Dodai molded his chakra. "Lava Style: Rubber Man!"
A durable layer of rubber erupted from his hands, hardening instantly. Dodai looked at them. "Does this prove who I am sufficiently enough for you?"
Recognizing the signature Kekkei Genkai, Itachi and Shisui relaxed their stances and bowed respectfully. "We apologize for the skepticism and any trouble caused," Shisui said. "We two are leading this mission."
Suddenly, three figures dropped silently from the trees, landing behind Dodai. It was Jugo, Guren, and Kaien.
"Great timing," Dodai said, gesturing to the newcomers. "This is the rest of my team."
He turned back toward Itachi and Shisui. "Anyway, let's wrap this mission up and get going."
"Not yet," Jugo interrupted with his voice low. A bird fluttered down, landing gently on his outstretched index finger. Juugo tilted his head, listening to the creature's frantic chirping. "Our Uchiha kids here were followed. Augustus III just confirmed it."
Kaien's hand immediately dropped to the hilt of his sword as his eyes turned sharp. "Point me the direction, Jugo-san."
Jugo pointed finger toward the dense foliage. "There are about a dozen of them at our eight o'clock. All Chunin and Jonin-level chakra signatures."
"Dodai-san, I want to be the one who fights them. I know it's risky, but it's something I must do," Kaien said, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his blade as the desperation in his voice became apparent.
Dodai didn't even look back at him, his gaze towards konoha pursuers ahead. "No. This mission is far too critical to be jeopardized by personal vendettas, just because you managed to defeat Darui doesn't mean you're ready to take on a dozen Jonin-level shinobi simultaneously. I understand your thirst for revenge, Kaien, but the harsh reality is that you simply aren't strong enough yet."
"I will not make the same mistake Renga-san made," Dodai thought with resolve. He couldn't let Kaien throw his life away on a suicide mission just to satiate his revenge.
Dodai shifted his gaze to the rest of the team. "Alright, let's handle this," he commanded, before turning to the Uchiha duo. "What do you two intend to do? Neither of you can handle a mission of this level. But if you're willing to follow my lead, you can temporarily get on my team."
Itachi and Shisui exchanged a look as they nodded in unison, accepting the terms. Yet, under their stoic facades, the duo still harbored a reluctance to slaughter their former comrades from Konoha.
~~
While the team tried to coordinate a cohesive strategy to intercept the incoming Konoha pursuers, Kaien had no intention of playing the good shinobi, his need for revenge clouded his judgement even though he knew the reasoning.
He took out the tanto blade from its sheath, he hurled it toward the furthest tree. After the blade embedded on to the bark, he concentrated transversing his polarity seal from the blade to the tree.
In an instant, Kaien's boots lifted a few inches off the ground. The pull of the seal lifted his body toward the tree immediately breaking the sound barrier in less than 2 seconds.
Dodai clicked his tongue. "Idiot!" he was forced to abruptly end the strategy meeting just to follow the reckless boy.
As Kaien hurtled toward the tree, he shifted the seal back from the tree onto the tanto blade, and pulled it catching the hilt perfectly in his palm before throwing it ahead once more to repeat. Through this unique traversal method, Kaien managed to briefly match the travel speed of a Jonin.
Behind them, the rest of the group scrambled to adapt. Itachi and Shisui trailed after Kaien and Dodai, as they struggled to maintain the pace. Following the Uchiha duo in the rear were Guren and Jugo.
The squad formation was thrown into disarray by Kaien's selfishness. It was a disaster; they could have cleared the mission effectively if they had relied on Jugo's ability to gather detailed enemy intelligence from the wildlife. Now, they were following without knowing what enemy they were fighting.
~~
Dodai was the first to confront the Konoha pursuers. His eyes darted, scanning the Konoha team to gauge their strength. Everyone wore an ANBU mask, which made it difficult to read their identities.
Kaien landed on a branch right beside Dodai. The very moment his boots touched the ground, one particular ANBU operative's posture shifted subtly. In half a dozen breath, the masked figure flickered in front of Kaien.
Even masked, the silver hair gave him away instantly.
Kakashi.
Kakashi's blade was already unsheathed enveloped in the crackling lightning of a Chidori. The high-pitched chirping of a thousand birds was heard as he brought the blade forward in a piercing strike.
"Chidori Slash!"
"Finally found you, brat..." Kakashi's voice was thick with a bloodshot rage that bordered on insanity. "With your death, Guy can finally rest in peace!"
Kaien's eyes widened slightly. "Kakashi has changed... alot," he realized. He's completely obsessed with killing me, even though it was Yushiro-san who actually took Guy's life.
But Kaien wasn't the helpless kid he used to be. He had placed a polarity seals on the ground around him as soon as he landed.
The moment Kakashi flicked in front of Kaien, he mistakenly stepped on the seal, allowing Kaien to transfer it from under Kakashi's foot to the flat of the lightning-infused blade.
Just as the Chidori slash was about to rip through his chest, Kaien channeled a massive burst of chakra into a negative seal embedded in his own palm. The repulsion forcibly shoved the lethal blade off-course few inches as the weapon narrowly missed his vital organs, shearing through his clothing.
~~
The exchange occurred in the blink of an eye, too fast for anyone to register. Realizing his thrust had missed, Kakashi instantly altered his jutsu, channeling the lightning outward.
"Chidori Stream!"
Though the discharge lacked the piercing lethality of the Chidori, the dome of lighting slammed into Kaien, paralyzing him. Gritting his teeth through the shocks, Kaien pulled his body backward, pinning himself against a nearby tree.
Right on cue, Itachi and Shisui arrived assessing the bout. Seeing Kaien stuck to the tree, Shisui drew his blade. His three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly.
"Kakashi of the Root," Shisui said. "You will hand over the Sharingan you possess. It does not belong to you." Beside him, Itachi drew his own weapon, his two-tomoe Sharingan spinning.
Jugo and Guren finally arrived. "Guren, Jugo-san! Go assist Dodai-sensei!" he yelled as the paralysis in Kaien's limbs began to recede.
~~
A/N: while Mikoto is fighting her own battles. Kaien's second mission is proving to be just as difficult.
Prodigy trio vs Genius Kakashi (enraged).
Upto 20 Advance chapters available @ patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0