Silence stretched for what felt like an eternity before Kakashi finally moved. He raised a hand, wiping the blood smeared across his face and shaking the dust from his hair, allowing the striking silver strands to reveal their true color once more.
Before him, the strange entity—this UI—held aloft the massive boulder, easily weighing tens of tons, shielding him from the otherwise fatal blow.
The Iwagakure ninja outside hadn't left; Kakashi could still hear faint, shuffling sounds from above within the enclosed space the rock had created.
"What... are you?"
His mind finally catching up, Kakashi felt a flicker of caution towards this self-proclaimed 'System'. The mental fortitude he possessed as a transmigrator fully asserted itself in this critical moment.
"A Chakra Unit."
The UI's voice resonated directly within Kakashi's mind. He registered the effortless sense of control he had over it, as instinctive as moving his own limbs. Simultaneously, he felt the sudden depletion of a portion of his chakra reserves.
He connected this to the System's earlier mention of deducting 'a large unit of Chakra'. That must have been it.
Kakashi, who had been resigned to death just moments before, found himself saved by this inexplicable phenomenon.
The sensation of defying destiny, of attempting to alter the established paths of others for the first time, was utterly intoxicating. Even now, Kakashi remained immersed in that feeling, unable to pull himself away.
Even if his actions were minor, even if Obito might still fall into darkness, even if Rin might still be destined to die...
This feeling of rebelling against the entire world's predetermined course!
It was truly captivating!
A sharp, almost vicious smile slowly spread across Kakashi's lips as he tilted his head back, gazing up at the colossal rock that had nearly ended his life.
Life needed a few surprises, a bit of excitement, to be truly interesting, didn't it?
He'd already died once, anyway. Before he faced death a second time, why not experience a different kind of life?
The System before him had fallen silent after its last statement, seemingly devoid of any true intelligence. That suited Kakashi just fine; it saved him the worry of a potential betrayal later on.
Deciding against studying the System further right now, Kakashi instinctively recalled it back into his body.
In the same instant, lightning crackled to life in his hand.
The massive boulder erupted outwards in a deafening explosion.
"BOOM!"
The thunderous roar, coupled with the sound of the blast, instantly put the Iwagakure shinobi—who were scouring the battlefield for survivors—on high alert.
However, as Kakashi emerged from the dissipating smoke, their tension melted into dismissive relief.
"What's this? Just some kid!"
The group of ninja began to jeer. Their reaction wasn't entirely unfounded. Their reinforcements included a Jonin and four Chunin, backed by several Genin. Such numbers could easily handle two full Konoha squads; why would they fear a silver-haired brat who looked barely into his teens?
Kakashi didn't attack immediately. He leaped onto a nearby tree branch, the sunlight filtering through the leaves momentarily blinding him. The slash he'd taken for Obito had struck his left eye, and he still couldn't open it.
His right eye watered involuntarily from the sudden brightness and the stinging pain in his left.
"Shinobi don't cry, kid," one of the Iwa ninja below taunted, clearly misinterpreting Kakashi's action as a sign of immaturity, not taking him seriously.
"Probably just graduated from the Academy!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Perfect. We didn't have any captives. Grab him!"
The leading Iwa Jonin glanced sideways. Two Chunin beside him understood immediately. Although their opponent looked like a mere child, they opted for caution, attacking together.
Flanking him from left and right, the two Iwa ninja leaped swiftly, closing in on Kakashi, who still seemed to be wiping tears from his eye.
Got him!
The thought flashed through both their minds simultaneously. Cold kunai traced deadly arcs through the air, aimed at the tendons in Kakashi's arms and legs.
A commendable plan.
Kakashi turned his head, his gaze locking onto one of the Chunin. In that perceived slow motion, the confident smirk on the ninja's face became the ultimate mockery of his own hubris.
With speed imperceptible to the untrained eye, Kakashi's hand shot out, clamping around the neck of the Chunin attacking from the left.
The observing Jonin instantly realized something was terribly wrong.
"Hey! He's no ordinary brat!"
His warning cry hadn't even reached the ears of the Chunin attacking from the right before the man was sent flying backwards, faster than he'd ascended. He soared past the wide-eyed Jonin and embedded himself deep into the rock face behind them.
The sickening crunch of bone and the bloom of crimson soaking the Chunin's back confirmed the brutal truth.
He'd been killed instantly with a single kick.
The Chunin caught by the throat struggled desperately. Still perched on the branch, Kakashi lifted him single-handedly until their eyes were level.
"Don't underestimate me... old man."
A sharp twist, and the life drained from this fodder ninja as well.
Veins bulged on the Iwa Jonin's temples. He had been close friends with these two Chunin; both showed promise and were likely candidates for promotion to Jonin later that year. To see two such talented young men cut down before his very eyes...
"You damn brat! You're courting death!"
The remaining two Chunin and the Genin felt their scalps tingle, cold sweat prickling down their backs in terror.
Such ruthless decisiveness from a boy who looked no older than twelve or thirteen was truly unsettling.
"All of you, attack together!" the Iwa Jonin roared.
Gritting their teeth, the surrounding Chunin and Genin began weaving hand signs, preparing their respective ninjutsu.
The Jonin had witnessed Kakashi's deadly speed in dispatching the two Chunin. Close-quarters combat was clearly suicide; suppressing him with ninjutsu to force an opening was the only viable strategy.
"Earth Release: Tearing Earth Palm!"
Multiple shinobi unleashed the coordinated Earth Release technique, instantly reshaping the terrain. The ground fractured, earthen walls several meters high erupted upwards, and gaping fissures waited to swallow Kakashi whole.
A thick cloud of dust billowed, obscuring the Iwagakure ninja's vision. Startled birds fled the forest canopy, their cries echoing through the trees.
But why is that birdsong so loud?
The question had barely formed in the Iwa Jonin's mind when he looked down. A hand, crackling with brilliant blue lightning, protruded directly through his chest.
Ah... so it was ninjutsu?
With that final, fleeting thought, the Iwa Jonin lapsed into eternal silence.
Kakashi withdrew his right hand, his expression unchanged as he deactivated the Chidori.
He'd need to be more careful with his remaining chakra.
The other Iwagakure ninja, still oblivious to their captain's demise, continued to pour ninjutsu attacks into the lingering dust cloud.
"Ahem."
Drawing their attention, Kakashi casually patted the trunk of the tree beside him.
"I'm over here."
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 30 advanced chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Leanzin