Chapter 46: You May Start Running Now
Uchiha Kagami sat cross-legged, his thoughts focused on researching tailed beast chakra.
Suddenly, Jiraiya tossed something his way.
Raising his hand, Kagami caught it—a scroll.
"What's this?"
Without looking back, Jiraiya replied in a calm tone, "You and Minato have been working on adding nature transformation to the Rasengan, right?"
"This is something I and the old man worked on. We didn't manage to perfect it, but it's a prototype."
"Minato has already signed the contract with Mount Myōboku. They only accept one summoner per generation."
"I've taught you most of what I know. I don't have much else to give…"
Jiraiya turned around with a goofy grin.
"Consider this an early birthday gift. Happy tenth birthday, Kagami."
---
The year was Konoha Year 47.
The fierce battles had raged for over a year.
War, like a monstrous beast, ravaged the ninja world with its claws of death and destruction. Rivers of blood flowed wherever it went.
Shinobi wars, though fought with tools other than modern weaponry, caused no fewer casualties.
Small nations located at the borders of the great countries became blood-soaked battlegrounds. In every shinobi war, it was these nations—caught in the cracks of great powers—that suffered the most.
Ninja didn't dwell on the nature of war; they fought to protect their homes. The Will of Fire left by the First Hokage, though vague, inspired generation after generation of shinobi to sacrifice themselves for Konoha.
The ninja world was far from normal. To survive, one had to adapt to its chaos.
---
In the forest, Uchiha Obito was unusually excited.
"Kakashi! Do you think we'll see Kagami this time?"
"That guy's been stealing the spotlight on the battlefield! Hmph, once I awaken my Sharingan, even Kagami will bow before Obito-sama!"
After countless low-level missions, they were finally headed to the frontlines—albeit on a supply delivery mission.
Obito was already fantasizing about cutting down enemies and making Uchiha Kagami acknowledge him.
And then… Rin. Hehehe…
Kakashi, holding a book wrapped in a black cover, glanced at him.
"Little Obito, you should call me Sensei. I'm your leading Jonin, after all."
At only eleven years old, Kakashi had become a Jonin, a year earlier than in the original timeline. Under the occasional rough guidance of Kagami Uchiha at the academy and the dedicated mentorship of Jiraiya, his talents had flourished.
Jiraiya often remarked with amazement how, despite being a failure in his youth, his disciples grew into unparalleled prodigies.
Even with his rapid progress, Kakashi was still outshined by Uchiha Kagami, who had achieved the rank of Jonin two months earlier through pure battle merit.
However, nobody in Konoha dared to compare Kakashi to Kagami. The young prodigy stood alongside the Yellow Flash and Nine-Tails Jinchūriki as part of Konoha's new generation of legends.
All three were undefeated since their rise, with the Yellow Flash boasting the most prominent achievement: defeating Kazekage Rasa.
---
"You're nothing special, Kakashi! Wait until I awaken—"
"Awaken first, then talk," Kakashi interrupted, closing his book.
"You've become the shame of the Uchiha clan. Still no Sharingan as a ninja? Maybe it's just not meant for you."
"You—!" Obito was about to retort when Kakashi's expression changed abruptly. He pushed Obito aside.
Shhkk!
A kunai struck the spot where Obito had been standing, a tag wrapped around its hilt.
"Scatter!" Kakashi ordered.
Boom!!
Amid the clearing smoke, five or six Cloud-nin appeared, their headbands glinting in the sunlight.
"Silver hair, short blade… Heh, I've got your info: Hatake Kakashi, son of the White Fang, disciple of Jiraiya, and comrade to the Yellow Flash and Crimson Eye."
---
A flash of light.
Kakashi's blade moved faster than the eye could follow, piercing through the heart of the speaker in an instant.
"Too many titles. Just call me Hatake Kakashi."
---
"Azaru!"
"You bastard!"
"You dared to kill Azaru! Damn Konoha scum!"
Kakashi stepped back, deflecting an oncoming attack. His calm, dead-fish eyes betrayed no emotion.
"It's always you Cloud-nin making the first move. Then you cry foul when we retaliate. Is whining some kind of tradition in your village?"
---
"Damn brat! How dare you insult us!"
"I'll show you the strength of a Cloud-nin's rage!"
Kakashi sighed, shaking his head.
Spending time with Kagami had given him a thicker skin against verbal abuse—and a knack for using it himself.
"Insults and rage… Your vocabulary is really limited. Did you learn nothing but pillaging? Maybe start over from monkeys and try evolving again. Right now, you barely qualify as humans."
Lowering his voice, he turned to his teammates.
"Obito, Rin—send the distress signal and stay close to me!"
"Got it!"
Though young, Obito and Rin had experienced bandit skirmishes before and weren't paralyzed by fear at the sight of blood.
Kakashi prepared to strike again when a giant shuriken landed beside him.
When did—?!
Sensing danger, he disappeared in a flash of blue lightning.
Boom!
A massive shuriken materialized where he had been standing, embedding itself deeply into the ground.
"To dodge my Magnet Release: Swift Dual Blades… Impressive. You truly are Crimson Eye's disciple."
---
"Disciple? Wrong. I'm his junior." Kakashi broke into a cold sweat as the figure stepped into view.
Purple hair, a yellow scarf, and a massive square-edged shuriken…
Just as the Cloud-nin had dossiers on Konoha's elites, Konoha had files on theirs.
Troi of the Cloud—a Jonin and wielder of the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai.
Elite among elites. Why was someone like him inside the Land of Fire?
"We were just aiming to disrupt your supply line," Troi said coldly. "But catching a big fish like you… That's unexpected."
He smirked. "Whether you're a disciple or junior doesn't matter. To Kagami Uchiha, you're important. And that makes you a perfect hostage."
Kakashi gripped his blade tightly, laughing coldly.
"Abandoning comrades is more your style, Cloud-nin."
---
"I see…"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Troi bit down on a scroll, summoning three massive square-edged shuriken.
"You're sharp, but those two kids of yours already touched my shuriken. They won't escape my Magnet Release."
---
As Kakashi readied himself, a voice cut through the tension.
"Obito! Rin! Stick close to me!"
Kakashi swung his blade, cutting through the first shuriken, but its shattered fragments nicked his arm.
Damn it!
The second shuriken came faster. Weakened by his injuries, Kakashi couldn't fully split it.
Boom!
The force sent him flying.
As the third shuriken flew toward Obito and Rin, Obito gritted his teeth, trembling but resolute.
I'll protect Rin. No matter what!
His chakra surged, his eyes burning with the promise of awakening—
Shnk!
A soft sound echoed as the shuriken shattered into pieces.
From the forest came the sound of deliberate footsteps.
A tall, slender figure emerged, no shouts or overwhelming aura.
Yet the sight of him alone turned the Cloud-nin to stone, their first instinct not to fight or flee, but to freeze.
Like prey under the paw of a lion.
"I'll say this upfront," the boy said, his voice icy. "Kakashi isn't important to me."
"Secondly…"
Scarlet eyes swept over them, pressing down with invisible weight.
"You may start running now."
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