Thump!
Mahiru's headless corpse hit the ground.
Even the cross-section of his neck, charred by a single slash of the Blazing Sword, couldn't stop the blood surging through his body. A great deal of it gushed out!
Nohara Rin was dazed for a good while. Only after Qingye gently set her down did she come back to her senses, looking a little embarrassed.
"Th-thank you, Qingye."
That had been so fast!
That powerful Iwagakure jōnin hadn't even had time to react before he was cut down!
Was this how strong Qingye was?
No wonder Minato-sensei had said earlier that Qingye had held back during his match with Kakashi!
Qingye waved a hand, unconcerned. "What happened on your end?"
Kakashi and the others had been on a route farther south. How had they ended up all the way over here?
"We ran into this man. Kakashi was injured during the fight, and he captured me."
Rin explained quietly.
It was all her fault!
She was too weak. She hadn't been able to help at all during the fight.
She'd at least been able to bandage Kakashi's wound, but then this Iwagakure jōnin had captured her.
"I wonder how Kakashi and Obito are doing." Rin looked dejected.
"They should be on their way to rescue you."
Hyuga Himon stepped forward and shook his head. "Hard to say. Will Kakashi really come?"
He'd heard that ever since White Fang died, Kakashi cared about nothing but missions. He wouldn't think twice about abandoning his teammates.
As for Obito...
Yūhi Kurenai was certain. "Obito is definitely on his way."
Qingye and Hyuga Himon nodded in agreement.
They knew better than anyone else how hopelessly devoted Obito was to Rin.
"But we still haven't seen either of them," Hyuga Himon said, activating his Byakugan and scanning the area before looking at Rin and shaking his head.
What should they do now?
They'd rescued Rin, but what next?
"I can hide nearby, then meet up with Obito and the others!" Rin said at once. She couldn't keep causing trouble for Qingye's team.
"That won't work," Qingye said, rejecting the idea outright.
If Rin waited here, who knew whether Obito or another Iwagakure ninja would arrive first?
If another Iwagakure ninja captured Rin, then Qingye would have rescued her for nothing!
Qingye thought for a moment, then quickly made up his mind. "Here's what we'll do. Rin, leave a message for Obito and the others, then come with us toward Kannabi Bridge."
Having a medical ninja with them might come in handy.
As for whether this would stray from the original plot, Qingye didn't give it a second thought.
The butterfly effect he'd caused had already changed the Battle of Kannabi Bridge beyond recognition!
Besides, as someone who'd crossed over from another world, why should he be afraid of changing the plot?!
If the story was the same with or without you, what was the point of you being there?!
"Okay!"
Rin nodded firmly.
A little over ten minutes later.
Uchiha Obito finally arrived.
When he saw Mahiru's corpse, decapitated and sprawled on the ground, his expression changed abruptly.
"Rin!"
Where was Rin? Where was his Rin?!
Suddenly, a scrap of cloth in a nearby corner caught Obito's eye.
"Th-this is?!"
Obito picked it up and took a look. His face went pale. Wasn't this part of Rin's clothing?
It still carried Rin's scent!
Damn it!
What had happened?
The Iwagakure jōnin was dead, but Rin was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a scrap of Rin's clothing left behind!
"Aaaaaah!"
Obito's eyes reddened.
"You idiot! Don't yell like that behind enemy lines!"
Kakashi Hatake caught up, his shoulder wrapped in bandages, and looked thoroughly annoyed.
Obito stared at him in surprise. "Kakashi? Why are you here too?"
Hadn't he said he was going to carry out the mission and refused to go rescue Rin?
"..."
Kakashi remained silent, thinking back to what Obito had said earlier.
"I think White Fang of Konoha was a hero."
"In the shinobi world, people who break the rules are called trash. But those who don't value their comrades are even worse than trash!"
After struggling with the decision, Kakashi had ultimately made the same choice his father had made all those years ago. He'd followed them.
"Forget all that. Where's Rin?" Kakashi said, shaking his head.
"Rin, she..."
Obito's eyes reddened. Holding the scrap of cloth, he nearly burst into tears.
Rin, where are you?!
Kakashi took one look, then glanced around at the miserable state of Mahiru's corpse.
"Someone must have rescued Rin."
"After rescuing her, that person left this behind for us as a message."
But who could it have been?
Qingye's team?
That couldn't be right!
Kakashi looked at Mahiru's uninjured torso and considered the surroundings. It was obvious the man had been killed instantly, without much of a fight.
Could Qingye really have done that, given the Iwagakure jōnin's strength?
Sniff, sniff—
Kakashi's nose twitched. Following the scent, he looked toward a nearby rock.
"Was Rin's scrap of clothing found here?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
Kakashi went over, turned the rock over, and picked up a slip of paper.
After decoding the message using their special method, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Rin's safe. Qingye rescued her."
"But Qingye didn't feel right about leaving Rin here alone, so he took her with him. Rin said to meet up with them at Kannabi Bridge."
As he spoke, Kakashi couldn't help looking again at Mahiru's headless corpse, his brows furrowed.
Qingye had really done this?
That Iwagakure jōnin had been skilled with a sword, yet Qingye had taken him down without giving him much chance to fight back!
How had Qingye pulled that off?!
"Uchiha Aoya... Tch, so it was him!"
Obito pursed his lips.
But he was relieved all the same. As long as Rin was safe, that was all that mattered.
"We've wasted too much time. Let's keep moving," Kakashi said.
He was relieved too.
Their teammate was safe, and they could still carry on with the mission. It couldn't have worked out better.
"This is all your fault!" Obito glared at Kakashi, thoroughly annoyed. "If you hadn't gotten hurt, I wouldn't have had to waste time bandaging you."
If not for that, he could've caught up and rescued Rin himself. He wouldn't have needed Uchiha Aoya!
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from behind them.
They both turned around. A breeze brushed against their faces.
Kakashi's expression changed. He lunged forward and shoved Obito aside. A blade sliced across his left eye, spraying blood!
The figure of the Iwagakure jōnin Taiseki appeared.
Ninja Art: Camouflage and Invisibility Technique!
"Kakashi!"
Obito was startled.
As guilt welled up inside him, a strange Chakra flowed from his mind, and his eyes gradually turned scarlet.
"Damn it, you Konoha brats!"
The Iwagakure jōnin Hokari had also caught up. Seeing Mahiru's corpse on the ground nearby, he gritted his teeth. "Mahiru died at your hands!"
"Kill them and avenge Mahiru!"
Taiseki said coldly, then used the Camouflage Concealment Technique again.
Before you continue