"Could it be that you are the legendary Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi?"
"An overblown title, nothing more. Please, have a seat."
Kakashi gestured toward the chair opposite him.
The samurai-clad middle-aged man bowed slightly and sat down.
Behind Kakashi stood Chiba, Tenten, and Tsukikage Kaza, silently sizing the man up.
From his build, Chiba could tell the man's taijutsu was solid—
but swordsmanship was another matter.
Still, something about his manner felt off.
Too practiced. Too cautious.
Chiba's brow furrowed slightly.
"My name is Kiyoda Shin. Even in the Land of Iron, your name, Lord Kakashi, resounds far and wide. With you involved, I'm sure that the traitor, Yuichi, will be captured soon."
He bowed with a polite but tight-lipped smile.
Kakashi waved a hand. "I'm currently leading three students. Even with me along, there's no guarantee. First, tell me—what's the enemy's level?"
"Of course. I'll share everything I know."
Kiyoda Shin withdrew a stack of papers.
Chiba leaned over slightly for a look.
It was a dossier—an intelligence sheet filled with details on the target.
The fugitive's name was Yuichi, a commoner from the Land of Iron.
His strength was roughly equivalent to an elite chūnin,
but he excelled in concealment and escape techniques—and was highly skilled in Iaido, the art of the lightning-quick sword draw.
The notes also mentioned he had stolen a treasured blade from the Kiyoda Clan.
Chiba's gaze sharpened for an instant.
Kakashi's expression remained calm. He nodded slightly.
"I see. Forgive my boldness, but why not request help from your own country's authorities instead of issuing a private commission?"
"Well…" Kiyoda Shin hesitated. "It's not that we can't—but that sword was intended as a gift for one of our superiors. The matter is… delicate. We would rather retrieve it quietly."
He paused, then added, "Besides, the fugitive fled into the Land of Fire. We were already planning to contact your village, so this simply saves time."
Kakashi accepted the papers, then handed them back. "Understood. In that case, let's depart as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the colder the trail becomes."
"Excellent! With you personally involved, Yuichi won't get far."
Relief washed over Kiyoda Shin's face.
Kakashi rose, and the samurai followed.
Chiba, Tenten, and Tsukikage Kaza took up formation, flanking their client in a protective triangle.
Leaving the village went smoothly.
After registering their departure, the gate guards waved them through.
Kiyoda Shin's pace was fast—unsurprising for a trained samurai.
Halfway down the road, Chiba began to "lag behind," panting heavily as if exhausted.
Kakashi frowned. "Chiba, you alright?"
"I—I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei. Just need a soldier pill."
He pulled out a small ration pill and popped it in his mouth.
It was one of the defective ones he'd made earlier—he'd given the better ones to Tenten and Tsukikage Kaza. This one had little chakra-recovery effect but would work perfectly for acting weak.
Kakashi sighed. "Alright, but remember, this is a mission. We can't stop just to rest for you."
"Understood, please don't mind me."
Chiba nodded obediently.
Tenten and Tsukikage Kaza exchanged a silent glance but said nothing.
They didn't know Chiba's full plan—but they had a good guess.
If Kiyoda Shin's story was true, then the fugitive—an "elite-chūnin-level" samurai—would be no problem for Kakashi alone.
But if the Kiyoda Clan had ulterior motives,
then Chiba's apparent weakness would give him the element of surprise.
It was a sensible precaution.
In truth, that was exactly what Chiba was thinking.
By himself seem like the weak link, he could force Kiyoda Shin to participate actively in any fight that broke out—
which would reveal much about the man's true abilities and intent.
Better to overprepare than be caught off guard.
He patted the thick stack of sealing tags and explosive notes tucked inside his vest—
a small comfort st the uncertainty ahead.
Tenten and Tsukikage Kaza, catching on, played along, behaving as though Chiba was frail and needed protection.
When they stopped to rest, Kiyoda Shin finally lost patience and leaned toward Kakashi, lowering his voice.
"Lord Kakashi, that young man…"
"My disciple, Yagyū Chiba," Kakashi replied easily. "A genius—already developed several original jutsu at his age. But unfortunately…"
He sighed heavily.
Kiyoda Shin blinked, unsure what to say.
Kakashi chuckled softly. "Don't worry. His taijutsu might be lacking, but his ninjutsu more than makes up for it. You can count on him in a fight."
"I see… a ninjutsu specialist, then. Still, physical training is the foundation of all shinobi—you should push him harder."
"Ha ha, he's under my command now. You can rest assured I'll keep him in shape."
Kakashi's smile never faltered.
Behind him, Tenten shot Chiba a look.
She suspected his earlier hunch about Kiyoda Shin might have been wrong—
but Chiba merely gave her a calm, knowing glance.
Even if his suspicion was off, better to keep up the act.
Observing swordsmanship only required one pair of eyes.
Chiba's resolve didn't waver.
According to Kiyoda Shin's intel, Yuichi had last been sighted in a small town near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron.
Not far from Konoha, really.
As they traveled, Chiba became increasingly sure—
this samurai was observing them.
For a client, it wasn't unusual to assess the strength of his hired team…
but given everything else—the inconsistencies, the vague answers—Chiba's gut told him this man wasn't simple.
Later, while gathering information in town, Chiba found a moment to speak privately with Kakashi.
Kakashi listened, then gave him a subtle look of acknowledgment—
the kind that said: I've already prepared for it. Don't worry.
Five-Five Division was in motion.
Everything was under control.
That reassurance was enough for Chiba to relax.
Otherwise, he might've considered taking preemptive action—
tying Kiyoda Shin up first and asking questions later.
"Mr. Kiyoda," Kakashi said once they reconvened, "if my guess is right, the fugitive's already moved on from here. Do you have any further leads?"
The samurai scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, Yuichi used to be a hunter. My guess is, he'd head into the mountains. You know how it is—I had to come to Konoha for help, so…"
"You mean to say the Kiyoda Clan didn't send anyone else with you?" Chiba asked mildly. "Even if he's just an elite-chūnin-level fighter, if he runs, one person alone wouldn't be able to stop him."
Kiyoda Shin nodded, a flicker of shame crossing his face. "That's true. There were three of us at first—but he knows the forests too well. He used traps and poison together with his swordsmanship to wound my two comrades. I had no choice but to seek help alone."
"I see." Kakashi's expression darkened. "So he can use traps and poison as well?"
"Yes! That man has no sense of bushidō—he's a disgrace to all samurai!"
Righteous fury burned in Kiyoda Shin's voice.
Kakashi fell silent for a long few seconds.
An "elite-chūnin-level" samurai who could lay traps, use poison, and fight with deadly precision?
He no longer believed the report.
The fugitive was likely at least jōnin-level.
So what exactly was the Kiyoda Clan playing at—
was this truly a private commission, or something else entirely?
He couldn't be sure.
After a moment's thought, Kakashi said quietly,
"Mr. Kiyoda, do you have anything belonging to the target? Something personal?"
"Yes," the samurai replied, pulling out a torn scrap of bloodstained cloth.
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