[NTU] [ARC-07-JOUNIN] Chapter : 109 (Patreon)

"Rin! Let's worry about it later; let's head towards the village first!"

Kakashi, keeping an eye on their pursuers, tried to comfort Rin as they ran. He didn’t have time for extensive reassurances, but he needed to keep her moving.

"Village…"

Hearing the word "village" Rin's fragmented memories began to piece together. Tailed beasts, transfers, seals, villages, rampage—she realized she was being used as a time bomb. Panic set in, but she steeled herself.

"Kakashi, we can’t go to the village!"

"Kill me now! I’m being used by the enemy!"

Returning to the village would spell disaster for Konoha, causing countless deaths, including Kakashi’s. Understanding the grave consequences, Rin was ready to have Kakashi end her life, ensuring she was the only casualty.

'It's a pity…like Obito, I never confessed to Kakashi…'

But dying by Kakashi’s hand wouldn’t be so bad.

"What did you say? I promised Obito…to protect you! This kind of thing…can never be done…just keep running towards the village!"

Kakashi was confused and desperate. If only Minato-sensei were here. With Minato-sensei, these problems would be solved.

Meanwhile, an anxious, one-eyed figure in a white outfit and black cloak was sprinting barefoot towards Kakashi's position.

'Kakashi… You promised me… You must protect Rin!'

Despite the urgency, the physical distance turned his anxiety into strength as he moved steadily closer to Kakashi and Rin, praying that the worst wouldn’t happen.

"Kakashi's scent is very strong now; they should be right ahead."

Pakkun's nose twitched as he led Toshiro towards the dense forest. They could already hear the explosions and the furious roars of the Kiri Ninjas.

"It seems Kakashi has really stirred up trouble with the Kiri ninja!"

"There are… 57 enemies..."

Toshiro closed his eyes, sensing the chakra reactions within a three-kilometer radius. Each of the more than fifty enemies had a chakra level above that of a chunin, indicating they were all elite troops.

"They won’t be in immediate danger. Let's find a place to hide first."

Toshiro hid in the bushes ahead of Kakashi, preparing to ambush the Kiri Ninja. Years of battlefield experience had taught him that surprise attacks were often the most effective.

Realizing Kakashi wouldn’t kill her, Nohara Rin prepared to commit suicide but found herself unable to move, as if possessed by a force controlling her actions. Determined to protect the village and Kakashi, she resolved to rush into the enemy’s position.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

A massive sea of fire erupted from the trees, engulfing the Kiri Ninja behind them. Toshiro, hiding on their path, saw his two acquaintances and launched his large-scale fire jutsu to intercept the pursuers.

"Hey Kakashi, you're really in a tough spot!"

Kakashi looked up to see Pakkun’s familiar face, the ninja dog’s eyes half-closed as he laughed at the situation.

"Since the reinforcements are here, I’ll leave now!"

With Kakashi being rescued, Pakkun turned into a puff of white smoke and vanished. As a tracking dog, he was of no further use in such a large-scale battle. It was best for him to escape early.

"We're saved!"

Seeing the orange-red flames illuminating the darkness for miles around, and the Uchiha clan emblem on the figure's back, Kakashi realized that Pakkun had arrived with reinforcements.

At the sight of his rescuer, Kakashi felt a wave of relief. Rin's earlier words had left him at a loss, but now there was someone to share the burden.

'I am saved by another Uchiha this time!'

As Toshiro continued using his fire jutsu, both Kakashi and Rin recognized their savior.

"Senpai! Thank you for coming to our aid again!"

Even Rin, who had been prepared to die, felt a renewed hope. If it were just her and Kakashi, there would be no way for their sensei to arrive in time, but with Toshiro-senpai, they had a chance. She had never seen him in action, but from what Obito and Kakashi had told her, she knew he was very strong.

"Hurry up! And leave!"

"Leave these guys to me! Take Rin and leave Kakashi!"

Toshiro drew his ninja sword and charged at the surviving Kiri Anbus. With his current strength, he could handle them, though some injuries were inevitable.

Seeing Toshiro engaging with the enemy alone, Kakashi hesitated to leave. He couldn't abandon the person who had come to save them.

"Rin! Go find a place to hide. Toshiro and I will find you shortly."

Before Rin could respond, Kakashi had already joined Toshiro in fighting the Kiri Ninjas.

"Be careful!"

Her words were left unspoken as Kakashi disappeared from her sight. Gritting her teeth, Lin ran off to find a safe place, hoping to make sense of what had happened to her.

Toshiro's sword moved swiftly, a blur of white light. Any Kiri Ninja who got too close was swiftly killed; their bodies and heads were separated. The Uchiha swordsmanship, a lethal art passed down through generations, made Toshiro look like a grim reaper, wielding a deadly stream of light.

"Captain! What should we do now? This guy is too strong!"

The burning forest and the speed at which Toshiro was killing them, left the Kiri Ninja and even Kakashi momentarily surprised. Kakashi hadn't seen Toshiro fight since he went to the frontlines.

"Has he already reached such a high level?"

Watching Toshiro's relentless attack, Kakashi couldn't help but think of his own strength. He imagined himself practicing his sword swings, wishing he had such strength before. Perhaps the last tragedy of Obito could have been averted.

Touching his left eye, Kakashi refocused on the battle. There were still many enemies to deal with.

"The mission may not go as planned. Prepare to implement plan B!"

The Kiri Ninja commander, watching Toshiro cut down his men, felt a twitch of frustration. Behind his mask, his expression remained hidden. They had spent a lot, sacrificed so much, and even deployed the Three-Tails to strike Konoha hard, only for this unexpected interference to disrupt their plans.

‘It seems like they are preparing for something over there?’

Toshiro, piercing the heart of a Kiri Ninja in his path, noticed suspicious activity nearby. He resolved to deal with the enemies in front of him and then target the sneaky ones. Whatever their plan, killing them would be the safest course of action.

He tried to withdraw his ninja sword from the chest of the fallen Kiri Ninja, but it was stuck.

"I won't give you another chance to strike!"

The dying Kiri Ninja, with his heart pierced, grabbed the blade with both hands, preventing Toshiro from retrieving his weapon.

"What amazing perseverance. Truly a Ninja who has survived the bloody mist era..."

Despite his opponent's bloody hands and distorted face, Toshiro couldn't help but admire the Kiri Ninja's tenacity. The brutal training of the Kirigakure'si Policy produced ninjas with unmatchable madness and resilience in the face of death.

Suddenly, exploiting the opening created by their dying comrade, several Kiri Ninja attacked Toshiro from the left, right, and behind, aiming to cut him down.

"Do you think you can kill me like this?"

In the critical moment, Toshiro released his grip on the hilt, not bound by any code to never part from his sword.

"Chidori Spear!"

Toshiro spun around, transforming into a blazing blade of white and purple-blue light, cutting down the attacking Kiri Ninjas into pieces.

The dying Kiri Ninja, who had sacrificed himself to create an opening, watched in disbelief as his efforts only led his comrades to their doom. With his last breath, he fell, his soul departing for the afterlife.

"Damn it! Don't let him disrupt the seal!"

Realizing the threat Toshiro posed, the Kiri Ninja leader and his remaining comrades rallied to stop him. They knew their mission was jeopardized by this guy.

Even the Kiri Ninjas had some things they cared about. Losing the Three-Tails would mean severe punishment and dire consequences for their families back home.

Seeing the determined Kiri Ninja blocking his way, Toshiro knew he couldn't quickly break through. But as a ninja, he had more than one method of attack.

He pulled a large handful of kunai from his ninja tool bag and hurled them toward the casters protected by the enemy. Thanks to his Sharingan's insight, the kunai bypassed the Kiri Ninja's defenses and aimed directly at the seal masters. The exploding tags attached to the kunai forced the Kiri Ninja to interrupt their seals and dodge the impending explosions.

Toshiro couldn't help but appreciate the utility of exploding tags. There's no problem that an exploding tag can't solve; if it fails, it just means you need more of them.

'Well.. Except the Susanoo'

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted behind the Kiri Ninjas, sending them into a frenzy as they charged at Toshiro.

"Kakashi!"

With the enemy's formation disrupted, Toshiro retrieved his ninja sword from the lifeless Kiri Ninja and called out to Kakashi. He then engaged the crazed Kiri Ninjas in close combat, seamlessly blending his swordsmanship with ninjutsu. He used powerful fireballs and Phoenix Fire jutsu to further disrupt their ranks, occasionally looking into the Anbu's eyes to catch them in genjutsu.

Toshiro fought relentlessly, combining his skills and wits, until the Kiri Ninjas were thoroughly defeated.