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"Hatake Kakashi, the legendary Copy Ninja?"
When Biwa Jūzō heard Uchiha Itachi mention the name, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. Kakashi was a formidable figure whose name resounded throughout the shinobi world.
"Yes. I just didn't expect that he left the ANBU and seems to have taken on the role of a teacher."
Uchiha Itachi spoke in an even, indifferent tone, offering a simple explanation. Yet in truth, he felt a dull throb of unease in his heart.
Of all places, why did he have to run into Kakashi, his former superior, here?
No matter what, he still regarded himself as part of Konoha.
Whether others acknowledged that or not... perhaps he had never truly cared.
"This is troublesome..."
Kakashi could no longer concentrate on his book. His gaze involuntarily shifted to Kirigaukre Gen standing beside him.
Is this the so-called dangerous shinobi you warned me about?
Calling them "dangerous" is far too gentle... they are absolutely lethal.
One was Biwa Jūzō, a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the other, Uchiha Itachi, who single-handedly wiped out the entire Uchiha clan, and was once his comrade in the ANBU.
For a moment, Kakashi truly wondered if his wretched luck had struck again.
How else could a simple mission, one that had been tossed aside by others, end up drawing in enemies of this caliber?
"Assassins! Engage them!"
Though Kakashi dared not make any rash moves upon seeing the two enemies, the samurai disguised as farmers were far less cautious.
They had already been displeased by the presence of the two shinobi in their ranks, as if it implied doubt in their own strength.
Now that enemies had appeared, this was the perfect opportunity for them to prove themselves.
In perfect unison, they unsheathed their ninja swords, the faint glow of chakra shimmering along the blades. With fierce cries, they charged forward without a moment's hesitation.
"Hey, don't be reckless!"
Kakashi called out urgently to stop them, but his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of Uchiha Itachi—his hand signs were already complete.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A roaring blaze surged forth, barreling toward the charging samurai. Forced to defend, they raised their blades and channeled chakra to resist the inferno.
BUZZ—
But the instant the flames dispersed, Biwa Jūzō had already reached them without a sound.
His massive Executioner's Blade swept through the air. The two samurai didn't even have time to cry out before collapsing to the ground.
"Bastard!"
The remaining two cursed under their breath and lunged forward, hoping to catch Biwa Jūzō mid-swing. But a flurry of shuriken from Uchiha Itachi ended their lives in a flash.
The coordination between Biwa Jūzō and Itachi was seamless. Against warriors of this level, their onslaught was nothing short of butchery.
Watching this unfold, Kakashi could only sigh. These samurai were defeated so swiftly that he hadn't even had the chance to lend a hand.
"Gen, the moment you find an opening, leave this place immediately."
Putting away the book in his hand, Kakashi drew a kunai and whispered softly to Kitagawa Gen, who stood beside him.
"This mission has gone far beyond expectations. The enemies we're facing are simply too powerful, so you—"
But as he turned his head, Kakashi froze.
Kitagawa Gen wasn't listening to him at all.
At some point, he had taken out a flare and was already launching it into the sky. As the glowing signal soared upward and exploded into brilliant light, Kakashi stared in disbelief.
He instantly understood what Kitagawa Gen was trying to do, but still—wasn't this the same as seeking death?
"A signal flare?"
As Uchiha Itachi subdued the last samurai with a genjutsu, both he and Biwa Jūzō frowned as they looked up at the gleaming light in the sky.
"Are they expecting reinforcements?"
"Funny you should ask. I actually ran into you two last night in the town."
Kitagawa Gen gave Kakashi a playful wink, then turned with a solemn expression toward Uchiha Itachi and Biwa Jūzō.
"Especially this one—so ruthless he slaughtered his entire clan. I doubt any normal Konoha shinobi would fail to recognize him. That's why we requested reinforcements from the ANBU overnight. I'm afraid your window of opportunity has closed."
"...."
Itachi fell silent for a long moment. Though he had mentally prepared himself for such accusations, hearing those words from a fellow Konoha shinobi still left a bitter taste in his heart.
Kakashi, on the other hand, could only stare wide-eyed. Are you serious? Provoking them at a time like this? Have you completely lost your mind?
"Looks like you're quite famous, Itachi-kun."
Biwa Jūzō didn't seem to care. His eyes glinted coldly as he fixed his gaze on Kakashi and Kitagawa Gen.
"But tell me, kid. Have you ever stopped to consider one thing?"
"Hmm?"
Kitagawa Gen tilted his head in confusion, his expression genuinely puzzled. Yet in the very next instant, he suddenly leapt backward.
At that same moment, Biwa Jūzō had already appeared in front of him, his Executioner's Blade swinging down with terrifying force.
"We just need to finish this quickly. Itachi, you deal with Hatake Kakashi. I'll handle the brat and join you once I'm done."
"Just as I feared..."
Kakashi felt a headache coming on. The very outcome he had dreaded most had come to pass.
Kitagawa Gen's plan had indeed been sound. By firing a signal flare into the sky, he intended to startle their enemies into retreat. There had been a good chance it might work, frightening them into backing down.
However, the problem was clear. If these men were truly determined to carry out their mission, then that signal flare could very well be the spark that sealed their fate.
And now, everything was unfolding exactly as Kakashi had hoped it wouldn't.
"No, I have to get Gen out of here at all costs."
Clenching the kunai tightly in his hand, Kakashi prepared to rush to his student's aid. But Uchiha Itachi had already moved to block his path.
"Forgive me, Kakashi-senpai."
Itachi's voice was calm and composed, yet his crimson eyes, the Sharingan spinning slowly in his gaze, locked onto Kakashi with cold intensity.
"Itachi."
Kakashi let out a quiet sigh. He understood this former subordinate better than most.
Especially after the massacre of the Uchiha clan, rumors spread that his eyes had grown even stronger. That only made him all the more dangerous.
But regardless of the odds, this battle was unavoidable. As a jonin of the Hidden Leaf, it was his duty to face this rogue shinobi.
Still, he had originally intended to take on this challenge alone. Now he also had to find an opening to support his student.
"If I were you, I would choose to walk away."
As he pushed back his forehead protector, revealing his own Sharingan beneath, Kakashi's voice turned colder, echoing Gen's earlier words.
"But it does not matter anymore. As long as I can hold you both here until reinforcements arrive, that will be enough. Today, this will end."
"Perhaps."
Itachi's tone remained indifferent, yet the chakra within him had already begun to surge.
"Kakashi-senpai may come out of this alive, but what about your student?"
Even as he spoke, Itachi took the initiative and rushed forward. In an instant, he and Kakashi clashed in fierce combat.
"Kid, if you had just turned around and walked away, maybe we wouldn't be doing this."
On the other side, Biwa Jūzō moved with astonishing speed. The massive executioner's blade in his hand felt weightless, like an extension of his own body.
Each swing tore through the air with explosive force, shattering trees and smashing stones around them with terrifying ease.
Yet Kitagawa Gen gave no reply. He moved swiftly, darting through the chaos with agile grace, narrowly dodging every blow.
To be honest, he did want to leave.
But the moment he saw these two enemies, he seemed to understand how to complete Kakashi's [Exclusive Quest].
And as luck would have it, he had just received a new side mission as well.
[New Side Quest Acquired]
[Kakashi's New Moonlight]
[Let Kakashi see clearly who truly matters most to him now]
Seeing the quest, Gen had felt a bit reluctant at first. Yet since a fight was inevitable, he might as well accept it.
Besides, he did have some confidence. He might not be able to defeat them, but he could definitely hold them off for a while.
Even if his threat had been a bluff, there was one key fact in his favor. Uchiha Itachi still saw himself as a spy for the Hidden Leaf.
And of all people, Itachi was the one who least wanted to encounter Leaf shinobi. If Gen could present him with a reason he could not refuse, maybe things would shift.
If all else failed, Kitagawa Gen still had his speed.
"Well then."
SWISHHH—
Once again dodging one of Jūzō's devastating strikes, Gen felt his chakra surge within him like a rising tide, roaring with intensity.
"Guess it's time to see just how strong my Purple Lightning really is."
But at that very moment, Jūzō's blade descended once more, silent and sudden.
And yet now, there was a strange change in Jūzō's expression. His gaze shifted, filled with something unclear, something unspoken.
**
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[IMAGE]
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[Chapter End's]
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