He Actually Survived Chapter Two, So Let's Kill Someone in Chapter Three

The Ninja Academy was actually pretty dull. Nearly half a year had passed since the Third Hokage's speech.

Tamaki dealt with school lessons every day. The daily routine focused mainly on physical training, supplemented by combat techniques and basic ninja skills.

Combat techniques included kunai throwing, shuriken practice, and hand-to-hand combat. They also learned wilderness survival, simple disguises, and how to gather and relay intelligence.

There was also practice with the Three Basic Techniques. Ordinary ninja couldn't learn any other advanced ninjutsu at the academy.

Today was another day of practicing ninjutsu in the woods outside the village after school.

"Tamaki, will you come let your youth shine with me today?"

"No, Guy. I want to practice the Three Basic Techniques and chakra control today." Hearing Guy's question, Tamaki hurriedly shook his head, using that excuse for the umpteenth time.

"Guy, is there anything in your head besides muscles?" Obito quipped from the side.

"Youth is muscles, and muscles are youth. What's wrong with having a head full of muscles?"

"Hasn't our youth not arrived yet?" Obito countered.

Without a moment's thought, Guy said, "Youth is shedding sweat. As long as you're shedding sweat, that's youth. So, Obito, will you come let your youth shine with me?"

Obito had only made a few remarks. He never imagined Guy would latch onto him instead.

Asuma had been silent all along, but at that, he finally couldn't hold back his laughter.

"I think Asuma can go with you." Unable to stand how brazenly Asuma was laughing, Obito dragged him down with him.

"Not me. I'm going home early today. There's sea bream."

"Taiyaki? Is that stuff worth going home early for?"

"Sea bream. Actual sea bream, and fatty tuna belly too. We're having sushi tonight."

Hearing it was sushi, and fatty tuna belly sushi at that, Obito immediately sidled up to Asuma and threw an arm tightly around his shoulders.

"Asuma, I want to meet the Third Hokage and see the Hokage's magnificence up close. That's important to someone like me, who aims to become Hokage. As my good friend, you'll agree, right? You'll definitely agree, right?!"

"Since when were you my good friend? And I remember telling you I haven't seen a certain Lord Hokage in almost half a month." Asuma gave Obito a sidelong look of contempt.

Tamaki had deliberately befriended Asuma, Obito, and Guy. The idea had naturally come from some unknown person with long, straight black hair, surnamed Mitarai and named Duke.

While Asuma and Obito joked around, Tamaki took advantage of the free time to check Guy's physical condition.

The Eight Gates Released Formation essentially worked by removing the body's limits to unleash its potential, but the body had to be able to withstand it first. Otherwise, it was courting death. Improving physical fitness was therefore the foundation, and a sensible training regimen was the foundation of that foundation.

That was how Tamaki had become friends with Guy, and then Obito and Asuma had gotten involved as well. Kakashi was too aloof and generally didn't hang out with others.

"Guy, you're in good shape, but considering you're still growing, you could cut back on your training a little."

"My youth won't allow me to back down."

"All right, then. Come to me anytime you have a problem. If I can't solve it, I can also help you find my uncle at Konoha Hospital."

"No problem." Guy raised a thumb and flashed a smile.

Tamaki could hardly bear to look at the sight. He didn't dislike people with Guy's personality, but Guy's appearance was, well, hard to comment on.

Maybe—no, Guy's youth was definitely too dazzling.

After training until evening, Tamaki parted ways with Obito and Asuma at the Konoha Gate. The three of them headed home in different directions.

As for Guy, he planned to train a little longer.

"It's getting late. I hope Hikari saved some good food."

Thinking about dinner, Tamaki quickened his pace.

"Komura Dairō, stop struggling like a cornered beast! You can't escape!" the dog-masked Anbu shouted at Komura Dairō, trying to shake his resolve as he casually flung several shuriken.

Clang, clang, clang.

Thud, thud, thud.

Komura Dairō backhanded the shuriken aside with his tachi. The Anbu's words had no effect on his movements, and he didn't reply, simply pressing on.

Komura Tarō knew he couldn't escape. The Anbu would rather kill the wrong person than let one slip through, let alone someone like him who had resisted arrest.

But the agents he had planted in Konoha couldn't be exposed. He could die, but he had to die on the spot, with intelligence of sufficient importance on him. By fighting desperately all the way, he could make the Konoha Anbu think he was trying to carry the intelligence out. That was why he had to flee instead of biting down on the poison capsule beneath his tooth on the spot.

He couldn't be captured. If he was, there was a chance secrets would leak out. Ninjutsu could extract memories, but only if the brain was intact. As a spy, his brain would be destroyed after he died.

So all Komura Dairō wanted now was to hold out a little longer and cement the impression that he wanted to carry the intelligence out. After that, whether he bit down on the poison capsule or slit his throat with the sword in his hand made no difference.

The dog-masked Anbu had also begun to harbor doubts. When the Anbu arrived at the produce shop, Komura Tarō had offered no explanation or attempt to communicate. He had drawn the tachi from beneath a shelf and immediately used Earth Release to escape. The whole thing had been too decisive.

Both sides in the pursuit were reviewing and refining their plans for the capture, but neither slowed their movements in the slightest.

Komura Tarō pressed on, and before he knew it, he ran into Tamaki. His expression didn't change in the slightest at the child in his path, and he brought his tachi down hard.

Faced with Komura Tarō's attack, Tamaki was terrified. But having lived two lives, he successfully used the Substitution Technique he had practiced all along.

The substitution log was easily cleaved in two, and Tamaki's face darkened at the sight. If that slash had landed on him, wouldn't he have been cut in half?

"Substitution Technique? Troublesome brat."

His path had been blocked, and he saw the Anbu closing in behind him. There was also a brat of unknown ability in front of him. After all, a ninja's combat strength was never measured by age. With that thought, Komura Tarō began forming hand seals.

"Komura Tarō, give up!" the dog-masked Anbu shouted as he began forming hand seals, paying Tamaki no mind.

Unfortunately, his hand seals weren't as fast as Komura Tarō's.

"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"

"Spread out, get clear of the mist, and use Wind Release!" the dog-masked Anbu ordered. It was actually two instructions: those with Wind Release were to use it, while those without were to spread out, protect themselves, and keep the enemy from escaping.

Tamaki started moving as soon as he heard the name Hidden Mist Technique. The technique obscured vision, and paired with the Silent Killing Technique's suppression of sound, someone without specific training couldn't possibly find the enemy using smell or touch alone. The best option was to escape.

But the mist was clearly faster than Tamaki had expected, spreading almost in an instant.

"Did those Anbu's Wind Release techniques not work?"

He cursed the Anbu inwardly for being so useless, but stopped moving.

Tamaki knew it would be difficult to run out of the mist, and the sound of his movement would also tell the enemy where he was.

What he could do now was obviously—

"Clone Technique!"

Tamaki squeezed out nearly all his chakra to create two clones. They barely even had a human shape.

For one thing, he hadn't practiced long enough; for another, his chakra really was limited. If he had Naruto-level chakra, he would have turned back and ganged up on the bastard with the tachi.

The enemy was being pursued by masked Anbu and clearly wanted to escape.

That meant he had to race against every second. His best choice was to break through the side with fewer and weaker people.

Since Tamaki was weak, he would create the illusion of greater numbers.

Without wasting any more time, the three figures ran off in three different directions.

But Tamaki didn't know whether this guy could use Sensory Ninjutsu, or whether he might happen to head in the same direction as his real body. All he could do now was gamble.

His vision gradually cleared. It seemed this guy from the Village Hidden in the Mist was conserving chakra too, rather than using ninjutsu to create a wide expanse of mist.

He was probably also thinking that too large an area would draw too much attention, and that he could save chakra to make his escape easier.

"A smart, reasonable move. Although I appeared by chance, he doesn't know how strong I am. At a time like this, slowing everyone down is the priority."

Tamaki made that assessment inwardly.

After another two breaths, the mist was mostly gone.

"I got out. Next, I need to figure out the direction and find somewhere with as many people as possible."

Swish.

A tachi came from behind and pierced Tamaki through the chest.

"Damn it, what's going on?"

"Did we take the same route? Damn it."

Through his fading awareness, Tamaki saw Komura Tarō about ten meters away. The man gave Tamaki a single glance, then continued fleeing without another thought.

"What a cautious guy."

The first thing Tamaki felt was pain, and then his consciousness began to drift.

Our pitiful protagonist finally died in chapter three. Congratulations, congratulations.