Hope Flies on Wind-bent Wings

the Flash's shadow

Obito, Kakashi, and Rin advanced silently in the darkness.

As they crept forward in formation, Obito activated his Sharingan. He was all too aware of Fugaku's constant directive: you can't react to what you don't know. Never be in a situation where you can't see the enemy coming.

They stopped in a spot Kakashi deemed appropriate and climbed up into three tall trees equidistant from each other. Kakashi was in the middle and slightly ahead. Obito could barely see Rin through the maze of branches between them. Her form looked like nothing but a smudge of color through the Sharingan. But the idea was for Kakashi to relay any information to them through the standard signs, and vice versa.

Now that they'd switched from working to waiting, Obito's thoughts ran in a constant stream. He'd only been asleep for a few hours. Why were they attacking in the middle of the night? The terrain would be unfamiliar and dangerous in the darkness. Were they trying to sneak in, rather than face Konoha's greater numbers head-on? Had they retreated after being found out?

The hunter-nin must have been on the way long before Minato and the others left. If both sides were now aiming for the other's home base—did that mean Kiri had decided to take that step first? Did they guess Minato was leaving, or were they just lucky?

Or maybe they were counting on him being there. Maybe he was their target.

Obito tried to push his thoughts back so he could concentrate on watching and listening. He had the greatest range of sight in the dark. His team was counting on him to spot any suspicious movements.

Waiting in silence became mind-numbing. Obito had to stop himself from leaning on the trunk of his tree so he wouldn't fall asleep. Recently, the nights had lost much of their balm, and the smell of the forest hinted at the coming autumn. The sky was clear. In some other situation, it would be a perfect night to be out under the stars.

Obito jerked his head up, startled by nearly losing his balance. He'd drifted off for a second. He glanced at Kakashi and Rin. They hadn't moved. Kakashi was staring intently below with the resolve of a statue.

Obito returned his gaze to the forest, and his heart jumped up into his throat when he thought he saw movement. He dug his fingertips into the bark and narrowed his eyes. He waved to get Kakashi's attention.

'Enemies,' he gestured, hand trembling slightly.

'Number?'

Obito squinted again, keeping his breathing level, then held up two fingers. He didn't know how to say probably, so he kept it at that.

Kakashi relayed the message to Rin. Then he signed, 'Wait. To my lead.'

Obito nodded. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not. Their team had the advantage of numbers and terrain. But this pair had made it past the jounin and older chuunin sent out by the Sandaime. They were heading toward the Monument despite losing the element of surprise. None of that was by chance.

Kakashi waited until the Kiri-nin were very close. Obito could see their uniforms and masks. They were indeed two of Kiri's hunter-nin, shinobi widely considered on par with Konoha's own ANBU.

Were these the same ones? Or had Kiri sent the hunters out in force?

Kakashi leaned out on his tree branch, chakra blade in hand, poised and tense. When the hunter-nin passed directly below, he struck.

The chakra blade screamed with lightning energy, cracking the air. The first hunter-nin shoved the other, larger one out of the way, but the lightning branched out and struck them. The first jumped back out of the way as the second one cried out, lightning rippling over them.