Chapter 3 The Tsundere Uchiha
Rain continued to fall.
Four hours had passed since they left Konoha, and the sky remained a dull, heavy gray. The forest floor was slick with mud, roots twisting like serpents beneath the water.
"Too slow."
Ahead, perched on a thick branch, stood Uchiha Fugaku. He did not bother to look back. His voice cut through the rain with crisp authority.
"If this were the front lines, an Iwagakure ambush would have slaughtered a unit moving at this pace."
Twenty meters behind him, two figures advanced through the trees.
Namikaze Minato moved with effortless precision. His blond hair clung damply to his forehead, blue eyes sharp and alert. Chakra flowed steadily beneath his feet, each leap measured, efficient, silent.
Behind him, Nishikawa Tetsu followed. His breathing was quicker, but controlled. Instead of relying on constant chakra bursts, he used ropes, branches, and momentum—swinging from tree to tree in a rhythm that conserved strength.
"Apologies, Fugaku-senpai," Minato called gently. "We'll increase the pace."
He slowed slightly, keeping Tetsu within reach.
Fugaku finally glanced back, dark eyes narrowing.
"Wasting formation efficiency for a weaker teammate is sentimentality, Namikaze."
His gaze settled on Tetsu.
"If you cannot keep up, say so. I'll leave you at the nearest border outpost. Better that than dying in the Rain Country where no one bothers to retrieve your body."
Tetsu wiped rain from his face, steadying his breath.
Their speed was roughly that of a war-march. Comfortable for an elite jōnin. Demanding for even a talented one. For someone with modest chakra reserves, it was a strain.
"No need to concern yourself, Fugaku-senpai," Tetsu replied evenly. "I will not fall behind."
Fugaku snorted and turned forward.
"One more hour. If you fail to reach the rendezvous point, you'll sleep in the mud."
By evening, the rain eased.
They reached a shallow hollow beneath a stone overhang. Sheltered from wind, with clear sightlines—an ideal temporary camp.
"Ten minutes' rest," Fugaku ordered. "Then we move. We cross the Fire Country border under cover of night."
He leapt onto a high rock and sat with his back to them, keeping watch.
Minato unpacked soldier pills and handed one to Tetsu.
"Eat. Fugaku-senpai speaks harshly, but he's dependable."
Tetsu bit into the ration, expression thoughtful.
"A discipline-driven personality. High standards. Low tolerance for inefficiency. Difficult, but reliable in battle."
Minato smiled awkwardly.
"You always describe people in such… unique ways."
Instead of sitting, Tetsu rose and walked to the edge of the hollow. He crouched, digging carefully through wet soil, extracting a plant with purple-veined leaves. He wrapped it in cloth and tucked it into his pouch.
Fugaku's voice came from above.
"What are you doing?"
"A paralytic herb," Tetsu answered calmly. "Properly refined, a small dose numbs the body for several breaths."
Fugaku scoffed.
"Tricks. In real combat, power decides victory."
Tetsu dusted his hands.
"A blade, a jutsu, a poison—tools differ, purpose does not. And this costs nothing. A single explosive tag sells for hundreds of ryō."
"Frugal," Fugaku muttered, turning away.
A moment later, he looked back again.
Tetsu was sprinkling fine gray powder in a thin ring around the camp, careful and precise.
Fugaku's eyebrow twitched.
"…I won't ask."
The sight of someone laying ground traps instead of training fire techniques offended every instinct of Uchiha pride.
Tetsu murmured quietly as he worked.
"Refined ignition powder. If disturbed and triggered with chakra… it flashes instantly. Enough to blind, burn, and mark intruders."
Minato leaned closer, curious.
"You make your own traps?"
Tetsu nodded.
"Preparation is a form of combat."
"Tch." Fugaku dropped from the rock. "Enough. Rest time is over."
He stepped close, gaze stern but now assessing rather than dismissive.
"If your preparations help kill the enemy, fine. But if these habits slow you down in battle…"
He tapped Tetsu's forehead protector.
"Even if this mission came from Jiraiya-sama himself, I will not turn back for you. Understood?"
Tetsu met his eyes.
"Understood. If I fall behind, do not look back."
Unspoken in his mind:
Because the path behind me will already be armed.
"Move out," Fugaku ordered.
With that, the three vanished once more into the darkening forest.