Senju Haruto froze in place, stunned.
The only reason he had kicked Kakashi just now was because the man's position had been too perfect—his body had practically invited a strike, and Haruto's leg had moved on instinct.
But no matter what, Kakashi had been directly in front of him.
Even if that kick sent him flying, Kakashi should have arced through the air, hit the ground, maybe rolled a few times, and then come to a stop.
Yet now…
Kakashi had completely vanished from his sight.
"…Where the hell did he go?!"
Haruto sucked in a sharp breath, a chill crawling across his scalp.
Then it hit him—Naruto, when he entered Sage Mode, had once kicked the Deva Path of Pain clean across the battlefield. Other than being shocked, the Deva Path hadn't taken much damage.
But thinking carefully, the Deva Path wasn't even alive.
It had been Yahiko's corpse, nothing more than a puppet controlled remotely by Nagato.
So even if Naruto had kicked him with Sage-enhanced strength, it wasn't a real human body.
Kakashi, however, was completely different.
He was a living, breathing man.
"…Shit."
"Don't tell me I actually killed Kakashi with one kick?"
The very thought made Haruto panic. He abandoned any thought of appearances or composure, activating his Byakugan instantly to search for Kakashi's chakra signature.
Luckily, that kick had been just a simple strike. He hadn't laced it with chakra, nor had he combined it with any ninjutsu.
Through the Byakugan's perception, Haruto quickly located Kakashi. His chakra was faint—weak, but still there.
"Kakashi…"
Haruto rushed toward the source.
He found Kakashi slumped against the trunk of a massive, centuries-old tree. His chakra flickered unsteadily, and fresh blood stained his chest.
From the looks of it, the blood had sprayed from his mouth during the impact of being blasted away.
With the Byakugan still active, Haruto assessed the state of Kakashi's body more precisely.
"Six broken ribs… and internal organ damage of varying severity."
The good news: it wasn't fatal.
The bad news: without timely treatment, Kakashi's life could very well be at risk.
"Haruto…"
Kakashi's voice was raspy as his throat worked painfully. More than anything, he wanted to ask:
Had Haruto accepted some kind of secret mission to eliminate him on the road to Kusagakure?
Because unless his Sharingan had deceived him, he'd just seen Sage Mode markings flicker across Haruto's forehead.
Wasn't this supposed to be a training exercise?
A sparring match?
A test of his cultivation results?
Since when did "sparring" involve sudden lethal blows?
"…Uh."
Haruto opened his mouth, but words failed him. Instead, he simply pushed his chakra into Kakashi's body, shielding his battered internal organs.
It was only a temporary fix—stopgap treatment at best.
But it was all Haruto could do. Since arriving in this world, he'd never studied medical ninjutsu, nor had he been trained as a medic-nin.
There was only one option: find Karin.
Glancing down at Kakashi's wounds, Haruto still couldn't believe the destructive power of that one casual kick.
Especially considering that Kakashi hadn't been in a normal state.
He'd been using both the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and his fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan.
His speed had been near lightning itself.
The Sharingan should have been able to track every detail of Haruto's movements.
And yet… he still hadn't managed to avoid that kick.
"…How bad is it? Can you stand?" Haruto finally asked, deciding to gloss over the incident.
Receiving Haruto's stabilizing chakra, Kakashi felt some of the pain subside. After several deep breaths, he forced himself to his feet.
But when he tried to mold chakra, his body rebelled. For the moment, his reserves refused to respond.
That single kick had left him with more than physical damage—it had left a scar in his psyche.
"…Looks like we'll have to head to Kusagakure immediately." Haruto studied Kakashi with concern.
Even if they couldn't locate Karin right away, Kusagakure should at least have a medical facility.
After all, a functioning medical corps was essential for any shinobi village.
Kakashi, naturally, didn't object. He nodded briskly but refused Haruto's offer of support.
He was still an ANBU of Konohagakure, after all.
"Alright."
Haruto didn't argue, instead guiding him toward Kusagakure.
The truth was, this forest was already within the Grass Village's borders.
The only reason they hadn't gone straight to the village earlier was because Kakashi had wanted to pay respects near Kannabi Bridge, where Obito had fallen.
He'd even intended to search for his friend's remains on the way back, to bring them home for a proper burial.
That detour had cost them precious time.
Now, with Kakashi's condition, Haruto took him directly into Kusagakure.
The village was smaller than Konoha, of course, but still had all the necessities.
At the gates, the guards were meticulous, verifying Haruto and Kakashi's identities before allowing them entry.
That courtesy was only extended because Kusagakure had always maintained friendly ties with Konoha. Shinobi from other villages would never have gotten in so easily.
Still, finding Karin here wouldn't be simple. Even with her extraordinary abilities, she was just a little girl, and a village of this size could easily swallow her presence.
First things first—they needed shelter and medical treatment for Kakashi.
After a quick discussion, Haruto decided to take him straight to the village hospital, and then he'd begin the search for Karin.
But just as Haruto had asked for directions and was about to head there, he caught the sound of a desperate voice at a nearby street corner.
Someone was begging for mercy.
So much for every villager living in peace.
For a fleeting moment, Haruto thought cynically: People's sorrows don't resonate with one another. To me, their cries are nothing but noise.
The voice was pitiful, but he had no intention of intervening.
This had nothing to do with him.
Kakashi, however, thought differently.
His heart was no longer as clouded by darkness as before, and the voice—it sounded like a young girl.
It stirred memories of Rin's smile, memories that made him certain: if she were still alive, she would never have ignored such a cry for help.
"…Haruto. I can still manage a little longer. Let's go check it out."
Kakashi took a deep breath, suppressing the pain in his chest, and spoke firmly.
Seeing the seriousness in his expression, Haruto could only sigh and follow.
What neither of them expected, however, was that the source of the pleas for mercy…
…was a girl with short, vivid red hair.