Hidden a hundred meters away, Yoshiya’s heart sank.
In the midst of the battle, only Kakashi still could fight. The others—Guy, Lightning, Sense, and Flame—were all heavily injured and struggling. Not only were they unable to help Kakashi, but they were also a burden, hindering his attempts to break through.
The Mist ninja, on the other hand, had lost only four Chunin and had one Jonin wounded. The remaining two Mist Jonin, three Mist Chunin, and three Mist Genin had surrounded Kakashi and his team. They watched with mocking eyes, waiting for Kakashi’s group to collapse on their own, minimizing the Mist’s casualties.
Kakashi’s earlier feat of killing four Mist Chunin in an instant made the ambushing Mist ninjas cautious.
As Yoshiya observed from afar, he noticed that Kakashi had slain all the fallen Mist Chunin, which left him puzzled.
Significantly, when he saw Guy, Flame, Lightning, and Sense all severely injured but showing little sign of having fought, Yoshiya couldn’t help but wonder:
“What’s going on?”
“Why are Guy, Flame, and Lightning so badly injured without showing any signs of having fought?”
“Did the Mist ninja have another plan to disable them first?”
“Could it be… the Mist’s breakthrough point was Guy?”
Recalling the scenes before he left, Yoshiya bitterly smiled, realizing that Guy might indeed have been the weak link the Mist targeted.
Guy’s differing ideology from the Anbu had made him a ticking time bomb, endangering Yoshiya’s squad.
However, none of them, including Yoshiya, knew they were up against Mist ninja posing as bandits. So, when Guy threw another fit as Yoshiya left, Lightning and Sense didn’t think much of it, especially seeing that Kakashi didn’t try to stop him. They felt no obligation to correct Guy.
Yoshiya had tried to warn Guy, but his approach had been too harsh, only making Guy more defiant.
“Refugees? Refugees!”
“Since when did they stop being people?”
“Why did Kakashi and Yoshiya both change after leaving the village?”
“I don’t believe a few refugees could threaten our lives! Saving them can’t be wrong!”
With such thoughts, Guy acted alone again while they awaited Yoshiya’s return.
“Captain, should we stop Turtle?”
Seeing Guy leave, Sense, their sensor ninja, asked Kakashi with a frown.
“No need. He could use a lesson.”
Kakashi replied coldly, squinting slightly as he asked Sense, “Are you sure there are only four Chunin?”
“Positive!”
“Then it’s no problem! Hmph, just four Chunin. What can they do?”
In Yoshiya’s Anbu team, Sense was their sensor, essentially the team’s eyes. Assured by Sense’s information, Kakashi awaited Guy’s return, expecting to see the ‘refugees’ reveal their true nature.
Sure enough, the ‘refugees’ Guy saved were disguised as Mist ninjas.
Under normal circumstances, Guy would have easily seen through their disguise. Despite his seemingly naive demeanor, Guy was meticulous—qualities that would later make him a renowned Jonin in Konoha.
But Guy’s defiance clouded his judgment. As he brought the ‘refugees’ back, with a disdainful glance at Kakashi and the others, ready to prove his point, a sudden “poof” revealed their proper form: Mist ninja, leaving Guy stunned.
And not just Guy—Kakashi, Sense, and the others were all caught off guard!
The appearance of the Mist ninja shocked Kakashi, who realized Sense’s error. Yet Kakashi understood it wasn’t Sense’s fault, but the Mist’s—a sensor Jonin masked their presence.
Caught off guard, Guy, Lightning, and Flame were instantly gravely injured, with Guy being the worst due to his proximity to the disguised Mist ninja.
Only Kakashi’s swift action saved them from immediate defeat, managing to kill four Chunin and injure the Mist’s sensor, Jonin, barely holding the line.
Yet, with the Mist’s formation tightening around them, even Kakashi felt despair. Guy’s eyes filled with regret as he muttered:
“Kakashi, it’s all my fault, if only I…”
“Shut up!”
Kakashi’s shout cut Guy off, “Instead of talking, think about how to survive, you idiot!”
“Ha! You still think you can escape?”
A Mist Jonin’s mocking voice followed Kakashi’s, causing Guy to fall silent.
“You really think you can get away?”
“Or do you pin your hopes on that little kid who left?”
“Let’s be honest, that kid is in more danger than you are!”
“A Chunin and three Genin await him. Do you think he stands a chance? You’ll have to ask him in hell!”
“Ha ha ha!”
The Mist Jonin’s laughter deepened Guy’s regret and sank Kakashi’s heart further.
But just as Kakashi sighed deeply, gripping his kunai tightly, ready to take down as many Mist ninjas as possible, a sudden “whoosh” echoed.
In the midst of Kakashi’s despair, a shadow emerged, igniting a spark of hope in his eyes.
“Yoshiya!”
“You didn’t let me down!”
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