Three days later.
Whoosh whoosh!
Deep in the dense forest, a figure was running frantically.
The animal mask on his face and the silver hair confirmed the figure's identity.
Kakashi Hatake, member of the Hidden Leaf Village's Anbu.
Not long ago, Kakashi, who was originally an Anbu under the Fourth Hokage, was absorbed by Root after the Fourth Hokage's death.
Until that assassination attempt targeting the reappointed Hokage.
Between rules and conscience, Kakashi chose the latter and subsequently joined the Anbu.
Kakashi's life was not smooth sailing after defecting from Root to Anbu.
To protect him, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to send him away from Konoha to carry out an ANBU mission, thus avoiding the Root's sight.
But the ninja world is far from peaceful right now.
There were no large-scale battles, but regional frictions and probing attacks occurred frequently.
Assassination, infiltration, intelligence gathering.
This is what ninjas excel at.
Following Obito and Rin, the deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his wife caused Kakashi to revert to his cold-blooded mode once again.
Behind them were pursuers from the Hidden Mist Village.
He was holding a fake intelligence device.
With the enemy outnumbering him too much, Kakashi had no choice but to use this method to lure the enemy into pursuit.
Whoosh!
The sound of something cutting through the air came from behind.
Kakashi's keen combat senses caused him to turn his head to the side, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a kunai with an explosive tag attached.
His pupils contracted instantly!
He quickly dodged and flipped in mid-air, finally escaping before the explosive tag detonated.
Before he landed, the Sharingan beneath the scar locked onto the enemy's location, number, and coefficient.
"Seven people, surrounding us, with no room to break out."
The short sword was drawn.
In the blink of an eye, Kakashi had entered battle mode.
This is a tough battle.
Even with the Sharingan, and speed and explosive power that ordinary people cannot match.
One against seven is still a bit of a stretch.
His opponents were not mere fodder on the battlefield.
Instead, they came directly from the Dark Side of the Hidden Mist.
Knowing he couldn't afford to waste any more time, Kakashi held nothing back!
In an instant, screams filled the small battlefield!
"There's only one left."
That genius from back then, after experiencing countless dark times, even though his body was not yet fully mature, his mentality was already unbreakable.
"Take your own life. In a one-on-one fight, you have no chance of winning."
Gritting his teeth.
He pulled the shuriken out of his shoulder.
Kakashi's voice was chillingly cold.
The expression on the Hidden Mist ANBU member's face changed repeatedly, finally settling on a self-deceiving, ferocious expression.
"Die! You arrogant Konoha brat!"
The Hidden Mist Anbu wielded their long swords and charged straight at Kakashi, who looked like he couldn't even stand up straight!
"Chidori!"
The last of his chakra gathered in his hand.
Countless arcs of electricity flickered and hummed, like a thousand birds singing in unison!
With his Sharingan piercingly painful, Kakashi anticipated every muscle movement of his enemy. He ducked, and his Chidori pierced straight into the chest of the Hidden Mist Anbu!
However....
That familiar location, that familiar scene, that familiar face—in a split second between life and death, they reappeared before Kakashi's eyes.
"Lin!"
The most painful memories resurfaced in my mind!
The electric arc that should have killed the enemy vanished, and in those milliseconds, the enemy's longsword was already at Kakashi's neck!
Between life and death.
Kakashi did indeed seem to be considering giving up.
My father is dead.
Obito and Rin also died.
The teacher and his wife also died...
So what's the point of him living?
Kakashi slowly closed his eyes.
"If you're not as skilled as someone else, your life or death is up to fate. I didn't hold back."
"Rin, Obito, I've come to join you..."
The next second.
Zi—
puff--
The electric arcs flickered again, and the birds hummed once more!
Just a few days ago, the smile he saw by chance made Kakashi raise his chakra again!
In the blink of an eye.
Life and death were turned upside down once again.
The member of the Hidden Mist guild had no idea what had happened.
His pupils gradually lost focus, and he collapsed to the ground.
"team leader!"
Soon after, Konoha's reinforcements arrived.
When they saw the corpses scattered on the ground, and Kakashi covered in blood.
Worry gradually turned into fear.
"Don't go over there!" one of the ANBU officers grabbed his comrade. "Have you forgotten who he is?!"
"A monster that would kill its own comrades for a mission, do you want to go and die?"
"The kind of person he is is suited to carrying out a mission alone."
"This is good for everyone."
The ANBU teammate who was pulled back was a little confused.
But when he looked at Kakashi again, his eyes held a hint of fear...
The comments from his companions did not escape Kakashi's ears.
He can distinguish different species of insects from fifty meters away, and he can hear them clearly from that distance.
But he didn't care.
Or rather...
He cares about other things now.
That smiling face.
A sweet smile.
A smiling face appeared at the brink of life and death, and inexplicably gave him a reason to live...
"Although I don't know your name."
"But thanks to you, I'm saved..."
Raise your head.
Kakashi looked up at the sky, breathing in the air with mixed feelings...
.....
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh... Achoo!"
at the same time.
Konoha, far away on the other side.
Qingchuan, who was just getting ready to get up and go to school, was completely dumbfounded!
"Who the hell insulted me?!"
(End of Chapter)