Kakashi had a headache. How had the situation turned out like this in the blink of an eye... completely beyond his expectations? As a Jōnin of Konoha, he hadn't even planned on getting involved yet. But the Kirigakure shinobi had already stepped in to rescue Dilu and the others, making him appear as though he were some cold, heartless Jōnin.
Though—
He understood that just the phrase "Hokage's Assistant" held a kind of magic that drove people to take risks.
As someone who had fought in last year's battle against the Kumogakure forces, Kakashi would still recall, over drinks with friends, the thrilling victory they had won. At the time, Konoha had been fighting on all sides, their forces spread thin and at a disadvantage.
They had been driven back repeatedly by the Kumogakure forces—a truly humiliating situation.
Until—
The newly appointed Hokage's Assistant arrived on the front lines with just a thousand reinforcements.
In one battle, he turned the tide of defeat, allowing Konoha to win a spectacular victory against greater numbers. Even the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki had been captured. Since then, this young Hokage's Assistant had become wildly popular in the village, despite the Uchiha name, inspiring admiration from Konoha's youth.
Kakashi wasn't a teenager anymore; calling it "worship" was too much. But admiration was fitting. He had great respect for this young, talented Hokage's Assistant.
"This mission is definitely going to end in a scolding," he muttered as he watched the scene before him, now a fierce battle. He gripped his long sword, waiting for the right moment to strike, much like a hunting leopard.
Meanwhile, Ringo Ueyuri and Kakashi were fighting at a speed that left the Chūnin observers' eyes twitching. Despite Kakashi's efforts, it was clear to even the Chūnin that she was at a disadvantage. Her opponent, a prodigy of Lightning Release, held the upper hand.
Elsewhere, Gōzui was pushing Kenzō and Kohachi to their limits, proving himself a true prodigy of the Hidden Mist even without his ninja sword.
Kakashi wasn't the only one who felt bewildered by the turn of events.
"How did it turn into this?" Tianmu muttered, a pained expression on his face.
Of the four chasing Dilu, only Tianmu had yet to make a move. As a sensory ninja, he usually played a support role during missions, coming in later if needed. By not rushing forward like Kenzō, he'd found himself in a position as more of an observer.
Unlike Kakashi, Tianmu hadn't yet decided whether to join in. Even the Chūnin-level Mist ninja could see that Kenzō, Kohachi, and Kakashi were on the losing side, but as a skilled Jōnin, Tianmu was at least considering the option of retreating. After all, with their target Dōhōmaru now hiding among the Mist shinobi and protecting the unconscious Tsuchigumo Hotaru, completing the mission was no longer feasible.
As for Dilu… Tianmu inhaled sharply.
"Come forth, Thousand-Hands Killing Strike!"
This was Dilu's move.
Freed from the burden of carrying Hotaru, Dilu wasn't about to sit back and catch his breath. With a surge of anger, he attacked, and the seemingly invisible force of his punches struck Kenzō with incredible power. Kenzō had no time to use any substitution technique, and, unprepared, took the full force of the blow. Fortunately, he was able to activate his Hardening Jutsu just in time to partially shield himself, though he still coughed up blood.
Unlike the one-shot Water Gun technique, the Thousand-Hands Killing Strike could deliver dozens of blows in rapid succession. Although he activated Hardening Jutsu, Kenzō only managed to protect his most vital organs. The resulting blows fractured several bones, including his right tibia. The fracture meant he couldn't continue to fight as before.
"Is it over?"
Lying on the ground, Kenzō felt neither regret nor fear, only surprise that his pursuit of Dilu had turned out this way.
But even now, he wasn't ready to give up. Gathering what strength he could, he started to form hand signs, his chakra barely moving.
"Are you stealing my prey?" Gōzui reformed from the water splashes, annoyed by Dilu's interference, though he showed no concern that his body had just been broken apart. He struck with his water whip to parry Kohachi's blade, his gaze never wavering.
"Sorry, but these people killed my friends," Dilu replied, fury evident in his expression as he approached the still-defiant Kenzō.
"Tch, a personal grudge?" Gōzui clicked his tongue.
Noticing the aura of Dilu's wrathful spirit, Gōzui didn't argue further. He'd only intervened as a gesture of goodwill toward the Hokage's Assistant. He wasn't too attached to these targets, so he didn't mind if they fell to Dilu.
[Water Style: Water Flow Whip] — Hozuki Mangetsu lashed the newly-formed water whip in his hand, striking away the sharp, steel-cutting wind blade of Kohgomaru.
As the saying goes, "Draw the sword to cut water, and it will flow." For the swordsmen and taijutsu masters of the Shinobi world who struggle against lightning-style techniques, the Hozuki clan has become a loathed enemy. Blades, strikes—nothing has any effect when landing on the Hozuki's watery, intangible bodies.
Kohgomaru was absolutely infuriated. As a combat-crazed fighter, what he desired was the visceral thrill of slicing through flesh, the resistance of bone yielding to the cut—a sensation that was vivid and real. What he got instead was an empty, flavorless swing, like cutting through water.
This opponent… was maddening.
Despite his frustration, Kohgomaru couldn't dismiss Hozuki Mangetsu's attacks so easily. Earlier, a sudden Water Gun attack had shot half his left ear clean off, splattering blood down one side of his face. The stabbing pain lingered, piercing his head like a blade.
Nearby, Kagenosuke lay half-crippled, with his right leg broken.
Trying to use Earth Style to escape, Kagenosuke found his chakra flow disrupted by the leg injury, slowing his jutsu speed. Before he could complete the transformation, Chiriku was on him, launching his most powerful attack without hesitation.
[Rai-Ei: Sword of the Immovable Fudo Myo-o]
An invisible, colorless blade cut through the ground, leaving a deep gash about fifty centimeters deep. Kagenosuke's head and torso lay on opposite sides of the cut, blood gushing from the neck, soaking into the groove.
Kagenosuke was dead!
Realizing this was not a substitution jutsu, Kohgomaru saw the true death before him. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Kakashi, usually expressionless, now filled with helpless despair.
This wasn't looking good! Even Kohgomaru, for all his battle-hardened fearlessness, felt a hint of retreat in his heart.
He wasn't afraid of death.
But there was no point in charging toward inevitable death without a chance to take someone down with him.
Then—
"Hey, spacing out in a fight? Who do you think you're underestimating?"
The voice came from behind.
Kohgomaru jolted, his gaze still locked on Hozuki Mangetsu in front of him, who hadn't disappeared. Realizing he was in danger, Kohgomaru thought, "A clone? When did he…?" He'd been watching Mangetsu the whole time, so he hadn't noticed any sign of clone jutsu.
"Obviously, when that guy shattered," Mangetsu chuckled.
At that moment, a bullet-like stream of water shot from Mangetsu's finger, aimed right at Kohgomaru's heart. It pierced his back and shot through his chest, leaving a trail of crimson as it exited—another lethal blow from the Hozuki clan's Water Gun technique.
Dazed, Kohgomaru watched the red droplet in his vision, fading into a cold, colorless darkness.
With a dull thud, he fell to the ground, hand still clutching his famed blade, Kohgomaru.
"Crack—" Amid the thunder, Ringo Ameyuri appeared beside Mangetsu, holding a severed head. She glanced at Kagenosuke and Kohgomaru, sprawled lifelessly, and muttered, "One of them got away. Shall we go after him?" No need to ask—Tianmu had fled as soon as Kagenosuke fell.
His timing, swift and precise, left them no chance to pursue.
"No need," Mangetsu replied, shaking his head.
Handling this mess was enough. Pursuing too far could invite trouble. Chasing down a fleeing opponent wasn't worth risking additional complications.
"Cloud Elite Jonin, Chiriku," Mangetsu addressed Kakashi and Chiriku, "I think it's time we had a discussion about what comes next."
"It seems that way," Chiriku replied.
He wanted to return to their last camp to see if he could catch Homma off guard. But without a full debrief, Kakashi and Mangetsu wouldn't act with him, leaving him at a disadvantage if they didn't cooperate.
"Yes, it's time we talked,"
Kakashi sighed, frustrated. He hadn't had the chance to jump in on the action, and now the situation was far from over. Not only did they have to worry about the potential return of that runaway, but they also had to decide what to do next.
"Chiriku, and you, sir," Kakashi addressed Chiriku and Tunbei, "could you both start from the beginning and explain things in detail?"
Earlier, they hadn't had time to catch the specifics. Now, a proper briefing was in order. Without understanding the danger Chiriku was facing or any ties to the Hokage's advisor, it was impossible to decide their next move.
Would they continue to Konoha?
Or change course and visit the Daimyo's palace first?
"Well… let me start from the beginning," Chiriku hesitated for a moment before explaining, "As I mentioned, I'm a shinobi monk from the Fire Temple. Until recently, I served as a 'Guardian Shinobi' for the Daimyo. Those who attacked me, like Kagenosuke, were also former Guardians…"
Chiriku recounted the story in detail, covering Kagenosuke's involvement and why they had been attacked. He expressed deep gratitude for Kakashi and Mangetsu's timely intervention. However, he refrained from revealing his lie.
He'd clearly seen that both Kakashi and Mangetsu had been swayed to help only upon hearing the Hokage advisor's name.
If he confessed now…
A beating would be the least of his worries.
Without Kakashi and Mangetsu's support, if Homma, Tsubako, and Tianmu returned to fight, he'd stand no chance alone. Besides, those were just the visible enemies; who knew what forces lay hidden?
Recently, he'd come across hints that Homma had developed a considerable secret following.
So for now, the lie would stay.
Once safe, he'd apologize.