Kakashi walked to Kazuo and nodded his head in greeting.

Kazuo returned his greeting with a shallow bow of his own and a soft smile.

Minutes later, Nohara Rin also showed up, greeting both Kakashi and Kazuo with a large smile.

After which as soon as the time for the mission arrived, Minato Namikaze appeared instantly.

"Hello everyone!" Minato said, giving a light wave and showing a smiling expression.

"Obito still isn't here sensei," Rin said as she shook her head whilst showing an uncomfortable expression, her gaze turning to Kazuo sometimes.

'She's uncomfortable because Obito is showing a bad image in front of me?' Kazuo thought as he felt the urge to laugh.

'Sure, the current Obito is a useless bastard but he's still more useful than anyone here besides Minato.' Kazuo thought as he remembered the boy's motto.

'He's the perfect sacrificial meat shield there is, right after Naruto.' Kazuo thought as his lips curled upward.

It was at this moment that they heard someone running toward them.

Turning his head toward the village, Kazuo saw that it was Obito, he was still wearing his jacket as he ran toward them.

It was clear that they had overslept and had to run all the way to the gate.

'Why isn't he using the bodyflicker?' Kazuo thought as he looked at the boy strangely.

"Im sorry that im late, I couldn't sleep last night because of the excitement and then I overslept this morning!" Obito immediately said as soon as he arrived as he gave a bow toward Minato and then even gave an apologetic look to Kazuo.

'Does he see me as some renowned shinobi?' Kazuo thought as his mind whirred into action.

'I can use that.' Kazuo thought a moment later, but his thoughts were interrupted by Minato asking the group to gather around him.

"Place your hand on me, I'll be teleporting us there, this is an important mission and we have no time to waste," Minato said and everyone immediately followed his words, putting their hands on his back and arms.

Minato simply made a hand sign and in an instant, the group disappeared from the leaf gates.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

*Fsh*

Hundreds of miles away in a small clearing with forests surrounding them, the group appeared once more.

"We're here, this is close to the border with Iwagakure," Minato said as he turned to face the group.

"I have other matters to attend to so this will be the first mission that you will fully lead, Jonin Kakashi," Minato said as he smiled at Kakashi.

At his words, Obito's and Rin's eyes widened as they turned to look at the white-haired kid.

He had actually become a Jonin, an elite in the entire village, and all of that at the age of twelve.

"You bastard Kakashi, just wait, I'll become the Hokage soon and surpass you!!" Obito practically screamed as he pointed at Kakashi with his index finger and made a pose.

'This is really weird to see in real life.' Kazuo thought as he looked at the eccentric kid.

*Sigh*

"Don't scream Obito, either way, Kakashi as I said you will be the leader of this mission, I suggest you listen to any advice Kazuo has however as he is known to be a good strategist," Minato said as he pointed at Kazuo.

Kakashi nodded his head, his expression serious as he looked at his sensei.

'Im known for being a good strategist?' Kazuo thought before his lips which were in a flat line curled up once more.

'Seems like my reputation has spread even further.'

"All right sensei, what's the mission?" Kakashi asked immediately after.

Minato simply gave him a white scroll as well as one of his three-pronged kunai.

"Inside are the mission details, if you face any danger that you can't overcome then throw the kunai, and I'll be there in an instant to help you out," Minato said as he nodded his head and gave his goodbyes before disappearing from the clearing.

Kazuo turned to Kakashi and motioned for him to read the scroll with his head.

Kakashi nodded before starting to read the mission out loud.

"We will be attacking the Kanabi Bridge, this is a crucial bridge in this war, Iwagakure uses it to connect with Kusagakure as their relief point, by destroying this bridge we are effectively shutting down one of their resupply zones. The mission must be carried out at all costs." Kakashi said as his already serious eyes turned sharp, his conviction almost being released in an aura around him.

"The Kanabi bridge is a really useful passage for the Iwa ninjas, I can see why this mission was so important and why we couldn't be told the details until we actually started the mission. It's best that we don't delay." Kazuo immediately agreed as he nodded his head at Kakashi who replied in kind.

Immediately after the group started their march toward the Kanabi Bridge, it would take them around one and a half days to arrive there.

Hours passed like this before they experienced an attack.

It was sudden, one moment the group was running and the very next, Nohara Rin was knocked unconscious and taken away by an invisible foe whilst Kakashi's left eye was sliced by an invisible blade.

'It's already started' Kazuo thought as he observed the series of events.

He made no move to run toward the kidnapper and save Rin, it wasn't good to interfere in Madara's plans, at most he would make sure that he himself remained safe and untouched.

'All right then Obito, let's see that sharingan of yours.' Kazuo thought as he saw Kakashi clutch his bleeding eye.

Obito was looking at the scene with a shocked expression on his face before looking around himself.

Kazuo himself had already taken out two kunai and had gotten into a combat stance.

"Be careful, the enemy is invisible, he has the advantage however as soon as one of us gets attacked then both of the others will jump into attack as well, for now simply maintain a defensive stance," Kazuo said as he kept looking around himself whilst he walked backward until he was next to Obito and Kakashi who had yet to regain his form.