Kakashi immediately turned his head to look back.
As expected—
Within Team Seven's formation, a short, bald Rain ninja had appeared without anyone noticing.
He charged straight toward Yakumo, moving at an astonishing speed.
Yakumo was still just an academy student who had never experienced such brutal combat.
Her face turned deathly pale.
Her lips trembled slightly.
Her mind went completely blank, and she forgot how to use genjutsu altogether.
Fortunately, Yuzuki reacted instantly.
His muscles tensed as his long blade flashed from its sheath.
Cold light burst forth.
With a loud clang, his blade collided head-on with the kunai aimed at Yakumo.
At the same time, Neji showed no hesitation.
Veins bulged around his eyes as the Byakugan activated instantly.
He stepped forward and placed himself firmly in front of Yakumo.
As everyone was thrown into chaos by this sudden crisis, an even more unexpected scene unfolded.
The Rain Village ninja who had just fought Hatake Kakashi, turned into a Water Clone, and seemingly withdrawn from the battlefield, suddenly emerged like a ghost from the puddle beneath Uchiha Yujin's feet—completely silent.
The kunai clenched tightly in his hand carried a ruthless intent to kill as it shot straight toward Uchiha Yujin's throat.
"Clang!"
The sharp sound rang out in the tense, silent space, jarringly crisp.
The kunai froze in midair, as if it had struck solid metal, unable to move forward even an inch.
Uchiha Yujin, however, remained calm.
A faint smile curved his lips, carrying an inexplicable sense of composure and confidence even in this life-or-death moment.
He spoke slowly.
"Iron Body."
"I–Iron Body? What kind of jutsu is that?!"
The long-haired Rain ninja was completely dumbfounded.
In the instant the Rain ninja froze in shock, Uchiha Yujin drew his own kunai and thrust forward at terrifying speed.
Sensing imminent danger, the Rain ninja instinctively tried to flee—only to discover in horror that his feet would not move at all.
Only then did he realize he had already fallen into a genjutsu.
"Damn you, Uchiha!" he roared.
Before he could break free—
Puchi!
The illusion shattered.
The kunai had already pierced mercilessly through his throat.
In the blink of an eye, his body convulsed violently, agony twisting his face.
Moments later, foam spilled from his mouth as his eyes rolled back.
Blood poured from his seven orifices as life left his body.
The corpse collapsed stiffly onto the ground, splashing crimson rainwater across the puddles.
At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield, Kakashi had already closed in.
Dozens of ninja dogs clamped down on the limbs of the short, bald Rain ninja, pinning him in place.
Kakashi drove his Chidori straight toward him.
It was a perfect reenactment of Zabuza's iconic death scene.
This time, the Chidori pierced through without resistance.
Violent currents of lightning instantly rampaged through the Rain ninja's body.
The short Rain ninja stared wide-eyed in terror, barely managing to force out a few words.
"Hatake Kakashi… truly lives up to his name."
The moment the words left his mouth, his body collapsed with a heavy thud.
He was dead.
After dealing with both enemies, Kakashi glanced toward the Rain ninja Uchiha Yujin had already finished off.
His expression hardened.
"Move," he ordered.
"We've been exposed. Hide first."
Rain Village lay perpetually beneath a veil of fine drizzle, like a thin layer of gauze draped over the land.
The entire village was soaked in misty moisture, shrouded in a hazy gloom.
Rows of low buildings were scattered throughout, orderly yet cramped.
Occasionally, wisps of cooking smoke rose from chimneys, only to be quickly torn apart by the rain and vanish into the air.
At the very center of the village stood a towering spire.
The sharp tower pierced the sky, as if trying to break through the endless curtain of rain.
Its surface was the same dull gray, weathered by countless storms.
Yet despite the erosion of time, it still radiated a cold, oppressive sense of authority.
At this moment, Deva Path Pain stood silently atop the spire.
His signature orange hair swayed slightly in the fine rain, while his fearsome Rinnegan eyes scanned the surroundings with deep focus.
Raindrops slid down his face, but they did nothing to soften his cold expression.
He furrowed his brow slightly, as if sensing something unusual.
Then he slowly turned to Konan beside him and said, "Two ninja are missing from the village. They're likely dead."
Upon hearing this, Konan's delicate features shifted subtly.
Her beautifully arched brows drew together, and a flicker of concern crossed her eyes as she whispered, "Who would come to the village at a time like this?"
Deva Path Pain crossed his arms and bowed his head in thought.
He murmured under his breath, "It's probably connected to the rogue Konoha ninja. He possesses the Second Hokage's weapon and the Scroll of Seals. Konoha must have sent someone after him."
Konan nodded slightly, a resolute look in her eyes, and offered, "Shall I go intercept them?"
Pain shook his head gently, his voice calm yet authoritative.
"They're nearby. Let him handle it."
With that, he once again fixed his gaze on the distance, his eyes deep and unreadable.
Konan, who had worn a paper flower and lived as a widow for years, looked at the corpse of Yahiko, which had been turned into Pain by Nagato.
A trace of sorrow flickered in her eyes.
But it quickly disappeared.
Not far from Rain Village, inside a mountain cave, the members of the temporary Team Seven rested.
Uchiha Yujin stood at the entrance, eyes closed.
In reality, he was using his Observation Haki to sense the situation around them.
Kurama Yakumo wiped the dampness from her hair with a towel, her gaze drifting unconsciously toward Uchiha Yujin.
The scene of Uchiha Yujin's recent kill left a deep impression on everyone in the team.
Hyuga Neji could only lament the enormous difference between him and Uchiha Yujin.
Just over two months ago, they had been evenly matched in combat.
But now… how had he become so formidable?
Blocking kunai with his neck?
Was this even human?
Kakashi Hatake also observed Uchiha Yujin, unsure whether to voice his thoughts.
After a moment, he decided to give the rations to the other three first.
Then he approached Uchiha Yujin and handed him some rations.
"U… here, eat."
Uchiha Yujin took the dumplings made from carrot, buckwheat, and wheat flour.
He swallowed them with his dark veins visible in his mouth, making Kakashi twitch involuntarily.
"Uh…" Kakashi hesitated, unsure how to put it.
After all, growth in power required first being human.
But Uchiha Yujin's current trajectory… it had the unsettling aura of a tailed-beast-level prodigy.
"What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" Uchiha Yujin asked innocently.
He looked at Kakashi's pouch. "Can I have more? This isn't enough."
Kakashi handed over all the remaining rations to Uchiha Yujin.
In front of him, Uchiha Yujin swallowed all the dumplings in one go and let out a satisfied burp.
"Thank you for the meal, Kakashi-sensei! This is far better than plain bread and pickles!"
"Uh…" Kakashi scratched his head.
"I… I have something I need to tell you. Your Cursed Seal of Heaven… from what I can see, its development has exceeded my expectations. If this continues…"
Before he could finish, Uchiha Yujin's expression suddenly changed.
He looked toward the distant figure, barely visible in the pouring rain, hunched over, and gritted his teeth.
"Someone's coming! A powerful enemy!"
****
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