Chapter 8: I’m Not a Lolicon!

Chapter 8: I'm Not a Lolicon!

"That might not be the case! Maybe you will be the one to die!"

There's a saying about never losing in spirit, even when the odds are against you. Katsuragi, fully aware of how big a gap existed between his skill level and the Cloud ninja's, still wasn't willing to show any weakness. Besides, he believed he could run away if it came down to it.

His words were quite bold, yet all the while he was preparing to make a quick getaway.

"Damn brat!"

Hearing Katsuragi's retort, Shusai's face twisted with rage. He pulled out a handful of shuriken and lunged at Katsuragi. Right when Katsuragi was about to flee, however, a soft, high-pitched girl's voice interrupted his stride:

"Help me! Someone, please help me!"

"What the—?"

For a moment, Katsuragi set aside his escape. He agilely dodged Shusai's attack, leaping onto a nearby tree and hiding there. From that vantage point, he saw the other Cloud ninja—the one carrying a bag on his back—taking off the bag and untying it. Inside was a sweet-looking little girl.

"Damn it, haven't you finished him off yet?! If we fail this mission, we're both dead!"

The second Cloud ninja scowled impatiently, then growled at the trembling girl, "Don't move around, or I'll kill you. All we really need are your eyes, anyway!"

"Is that…?"

"Hyūga Hinata!?"

Even under the gentle moonlight and in the darkness of night, Katsuragi recognized her face and those distinctive eyes. That was Hyūga Hinata, the princess of the Hyūga Clan.

While he was still in shock, Katsuragi's senses suddenly flared. He heard movement behind him; there was no time to think. He pushed off from the branch, jumping over to another tree. In the split-second he left his hiding spot, Shusai appeared where he'd just been.

"You little brat, stop running if you've got guts!"

Shusai glared angrily at Katsuragi, though he was secretly alarmed at the child's ability. Is this the power of Konoha? A kid who had never even attended the Ninja Academy was evading him with remarkable agility.

"Idiot!"

Katsuragi flipped him off without replying and continued bounding nimbly among the branches. Thanks to his regular missions, he was even more familiar with this forest than he was with his own neighborhood.

"Damn it! What should I do? According to the 'original storyline,' Hinata should be safe this time… But then again, I wasn't in the original story at all! What if my presence changes how things unfold?!"

His mind whirled. One option was to rescue Hinata, but that could mean risking his life; after all, he had trouble handling one Cloud ninja, much less two. The other option was to save himself—his speed and knowledge of the forest gave him confidence he could escape.

"Crap! You worthless fool! Forget the brat—let's get out of here!"

Before Katsuragi could make up his mind, the Cloud ninja holding Hinata apparently sensed something. He yelled furiously at Shusai, who was still chasing Katsuragi, then broke away with Hinata, attempting to flee.

Right now, Zhaojun (沼廾)—the Cloud ninja with the bag—wanted to kill Shusai for wasting so much time. He can't even handle a kid? If the Hyūga catch up to us…

He remembered how their team leader had been killed in an instant, and how terrifyingly strong the Hyūga could be. Countless comrades had already died for this one chance. If their mission failed because of Shusai, even if they didn't die at the hands of the Hyūga, their own village wouldn't let them off.

"Dammit!"

Seeing his partner take off, Shusai realized there was no time to deal with Katsuragi. He cast the boy a venomous glare, as though memorizing his face for future vengeance. Then the Cloud duo sprinted away.

Watching them run, Katsuragi hesitated.

"You know what—screw it!"

At last, he couldn't just stand by. If the girl who was my favorite from the anime died because of me—or lost her eyes—I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life.

"And I'm definitely not a lolicon!"

He spat out his own self-mockery, grabbed a kunai that Shusai had left behind, and raced after them. With his knowledge of the terrain and the agility boost from the Three-Tailed Fox, he was at least as fast as the Cloud ninja—if not faster.

"Hmm?!"

The two Cloud ninja quickly noticed someone chasing them. When they saw it was Katsuragi, they both looked shocked. "What does that little brat think he's doing?!"

"Kid, you're asking for death!"

"We'll take him together!"

They didn't understand Katsuragi's intentions, but they sure weren't going to let him keep tailing them and risking exposure. Meeting each other's gaze, they came to a silent agreement, set Hinata down beneath a tree, then stepped forward with weapons drawn.

"Shit! My plan misfired!"

Noticing their murderous aura, Katsuragi felt a pang of bitter resignation. His idea had been to stall for time and let the Hyūga find them, not to engage them head-on. He also discovered a serious flaw: no matter how much the Three-Tailed Fox enhanced him, he was still only four years old.

After a full day of mission-related movement, that earlier scuffle with Shusai, and the recent chase, Katsuragi had almost completely run out of stamina.

He tried to speak—maybe to stall or distract them—but the ninja who'd been carrying Hinata rudely cut him off by hurling several kunai. Katsuragi swallowed his words and narrowly dodged the flying blades. He tumbled to the ground behind a tree for cover, simultaneously checking on Hinata's location. His only goal was to rescue Hinata and stall for time, not to fight to the death.

"This brat…"

Zhaojun watched Katsuragi avoid the attacks and frowned. Maybe Shusai really isn't totally useless—this kid is definitely tricky. He gave his partner a quick signal, and the two fanned out, attempting to flank Katsuragi.

"Huff…"

Katsuragi sucked in a deep breath, steadying himself. Though his body was exhausted, he knew there was no chance to rest. If either Cloud ninja so much as grazed him, a single blow might be enough to incapacitate him.

Listening closely, he pinpointed their soft footsteps closing in from both sides, realizing they meant to surround him.

"Damn it! Why are the Hyūga taking so long?!"

He was furious. It seemed almost impossible that the Hyūga still hadn't caught up yet, given how much time had passed since his altercation with Shusai. This isn't logical at all!

With what little chakra he had, Katsuragi channeled it to his feet, then kicked off the ground and leaped onto a higher branch. Not pausing to locate the two ninja precisely, he dashed straight toward Hinata.

"He's trying to save her!"

Zhaojun realized Katsuragi's move immediately. Though he and Shusai were the weakest in their squad when it came to direct combat, that didn't mean an untrained four-year-old kid could outmatch them.

"Lightning Release: Thousand Thunder Needles!"

As soon as Katsuragi heard that crackling electrical sound, his heart sank. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a barrage of electrically charged senbon hurtling toward him.

"Hsss!"

Katsuragi twisted midair in a frantic effort to dodge, but he was too exhausted. Even though he managed to avoid the worst of it, one of the senbon still pierced his shoulder. Fortunately, it wasn't a vital spot.

Bright red blood spread across the pristine white snow, but Katsuragi's momentum carried him far enough that he skidded beside Hinata, leaving a crimson trail behind him.

Looking at the little girl—now awake and on the verge of tears—Katsuragi forced himself to bear the pain and sighed wryly: "Sorry, but I couldn't save you after all…"

"A-are you alright?!"

Her voice was soft and sweet like mochi, warm and comforting despite her fear. Hearing Hinata's gentle tone eased Katsuragi's shoulder pain just a little.

"Of course I am."

He managed a lopsided grin. He might well be about to die, but he had few regrets. Being dragged into this world hadn't been his choice. If he couldn't live according to his own values, he would rather die trying.

"I just wonder what will happen to Fox Sis…"

The thought of the Three-Tailed Fox—who had been resting in the courtyard—made him feel guilty. He hadn't activated their shared vision, so she had no idea what was happening. If he died, would she return to her original home?

"Hey, brat! Weren't you good at running?" The Cloud ninja, Zhaojun, and Shusai arrived at his side. Shusai kicked Katsuragi roughly, sneering: "Why aren't you running now?"

"Urgh!"

Katsuragi spat a mouthful of blood onto the snow. It seemed Shusai wanted to torment him rather than kill him outright, because he hadn't used full strength in that kick; otherwise, it likely would have finished him off then and there.

End of Chapter 8