That Night.
Goose-feather snow blanketed the entire Hidden Leaf Village. In less than two hours, everything was wrapped in silver. The streets were nearly deserted. The dim lanterns flickered and cracked in the freezing wind.
In a secluded grove near the training grounds, the snow had reached ankle height, but Fenghuo and Kai were still hard at work, training relentlessly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Under the faint moonlight, in front of a thick wooden post, Fenghuo launched a flurry of left kicks with all his strength. The bandages on his foot tore apart from the repeated impacts, stained dark red with blood that quickly froze into crusty ice.
Beside him, Kai threw punches in rapid succession, each strike thudding heavily against another wooden post. His fists were raw, and blood had clotted between his fingers, yet under his thick eyebrows burned an unwavering fire in his eyes.
Might Dai stood quietly behind them, arms crossed, watching over their training like a silent guardian.
"Hmm?"
Dai's brows furrowed slightly. His ears twitched—something felt off.
A sudden gust of wind howled through the grove, lifting countless snowflakes into the air and slicing the moonlight into fragments. Darkness fell instantly.
"What's going on?" Kai and Fenghuo looked up, stunned. Snow swirled chaotically, as if under the command of some invisible force.
"Be alert!" Dai's expression hardened. "We have company!"
WHOOOOSH!
The wind intensified. Snow flew so fiercely that it stung their eyes and clouded their vision.
"Leaf Whirlwind!!"
Dai launched into the air, spinning into a powerful kick that sliced the storm above like a blade. A burst of wind cleared the immediate area—but the gap was quickly filled with more snow, as if the storm were alive.
"Father, is this a test?" Kai shouted, energized.
Dai didn't answer immediately. He couldn't tell either.
Fenghuo's brow twitched. He sensed it—whoever was here, they were targeting him.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
BOOM!
From the left, a giant fireball burst out of the trees, over two meters in diameter, incinerating snow mid-air with a scorching roar.
"Ah!"
Dai reacted instantly.
That's a Fireball Jutsu… Uchiha-style!
Without hesitation, Dai opened the First Gate: Gate of Opening, followed by Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, and Gate of Pain.
In an instant, his body surged with chakra. He leapt forward, crossing the distance in a blur, and intercepted the fireball with a powerful Leaf Whirlwind kick.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the grove. Waves of flame scattered like ripples before being swallowed by the icy wind.
Dai flipped midair and landed in a crouch, expertly releasing the chakra gates to minimize internal damage.
"Well done, Might Dai. Impressive power for a so-called dropout."
A voice rang out from above.
A masked man in a black ANBU-style uniform dropped from the branches, his cyan crow mask glinting under the moonlight.
"Who are you?" Dai's eyes narrowed. That mask wasn't standard ANBU issue… and Hatake Sakumo wouldn't send someone like this.
"Me? You don't have the clearance to know."
The man—"Crow Ghost"—smirked beneath his mask. He closed his eyes, then snapped them open—
—his irises had transformed into the crimson Sharingan, each with three tomoe spinning ominously.
Fenghuo's heart pounded.
In the next instant, Kai stiffened—then collapsed, unconscious.
A Genjutsu from a fully matured Sharingan...!
Dai nearly succumbed too, but his chakra surged instinctively, pushing back the haze in his mind.
Sharingan with three tomoe… This man's a Jōnin-level Uchiha! And he's after Fenghuo!
"You've got strong willpower. Not bad," the masked Uchiha sneered.
With a flash, he blurred toward Fenghuo.
"Damn it—Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit, OPEN!!"
Dai roared, his aura erupting like a storm, but Crow Ghost moved faster—his kick slammed into the back of Dai's head.
CRACK!
Dai collapsed, unmoving.
Fenghuo tensed, but didn't flinch. "You're not here to kill me."
"Smart." Crow Ghost chuckled. "Your friends are alive. You don't look surprised."
Fenghuo said nothing as they crossed the grove in swift bounds. At the edge of the trees, Crow Ghost dropped him.
Fenghuo narrowed his eyes. "Six months ago, someone in the Uchiha compound used Genjutsu on me when I returned home. That was you, wasn't it?"
Crow Ghost scoffed. "So what? You're not in a position to ask questions."
Fenghuo was sure now. The mask, the covert ops... this man was Root. Danzo's man.
Are they trying to recruit me into Root?
He almost laughed. Two of Konoha's most dangerous factions after me in one day? Should I feel honored or terrified?
"I came on orders from someone important. I need you to do something," the masked man said.
"What is it?"
"You'll know once you agree."
The Sharingan spun, exerting invisible pressure. Fenghuo's pupils twitched involuntarily. A strange surge bubbled inside him—his chakra resonated as if something ancestral was awakening.
No—!
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails broke skin. The pain snapped him back, suppressing the reflex to awaken his Sharingan.
"Sorry," Fenghuo said evenly. "I don't take jobs from strangers."
"You sure about that?" The masked Uchiha's tone grew cold. "Refuse, and you won't like the consequences."
"You going to kill me?" Fenghuo replied flatly, though his insides twisted. Seriously, Dai-sensei?! You opened four gates and still got taken out?! I thought you could fight the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!
"This is your last chance," Crow Ghost growled. "My patience is thin."
"Can I sleep on it for two days?" Fenghuo asked, deadpan.
The Sharingan blinked. "…What?"
"I'd also like to discuss this with a legal guardian," he continued.
"You're an orphan!" the Uchiha snapped, clearly losing his temper.
"Then I'll split myself in half and ask the other half."
"You little—!" Crow Ghost raised a hand to strike him—
ROOOAR!!
A monstrous pressure exploded behind them.
Crow Ghost froze. The chakra was immense—raw, wild, and utterly hostile.
"What?!"
He turned just in time to see a figure hurtling toward him like a missile.
Not even his Sharingan could track it.
"Leaf Whirlwind!!"