Chapter 232: A Moonlit Flirting Picture???
Deep within the dense, shadowy foliage of the forest, Stelle found herself marching alongside three Chunin.
Her hands were bound tightly behind her back with coarse rope. Positioned squarely in the middle of the three shinobi, she stumbled along the uneven ground, her mind churning as she tried to make sense of her current predicament.
Having sat in the Hokage's seat for over a decade in a previous life, her sharp eyes easily caught the subtle, rapid twitch of their fingers. They were flashing secret hand signals. These were not ordinary Chunin; they were active members of the Anbu Black Ops.
But why would the Anbu suddenly kidnap her in the dead of night?
Had Danzo finally established the Root division? Had Hiruzen Sarutobi, in his infinite indulgence of his old teammate, turned a blind eye and allowed Danzo to snatch her away just to gouge out her Rinnegan?
She quickly dismissed the thought. That did not align with the facts.
If this were a genuine black-ops extraction, they would never have made it out the front door before Sakumo Hatake noticed the disturbance and slaughtered them all.
The path grew increasingly remote and treacherous. They were handling a steep, rocky slope littered with jagged stones of varying sizes, with low, thorny shrubs clinging stubbornly to the crevices. A slick, damp layer of moss coated the rocks, making the footing treacherous. Since Stelle was entirely barefoot, her toes slipped against the cold, slimy surface with almost every step.
The Anbu operative walking behind her, seemingly annoyed by her constant stumbling, simply reached out and grabbed the back of her collar in a tight grip, hauling her upright to prevent her from falling face-first into the dirt.
They moved at a brisk, tactical pace. With her short legs and bare feet, she simply could not keep up, resulting in her being roughly dragged forward several times. The coarse fabric of her collar dug uncomfortably into her neck.
'So this is how they want to play it,'she thought, her eyes narrowing slightly in the darkness.'Daring to drag and pull me along like a sack of potatoes.'
Stelle began to seriously calculate her options. If Danzo truly had established Root and intended to forcibly harvest her eyes, how should she retaliate? Perhaps it was time to fabricate yet another tragic alias, infiltrate the underground base, and completely raid the Root's armory?
Just as she was finalizing her hypothetical revenge plan, a sharp whistling sound pierced the quiet night.
A shuriken tore through the canopy, its trajectory perfectly calculated to bypass Stelle entirely and strike straight toward the three Anbu. The operatives reacted instantly, leaping in different directions to evade the incoming steel.
In the pitch-black darkness of the forest, a brilliant flash of silver light erupted. It was the cold, deadly gleam of a short sword reflecting the pale moonlight.
Two dull, sickening thuds echoed through the trees. Before two of the Chunin could even properly land from their evasive jumps, the short sword had already pierced their defenses. They collapsed to the forest floor, completely incapacitated.
The sole remaining Chunin finally registered the severity of the ambush. A cold sweat broke out across his back as he desperately spun around to face the attacker.
Standing beneath the dappled moonlight was a dark, slender silhouette.
Spiky silver-white hair, a dark mask concealing the lower half of his face, and a pair of eyes that gleamed with a sharp, predatory coldness in the gloom.
The Chunin immediately kicked off the ground, leaping backward to create a safe distance.
Kakashi did not hesitate. He dashed forward with two rapid steps, kicked off the trunk of a massive oak tree to gain altitude, and simultaneously drew two shuriken from his ninja tool pouch. With a flick of his wrists, he sent them spinning toward the retreating enemy.
Clink! Clink!
The Chunin drew a kunai in a panic, hastily batting the shuriken away. But in that split second of distraction, Kakashi closed the gap, appearing directly in front of him like a phantom.
The two clashed violently in the brush. The metallic screech of the short sword grinding against the kunai rang out, sending faint showers of orange sparks scattering into the night air.
A moment later, a thin, nearly invisible wire shot out from Kakashi's left hand. It coiled tightly around the enemy's forearm. With a vicious tug, Kakashi pulled the man off balance and directly toward himself.
Smoothly dodging the desperate kunai thrust aimed at his chest, Kakashi swung his short sword in a tight arc, cleanly knocking the weapon from the Chunin's grip. Just as the disarmed man raised his hands to form a desperate hand seal, Kakashi drove his knee upward with bone-crushing force, burying it deep into the man's abdomen.
The intense agony forced the Chunin to double over, all the air leaving his lungs in a ragged gasp. In that exact instant, Kakashi vaulted upward, twisting his body to deliver a devastating, spinning kick directly to the side of the man's head.
The impact sent the Chunin flying backward like a broken doll. He crashed heavily into the dirt, twitched a few times, and then went completely still.
In the span of just a few short minutes, Kakashi had neutralized all three assailants with clinical, ruthless efficiency. There was absolutely no wasted movement in his strikes.
Stelle stood perfectly still, staring at the three motionless bodies scattered across the forest floor with wide, dumbfounded eyes. She then let out a series of violent, ragged coughs, playing the part of the terrified victim to perfection.
Kakashi stood perched on a thick tree branch for a moment, his chest rising and falling as he calmed his breathing. Once his heart rate settled, he dropped lightly to the ground, carefully stepping over the three unconscious bodies to approach Stelle.
His short sword was still slick with fresh blood. Without breaking eye contact with her, he casually wiped the blade clean on the clothing of the nearest fallen Chunin before sheathing it. He then stepped close and used a kunai to slice through the thick ropes binding her wrists.
His dark eyes swept over her disheveled appearance, pausing noticeably when his gaze landed on her bruised, dirt-caked bare feet.
Seeing her staring blankly at the bodies, her shoulders trembling as if paralyzed by fear, his cold demeanor softened slightly. He offered a quiet word of comfort.
"It is over now. I will take you home."
Before Stelle could process the statement, Kakashi bent down. He slipped one arm securely beneath her knees and wrapped the other firmly around her back, lifting her effortlessly into a horizontal princess carry.
"I can walk on my own," Stelle managed to stammer, snapping back to reality. The physical proximity and the sudden lift felt entirely too familiar.
Kakashi ignored her protest. He simply adjusted his grip, holding her securely against his chest as he began to walk with quick, steady strides back toward the Hatake compound.
When they reached a particularly steep and uneven section of the rocky slope, Kakashi bent his knees and leaped forcefully into the air, clearing the obstacle in a single, soaring bound.
High above the canopy, the moonlight washed over them. It was another brilliant full moon night.
Stelle's gaze drifted upward, locking onto the massive, glowing lunar disc hanging in the sky.
The visual of being carried under a full moon by a silver-haired shinobi triggered something deep within her. Forgotten memories suddenly flooded her mind, crashing into her consciousness with perfect clarity.
In a flash of pure insight, Stelle completely understood the situation.
She pressed her lips tightly together, looking up at the handsome, youthful face half-concealed by the dark mask. She tried desperately to hold it in, but a soft, suppressed laugh bubbled up from her throat anyway.
Feeling the slight, rhythmic tremors radiating from the girl in his arms, Kakashi assumed she was finally breaking down and crying from the lingering terror of the kidnapping. He glanced down, fully expecting to see tears, only to meet a pair of bright, highly amused eyes. He blinked, utterly puzzled.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion.
Stelle tilted her head back against his arm, letting out a few more silent, breathy giggles.
Could she possibly tell him the truth? Could she say she was laughing at Hiruzen Sarutobi's incredibly transparent, melodramatic little scheme?
Deploying a small Anbu team in the middle of the night. First, sending a Jonin to Sakumo Hatake's bedroom to politely beg for his non-interference. Then, ordering three operatives to stage a clumsy kidnapping, deliberately making enough noise to alert the young prodigy living right next door so he could play the hero.
It was all a calculated theatrical performance designed to increase her sense of belonging to Konoha, ensuring she would willingly serve the Village as a loyal weapon in the future.
Thinking about it objectively, this was exactly the kind of soft-power manipulation Hiruzen Sarutobi excelled at.
Strengthening bonds through shared trauma. She had used the exact same tactic in her past life, forcing Minato Namikaze to build a positive relationship with the Nine-Tails. So, from a purely tactical standpoint, Hiruzen Sarutobi's plan to forge an unbreakable bond between her and Kakashi was not entirely wrong.
As a wielder of the Rinnegan, securing her absolute loyalty was worth a little shameless scheming.
But she certainly could not explain any of that to the earnest boy currently carrying her.
The solution was simple. Just praise him heavily. Flatter him until his brain short-circuited and he completely forgot his original question.
Stelle looked up at him, her expression shifting into one of deep, serious admiration. "Because Kakashi looked really cool when he appeared to save me."
A faint, unmistakable blush crept across Kakashi's exposed cheeks. He quickly turned his head away, staring rigidly at the trees ahead.
"Idiot, is this really the time to be thinking about things like that? You should be thinking about why someone sent assassins to capture you in the first place."
'Oh, I did think about it,'Stelle mused internally.'And I figured it out with crystal clarity.'
Perhaps her laughter had been a bit too bright, breaking her carefully constructed facade of a timid, cowardly girl. Kakashi glanced back down at her, his eyes narrowing with a hint of suspicion.
"Are you not scared at all?"
'Still stuck on this?'she thought.'Fine. Time to turn the flattery up to maximum.'
Stelle stared straight into his dark eyes, her tone incredibly firm and dripping with solemn sincerity.
"I was really terrified at first. But the exact moment I saw Kakashi appear from the shadows, all my fear vanished. Because I knew, without a doubt, that Kakashi would definitely keep me safe."
Meeting that unwavering, trusting gaze, Kakashi's breath hitched slightly. He rapidly turned his head away again, his grip on her tightening just a fraction.
He kept his eyes locked firmly on the path ahead. After a long, heavy stretch of silence, he finally spoke, his voice slightly stiff.
"A-Mu... train with me from now on. I will teach you the Hatake family's Kenjutsu."
He was not blind. He had already sensed that this girl harbored unusual secrets. The Academy principal paid an excessive amount of attention to her, and the villagers cast subtle, lingering gazes her way whenever they walked down the street.
It was not simply because her face bore a striking resemblance to the Fourth Hokage.
Someone with her hidden depths was destined for the battlefield. She was absolutely not meant to waste her life doing the mundane clerical work she always claimed to want.
"Okay!" Stelle chirped happily.
'Learn, learn, learn,' she cheered internally. It was finally time to master dual-wielding swords.
As they finally emerged from the dense forest and stepped onto the outskirts of the Village, they predictably ran into the Uchiha Patrol Team. Leading the squad was an old acquaintance of hers, Uchiha Kiyokazu.
Kakashi gently set Stelle down on her feet. He stepped forward, his posture professional, and delivered a concise report to the Patrol Team regarding the ambush and the unconscious bodies left in the woods.
Uchiha Kiyokazu's expression hardened. He immediately dispatched several of his subordinates to secure the forest perimeter and personally escorted the two youths directly to the Hokage Building.
It was already incredibly late into the night, yet the lights in the Hokage Office were blazing. The Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting behind the massive desk was not a Shadow Clone, but his true, physical self. He had clearly been waiting for them for quite some time.
After listening to Kakashi's detailed account of the situation, Hiruzen smiled kindly, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkling with grandfatherly warmth. He praised Kakashi profusely for his quick thinking and exceptional combat skills.
Then, he turned his benevolent gaze toward Stelle and began pouring out a heavy dose of his signature Will of Fire motivational speeches.
"A-Mu is very brave," Hiruzen said, his voice rich with practiced affection. "Not panicking even when facing so many dangerous enemies for the very first time. You possess excellent talent, my child. With more effort and dedication in your training, you will surely catch up to Kakashi soon. Then, when you encounter enemies in the future, you can not only protect yourself, but you can also stand by Kakashi's side and help him."
He smiled, an expression that Stelle internally categorized as resembling a creepy, scheming uncle.
"A-Mu must really want to grow strong enough to help Kakashi, right?"
Stelle lowered her head, acting perfectly shy, and gave a soft, compliant "Mm" in response.
Thoroughly satisfied with her obedient answer, Hiruzen Sarutobi poured out a few more bowls of thick, sugary motivational rhetoric for both of them before finally dismissing them, instructing Kakashi to ensure she got home safely.
As they walked out of the building, Stelle conducted a silent review of the Hokage's performance. Her professional conclusion was that his motivational speeches were severely lacking compared to her own manipulative monologues.
On the quiet walk back to the Hatake compound, Stelle kept tilting her head up to study Kakashi's profile. She would watch him for a few seconds, then let out another soft, gentle laugh.
"Do you know why Obito always stops arguing with you halfway through a fight, stares at your mask in complete silence, and then just gives up?" she asked, her voice light and teasing.
Kakashi glanced down at her, raising a single silver eyebrow in silent question.
Stelle's lips curled into a wicked, knowing smile.
"Because Obito always secretly thought that, much like my old face, you had horrible scars hidden under there. So he assumes you cover your face with a mask out of deep insecurity, and he feels too guilty to keep yelling at you."
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