CHAPTER 95

Uchiha Kai moved swiftly through the village outskirts, his speed rivaling that of an elite Jōnin. It didn't take long before he arrived at his destination—an isolated forest near the Uchiha district.

The location was carefully chosen. With tensions between the Uchiha clan and the rest of the village running high—especially after the implementation of martial law—this secluded patch of woods was rarely patrolled. Few dared to wander this close to Uchiha territory, especially in the dead of night.

Kai paused at the entrance to a concealed underground chamber. This was his secret training ground—known only to him. He didn't go in immediately. Instead, he crouched low, scanning the surroundings. His eyes flicked to the subtle traps he had laid earlier—tripwires strung with wire-thin chakra threads, a misaligned branch, a faint pressure seal beneath the fallen leaves.

After several tense moments, he relaxed slightly—but only slightly. Something felt...off. A subtle pressure in the air, like a faint whisper trailing behind him on the way here.

He couldn't confirm if he was being followed, but the unease gnawed at him. Still, he chose to act as if nothing was wrong. Better to draw the snake out of its hole.

As a precaution, Kai left the door to the underground chamber slightly ajar—a deliberate bait. If someone was tailing him, they'd take the bait. Any ninja worth their rank would be unable to resist investigating an exposed hidden facility, especially one giving off faint chakra residue and the scent of blood.

And when they entered... Kai would be ready.

"My nerves must be getting to me," Kai muttered to himself, though he didn't believe it. He pushed open the heavy door and descended into the dim, stone-walled training hall beneath the forest floor.

He wasn't wrong.

Moments later, a shadow emerged at the tree line. Dressed in black, a masked figure stepped silently into the clearing. His breathing was steady, but his chakra flared with tightly controlled fury.

He eyed the partially open door with suspicion. A trap? Or had Kai noticed him and set this up intentionally?

It didn't matter. He couldn't afford to retreat now—not with what was at stake.

Descending the stairs cautiously, the masked man ignored the acrid stench wafting from below. The underground chamber was poorly lit, with faint torches casting long, flickering shadows across the walls. For an ordinary person, it would be nearly pitch black—but not for someone like him.

As his eyes adjusted, he spotted a figure crumpled in the corner—Uchiha Yu, bloodied, bound, and barely conscious. Though his limbs were crudely bandaged, it was clear he was in critical condition.

The masked man's fists clenched.

"Lanchi!" he whispered, just as a flash of lightning tore through the darkness.

A blade of chakra-charged steel whistled through the air, aimed directly at him. It crackled with Raiton—a thunder-infused assassination strike.

Kai's ambush had begun.

The masked intruder twisted sideways with barely a sound, dodging the deadly arc. In the same motion, a kunai materialized in his hand, lashing out at Kai's exposed flank.

Fast. Too fast.

Kai's eyes widened for a heartbeat. That counter wasn't something a normal Jōnin could pull off.

Still, he was prepared. At the last moment, Kai sidestepped the kunai's thrust and grabbed the masked man's wrist with lightning-fast reflexes. His left hand sparked with chakra.

A short-range jolt of lightning surged from his palm—a compact Chidori variant. He hadn't yet mastered Chidori Stream, but this improvisation would do the job at point-blank range.

The masked man reeled back just in time, flipping into a defensive stance. Chakra surged in his hands as he weaved signs faster than most could follow.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

The massive fireball roared to life, filling the underground space with searing heat and explosive force.

Kai released his grip and retreated up the stairs, fire licking at his heels. The masked man gave chase—neither of them willing to continue the battle in such a confined space. The presence of Uchiha Yu, helpless and caught in the crossfire, only added to the urgency.

Moments later, the two emerged into the moonlit forest above.

The masked man stared Kai down from across the clearing.

"Why?" he asked, voice low and cold behind the mask. "Do you have a personal grudge against him? Even so, betraying your own blood…? Is this really how far you've fallen?"

Kai met his gaze, breathing calmly. "You're Uchiha too, aren't you?" he said with a faint smirk. "That explains how you dodged my sneak attack... and saw through my feints. But who are you to question me?"

He had seen it—the unmistakable glow of scarlet Sharingan eyes beneath the man's mask during the basement skirmish. But that was all he knew. The intruder's identity was hidden—his voice distorted, his appearance generic, and his aura deliberately suppressed.

Still, Kai didn't need a name. This man was clearly an enemy.

"Who I am doesn't matter," the masked man replied coolly. "You can think of me as the guardian of our clan. And what you've done is unforgivable, Uchiha Kai. Stop this now, and maybe there's still a path back for you."

Kai shook his head. "A path back? There's no road left for me. I've made my choice."

He raised his hand, chakra crackling between his fingers.

"I'm doing this for myself. And for that..."

Kai's voice dropped into a whisper.

"...you'll have to stay."