Chapter 172: Unfavorable Situation
"Mugetsu-sensei, there's movement over there."
The rustling wasn't subtle. Obito had also noticed the noise coming from the large tree not far away.
Just as he was about to rush forward to check, Mugetsu reached out and stopped him.
"Idiot, don't act without knowing the situation," Kakashi said sharply, eyes fixed on the distant tree. "This is an escort mission."
Without waiting for an answer, Kakashi pulled out a Shuriken and threw it in one swift motion.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The spinning blades tore through the night air, cutting directly toward the source of the sound.
A moment later, a figure in a gray combat uniform—with one arm exposed—leapt down from the tree.
"Hey, hey… are all Konoha Ninjas this cautious?" the gray-clad man sneered. "You don't even dare to check the noise up close?"
The dim light made it hard to see his forehead protector clearly, but Kakashi's sharp eyes immediately recognized the pattern of his gear. Each village's attire had its own unique traits.
"Mugetsu-sensei, he looks like he's from Iwagakure," Kakashi said coldly.
Given that Iwagakure and Konoha were currently at war, that meant one thing—enemy.
Kakashi hadn't expected to encounter enemy Ninjas during what was supposed to be a C-Rank mission. It seemed Obito's reckless prediction had come true after all.
And the situation was only worsening.
With a few more flickers of movement, five additional Ninjas appeared beside the first—each wearing the same gray uniform.
"One… two… six in total," Kakashi counted, frowning.
Encountering six opponents on a C-Rank mission was absurd. Even for a B-Rank mission, that would make things considerably difficult. Judging by their posture and chakra presence, none of them were Genin.
[Name: Troy]
[Chakra: 20000]
[Skills: Magnet Release (Proficient 20/15000), Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation…]
—-
[Name: Kurokawa ]
[Chakra: 6200]
[Skills: Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Skilled 2500/3000)...]
—-
[Name: Locke]
[Chakra: 3600]
[Skills: Lightning Release…]
"Two Jonin and six Chunin…" Mugetsu's eyes narrowed as he finished using his Appraisal Technique.
The result was concerning—this was far beyond what should appear in a C-Rank mission. The one named Troy, with chakra exceeding twenty thousand, was clearly an elite Jonin.
An elite Jonin leading another Jonin and several Chunin… that kind of lineup would fit an S-Rank assignment.
But what puzzled Mugetsu most wasn't their strength—it was their nature transformation.
Every single one of them possessed Lightning Release.
Yet they wore the forehead protectors of Iwagakure.
No doubt about it—they were Kumogakure Ninjas in disguise.
Mugetsu immediately deduced what was happening. Kumogakure must have sent an elite squad posing as Iwagakure to ambush Konoha teams, fanning the flames of war between the two villages.
Kumogakure was known for its brashness, but assuming every Cloud Ninja was a mindless brute would be a mistake. The Raikage might be reckless, but he commanded sharp minds capable of deception.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito quickly formed hand seals and expelled a roaring fireball nearly three meters wide, hurling it toward the six enemy Ninjas.
"You Iwagakure cowards! Come and fight me if you dare!" he shouted.
"The one who insulted Konoha is mine," Obito declared to Kakashi and Guy.
"Be careful. The enemy is strong," Mugetsu warned calmly. The opponent Obito had chosen was the Chunin named Locke Bee.
By chakra alone, Obito was at a disadvantage—but raw chakra wasn't everything. Skill, timing, and adaptability mattered just as much.
If Obito could channel the explosive power of his Full Concentration Breathing at the right moment, he could still win.
Boom!
The six Cloud Ninjas split up instantly, dodging with impressive speed. The fireball exploded against the trees, lighting up the forest in a blaze.
The noise jolted Numata Yoshihisa and his family awake inside their tent.
"Stay inside! Don't come out!" Mugetsu ordered immediately.
"We'll leave it to you, then," Yoshihisa said, clutching his daughter tightly as he obeyed.
With the clients secured, Mugetsu turned back to the battlefield.
The Cloud Ninjas had spread out, forcing the Konoha team to split their focus.
Kakashi moved first, drawing the White Fang Short Sword from his back and darting toward the nearest enemy.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before he could close in, dozens of Shuriken suddenly burst from the surrounding darkness, slicing through the air toward him.
Sensing danger, Kakashi swiftly retreated, deflecting the projectiles in a flurry of precise swings.
He wasn't the type to charge in recklessly.
"Seven…?" Kakashi muttered, eyes scanning the treeline. "Are there more hiding in the shadows?"
"Haha! Konoha Ninja, you're finished!" one of the Cloud Ninjas jeered. "You actually dared to block Lord Troy's attack? You'll die for that!"
The next instant, Kakashi's movements froze. A powerful magnetic force locked his limbs in place.
"The Shuriken…!" Kakashi's eyes widened in realization.
He could feel it—chakra magnetism was pulling against his body, binding his joints.
He'd never encountered such a technique before. Just touching those Shuriken was enough to paralyze his movements.
As he desperately flared his chakra to break free, one of the Cloud Chunin charged forward with his sword drawn.
"Die!"
The blade thrust straight for Kakashi's heart.
"Wind Blade!"
Kakashi's mind flashed with the memory of every battle, every lesson, every moment of his short life.
If there really is an afterlife, Father would probably be surprised to see me, Kakashi thought faintly. He was only eight years old.
The Cloud Ninja thrust his sword forward—
—but the blood that spurted out wasn't Kakashi's. It was his own.
A razor-sharp Wind Blade sliced through the air, instantly severing the Cloud Ninja's head. Hot crimson splattered across Kakashi's face, the warmth snapping him back to full awareness.
He turned back and saw Mugetsu standing a short distance away, his right hand still extended. Under the pale moonlight, his smile remained calm and gentle, as if untouched by the chaos around him.
Without question—Mugetsu had made his move.
His Wind Release… it's this powerful?! Kakashi was stunned. He had thought Mugetsu only specialized in Fire and Lightning Release, but this… this was on a completely different level.
"Looks like we've caught ourselves a big fish," a low voice said.
From the shadows stepped Troy, his expression composed, even amused. Judging from Mugetsu's Wind Release just now, he clearly wasn't a mediocre Jonin.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Mugetsu swiftly formed seals and unleashed a massive lightning spear from his mouth.
Feeling the sudden surge of chakra, Troy immediately flickered to the side, evading it—but Mugetsu's target wasn't him.
The lightning spear split into several branches midair, arcing outward under precise control.
In an instant, three Cloud Chunin were struck dead where they stood, their bodies still twitching from the current.
Combined with the one Mugetsu had slain moments earlier using Wind Release, half of their forces were gone in the blink of an eye.
The sudden reversal left Locke momentarily stunned—just long enough for Obito to land a fierce kick that sent him stumbling back several meters.
"Hah! It's your Iwagakure's bad luck to run into us!" Obito shouted, excitement surging through him as he witnessed Mugetsu annihilate four enemies almost instantly.
"This is nothing but a futile struggle," Locke growled, recovering his footing. "Konoha will lose for sure."
Even with several subordinates dead, Locke wasn't shaken. Their squad was led by Lord Troy himself. No Jonin from Konoha—no matter how skilled—could stand against him.
"Interesting," Troy murmured. "You're not planning to use these children as training, are you?"
He gave a faint smirk before suddenly flicking a lightning-charged Kunai toward the immobilized Kakashi.
Mugetsu, already anticipating the move, immediately responded—hurling his own Kunai infused with Fire Chakra.
Boom!
The two Kunai collided midair, creating a violent explosion that shook the ground and uprooted a nearby tree.
"Lord, this man isn't easy to deal with. Let's strike together," Kurokawa said, appearing beside Troy.
From the beginning of the battle until now, Mugetsu had only made three moves—yet two had killed instantly, and the third had perfectly intercepted her sneak attack.
Troy nodded slightly. He wasn't one to cling to notions of fair play. If victory required numbers, then so be it.
"There's another one," Kakashi muttered under his breath, feeling a deep chill spread through him.
Kurokawa's sudden appearance confirmed his worst fear—another Jonin.
It was now four against four, but the enemy had two Jonin. Worse, Kakashi was still bound by that strange magnetic Ninjutsu. His body refused to respond, no matter how much Chakra he forced through his limbs.
He couldn't see a path to victory anymore.
"Mugetsu-sensei," Kakashi said firmly, "you should go. Take the client and retreat. We'll stay behind to hold them off."
He knew it was the only logical option. Their opponents were vastly stronger and more experienced. If someone had to survive, it should be Mugetsu.
But before Mugetsu could respond—
"Kakashi! What the hell are you saying?!" Obito roared. "You want Mugetsu-sensei to abandon his comrades?!"
His frustration boiled over into his fists, flames bursting forth as he swung wildly. But his anger disrupted his rhythm, and Locke tquickly regained the upper hand, pressing him back step by step.
"This is the best choice right now," Kakashi said calmly, his tone steady but eyes heavy.
Their opponents—two Jonin and two Chunin—were veterans. Obito and Guy were talented, but far too inexperienced. They'd be crushed in a direct confrontation.
"Mugetsu-sensei's youth isn't limited to this!" Guy shouted, his voice burning with passion as he delivered a fierce kick, sending a Cloud Chunin tumbling backward.
At that moment, even Guy refused to agree with Kakashi's words.
First, because he believed Mugetsu hadn't yet shown his full power.
And second—because he believed that Mugetsu would never abandon his disciples.
Mugetsu smiled faintly and adjusted his glasses.
"I'm being underestimated," he said lightly. "Kakashi… you should trust your teacher a little more."
Kakashi turned to him. Under the flickering moonlight, Mugetsu still wore that same calm, gentle smile—completely unshaken by the chaos unfolding around them.
Maybe… maybe Mugetsu-sensei really can do it, Kakashi thought, his eyes widening slightly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dozens of Shuriken whistled through the air once more, marking the start of the next deadly exchange.
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on:
~ [email protected]/FanficLord03
~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the story in the rankings using your
[Power Stones]
~ https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9