*Chirp chirp chirp chirp!*
*Splat!*
*Splat!*
The blinding lightning vanished instantly. The sound of Kakashi's Chidori piercing the Rock Ninja Jonin's heart and the sound of the Rock Ninja Jonin's twin blades striking Kakashi's chest rang out simultaneously. Hot blood sprayed forth, splattering both their faces with the other's blood.
"H... how is this possible..."
The Rock Ninja Jonin murmured in disbelief, the light fading from his eyes.
He never imagined he would be killed by a mere child!
"Damn it! I'm injured!"
Kakashi gritted his teeth against the searing pain in his chest, shoving the Rock Ninja Jonin's corpse away. The body collapsed to the ground with a thud, but the twin blades remained embedded in Kakashi's chest, blood dripping steadily from the wounds.
*This is all because of the Soul Fusion! The imperfect alignment between my soul and body made me vulnerable. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been injured!*
Kakashi endured the pain as he yanked the twin blades from his chest, cursing inwardly.
"What do we do? The Rock Ninja reinforcements will be here any minute! At this rate, we won't last until Master arrives!"
Feeling his body weaken, Kakashi remembered the upcoming events and immediately grew anxious. A squad of Rock Ninja would soon descend upon them. In the original timeline, an uninjured Kakashi could barely hold out until Minato Namikaze arrived. But now he was wounded!
Everything had already deviated from the original storyline!
A flicker of panic flashed in Kakashi's eyes, but he refused to give up or despair.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Kakashi immediately darted away, returning to the rocky outcropping above.
"Kakashi, you're injured!"
Rin spotted him as soon as he reappeared and cried out in alarm at the sight of his wounds.
"Kakashi..."
Hearing Kakashi was injured, Uchiha Obito murmured in shock.
"Quiet, Rin! Give me emergency treatment now! A squad of enemies is approaching!"
Kakashi leaped down in front of Rin, his expression grim.
"Okay!"
Seeing Kakashi's expression, Rin immediately suppressed her worry and began treating him with focused determination.
"Obito, don't worry. I'll protect Rin, even if it costs me my life!" Kakashi declared, his voice ringing with unwavering resolve. He had noticed Obito glancing at him, clearly concerned for both Kakashi and Rin's safety.
"B-be careful... You must survive..." Obito stammered, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something to Rin, but he held back, urging them both to be cautious and prioritize survival above all else.
*Cough... cough...*
Obito coughed up two more mouthfuls of fresh blood.
His breathing grew increasingly labored, as if he were on the verge of losing consciousness, teetering on the brink of death.
"Obito..." Rin cried out in anguish, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face at the sight of his suffering.
"Be careful! The enemy is coming!"
Kakashi, his eyeless grief buried deep, muttered grimly, already sensing the commotion outside. From the sounds, twelve enemies had arrived!
"The enemies are inside! Attack together!"
Kakashi then heard a faint shout from outside.
The enemies didn't seem to care if Kakashi and his group heard them.
*Damn it! So we can't hide and stall after all!*
Kakashi cursed inwardly. He had hoped to remain hidden and buy as much time as possible, even a few extra moments could make a difference.
Minato Namikaze would arrive soon!
But these enemies were elite ninja who immediately discovered their hiding place among the rock formations.
"Kakashi, take Rin and run—"
Uchiha Obito's urgent voice echoed in Kakashi's ears.
Clearly, as death loomed, Obito's senses had become extraordinarily sharp.
"Earth Release: Earth-Splitting Palm!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Splitting Palm!"...
Several low shouts rang out as six Rock Ninja simultaneously unleashed Earth Release attacks. The ground cracked with thunderous force, and the earth trembled violently.
"Ah..."
Rin gasped in shock, her hands freezing mid-healing jutsu.
"Move!"
Sensing the imminent danger, Kakashi didn't hesitate. He swept Rin into his arms, leaped out of the crumbling cave, and swiftly dodged away.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The Rock Ninja's Earth Release attacks slammed into the already unstable rock pile just as Kakashi leaped clear. The entire structure crumbled in a thunderous roar, burying Uchiha Obito beneath the avalanche of stone.
"Obito..."
"Obito..."
Kakashi and Rin, now safely away, cried out Obito's name in silent anguish.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Knowing the danger remained, Kakashi didn't linger. He carried Rin, leaping repeatedly until they reached the nearby forest. But severely wounded, he could only carry her about two hundred meters before being forced to stop at a tree.
"Rin! Quick, help me with emergency bandaging!"
Cold sweat drenched Kakashi's forehead, his face deathly pale.
His injuries were severe; he was staying conscious purely through sheer willpower. Otherwise, he would have collapsed long ago.
*I can't fall. If I do, we're both dead. Rin would die too, and I'd fail Obito's last request!*
Kakashi mentally berated himself, biting his tongue to keep himself from losing consciousness.
*Sensei will be here soon. I just need to stall until he arrives!*
His mind raced, searching for any way to buy time.
*Mm...*
Rin had already noticed the blood seeping from Kakashi's wounds as she paused her treatment. Hearing his words, she choked out a muffled "Mm-hmm" and frantically retrieved bandages to wrap around his injuries.
As she tended to his wounds, tears streamed down Rin's face.
Half of her sorrow stemmed from the loss of Uchiha Obito, and the other half from the pain Kakashi was enduring.
"Rin! Obito loved you deeply, so much!"
"So no matter what, I'll protect you!"
Seeing Rin's expression, Kakashi spoke with the same poignant resolve as in the original story.
Protecting Rin was for Obito's sake.
The Soul Fusion between the new soul and body wasn't yet complete, so Kakashi's original soul still dominated his consciousness and thoughts.
"I... I know..."
"Then, Kakashi, what about my feelings for you...?"
Rin panicked, her chest heavy with grief, as if she couldn't breathe. She didn't want Obito's death to forever prevent Kakashi from ever loving her. Though the timing was terrible, she still desperately wanted to confess her feelings to him.
**End of Chapter**