Guy had previously done missions with Kakashi and Obito during their intern Ninja period, and since they were all Mutsuki's students, Kakashi wasn't worried that Guy joining the team would affect the overall coordination.
But Genma and Ebisu were also added to the team, so after careful consideration, Kakashi decided to stick with the current plan and complete B-Rank missions first to build team synergy. After some time adjusting, they could then move on to higher-ranked missions.
Kakashi didn't expect too much contribution from Genma and Ebisu, given the gap in strength. His main concern was that lack of coordination might end up becoming a liability for the team.
Genma and Ebisu weren't the kind of people who were both weak and overly eager to show off. They consciously took on support roles and didn't rush recklessly into battle trying to prove themselves. After a few days, the team was working together pretty well.
"Teaming up with you guys is so comfortable-before you know it, the mission's done. I almost want to stay on this team forever," Genma joked.
But to some extent, that was actually how he felt. Teaming up with Kakashi and the others really was easy, even simpler than doing D-Rank missions back in Konoha.
The enemies weren't even enough for the team's main force to take turns fighting. The core members barely got to make a move, let alone the support guys. They basically tagged along and still got rewards.
"Hahaha, well, we are an elite team after all," Obito said proudly.
Although they were all still technically Chunin, the overall strength of their four-man squad had long surpassed that of a typical team with a Jonin leader.
"I'll be sure to pass your suggestion on to Chen-sensei," Ebisu said quietly.
Genma's expression stiffened, then he gave an awkward laugh. "No need to report such a small matter to the old man."
After being taught by Chen-sensei for so long, how could Genma not understand his temperament? If that got reported, he'd definitely get knocked on the head a few times.
Chen-sensei usually didn't put on airs and was very easygoing, but when it came to his students' growth, he had his own strict standards.
They weren't required to take on missions beyond their capabilities, but they absolutely couldn't just be freeloaders enjoying the results of others' efforts.
Genma understood well-it wasn't that Chen-sensei stubbornly believed reaping without sowing was wrong, but that such behavior hindered their growth.
After all, someone Chen-sensei's age still reading *those kinds* of books in public-there was no way you could call him inflexible.
After completing two B-Rank missions, Kakashi felt the team had built enough synergy and began accepting A-Rank missions.
During that time, something worth mentioning happened-they ran into Guy's father, Duy, at the camp.
Based on what he saw around the camp and the state of the battlefield, Kakashi had a hunch: a large-scale ninja war was about to erupt on the eastern coast of the Land of Fire.
Konoha had not only deployed a banner-name powerhouse like Orochimaru, but had also summoned a considerable number of Jonin and Chunin. Even a low-profile powerhouse like Mutsuki had been sent to the battlefield-clearly, something big was coming.
Kakashi wasn't too worried; at their ninja rank, they wouldn't be assigned any critical battle operations. As long as they were cautious, surviving the chaos wouldn't be a problem.
"We're finally doing A-Rank missions. Hopefully we run into some stronger enemies this time." Obito clenched his fists, his expression full of anticipation.
Hearing this, Kakashi suddenly stopped in his tracks. "This isn't a normal mission. In a wartime mission, unexpected situations can lead to us encountering enemies we're powerless to resist."
Kakashi didn't want Obito to carry that kind of mindset onto the battlefield-it was a dangerous way to think.
"I'm not you, Kakashi. No way something like that would happen to me, right?" Obito didn't think he could jinx things like Kakashi did.
Kakashi's record was four consecutive missions with unexpected incidents, the worst being when he accidentally stumbled into a thousand-man-scale ninja battle.
Kakashi looked at Obito, speechless. Major accidents weren't common, true, but that wasn't the point-he just wanted Obito to adjust his mindset.
"What I mean is, you should treat war more seriously and cautiously. It's not that you saying this guarantees something will go wrong on this mission." Kakashi explained helplessly.
Obito scratched his head. He kind of understood... but also kind of didn't.
Seeing this, Kakashi gave up trying to explain. Once again, he felt the overwhelming power of Mutsuki's teaching skills.
The fact that Mutsuki could get someone like Obito to pass a written test... that was practically divine-level teaching.
If Kakashi were the one doing it, Obito wouldn't even have to lose patience-Kakashi would break down first.
The mission went smoothly. Kakashi's team successfully located the enemy as described in the mission: one Hidden Mist Jonin, two Chunin, and two Genin.
But not long after the battle started, the sharp-eyed Kakashi suddenly sensed something and immediately retreated.
Whoosh whoosh!!
Two lightning-charged, razor-sharp kunai pierced through the air and stabbed into the spot Kakashi had just been standing.
"He dodged it?" Raiga was a bit surprised.
He, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, had failed to land a sneak attack on a boy who looked about ten years old. Even with all the possible excuses, it'd still be a joke if word got out.
Just as Raiga expected, his teammate didn't hold back from laughing.
"Kurosuki Raiga, did you forget to eat before coming here?" Jinin laughed loudly.
Raiga's face darkened, but he didn't explain-missing that attack really was embarrassing.
The sudden turn of events made Obito and the others halt their attacks, warily scanning their surroundings.
"Saved." The surrounded Hidden Mist Jonin instantly breathed a sigh of relief, showing a look of joy as he saw Raiga and Jinin approaching.
As a Hidden Mist Jonin, of course he recognized the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. The moment he saw them, he knew he was saved.
Ignoring his heavily wounded subordinates, the Hidden Mist Jonin immediately used Body Flicker Jutsu to close the distance to the approaching Raiga and Jinin.
"Two more new enemies? None of you are getting away." Obito didn't panic. Even if the newcomers were Jonin, their side could still handle it with ease.
What Obito failed to notice was that Kakashi's expression was gradually becoming serious-even tense.
"Damn." The moment he saw clearly who they were, Kakashi felt a jolt in his heart.
As someone who loved gathering intel, how could Kakashi have missed the enemy information about his battlefield? He immediately recognized the two as Raiga and Jinin from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
If it were just those two, Kakashi wouldn't feel too much pressure.
Their seven-man team had four Jonin-level combatants, one medical Special Jonin, and two Chunin. If they fought seriously, the outcome could go either way.
But if Kakashi remembered correctly, on this battlefield, the Hidden Mist's Seven Ninja Swordsmen liked to act as a group. In other words, if you saw one of them, it meant the entire group was nearby-they just hadn't shown themselves yet.
No matter how confident Kakashi was in his team's strength, he absolutely wasn't sure they could fight all seven of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen at once. Together, they were equivalent to top-tier powerhouses renowned across the ninja world.
Even Konoha's Ino-Shika-Cho trio would be outmatched.
"Obito, everyone, don't act rashly." Kakashi took a deep breath and spoke.
'Create a commotion to draw reinforcements? Too uncertain. The ones who arrive might be enemies first...' At this moment, Kakashi was frantically thinking about how to get more people out alive.
Obito looked at Kakashi with a confused expression, searching his mind for intel on the Hidden Mist ninjas in front of him, but ultimately came up empty.
Ebisu lifted his sunglasses slightly, his fingers trembling a bit. "These seem to be the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. They usually act together. The remaining five may be hiding in the shadows."
Ebisu's heart was pounding, and the moment he recognized them, cold sweat began to drip from his forehead uncontrollably.
This was way too intense for him-to run into such terrifyingly powerful enemies in a wartime mission.
"Today's really unlucky..." Genma swallowed hard, as if he could already see his tragic death.
He believed in Kakashi and Might Guy's strength, but the enemies this time were on a different level.
Kakashi and the others were genius ninjas, while the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were full-fledged powerhouses of the ninja world!
Genma had never wanted to see Chen-sensei more than at this moment. He longed for Chen-sensei to descend from the sky, wielding the Konoha Dragon God, and blast the enemies away.
But he knew that was impossible, because Chen-sensei hadn't even arrived at the battlefield yet, let alone descend from the sky to save them.
"So it's that sword-wielding Seven Ninja Squad." Upon hearing Ebisu say the enemy's title, Obito finally recalled some intel.
Although he hadn't memorized their appearances, he did remember some basics: the Seven Ninja Swordsmen consisted of seven members, each wielding a sword with special abilities.
Thinking back on what he had said before setting out, Obito's expression turned awkward. Had he jinxed them himself with his own words?
"Sure enough, you really shouldn't say things carelessly before setting out." Obito felt a bit of regret.
Guy's expression also grew serious. If even Obito knew the intel on the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, then of course Guy did too.
"Let's hope this isn't one of their group missions," Ebisu silently prayed in his heart.
If it was just two of them, there was still a glimmer of hope.
But the appearance of Juzo completely shattered any hope Ebisu had.
Juzo slowly walked out from the shadows, carrying a massive blade, sweeping a bloodthirsty gaze over Kakashi and the others.
"Looks like we've run into an especially easy bunch to bully. Let's finish this quickly." Juzo lowered the Executioner's Blade from his shoulder, resting one hand on it as he spoke.
Right after Juzo finished speaking, a large-built, orange-haired ninja stepped out.
"Juzo, these are not just some weaklings. Among them are three Konoha prodigies marked for priority elimination," Fuguki said in a deep voice.
"Kakashi, Guy, Obito - these three must be killed on the spot!"
Unlike Juzo's dismissive attitude, Fuguki believed they were incredibly lucky this time. Killing three of Konoha's geniuses carried far more weight than eliminating a few ordinary Jonin.
If they didn't kill Kakashi and the others here and now, in another ten or twenty years, should Hidden Mist and Konoha go to war again, those three could become major enemies of the Mist.
"Geniuses who haven't grown up are still just weaklings," Juzo sneered. After all, who wasn't once a so-called genius?
Back when he was a Genin and Chunin, he too had been a well-known rising talent in Hidden Mist.
As the Seven Ninja Swordsmen stepped out one after another, Kakashi's heart sank to the bottom.
Even seven ordinary Jonin would be difficult enough to deal with - and the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen were clearly anything but ordinary.
Adding to the Hidden Mist Jonin they hadn't yet killed, they now had to face seven titled Jonin and one regular Hidden Mist Jonin.
Obito quietly stepped in front of Nohara Rin, shielding her behind him. They were facing an unprecedented crisis.
Even the previous two encounters with Raikage candidates weren't this dangerous.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen might not be able to defeat the Hidden Cloud's AB duo, but during those times, they either had Mutsuki or Minato by their side. This time, with neither Mutsuki nor Minato present, they could only rely on their own strength.
Everyone instinctively drew closer to Kakashi, including Obito. While Kakashi wasn't the strongest in the team, as the vice-captain, he was the team's unquestionable core.
The reason Obito didn't vote for Kakashi during the second vote wasn't because he didn't acknowledge Kakashi as vice-captain, but because he knew his vote didn't matter. Even without his support, others would definitely vote for Kakashi, and Kakashi would still end up as vice-captain.
Rather than casting a losing vote, he chose to vote for Nohara Rin-it was his way of showing her his care and recognition.
"Kakashi, what do we do now?" Genma couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Kakashi let out a quiet sigh. He was just a slightly more capable Chunin. Faced with this situation, it was impossible for him to come up with a perfect solution in such a short time.
He quickly scanned the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Their formation was very loose, as if they didn't see the team before them as real enemies.
But Kakashi knew this was only on the surface. Their seemingly casual positions actually blocked most of the team's escape routes. If they tried to retreat, at least two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would instantly cut off their escape.
"What do we do?" Kakashi questioned himself silently.
As the one with the fastest burst speed on the team, Kakashi had the highest chance of escaping. But no matter what, he couldn't bring himself to consider running away.
He could escape, and Guy also had a chance to get away-but what about the others?
Right now, Kakashi couldn't bring himself to abandon his comrades no matter what.
Silently, Kakashi drew the White Fang Tanto from his back. Since fleeing wasn't an option, the only thing left was to fight.
Even if the enemy was the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, famed across the ninja world, he would still fight to carve out a sliver of hope for his teammates. That was his responsibility as vice-captain.
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