"Chizan-sensei! Can't you carry me another way? I can run on my own!"
Kakashi was being swung around like a rag doll in Gekko Chizan's grip, narrowly avoiding branches several times.
"Ah! Kids will be kids! Do you have legs as long as mine? Can you take strides like me?"
"Me carrying you saves your energy, doesn't it?"
"Kakashi, you know what? Children should learn to be grateful!"
He didn't get rescued—instead, he got a mouthful of nagging. Tonight felt especially long for Kakashi.
[Ding! Detected that the host has given Kakashi a friendly lecture, instilling in him an obsession with growing up and getting taller. Special reward: Taijutsu +1.]
Gekko Chizan grinned joyfully at the familiar notification sound.
Based on his many years of experience, the more effort he put into these future big-name shinobi, the higher the chance of receiving rewards.
Look—just a few words and he got a stat boost. Sure, it was only taijutsu, but hey, even a mosquito is meat.
...
Meanwhile, two kilometers ahead of them—
A five-man squad dressed in civilian clothes was slowly making their way toward the Daimyō's estate.
"This direction has to be where the Fire Country's Daimyō's castle is. My sensory perception doesn't lie."
"Kuro, mark the coordinates and relay them to Jūzō Biwa, our jōnin."
"Once we find their location, we can launch a direct assault."
The man named Kuro quickly recorded the coordinates.
It was clear this squad had been sent by Kirigakure to scout—and they had succeeded.
"Banzaburō, how's your side? Any signs of anything unusual?"
"We have to ensure the area's secure. We're deep in Fire Country territory—if we get exposed, the whole squad could be wiped out."
Just as he said this, Gekko Chizan arrived nearby with Kakashi in tow.
Hearing their words, Chizan gave Kakashi an irritated look.
Kakashi was confused and lowered his voice to ask what was wrong.
"Chizan-sensei, did I do something wrong?"
"I mean, you've been carrying me this whole time—I haven't even moved on my own."
He genuinely couldn't figure out where he'd messed up.
"Look at them. They're obviously using sensory ninjutsu. I can use Transparent Release to hide."
"What about you?"
"Didn't you just expose us completely? So, tell me—shouldn't I glare at you?"
"Enough! Kakashi, it's your time to shine! Go, I believe in you!"
As Kakashi stared in shock, Gekko Chizan slowly vanished on the spot, not even leaving a trace of his chakra.
"Damn it! You're seriously doing this? You're the teacher!"
"There's someone over there!"
Kakashi and Banzaburō shouted at the same time.
The former was startled and immediately drew his short blade from behind his back, leaping away and landing in a battle stance.
The five-man Kirigakure team reacted just as swiftly, surrounding Kakashi from all sides.
"Tch, just a brat from Konoha?"
"A mere genin and he didn't run when he saw us? Not bad. I'll give him points for guts."
Kuro stared coldly at Kakashi, clearly assuming he was just a genin.
After all, from the looks of his age, that seemed likely.
Little did they know, geniuses did exist in this world. The brat before them wasn't a genin—he was a chūnin.
"Kill him! Our presence must not be discovered!"
The man who had first spoken gave the order—clearly, he was the squad leader.
The moment his voice fell, a flurry of shuriken launched from all directions at Kakashi.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing rang out instantly.
Kakashi parried the shuriken with his short blade and quickly retreated.
He knew Gekko Chizan was definitely nearby. This was clearly a setup to use him as bait!
Kakashi was speechless. He's a grown man—how shameless could he be?!
"This kid's not bad. Survived the first volley."
"If you were in our village, you'd be considered decent. Too bad—you're dying today."
Facing the approaching Kirigakure ninja, Kakashi remained calm. He swiftly formed hand seals and launched a roaring Great Fireball Technique.
The five Kirigakure ninja retreated at once.
Then, a chilling voice, like a devil's whisper, echoed through the air.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
A dozen snakes lunged forward, jaws wide, sinking into one of the Kirigakure ninja.
"Ahhh!"
A scream pierced the air, stunning the remaining Kirigakure members.
But that wasn't the end. A ghostly figure suddenly appeared.
The moment the Tiger Seal appeared, Kakashi's face darkened.
That hand sign—it was his lifelong nightmare!
"One Thousand Years of Death: Spiral Ascension!"
Infused with spiraling force, the infamous technique sent the poisoned ninja flying into the sky.
"Ahhhh!"
The scream was cut short.
Because he was gone.
"Damn it! There's someone else!"
"This kid was bait!"
"Banzaburō! What kind of sensory work was that?"
The captain roared in fury, and Banzaburō looked utterly stunned. He had only sensed one person!
"Screw it! Whether it's one or two—just kill them!"
"Kuro, you handle the kid. The rest of you, come with me—we take down that guy!"
The remaining four split into two teams. Kuro went after Kakashi alone, while the others charged at Gekko Chizan.
Unfortunately, plans are one thing—reality is another.
During that brief exchange, Gekko Chizan had already prepared the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The area was now littered with kunai inscribed with teleportation marks.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
The captain unleashed his strongest ninjutsu, and the other two followed suit.
"Water Style: Water Whip!"
Two whips formed from water lashed out, aiming to bind Chizan.
But before their attacks could land, their target disappeared.
"Nani?!"
"Oh no! Kuro!"
Seeing Gekko Chizan vanish, the captain quickly interrupted his jutsu and turned to look the other way.
Sure enough, behind Kuro, who was in the middle of a blade clash with Kakashi, Chizan had already raised his hand.
Again, a dozen snakes burst forth, sinking their fangs into Kuro.
With a forceful tug, Kuro's body was yanked right in front of Gekko Chizan.
"Number two."
"Ahhh!"
The scream, once again, was cut short.
With snake venom and the spiral-infused One Thousand Years of Death, Kuro too was gone.
"Damn it! Was that Body Flicker? That was way too fast!"
"How are we supposed to fight this? Captain, we should retreat!"
"Yeah, there's no way we can win this!"
Faced with the terrifying Gekko Chizan, the remaining Kirigakure ninja lost the will to fight.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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