Hayashi moved cautiously through the forest, his eyes scanning every shadow between the dripping trees. The air was thick with the scent of wet leaves and steel.
Just then, Choza lumbered closer, his tone hesitant.
"Uh, Hayashi."
Hayashi turned slightly. "What is it?" he asked, feeling awkward beneath Choza's strangely curious look.
Choza scratched his cheek. "What Nawaki said earlier got me thinking… are you two, uh, dating?"
The moment the words left his mouth, several pairs of eyes snapped toward Hayashi. He blinked, caught off guard. His gaze drifted toward Nawaki — who immediately turned scarlet.
"No!" Hayashi blurted out, shaking his head.
"Eh? So you're not in love?" Choza asked again, genuinely confused.
Hayashi's eye twitched, but he still answered firmly, "Of course not."
Choza waved a hand innocently. "Don't take it the wrong way. I've got nothing against it. True love has no limits — age, gender, even species!"
Hayashi sighed. "What love or not love, Choza, you've misunderstood completely."
"Ah, what a shame," Choza said with mock disappointment, though his eyes flicked mischievously toward Inoichi, who stood nearby with his blond ponytail tied high.
The group burst into laughter, the tension that had hung over them dissolving at once. For a moment, the weight of the battlefield faded, replaced by something almost like normalcy.
Hayashi found himself quietly impressed. In the midst of fear and exhaustion, Choza could still bring warmth and laughter. Perhaps, he thought, the Akimichi really were people with big hearts hidden behind their rough exteriors.
He suppressed the thought and motioned for everyone to move. They were already halfway through their route, but there were still no signs of enemy presence. Without a jōnin squad leader, breaking through enemy lines recklessly would be suicidal.
Even Dabai's reconnaissance had its limits — the summon couldn't detect movement deep underground. And if any Iwa-nin were hiding below, it would be a dangerous trap.
Landing silently on a broad branch, Hayashi prepared to leap again when a sudden tingle ran down his neck. Dabai's chakra pulse — a warning. Enemy detected.
"Everyone, stay sharp," Hayashi whispered. A moment later, a red signal flare exploded across the sky.
The direction — to his right, not far. That color… a Konoha distress flare.
Without hesitation, a plan formed in Hayashi's mind.
"I'm going to help them. Keep your guard up and don't get surrounded!"
Before anyone could respond, he was already gone, sprinting through the rain-soaked canopy.
Within thirty seconds, Hayashi reached the location.
A three-person Konoha squad was pinned down. Their opponents weren't Iwa-nin — they were shinobi from Sunagakure.
Two Sand jōnin were assaulting one of Konoha's jōnin, while a third Sand ninja toyed with three struggling genin.
The Konoha group had no commanding officer left — only desperation. If Hayashi hadn't arrived, they would've been wiped out within minutes.
The genin were at their limit. Hayashi didn't hesitate.
His blood-red Sharingan flared to life, spinning like a storm as he lunged forward. He flicked his wrist, adjusting the angle of his kunai mid-run, and in an instant, the blade flew from his hand with the velocity of a cannon shot.
A black blur streaked behind it — Hayashi himself.
The Sand ninja turned, startled. Reinforcements? No — just a kid. Barely ten years old.
He relaxed slightly, smirking. Another foolish Konoha brat, rushing in for the sake of "bonds."
Numbers didn't matter; only strength did. And this child was about to die learning that truth.
But before he could finish the thought, the whistling kunai slammed toward him.
"What the—?!" He barely reacted, sacrificing a puppet in panic.
Under his chakra control, the puppet darted forward to intercept.
The next instant, the sound of tearing wood and shattering steel echoed through the clearing. The kunai pierced straight through the puppet's chest and buried itself deep into the earth, leaving a smoking crater behind.
Hayashi blinked, momentarily surprised. He hadn't expected that much force — his speed combined with the precision of his throw had turned the attack into a spear of pure momentum.
The Sand ninja stumbled back, sweat running down his face. His substitute puppet — destroyed in one hit.
"What kind of monster is this kid?" he thought.
He cursed under his breath. "Is the Sand's intel unit asleep? Why wasn't there any report about someone like this?"
Hayashi used that moment of distraction. His figure flickered — and he appeared right behind the Sand ninja.
The kunai in his hand came down in a clean arc.
The Sand ninja reacted just in time, chakra threads flashing as he pulled another puppet in front of him. The impact rang out — metal against metal.
This puppet, reinforced with steel plates, held firm. The Sand ninja exhaled in relief, beginning to weave signs for his counterattack.
But his hands suddenly froze.
A long shadow stretched across the ground, linking to his body like a dark chain.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu," Hayashi murmured, recognizing it instantly.
From behind, Shikaku emerged, smirking. "This isn't your fight alone, Hayashi."
Hayashi gave a small nod. Without a word, he gripped his kunai and drove it cleanly into the immobilized Sand ninja's head, ending the battle in a heartbeat.