Chapter 11: The Road Home
The mission to escort the wounded was rated A-rank. Uchiha Akira was not the only one assigned to it. A total of twelve ninjas were divided into three teams for this duty.
At the assembly point, Akira saw familiar faces: Might Dai, Might Guy, Ebisu, Genma Shiranui, and a subdued, cold-looking Hatake Kakashi.
The village leadership prioritized the safe return of their injured. The escort team's composition reflected this—its quality was exceptionally high. Not only did it include powerhouses like Akira and Might Dai, but also Hyuga clansmen for long-range reconnaissance.
The convoy was large: over a hundred people, including the wounded and the medical ninjas temporarily assigned to tend to them during the journey. A group of this size couldn't move stealthily. Yet, no one seemed overly concerned about attracting attention. With the Hyuga's Byakugan on watch and the presence of the two shinobi who had broken the Seven Swordsmen, a solid sense of security pervaded the group. Ambushing such a force would require a significant, dedicated enemy contingent—something unlikely as the front lines collapsed.
On the march, Akira fell into step beside Might Dai. "Senior Dai, good to see you again."
"Uchiha-kun! What a pleasant coincidence, to be on the same mission!" Dai replied, his energy seemingly boundless as ever.
"It is," Akira agreed with a smile. "After this return, Senior Dai should be looking at a promotion to jonin, I imagine?"
Dai's face lit up, then turned slightly sheepish. "Well… Minato has put in a recommendation. But I feel there's still a gap between me and a true jonin. I don't plan to push for it." He ran a hand through his thick hair. "Chunin will suit me just fine. It'll allow me to take on better missions, that's enough."
"Uchiha, you'll be a jonin soon, right?" Might Guy chimed in from nearby, flashing a brilliant thumbs-up.
Akira shrugged. "Perhaps."
The two older shinobi chatted at the rear of the column. Ahead of them, Guy, Genma, and Ebisu kept up their own conversation. Kakashi, however, walked in a shell of icy silence, the recent loss of Rin still a raw, consuming grief. He barely acknowledged even Guy, and ignored everyone else entirely. Minato, worried Kakashi would lose himself to hatred on the Kirigakure front, had assigned him to this mission, a chance to return to Konoha and begin processing his pain away from the immediate heat of battle. With the war effectively over, it was a logical rotation.
"Kakashi, you should have seen it! Senior Akira and the Seven Swordsmen!" Guy said, his voice full of awe. "If only I had that kind of strength!"
At the mention of the battle, a flicker of life returned to Kakashi's dead eyes. He glanced briefly at Uchiha Akira, conversing easily with his father. 'This Uchiha is different,' he thought. 'Not foolishly optimistic like Obito, nor arrogantly aloof like so many of his clan. He's more like… sensei.'
Unfazed by Kakashi's silence, Guy barreled on. "Kakashi, do you think someone of Senior Akira's level could fight a tailed beast?"
"Tailed beast…" The words triggered a fresh wave of anguish in Kakashi. He remembered Kirigakure sealing the Three-Tails into Rin. The memory was a knife twist of failure—he hadn't been strong enough to keep his promise to Obito. His voice was flat when he replied, "Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Taking the suggestion literally, Guy bounded over to Akira. "Senior! With your strength, could you fight a tailed beast? I heard they're the ultimate weapons of the great villages!"
"Guy!" Might Dai's tone was uncharacteristically sharp. "That's not an appropriate question!" A shinobi's capabilities were private, and they were not close friends with Akira. Guy was overstepping.
Dai turned to Akira, an apologetic look on his face as he scratched his head. "Uchiha-kun, please forgive his impulsiveness."
Realizing his mistake, Guy flushed. "Sorry, Senior Akira!"
Nearby, Genma and Ebisu, who had been listening intently, sighed in disappointment. They'd wanted to hear the answer, too. In their year on the battlefield, they'd learned of the tailed beasts, seen the devastation of their Tailed Beast Balls from a distance. The idea of confronting one was both terrifying and fascinating.
"It's fine," Akira said, his smile easy.
Encouraged, Guy pressed on in a hushed tone. "But… you could, right? Deal with one, I mean?"
"Guy!" Dai growled, a warning in his voice. His son's enthusiasm was veering off the path of proper conduct.
Akira chuckled, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Tailed beasts vary in power. With my current abilities… I might stand a chance against some of the weaker ones."
"That's amazing!" Guy exclaimed.
"If it were your father," Akira continued, "he might be able to handle any of them… except perhaps the Nine-Tails."
Guy's eyes bulged. "Dad?! You're that strong?!" The Nine-Tails was a legend, a calamity.
Might Dai waved his hands dismissively. "Uchiha-kun flatters me. Even opening the final gate… dealing with a tailed beast would be… extremely difficult. I'm not on that level."
"But the Hokage could!" Guy said, his voice filled with reverence. "Lord Third could even handle the Nine-Tails!"
Akira merely smiled, offering no comment. In his mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen could likely confront the Nine-Tails, but containing or defeating it was another matter entirely. The raw power of the wild Nine-Tails was in a category of its own. Someone like Kushina, with her sealing heritage, had more specialized tools for that fight.
Their casual discussion was abruptly cut short. Hyuga Kamon, the branch-family jonin in charge of reconnaissance, appeared beside them in a silent Body Flicker.
His Byakugan veins were prominent around his eyes. His expression was grave as he addressed Akira and Dai directly.
"Thirteen Kirigakure hostiles spotted. Ten o'clock. One kilometer. One possesses a chakra signature of monstrous scale." He paused, the weight of his next words clear. "Suspected to be the Six-Tails Jinchuriki."
(End of Chapter)
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