The mission was complete, and as a bonus, he'd copied Kamui.....an unexpected reward.
Arata arrived at the meeting point carrying three people as if it were nothing.
When Yugao appeared, the two confirmed each other's identities swiftly.
Without wasting words, Arata handed Karin and her mother to her, shifted Kakashi onto his back, and nodded.
The two ninja then leapt into motion, dashing away from Grass Village at full speed.
Thanks to Arata's Lightning Armor training, his physical endurance was exceptional.
Yugao, too, had honed her body through years of sword practice. Even carrying others, neither slowed down.
After running for several hours and changing routes multiple times, they finally stopped in a secluded valley, certain they'd lost all pursuit.
They set up camp, laid Kakashi and the Uzumaki mother-daughter safely on the ground.
At one point, little Karin stirred awake.....Arata quickly cast a genjutsu to lull her back to sleep.
As the fire crackled to life, Yugao finally turned to him.
"How did the mission go? And Kakashi.....what happened to him?"
Arata smiled faintly while feeding twigs into the fire.
"It's... a long story," he said.
Of course, he left out a few details—like the truth of Takamagahara's space and who exactly had knocked Kakashi out.
The night deepened around them, shadows dancing in the firelight.....
and Uchiha Arata, as usual, kept his secrets to himself.
The campfire crackled softly in the clearing, sparks leaping into the night air.
Uchiha Arata and Uzuki Yugao sat on opposite sides of the flames, finally allowing themselves a moment to breathe.
Both had carried Kakashi and the Uzumaki mother and daughter for hours without pause...even with their superior stamina, fatigue had begun to creep into their limbs.
After a short rest, the still figure lying near the fire began to stir.
Kakashi groaned, his hand instinctively clutching his neck as he slowly pushed himself upright from the blanket Arata had placed beneath him.
When his mind cleared, fragments of memory came flooding back....the last thing he remembered before darkness had been Uchiha Arata's sudden strike.
Realization hit him like a jolt of lightning. He dropped his hand from his neck, his body tense, springing to his feet in an instant.
. His hand darted to his pouch, pulling out a kunai as his sharp gaze swept over his surroundings, every nerve on edge.
But what he saw wasn't what he expected.
He wasn't in a Grass Village cell. Nor was he bound or restrained. Instead, he found himself in a quiet forest clearing.
Across the fire sat Uchiha Arata and Uzuki Yugao, calmly watching him.
Not far away, the Uzumaki mother and daughter rested peacefully, unguarded.
Still, Kakashi didn't lower his weapon. His eyes narrowed, fixed on Arata.
After all, it was this man who had knocked him unconscious.
And that single act planted a dangerous suspicion in Kakashi's mind.....had Uchiha Arata betrayed the Leaf?
When Arata noticed the tension in Kakashi's stance, he didn't wait for questions.
He stood up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and said simply,
"Kakashi-senpai, come with me. There's something I need to explain."
He turned to Yugao.
"Yugao, keep watch over them. Stay alert."
Though she felt the air grow heavy between the two, Yugao nodded quietly.
She didn't know what had happened between Arata and Kakashi, but she trusted them both.
Kakashi hesitated, eyes narrowed behind his mask.
When Arata walked toward the forest without even glancing back, Kakashi followed.....carefully, keeping a safe distance.
The two walked in silence until they reached a secluded grove. There, Arata stopped and turned around.
The two shinobi faced each other across the moonlit space.....Kakashi, still gripping his kunai, and Arata, calm and composed.
Breaking the silence first, Arata said,
"Kakashi-senpai, first of all... I owe you an apology.
I'm sorry for knocking you unconscious without your consent."
He bowed slightly.
Kakashi studied him quietly, then spoke in a low voice.
"Uchiha Arata... I need an explanation. I can't accept a teammate who attacks me without reason."
Arata exhaled softly, sensing the tension ease just enough to speak.
"You know the situation we were in, senpai. We were surrounded by at least forty or fifty enemies.
Tell me.....could you have ensured everyone's safety in that moment? Including the mission targets?"
Kakashi was silent for a while before shaking his head.
"In that situation... even if I used everything I had, escaping with the targets intact would have been nearly impossible."
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