[Fusion Successful. Congratulations, Host has obtained an Enhanced Trait:
Wood Release Cells · Fragment (Blue). Cell division rate significantly reduced.]
With the boost from Wood Release · Wooden Locking Wall,
the Wood Release Cells · Fragment trait finally showed real improvement.
Especially the ability to control cell division speed—
the change was unmistakable.
Uchiha Kai closed his eyes and focused inward for a moment.
The frantic rate of cell division within his body had dropped to half.
That discovery made him let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Good. At least it can be improved."
"Otherwise, the double drain on both body and mind would be way too much for a kid like me."
Who would've thought that something meant to balance Mangekyō consumption would end up stacking the damage instead?
"I hate defective products…"
He muttered as his gaze shifted away.
But at that very moment, he noticed something else.
Another trait hovering above him… was changing.
The pitch-black, almost purple-dark trait labeled [Seven-Year Itch] had dimmed slightly.
That suffocating, eye-catching darkness had faded.
The black mass churned and transformed—
And soon, Seven-Year Itch became Six Cycles of Samsara.
[Detected: After six years, the host has finally gained the power to alter fate.
Trait undergoing evolution.]
[Upon completion, host will obtain Divine Trait:
Six-Six Smooth Sailing (Rainbow).]
"Six-Six Smooth Sailing?"
"What kind of trait is that?"
Seeing the system notification, Kai's pitch-black pupils lit up instantly.
He only had two rainbow-tier traits so far.
But—
Light-Form Body and Low Presence were both conceptual abilities.
They were the very reason he could safely loot corpses and grow steadily.
Naturally, his expectations for this new rainbow trait skyrocketed.
Unfortunately—
Yamato had woken up and been knocked out several times already, and the sky was nearing dusk.
That trait showed no sign of finishing its evolution.
It remained a hazy, indistinct mass hovering over him.
"…Fine. Evolve on your own time."
The moonlight grew brighter.
A silver glow spilled over the forest, slanting down to the edge of the crater.
Kai's face flickered between light and shadow.
After an entire day, he finally confirmed one thing—
This trait evolution would take time.
Or rather…
"Do I actually have to completely change the Night of the Massacre for it to finish?"
"If that's the case, I can't keep waiting on that traitor Itachi… he's way too slow."
He rolled his stiff neck.
Crack crack crack.
His whole body popped.
Who could understand the pain of staying perfectly still for an entire day—
only moving to knock Yamato out whenever he woke up?
"Ugh… my head hurts… why does it feel like someone's been hitting me…"
Below him, Yamato, who had just been knocked out for the seventh time, rubbed his head groggily.
"Awake again?"
Kai didn't even think about it—
his hand lifted, ready to smack him unconscious again—
When movement stirred behind him.
Rustle… rustle…
A tall figure stepped out from behind the trees.
Silver hair.
Mask.
One lazy eye.
Hatake Kakashi emerged.
His expression was… complicated.
"Ahem… Kai, if you keep hitting him like that, his head's really going to cave in."
"Oh?"
Kai glanced back calmly.
"Kakashi-senpai. Surveillance these days is done this openly now?"
Behind his back, his lips curled upward slightly.
The fish took the bait.
Though Kakashi was still on cooldown for trait copying—
leaving Kai with zero interest in chatting—
The chakra fluctuations from Yamato's injuries were obvious.
Which meant, at this point in time, those two were already pretty close.
And Kai just so happened to need a long-term Wood Release farming NPC.
After all—
Wood Release cells could only be farmed from Danzo or Yamato.
Danzo?
A dead man walking. Limited uses.
Yamato, on the other hand?
Lived a long time.
If he got lucky and copied First Hokage Cells,
who knew—maybe repeated fusion could even create a legendary trait.
"Ahem…"
Kakashi walked closer, shock still lingering in his eyes.
He'd always known the Uchiha clan's second son was unusual.
Mysterious.
Dangerous.
Able to detect him silently—and disappear just as quietly.
His stealth was terrifying.
But today?
From the moment Kai left the academy, he'd been beating Yamato senseless.
Inside the village, outside the village—
no more hiding, just raw violence.
Kakashi had seen it clearly—
Most of Yamato's ribs were broken.
If this continued, Yamato would be beaten to death.
So Kakashi had no choice but to step in.
Trying to pull Yamato out of danger.
What he didn't realize—
Was that he'd walked straight into danger himself.
Kakashi forced a smile and pointed at Yamato.
"This one's different from other Root members. He—has his own thoughts. He's a good guy."
Translation:
He's a good person. Don't hit him.
"Not my problem."
Kai replied without even turning his head.
That single sentence made the awkwardness on Kakashi's face even worse.
The atmosphere turned strange.
Down in the crater, Yamato struggled to his feet.
He'd heard everything.
Embarrassment flashed through his eyes as he stubbornly spoke up:
"Kakashi-senpai, you don't need to beg for—"
BOOM!
A massive force slammed down.
Kai leapt into the air and descended in a straight line—
So fast he looked like a bolt of lightning!
His foot came crashing down.
THUD—CRACK!
Yamato was stomped straight back into the center of the crater.
His body embedded perfectly into the ground.
"PUH—!"
This time, he couldn't hold it back.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
The injuries were severe.
"So fast!"
Kai's taijutsu speed rivaled that of an elite jōnin!
"There's no record of the Uchiha clan specializing in physical combat like this…"
Kakashi's pupils shrank again.
He could barely see the movement—only afterimages.
But when he saw Yamato's condition, urgency took over.
"Stop it, Kai!"
He didn't know Kai's current mental state.
But out of concern for Yamato, he had to act.
Crackle—crackle—
Lightning gathered in Kakashi's right hand.
Blue-white arcs danced violently through the air.
Lightning Release · Chidori!
Blinding speed.
Explosive power.
And a body strong enough to tear through Wood Release—
Kakashi couldn't afford to hold back.
He opened with a killing move.
To avoid losing track of Kai's movements, he deliberately lowered his headband.
His left eye revealed three spinning crimson tomoe.
Sharingan.
Then he became lightning itself—
Zzzrrt—!!
The air screamed.
But the instant he reached his target—
SNAP!
The lightning shattered.
Crushed by a single hand.
Kai stood there—
One foot still pressing down on Yamato's chest.
A massive crimson chakra hand extended from his small arm, gripping Kakashi's throat from two meters away.
Restlessness flickered in his eyes.
He laughed—mocking, sharp.
"Kakashi."
"Using Uchiha power against an Uchiha…"
"Isn't that a little—too naïve?"
Kakashi struggled violently.
But the moment he looked up—
He froze.
Reflected clearly in a perfect pair of three-tomoe Sharingan—
Was his own, utterly helpless expression.
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