Chapter 235: Long Awaited Reunion with an Old Friend
After Kakashi bought those unbelievable books, he left the capital of the Land of Snow without hesitation.
Kenichi followed in silence.
Based on how the story was supposed to go, Kakashi would definitely run into Koyuki. Kenichi also wanted to confirm something for himself. If he did not interfere at all, would Kakashi and Koyuki still meet the same way? Or would the ripple of his existence force even this small plotline to bend?
Not long after, Kenichi trailed Kakashi out of the capital.
The moment they left the warm, crowded city, the weather turned vicious. Wind like knives, snow that never stopped, and a cold that sank straight through cloth. Kenichi rubbed his hands together and exhaled, watching a pale puff of breath vanish into the storm.
Ninja had strong physiques. Weather like this was not truly a threat, at least not to the point of stopping basic movement. Still, it was miserable.
In the howling wind and snow, Kenichi followed Kakashi for an entire day.
Kakashi never stopped moving for long. His direction stayed steady, and as the hours passed, Kenichi realized he was heading toward the coast.
That made Kenichi's confidence waver.
Could it be that his presence had already changed this part of the story? If Kakashi reached the port and left without meeting Koyuki, then the entire sequence would be different.
"Even if I've already changed so much," Kenichi sighed, watching Kakashi rest ahead, "will even this get rewritten?"
At that point, the ocean was visible in the distance, a dark line beneath the white sky. The port was close.
In that situation, Kakashi might truly never run into Koyuki.
Kenichi was already considering leaving when a sudden shout cut through the blizzard.
His body stilled. His eyes shifted.
Kakashi had clearly noticed it too. He rose instantly, weapon in hand, posture sharp and cautious as he focused on the sound.
A moment later, Kenichi saw them.
A panicked little girl sprinting through the snow, with several adults chasing her hard.
Kenichi watched quietly, and a flicker of surprise rose in him. He had not expected Kakashi and Koyuki to meet here, of all places. It almost felt like the world itself was forcing the encounter.
But the next development still caught Kenichi off guard.
At first, Kakashi did not look like he wanted to get involved.
That was normal. It was how ninja survived. The ninja world was full of unfortunate people, and many died because someone "meddled." Kindness was rare, and it was often punished.
Yet the moment the girl noticed Kakashi and abruptly changed direction toward him, Kakashi moved.
Kenichi's lips curved faintly.
"So you really are that kind of person," he murmured.
Kakashi's choice was exactly what Kenichi expected. Beneath the Anbu coldness, Kakashi was still Kakashi. A fundamentally good person.
Kenichi stayed to the side and watched.
Kakashi had the Sharingan, but it was not the future Mangekyo. And because he could not deactivate it, his chakra was being drained continuously. The drawback was brutal, and under that constant consumption, Kakashi quickly fell into a disadvantage against the three attackers.
Kenichi straightened.
"Then it's my turn."
He stood, then hesitated for a heartbeat. After that, he quietly removed his outer clothes and his mask, switching into a plain, ordinary ninja combat outfit. He did not want to expose anything tied to the Akatsuki.
The Akatsuki had already begun to draw attention. The later that attention sharpened into certainty, the better.
"Brat!" Kakashi panted, facing the three ninja in front of him. His gaze was cold, but his breathing was heavy. "If you interfere, you'd better be ready to die!"
They were strong. Their teamwork was clean and coordinated, the kind that turned a fight into a net.
But the real problem was Kakashi's chakra.
Ever since he received Obito's Sharingan, the constant drain had never stopped. It was a horrible feeling, like bleeding power every second. Yet for the sake of his dead friend, Kakashi had never once considered giving it up.
No matter how miserable it made him.
"I just need to hold out," Kakashi told himself, eyes flicking back for an instant.
Koyuki was behind him, forcing herself toward the port through the snow.
It looked cold to abandon her, but that was exactly what Kakashi wanted. If she stayed, she would only slow him down. If she reached the port, she might live.
That was all that mattered.
"Chidori!"
Lightning screamed in Kakashi's hand as he drove forward, blocking one ninja who tried to break past him and pursue.
But what answered him was a flock of birds made of ice, swarming in with sharp, cutting wings.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
Then a voice spoke, lazy and familiar, as if this were the most casual thing in the world.
"Oh? It's been a while. You're still this weak?"
Kakashi froze for a fraction of a second.
A piercing crack of thunder tore through the storm.
The next moment, a bolt of lightning slammed down and struck the three ninja head on, ripping through their formation and forcing them back.
At the same time, a figure landed beside Kakashi.
Arms folded. A relaxed smile. Completely at ease, like he had stepped into a minor inconvenience, not a fight.
Kakashi recognized him instantly.
Kenichi.
For a heartbeat, Kakashi's chest tightened with a surge of warmth. Seeing a close friend after so long made him genuinely happy.
Then reality hit.
This friend also carried another identity.
An S rank rogue ninja wanted by Konoha.
Kakashi's heart sank. His fingers tightened around his weapon by instinct.
But as he looked at Kenichi's face, he slowly loosened his grip again, almost against his own logic.
"Tch." Kakashi turned his head slightly, pretending to be unimpressed. "I was just taking it easy."
His tone was full of disdain, but the relief in it was obvious.
Kenichi smiled back, like nothing had changed.
"Right, right," Kenichi said lightly. "Just taking it easy."
A massive shape surged through the snow and wind, rushing toward them like a living battering ram.
Kenichi lifted a hand and exhaled.
Great Fireball.
Flames roared out, forcing the charging beast back and carving a wall of heat through the storm.
Kenichi did not stop there.
His chest rose once, calm and controlled, and then the real fire came.
Great Fire Annihilation!
The inferno spread wide, almost swallowing the sky, turning the white world into a blazing red for a brief, terrifying moment.
It was a technique Kenichi had obtained through a ninjutsu scroll, taken from Shisui, or more accurately, from Fugaku. Fugaku had given it to Shisui, and Shisui had brought it to Kenichi.
Whatever people said about Fugaku as clan head, he knew how to handle people. No one was perfect. And on that sinking Uchiha ship, Fugaku had still done what he could.
Kakashi stood beside Kenichi, watching the sea of flames, and his expression turned complicated.
So much time had passed.
Had the gap between them really grown this large?
"Damn it!"
The three ninja on the other side clearly understood they were outmatched now. After an angry outburst, they made the only smart choice.
They fled.
Kenichi did not chase them.
.....
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