Hateful!!"
The middle of the forest path burst open as the attacker charged through the clearing.
Menma stepped forward, his expression cold and emotionless.
He raised his arms high—
The sharp glint of his kunai flashed beneath the afternoon sun.
For a fleeting second, hesitation flickered in his eyes.
But then—determination hardened within him.
Menma's pupils sharpened like blades, and he thrust the kunai down toward the intruder's vital point with lethal precision.
"!?"
It was a strike impossible to dodge at such close range.
The attacker gritted his teeth, twisting his body at the last instant, his right arm coming up to block desperately.
"Pfft!"
The kunai pierced flesh regardless, embedding deep into the attacker's forearm.
"Zltt!"
Blood sprayed across the ground. The assailant groaned in pain, staggering as he prepared to counterattack—
But Menma was already a step ahead.
"Ugh—!"
His left leg whipped upward, connecting squarely with the attacker's abdomen in midair.
"Wha—!"
The man's eyes bulged as blood spewed from his mouth. The force sent him crashing backward like a fired cannonball.
"Bang!"
He hit the dirt hard, rolling to a stop with a thud.
Before the enemy could recover, Menma blurred forward in a burst of chakra-enhanced speed, dropping to one knee and driving it into the attacker's gut again.
The impact knocked the wind from him completely—his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Sasuke Uchiha had already slipped behind the second assailant, his hand flashing upward.
A precise strike to the neck—
"Thud!"
The man crumpled instantly, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
"Ah! You two are too fast! At least leave one for me!"
Naruto cried out, pouting in frustration as he arrived a second too late. He watched as Menma and Sasuke each stood over their defeated foes, looking composed and calm.
"This was supposed to be our first real fight after leaving the village! You guys hogged all the fun!"
He stomped his foot, glaring at them both.
"Haha, then move faster next time, Naruto," Menma said calmly, tying the unconscious attackers to a nearby tree trunk with a length of ninja rope.
"Hmph, just wait! Next time, I'll be faster than both of you!" Naruto shot back, puffing his cheeks.
"Is this really the time to be arguing!?"
Sakura's voice cut in, sharp with panic. "Kakashi-sensei—! He was just attacked—he's… he's dead!"
Her wide eyes darted between them, trembling.
Menma, Sasuke, and Naruto, however, remained unusually calm.
"Dead…? Aren't you guys worried at all?!"
"Relax, Sakura." Naruto scratched his head with a grin. "Take a closer look where Kakashi-sensei was just standing. This is already the second time something like this happened. You should know his strength by now."
Menma and Sasuke didn't even flinch—only silent, confident gazes.
"Eh?"
Sakura blinked, following Naruto's pointing finger—only to see that "Kakashi's body" had already transformed into a split wooden log.
A simple Substitution Technique—shattered fragments lying on the path.
Even the blood splatter from earlier was gone without a trace.
The realization hit her like déjà vu—it was exactly like their earlier training scenario.
Her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Aha… it was just the Substitution Jutsu again…" she muttered awkwardly, forcing a small smile.
"Alright, Kakashi-sensei! You can come out now!" Naruto called, folding his arms. "You could've easily handled these two yourself, right? Why'd you let us do all the work?"
A familiar lazy voice came from behind a nearby tree.
"Heh, you really can't hide anything from you three, can I?"
Kakashi Hatake emerged from the shadows, hands in his pockets and his trademark eye-crease smile visible above the mask.
"But there's a reason I stayed hidden," he continued, turning serious. "I wanted to see who these attackers were really after. Don't forget, this was supposed to be a C-rank mission. These two,"—he gestured to the unconscious Mist-nin—"aren't your average thugs."
His single exposed eye shifted toward the bridge builder.
"Right, Dazna-san?"
At the mention of his name, the old man stiffened. His face paled, a flicker of guilt and panic glinting in his eyes.
"Eh? The real target? Kakashi-sensei, what do you mean?" Naruto frowned, his tone puzzled but sharp.
Kakashi didn't even have to answer—Menma already knew.
"It's obvious," Menma said flatly, glancing at the unconscious pair of Kirigakure missing-nin. "You can get them to talk easily, can't you, Kakashi-sensei? Then we'll know who their client is—and who they're after."
Kakashi's gaze softened slightly, impressed by Menma's clarity.
"That's right," he said, his voice turning colder as he addressed Dazna again. "So, Dazna-san, would you like to explain? You can stay silent if you wish… but something tells me these two will be more talkative."
All eyes turned to the old bridge builder now—Menma, Naruto, Sasuke, even Sakura.
Only Sakura looked confused, glancing from one person to another, trying to catch up.
"Hey…"
Dazna sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping. The pretense was over.
He knew there was no more hiding it.
For a while, he had hoped that hiring Leaf shinobi would scare off his pursuers—give him a temporary reprieve until his bridge was completed.
But that illusion was shattered the moment these Mist-nin appeared.
"Don't ask anymore," he said finally, voice heavy. "These men… they're after me."
The truth hung heavy in the air.
Dazna's tone wasn't defiant—it was weary, the sound of a man cornered but still clinging to his last ounce of hope.
Even now, he couldn't bring himself to give up that final bit of faith—that somehow, these Leaf shinobi might still help him, even after the lie.
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