One day later.
"Hey, you three! Did you forget who trained you?!"
"Now you've got the nerve to stab me in the back?!"
"That bastard Minato—what's he afraid of? That I'll slip away halfway? Or that I'll drag the Five-Tails back to Konoha?"
"And he dares to send you to keep an eye on me? Unbelievable! Absolutely outrageous!"
Walking down the road through the Land of Fire, Kazuyama muttered angrily under his breath. He couldn't help it—three young shinobi were following close behind him.
They were members of the Hokage's personal unit, the Flying Thunder God Squad: Genma Shiranui, Raidō Namiashi, and Iwashi Tatami. Tatami was the youngest, while the other two were about Kakashi's age.
And the man who had once taught them the Flying Thunder Formation was none other than their current escort—Kazuyama himself.
"Kazuyama-sensei, these are Hokage-sama's orders. Please don't take offense," Raidō said seriously. "Our mission this time involves the Five-Tails. We can't afford to be careless."
"Well said, Raidō. You've grown a lot." Kazuyama's lips twitched. "Looks like I've been away from the village too long—your wings have gotten pretty sturdy."
Raidō's tone left even Kazuyama momentarily speechless. No wonder he'd made it into the Hokage's direct squad—he had the discipline for it.
Of course, not everyone on the team was like him. Take Genma Shiranui, for example—he strolled along with a toothpick in his mouth, scratching his head lazily.
"Aw, come on, Raidō, don't be so uptight," he said. "He's our teacher, after all. Hokage-sama really overdid it this time, sending us to watch him."
"I swear, I can't take this anymore. I'm this close to complaining."
"Exactly!"
Kazuyama nodded emphatically in agreement.
As for Tatami, he stayed quiet—always the practical type.
"Tch. Damn that Minato. When I get back, I'm turning his entire office into crystal ornaments."
"Hey! You three—move faster!"
Still fuming, Kazuyama barked the order, speeding up the pace.
...
Three days later, at the border of the Land of Fire, Kazuyama and his team reached the ruins of a devastated village.
"These impact marks… definitely the Five-Tails," Kazuyama murmured.
The houses had been completely smashed apart—one of them even torn clean in half, the rest nowhere to be found. It was obvious they'd been obliterated by sheer force.
"And look at these footprints." He crouched down briefly before straightening up. "Genma, Raidō, Tatami—fan out around the village and search for any sign of the Five-Tails. The moment you find something, signal immediately."
The three hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Kazuyama noticed their uncertainty and gave them a teacher's look—a mix of patience and warning.
"Don't assume a Tailed Beast can't hide just because of its size."
"You've all been to war. You understand how vital concealment is."
"Every Tailed Beast has lived for centuries, some longer. They all have their own skills. Hiding themselves is hardly difficult."
The trio nodded firmly before dispersing.
Kazuyama watched them leave, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. The next instant, he vanished without a trace.
Clearly, sending them off hadn't been just for reconnaissance.
...
Meanwhile, at the Daimyō's Manor in the Land of Fire.
Kakashi and his team had arrived outside once again.
"Hey, Kakashi, why didn't you bring Rin this time?" Obito grumbled. "I was planning to spend some quality time with her!"
"I'd already told her we'd go together, but then you turned around and left her behind. What's your problem?"
The former "Goggles Prince" had long ditched his trademark accessory, revealing a more mature face—though right now, that face was twisted in annoyance.
All because Kakashi hadn't allowed Rin to join the mission.
"Obito, you know exactly what kind of mission this is. We're going straight after Kazuma."
"Rin's a medical-nin. You'd bring her on something this dangerous? Are you out of your mind?"
Kakashi, leading the team, shot him a sideways glance. His build was solid, his tone firm.
He wasn't wrong, but Obito didn't care. He turned toward Shisui, hoping his comrade would take his side.
Shisui did speak—but not how Obito wanted.
"Obito, Kakashi's right," Shisui said evenly. "This mission's classified. We're striking directly inside the Daimyō's Manor. You should know how risky that is."
"If you want to flirt, wait until we're back in the village."
Watching the two act in perfect agreement, Obito fumed and crouched down, drawing circles in the dirt.
Kakashi blinked at the odd display. Something about it felt familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Obito… what are you doing?" he asked.
Obito ignored him, continuing to trace circles and mutter under his breath. The words were too soft for either Kakashi or Shisui to hear.
After a while, Obito stood up, looking at Kakashi with a smug expression.
Before Kakashi could speak, Obito grinned and said, "Kakashi, for a student of our sensei, you sure forget fast."
"This is Sensei's curse technique. Don't tell me you've forgotten?"
"Curse… technique?" Kakashi froze.
His mind flashed back—he'd seen Kazuyama perform something like that once before.
Wait a second… was Obito actually cursing him?!
"Heh, figured it out?" Obito chuckled. "Well, too late now. The curse is already cast. Just wait for your bad luck to start piling up."
"But don't worry—since we've got a mission, I made sure to delay it. A month from now, though? You're doomed."
"So watch yourself, Kakashi. Don't go slipping on a banana peel or something."
Kakashi: …This idiot, I swear.
Obito: Heh, Sensei's stuff really works! Look at Kakashi's face—instant reaction!
Shisui: Damn, I started training too late. How did I miss out on learning something this fun?
While they bickered and joked, Kazuyama's side had already made new progress.
At the base of a cliff, the Five-Tails—Kokuō—was resting comfortably, sprawled out in the shade.
...
NEW FIC Parallel Ninja World: Which Naruto Will Leap Through Time Today?