The moment Maruyama Shin left, a flicker of resolve appeared in Kakashi's eyes.
"Stop them!"
He barked the command, then darted off in pursuit of Kurihana Yamato.
But behind him, Tsukusa Niya followed closely.
Compared to retrieving the stolen intel, his primary objective had shifted—killing Kakashi, eliminating one of Konoha's rising stars. Whether the mission succeeded or failed, he wouldn't be punished if he managed that.
The other two, however, were not so lucky.
Itō Itsuki, though only a sensory-type ninja, was at least a chūnin with passable combat ability. But Imai Kuriyama was in far greater danger.
As a medical ninja, Kuriyama lacked real fighting capability. Now faced with one of the Blood Mist's brutal killers, she could be fatally wounded at any moment.
Hearing Kakashi's words, Tsukusa's eyes narrowed as he grasped the true meaning behind them.
"Kill him. He's carrying the intel!"
He slashed out with his blade, forcing Kakashi to turn and defend.
"…Thanks for that, Kakashi. And your whole family, too," Maruyama muttered sarcastically, then sprinted for his life.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
A roaring tide burst forth behind him, crashing like a released dam.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Sensing the surging flood at his back, Shin knew he couldn't outrun it—he had no jutsu suited for retreat. He quickly spun around, wove hand seals, and slammed his palms to the ground.
Boom!
A thick earth wall sprang up, solid and unyielding, absorbing the impact of the rushing torrent.
But he didn't relax. Instead, he pushed off with both feet and leapt backward, distancing himself from the barrier.
Sure enough, the very next second—
Slash!
A glint of steel sliced through the earth wall with terrifying sharpness.
A figure burst through the gap, charging straight at him.
Maruyama's expression hardened. He flipped his hand, and a kunai appeared in his palm. Without hesitation, he met the blade head-on.
Clang!
Sparks flew. Metal rang out.
Chūnin!
In that brief clash, both instantly assessed the other's level.
Their weapons locked, the momentum forced them close. Kurihana Yamato snarled, "You think you can actually get away?"
Maruyama forced a sheepish grin. "Wasn't trying to run. It's just that corpses shouldn't be desecrated. Why not choose another target? That silver-haired brat back there is Hatake Kakashi, son of the legendary White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. Kill him and you'll still make headlines."
Trying to negotiate.
After all, Kakashi could probably escape even if he lost. Shin, on the other hand, was just a corpse handler. All he wanted was to quietly collect bodies—not get hunted across the woods.
"Oh?" Kurihana hesitated, his grip loosening slightly.
That was it!
Though Maruyama had been stuck in the morgue and hadn't gone on missions, the experience granted by the Miura Ichigo card had given him enough to deal with a chūnin, even if just barely.
He surged forward with the kunai, forcing some distance between them.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
A scorching fireball roared from his mouth, hurtling toward Kurihana.
At such close range, Kurihana barely had time to react. The fireball grew larger and hotter before his eyes.
But Kirigakure shinobi, known as the Blood Mist, were raised under cruel, unforgiving policies. Dueling to the death was their school curriculum. Knowing he couldn't dodge, Kurihana didn't retreat—he charged forward.
Gritting his teeth, he kicked off the ground and dove into the flames. From within the fireball, a bone-chilling blade emerged, trailing burnt flesh and the stench of seared meat, slashing straight at Maruyama's face.
Slash!
The scorched blade, still burning, cleaved Maruyama clean in two.
In the split second that Kurihana's heart leapt with victory—
Poof!
Smoke burst from the bisected body, revealing nothing more than two halves of a wooden log.
Substitution Jutsu.
Thud—
Kurihana's body hit the ground with a heavy crash, raising a cloud of dust.
"Whew…" From behind a nearby tree, Maruyama emerged, patting his chest with exaggerated relief. "I just want to collect corpses in peace. Is that so much to ask?"
He walked over, nudged Kurihana's corpse with the tip of his sandal to confirm death, then plopped down beside it, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The guy was strong, no doubt about it—just a little too easy to distract.
Probably a cultural trait of the Mist.
Kirigakure shinobi were ruthless and silent, always treating everyone as a potential enemy. There was no such thing as banter in their world.
Still, Maruyama had a talent for seizing opportunity. In just a short exchange, he'd gleaned enough of Kurihana's personality to make a successful move. Without that insight, someone with less experience might've already been dead.
Catching his breath, he pulled out a sealing scroll and stored Kurihana's body.
A green corpse—chūnin level—would definitely yield better rewards than a white one.
He tidied up the scene a little. Not that there was much left to clean; the lingering water from the Wild Water Wave had already washed everything away.
With that done, he turned and headed toward Kakashi's direction.
He didn't immediately reveal himself, choosing instead to stay hidden and observe.
But he couldn't stay hidden for long.
Kakashi and Tsukusa Niya were evenly matched. It was clear they wouldn't resolve their fight anytime soon.
Imai Kuriyama, on the other hand, was drenched in blood, barely clinging to life.
Seizing the chance, Maruyama formed hand seals at the perfect moment. Flames surged forth like a tidal wave, engulfing everything in sight.
"Fire Style: Great Flame Bloom!"
A B-rank Fire Style jutsu that drained a huge portion of his chakra.
But its power was undeniable.
The Mist ninja fighting Kuriyama hadn't been watching, and the inferno swallowed him instantly. There was no saving him now.
At the same time, Maruyama flashed forward, catching the collapsing Kuriyama before she hit the ground.
"You okay?"
No response—she'd already fainted.
"You again?!"
Seeing Maruyama return, Tsukusa's expression darkened. His eyes sharpened like a venomous serpent ready to strike. He shoved Kakashi back with a fierce blow and leapt into a tree.
"Where's Yamato?" Tsukusa asked coldly.
Maruyama gave an earnest, innocent smile. "That Mist ninja? I told him about a barbecue place nearby. He's probably eating right now."
"…What?"
Barbecue?
Who the hell do you think you're fooling?
"Maruyama, take Kuriyama and go. We'll handle things here," Kakashi called out between exchanges.
The only thing that had distracted him earlier was Imai Kuriyama. Though Itō Itsuki wasn't winning, he wasn't about to go down easily either.
Just as Tsukusa had been thrilled to fight Kakashi, Kakashi too had been suppressing his excitement—always prioritizing the mission first.
Now that the objective was secure, he could finally stop holding back.
Go first?
Maruyama had zero objections. If not for the awkwardness of leaving a comrade behind, he would've been gone long ago.
He glanced at the Mist ninja's body, already being charred into ash by the flames, a bit regretful. Still, he shook off the emotion quickly.
Scooping up Imai Kuriyama in his arms, he left a final line behind. "Don't worry about us. You guys do your thing."
Without hesitation, without looking back, he vanished into the shadows once more.
After all, this was a retreat ordered by mission command.
A shinobi must follow orders.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!