They waited the entire night. It wasn't until dawn broke that Kakashi finally arrived.
He had been running all night, yet Kakashi still looked full of energy, leaving Obito and Gekko Chizan staring at him in disbelief.
"Kakashi, aren't you tired after running all night?"
"Not at all. This is nothing. If I get really tired, I just use chakra to generate a small electric current and zap myself awake."
My god, what kind of insane method is that?
He shocks himself... with his own chakra?
Isn't he afraid of frying his brain?
Feeling the stunned gazes of Gekko Chizan, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin, Kakashi didn't seem fazed in the slightest.
"This is something my father taught me. It helps me stay awake and also stimulates the body for training."
"I didn't like it at first, but after trying it once… I was hooked."
Chizan was at a loss for words. He was even using electric stimulation to train now.
His dad, Sakumo Hatake, must've been a real monster. No wonder Kakashi could grasp even the basics of the Eight Gates later. Just the fact that his body could withstand electrical shocks meant he could probably specialize in taijutsu alone.
"Not bad, Kakashi. You're seriously impressive."
"Since you're not tired, let's move out."
"But before we do, have Obito and Rin fill you in on what happened."
"I'll catch a bit more sleep. Wake me in an hour."
With that, Gekko Chizan went back to sleep. There was going to be a big fight soon—how could he not be well-rested?
Meanwhile, Obito and Rin pulled Kakashi aside and began briefing him on everything that had happened during the first half of the night.
The explanation took a full thirty minutes.
When Kakashi heard that one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had already been taken down, his eyes widened.
"Chizan-sensei is pretty amazing, huh? Taking down one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen…"
"But then again, it makes sense. That giant summoning beast, three of them showing up at once… even my dad would have a hard time handling that."
"With snakes that huge and with special abilities… anyone would struggle against them."
"Lightning Blades, huh? I wonder if I'd be able to wield that sword myself."
A ninja sword that could transform chakra into lightning?
As someone aiming to master Lightning Release, Kakashi was extremely interested. He'd already begun working on his own jutsu, though up until now it was still just a rough concept.
But now, a sword imbued with lightning abilities had appeared—he really wanted to study it.
"Hehe, Kakashi, Chizan-sensei said that once we complete this mission and return, he might hand over those twin blades to us."
"One for you, one for me."
Kakashi's eyes lit up. It was obvious he was tempted.
Just then, Gekko Chizan's lazy voice rang out.
"That'll depend on how you perform."
"Now, time to move."
His lazy demeanor disappeared, replaced by a serious expression as Chizan turned to look at the vast forest behind him.
"I'll scout ahead. You three take my tagged kunai and be ready for combat at any moment."
"I'll bring you into battle directly. You must stay focused and be fully prepared."
"Understood?"
Sensing Chizan's seriousness, the three immediately snapped to attention and nodded firmly.
Seeing this, Chizan nodded in satisfaction. Then he activated Transparent Release and vanished from the spot.
"You're really going to use Flying Thunder God to take them into the battlefield?"
"You don't think that's a bit too reckless?"
Chōmei suddenly spoke, clearly feeling that Chizan's plan was too risky.
But Chizan only chuckled mischievously, a hint of playfulness in his voice.
"Who said I'm really taking them into the battlefield?"
"I only said that for their sake. On the battlefield, you need to stay alert at all times. This is just a way to get them used to that mindset quickly."
"Since they're not sensory-type shinobi, they have to start with building vigilance."
Chōmei was stunned for a moment, then laughed and scolded him.
"You sly fox. I bet those three disciples of yours are standing there on high alert right now."
"You're something else—coming up with a trick like that. I honestly don't know if it's a blessing or a curse for those three to have you as their teacher."
Just as Chizan had said, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were standing with kunai in hand, fully on guard.
All three wore serious expressions. Obito looked at Kakashi and Rin and suddenly said,
"What do you think our entrance into the battlefield will look like?"
"Will we appear above someone's head? Or maybe right behind them?"
"Kakashi, do you think two kunai are enough? What if the ambush doesn't kill the guy?"
Obito's words made Kakashi and Rin pause, but then they started to think he might have a point.
"So what do you suggest? We just hold one kunai each?"
Kakashi actually cracked a rare joke. But then Obito suddenly chuckled mischievously.
He pulled a spool of thread from his pouch and began threading all his kunai together. Soon, he had a long string covered in hanging kunai.
"Watch this, Kakashi!"
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh."
Under the watchful eyes of Kakashi and Rin, Obito spun the thread around. The chain of kunai clanged together noisily, making both Kakashi and Rin widen their eyes in disbelief.
"See that? I'll be swinging this bad boy around when I get into the fight."
"Hehehe..."
Obito grinned and laughed, completely immersed in his fantasy.
Kakashi looked at him like he was an idiot and shook his head helplessly.
"Obito, are you out of your mind? With that setup, forget the enemy—Chizan-sensei will be the one you impale the moment we land..."
"Aaaaah!!!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a scream suddenly rang out.
Four kunai had embedded themselves into Gekko Chizan's arm, and blood spurted out instantly.
All three were completely stunned—especially Obito, who immediately dropped the thread of kunai.
But that only made it worse. The entire thread, still strung with kunai, landed directly on Chizan. Several more kunai stabbed into him.
Another scream erupted.
It was so loud, it echoed into the forest.
A Kirigakure shinobi who was hunting for breakfast nearby heard the noise and immediately rushed toward it.
"Obito! You damn brat! What the hell are you doing!"
"Owwww! This hurts like hell! I didn't even get injured this badly on the battlefield!"
"Rin, hurry and heal me! I'm going to pass out from blood loss!"