East of Tenfu Gorge.
On an open plain sat a small Konoha's camp.
This camp was established to defend against small-scale surprise attacks from Kirigakure, so it wasn't heavily garrisoned, with only just over thirty Ninjas.
Among them, half were Jonin who mastered secret techniques or even Kekkei Genkai, making them perfectly suited to deal with Kirigakure's small-scale assault teams.
Late at night,
In a lit tent, shadows moved.
"Kakashi…"
"Does your eye still hurt?"
Rin threw the syringe used to inject painkillers into the trash bin beside the chair, then looked up and asked with concern.
"Much better."
Kakashi's face was very pale as he said in a low voice, "Maybe I've been using the Sharingan too much lately. My body can't quite handle it."
"That's normal."
Rin looked at Kakashi's crimson Sharingan with worry. "A Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan puts a great strain on the body once transplanted. The initial period is very difficult. After another year or two, when your body gets used to it, it should get much better."
"If…"
"If it's really too painful, you could also try removing the Sharingan…"
However, before Rin could finish, Kakashi waved his hand to interrupt her.
He said with a pained expression, "No. This Sharingan is the most precious thing Obito left me. For the rest of my life, I will never abandon Obito again. I will stay with him always…"
"Kakashi…"
Hearing this, Rin's eyes gradually reddened.
Girls are naturally prone to sentimentality. Remembering Obito's body, crushed beyond recognition by the giant boulder, made her heart ache terribly, and tears began to fall uncontrollably.
Pitter-patter~ pitter-patter~
Pitter-patter~ pitter-patter~
Outside the tent, the sound of drizzling rain suddenly came.
"It's raining…"
Smelling the scent of rain, Kakashi couldn't help but slowly close his eyes. He hadn't slept for three days… even the toughest Ninja would soon reach their limit.
Outside the Konoha's camp, a Chunin on patrol yawned sleepily.
Distracted, he failed to notice a figure suddenly forming within the puddles created by the falling rain.
Crunch!
A kunai stabbed into his back.
The patrolling Chunin was silently taken down by Meigetsu, who had appeared stealthily, her hand covering his mouth.
This was the Hozuki Clan's secret Hydrification Technique!
Under the dark curtain of rain, over a dozen figures instantly flickered in, leaping into the Konoha's camp.
The rain masked the sound of footsteps.
However, the Konoha's Ninjas were no pushovers either. Before long, the sounds of intense fighting erupted within the camp.
Boom!
Boom!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!!!"
Bang!!!
Flames exploded.
In an instant, the Ninjas in the camp were awakened.
"Enemy attack?"
Kakashi's eyes snapped open. After a brief moment of blankness, he leaped out of the tent without a second thought and charged towards Rin's location.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Kakashi moved extremely fast, drawing the sword from his back as he accelerated frantically.
Sure enough, in the rain, he saw several masked Kirigakure's Anbu surrounding Rin and three other Konoha's Kunoichi.
"Damn it!"
"It's Kirigakure!"
Kakashi was horrified. Kirigakure's Ninjas were notorious for their cruelty. If Rin fell into their hands, he believed she would likely be brutally tortured and killed.
Thump!
In the night, a sudden gust of wind shot towards the spot where Kakashi was about to land.
"Huh?"
Kakashi's ears twitched, and he immediately flipped his body, narrowly dodging the incoming attack.
"So this is Konoha's prodigy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi?"
"Your reputation is well-deserved!"
As the words were spoken, a Kirigakure's Anbu with long black hair suddenly charged towards Kakashi.
'That technique just now…'
'Water Gun Technique!'
'This guy is a Ninja from the Hozuki Clan!!!'
Kakashi's crimson Two-Tomoe Sharingan instantly identified the opponent's Jutsu. That attack, like a pistol bullet, was the secret technique of Kirigakure's Hozuki Clan, Water Release: Water Gun Technique!
In that fleeting moment, their swords had already clashed.
Clang!
The force was heavy.
Neither showed weakness. In the chaotic battlefield, Kakashi and Meigetsu's blades ground fiercely against each other.
"Bastard!"
"Don't get in my way!"
Kakashi roared madly. Rin was being besieged by enemies over there, so he really had no time to tangle with this Kirigakure's Anbu from the Hozuki Clan.
"Leave it to me!"
At that moment, the camp's captain, the Jonin from the Akimichi Clan, directly brandished his spiked club, bypassing the two and rushing towards Rin's location.
Over there were three Medical-Nin, the weakest in combat power.
Without support, they would probably be quickly killed by the raiding Kirigakure's Anbu.
'Good!'
A flicker of joy appeared in Kakashi's eyes. With the Akimichi Clan's Jonin providing support, he believed Rin would be safe soon!
However, in the sky-
A white light flashed.
The Akimichi Clan's Jonin, leaping mid-air, was cleanly cut in two by a suddenly appearing ice blade.
The severed corpse segments fell to the ground, splashing bloody rainwater.
"What?"
"Choru-senpai is dead?"
Kakashi was stunned.
Yet, before Kakashi could react, another figure descended from the sky.
"Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro!"
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
In an instant, six brilliant golden light fragments shot forth like fleeting visions, striking Rin and locking her firmly in place.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Rin, who had been fighting with a kunai, was instantly subdued, locked in an extremely awkward position on the spot.
At this moment, Sora also arrived using Shunpo. He struck, instantly killing the Konoha's Ninja next to Rin.
"Who are you?"
Rin, firmly locked by the Rikujokoro, looked at the suddenly arrived Sora with terrified eyes. She felt her Chakra was sealed, her body stiff, unable to even move a finger.
"No!!!!!!"
Kakashi roared with even greater madness. He pressed down with his sword, using the recoil to break away, then charged towards Sora like a madman.
Crackle!
Zap!
On his right hand, blue lightning flickered.
"Chidori!!!"
"I…"
"Will not lose Rin again!!!"
However, Meigetsu was no pushover either.
After being forced back by Kakashi, she swiftly turned and slashed at Kakashi's back.
Only, the hysterical Kakashi completely ignored the severe pain in his back.
Instead, he used the force of Meigetsu's slash to propel himself even faster towards Sora.
"Rin!"
Captured!
Comrade!
Death!
Seeing Rin captured, Kakashi's PTSD was instantly triggered to the max.
"Waaaaaaah!!!!"
"CHIDORI!!!!"
With super high-speed assault, Kakashi instantly appeared before Sora.
"Die!"
He raised his hand, the Chidori aimed directly at Sora's heart.
This was the ultimate strike of a Konoha's Jonin, a certain-kill technique destined to pierce any defense!
In that instant, the surrounding Kirigakure's Anbu all changed expression. Kakashi's assault was simply too imposing.
Using Lightning Attribute Chakra to activate cells, enhancing reaction speed, and then using the Sharingan for targeting… it was practically an unsolvable attack.
"Sir!"
"Be careful!"
An Anbu cried out in alarm, wanting to come to his aid.
On the field, only Kurumi, Yuzuki, and Toden looked at the frantically charging Kakashi with disdain.
'Overestimating his ability.'
That was Kurumi's detachment.
'Heh…'
'Konoha's prodigy, Hatake Kakashi, does he think he's stronger than Konoha's Sannin?'
That was the schadenfreude of Yuzuki.
In that fleeting moment-
Slap!
Kakashi's seemingly certain Chidori was extinguished by Sora as casually as snuffing out a candle flame. Sora reached out and grasped Kakashi's arm.
"What?"
Kakashi was utterly horrified. His crimson Sharingan stared fixedly at the man before him, yet he hadn't reacted at all to when the other had moved.
"Your hatred…"
"Is still far from enough!"
Sora's smile was subtle.
Kakashi's Chidori, with the Sharingan's targeting, was indeed more powerful.
From the charge to the attack, it deserved the evaluation of 'smooth and flowing'.
Unfortunately…
The user was a bit weak.
Before Sora, the mere level of a Jonin was simply not enough to be taken seriously.
At this moment, the instant they made contact-
A strange Reiatsu began to emanate from Sora's body.
Hum!
Hum!
The next moment, invisible golden ripples formed at the center of Kakashi's brow and rapidly spread out.
'Kido!'
'Soul Manipulation!'
This was the reward Sora had obtained earlier upon completing the special mission, [Repel Jiraiya]. It allowed him to manipulate power at the soul level. The higher the Reiatsu level, the stronger the skill's effect.
This time, Sora finally used this special Kido, carving an indelible mysterious curse mark into Kakashi's soul.
Instantly, a moment of blankness passed through Kakashi's one black and one red eye, before he returned to his original state of anger.
He stared fixedly at Sora, and at Rin, firmly locked by the Rikujokoro behind Sora.
"Rin…"
Before Kakashi could speak.
Crack!
His wrist was brutally broken by Sora, and his entire body was sent flying by a kick.
Boom!
Boom!
Kakashi flew backwards like a cannonball, smashing through five or six tents before finally coming to a stop, planted headfirst in the ground like a stuck radish.
One strike directly knocked him unconscious.
The Two-Tomoe version of Kakashi could already be considered skilled among Jonin.
Unfortunately, that level still didn't qualify him to make a move before Sora.
With his spine was almost broken, Kakashi, planted headfirst in the ground, was covered in bleeding wounds.
In the distance, Sora glanced at the unconscious Kakashi, then paid him no further mind, turning his gaze instead to the terrified Rin.
"First time meeting…"
"Let's get along well in the future."
After speaking, before the stunned Rin could react, Sora delivered a chop to the back of her neck, knocking her out.
Casually picking up the unconscious Rin, Sora said lightly, "Mission accomplished, withdraw!"
As soon as the words fell, he levitated into the air and, like a ghost, swiftly flew out of the camp.
"Flying?"
"What?"
Many Konoha's Jonin seeing this for the first time were directly dumbfounded.
At this moment, the Kirigakure's Anbu also used the intimidation created by Sora to quickly force back the Konoha's Ninjas they were fighting and followed Sora in a rapid withdrawal from the camp.
Some Konoha's Ninjas still wanted to pursue, but intimidated by Sora's unbelievable power, they didn't dare to chase the Kirigakure's Anbu.
They could only stand there with horrified expressions, watching helplessly as the raiding Kirigakure's forces moved further away.
…
Two hours later.
20 kilometers from Tenfu Gorge.
At a remote town.
In a secret room beneath a tavern, barriers blocked perception and sound everywhere.
This was a secret stronghold arranged by Kirigakure within the Land of Fire, requisitioned by the Anbu on this mission.
In the secret room, only a few people were present.
Sora, Meigetsu, and two Kunoichi responsible for sealing the Three-Tails.
"This Nohara Rin… she doesn't look like she has the potential to be a Jinchuriki. If we seal the Three-Tails inside her, won't she just die outright?"
Meigetsu looked at Rin, who was tied to a wooden cross and still unconscious, with a very uneasy expression.
Tailed Beasts were not good things.
For the vast majority of Ninjas, they were practically poison. That rampant Chakra could even tear a person's body apart.
Therefore, only exceptionally gifted individuals had the ability to become Jinchuriki.
"Don't worry!"
"Just follow the Mizukage's decision. If there's any blame, it won't fall on us."
Sora didn't really care. He was quite confident in his portable Gigai. Since it it could withstand Duy's Eight Gates, how could it possibly fail as a Jinchuriki's vessel?
As he spoke, he walked to the side and sat on a wooden chair, closing his eyes to rest.
Seeing this, Meigetsu couldn't say much more. Although she had always regarded the man before her as the greatest rival of her life, but from the looks of it now, even ten of her tied together might not be a match for Sora.
Since the situation was against her, she still had to carry out the orders.
However, Meigetsu found it a bit strange. She remembered Kurumi was always by Sora's side, never leaving. But now, why were she, Yuzuki, and Toden all missing now!??
At this time, a series of prompt sounds rang in the ears of Sora, who was resting with his eyes closed.
[Ding!]
[Special Series - Storyline Mission Part 1: Capture Konoha's Ninja, Nohara Rin, Completed]
[Reward: 50,000 Reiatsu Points]
[Random Reward: Bakudo #81, Danku]
[Danku: Forms a giant defensive wall using Reiatsu. When fully incanted, it can block any attack with Reiatsu not higher than the host's. When cast instantly, it can block any attack with Reiatsu one level lower than the host's.]
[You have obtained high-level Kido, Danku. Gained a large amount of Kido experience. Kido skill level has been upgraded from: Ordinary to Expert.]
…
[Special Reward: Hyorinmaru. Bankai. Daiguren Hyorinmaru]
[At the current level, after Bankai, own Reiatsu intensity +100% combat power. Simultaneously unlocks corresponding Bankai skills: Lingering Ice Puppet, Hail Flower Dragon, Thousand Year Ice Prison, Frozen Heaven Hundred Flower Funeral]
[You have unlocked the Bankai state of your first Zanpakuto. Obtained special achievement reward, 50,000 Reiatsu Points.]
…
In an instant, Sora felt a powerful Reiatsu erupt within his body.
100,000 Reiatsu Points!
That was a full 100,000 points!
Sora never expected that after capturing Rin, the special reward he obtained would actually be Hyorinmaru's Bankai!
Daiguren Hyorinmaru!
Bankai!
A terrifying skill that directly doubles combat power!!!
Moreover, Hyorinmaru's Bankai even triggered an achievement, rewarding another 50,000 Reiatsu Points!
Such abundant rewards made even the usually calm Sora feel somewhat excited.
100,000 Reiatsu!
Such a concept is just too insane!
At this moment,
With a thought, Sora's status panel appeared before his eyes.