Chapter 12 — Rin Nohara Trapped in a Life-or-Death Crisis
"One thousand ryō isn't a small sum… And based on the description, this Tōki doesn't even sound that formidable. So why hasn't anyone completed the mission yet?"
Obuya stood in front of the mission board, staring at the posted request. The reward was generous for a task of its stated difficulty—almost suspiciously so. The more he read the mission details, the more a quiet sense of unease began to creep into his mind.
Something about it didn't add up.
"Cough… cough… I suggest you don't attempt this mission."
The quiet warning came from beside him, accompanied by a faint, dry cough. Obuya turned his head and saw a pale-faced boy standing nearby, his frail appearance contrasting sharply with the seriousness in his eyes.
It was Gekkō Hayate.
Obuya recognized him instantly.
"You know about this mission?" Obuya asked.
Hayate coughed lightly into his hand before answering. "I went to check it out myself… but later realized it's too dangerous. The information in the description is misleading."
He didn't elaborate further, speaking in vague terms as though reluctant to describe what he had seen.
Obuya immediately understood what that likely meant.
Hayate possessed the Transparent Escape Technique—Tōton—a rare stealth ability that allowed him to conceal his presence almost perfectly. It gave him a natural advantage in reconnaissance and tracking missions.
From Hayate's words, Obuya guessed that he had probably followed this rogue ninja named Tōki in secret, gauged his strength firsthand, and realized he stood no chance in a direct fight. Retreating must have been his only option.
And Hayate was no weakling.
Among their peers, his swordsmanship ranked near the top. If even he had withdrawn without engaging, that alone spoke volumes about how dangerous Tōki truly was.
"Thanks for the warning," Obuya said sincerely, offering a small smile.
Hayate shook his head faintly.
"No need to thank me," he replied. "But your luck doesn't extend to everyone."
He paused before continuing.
"That girl you're usually with… Rin Nohara. This time, she's probably in serious danger."
Obuya froze.
"What?! Rin? What happened to her?!"
His face went pale as he grabbed Hayate by the shoulders without thinking.
Hayate didn't resist. He simply answered calmly.
"When I arrived, I ran into Uzuki Yukino. She said Rin invited her to take this mission together today. But Yukino had something else to do and refused."
Hayate coughed again before finishing.
"Rin insisted on going alone. She wanted that thousand-ryō reward."
Before Hayate could say anything more, Obuya was already gone.
He bolted from the mission office in a blur.
Watching him disappear, Hayate murmured quietly to himself,
"I hope I'll see you both at the competition… six days from now."
---
Outside the village, Obuya's feet crackled with electricity as he sprinted forward at full speed.
Blue sparks danced across the ground with every step, propelling him faster and faster as he raced toward the forest beyond the village walls.
"Rin… you're a medical ninja! Why would you take on something this dangerous?!"
His breathing grew ragged, but he forced his legs to move faster.
"Don't you dare get hurt…"
He wished he had eight legs—anything to make him faster.
Ahead lay the vast wilderness beyond Konohagakure, and beyond that, the place locals called the Devil's Forest.
That was where the mission had pointed.
That was where Rin had gone.
---
"She should… be fine," Obuya muttered to himself as he ran.
"In the original story, if Rin ever faced a life-or-death crisis, it would have been during the war… not now…"
But even as he said the words aloud, they sounded hollow.
Since his arrival in this world, too many things had already begun to change. Events he thought were certain had started to shift in subtle, unpredictable ways.
The history he remembered might no longer be reliable.
What he didn't realize was that, historically, Rin had never taken this mission at all.
It was only because of him—because he had dragged her out to eat so often—that Rin had found herself short on money and forced to seek extra work.
And so, quietly and invisibly, history had changed.
---
Nearly half an hour later, the forest finally came into view.
A vast expanse of towering trees stretched toward the horizon, their dense canopy casting deep shadows across the ground below. The forest felt oppressive, its silence heavy and unnatural.
By now, Obuya's body was nearing exhaustion.
He had been pushing his Devil Fruit abilities relentlessly, forcing electricity through his muscles to enhance his speed. The strain had begun to take its toll.
But he couldn't stop.
He wouldn't slow down.
"Rin… where are you?"
His heart pounded wildly in his chest.
The Devil's Forest was enormous. Finding one person here was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Obuya dashed into the trees and immediately began climbing. He scaled the tallest one nearby and leapt onto its highest branches, emerging above the canopy.
From there, he scanned the endless sea of green.
He wasn't looking for Rin directly.
He was looking for signs of battle.
Broken branches. Rising smoke. Disturbed treetops.
Anything.
"Hm?"
His eyes suddenly sharpened.
In the distance, a large tree shook violently, its branches swaying as though struck by a heavy force.
Obuya locked onto that location instantly.
Electric sparks burst from his feet as he launched himself forward, leaping from tree to tree with desperate speed.
---
Just as he neared the area—
He stopped abruptly.
Perched on a thick branch and concealed by dense leaves, Obuya froze.
Ahead of him, two figures were racing through the forest.
One fleeing, the other pursuing.
(Not Rin…!)
Obuya's heart sank.
The fleeing figure was clearly a man—a Konoha ninja judging by his attire.
And behind him—
The pursuer came into view.
Green markings smeared across his face. A kunai gripped tightly in his hand. His body hunched forward as he ran with predatory focus.
Though he wore no headband, his strange clothing marked him unmistakably as a ninja from the Land of Earth.
"A ninja from the Land of Earth… Could this be Tōki?"
Obuya remained hidden, waiting for the right moment.
The distance closed rapidly.
"A low-ranking Konoha ninja thinks he can escape me?" the pursuer sneered. "Die!"
He leaped forward and began forming hand seals.
But before he could complete them—
His expression changed.
He looked up suddenly.
A flash of blue light descended from above.
An electric-blue fist slammed toward him, crackling with violent energy.
Bang!
The punch struck the side of his face.
The physical force wasn't overwhelming—but that wasn't the real danger.
Sizzle—
A surge of electricity coursed through his body instantly, arcs of lightning dancing across his skin and even leaping from the tips of his hair.
Boom!
The man vanished into a cloud of white smoke.
Obuya's eyes widened.
"A Shadow Clone?!"
---
"Run!" the Konoha ninja shouted urgently. "This Tōki is as strong as a Jonin! We need to report this immediately!"
"So it really is Tōki…" Obuya said grimly. "How did he come after you? Have you seen Rin Nohara?"
Hearing that Tōki had Jonin-level strength only made his anxiety worse.
"Rin…" the ninja said, his face pale. "She's probably in serious danger. I just stumbled onto the fight. That clone chased me."
He shook his head urgently.
"Don't go over there and get yourself killed."
"Tell me where she is!" Obuya demanded.
"Against a Jonin from the Land of Earth, you'd just be throwing your life away! Go back to Konoha and report this first—"
"Shut up!"
Electricity crackled violently around Obuya's body.
His killing intent surged outward like a storm.
"Tell me the direction Rin is in!"
The ninja swallowed nervously, intimidated by the overwhelming aura.
Slowly, he raised a trembling hand and pointed.
Obuya didn't hesitate.
His body transformed into a streak of blue lightning and shot into the forest.
---
"Reckless…" the ninja muttered after he left.
"That clone wasn't even one percent of Tōki's true strength."
He shook his head grimly.
"Going there is suicide… Reporting this intel is the real priority. Otherwise, more people will die attempting this mission."
With that, he turned and headed back toward Konoha—the opposite direction from Obuya.