The Third Hokage looked at Gen Takuya, hesitation crossing his face.
After all, Gen Takuya was a Tokubetsu Jōnin who specialized in sealing techniques. Even his usual missions leaned that way.
A small-scale sudden skirmish didn't typically require fuinjutsu support.
That was why Gen Takuya hadn't been assigned to such incidents.
Even if he went, his contribution might be limited.
But the Third Hokage quickly made his decision.
Gen Takuya didn't only know sealing techniques—he'd also mastered medical ninjutsu, including the advanced Healing Palm Technique.
And he had survived the fiercest periods of both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars.
He'd fought through the entirety of the Second War.
In the Third, he only requested to leave the front after Kannabi Bridge, when sealing techniques were no longer essential to that battlefield—and because he was valuable as a research asset.
But no matter the reason—
Someone who survived war understood combat in ways that couldn't be taught.
Even Hatake Kakashi, brilliant as he was, might not find Gen Takuya easy to defeat.
"Fine," the Third Hokage said. "Takuya, you'll move first as support. Your mission is to rescue Nohara Rin and bring Hatake Kakashi back safely. Other jōnin will follow to support you. This mission is classified as—A-rank!"
"Yes!"
Gen Takuya vanished in a flicker of speed, following the ANBU's signal markers.
This time, he didn't need to conserve his formerly meager chakra.
Chakra surged under his feet without pause.
His Body Flicker shot him forward like a streak of wind, quickly overtaking the ANBU shinobi ahead as he continued to search the trail.
After passing the ANBU, Gen Takuya subtly altered his route, turning to follow the direction provided by his crows.
But now his pace slowed.
Because he didn't need to arrive early.
Saving Rin brought him no benefit.
And by now, Rin had most likely already been branded with the seal—
A fuinjutsu placed directly on her heart.
Even in the future, Uchiha Obito would only be able to remove it by forcing Hatake Kakashi to pierce through her chest once again.
It was, effectively, an unsolvable seal.
And even if Gen Takuya sprinted at full speed, he still couldn't overtake Kakashi.
If Kakashi himself couldn't prevent Rin from becoming a living tailed-beast bomb, then Gen Takuya certainly didn't have the time—unless he had intervened from the very beginning.
Which was impossible.
Arriving too early carried another risk—
What if he ran into Uchiha Obito?
If Obito hadn't left yet and decided to silence witnesses…
That would be troublesome.
Gen Takuya advanced at a measured pace.
He only needed to arrive before Rin died completely.
…
Up ahead, Hatake Kakashi caught the Mist shinobi and killed the one escorting Rin with a single thrown kunai.
Lightning crackled around Kakashi's right hand, shrieking like a bird—
Chidori.
But the remaining Mist ninja didn't even try to seize Rin again, which made Kakashi hesitate.
Then Rin said something to him.
Kakashi's eyes widened in shock, disbelief tearing through his face.
Rin smiled.
Warm. Gentle.
And then she ran toward him—
Throwing her heart directly into the screaming spear of Chidori.
Blood exploded across Kakashi's vision.
He stared at Rin, frozen, as the reality carved itself into him.
…Had he killed her?
"I'm sorry, Kakashi."
As her consciousness faded, Rin forced out her final words.
She knew Kakashi's fractured mental state. She knew dying by his hand would carve an unhealable wound into what was already broken.
But she had no other way.
The seal prevented her from killing herself.
And the Three-Tails inside her was ready to erupt at any moment—a ticking bomb.
Kirigakure would never kill her themselves.
So she chose this.
A choice that would torment Kakashi for the rest of his life.
Kakashi's strength vanished.
He couldn't even support her collapsing body.
Rin fell, blood pouring from her chest, and Kakashi swayed as if he might collapse at any second.
And then—
From the grass behind the Mist ninja, a figure burst out.
Half his face was ruined.
Uchiha Obito.
The moment he tore through the brush, he froze.
He didn't know what had happened.
He only saw one thing—
Hatake Kakashi's hand—charged with Kakashi's own self-created jutsu—
Piercing straight through Nohara Rin's heart.
In that instant—
Both Kakashi and Obito's eyes went wide.
A pair of two-tomoe Sharingan spun violently.
The third tomoe was born in a heartbeat.
But the transformation didn't stop there.
The tomoe twisted, reshaped—
And became a Mangekyō Sharingan.
A dark center, and three curved, boomerang-like blades radiating outward.
Kakashi, newly awakened Mangekyō and all, could not endure the shock.
His trembling body finally gave out, collapsing to the ground beside Rin.
Obito didn't understand what he was seeing.
He only knew he had just fallen into hell.
For a moment, his vision seemed to warp—like the world itself had become false.
Before he even realized it, his body had already charged forward, rushing the Mist ninja who were still screaming and shouting, their voices grating against his ears.
Killing bloomed.
Obito unleashed everything he had.
He even called on the White Zetsu fused to his body—
And used Wood Release that shredded enemies into countless pieces, blood soaking the earth.
When it was over, Obito staggered toward Rin.
Step by step.
As if he might collapse at any moment.
At last, he reached her.
He stared down at the girl lying in her own blood.
The color drained from his eyes.
So this was—
Hell.
Time passed.
He couldn't feel it.
Then the White Zetsu on his body spoke urgently.
"Obito! Konoha shinobi are coming! We need to go—now!"
Obito's Mangekyō rotated once.
No emotion could be seen within it.
He sensed the direction of the incoming shinobi and looked that way.
Again?
Too late again?
What was the point of arriving late—
Of this kind of support?
What use was it?!
"Obito!" White Zetsu pressed, panic creeping into its voice. "Move! We don't know how many more shinobi are behind them!"
"…Okay."
Obito withdrew his gaze.
He looked at Rin one last time.
He didn't know how he left.
Only that in a daze, he was suddenly back in that cavern—
Standing before the ancient, withered Uchiha Madara.
Through Black Zetsu, Madara watched him and formed an invisible smile.
Yes.
This kind of despair—
Was the easiest to control.
The plan…
Was proceeding perfectly.
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