A breeze swept by, and a chill ran down Obito's back. He finally came to his senses.
The killing intent from the Sand Hidden Jonin had left him drenched in sweat.
"It's... over!"
After catching his breath, he felt as though all the strength had been drained from his body. He tipped his head back and fell to the ground, staring blankly up at the sky.
"I finally... survived."
In just a few seconds, he had been to the brink of death and back. He never wanted to face that feeling again.
Kakashi sat down beside him, looking exhausted.
He was worn out. He had also suffered serious injuries in the fight, and all he wanted now was to close his eyes and sleep.
But Sen Chisato's question, along with the few moves he had used in the fight, forced Kakashi to keep himself alert.
When it came to swordsmanship, Kakashi was an expert.
His father, Hatake Sakumo, had earned the name "White Fang of the Leaf" with nothing but a sword. Kakashi also relied primarily on swordsmanship in battle.
He had inherited an entire body of sword techniques compiled by his father. His father had personally laid the foundations of both his swordsmanship and his ninja skills.
But his father had died five years ago, when Kakashi was seven.
Since then, no one had taught him how to train. He had been left to figure everything out on his own, with no one to correct him even when he made mistakes. His talent had played a major part in getting him this far, but he had also worked incredibly hard.
And today, at last, someone had given him guidance in this field—at the cost of a Jonin's life.
So even though Sen Chisato was younger than him, even though his swordsmanship differed greatly from what Kakashi had learned, and even though he had only used a few moves, Kakashi committed them to memory and repeatedly analyzed them. He was sincerely grateful to Sen Chisato.
But he wouldn't thank him.
It wasn't that he didn't want to. He had simply forgotten how to express his feelings.
So all he could do was commit Sen Chisato's moves to memory and think about how to combine that style of fighting with what he had learned, until it became his own strength.
And if Sen Chisato ever needed help, Kakashi would repay him through his actions.
As Kakashi pondered, Nohara Rin, standing beside him, took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Kakashi and Obito both turned their attention to her.
Obito immediately sat up and called out hesitantly, "Rin..."
Nohara Rin didn't respond. Obito had spoken too softly, and she hadn't heard him.
She was busy working up her courage, walking steadily toward Sen Chisato.
She didn't know Sen Chisato well. After all, they had met less than two days ago.
His strength, the overwhelming killing intent he had displayed while fighting their enemies, which rivaled that of a Jonin, and his somewhat distant personality over the past two days all made her nervous.
But right now, she had a reason she couldn't back down.
Sen Chisato held a shovel and was measuring out an area, making sure the grave he dug for the Sand Ninja would be the right size.
Once he was done measuring, he hefted the shovel and prepared to start digging.
He knew plenty of ninjutsu now, and several techniques could dig a pit in just a few seconds. But he still planned to use this oldest, simplest method.
He had plenty of time, after all, and nothing else to do.
It was also one of his little quirks. Burying bodies this way somehow made the rewards feel more satisfying.
Just then, Nohara Rin came up behind him.
"Need something?" Sen Chisato drove the shovel down hard, then stepped on it to push it deeper. He asked without turning around.
Nohara Rin didn't answer. She grabbed his arm.
Sen Chisato frowned and turned to look at the girl.
He didn't shake her off or glare at her, but his face clearly said: You'd better have a good explanation!
Nohara Rin led Sen Chisato to a clean patch of ground nearby, put her hands on his shoulders, and pressed down gently, making him sit.
She had only managed because Sen Chisato hadn't resisted.
"Honestly, if you're hurt, you should see a medic first. You should at least pay some attention to it." Nohara Rin scolded him, a little annoyed, as she took out her canteen and began cleaning his wound.
So that was why!
As he watched her rinse the wound clean and reveal the cut in his palm, Sen Chisato wanted to tell her: If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't even have remembered it was there.
The Sand Ninja's slash had been heavy, and the wound in his palm was deep, but he hadn't paid it any attention.
That was because he had a special trait—Seal-less Healing!
He could recover easily from a minor wound like this. Even if he took a stab to a vital spot, as long as he didn't die right away, he could recover with this trait.
Otherwise, why would he have caught someone's blade with his bare hand so casually?
He was a good person, but he had never been one to go out of his way to help others, much less sacrifice himself for them.
If he hadn't wanted to avoid revealing too much and making himself seem too extraordinary, he wouldn't have deliberately weakened the effects of Seal-less Healing. Nohara Rin wouldn't have been able to see a wound at all by now.
It was a tiny wound. It would heal in two seconds.
After a moment, Sen Chisato said, "This is just a minor wound. It'll be fine even if you don't treat it. Kakashi needs you more right now."
In other words, If you're bored, go see Kakashi instead. Wrap him up like a mummy if you want, but don't bother me!
Unfortunately, Nohara Rin didn't catch his meaning. As she bandaged him, she said, "Kakashi's badly hurt. Treating him will take a long time."
"Anyway, I've already checked him over. I'll finish bandaging you first, then I'll treat his injuries. His wounds cover a large area, and I don't have much chakra... so I'm sorry, but I can only give you a simple treatment."
After wrapping a bandage around Sen Chisato's palm, Nohara Rin tied a neat little bow on the back of his hand and let out a long breath.
"And..."
She stood and took two steps back, then folded her hands in front of her and bowed solemnly. "Thank you for saving Obito and me."
When she straightened up, her smile was bright and gentle, as clear and pure as a stream, and it warmed the heart.
Watching the girl hop away, light and cheerful, Sen Chisato glanced at the bow on the back of his hand and clicked his tongue. "No wonder Xian Er can't get her out of his mind. She's so gentle. Her personality really shines. It makes me feel ashamed of myself."
Even so, Sen Chisato had no intention of showing Nohara Rin much mercy.
They weren't close, after all.
Besides, if Nohara Rin didn't die, how could he carry out his plan?
When he looked up, Nohara Rin was already treating Kakashi's injuries, while Obito hovered nearby, making a fuss.
Even so, Nohara Rin kept glancing over at him.
Their eyes met. Nohara Rin's eyes curved as she gave him a radiant smile.
Clearly, Doctor Nohara didn't trust him as a patient at all. She was afraid he'd do something else that would hinder his recovery.
After thinking it over, Sen Chisato decided not to test the doctor's patience.
He was about to put Team Minato through special training. He needed the three of them to listen, and he didn't want to give them an excuse to challenge or contradict him.
He had already shown them what he could do. If Team Minato—especially the idiot Obito—still dared to talk back and pick a fight, he wouldn't greet them with a smile.
He wouldn't be spending much time with Team Minato, and he didn't want to waste too much of it on pointless things.
Just then, Namikaze Minato returned, casually tossing two Sand Ninja corpses onto the ground. He asked quietly, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
Sen Chisato shook his head, then asked in confusion, "What took you so long?"
With Namikaze Minato's strength, those two nobodies should have been easy to deal with.
"I checked in with my teacher, then got an overview of the situation from headquarters," Namikaze Minato explained.
"I see."
Sen Chisato nodded to show he understood. He didn't ask for details, but changed the subject and pointed toward the other side of the forest. "Sorry for the trouble, but bring over the two Sand Ninja Kakashi took care of as well."
"Uh, got it." Namikaze Minato glanced at the shovel stuck in the ground but didn't refuse.
Before coming here, he had already learned about Sen Chisato's personality and background.
A certain Jonin who had once served as Sen Chisato's team leader for a day had even privately told him about one of Sen Chisato's little quirks.
Considering how much Sen Chisato had helped Team Minato, Namikaze Minato was more than happy to do this small favor.
Before you continue