"Another evolution?"
"Beyond the level of the three tomoe?"
Orochimaru's expression shifted as understanding dawned. He hadn't seen a higher level of the Sharingan himself, but he understood why Namikaze Minato was worried.
Back when Kaien had first awakened the single tomoe, he was already struggling with the burden of his bloodline. And now, just a few short years later, his Sharingan had evolved to a level most Uchiha couldn't hope to reach in a lifetime.
Even Orochimaru couldn't predict what kind of consequences this kind of rapid awakening might bring.
"Leave this to me," Orochimaru said. "I heard that Kagami-sani also possesses those eyes. I'll write a letter to Lord Hiruzen. Kaien should return to Konoha to rest."
"Konoha doesn't let children fight on the frontlines," he added quietly. "Even if that child may already possess power equal to that of his own teacher."
Orochimaru didn't raise his voice, but every shinobi present could feel the flame of the Will of Fire burning in his words.
Yes… the very reason Konoha was founded was to keep children from dying on the battlefield.
To protect the next generation so they could live peaceful lives—that was the reason they themselves fought.
Humans are capable of empathy. Especially those with children of their own—they understood this more than anyone.
The Konoha shinobi who had followed Orochimaru into battle felt their hearts stirred. The morale surged, and they began to cheer loudly.
"Lord Orochimaru!"
"That's the Will of Fire!"
"Truly worthy of being called a leader!"
One jonin in particular, bearing the name Mitarashi, felt especially moved. He already had a partner he hoped to spend his life with. Someday, they would bring a child into the world.
But first, he would follow Lord Orochimaru and win this war.
Then, he'd return to Konoha a hero.
He wanted his name to be known. He wanted his future child to be proud of him.
Many of the shinobi present shared that same silent determination.
As the cheers grew louder, Orochimaru's reputation soared even higher. Everyone there believed: the man who carried the Will of Fire would lead them to victory.
...
"As for Nawaki and Minato," Orochimaru continued, "once your training goals have been met, return to Konoha and start taking missions. That too is a way of serving the village."
He made the decision for the team with only a few words.
Tsunade, clearly worried about Nawaki's safety, quickly nodded in agreement.
"That's right. This battlefield is for the grown-ups. Konoha's future doesn't need to bleed here just yet."
Who would've thought their first mission on the battlefield would pit them against someone like Chiyo?
You could say the training goal had already been reached—and then some.
To survive an encounter with a Kage-level opponent was an experience in itself. And if they had the will to carry on, it would become a valuable catalyst for growth.
...
Even in his unconscious state, Uchiha Kaien agreed with the sentiment. At his age, he ought to be lying in a grassy field, goofing off—not getting tortured just to test his own strength.
Besides, now that he'd driven Chiyo back, hadn't he already fulfilled the old man's objective in sending him to the battlefield?
He'd awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, after all. At this point, sending him to bully Genin would just be overkill.
Soon, the Konoha forces had finished cleaning up the battlefield. On the way back, Kaien—still unconscious—was carried on Minato's back, the latter showing no complaints.
After adjusting into a comfortable position, Kaien decided to take a proper nap.
If he was going to pretend to be unconscious, he might as well actually sleep. The result would be the same, wouldn't it?
And so, Kaien acted on his thoughts.
He looped his arms around Minato's neck and nestled his face against his shoulder, then drifted off with a peaceful expression.
Even though using the Mangekyō Sharingan hadn't caused him to bleed from the eyes, it was still the first time he had expended that much chakra in one go. It left him exhausted—and surprisingly drowsy.
So, Kaien genuinely fell asleep.
Minato's presence was familiar to him. In this kind of environment, Kaien usually let his guard down.
Keeping up a façade all the time was tiring, after all. Unless he was goofing around, he preferred to just be himself.
Minato noticed Kaien's shift in posture and quietly sighed in relief.
This relaxed state… it meant Kaien was okay.
Every time Kaien fell asleep after one of his reckless fights, he'd become unusually quiet.
Minato leaned slightly into Kaien's soft breaths, letting the scent of grass and faint chakra soothe his nerves.
That earlier battle had reminded him just how powerless he still was. Age aside, the pressure a top-tier shinobi exerted was on a completely different level.
Chiyo had used just two puppets and still overwhelmed him. When she brought out four, he was instantly pinned down.
If Kaien hadn't been there…
That probably would've been the end of him.
His strength… was still far too lacking. He couldn't help but wonder—did Jiraiya-sensei know any stronger jutsu?
He remembered Jiraiya mentioning the Scroll of Seals. Even the Hokage hadn't mastered all of it.
If he could just learn one technique from it… maybe he'd finally gain enough power to protect others...
...
When Kaien opened his eyes again, he found himself inside the Konoha encampment.
Various monitoring devices had been set up around him—no doubt Orochimaru's doing.
"You're awake? How do you feel?" Orochimaru asked, eyes still scanning the data on his clipboard.
"Sensei?" Kaien blinked. "I remember… wasn't I fighting a Sunagakure puppet master?"
His voice was still groggy, and the confusion in his eyes matched it. A few tears of sleep clung to the corners of his eyes.
"You forced Chiyo to retreat. That battle is over," Orochimaru said patiently. "We're back in the Konoha camp now."
He looked Kaien over with concern.
"Now that your Sharingan has evolved, are you feeling any side effects? Let me run a full diagnostic."
"Side effects…? I guess… a little?"
Kaien did a quick internal check. Surprisingly, the burden wasn't as heavy as he'd expected.
He had already been regulating his chakra to suppress his eye power, and his control over it was incredibly refined. Combined with the effects of [Blade Mastery]—which helped him harmonize his mental energy—and the enhancements from Madara's earlier gift of the energy, Kaien's body had naturally adapted.
His Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened seamlessly. In his day-to-day state, it barely felt any different.
"Not very noticeable, Sensei," he replied honestly.
"My scans say the same," Orochimaru said, brows lifting slightly. "In fact, your body is in excellent condition."
Still, he couldn't help but wonder—how exactly did the Sharingan function on such a deep level? Even with all his knowledge, he couldn't fully grasp it.
But he was relieved, at least, that his student was okay.
He added, "After a bit more field training, the three of you will be heading back to Konoha."
"And Kagami-senpai likely knows even more about the Mangekyō than I do..."
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Just dropped a new fanfic! It's a chill, easy-to-read story with a fun twist, the main character has the Flame-Flame Fruit in the Naruto world. The powers are cool and used in interesting ways, but don't worry, he's not insanely overpowered. There's a good balance, solid pacing, and some nice character moments.
Highly recommend checking it out.
You can find it by the title In Naruto with the Flame-Flame Fruit or just head to my Webnovel profile!
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (156 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)