Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

"Now, it's up to the two of us to carry on with the mission!"

In the woods, with the breeze rustling the leaves, Obito stared at Kakashi in disbelief. His hands clenched at his sides, his eyes burning with anger.

"What about Rin? What are we going to do about her?" Obito demanded, his voice steady but simmering with rage.

"We'll save her later," Kakashi replied calmly. "If the enemy intends to extract information from her, they won't kill her immediately. Rin is a medical ninja. As long as she agrees to treat their injured, they'll keep her alive."

Kakashi's focus was entirely on the mission. Though a flicker of worry about Rin crossed his eyes, his youth had been shaped by prioritizing the mission above personal feelings.

"Our greater concern is the potential leak of our intel. If the enemy tightens security at the Kannabi Bridge, completing our mission will become even harder than it already is."

Obito's fists trembled at Kakashi's words. Born into the Uchiha clan, Obito valued bonds and emotions over rules and logic. For him, abandoning Rin—a teammate he deeply cared for—was unthinkable.

"That's just your assumption! What if the Iwa Shinobi who captured Rin doesn't care about long-term plans?" Obito retorted, his voice rising. "Right now, the mission doesn't matter. We need to save Rin first!"

"In a mission, sacrifices are sometimes necessary," Kakashi replied coldly. "That's the rule."

"If we fail this mission, the war will drag on indefinitely. More lives will be lost because of us."

The decision Kakashi and Obito now faced mirrored the one Sakumo Hatake had once faced. Kakashi, haunted by his father's fate, chose to uphold the mission over personal bonds.

"But those are just possibilities!" Obito shouted, his voice breaking. "How can you so easily abandon someone who's fought beside us? When we were hurt, Rin saved us with her medical ninjutsu! Without her, we wouldn't even be here!"

Kakashi fell silent. After a long pause, he replied indifferently, "That was her duty as a medical ninja."

That was the breaking point. Obito could no longer hold back his fury. He swung his fist and punched Kakashi squarely in the face. Unprepared and guilt-ridden, Kakashi didn't dodge. The blow sent him sprawling onto the ground.

"Fine! I still can't stand you," Obito snarled, glaring down at Kakashi. Tightening his forehead protector, he added, "Forget it. We're too different. I'll save Rin myself."

"You don't even understand what it means to be a ninja!" Kakashi began, but Obito cut him off.

"I think White Fang was right! He's a true hero."

"Sure, people in the ninja world call those who break the rules trash. But those who abandon their comrades are even worse! If that makes me trash, so be it. I'll break the rules."

"And if anyone says someone like that isn't a ninja… I'll prove them wrong!" Obito declared.

Without another word, Obito turned and leapt into the trees, disappearing into the jungle. His parting words left Kakashi stunned, echoing in his mind.

Kakashi sat in silence for a long time before rising. Determined but conflicted, he set off toward the Kannabi Bridge. Yet his thoughts kept circling back to Obito's words.

After some time, Kakashi stopped and pulled a scroll from his bag. He recalled what Raiden had told him: "This scroll is for emergencies. If you're in dire straits, unroll it and inject chakra."

"This wasn't how I intended to use it," Kakashi muttered. He tucked the scroll into his vest, ready for quick access, and changed direction, following Obito's trail.

Obito's Resolve

Obito tracked the footprints left by the Iwa Shinobi and eventually reached a cave. The trail stopped abruptly, and Obito deduced that the enemy had taken shelter inside. Hidden in the shadow of a tree, his heart pounded. The enemy was strong—two skilled shinobi—and Obito was alone.

"Calm down! You can do this!" he whispered, rubbing his face with his hands to steady himself.

Inside the cave, the Iwa Shinobi were interrogating Rin. The afro-haired youth glanced at his older companion and motioned silently. He had sensed Obito's approach.

"Finish the interrogation. I'll handle him," the older shinobi said, becoming transparent and vanishing from sight.

Outside, Obito was strategizing how to enter when a voice behind him shattered his concentration. "Where do you think you're going?"

"!!?"

Obito spun around, his scalp prickling. A figure emerged from the shadows, but before the enemy could strike, a silver flash cut through the air. Blood splattered as the attacker fell.

"Kakashi?!" Obito stared at his teammate in shock. "Why are you here?"

"I couldn't let a crybaby ninja handle this alone," Kakashi said with a smirk. Though sarcastic, Obito detected genuine concern in his voice.

The injured Iwa Shinobi staggered up, his eyes narrowing as he studied Kakashi. "Silver hair… that blade… You're the child of Konoha's White Fang!?"

"This is a gift from my father," Kakashi said coldly, holding the chakra blade before him.

"White Fang's kid, huh? No problem!" the shinobi sneered, forming seals. "Camouflage Jutsu!" He vanished from sight and sound, leaving only a faint disturbance in the air.

Kakashi tensed, scanning the area. "He's invisible. We can track him by the airflow."

A faint sound behind Obito made Kakashi whirl around. "Obito, get back!"

As Kakashi threw his scroll at the enemy, the Iwa Shinobi's kunai tore through it, slicing Kakashi across the face. Blood splattered, and Kakashi fell into Obito's arms.

"Kakashi?!" Obito cried, his voice shaking as he supported his teammate.

From the torn scroll, smoke erupted. The Iwa Shinobi recoiled as a gust of wind dispersed the haze, revealing a tall figure with long red hair.

The young man stood confidently, a sword at his waist, his presence commanding.

"Hey, kid," the red-haired man said lazily. "That scroll wasn't meant for this."

The Iwa Shinobi froze, his face pale. Sweat beaded on his brow as recognition dawned. "You… you're…?!"

(End of Chapter)