After the fall of the second city, the Second Tsuchikage wasted no time. With cold resolve and eyes fixed on total victory, he ordered his forces to press forward. The Iwagakure army advanced like an unstoppable wave, and the Konoha shinobi—bloodied but not broken—were forced to retreat once more, quickly regrouping to establish a final line of defense near the third city.
But this time... they could not afford to fall back again.
The dense forest that surrounded the region had become a battlefield. Traps laid days ago were triggered. Explosions echoed through the woods. Shuriken whirled through the air like deadly whispers, and jutsu of all elements clashed and roared, lighting up the canopy with blinding bursts of power.
Iwa used their typical tactic—relentless, large-scale pressure applied to every corner of the front. They sought to grind the Konoha forces down by sheer attrition. And while effective, it came at a cost. The bodies of fallen Iwa shinobi littered the forest floor, a grim testament to their strategy's brutality.
But Konoha had prepared. This time, they had reinforced the line, bolstered their troops, and dug in deep. For hours, both sides clashed with unrelenting fury, jutsu colliding like thunderstorms. The entire forest had become a graveyard of charred trees, cracked earth, and silent fallen warriors.
Still, the line held.
And yet, as night fell and the moon rose above the blood-soaked trees, a darker plan began to unfold.
Under cover of night, the Iwa army gathered a specialized unit. Their objective: to break through a single vulnerable point in the Konoha defense and rush toward the third city before reinforcements could arrive. It was a gamble—but a bold one.
The plan's first phase succeeded. A breach was forced open through sheer force and cunning. Iwa units poured through the gap, swiftly advancing toward their next objective. But Konoha was not blind. Elite ninja harried them from the flanks, forcing Iwa to split its forces to protect the advancing column. The main attack group lost strength, buying precious time for Konoha defenders.
Far behind enemy lines, however, another, far more important battle was quietly taking place.
A Distant Field – Behind Enemy Lines
On a quiet grassy plain, beneath an open sky far from the chaos of the front, Minato Namikaze stood with his team—Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha. The wind tugged at their cloaks as the Yellow Flash of Konoha laid out their mission.
"We'll split into two teams," Minato said calmly, pointing at a map unrolled across a flat stone. "Kakashi, you're a jōnin now—you'll lead the others. Your objective is to reach this point and destroy the Kannabi Bridge. It's a vital supply route for Iwa. Meanwhile, I'll handle the rest—supply lines, enemy camps, communications. I can move fast enough that they won't know what hit them."
Kakashi nodded, his expression unreadable. Rin looked anxious but determined. Obito, however, frowned, clearly displeased.
"Tch... Why does he have to lead us?" Obito muttered under his breath.
Minato offered a soft smile. "Because Kakashi earned that title. You may not always agree with your leader, but in the field, trust is everything."
With that, they set out.
The Ambush
Not long into their journey, as they crossed a wooded trail, the team encountered a group of Iwa scouts patrolling for spies. Kakashi moved first, chakra surging into his palm.
"Chidori!"
The crackling of lightning echoed as he sprinted forward, but the enemy was faster than expected. A blade arced toward Kakashi's exposed side—but in a flash of yellow, Minato appeared, kunai slicing through the air. The enemy dropped, lifeless, before he even hit the ground.
"You're pushing too far, too fast," Minato warned gently.
Kakashi frowned, but Rin quickly stepped forward to heal his wounds. Once patched up, they continued on until the time came to separate. Minato gave them a final nod before vanishing in a blur, heading toward his own mission.
Kakashi, Rin, and Obito pressed on through the Land of Grass—passing scorched fields, bamboo forests, and the scattered remnants of long-past battles. Eventually, they came upon a serene lake and decided to rest.
But peace would not last.
Rin Taken
It began with a rustle. Then—screams.
Kakashi and Obito were on their feet instantly, weapons drawn. But they'd been tricked. An Iwa ninja had hidden himself using a genjutsu, masking his presence until it was too late. While Kakashi and Obito rushed toward the disturbance, a second ninja struck.
By the time they reached the scene, Rin was unconscious in the arms of an enemy shinobi, already retreating into the forest.
"No!" Obito shouted, ready to chase, but Kakashi held him back.
"We have a mission. We can't let emotions cloud our judgment."
"Are you serious!?" Obito snapped. "That's Rin! We're supposed to protect each other!"
Kakashi's eye narrowed. "The mission first."
Their argument ended in silence—and separation. Kakashi went ahead. Obito disappeared into the shadows.
Obito's Awakening
Alone, Obito tracked Rin's captors, eventually finding a hidden cave entrance. Just as he prepared to enter, a blade whistled toward him from behind. But Kakashi—unexpected, and still loyal—intervened, saving him.
They stood back-to-back.
"He's using an illusion jutsu," Kakashi warned. "I can't see him—!"
Suddenly, Kakashi screamed. Blood sprayed from his face. His eye was cut—permanently blinded.
Seeing his friend fall, something snapped inside Obito.
His heart pounded.
His blood boiled.
And in that moment—his Sharingan awakened.
The enemy was no longer invisible.
Obito moved like lightning, a kunai in hand, piercing through the illusion and striking the enemy down in one fluid motion.
The Collapse
They descended into the cave, locating Rin, trapped in a genjutsu. As Obito shattered the illusion, another Iwa ninja appeared—it had been a trap all along.
With a roar, the cave ceiling collapsed.
"Obito!" Kakashi shouted.
A boulder crashed down, pinning Obito beneath it. Half of his body crushed, blood pooling beneath him, Obito coughed—yet he smiled.
"Don't cry, Kakashi. This was... my choice."
"No... We'll get you out!"
"There's no time. The enemy will be here soon. Take my left Sharingan. As a gift... for becoming a true jōnin."
Rin trembled, tears streaming as she performed the impromptu transplant. Kakashi clenched his fists, eyes burning with fury.
With his new eye—and new resolve—Kakashi used his Chidori to blast a path out of the rubble. Outside, he fought , cutting down the remaining Iwa ninja.
But the reinforcements were coming. Fast.
They had to go.
The Bridge
Thanks to Minato's sabotage deep within enemy territory—supply camps in flames, communication posts destroyed—the path to the bridge was clear.
Kakashi and Rin reached the Kannabi Bridge.
Using expertly placed explosive tags and precise coordination, they brought it down in a thunderous explosion that echoed across the countryside. Stone and timber collapsed into the ravine below, severing Iwa's supply chain in one stroke.
The mission was complete.
Exhausted, wounded, and mourning their fallen friend, they began their return journey to the rendezvous point—where their sensei waited.