The Third Shinobi World War had only just begun.
Its spark was the mysterious disappearance of Sunagakure's Third Kazekage. Convinced Konoha was behind it, the Sand launched an all-out war without hesitation.
This conflict came too soon. Compared to the past, the interval between wars was brutally short. Barely three and a half years had passed since the Second Shinobi World War ended, and now the Five Great Shinobi Nations found themselves dragged back into the flames.
Even they were caught off guard.
But among them, Konoha was the most shaken.
They had been too optimistic about peace, too complacent. They hadn't anticipated the war's return, and when it came, they were utterly unprepared.
Signs of this negligence were everywhere:
Three years ago, no one stopped Tsunade when she abandoned the village after the war.
Two years ago, no one intervened when the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, took his own life.
In just a few short years, Konoha's grip on the small border nations had slipped to a dangerously fragile state.
The results were disastrous. In the last war, Konoha had managed to hold the line and keep enemy forces outside the Land of Fire. But now, at the very start of this war, their defenses had collapsed, and enemy shinobi had already broken into Fire Country's territory.
And so, the mission given to Kakashi, Obito, and Rin was less a bold strike than a desperate debt repayment.
Their task: infiltrate the Land of Rain and determine Hidden Rain Village's stance in this new war.
On the very first day, Kakashi realized how dire the situation was.
"All the old outposts marked on this map have been abandoned," he muttered from the treetops, scanning the terrain. "The Land of Rain has changed far more than I expected. How could the village know so little about it? We clearly fought here in the last war."
He was right.
Back then, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade had fought Hanzo to a standstill in the Land of Rain, earning the legendary title of the Three Sannin. Though even together they couldn't defeat Hanzo, Konoha had held the strategic advantage throughout. The Rain Village had never forgotten that humiliation.
Yet now, in just a handful of years, the balance had shifted. Konoha's maps were outdated, its intel unreliable. Villages had changed hands, alliances shifted. And worst of all, a new group had emerged the mysterious organization known as Akatsuki.
Kakashi exhaled sharply. We're missing too much. We need information fast. The mission has to move quicker.
But there was another problem.
His teammate was sulking. Loudly.
Even without dropping from his perch, Kakashi could hear Obito's voice ringing out below.
"That Kakashi, acting all cold again the moment we set out on a mission. He keeps saying the mission matters more than comrades, and anyone who fails a mission is useless. Rin, doesn't that sound insane to you?!"
Beside him, Rin Nohara gave a helpless smile. "Obito, don't say that. You know what Kakashi went through two years ago. He's… confused, that's all."
But Obito clenched his fists, defiant. "Confused or not, I can't accept it! Anyone who abandons their comrades is worse than scum!"
He puffed out his chest, saying it with such conviction not only to spite Kakashi, but also to show off in front of Rin.
But fate is cruel. Some people just aren't destined to look cool for more than a second.
Because right as the words left his mouth, a powerful wind pressure sliced past him, sharp and sudden, like something had just flown by at terrifying speed.
Before Obito even turned his head, a low, chilling voice reached his ears.
"Well said."
Obito froze. The voice didn't belong to Kakashi or Rin.
He turned sharply and his heart dropped. Rin Nohara was gone.
Before he could even process what happened, Obito's instincts flared. He pulled a kunai from his pouch, but pain tore through his stomach before he could raise it.
A savage kick sent him flying backward.
Shinra stood where Rin had been, his eyes glinting with quiet satisfaction.
Maybe this counts as helping Konan-neeza get her revenge early, he thought with a smirk. Bullying the big names should start while they're still small fry.
"Your comrade," Shinra announced coolly, "is in my hands now."
Rage exploded in Obito's chest. "Damn it give Rin back!!"
He charged forward recklessly, his fists clenched. But at this point in time, Obito was just a hot-blooded rookie. His willpower was cockroach-strong, stubborn and unyielding, but his strength was far from enough.
Shinra had planned this too carefully to give him any chance.
The instant he seized Rin, he shoved her toward Konan.
"Konan-neeza, restrain this girl!"
Without hesitation, Konan's hands moved in practiced grace. Sheets of white paper swirled around Rin, folding and twisting into long, chain-like bindings that wrapped tight around her.
Ever since the mission with An Duo, something inside Konan had shifted. Shinra's words, sharp and world-shaking, had cracked her old ideals. His steady guidance, his calm reliability in battle, had begun to carve deep into her heart.
She found herself following his commands without hesitation.
Even Yahiko had never received such unquestioning trust from her.
Shinra's plan to loosen the Akatsuki's iron triangle was already bearing fruit.
Back in the fight, Shinra lifted his gaze just in time to meet a blur of lightning diving from the treetops.
Kakashi.
The boy's expression was carved with fury and guilt.
I shouldn't have ignored Obito just because he was noisy… now Rin's in danger because of me!
Lightning crackled violently in Kakashi's hand as he hurtled forward, his Chidori screeching like a thousand birds.
But Shinra had been waiting for this.
He flicked his wrist and threw a paper kunai, its hollow folds concealing an explosive tag.
He knew Kakashi too well. Without the Sharingan, there was no way he could control the tunnel-vision charge of his Chidori. And now, weighed down by anger and panic, Kakashi would rush straight into the trap.
"Boom!"
The explosion rocked the clearing, fire and smoke bursting outward.
Through the haze, Kakashi staggered back, his lightning sputtering out, his body dusty and disheveled. He leapt away from the smoke, cursing under his breath.
"Damn it!"
Shinra's smirk widened slightly. His calculations had been right on target.
He, who had always been praised as a genius, was now tasting something new perhaps for the very first time.
A true setback.
And this wasn't even the worst of it.
Greater torment was coming.
Shinra's lips curved upward as he straightened from his stance, his expression calm yet carrying a trace of cruel amusement.
Having successfully disrupted Kakashi's opening assault, he decided to twist the knife deeper.
"I overheard a bit of your conversation just now," Shinra said slowly, his voice deliberately calm, almost mocking. "If you really believe the mission comes first… then shouldn't you have abandoned your comrade already? Retreat. Preserve the intelligence you've gathered. That would be the correct choice, wouldn't it?"
The words struck like poison.
As Shinra anticipated, Obito immediately erupted in outrage.
"What?!" He staggered up from the dirt, his face burning red with fury. "Kakashi, if you even think of abandoning Rin, we're done! I'll never forgive you!!"
The accusation crashed against Kakashi's chest like a kunai to the heart. His pupils shrank violently, his expression twisting.
And Shinra's smile widened further, delight dancing in his eyes.
How will you choose, Hatake Kakashi?