw unwanted attention from Konoha's higher-ups.

Glancing back at Nohara Rin's position, Uchiha Kei sighed with relief. Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta, though unreliable at times, were following his instructions and providing some relief by diverting part of the enemy's attention.

"At least they're useful in some way," Uchiha Kei thought, focusing on the battle before him. The difficulty of this fight was more than he had anticipated. Facing multiple Iwa-nin simultaneously was exhausting.

With no Sharingan, Uchiha Kei had to rely on basic combat skills. He knew Minato Namikaze would arrive soon, but until then, he had to hold out. Kakashi, too, was regaining some strength, using the precious moments Uchiha Kei bought him to catch his breath.

Though his chakra recovery was minimal, it allowed Kakashi to stabilize. Soon, he rejoined the fight, giving Uchiha Kei some respite. Facing so many Iwa-nin alone was unbearable.

"Move quickly. Your condition is far from ideal," Uchiha Kei whispered to Kakashi, their backs against each other. "Don't get caught up in the fight. Our backup is a few kilometers away. We need to break through."

"Understood," Kakashi replied softly. "Which unit are you from, and why are you here?"

"Talk later," Uchiha Kei said, scanning their surroundings. "Head to the right. Hyuga Aya is in that direction. We'll regroup with them and then break through."

"Got it," Kakashi agreed without hesitation.

There was no time for small talk. As Kakashi finished speaking, Uchiha Kei charged forward to engage an Iwa-nin.

Kakashi was slower, his numerous injuries weighing him down. Despite his exhaustion, he fought fiercely, even assisting Uchiha Kei in taking down an Iwa-nin.

However, the Iwa-nin were tenacious, possibly driven by their own 'Will of Stone.' Uchiha Kei noticed they were no longer holding back; they aimed to kill.

This escalation made Uchiha Kei's situation even more dire, and Kakashi's even worse. His limbs felt heavier, his vision blurred, and his strength waned with each drop of blood lost. He was reaching his limit.

"Damn it, their defense is too tight," Uchiha Kei cursed internally. Spotting an Iwa-nin closing in on Kakashi, he had an idea.

Dodging an attack, Uchiha Kei quickly pulled out several smoke bombs and threw them towards Kakashi. As they exploded, he used the Body Flicker Technique to reach the smoke cloud. Activating his Sharingan, Uchiha Kei easily avoided the enemy's attack and pushed Kakashi aside, dodging a fatal strike.

Grabbing the Iwa-nin's arm, Uchiha Kei deactivated his Sharingan. Kakashi, recovering from the push, watched as Uchiha Kei used a Transformation Jutsu to turn the Iwa-nin into his likeness before kicking him towards the enemy.

Simultaneously, Uchiha Kei transformed into an Iwa-nin and retreated towards two more Iwa-nin.

Kakashi was stunned by the clever use of the Transformation Jutsu. Uchiha Kei didn't explain, as the enemy he had kicked was impaled by his own comrades, having been deceived.

With time running out, Uchiha Kei seized the moment and stabbed the two Iwa-nin in the chest with kunai, catching them completely off guard.

Before he could celebrate, a yellow blur appeared before him, and a kunai whizzed towards his throat.

"Damn, I've played this out wrong!" Uchiha Kei thought, realizing the gravity of his situation.

End of Chapter