Chiba gasped for breath, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He was completely spent. Every last drop of chakra had been drained, and his exhausted body could no longer refine any more. The clone and transformation techniques he'd used just now had burned through the last of his reserves.
The fact that he was still standing was, frankly, astonishing. He couldn't even feel his limbs anymore—and yet, somehow, his legs were still holding him up.
He looked down to confirm that the enemy ninja was truly dead. Only then did he finally allow himself to relax.
And then came the nausea.
After all, this was Chiba's first kill. In his previous life, he had lived in peaceful times, never even witnessing a murder, let alone committing one. Nausea was a natural response. And with it came a wave of delayed terror.
The fight replayed in his mind—every movement, every decision. There were so many points where it could have gone wrong. If Yukina hadn't executed the Substitution Technique in time… if she hadn't noticed the charred wood… if the kunai hadn't landed in the right spot…
They would've died.
"You okay?" Yukina walked over, taking a few steps toward him, about to offer her hand—
"Lady Yukina, get away from him!"
A harsh voice rang out.
"Takikawa Chiba! You actually aided an enemy ninja?! As the son of a traitor, you're no different from your father!"
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Four kunai embedded themselves in the ground right next to Chiba—each one with an explosive tag fluttering from the hilt.
What the—?!
Chiba stared at the kunai in disbelief. They were right at his feet. The tags had already started sizzling.
They're gonna explode?! Are you serious?!
He desperately tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. He had no chakra, no strength left to even stumble out of the way.
I didn't die at the hands of an enemy… but I'm about to be killed by my own people?!
No—they're not my people.
Chiba gritted his teeth.
"BOOM!"
The first tag exploded. The remaining three detonated in rapid succession.
A fireball engulfed the area, swallowing Chiba whole.
A moment later—two figures came rolling out of the inferno, tumbling across the grass with smoke trailing behind them.
It was Chiba—
And Hyuga Yukina.
They rolled several times before coming to a stop. Chiba's vision spun. His head was reeling. Something heavy was pressing down on his chest.
He looked down.
Yukina was lying atop him, smoke rising from her back. The smell of scorched flesh lingered in the air.
Her eyes were closed, face contorted in pain. She had passed out.
Chiba blinked, stunned.
She… saved me?
At that moment, a young boy in traditional Hyuga garb sprinted onto the scene, followed closely by several others leaping down from the trees behind him.
"Lady Yukina!" the boy cried, rushing forward. But when he saw the blackened burns on her back, his white eyes flared with fury—locking onto Chiba.
As if all of this was Chiba's fault. Like he wanted to tear him apart on the spot.
Chiba sensed the murderous glare, but said nothing. His emotions were… complicated.
Images flashed through his mind—Yukina's sudden movement, how she'd thrown herself in front of him just as the explosion went off… shielding him… shoving him out of harm's way.
If not for her, he would've died.
She had saved his life.
Chiba looked down at the unconscious girl lying on his chest. His lips parted slightly—but no words came out.
In his previous life, he had been bullied and oppressed. No one had ever stood up for him. Relatives, friends—they had all bowed to power and turned a blind eye. Even as he died, no one had so much as lifted a finger to help.
But now, a girl—a noble daughter of the Hyuga clan—had risked her life to protect him.
His heart was a swirling mess.
"You traitor!" the Hyuga boy growled, drawing a kunai. His eyes burned with hatred as he stepped forward and raised the blade—ready to strike.
"STOP!" a calm but firm voice rang out.
A hand caught the boy's wrist mid-strike.
No matter how hard he tried to drive the blade down, that hand held fast—immovable.
Chiba turned his head.
The boy wore a leaf forehead protector, white hair and masked face.
Hatake Kakashi.
Chiba's pupils contracted.
"Hyuga Setsuha. He saved Yukina. Calm yourself." Kakashi's voice remained cold. His grip tightened—forcing the boy's hand to loosen. The kunai clattered to the ground. Kakashi picked it up with his free hand.
Setsuha froze in place, glancing around.
Behind him, several adult members of the Hyuga clan were looking at him—some frowning, some surprised.
It was obvious. If Chiba really had been a traitor, Yukina would never have risked her life to save him.
From the scene alone, it was clear who had fought and killed the enemy ninja—and saved Lady Yukina.
Hyuga Setsuha, usually known for his calm and rational demeanor, suddenly seemed rather… out of line.
Faced with all the eyes on him, Setsuha scowled, then reluctantly muttered, "Sorry. I was too worried about Yukina. I lost my head."
Chiba didn't respond.
Don't use Yukina as an excuse when you were clearly trying to kill me.
He could tell—Setsuha had seen everything clearly. Chiba had been on their side.
That wasn't a misunderstanding. That was an execution.
He had shouted before throwing the kunai, calling Chiba a traitor—laying the groundwork for an "accidental" kill. And if Chiba had died? Setsuha would've claimed it was a tragic mistake, all because of "heightened emotions."
What punishment would he have gotten for mistakenly killing a traitor's son?
A slap on the wrist, at most. Chiba had no friends, no family—no one to stand up for him.
Setsuha… is poison.
Chiba silently engraved his name in his memory.
Then he glanced at Yukina.
So that's her name. Hyuga Yukina… a beautiful name. I'll remember it.
…Though for some reason, it sounded vaguely familiar.
As he pondered that, he suddenly felt a weight lift from his body. He looked up.
Hyuga Setsuha had picked up Yukina, cradling her gently in his arms.
"Let's go," he said curtly, casting Chiba a cold glance before disappearing into the trees. The other Hyuga followed, leaving Chiba and Kakashi behind.
Kakashi crouched beside him and examined his condition.
"Just chakra exhaustion. Some minor burns, but nothing serious," he assessed calmly.
Chiba, however, was still thinking about the look Setsuha gave him before leaving.
That guy really wants me dead. Next time they crossed paths, Chiba would need to be extremely careful.
And… maybe find a way to kill him first.
"You're pretty impressive," Kakashi said, glancing toward the corpse of Iwamoku Shin.
Even a heavily injured jōnin was still a jōnin. Yet this kid had managed to kill him. Kakashi was genuinely impressed.
Was that massive crater the result of this kid's strength? Or the enemy's?
Either way, it piqued Kakashi's interest.
Chiba didn't reply. He was still brooding over Setsuha.
Kakashi, seeing the silence, didn't press. He stood and walked over to examine Iwamoku Shin's body. For a ninja, even a corpse held intelligence value.
He confirmed the man was dead, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged the body back toward Chiba.
The kunai wound in the back—definitely fatal.
He passed by the shattered stone pillars and ruptured earth, furrowing his brow slightly as he replayed the battle in his mind.
This kid… is interesting.
"Hey…" Chiba's weak voice suddenly called out.
"Hm?" Kakashi paused.
"Can you… carry me home?" Chiba gave a bitter smile. "I live just on the other side of the woods."
"Oh! My bad—I was planning to carry you anyway."
With that, Kakashi walked over and—hoisted Chiba over his shoulder like a sack of rice, grabbing Iwamoku Shin's corpse with the other hand as he stepped into the forest.
Seriously… over the shoulder?
Chiba groaned, his stomach squished against Kakashi's shoulder blade.
Ugh… I think I'm gonna puke.