Chapter 212: Ambush
In the Land of Waterfalls, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were resting in a small cave.
They had been traveling for a full night without rest, pushing themselves to reach the northwestern front as quickly as possible, but they were still a long way off. They had no choice but to stop and recover their strength before continuing.
Obito watched Rin sleeping a short distance away. He swallowed hard, his breath quickening as his mind began to wander. He slowly scooted closer, the distance between them shrinking. The faint, sweet scent of her breath was intoxicating. In that moment, he was already picking out names for their children.
Suddenly, a chill shot through him, shattering the daydream.
He turned his head stiffly and met the dead-fish eyes of Hatake Kakashi.
"Uh..."
Kakashi had seen the whole pathetic display.
Seeing the undisguised contempt in his rival's eyes, Obito was about to stand up and give him a piece of his mind when the faint sound of something cutting through the air reached them both.
"Kakashi!" Obito said, his expression instantly serious.
"I know," Kakashi replied. "Protect Rin. I'll go check it out." Without waiting for a response, he channeled chakra to his feet and shot out of the cave in a blur.
"Damn it, don't go alone!" Obito muttered, gritting his teeth. He glanced at Rin, who was now awake but still confused, and after a moment of hesitation, decided to stay.
They didn't know what they were up against. Rushing out blindly was too risky. It was better to let Kakashi, who was already at the Jonin level, scout ahead.
"Obito, are we just going to wait?" Rin asked, looking nervously toward the cave entrance. The intermittent clang of steel on steel from outside made her worry for Kakashi's safety.
"...It's fine. A guy like Kakashi won't get into any trouble he can't handle," Obito said, the words sounding unconvincing even to himself.
With Kakashi fighting outside and Rin, the least combat-oriented of the three, beside him, Obito was torn.
What... what should I do?
Just then, Rin's panicked expression hardened with resolve. She took a deep breath and dashed out of the cave.
Caught completely by surprise, Obito could only watch as she ran past him. His hand shot out, brushing against the fabric of her sleeve but failing to catch her.
"Rin..." For some reason, a terrible premonition washed over him.
He shook his head, trying to clear the chaotic thoughts, and raced after her.
Outside the cave, the ground was littered with the bodies of Iwa ninja. Kakashi, drenched in blood, was locked in combat with a single, powerful enemy. It was clear that Kakashi was nearing his limit and was outmatched. If they had arrived any later, he would have been defeated.
"Always showing off!" Obito yelled, a mix of anger and concern in his voice as he launched a fire jutsu at the enemy.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
As a volley of small fireballs forced the enemy to reposition, Kakashi used Lightning Release to stimulate his cells, momentarily pushing his body to its absolute peak. In a flash of movement, his White Light Chakra Sabre sliced across the enemy's throat.
"White Fang: Flash!"
His swordsmanship, a blur of motion, had always been his most effective weapon. This time was no different.
"Hah... it's finally over," Kakashi breathed, preparing to rejoin his teammates.
But a choked, desperate cry made his body go rigid.
"Let Rin go!!!"
Following Obito's terrified gaze, Kakashi saw that Rin had been captured by another Iwa ninja who had appeared from nowhere.
"Hehehe. You want her to live? Then do as I say. Otherwise..." The ninja drew a kunai across Rin's neck, and a thin line of blood welled up.
"You... you dare..." Obito's body trembled uncontrollably. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
It was Kakashi who maintained his composure. He stepped in front of the stunned Obito. "State your demands," he said, his eyes locked on the Iwa ninja.
"My demand is simple. Surrender. But..." The ninja glanced at the bodies of his fallen comrades, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Now that I think about it, I've changed my mind. After all this, I can't just let you two go."
"You, brat," the ninja said, looking at Obito but pointing a finger at Kakashi. "Kill him. Or the little girl dies."
Obito looked at Kakashi's emotionless face, his own expression a mask of agony. He grit his teeth. "I'll... I'll give you my life in exchange for my comrades," he said, his voice trembling. "Let them go."
His words made both Kakashi and Rin flinch. Before either of them could speak, the Iwa ninja gave his answer.
"Since you won't kill him, I'll just take the girl's life instead." He tightened his grip on the kunai, preparing to end Rin's life.
In that split second, Obito's Sharingan flared. The eye contact he had made earlier was all he needed. The Iwa ninja froze, trapped in a genjutsu.
"Kakashi!"
Years of training together kicked in. Before the enemy could break the illusion, Kakashi was already moving, freeing Rin from his grasp. He tossed her back toward Obito and, gripping his White Light Chakra Sabre, prepared to finish off their despicable foe.
"NO!!!"
Obito's scream of pure despair made Kakashi spin around.
He saw that Rin's body was covered in several exploding tags, their fuses already burning down to the end. It had all been a trap.
There's no time! Kakashi thought. He was about to rush forward and pull the screaming Obito away.
But what happened next defied all logic. Obito, instead of pushing Rin away, pulled her into a tight embrace, shielding her with his own body.
"Obito..." Rin whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Don't be afraid," Obito said, his tone softer and more gentle than she had ever heard it. "I'm here."
BOOM!
A massive explosion engulfed them both, the force of the blast momentarily stunning Kakashi.
The Iwa ninja used the opening to knock him unconscious. He looked at the smoke-filled clearing, covering his face with his hand. "Damn," he muttered, a note of annoyance in his voice. "I might have overdone it. Did I actually kill the kid?"
He walked over to investigate.
To his surprise, the boy named Uchiha Obito was mostly unharmed. Aside from a few bruises, the explosion had done no real damage, as if the blast had passed right through his body.
"Now I understand why Madara values you," the Iwa ninja said to himself. He looked around the empty clearing. "Take him back."
As he spoke, a white, humanoid figure emerged from the ground. It enveloped Obito's body, but before it submerged, it paused, noticing Rin's mangled corpse. After a moment's thought, it took her remains as well.
"Right, have to make the act complete. Time to go make my report," the Iwa ninja said. He grabbed the unconscious Kakashi and headed off in the direction of the Land of Grass.
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