The day after the academy's field exercise, tension hung in the air of the Hidden Leaf Village. Whispers traveled quickly: a rogue shinobi had been sighted on the outskirts, preying on merchants and travelers.
For academy students, this should have been nothing more than background noise. Missions of that scale were for chunin and jonin. Yet, the system's familiar ding echoed in my head the moment the rumor reached me.
[System Quest: Shadow of the Rogue]
Objective: Assist in locating and stalling the rogue shinobi until reinforcements arrive.
Reward: +500 EXP, +1 Stealth Technique (Intermediate).
Penalty for Failure: -100 System Reputation.
My breath caught. This wasn't a normal academy task. The system was pushing me into something far above my level.
Academy Grounds
"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Obito squinted at me, catching the change in my expression. His face already wore its usual mask of clumsy bravado.
"Nothing," I muttered. "Just… thinking."
But Kakashi's sharp eyes lingered on me. Unlike Obito, he didn't press with words. His silence was heavier, more suspicious.
Rin interrupted with her usual warmth. "Come on, you two. Today we're supposed to train with Iruka-sensei's group, remember?"
We went through drills. Kunai throwing, chakra control, even some paired sparring. My mind, though, kept wandering back to the mission prompt.
The system had never lied. If a quest existed, it meant I'd be dragged into it one way or another.
And when it came, it happened fast.
The Alarm
By late afternoon, the calm of training shattered. A chunin appeared at the academy gates, urgency written all over his face.
"All available students above basic training level—report!"
Teachers stiffened. Even though we were academy kids, sometimes emergencies forced early testing. It was part of village life: survival demanded early readiness.
My heart pounded. The rogue wasn't a rumor anymore.
Within minutes, we were split into small teams. Our assignment? Scout the forest edge and report any unusual activity. Do not engage.
Easier said than done.
Into the Forest
The four of us—Kakashi, Obito, Rin, and me—moved silently through the underbrush. The forest loomed, dense and dark, every sound amplified.
Obito whispered too loudly. "Why are we even out here? If this guy's dangerous, shouldn't the jonin be dealing with him?"
Kakashi's voice was cold and steady. "Orders are orders. Keep your voice down. If you can't handle this, go back."
Obito bristled but stayed quiet. Rin kept the peace with a worried glance between them.
Meanwhile, the system pulsed in my vision again.
[Sub-Objective Unlocked]
Survive direct encounter with the rogue for 10 minutes.
Bonus Reward: +1 Chakra Control (Intermediate).
I almost cursed aloud. Direct encounter? That meant he was already close.
First Contact
It happened when we reached a clearing. The air shifted, heavy with intent. Kakashi froze, hand flying to his weapon pouch. I followed instinctively.
Then he appeared. A tall figure in ragged jonin attire, headband scratched with a line through the Leaf's emblem. His eyes were sharp and predatory, his movements lazy but dangerous.
"Well, what do we have here?" His grin was chilling. "Academy brats, playing ninja."
Obito stammered, "W-We were just leaving—"
But Kakashi cut him off, stepping forward with surprising resolve. "You're not getting past us."
My system window flared.
[Enemy: Rogue Chunin – Rank C Threat]
Estimated Power: Far above current level. Survival advised, not victory.
My mouth went dry. Even Kakashi couldn't handle a chunin-level rogue at this stage. Yet we were already trapped.
Battle in the Clearing
The rogue struck first, flicking a kunai faster than my eyes could follow. Kakashi deflected it by inches, the clash ringing through the trees.
"Scatter!" I shouted before thinking. Obito yelped, Rin pulled back, and I darted to the left.
The system guided me.
[New Skill Activated: Stealth Step (Basic)]
Temporarily reduces noise and visibility for 3 seconds.
Using it, I vanished into the brush, circling behind the rogue. My role wasn't to win—it was to stall.
Kakashi engaged directly, his movements sharp and precise. Every strike was efficient, but the rogue swatted them aside like annoying flies.
Obito, shaking but determined, hurled fire-style jutsu, the small flames forcing the rogue to dodge. Rin supported, throwing kunai with decent accuracy.
I struck from the shadows, slashing with a kunai aimed at the rogue's leg. He twisted at the last second, but my blade drew a thin line of blood.
He snarled. "So the brat has some bite."
System Push
Another notification popped.
[Progress: 3/10 minutes survived.]
HP: 68% (minor scratches sustained).
Chakra: 80%.
My lungs burned. Every second felt like an eternity.
The rogue moved faster now, frustrated by our persistence. He lashed out with a kick that sent Obito sprawling. Kakashi darted in, landing a clean strike across the rogue's arm. Rin dragged Obito to safety, hands glowing faintly with her beginner medical ninjutsu.
I had to act.
Activating Stealth Step again, I sprinted across the rogue's blind spot and slammed an explosive tag I'd looted earlier onto a tree near him.
It detonated with a deafening boom. The explosion didn't kill him—far from it—but smoke and flying debris bought us precious seconds.
Reinforcements
By the ninth minute, I was barely standing. Sweat drenched my face, my chakra reserves dangerously low.
The rogue lunged, and I braced for impact—
—only for three masked ANBU to appear, surrounding him in a blur of lethal precision.
The fight ended instantly. The rogue was subdued, bound, and dragged away like a feral animal.
We were left panting in the clearing, shaking but alive.
System Rewards
The system chimed, flooding me with relief.
[Quest Complete: Shadow of the Rogue]
EXP +500
Stealth Technique (Intermediate) acquired.
Reputation: +10 (Konoha Academy).
Bonus Reward Unlocked: Chakra Control (Intermediate).
Aftermath
Kakashi sat silently, staring at his bruised knuckles. Obito muttered complaints even as Rin scolded him gently.
I, meanwhile, tried to catch my breath, hiding the glow of new strength the system granted me.
For the first time, we'd stepped into the true world of shinobi—where even children could be forced to fight for survival.
And this was only the beginning.
Author's Note:
What did you think of that fight, everyone? 😅 Our MC finally faced the real danger of the shinobi world—no more simple training drills! Even though the rogue was way out of their league, teamwork and quick thinking (plus a little System help 👀) kept them alive until ANBU showed up.
This chapter was meant to show two things:
1️⃣ How cruel and unpredictable the ninja world can be, even for kids.
2️⃣ How the System won't always protect the MC by making things "easy"—sometimes survival itself is the reward.
Also, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all got a chance to shine in their own way. Did you like how they fought together despite their differences?
💬 Tell me in the comments: If you were in MC's shoes, what strategy would you use to survive against a rogue shinobi?
Next chapter, things won't calm down yet. The aftermath of this encounter will change how the academy—and especially Kakashi—view the MC. Stay tuned! ✨