Ui took a moment to reflect before heading off to claim a ration. The war had raged from dawn until dusk, and he hadn't replenished his energy once throughout the day. After such a massive expenditure of physical and mental stamina, his stomach was finally starting to lodge its protest.
Once he had his food, Ui wandered back. He sat down on a fallen log directly across from Kakashi, with nothing but a crackling campfire between them.
The two sat in a heavy silence. They didn't exactly have a lot of common ground. Kakashi's personality at this stage was rigid, almost clinical, with a singular focus on the mission. Ui, by contrast, was far more eccentric; the starting point for most of his actions was simply whether they were interesting or not. Did he truly care about the geopolitical outcome of the Great War?
It was doubtful.
To his surprise, it was Kakashi who broke the silence.
"How do you remove the side effects of Lightning Style?"
The question was abrupt, but Ui knew it was directed at him. It seemed today's repeated use of Raikiri—the high-tier version of Chidori—had left Kakashi in significant pain.
The technique's power was undeniable, but the physical toll was a high price to pay.
"It's not something you can just 'avoid,'" Ui replied after a beat. "The more powerful the jutsu, the greater the risk. Every shinobi understands that, right? Raikiri... it's a terrifyingly potent Lightning Style. It boosts your speed and gives you peerless piercing power, but the electrical stimulation to the body is extreme. I don't know your specific limit, but objectively speaking, an average ninja shouldn't use it more than three times a day. Any more and you're looking at a death sentence."
"A shinobi can only gradually adapt to that kind of feedback and slowly build up a resistance. Total avoidance? That's impossible."
Ui was firm. Kakashi was looking for a shortcut to bypass the physical strain, but that kind of wishful thinking was dangerous. He had warned Kakashi about this before, but the boy had either ignored him or been forced by circumstance. Today, Kakashi had clearly pushed himself through two or three uses.
Considering Kakashi's age, he was playing with fire. Or in this case, lightning.
Kakashi opened his mouth to ask another question, but Ui cut him off. He already knew what the boy was thinking.
"Don't compare yourself to me. My body is... unique. I'm essentially immune to the negative side effects of Lightning Style. Thunder, lightning, high voltage—it doesn't affect me. But this is innate; it's not something you can achieve through training. To put it simply, treat it like a Kekkei Genkai. It's something others just can't learn."
Ui was unique, and only he truly understood why.
When it came to Lightning Style, as long as it wasn't a physical, kinetic impact, he was virtually untouchable. If Kakashi stabbed him with a Raikiri, he'd still end up with a hole in his chest. But if someone hit him with a Chidori Sharp Spear or even an S-rank, wide-area jutsu like Kirin, he could take the hit directly and walk away without a scratch.
Kakashi, regardless of his genius, could never do that.
"Kekkei Genkai..." Kakashi didn't grasp the deeper mechanics, but he understood the point. The ability to ignore the feedback of the technique and perform seals-less, instant-cast lightning strikes was Ui's exclusive domain.
Using the term "Kekkei Genkai" was a convenient lie—it wasn't strictly true, but it was the easiest way to make people understand his "otherness." Ui had no intention of explaining further; frankly, he didn't even know how to.
"Also, there's one more thing," Ui added, shifting the focus from himself back to the mechanics of the jutsu. "You haven't fully mastered Raikiri yet, which means your chakra control isn't as precise as it needs to be. From my perspective, you're wasting a lot of energy when you cast it. When I use it, I don't maintain such a high output of lightning chakra. I think it's unnecessary."
"In terms of lethality against a single target, keeping the jutsu at A-rank is plenty. There's no need to force it into S-rank just for the sake of maximum power. At the end of the day, dead is dead. Whether it's A or S, the result for the enemy is the same. Don't waste your chakra."
"Of course, our fighting styles are different. This is just my habit, offered for your reference," Ui finished.
In truth, Ui loved massive, flashy techniques. But because his own chakra reserves were... let's say, modest, he had learned to be a miser with his energy.
Kakashi fell into a pensive silence. Ui's words had clearly struck a chord.
"What are you two talking about?"
Nohara Rin had finally finished her rounds. Medical ninjas were in short supply, so even though she was young, her complete training meant she was being worked like an adult. She had been on her feet since the battle began and was only now finding a moment to breathe.
"Rin, this is for you."
Ui didn't answer her question. Instead, he handed her an extra portion of food he had grabbed. He'd had a feeling she wouldn't have had a chance to eat dinner.
"Thank you, Ui! You're a lifesaver." Rin took the food with a grateful smile. "Have you two eaten yet?"
"We're good," Ui said. "By the way, I meant to ask—why didn't Minato-senpai bring Obito along to this front?"
Ui had felt something was missing from the group's dynamic. He finally realized it was the lack of a certain noisy teammate.
"Because he's useless," Kakashi said, his voice dropping several degrees in temperature.
"Obito is back at the Stone front recovering from an injury," Rin added quickly, smoothing over Kakashi's bite. Since he was wounded, there was no point in bringing him here. The Minato Squad was currently operating as a trio, and even then, they had been split up during the heat of the battle.
"Injured in battle?" Ui was surprised. Obito didn't seem like the type to be as proactive as Kakashi. What kind of serious wound did he take?
"I wish," Kakashi muttered. "He got his leg caught in a massive bear trap set by a local hunter to catch big game. The force of the trap was so strong it caused a serious injury. He needs two months to fully recover."
Ui stared at the sky, speechless. Getting taken out by a bear trap...
Yep. That sounds like Obito.