The sun filtered through the leaves as the team moved swiftly and with as much discretion as possible.
Kakashi led the group, his forehead protector covering his Sharingan. On either side were Naruto and Sakura, with Naruto occasionally throwing jabs, only to be scolded by Sakura.
At the rear, Mei was much quieter than usual. After all, it was in a forest just like this where those lunatics had attacked them. The bloody image of Takeshi still haunted her thoughts.
As for him, Takeshi scanned the horizon, deep in thought about his next moves. Now that Naruto was back, the storyline was supposed to begin, but since he and Mei were part of this mission—something that wasn't in the original plot—he knew it would definitely trigger butterfly effects.
The worst-case scenario would be the awakening of Madara and the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Takeshi's mind was already working on countermeasures.
"Damn, I need to calm down," he exhaled.
Mei, walking beside him, didn't miss it.
"Still thinking about the other day?"
She broke the silence, trying to ease the tension.
"Huh...!?"
Takeshi was caught off guard. Why would he still be thinking about last time? He'd not only improved his kenjutsu, but he had also earned a good amount of points and even caught Tsunade's attention.
Sure, he had nearly died—but what could you do? It was already in the past. All he had to do now was be more cautious.
"Don't worry, I plan to protect you next time," Mei continued, her face proud. "As long as I'm by your side, nothing will happen to you."
Looking at her like this, who would ever suspect that this cute girl with an angelic face could be a yandere?
Ding ding ding
The system alert rang. Takeshi immediately grabbed Mei's hand and pulled her toward him, saving her from being sliced in half.
[System] — Hostile target detected.
A figure dressed head to toe in black—impossible to distinguish who it was. Not that it mattered at the moment. Takeshi instinctively summoned a clone the moment the alert went off and had it drive a kunai into the enemy's neck, catching the assailant completely off guard.
Further ahead, two more enemies appeared, dressed the same. No talking—these guys were here to kill.
Which worked out just fine for Takeshi. All he saw were walking merit points meant to help him level up. Without the slightest hesitation, he used a tree branch for momentum and launched himself at one of the men attacking Naruto.
With a clean slice, he decapitated him with his katana.
[System] — Chunin eliminated. Host receives 150 merit points.
"Not bad. My movement's becoming smoother and more natural," thought Takeshi as he flicked his blade to remove the blood.
"Takeshi… wh-why did you kill him?"
Naruto was stunned—by both the speed and Takeshi's expression. It wasn't joy, it wasn't sorrow. His face was neutral, his gaze cold.
"Naruto, do you think they would've hesitated to kill you?"
Naruto wanted to reply, but no words came out. Sakura, watching from a distance, couldn't believe this was the same laid-back guy she'd met just after his hospital release.
"I almost forgot about this idiot's Talk-no-Jutsu…" Takeshi thought briefly.
"You two should focus on helping Kakashi instead of discussing moral values," Takeshi said, his gaze shifting in a specific direction.
Up ahead, Kakashi Hatake, his left eye blazing with the Sharingan, stared down his opponent—a Doton user whose mask had been ripped off, revealing a scar-riddled face.
The burly man laughed, hands plunged into the earth.
With a sudden motion, he summoned a stone wall bristling with spikes. Kakashi dodged with a leap, his Sharingan-honed reflexes predicting every move.
"You're fast, Copy Ninja—but you're dead!" the man growled, slamming the ground.
The earth quaked, and stone spears erupted, targeting Kakashi. He twisted mid-air, his Sharingan tracking every blind spot. One spear grazed his side, tearing his vest and drawing blood—but he didn't flinch.
His right hand was already crackling, electricity screaming like a thousand furious birds. The Chidori.
The ninja burrowed underground, quick as a mole. Kakashi stood still, closing his eyes for a moment.
The Sharingan picked up even the slightest vibration in the soil. In a flash, Kakashi drove his Chidori into the earth. A guttural scream echoed.
The ninja burst out, chest impaled, blood gushing like a fountain.
"You think you've won," he growled.
He spat a mouthful of blood and, with a hand seal, summoned a mud golem—two meters tall—that charged forward.
Kakashi backed off, his Sharingan analyzing the beast. The golem swung a fist as wide as a tree trunk. Kakashi slid beneath the blow, reactivating his Chidori. He severed the golem's arm cleanly, mud splattering his mask.
Losing too much blood, the ninja could no longer maintain his jutsu. Kakashi took advantage of a brief lapse in focus and drove his crackling arm into the man's chest. The enemy collapsed with a heavy thud.