Having made up his mind, Kakashi didn't hesitate any longer.
Just as he was about to reveal himself and explain everything that had happened, two familiar figures suddenly emerged from the dense forest.
It was none other than Biwa Jūzō and Kurochu Raiga!
And they weren't alone—over two hundred Mist Shinobi followed closely behind, in hot pursuit.
Biwa Jūzō quickly scanned the battlefield. When he noticed that the silver-haired boy who had left a deep impression on him now lay lifeless, a sinister grin stretched across his face.
The terrifying man in green was gone.
And the young ninja who had managed to fight back—and even kill one of them—despite being besieged by seven members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, was now dead.
With those threats eliminated, the mission had become much easier.
As long as they could capture the girl their master desired, success was within reach.
As for the kid off to the side playing with wood-style techniques? He didn't seem weak, but they had the numbers. With himself and Kurochu Raiga coordinating the assault, victory was all but assured.
Capturing this bloodline ninja would surely be another grand accomplishment!
Thinking this through, Biwa Jūzō no longer hesitated and led his squad forward in Lin's direction.
"Little girl, come with us quietly," he called out coldly.
"As for that corpse—if you want it, you can keep it. Though it's a shame... I didn't get the chance to kill him myself to avenge the Tongcao Yebai clan."
As he spoke, Jūzō shook his head in mock regret.
The Mist Shinobi behind him looked at him with admiration.
"He truly is the pride of Kirigakure—Lord Biwa Jūzō of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
Yet standing beside him, Kurochu Raiga rolled his eyes.
"Kill him yourself?" he thought with disdain. "You were the first to run away!"
Still, he understood Jūzō's goal—to rebuild the confidence of the Mist Shinobi in the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. So Raiga stayed quiet and let Jūzō continue his performance.
---
Gulp... Gulp...
Suddenly, the girl who had been cradling the silver-haired boy like a statue stirred.
She slowly raised her head, her eyes brimming with unimaginable hatred.
A deep, eerie gurgling sound began emanating from her.
Crimson, translucent Tailed Beast chakra seeped out of her body, at first forming a layer of Tailed Beast Cloak. But in moments, it escalated into something far more terrifying—a monstrous half-formed Three-Tails covered in blood-red chakra.
Half-Tailed Beast Transformation!
"ROAR!!!"
With an earth-shattering howl, the Three-Tails beast raised its head high. Dark chakra began to gather at her mouth, flickering violently as it condensed into a dense sphere.
A basketball-sized Tailed Beast Bomb formed rapidly.
Whoosh!
"Everyone, get down! Careful!" Jūzō bellowed.
He raised his Executioner's Blade, swinging it desperately in an attempt to deflect the bomb.
BOOM!!!
The explosion tore through the battlefield like a hurricane.
Biwa Jūzō was thrown into the air like a rag doll. His massive blade—shattered from the impact—embedded itself deep into his own abdomen.
He wasn't going to survive that.
"ROAR!!!"
Lin, now consumed by fury and pain, didn't stop.
Her eyes burned with rage as she formed another Tailed Beast Bomb—this one twice the size of the last!
She was determined to annihilate them all!
---
"Oh no! Lin's soul is out of control!"
Kakashi, who had been hiding, could no longer stay back.
He immediately formed a Shadow Clone, which charged toward Obito to ensure his safety, while his real self vanished—appearing behind Lin in a blink thanks to the Flying Thunder God Technique.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The newly formed Tailed Beast Bomb was launched straight into the midst of the Mist Shinobi forces. A blinding light erupted as a storm of destruction ripped through everything in its path.
The explosion swallowed the entire unit of over two hundred Mist Shinobi.
The shockwave was so intense that even Lin, standing nearby, was at risk of being caught in the blast.
Swish!
At the last second, Kakashi reached out—grabbing one of Lin's tails with his right hand.
With his left, he touched Shisui's shoulder and activated the Flying Thunder God once more, pulling them all out of the explosion's range.
---
"Senior Silver Fox, are you okay?!" Shisui gasped as they reappeared in a safer location.
"There's no time to explain," Kakashi replied, eyes focused on the raging Three-Tails.
"Lin has lost control of herself. Shisui, your Mangekyō Sharingan—use it to suppress the Tailed Beast!"
"Understood!" Shisui responded without hesitation.
He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, and a red glow burst forth from his eyes.
In an instant, the monstrous Three-Tails began to slow. Its massive pupils transformed—mirroring the scarlet pattern of Shisui's Mangekyō!
Seeing that Lin's movements were now restricted, Kakashi stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Sizzle...
The overwhelming Tailed Beast chakra scorched Kakashi's body on contact. The burning sensation spread rapidly, as if igniting every chakra pathway in his body.
But he didn't flinch.
He immediately activated the Hundred Skills Technique, suppressing the pain as he leaned forward and gently pressed his forehead against hers.
---
In the blink of an eye, Kakashi was no longer in the forest.
He stood on an isolated island surrounded by a roaring storm.
And in the center of this lonely place sat Lin—hugging her knees, trembling, her head buried deep in her arms.
"Lin!" Kakashi called out as he rushed to her.
Hearing his voice, Lin slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Kakashi...?"
"Yes, it's me," he said softly, kneeling beside her.
"I'm not dead. The one you saw earlier... that was just a Lightning Style clone."
For a moment, Lin sat there stunned.
Then, without warning, tears poured from her eyes.
"Waaaah... Kakashi! I thought you were dead!" she wailed, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Why? Why did you lie to me and pretend to die?!"
"You big idiot! I hate you! I'm going to beat you to death!"
She began pounding her fists into his chest repeatedly.
"I'm sorry," Kakashi whispered, wrapping his arms around her.
"It's all my fault... I didn't want to hurt you. I thought it was the only way."
Lin continued to cry, though her punches gradually lost their strength.
Eventually, her fists turned into open palms as she gently stroked his chest.
"Does it hurt...?" she asked with concern.
She knew that when a Shadow Clone dispersed, the pain it experienced returned to the original body.
Even if the pain was diluted, the feeling of being pierced like a hedgehog was something only few could endure.
"It's fine," Kakashi said with a soft smile. "No matter how much it hurts, it's nothing compared to the pain of seeing you like that."
"Slippery tongue!" Lin muttered, her face flushing pink as she lightly thumped his chest.
If it were the past, she would've been too embarrassed to even respond.
But after everything they'd been through—after facing death together over and over again—her feelings had changed.
Even though Kakashi hadn't explicitly confessed his love, she could feel it clearly.
In her heart, she already saw herself as his.
---
"By the way... Lin..."
Kakashi gazed into her soft, rain-drenched eyes, his expression serious.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Lin blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"...Huh?"
Then slowly, a shy smile spread across her face as she gave a gentle nod.
"Mhm~"
Kakashi grinned. "Haha! That's it then. Now that you've agreed, you can't back out!"
"Make a promise—stick with it for a hundred years!"
He held out his pinky finger, his eyes sparkling with affection.
"W-Who would want to back out...?" Lin murmured bashfully, before finally mustering the courage to meet his gaze.
She extended her own pinky finger and hooked it with his.
"Let's promise... to be together for a hundred years."
"Whoever breaks it... is a puppy!"
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