Chapter 62: Run For It!

Out of nowhere, several figures emerged—Shikayu, Ryoko, and Nagano!

Their sudden appearance startled Obito, Kakashi, and Rin just as much as it did the other group.

Kakashi was the first to snap out of his shock, immediately urging the group in a sharp, urgent tone.

"This isn't the place to talk! Move! We'll talk while retreating!"

Understanding the dire situation, everyone bolted, making their way quickly to safer ground.

As they ran, Obito formed a string of hand seals mid-stride.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A perfect replica of himself materialized beside him, the clone's eyes shimmering with a peculiar resolve. It spoke softly, but with deep emotion.

"Forgive me, Obito. This will be the last time."

Without another word, the clone broke off, remaining in place as the group continued their retreat.

Though the danger was pressing, curiosity flickered among the group. Rin, ever the one to ask what everyone was thinking, turned her head toward Obito as they ran.

"Obito, what was that about…?"

Obito waved his hand dismissively as he replied, his tone lighthearted.

"Ah, I've got plenty of chakra to spare. That's why I left the clone behind—to slow down the ones chasing us."

The others fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances of disbelief. The reasoning made sense, but…

…why did his clone feel the need to deliver such a dramatic line before leaving?

Shikayu couldn't help but ask, his tone dripping with mild exasperation.

"Yeah, but… did the clone really need to add a monologue?"

Ignoring the jab, Obito turned toward Shikayu.

"Anyway, what are you three doing here?"

Shikayu sighed heavily, his voice tinged with frustration as he began to explain.

"Before heading to the frontlines, our sensei said Iwagakure's main forces would be concentrated there, leaving their rear support as stretched thin as Konoha's. So, they sent us behind enemy lines to scout around their supply routes and gather intelligence."

"Once we gathered enough intel on their setup, we were supposed to return to Konoha so the jōnin stationed back home could assess whether an opportunity presented itself to strike."

Obito nodded, his expression dawning with understanding.

"Hah! Sounds like our senseis were thinking along the same lines."

Ryoko raised an eyebrow, her voice curious. "Wait… don't tell me—was Minato-senpai's team sent here for a similar scouting mission?"

Rin shook her head. "Not quite. Our mission is to destroy Kannabi Bridge in a surprise attack."

That left Shikayu and his squad utterly speechless.

What?!

They'd thought sneaking behind enemy lines to scout was already a bold and dangerous move. But Minato's team…? They were going straight for Iwagakure's supply lifeline!

Absolutely fearless.

"…Damn," Shikayu muttered under his breath, genuinely impressed. "Talk about guts."

Kakashi chimed in, his voice as sharp and matter-of-fact as ever. "We ran into two Iwagakure jōnin earlier. We managed to eliminate them, but not before one of them set off a signal flare."

"That's probably what led you three here," he added, glancing over at Nagano.

He nodded quickly. "Yeah, we were nearby when we saw the signal. Figured something was going down, so we came over to check it out." Her expression suddenly shifted, her eyes widening in realization.

"Wait a second—you said you killed two jōnin?!"

Obito puffed out his chest with mock bravado, smirking.

"Yup. One clean strike each. If the second guy hadn't been so far away, he wouldn't have even had time to fire that flare."

Nagano narrowed his eyes skeptically. "Yeah, sure…"

"Oh, and did I mention we took out another one earlier?" Obito added, his grin widening.

Nagano groaned, covering his ears with both hands.

"I'm not listening! Blah blah blah, I can't hear you!"

Meanwhile, back at the site of the skirmish, Obito's shadow clone was putting on an unorthodox show. It formed a quick series of hand seals, adopting the appearance of a certain flirty kunoichi.

"Phew," the clone muttered in a feminine tone, fluffing its disguise. "Much better this way!"

As if acting on its own whims, the clone continued jogging forward, seemingly unbothered by the enemy forces rapidly closing in.

In the dense forest nearby, a small Iwagakure unit advanced cautiously, their expressions grim.

"There's no way someone like Hibikawa would go down that fast," one of the shinobi growled. "No way."

This particular squad had been closest to the flare when it went off. From the time they saw it to the moment they arrived, only minutes had passed.

And yet…

Their comrades were gone. Utterly wiped out.

"Whoever they are, they must've taken Hibikawa and Daiseki out almost instantly," the squad leader muttered, his fists clenched. "No time to warn anyone."

Suddenly, the sensor-nin in the group perked up. "Captain, I'm picking up movement ahead. One target, female."

The leader's eyes narrowed. "Finally. Let's go!"

The squad picked up their pace, closing in on the figure. As they got closer, the group's mood shifted as they noticed the lone woman's appearance. One of them, an overly cocky shinobi, let out a low whistle.

"Well, well. Looks like we've found ourselves a cute one," he murmured, grinning. "Leave this to me, Captain. I'll handle her… delicately."

"Idiot," another shinobi snapped, glaring at him. "You think a kunoichi behind enemy lines is harmless? Let me handle this. You'd just screw it up."

The first shinobi rolled his eyes but didn't argue further, confident they'd overwhelm her with ease.

The woman appeared to be panicked, stumbling as she ran, glancing nervously over her shoulder. She hadn't noticed the transparent figure closing in behind her—one of the Iwa shinobi using a camouflage jutsu.

The cloaked figure lunged, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a kunai to her neck. His other hand… wandered.

"Heh. Don't fight, sweetheart, or I might slip," he whispered smugly. "Now, how about you tell us where your friends are hiding? Do that, and maybe we'll go easy on you…"

The "woman" froze, her face turning bright red. Her voice trembled as she stammered,

"Y-You're too much! I… I'm so embarrassed I could just…"

The Iwa shinobi blinked. "Huh?"

"...explode."

Before he could process her words, a deafening blast shook the forest. The "kunoichi" was gone—replaced by smoke and the aftermath of a violently exploding shadow clone.

"Gah!" the attacker screamed as he was launched backward, his body crumpling against a tree.

The remaining two Iwa shinobi stared at the destruction in stunned disbelief.

"What the hell just happened?!" one of them shouted.

"A… a shadow clone?!" the other stammered. "But since when do clones—when do they explode?!"

They looked at each other, utterly baffled.

This was not in their training manuals.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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