Chapter 40: Saving Rin
Izumo Kamizuki faintly sensed a flow of chakra that felt painfully familiar.
Without hesitation, he unleashed his master-level Body Flicker Technique. His movement tore through the leaves, leaving behind a fading afterimage as he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. The bushes along his path roared as if struck by a sudden whirlwind.
After breaking through layers of broad, overlapping leaves, a cave embedded into a river cliff suddenly appeared before his eyes, its entrance wrapped tightly by ancient, gnarled roots.
Izumo's toes touched the ground without a sound as he pressed his body flat against the stone wall. His chakra perception spread outward like a spider's web.
Two powerful chakra signatures belonging to Iwagakure ninja were stationed inside the cave. And one weak, trembling presence—one he recognized instantly.
That was Nohara Rin.
A kunai spun between his fingers, flashing with a cold gleam as he lowered his posture and slipped toward the cave entrance.
The damp air inside, mixed with the earthy scent of soil and moss, brushed against his face.
Rin was bound to a slick, moss-covered stone wall. Cold sweat streamed from her temples down her pale face. Her once-clear eyes were now clouded by the haze of Genjutsu, yet she still bit down on her lower lip, refusing to give in.
A scar-faced Jōnin stood in front of her with a cruel grin. His knuckles turned white as he formed hand seals.
"The defense map of Konoha's base. Patrol routes. Team formations," he said coldly. "Tell me everything, and I'll make sure you don't suffer too much."
"I-I… don't know…" Rin's voice was as thin as a mosquito's whisper, but the resolve in it refused to break, even as her consciousness teetered on the edge under the torment of Genjutsu.
"Stubborn little brat!" The other Iwagakure ninja slammed his foot into the stone wall, sending pebbles raining down. "Taishi, this girl's hopeless. Just kill her already!"
But the scar-faced man waved his hand dismissively.
His murky gaze slowly traced Rin's slender figure beneath her ninja outfit, a filthy glint of desire flashing in his eyes.
"Killing her right away would be boring. After such a long interrogation, I might as well enjoy myself first. Go guard the cave entrance. When I'm done, we can switch."
The two ninja laughed crudely, then the other one turned and walked out of the cave.
Izumo watched them without a hint of expression.
This scar-faced man… wasn't he the same ninja who had ordered Rōshi to chase after him earlier?
The man rubbed his hands together as he stepped closer. His rough fingers suddenly grabbed Rin's collar.
The sharp sound of tearing fabric echoed through the silent cave.
Despair flashed through Rin's eyes. She struggled uselessly, but the bindings didn't budge in the slightest. Hot tears fell onto the stone near her wrists.
Just as the man bent down, his foul breath about to brush against Rin's face, the faint sound of something being gently placed down reached his ears.
No matter what, he was still a veteran Jōnin.
His expression instantly sharpened as he called out, "Kaishi, what is it!"
"Nothing. He just fell asleep."
A pale blue afterimage shifted like a ghost behind the scar-faced man.
Izumo's left hand clamped over the man's mouth like an iron vise. His right hand held the kunai in a reverse grip.
Using the momentum of his spinning body, he drove the blade straight through the man's heart from behind.
A dull, wet sound rang out as muscle and flesh were torn apart.
The man's pupils widened instantly. His body went rigid, a muffled groan trapped in his throat, before he finally collapsed limply onto the cave floor.
Izumo pulled the kunai free.
Blood splattered across his ninja clothes, blooming into dark crimson patterns. His eyes, however, were colder than eternal ice.
I've been paying you back since morning until now. This is what you get for talking too much.
He quickly stepped over to the stone wall. Chakra gathered at his fingertips as he pressed them against the rope binding Rin. The sealing technique attached to it shattered instantly.
Rin, suddenly losing her support, slumped forward like a wooden doll with its strings cut.
Her body still trembled violently from fear. But when she finally saw the face of the person who had come for her, every last bit of her emotional defense collapsed.
"Izumo-kun…"
She sobbed and threw herself into his arms.
Both of her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her fingers digging into his ninja clothes as if she were clinging to the only piece of driftwood in a raging sea.
Izumo's body stiffened.
He could clearly feel the trembling of the girl in his arms. Her soft body pressed tightly against him. Rin's long hair spilled over his shoulders, carrying a faint metallic scent of blood mixed with a delicate, feminine fragrance.
Her cheek was buried against his chest. Her warm breath seeped through the fabric of his clothes. The gentle rise and fall of her chest matched the rhythm of her quiet sobs.
That soft, intimate contact sent a faint current through his entire body.
The air inside the cave seemed to freeze, leaving only Rin's restrained crying and the sound of their intertwined breathing.
Izumo raised the hand that hovered awkwardly in the air. After hesitating for a moment, he finally rested it gently on Rin's back.
His voice softened.
"It's okay now. It's all over."
Rin's crying gradually faded, but her grip only tightened.
She could clearly feel the firmness of Izumo's chest and the steady, powerful beat of his heart. That sense of safety made her finally let go of all her fear.
Her cheek brushed against the bloodstained fabric of his ninja outfit.
Her voice came out nasal, soft, and full of reliance. "Thank you… If it wasn't for you, I…"
"You don't have to say it," Izumo cut in quietly.
His fingers unconsciously brushed through Rin's soft, long hair.
"We're all ninja of Konoha. Protecting each other is our duty."
Suddenly, he felt the subtle press of her chest against his own.
That faint, accidental friction made it harder for him to stay composed.
Rin seemed to realize it too.
Her face instantly flushed red, and her body stiffened slightly. Instinctively, she wanted to pull away, but the lingering fear gripping her heart made her reluctant to let go of this hard-won warmth.
All she could do was remain in his arms, her ears burning red as if they might start bleeding.
The river breeze drifted into the cave entrance, carrying the fresh scent of greenery and washing away the stench of blood.
But it couldn't dispel the increasingly ambiguous atmosphere between them.
Izumo lowered his head to look at the girl burying her face in his chest.
He could see the tips of Rin's reddened ears and the faint trembling of her eyelashes.
He gently patted her back, trying to sound as natural as possible.
"It's not safe here. I'll take you back to camp."
Rin nodded and slowly loosened her hold.
When she looked up, her eyes were still watery, and her flushed cheeks made her unable to meet Izumo's gaze.
She answered softly, "Um… sorry for causing you trouble."
Izumo Kamizuki turned around to deal with the two bodies on the ground.
"By the way," he asked, "where are Kakashi and Obito? Why weren't they with you? Did your team get attacked?"
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