The next day, Crane's "background character" trait once again worked its unexpected magic.
Team 7's original member, Sakura Haruno, came down with a sudden high fever. She was so ill that even getting out of bed was out of the question, let alone joining a mission.
But the assignment to escort the bridge builder Tazuna from the Land of Waves was urgent, and they needed a replacement, immediately.
So, naturally, the honor, and the high risk, of this mission landed squarely on Crane's shoulders.
And the reason? Absolutely airtight.
"Crane? Oh, that guy who kept messing up during yesterday's D-rank mission?"
"Let him go. He seems the most free… and the most useless. Perfect headcount filler."
And just like that, Crane was booted off by his forgettable instructor with the same tone someone might use when tossing out garbage.
Now, walking the forest trail toward the Land of Waves, Crane was on high alert.
Sunlight filtered through dense leaves above, casting scattered light patterns on the ground. The air smelled of damp earth and foliage.
Everything looked peaceful, but Crane's heart pounded in his chest like a war drum.
He knew what was coming.
The Demon Brothers. Those infamous assassins from Kirigakure would be attacking soon.
He hunched slightly, putting on the act of a timid, cowardly Genin. He stayed at the very back of the team, just far enough to not seem suspicious, but close enough to reach his true target.
Sasuke Uchiha.
His eyes darted nervously around, an act, but the corners of his vision never left Sasuke's figure. He had calculated this position precisely. Among everyone in the group, he was closest to Sasuke.
And then, it appeared.
A small puddle on the path ahead, seemingly harmless… but oddly out of place, especially after several days of clear weather.
Kakashi walked past it without the slightest hesitation, as if he hadn't even noticed.
But Sasuke's brow furrowed, ever so slightly.
The moment they stepped past the puddle, the trap sprang!
Two figures burst from the water in a flash, their glinting chains whipping out like vipers toward Kakashi!
"Shhk, !"
In a blur of metal, Kakashi was instantly shredded into pieces by the blades.
"Kakashi-sensei!!"
Naruto froze in place, paralyzed by the blood and shock.
Sasuke, however, reacted instantly, kunai drawn, body low, shielding Tazuna behind him in a textbook defensive stance.
That's when it happened, one of the Mist ninja vanished and reappeared like a ghost behind Tazuna, claws laced with poison lunging for his back!
Sasuke's pupils contracted. He twisted to counter.
Now!
"AAAHHH, !!"
Crane let out a bloodcurdling scream, sharp and shrill enough to make ears ring, and "tripped," tumbling forward at just the right angle, just the right moment.
With uncanny precision, his clumsy body crashed directly into Sasuke's legs,
Thump!
Sasuke lost his footing. His stance buckled. He tumbled forward like a rolling gourd, limbs flailing.
Ugly? Absolutely. But that awkward fall pulled him just out of range of the assassin's killing strike.
A chill wind swept past his ears.
Had he not moved in that exact moment, the poison claw would've punctured his spine.
In that instant of contact, Crane had one thought screaming through his brain:
Copy. Copy. Copy!
[Combat interference during key plot event detected. Target is in an awakened battle state.]
["Ability Copy" has been enhanced!]
[Skill Upgraded: Temporary Sharingan → Permanent Passive Skill: "Sharingan Copy"]
[Skill Effect: Can permanently copy any C-rank or lower ninjutsu observed with the Sharingan.]
Got it.
Kakashi's voice suddenly rang out, calm and drowsy, like a sedative for the soul.
Without anyone noticing, he'd appeared behind the two Mist ninja. His iron grip locked both their necks like vises.
After scanning the area, his gaze lingered briefly on Sasuke, then drifted to Crane, who was shivering on the ground like a human embodiment of the word useless.
Disappointment flashed openly in his eyes.
He assumed Sasuke had dodged with Uchiha instinct and sheer dumb luck.
Sasuke climbed to his feet, pale-faced and rattled.
He was furious. And confused.
That fall… had been way too well-timed.
It didn't feel like an accident. It felt like an invisible force had shoved him in the exact direction of survival, at the exact 0.1 second needed.
His eyes narrowed at Crane, who was bowing repeatedly, face full of shame, looking like he'd soil himself at any moment.
Could it have been… him?
No. Impossible.
This dead-last loser couldn't even hold a kunai properly.
The group resumed their journey. But now, the air felt heavier.
Crane stayed at the back, head lowered, while the system's familiar tone chimed in his head, music to his ears.
[Congratulations. You successfully intervened in a key plot event without increasing your presence.]
[Reward: Chakra Control (Slightly Improved).]
[Your career as a 'Nobody' is flourishing!]
Up ahead, the sea came into view.
At some point, a thick mist had rolled in, visibility plummeting. The world turned gray, blurred, and unnervingly still.
And then, it came.
A killing intent so sharp it felt tangible. Cold. Suffocating. Metallic with blood. It swept toward them like a crashing tide.
Crane's breath caught. His legs trembled on their own.
Zabuza Momochi.
He was here.
Crane forced down the terror rising from his very soul and quietly activated his now-passive Sharingan.
His eyes turned crimson, a single tomoe swirling slowly in each pupil.
He peered through the fog, locking onto Kakashi up ahead.
Whoosh, !
The massive Executioner's Blade tore through the mist, slicing toward them with a deafening roar.
Kakashi calmly raised his hand, and with it, lifted the forehead protector that covered his left eye.
A blood-red Sharingan stared out, sharp and resolute. The eye that made him the Copy Ninja.
In the mist, Zabuza's silhouette emerged, his voice cold and taunting.
And in that moment.
Crane's system panel flared to life.
A deep red warning pulsed like an alarm siren, blinking furiously with each passing heartbeat.
[Legendary Kekkei Genkai detected: Mangekyō Sharingan]
[Proximity Copy Conditions Met]
[WARNING: Host's current body cannot handle this ability. Forced copy will result in body collapse and instant death.]
[Execute Copy Command? Please choose.]
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter