[NTU] [ARC-07-JOUNIN] Chapter : 110 (Patreon)

"Rin!"

A familiar voice reached Rin's ears. As soon as she heard it, her anxious heart felt it had found a safe haven, and her mental state improved significantly.

"Let's go! It's safe now!"

Listening to the voice, Rin prepared to leave her hiding place. However, as a medical ninja, she was highly attuned to chakra signatures, and this voice belonged to a friend she'd known since childhood.

"You're not Kakashi!"

Realizing the anomaly, Rin threw a series of kunai in the direction of the sound while preparing to flee from her hiding spot. But before she could move, a blade of light came at her back.

'So the voice was just a distraction?'

Seeing the ninja sword close to her and feeling the killer's intent, Rin felt doomed. But if she were to die, at least she would reunite with that fool, Obito, who always needed watching over.

Puff!

Ah!

Just as Rin closed her eyes, expecting death, there was a sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh, followed by a short scream and the pungent smell of blood.

"Kakashi! Is it really you?"

Opening her eyes, Rin saw Kakashi standing over the fallen Kiri Ninja.

"Rin! Come with me quickly; it's not safe here..."

Kakashi had arrived just in time, killing the Kiri Ninja at his feet. He extended his left hand to pull Rin out of her hiding place and away from the danger zone.

Though Toshiro had intercepted most of the Kiri Ninjas, many still managed to pass him, posing a threat.

Confident he could handle the remaining enemies alone, Kakashi called out to Rin, who was still on high alert.

"Kakashi…?" Rin hesitated, unsure if this was another trap. But then Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing Obito's eye.

"It's really you!"

Recognizing Obito's eye, Rin confirmed Kakashi's identity and emerged from her hiding spot.

"Kakashi, where is Toshiro-senpai?"

As they ran, Rin held Kakashi's hand and asked about their savior.

"Don't worry! Toshiro is very strong; these Kiri Ninjas are no match for him," Kakashi reassured her. "He'll find us once we reach a safe place."

"That's good! But, Kakashi, we can't return to the village!"

Rin, aware of her precarious situation, feared returning to the village might trigger a disaster if the Kiri Ninjas had backup plans.

"Alright."

Kakashi, considering Lin's concerns, led her in a different direction, confident they could hold off the pursuing enemies with Toshiro's support.

'I hope sensei arrives soon!'

Touching the Flying Thunder God Kunai in his ninja tool bag, Kakashi felt a pang of anxiety. Despite Toshiro's cover, Rin's situation remained dire.

…

Meanwhile, Toshiro was overwhelmed by the relentless Kiri Ninjas. Desperate enemies, each carrying exploding tags, charged at him, ready to die and take him down.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

After narrowly escaping a series of explosions, Toshiro felt his internal organs had been injured by the shockwaves.

'My internal organs must be damaged!'

Despite not knowing about his injuries, the Kiri Ninjas gave him no respite, charging at him with madness.

"Fire Release: Pheonix Flower Flame Bullet!"

"Shuriken Shadow Clone!"

"Fire Release: Dragon's Fire!"

Using the explosions' aftermath to distance himself, Toshiro resorted to long-range ninjutsu, unwilling to engage in close combat with the crazed Kiri Ninjas.

These enemies showed no fear of death, forcing Toshiro to fight fire with fire.

“Water Release: Wild Water Wave!”

The Anbu leader unleashed a powerful water release jutsu, advancing towards Toshiro with his team. They no longer had to hold back. Regardless of the opponent's prowess in close combat, they could now utilize ninjutsu freely.

With the water covering the ground, it became easier for them to launch sneak attacks. Fighting without a water source felt incomplete for them.

"You’re insane!" Toshiro exclaimed. "Even if you don’t care about yourself, think about your subordinates! They have families—wives, children. If their sacrifices are in vain, their loved ones will suffer!"

Seeing the relentless determination of the Kiri Ninjas, Toshiro realized that Kakashi and the others should have gotten away by now, so he decided to retreat again. However, he clearly lacked the talent for the most powerful jutsu, "Talk no Jutsu."

"The mission failed, the Three Tails is lost, and they die here. This is the best outcome for them," the Kiri Ninja leader declared, fearing his subordinates might waver. "If they return alive, it would be a worse fate for their families."

Sensing the rapidly approaching Kiri Ninjas through the water and seeing the changes in their hand seals, Toshiro began to retreat while fighting, trying to wear down their numbers.

Time passed.

The Anbu leader seized a momentary lapse created by his subordinates, grabbing Toshiro tightly. Ignoring the ninja sword piercing his chest, he detonated the explosive tags on his body, determined to drag Toshiro to the grave with him.

Boom!

A violent explosion and flames engulfed them both.

More time passed.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

A figure in tattered clothes emerged from the ground, coughing violently. Toshiro had gone underground to escape the blast, the best method he could think of to avoid the explosion.

“Damn! Orochimaru tricked me by sending me here, and now I'm seriously injured…” Toshiro muttered, wiping blood from his mouth and feeling his burning chest. Struggling out of the soil, he found a nearby spot to rest.

Reflecting on the events, a cold sweat broke out on his back. If he hadn’t excelled in genjutsu and preemptively manipulated the Anbu leader, the enemy might not have been fooled by his Earth Clone.

Blaming Orochimaru for pushing him into this situation to get back at the Third Hokage, Toshiro inspected his broken ninja sword. This ancestral chakra weapon, his companion for nearly six years, had finally met its end. He hastily put away the broken pieces and, despite his exhaustion, refrained from scavenging the battlefield.

Walking with a heavy step towards where Kakashi had disappeared, Toshiro had no extra chakra left for summoning.

By the time Toshiro found Kakashi, another figure was already with him.

“Uh, Obito, you’re still alive? Is this some kind of trick?” Toshiro asked, noticing the figure in a black robe attached to white Zetsu.

“No! I was saved by someone…” Obito started, but found himself unable to speak further. Just as he tried to explain, Rin intervened.

“Toshiro-senpai, are you alright? Let me check your injuries!” Rin quickly approached Toshiro, noticing his tattered clothes and pale face. As a medical ninja, she began to assess his condition.

“How did your injuries get so serious?” Rin exclaimed, concerned for Toshiro's well-being.

After some inspection, Rin found that Toshiro was in very bad condition. His lungs and eardrums were severely traumatized, and even his internal organs were slightly damaged. An ordinary ninja would have collapsed by now.

“Thank you, Rin…” Toshiro sighed with relief as green medical ninjutsu enveloped him. Rin’s treatment made him feel much better. Although he was a medical ninja himself, expending a lot of chakra on self-treatment wasn't wise at this moment.

“I should be the one thanking you. If it hadn’t been for saving me, you wouldn’t have…” Lin said, but Toshiro interrupted.

“By the way, what’s going on with Obito?” Toshiro asked, noticing the guilt on Rin's face. He couldn’t bear to see her so troubled and decided to change the subject. Though he knew the reason, he pretended to be clueless, mindful of White Zetsu’s presence.

Both Lin, who was treating Toshiro, and Kakashi turned their eyes to Obito. They were so excited earlier that they had forgotten to ask about his situation.

“I…” Obito tried to speak several times but couldn’t form the words. His face turned red with the effort. He realized he couldn’t divulge information about Madara.

“I was saved by a strange old man!” he finally said, hoping to divert their attention. He knew Madara must have placed some kind of restriction on him to prevent him from revealing any information.

“Ha…” Toshiro remained calm, but Kakashi and Lin looked puzzled.

“What do you mean by a strange old man? Even Academy kids wouldn’t believe that!” Rin exclaimed. They knew how badly Obito had been injured. Where could such an old man come from, who could save him?

“Anyway! That’s what happened,” Obito said helplessly, feeling his friends’ disbelief.

“Then what’s this white stuff on your body?” Toshiro reached out and tapped Obito’s head, pretending to be confused. He flicked his fingers, sending a small wind blade that cut off a piece of white Zetsu.

“Toshiro-nii…” Obito started, but stopped when he saw White Zetsu didn’t react to the cut. During their time together, White Zetsu helped him survive.

“It seems to be some kind of plant or something!” Toshiro examined the white tissue he had cut, pretending to be casual. He held it up and looked at it carefully.

“Obito, what is this? Why are you wearing it?” Toshiro asked, trying to maintain the cover.

“This is… this is…” Obito stammered, caught off guard by Toshiro’s questioning. He didn’t expect Toshiro to cut off a piece of White Zetsu without asking for an explanation first.

“Speaking of which, this thing looks a bit like wooden armor,” Toshiro suggested.

“Yeah, just like Toshiro-nii said, it’s something like wooden armor!” Obito nodded quickly, seizing on the explanation.

Looking at the three of them, Obito felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. Toshiro, Kakashi, and Rin all gave him a look that clearly said, “Do you think we’re three-year-olds?”

“Ha! Ha! Things… probably…” Obito struggled to come up with a better explanation. But Toshiro, seeing his distress, came to his rescue.

“Isn’t it your weird old grandpa who made it?” Toshiro said it with a teasing smile.