The forest road stretched before us, sunlight spilling in patches through the leaves. To anyone else, it might have looked peaceful—quiet, safe, a straight path home to Konoha.
But to me, it was suffocating.
Ever since choosing the Path of Shadows, the world felt sharper. The wind's shift against my skin, the creak of bark, the faint rustle of a squirrel in the undergrowth—it all reached me with startling clarity.
And now, something else reached me too.
[Passive: Adaptive Instinct – activated]
Threat Perception heightened.
Warning: hostile intent detected.
My grip tightened on my kunai pouch. My eyes flicked to Daichi-sensei at the front of our group. His posture was casual, but I saw it—his shoulders stiffening ever so slightly.
He sensed it too.
"Stay alert," he said, voice low but carrying.
Obito groaned. "What now? We already dealt with those bandits last time. Can't it just be quiet for once?"
Kakashi shot him a cold glare. "Shut up and open your eyes. You're too loud."
"What was that, you—"
And then the ground exploded.
BOOM!
The shockwave slammed into us, dirt and smoke blasting upward. My ears rang, the forest rattling like it had been split apart.
"Ambush!" Daichi roared, already drawing his sword.
Shapes leapt from the smoke—five of them, masks covering their faces, kunai and short swords gleaming in their hands. They didn't look like bandits. Their movements were too sharp, too deliberate.
Missing-nin.
"Formation!" Daichi snapped. "Protect Rin!"
The first rogue shot toward her like a bullet. Obito threw himself in the way, his Sharingan still unawakened but fire blazing from his palms. "Like hell you will!"
Flames roared forward, forcing the enemy back. The heat seared the trees, filling the air with smoke and ash.
Another enemy met Kakashi head-on, steel clashing against steel. Sparks lit the air as Kakashi parried with calm precision, his single eye narrowed. Every strike was efficient, sharp, and merciless.
Two came for me.
My pulse spiked. But I didn't freeze.
[Skill: Silent Step – active]
[Skill: Camouflage – active]
I slid sideways, my footsteps swallowed by shadows. One of them blinked in confusion when I vanished. His eyes darted across the clearing—too slow.
I reappeared behind him, kunai in hand. The blade slid across his ribs shallowly, enough to drop him with a scream but not kill.
The second snarled and flung shuriken. I ducked and rolled, instincts screaming before his blade even moved. He lunged where I'd been a heartbeat ago, and I came up at his flank, slashing at his arm.
Obito's fire roared again, forcing another rogue back. He grinned, cocky even in the chaos. "Hah! See that, Kakashi? I don't need your—"
"Behind you!" I shouted.
Too late. A third rogue appeared in Obito's blind spot, blade slicing for his neck.
My legs moved before my mind caught up. Silent Step surged, and I cut across the field, kunai flashing. Metal screeched as I intercepted the blade inches from Obito's throat.
His wide eyes met mine for just a moment.
Then I shoved the enemy back, slashing across his chest.
Obito swallowed, face pale, before his pride kicked in. "Tch—don't think you saved me or anything!"
Kakashi's fight was worse. His opponent was stronger than the rest, a chūnin-level rogue by the way he pressed forward. Kakashi's arm shook with the force of each clash, his feet sliding back in the dirt.
Rin knelt nearby, chakra glowing as she sealed a gash on Daichi-sensei's arm. "Sensei, they're organized—this isn't random!"
Daichi gritted his teeth, deflecting a kunai with the flat of his blade. "I know! Hold formation!"
The battle surged. Kunai clashed. Fire roared. Blood splattered across bark and dirt.
And still, more shadows flickered at the edges of the smoke.
This wasn't just five attackers.
It was an execution squad.
The Turning Point
Another rogue leapt at Rin. Without thinking, I threw a kunai. It whistled past her ear and buried itself in his shoulder, knocking him off course. Kakashi seized the opening, his kunai flashing up to slash his opponent's cheek, blood streaking across the mask.
"Don't lose focus!" Kakashi barked. His voice was harsh, but his eye flicked toward me briefly—acknowledgment.
Obito panted, chakra running low already. His fire sputtered, sweat dripping from his brow. "There's too many! We can't keep this up!"
"We don't have a choice," I said through clenched teeth. My instincts screamed again. I whirled, catching another rogue's blade on my kunai. The impact rattled my bones.
The system pulsed.
[Adaptive Instinct – trigger]
Role: Defender. Defense temporarily boosted +10%.
My arms steadied, strength flooding my muscles. I shoved the enemy back with a roar, slashing across his leg. He collapsed, screaming, and I turned immediately to the next.
We fought like that—stumbling, bleeding, straining against the tide. Kakashi's precision, Obito's reckless fire, Rin's desperate healing, my shadows. Slowly, desperately, we pushed them back.
Until the last rogue standing gave a sharp whistle.
The survivors retreated, fading into the forest as quickly as they'd appeared. Only one lingered, mask cracked, blood dripping down his chin. He gave us a look that wasn't anger—but calculation.
Then he was gone too.
Silence returned to the forest, broken only by our ragged breathing.
Aftermath
I collapsed onto the dirt, chest heaving. My kunai dripped blood that wasn't all mine. My hands shook.
Obito flopped down beside me, face pale, his fire completely spent. "Tough fight, huh?" He forced a laugh, but it was weak.
Kakashi stood rigid, kunai still in hand, his single eye narrowed. "That wasn't random. They weren't thieves. They were shinobi."
Daichi wiped blood from his blade, grim. "And they were targeting us specifically."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Rin quietly bandaged my arm where a slash had torn through. Her hands were gentle, but her face was pale. "If they were missing-nin… then why attack us?"
No one answered. Because the truth was, we all knew what this meant. Someone had sent them.
The system's glow returned before my eyes.
[Hidden Quest Activated: Unmask the Hidden Hand]
Objective: Discover who ordered the ambush on your team.
Reward: ???
Failure: ???
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. The system wasn't done with me. And if the rogues weren't done either… this was only the beginning.
Author's Note
Hey everyone! 👋
This chapter was the first real ambush—a brutal fight against rogue shinobi instead of simple bandits. Our team barely made it out alive, but each member showed their worth:
MC used his new Path of Shadows abilities in live combat, saving Obito's life and holding his own.
Obito pushed himself hard, his firepower almost too reckless.
Kakashi fought like a machine, holding off a stronger opponent.
Rin kept them all alive with her quick healing.
And Daichi-sensei confirmed it: the attack wasn't random.
The system dropped a new Hidden Quest—Unmask the Hidden Hand. Someone ordered the attack, but who? A rival village? A bounty? Or something even darker?
💬 Questions for you guys:
Who do you think sent the rogue shinobi?
Should the MC keep his system powers secret longer, or start revealing parts of it to the team?
Thanks again for reading and supporting 🙏 The danger is only going to rise from here.