In the dense forest near the northern border of the Land of Fire, two figures streaked past, one ahead of the other.
The one fleeing ahead was a male ninja, while the one behind him was a white-haired ninja wearing a mask and carrying a short blade on his back.
This chase had begun because the Iwagakure spy in front had exposed himself while gathering intelligence. All his companions had been captured, and only he had managed to flee this far.
As they raced onward, a black streak suddenly shot in from nowhere. The shriek of something sharp tearing through the air made Kakashi halt abruptly. The short blade on his back flashed from its sheath, and sparks erupted before him. He blocked the massive spinning shuriken, deflected its force, and sent it veering aside, where it sliced a towering tree cleanly in half.
When he looked again, the fleeing ninja was openly standing on a nearby branch. Gone was his earlier bedraggled panic; he now stared at Kakashi with blatant arrogance.
Dozens of figures slowly appeared on the surrounding branches, encircling Kakashi completely. This was already the border where the Land of Fire met the Land of Grass. Clearly, it was a trap prepared in advance.
Kakashi's expression darkened slightly as he tightened his grip on the short blade in one hand.
The fleeing Stone Ninja said, "He's the Hokage's personal guard. Capture him alive, and we can dig up extremely valuable intelligence!"
Dozens of figures swarmed him at once. Kakashi lifted his slanted forehead protector, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan beneath. His white short blade moved with his body. Thunder roared, water surged, wind blades whistled, earth and stone crashed, and the clangor of weapons rang without end. The forest descended into chaos. Kakashi struggled to fend off attacks