"First I had to entertain three groups of visitors, and now I'm being sent out on a mission. I should've just stayed in the lab moving bricks!"
"Ah… what a long day…"
Chiba sighed dramatically as he left Konoha. Paper Dance at full throttle, he transformed into a streak of white light shooting into the sky, heading straight for the Land of Grass.
He'd just received an urgent mission. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio was trapped in Kusagakure, and the Konoha squads on the border were pinned down by Iwa-nin, unable to break away.
So, Chiba—the tool with long-range rapid deployment capabilities, a one-man substitute for several elite squads—got dispatched.
"Fine. It's troublesome, but if I can save those three, I'll have half of Konoha's major clans in my pocket. That Hokage robe is getting closer."
The thought made him feel much better instantly. His speed increased by another notch.
Even Konan from the original timeline wouldn't dare travel at full speed like this. Chakra consumption was too high. But Chiba, the Tailless Tailed Beast, obviously had no such concerns.
"Hey, Five-Tails. Be my partner."
"Hah. In your dreams, human."
"Hehehe, playing hard to get, are we? Fine. I'll just take it myself. Hand it over!"
"What are you—AHHH—!"
Within the seal, under the horrified gaze of the Five-Tails, Chiba forcibly extracted its chakra, collecting his "rent," constantly replenishing his own reserves.
…
Kusagakure Village. The Hospital.
Night had fallen. Apart from the faint whispers and footsteps of a few late-night patients and staff, the entire hospital was quiet. Many waiting wounded were sound asleep.
Only the Ino-Shika-Chō trio remained on high alert, silently changing locations from time to time to avoid the notice of doctors on rounds and patrolling ninja.
Hours passed. The three were physically and mentally exhausted, their endurance pushed to the limit. With nothing happening, their nerves began to loosen.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Right then, a series of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor. Inoichi Yamanaka started, immediately activating a jutsu to sharpen his perception.
"…You lot, search over there. You, with me. Don't miss a single corner. Screen every doctor and patient!"
They're here for us!
Inoichi signaled to his two companions with his lips. The three were about to move when the door to the waiting room was shoved open by a searching Kusagakure ninja.
"Hm? You three, not sleeping in the middle of the night? What are you standing around for?"
The Grass-nin grew suspicious. His hand, still outside the door, moved subtly, signaling the others behind him to surround the area.
"Can't we get up and chat if we can't sleep?"
"Yeah, you guys sure have a wide jurisdiction, sticking your noses into our business. Get lost if you've got nothing better to do!"
Cold sweat dripped down the backs of Shikaku's trio. They forced a bluster, muscles coiled tight, ready to fight at any moment. Their cover was blown. Their only gamble was to fight their way out before the enemy fully surrounded them.
"Oh. Is that so?"
The Grass-nin's eyes narrowed. One hand rested on the katana at his waist. A bloody fight was imminent.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Just as tension crackled in the air, a series of deafening, dense explosions erupted outside.
Everyone in the room snapped their heads toward the window. The center of Kusagakure Village was a pillar of fire and billowing smoke. Screams and roars pierced the night.
"Dammit! They're out there! With me!"
The Grass-nin's face changed instantly. He turned and rushed out with his men, completely forgetting about Shikaku's group.
"…Hah."
The three let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. Especially Chōza. His back was soaked with cold sweat.
"Is it Konoha reinforcements? Great! We're saved!"
They left the waiting room, hearts still racing. In the corridor, Chōza Akimichi whispered excitedly.
"It's only been a few hours. How could reinforcements get here already? It's probably our captured comrades breaking out, causing this chaos."
After voicing his theory, Inoichi looked at Shikaku. "What do you think, Shikaku?"
"If they had that ability, they wouldn't have been captured so easily in the first place."
Shikaku shook his head, his expression certain. "Inoichi, release the distress signal. It has to be Chiba."
Hearing Shikaku's confirmation, Chōza clicked his tongue beside him. "This Chiba guy is terrifying. Covering such a distance in less than half a day? And still having enough strength to cause this much trouble?"
"Yeah. Who knows how he trains. Probably a genius like Minato." Shikaku agreed.
Kusagakure was in utter chaos now. The three left the hospital openly, releasing their distress signal amidst the pandemonium.
Soon, countless paper sheets flew to the location marked by their signal, coalescing before them into Chiba's form.
"Senpais. Long time no see."
Chiba smiled. The trio was a year ahead of him. Calling them 'senpai' to build rapport wasn't excessive.
"Long time, Chiba. You're alone, right? How should we three assist you?"
Time was short. After a quick greeting, Shikaku got straight to the point, skipping pleasantries.
"Just focus on rescuing the other Konoha comrades and get straight out of the village. Everyone's attention is on me right now. No one will notice you."
This was just a Paper Clone. Chiba's real body was in the center of Kusagakure, wreaking havoc with Flying Thunder God and Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.
Honestly? It was kinda fun. Chiba decided then and there to teach Konan the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags technique later. Since Old Man Kakuzu was sort of on their side now, he couldn't let Konan go bothering him again.
Anyway, backed by Chiba's monstrous chakra reserves, explosive tags rained down like a storm. He'd almost leveled the village. Nobody had any attention to spare for Shikaku and the others.
"So… we don't have to do anything?"
The three looked at each other, seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes. They knew Chiba was a powerhouse, but they hadn't expected the leg to be this thick.
So… we just lie back and enjoy the ride?
They exchanged another glance. It felt weird. There was relief at surviving, but more than that, a sense of defeat.
Weren't their strengths pretty close during the Chunin Exams? How long has it been? How did you, kid, suddenly leave us in the dust like Minato?!
They'd been called "geniuses" since they were kids. But next to Chiba? They were just background characters. Hey!
"That's right. Just leave safely, Senpais. I'll stay and buy you enough time." Chiba smiled.
"Alright. Be careful yourself. Back in Konoha, drinks are on us!" Shikaku nodded.
The three turned to leave. Shikaku resolved in his heart to visit Chiba personally with gifts after returning, to build a solid relationship.
Swish!
Chiba's Paper Clone didn't disperse. Instead, it charged into Kusagakure Hospital, searching.
"Hmm… Not in the hospital? What a shame…"
After casually offing over a dozen Grass-nin, Chiba didn't find his target in the hospital. He scratched his head regretfully, then dissolved into swirling paper, returning to his main body.
"This stupid paper clone is so derp! Couldn't you torture and interrogate a few people before killing them?!"
The main-body Chiba cursed under his breath. Leaving behind a dense carpet of explosive tags, he Body Flickered away, grabbing a lucky Grass-nin at random.
"Talk. Where's the person with Uzumaki blood in your village?"
Chiba activated his Sharingan, easily seizing control of this low-level grunt's mind.
"Y-you mean the Medicine Human? Her home is at the westernmost edge of the village." The Grass-nin answered mechanically, eyes glazed.
Crack.
Chiba snapped his neck. Just as he was about to use Mutually Multiplying Tags + Flying Thunder God to change position, the grass beneath his feet suddenly began to grow—wildly.
In an instant, dense blades of grass stretched four or five meters long, wrapping around Chiba layer upon layer like green ribbons, then constricting sharply!
A sucking force emanated from the grass. The blades seemed alive, devouring Chiba's chakra!
"This is…?!"
Chiba's pupils contracted sharply. A single word flashed in his mind: Blue Silver… bah, Wood Release
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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