"Man, that's a solid death flag you just raised."
Tōya shook his head.
Kakashi was still a little too naïve. If this mission were really just about picking up some documents, why would a jōnin like Kakashi be sent? A regular chūnin could easily handle it.
Not every faction wanted peace. Some war-profiteering groups weren't exactly eager to see the fighting end. Even smaller shinobi villages had no interest in peace.
For those who wanted to break through the Five Great Nations' grip, peace was simply not an option.
So as long as there was even a sliver of opportunity to cause chaos, they'd take it.
Sure, Tōya figured even if the documents were stolen, it wouldn't actually stop the peace treaty between Konoha and Iwagakure. The momentum for peace was too strong.
But those people didn't need certainty. A small chance was enough for them to act.
Eventually, after much persuasion from Kakashi, Might Guy reluctantly turned back, though he looked over his shoulder every few steps.
The two resumed their journey.
As they walked, Tōya warned,
"Kakashi, you should stay sharp. There's a high chance we'll run into enemies on this mission."
Kakashi gave a nod, but inwardly, he dismissed the warning. In terms of mission experience, he had far more than this so-called "senpai."
Tōya's reminder also brought Rin to mind. She always used to gently warn him not to be careless...
And just like that, the memory of Rin resurfaced, along with the feeling of her blood on his right hand, thick and inescapable. A guilt he could never wash away.
Kakashi once again sank into his spiral of self-blame.
Seeing his state, Tōya said nothing more and silently continued the journey.
He understood now, words wouldn't reach Kakashi.
He needed to trip, fall, and hit the ground hard for the lesson to sink in.
With high-speed ninja mobility, they soon arrived at the rendezvous point and retrieved the documents.
Tōya, now alert, fully activated his Observation Haki.
The trip back was the real danger zone.
The enemy didn't even need to kill them, just destroy the documents.
Shortly after crossing the border, Tōya sensed four chakra signatures hidden in the nearby forest, masked and dressed in black. They were using transformation jutsu to blend in.
After gauging their presence with Haki, Tōya relaxed slightly. Three were standard chūnin, and one was a special jōnin.
Still, he didn't warn Kakashi. Instead, he trailed behind, curious to see how the boy would react.
Suddenly, as Kakashi sprinted through the woods, a chill ran down his spine. He halted abruptly.
Whoosh!
A kunai flashed past his face, embedding itself deep into a tree trunk.
Only then did Kakashi realize they were surrounded. Four masked enemies had emerged from the forest.
He immediately lifted his forehead protector, revealing the Sharingan beneath. Without hesitation, he formed seals and activated Chidori.
BZZZTT, !
Blue lightning crackled wildly in his hand.
No words. No hesitation.
Using Chidori's incredible speed, Kakashi charged toward the two closest enemies, aiming to take them out in one swift move.
Watching his performance, Tōya could only nod in approval.
A genius is a genius, even when emotionally unstable, no small fry can fake their way past that.
Just as Tōya was expecting Kakashi to drop both targets instantly,
The lightning in Kakashi's hand suddenly vanished.
A trace of sorrow surfaced on his face.
In his mind, Rin's image appeared again. The masked enemy's figure overlapped with hers, blurring into that haunting scene from the day of her death.
The black-clad enemy had no idea why Kakashi had stopped moving, but he wasn't about to waste such a golden opportunity.
Chakra surged into his fist, and he punched Kakashi hard, sending him flying.
Thud!
Kakashi crashed into the ground, coughing up blood.
The searing pain brought him back to reality… along with a cold sense of despair.
He was injured. Four enemies surrounded him, and one of them was clearly strong.
And his only teammate was a "chūnin."
"Maybe this is fine," Kakashi thought grimly. "A guy like me doesn't deserve to live anyway. Rin… Obito… I'm coming to join you."
Watching the scene unfold, Tōya couldn't help but palm his face.
That backfired fast. Is he seriously trying to die in front of me? Did he somehow hear my thoughts and decide to mess with me on purpose?
The masked enemies let out a breath of relief. Kakashi's aura earlier had genuinely startled them.
As for the man behind him, Hakusei Tōya, they paid him no mind. Their main threat was already down. How hard could his backup be?
"So I'm being underestimated, huh?"
Tōya cracked his knuckles, looking at Kakashi's death-wish expression and the enemies' smug confidence.
He grinned.
Perfect. I've been dying to test Conqueror's Haki on actual shinobi.
"Go!"
The enemy leader barked a cold command.
In a flash, three of the masked ninja charged toward Kakashi, chakra surging at their feet. The last one rushed straight for Tōya.
Tōya glanced at them, then unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
A tremendous force exploded outward.
All four enemies froze in their tracks, eyes wide in disbelief as they stared at Tōya.
"W-What is this... this pressure…?"
One of them struggled to form hand signs, but couldn't even move a finger.
Only the special jōnin could barely resist, backing away with growing dread.
On the ground, Kakashi stared at Tōya like he'd seen a ghost.
Tōya hadn't even targeted him directly, yet the mere spillover of that Haki made Kakashi's heart race in fear.
"You came all this way, no need to rush off just yet."
Tōya smirked at the retreating jōnin.
"Too bad I didn't bring anything fancy. You'll have to settle for a punch."
He intensified the Haki.
The three chūnin immediately collapsed, unconscious.
The jōnin completely panicked and turned to flee, abandoning everything.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
He used the Body Flicker to dash across the treetops at lightning speed, heart pounding.
If he had four legs, he'd use them.
He'd never met anyone so terrifying, someone who could knock out three trained shinobi without even lifting a hand.
Their Grass Village leader was strong, sure, but nothing like this.
If even a document courier from Konoha is this strong… how could Grass Village ever hope to challenge the Five Great Nations?
His morale shattered.
After running for a while and sensing no pursuit, the special jōnin slowed down, puzzled. He turned around, just in case.
In the distance, he saw Tōya, calm, unmoving, but raising a glowing white fist toward him.
The Grass ninja chuckled bitterly.
From that distance? What's he gonna do, punch me through the forest?
If he somehow hits me from here, I'll eat every kunai in my gear pouch.
But then… something felt wrong.
Crack… crack…
A strange rumbling filled the air.
The wind began to howl.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter