Chapter 11: Ordered to Escape
Seeing me bolt like a startled deer, Kakashi's expression flickered with what might have been approval. Or mild disgust. Hard to tell with that mask.
"Stop him!" he shouted, launching himself after the Mist ninja I'd just abandoned.
But the squad leader, Tongcao Shinno, was right on his heels. The guy looked absolutely thrilled at the prospect of killing Konoha's golden boy, and honestly, I couldn't blame him. Taking down Kakashi would be career-defining stuff. Success or failure on this intel mission would be irrelevant compared to that kind of achievement.
Meanwhile, the other two were having their own problems. Ito Shu could hold his own as a chunin, but Imai Kuriyama was in serious trouble. Medical ninja weren't exactly built for prolonged combat against Blood Mist specialists, and she looked about two seconds away from becoming a permanent patient.
When Kakashi yelled his "stop him" order, Tongcao Shinno's eyes lit up with understanding.
"Kill the runner! He's got the intel!" he barked, following up with a vicious sword strike that forced Kakashi back on the defensive.
Oh, fantastic. Thanks for painting a target on my back, captain.
I kept running, because frankly, what else was I going to do? Challenge him to a dance-off?
"Water Release! Water Rushing Waves!"
The sound of rushing water behind me suggested my pursuer wasn't in the mood for extended cardio. A torrent of water came flooding after me like someone had opened a dam.
Time to stop being clever and start being practical.
I spun around, hands already forming seals before my brain fully caught up with the plan.
"Earth Release! Earth Wall!"
My palms slammed into the ground, and a solid barrier erupted upward, taking the brunt of the water impact without budging. For a moment, I felt pretty pleased with myself.
Then I remembered who I was dealing with and immediately backpedaled away from my own defense.
**SLICE!**
A blade cut through the earthen wall like it was made of paper, the smooth cut surface gleaming in the moonlight. A second later, Kurishane Yamato burst through the gap, heading straight for me with murder in his eyes.
Well, shit!
I flipped a kunai into my hand and rushed to meet him, because sometimes the best defense really is a good offense. Or maybe I was just too panicked to think of anything smarter.
**CLANG!**
The impact of our weapons meeting sent sparks flying and left my arm ringing. We pressed against each other, weapons locked, both taking a moment to reassess the situation.
Chunin level, we both realized simultaneously. This was going to be interesting.
"Where exactly did you think you could run to?" Yamato snarled, his face twisted with anger.
I gave him my most innocent smile—the same one I used when explaining why bodies occasionally went missing from the morgue.
"Look, I wasn't really trying to escape," I said conversationally. "I just don't think corpses should be desecrated, you know? Maybe you should consider a different target? That silver-haired kid back there is Hatake Kakashi—son of the White Fang himself. Now that would be a career-making kill."
Come on, take the bait. Kakashi can handle himself, and I've got bodies to deliver.
"Oh?" Yamato's grip loosened slightly, curiosity replacing some of the bloodlust in his expression.
Perfect.
The moment I felt his pressure decrease, I used the opening to create some distance. My hands were already moving through familiar seals before he could react.
"Fire Release! Flame Bullet!"
A scorching fireball erupted from my mouth, aimed directly at his face. We were close enough that he could probably count my dental work, which meant dodging was going to be problematic.
But Blood Mist ninja didn't earn their reputation by being sensible. Instead of trying to evade, Yamato did the absolute madman thing and charged straight into the flames. His blade emerged from the fire like something out of a nightmare, accompanied by the delightful aroma of his own singed flesh.
The burning sword swept toward my head with the kind of commitment that suggested he was perfectly willing to die as long as he took me with him.
*SLICE!*
The blade cut clean through my torso, splitting me neatly in half.
For a moment, Yamato looked absolutely delighted with himself.
*POOF!*
Then my "corpse" exploded into smoke and turned into two pieces of conveniently placed firewood.
Substitution Jutsu : the thinking man's solution to impending death.
*THUD!*
Yamato hit the ground hard, his eyes wide with the kind of surprise that suggested this wasn't how he'd planned to spend his evening. (Grilled to death if u r confused)
I stepped out from behind a nearby tree, patting my chest dramatically. "Honestly, I just want to collect bodies in peace. Why does everyone have to make it complicated?"
After poking him with my foot to confirm he was really dead and not just playing possum, I sat down next to the corpse to catch my breath.
Poor bastard. He was actually pretty skilled, but way too easy to manipulate with conversation. Must be a Blood Mist thing—when your entire culture revolves around "kill or be killed" training from childhood, I guess you don't develop much experience with psychological warfare.
Lucky for me, I'd spent enough time reading people in the morgue to get a handle on his personality pretty quickly. A little misdirection, one well-timed substitution, and boom—problem solved.
Now for the important part.
I pulled out a sealing scroll and carefully stored Yamato's body. A chunin-level corpse would definitely qualify as "green tier" loot, which meant significantly better rewards than the usual cannon fodder.
While I was at it, I did a quick cleanup of the area, though the leftover water from his earlier technique had already washed away most of the evidence.
Time to check on the others.
Instead of charging back into the fray like some kind of heroic idiot, I found a good vantage point and assessed the situation.
Kakashi was still trading blows with Tongcano Shinno, and they looked pretty evenly matched. Neither one seemed to be gaining a decisive advantage.
Imai Kuriyama, on the other hand, was having a terrible time. She was covered in blood and swaying on her feet like she might collapse at any moment.
Can't let the medic die. That would be bad for team morale.
I waited for the right moment, formed my seals carefully, and unleashed hell.
"Fire Release! Great Flame Flower!"
The B-rank jutsu drained a significant chunk of my chakra, but the payoff was spectacular. A massive wave of fire engulfed the area where Kuriyama's opponent was fighting, turning him into what would charitably be described as "well-done."
I appeared next to Kuriyama just as she started to topple over, catching her before she could hit the ground.
"You okay?" I asked, though the answer was pretty obvious.
She was unconscious before she could respond, which was probably for the best considering her current condition.
"You!" Tongcano Shinno's voice cut through the night like a rusty blade. He'd forced Kakashi back and was now perched on a tree branch, staring at me with the kind of expression that suggested I'd just ruined his entire evening. "Where's Yamato?"
I put on my most sincere expression—the one that had convinced countless people that I was just a harmless morgue worker.
"That Mist ninja from earlier? Oh, I told him about this great barbecue place nearby. He's probably there right now, enjoying some really excellent grilled meat."
Technically not a lie. The meat was quite thoroughly grilled.
The silence stretched out just long enough to become uncomfortable.
"Qifeng," Kakashi called out, "take Kuriyama and go. We can handle things from here."
Finally! Someone giving me permission to do what I wanted to do anyway.
I could see the change in Kakashi's demeanor now that he didn't have to worry about protecting the injured medic. He'd been holding back, putting the mission first like always. But with the intel secured and the weakest team member about to be evacuated, he could finally cut loose.
There was just one small problem: the chunin I'd barbecued was rapidly turning into charcoal, which meant I was going to miss out on looting his corpse.
The sacrifices I make for teamwork.
I scooped Kuriyama up in a princess carry, trying to look appropriately concerned rather than relieved.
"Don't worry about us," I told Kakashi. "Just focus on not dying."
Then I turned around and got the hell out of there, because sometimes retreat really is the better part of valor.
This is a tactical withdrawal under direct orders. Completely legitimate.
After all, ninjas were supposed to follow orders, right?