Deep within the dense forest, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin followed "Minato Namikaze" at full speed.
At first, Obito was extremely excited about the rare B-rank mission and kept boasting to Rin about how he was finally going to show what he could do.
"Rin, I'll definitely complete this mission perfectly!"
"Mm. Obito, I believe in you!"
...
The two chatted casually, completely relaxed.
Kakashi, however, remained silent and stayed on full alert.
His half-lidded eyes carefully scanned their surroundings, feeling that something about this "urgent" mission was unusual.
Minato-sensei did assign sudden missions from time to time, but he normally explained the available intelligence in much greater detail instead of being so vague.
"Minato-sensei."
Kakashi finally could not hold back any longer.
"Do we have a more detailed map or any intelligence regarding the remaining Iwagakure forces? Their numbers, characteristics..."
"You'll know once we arrive."
"Minato" answered without even turning around.
His tone remained gentle, yet it carried an unquestionable authority that cut Kakashi off.
"This is a high-level mission. The details must remain confidential. Just trust me."
Kakashi frowned slightly but asked no more questions.
Perhaps...
It really was a top-secret mission personally assigned by the Hokage?
He glanced at Obito and Rin beside him.
Although both of them felt a little uneasy, they still trusted their teacher completely.
However, just as they entered a mist-filled canyon on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.
"Minato Namikaze" suddenly stopped.
He turned around, his face showing just the right amount of seriousness.
"I've detected an unusual chakra disturbance ahead. I'll scout it out first."
"You three wait here. Stay alert, and don't move without my orders."
Before the three of them could reply.
"Minato" disappeared in a flash of golden light.
He vanished with astonishing speed.
"Wait, Minato-sensei!"
Obito shouted.
But there was already no trace of him.
The canyon was filled with thick fog.
It was eerily quiet.
Only the occasional sound of dripping water and the mournful wind blowing through the cracks in the rocks could be heard.
"Minato-sensei left?"
Time slowly passed.
Yet "Minato" never returned.
"Something's wrong."
Kakashi said quietly as his hand gripped the hilt of the short sword on his back.
"It's taking too long."
Rin looked around worriedly.
"Could Minato-sensei have run into trouble?"
"Should we go look for him?"
Obito suggested.
Although he was nervous, he did not want to look weak in front of Rin.
Kakashi thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"Sensei ordered us to wait here. Besides... there's something strange about this fog."
Even without the Sharingan, his instincts as a genius told him that this place was like a natural maze.
Even chakra sensing was being heavily disrupted.
Suddenly, several sharp whistling sounds cut through the air.
"Enemy attack!"
Kakashi shouted.
He instantly drew his blade and deflected the kunai flying toward Rin.
More than ten figures burst out of the fog.
They were not Iwagakure shinobi.
They were Kirigakure shinobi wearing Hidden Mist forehead protectors.
Like ghosts, they appeared silently and attacked with ruthless precision.
"It's a trap!"
Kakashi immediately understood.
That "Minato-sensei" had probably been a fake from the very beginning.
"Konoha brats, just die quietly!"
The Kirigakure leader laughed viciously as he swung his blade.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito gathered his courage and formed hand seals, breathing out a giant fireball.
But because of his nervousness, he was too slow.
The enemy easily neutralized it with Water Style.
"Obito, watch your left!"
Rin cried out as she threw a shuriken wrapped with an explosive tag, barely forcing back an enemy trying to ambush Obito.
Kakashi moved like lightning.
The White Fang's blade flashed repeatedly.
In an instant, he killed two enemies.
However, there were simply too many Kirigakure shinobi.
Their teamwork was flawless.
They were clearly all elites.
Even worse, the thick mist greatly limited their vision and coordination.
"Fall back! Stay close to me!"
Kakashi commanded as he tried to lead the other two out of the encirclement.
However, the Kirigakure shinobi had obviously planned everything in advance.
Their main target was Rin, the team's medical ninja.
They had already identified her as the team's weak point and breakthrough.
"Capture that girl!"
The Kirigakure leader ordered.
Water whips and senbon needles all shot toward Rin.
"Rin!"
Obito's eyes widened in fury.
He desperately tried to rush over, but two Kirigakure shinobi firmly blocked his path.
Kakashi hurried back to help.
His flashing blade formed a silver net that blocked most of the attacks.
Even so, one sharp senbon pierced through the defense and shot straight toward Rin's heart.
At that critical moment.
"RIN!!!"
Obito exploded with speed unlike anything he had ever shown before.
He forcibly broke free from his opponents and slammed his own body into Rin, pushing her away.
Thud!
The senbon sank deeply into Obito's right shoulder.
Blood instantly poured out.
"Obito!"
Rin stared at him standing in front of her in horror.
Tears immediately flowed from her eyes.
Intense pain and the fear of death overwhelmed Obito.
But even stronger than that was his determination.
He absolutely could not let Rin die here!
At that moment.
His mind became completely blank.
Only as he stared into Rin's eyes did something burning seem to ignite, shatter, and reform within him.
Buzz.
The world suddenly became slow and crystal clear.
A burning pain erupted from both of his eyes.
Then the faint crimson tint covering his vision quickly disappeared.
He saw the Kirigakure shinobi's next movements.
He saw the flow of chakra.
He saw the shocked expression on Kakashi's face.
He saw reflected in Rin's eyes...
His own pair of spinning Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
The Sharingan...
Had awakened?
"AAAAAH!"
Obito roared.
Ignoring his injuries, he drew out a kunai.
Using the Sharingan's prediction, he precisely deflected the blade that was about to strike Rin.
"What?! The Sharingan?!"
The Kirigakure shinobi were all shocked.
Kakashi also stared in disbelief at the two tomoe spinning within Obito's eyes.
"This guy..."
In the distance, the Kirigakure leader's expression finally became serious.
"Kill them! End this quickly!"
Countless ninjutsu and ninja tools rained down once more.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
Kakashi used all his strength to erect a defensive stone wall.
At that moment.
Obito sprinted straight toward Kakashi.
"Kakashi!!"
The Two-Tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated inside Obito's eyes.
He instantly spotted the Kirigakure shinobi hiding within the mist and shadows.
Hearing Obito shout.
Kakashi instinctively paused.
Obito rushed closer and closer.
Suddenly, he drew out his kunai.
Kakashi's eyes widened.
The kunai brushed past Kakashi's hair beside his ear and stabbed forward.
"You brat... You actually found me?"
A Kirigakure shinobi suddenly appeared in front of Obito.
The kunai had pierced straight into his chest.
The man slowly collapsed at Kakashi's feet.
Kakashi lowered his head and looked at the dead Kirigakure shinobi.
Then he raised his head and stared in shock at Obito, who was breathing heavily in front of him.
"Don't just stand there! Run!"
Obito grabbed Kakashi's arm and rushed over to Rin.
The three of them immediately fled toward Konoha Village.
"Should we chase them or not?"
Watching the three retreating figures, one Kirigakure shinobi looked toward his leader.
The Kirigakure captain, his face covered by a mask, stared fixedly in the direction Obito and the others had disappeared.
"Chase them."
"Capture the medical ninja first."
"Yes!"
The Kirigakure shinobi immediately sprang into action, using the Body Flicker Technique as they pursued them at full speed.
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