Protecting Everyone Behind Me

"I need to be careful."

Kiyohara thought to himself.

Mahiru was incredibly strong, a genuine Jonin.

In truth, Kakashi was no match for him; in the original story, it was only thanks to Namikaze Minato stepping in to save the day that Kakashi survived.

Thinking of this, Kiyohara decided to keep a low profile.

Frowning, he quietly moved to shield the others behind him.

"Everyone, be careful. There are twenty enemies, though most of them are likely Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Namikaze Minato spoke up.

Suddenly, twenty more signatures had appeared.

It was highly probable that the enemy had used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to create physical clones.

"Sensei... we'll charge in, please provide cover for me."

Kakashi said.

He wanted to test out the new technique he had developed.

"Don't be reckless, Kakashi. You should stay in the back."

Namikaze Minato said.

He then glanced at Kiyohara, who had retreated to the rear.

He couldn't help but nod.

Kiyohara's vigilance was excellent, whereas Kakashi was far too impulsive.

With the enemy's strength unknown, they needed to be prepared for anything.

In Namikaze Minato's view, no matter how strong a ninja was, a single kunai to a vital spot would result in death.

"Sensei... I'm the team leader today, right? I just happen to want to test the new ninjutsu I've been developing!"

Kakashi did not heed Namikaze Minato's advice.

He crouched low, letting his right hand hang down toward the grass.

Crack-pop!

Arcs of lightning flickered incessantly in Kakashi's hand, sounding like the chirping of a thousand birds!

Chidori!

"Is that the Chidori?"

Kiyohara observed the Lightning Release ninjutsu Kakashi was unleashing.

At this stage, the technique was called Chidori; later, after Kakashi joined the Anbu and used the Chidori to slice through a bolt of lightning, it was renamed Lightning Blade.

Chidori and Lightning Blade were essentially the same technique, and the hand seals for both were identical.

However, it was interesting to note that according to the databooks, Chidori was an A-rank technique, while Lightning Blade was an S-rank technique.

"Even if there are many enemies, I can finish them off in an instant with this technique!"

Kakashi looked confident, and ignoring Namikaze Minato's attempt to stop him, he charged straight out.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

The piercing sound tore through the silent forest.

"He's actually charging straight at me?"

Mahiru was stunned; he hadn't expected Kakashi to press the attack even after his presence had been discovered.

Seeing this, he threw several shuriken, attempting to block Kakashi.

Swish, swish, swish!

A continuous series of whistling sounds rang out, and at that exact moment, Kiyohara also threw his shuriken.

The shuriken he threw collided with Mahiru's in mid-air before falling to the ground.

"How is Kiyohara's shuriken technique even better than mine, an Uchiha?"

Obito had also intended to throw shuriken to provide cover for Kakashi.

But before he could even release them, Kiyohara had already acted first.

With no obstacles left, Kakashi was propelled by the Chidori in his hand, his speed drastically enhanced as he shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

Bang!

After Mahiru was pierced through, he transformed into a puff of smoke.

Shadow Clone!

Everyone's heart sank.

Shadow Clones cannot be seen through, not even by the Byakugan.

Ninjas can only rely on experience to judge which one is the original.

Because a Shadow Clone evenly distributes all chakra, it is naturally impossible to discern which is the real body.

While the others were stunned, Kiyohara kept his eyes fixed on the ground.

He knew that Mahiru's next attack would come from beneath the earth.

Sure enough, there was movement on the ground, and Mahiru emerged wielding a kunai.

Obito looked panicked, thinking Mahiru was coming for him.

Unexpectedly, he changed direction and lunged toward Kiyohara.

Originally, he had intended to kill the ninja embroidered with the Uchiha Crest, representing the Uchiha clan.

But upon realizing that Kiyohara had also spotted him immediately, he changed his target.

Bang!

Blades collided, and brilliant, sharp sparks flashed and vanished.

"What!"

Mahiru was stunned.

This brat actually blocked his attack?

It was as if he had been waiting there specifically for him!

While Mahiru was distracted, Kiyohara threw another shuriken.

Bang!

Mahiru's Shadow Clone vanished.

The biggest drawback for most ninjas using Shadow Clones is that their chakra becomes insufficient!

Mahiru clearly suffered from this same flaw.

Creating twenty Shadow Clones meant his chakra had to be divided into twenty parts, leaving everyone with only one-twentieth of the original amount.

Only someone like Naruto, who could squander chakra at will, could create hundreds or thousands of Shadow Clones without being affected in the slightest.

"Did the surprise attack fail?"

On the other side, Mahiru's brows furrowed slightly.

He had intended to kill a brat first, but he hadn't expected to fail.

"The eighteenth..."

After circling around and taking care of most of Mahiru's Shadow Clones, Kakashi headed straight for Mahiru.

"Don't get cocky, you little beast!"

Mahiru was losing his composure.

It was one thing that the black-haired brat had detected his sneak attack, but now this white-haired brat was also annoyingly calm!

Mahiru chose an angle and swung his blade rapidly; it was clear that Kakashi could no longer control this technique.

Mahiru saw this.

Namikaze Minato saw it too.

The next moment, Namikaze Minato vanished from where he stood.

When he reappeared, he caught Kakashi and dodged Mahiru's downward slash.

After moving Kakashi to a safe spot, Namikaze Minato took off his field pack.

The moment before he hit the ground, he used the Flying Thunder God to teleport behind Mahiru, holding a kunai to him.

"Could you be Konoha's... Yellow Flash?"

Cold sweat poured down Mahiru's face; he finally understood why his superiors had ordered them to flee on sight if they ever encountered Namikaze Minato.

Squelch.

A spray of blood rose, and Mahiru collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"It really is the world of ninjas."

Kiyohara watched as Namikaze Minato, usually such a kind-hearted man, took Mahiru's life without a hint of mercy.

Being a ninja has always been a dark profession; killing is a common occurrence, though the main theme of Naruto's adventures often masked that fact.

"Ugh..."

Kakashi clutched his wound, and Nohara Rin hurried over to help him treat it.

Seeing Kakashi's failed attempt to show off, Obito didn't hesitate to start criticizing him for acting recklessly and ignoring Sensei Minato's orders.

"I don't need you pointing fingers at me."

Kakashi glanced at Obito.

"You two, that's enough."

Namikaze Minato flicked the bloodstains off his kunai.

"This time, the only one who truly satisfied me was Kiyohara."

Namikaze Minato said.

Following his voice, everyone's gaze fell upon Kiyohara.

"Kakashi, rules are indeed important, but I told you all, didn't I? Depending on the actual situation, we sometimes have to adapt accordingly..."

Namikaze Minato began to recount his disappointment with this mission.

Kakashi was reckless, and Obito was clearly so frightened that he stood frozen in place.

The genjutsu ninja Kurenai Yuhi and the medical ninja Nohara Rin were not combat-oriented, which was understandable.

Genma Shiranui, on the other hand, was somewhat mediocre; he was average in every aspect, neither discovering the enemy nor dragging the team down when faced with the enemy's attack.

This time, only Kiyohara had satisfied Namikaze Minato!