39. Chapter 39, The Siege

"You're a bit slow, little guy. I'd better carry you."

Ye Yuexin spoke to the puppy at his feet.

Although Ye Yuexin was currently keeping his speed at a level where he could still recover his chakra, Kakashi's little ninja dog seemed unable to keep up, its tongue lolling out as it panted heavily.

After all, while their main base was stationary, Kakashi and the others were likely on the run.

To find them faster, Ye Yuexin had brought along the puppy that usually stayed by Rin Nohara's side.

After picking up the puppy, Ye Yuexin smoothed down its fur.

Regardless of the dog's actual intelligence, he spoke directly to it, "From now on, your nose is the guide. Whichever direction you point, that's the way I'll go."

The puppy in his arms actually nodded after hearing him.

This piqued Ye Yuexin's curiosity immensely.

Watching anime was one thing, but this was his first time seeing such a spiritual animal in reality, one that could actually understand human speech.

He wondered how Kakashi had trained it; he even found himself wanting to learn the training methods.

With that, Ye Yuexin continued to dash in the direction of Kakashi and the others.

"Hey!! Kakashi, don't you die on me!"

Seeing Kakashi, who was slumped on his back, close his eyes, Obito Uchiha shouted in a panic.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than Kakashi, who had already closed his eyes, opened them again, his gaze filled with helplessness.

"You're the one who's going to die. I was just closing my eyes to recover some chakra quickly. Can you stop yelling in my ear?"

It seemed Kakashi's injuries were truly severe; even his speech was laced with weakness.

However, the fact that he could finish a complete sentence meant he wasn't going to die just yet.

Obito Uchiha let out a heavy sigh of relief and shouted again, "What's wrong with you? If you weren't dead, why close your eyes? You scared the life out of me!"

They were in a sorry state. Not a single one of them was free of bloodstains.

Obito Uchiha's clothes were already tattered.

There was a wound on his thigh that was still bleeding, though it wasn't a major or deep injury; it felt like it had been caused by a ninjutsu.

As for Genma Shiranui, who was clearing the path ahead, his clothes were even more shredded.

His entire body was covered in lacerations, seemingly from a blade.

Although they weren't very deep, they were terrifying to behold, as a quick glance revealed at least a dozen of them.

They had stopped bleeding, however.

The fact that they had healed so quickly was likely the result of Rin Nohara's treatment.

It was said that Rin Nohara's medical ninjutsu was quite impressive.

The most severely injured was Kakashi, who was slumped on Obito Uchiha's back.

Although Kakashi's clothes were in the best condition of the three, he was the weakest.

Looking at his back, one could see a wound three fingers wide.

It had been wrapped in bandages, but the bandages were still soaked through with blood.

It should have stopped bleeding, as no fresh blood was seeping out.

Because he was slumped on Obito Uchiha's back, one couldn't see his front.

If he were to stand up, one would see a matching wound on his chest—it was a piercing injury.

Judging by the position, it had nearly punctured his heart.

The three of them were currently heading toward the border of the Land of Fire.

Because Kakashi could not endure violent jolts, their speed was kept very slow.

Although pursuers could arrive from behind at any moment, none of the three were in a rush; they all prioritized Kakashi's injuries above all else.

Kakashi, who was observing the same thing, felt a sense of internal conflict.

His mindset had not yet fully shifted; he still thought like a cold tool.

This clashed directly with the principle he had internalized: that a ninja must put the mission first.

And the situation was happening to him personally.

Just as Kakashi was deciding to stay behind to stop any potential pursuers, they were suddenly surrounded.

None of the three possessed sensory ninjutsu, and Kakashi was currently too severely injured to use his chakra.

Thus, none of them had realized how they had walked straight into the encirclement.

He glanced at the enemies surrounding them; there were a full eight of them.

Could it be that everyone from the main base had come over? Genma Shiranui offered a bitter smile.

It seemed they were truly doomed this time.

"Obito, put me down," Kakashi said quietly.

"Not a chance!"

No sooner had Kakashi spoken than Obito Uchiha retorted immediately.

Regardless of the enemies' strength, he shouted at those surrounding them, "Bring it on! I'm not afraid of you lot. Today, I'll be the one to teach you a lesson!"

"Heh, you still seem to have plenty of spirit," a middle-aged man in a yellow combat uniform sneered.

He then took a look at the defiant Obito Uchiha and laughed, "But how much longer can you struggle?"

The middle-aged man's attire was clearly different from the others; it seemed he was the leader of this squad.

"Who are you? Let me teach you a lesson!"

Obito Uchiha continued to put on a brave front.

In truth, if one were to judge by the plot, Obito Uchiha's personality was truly very kind, and he was a person who valued his bonds deeply.

Although his usual sharp tongue was quite annoying, his words were just words; if a friend he truly acknowledged were in danger, he was the type of person who would absolutely risk his life to fight for them.

"I am Tugang, an elite jonin of the Rock Village. Ever heard of me?"

"What! An elite jonin!!"

"What, Tugang!"

As soon as Tugang finished speaking, Obito Uchiha and Kakashi were both shocked.

Obito Uchiha was surprised that the opponent's strength was as terrifying as an elite jonin.

But Kakashi was different.

He seemed to know quite a lot. Seeing Kakashi just as surprised, Obito Uchiha looked at him and asked, "What is it? Is that name famous?"

"Tugang is one of the top ten figures in the Rock Village's Earth Style Group. Just like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, it's a special unit dedicated to researching Earth Style techniques. There are twenty members in total."

Kakashi didn't say anything more, but Obito Uchiha could easily imagine the rest.

Hearing Kakashi's words, Genma Shiranui tightened his grip on his blade.

His bitter smile turned serious. The look in his eyes didn't reveal fear, but rather a firm resolve to live or die together.

In his view, there was no hope left.

Because even if reinforcements from the Land of Fire's main base arrived now, they wouldn't have an elite jonin among them.

Not to mention, they weren't just facing an ordinary elite jonin. This time, it was truly a situation with ten deaths and no chance of survival.