Kenji's life passed in an artificial normalcy. By day, he was a dedicated teacher, guiding the village's young sprouts on how to throw kunai, how to hide, how to work as a team. He patiently corrected their mistakes, sharing his battlefield experience selectively. He even stopped by Ichiraku Ramen a few times, trying to rediscover the taste of a normal life.
But when night fell, or in moments of silence, his senses were stretched as taut as a bowstring.
He could feel them.
They left no trace. No sound. No overt chakra signature. But Kenji could feel it. A figure dashing across a distant rooftop as he turned into an alley. A strange reflection from the window of a shop across the street when he stopped to look at a display. The feeling of a pair of eyes following his every move, analyzing, evaluating.
They were professionals. Their skills in stealth and surveillance were of a very high caliber. Kenji knew who they were. Only the Uchiha's Military Police Force, or the Anbu, had individuals like that.
For the first two days, he did nothing. He simply continued his normal life, as if he hadn't noticed a thing. Any action suggesting he had detected them would be an admission that he was hiding something. He was playing a chess game in which the best move was no move at all.
But the pressure mounted. His apartment was no longer a safe haven, but a glass cage. He knew his every activity could be being recorded. What he bought, who he talked to, where he went—it was all being monitored. His loneliness deepened. He was trapped between the Hokage's orders and the Uchiha's suspicion.
On the third day, he decided he couldn't go on like this. He couldn't fight alone. He needed an ally. He needed advice from the one person in the village who knew the whole story and had enough power to confront it.
He had to meet with Namikaze Minato.
But how could he meet Minato without his Uchiha tails detecting it? This was a test of his own skills.
That afternoon, Kenji went to the village's most crowded central market. He wandered through the stalls, buying a few small things. His observers had to blend into the crowd, keeping a safe distance. This was the environment Kenji needed.
As he passed a mask shop, he stopped, pretending to look. Taking advantage of a group of people passing by and obscuring the view, he performed a lightning-fast hand seal. Henge no Jutsu! (Transformation Technique!). In a split second, he had transformed into a middle-aged farmer wearing a conical straw hat. He paid, took a fox mask, and melted into the crowd heading in the opposite direction.
The Uchiha shadows, who had been focused on the image of "Kenji" looking at masks, lost their target in that decisive moment. By the time they realized, their prey had vanished.
Kenji, in the guise of a farmer, walked straight to Training Ground 7. Minato often went there to train alone.
Minato was there, just as he had predicted. He was standing on the surface of the lake, his eyes closed, seemingly sensing nature.
"Minato-senpai," Kenji said, releasing the transformation jutsu at the same time.
Minato opened his eyes, showing no surprise. "I knew you'd come looking for me sooner or later, Kenji. What's wrong?"
"I'm being followed," Kenji said bluntly. "By the Uchiha's people. They're very good. I think it's on Fugaku-sama's orders."
Minato sighed, his gaze distant. "I anticipated this. Fugaku is an honorable man, but his loyalty to his clan sometimes outweighs his loyalty to the village. He wouldn't let the death of a clan member be swept under the rug."
"What should I do, senpai?" Kenji asked. "I'm trapped. I can't defy the Hokage's orders, but if this continues..."
"You did the right thing," Minato interrupted. "You didn't act rashly, and you came to me. That is the action of a true Jounin."
He walked towards Kenji, his blue eyes looking directly at him, serious and full of trust. "Listen to me, Kenji. You do nothing. You continue your life. Let them watch you. An empty hand is the hardest to read. Don't give them any reason to be more suspicious."
"But..."
"This is no longer your fight alone," Minato said, his voice lowering. "It's a political chess game. Fugaku is making a move. Danzō is also making his move. And we... must also prepare our own."
Minato's use of the word "we" sent a current of warmth through Kenji. He wasn't alone anymore.
"So what is my role?" Kenji asked.
Minato placed a hand on his shoulder, a mysterious smile on his face. "Your role, for now, is to be a model teacher. And at the same time, be the most perfect bait. You are the center of attention, a lightning rod for all ambitions and suspicions. Draw them towards you. Because only when we know where the enemy is looking, can we act in the shadows."
Kenji understood. He was no longer a passive pawn. He had become a strategic piece in the hands of the Yellow Flash. A new mission, with no official orders, but infinitely more dangerous.
"Trust me, Kenji," Minato said. "And trust in Lord Hokage. This storm will pass."
Kenji nodded, his eyes now firm with resolve. He knew what he had to do. He would become a shadow, a perfect shadow, right in the heart of the Hidden Leaf's light.