Chapter 31: Salvation

Shiraki began practicing the chain-blade slaughter technique, wreaking havoc across the entire riverside reed marsh. It was a scene of utter chaos, blades whirling wildly, and within three meters, not a single blade of grass survived. Even a Rock Hidden scout ninja, who had been lurking by the river for who knows how long, was startled and fled underground, thinking his cover had been blown.

“It’s a fine weapon… But the way you’re using it, you’ll end up without any teammates,” Kakashi said, sweating in embarrassment.

“Ah… No one’s taught me, so I can only swing it around blindly,” Shiraki shrugged helplessly. Apart from the ability to throw and retrieve the blade, everything else was just a flashy display, full of openings despite its intimidating appearance.

“If it’s swordsmanship you’re after, perhaps I could give you some pointers,” Hayate Gekkou suggested, leaning on his long sword.

“No, no, your sword carries emotion. If I’m going to learn, it will be Kakashi’s merciless blade,” Shiraki waved his finger dismissively.

“Eh, what do you mean…” Hayate seemed confused.

“A heart devoid of women, naturally quick to draw the sword. The most important thing is to keep emotion away from the blade,” Shiraki drew his long sword from his waist and performed a frenzied, erratic dance.

“Slaughter!”

Unfortunately, he made a mess of sheathing the sword, jabbing it several times before finally getting it back in the scabbard.

“Ahem… cough…” Hayate coughed, covering his mouth. If a sword wasn’t swung to protect women, what meaning could it possibly have?

“My father used to say something similar. I’ll teach you a few simple moves,” Kakashi actually decided to instruct Shiraki in sword techniques.

“Great!”

Throughout the afternoon, Shiraki complained that one move wasn’t cool enough, or another was too exhausting to practice. The notion of swinging a sword a thousand times a day to memorize the feeling—he considered it all rough work. He even reversed roles, teaching Kakashi how to draw the blade stylishly. Kakashi’s forehead was covered in veins, his patience wearing thin, and his affection plummeting.

This guy wasn’t genuinely interested in learning swordsmanship; he just wanted to look cool wielding a blade.

As dusk fell, the group returned from the riverside to the camp, but still the Guy squad hadn’t returned. They were likely caught in some crisis.

Kakashi finally couldn’t take it anymore and headed to the command tent to request a rescue mission from Shikafuku Nara.

He emerged with a sour expression.

“They must have told you to wait patiently, not to worry, and to trust in your comrades’ strength,” Shiraki teased Kakashi, gnawing on the leg of some unknown animal.

Guy’s team consisted of one chunin and two genin, all civilian ninjas, and their abilities weren’t yet prominent. No commander would waste precious jonin squads to rescue them unless absolutely necessary. If they approved one such request, everyone would start demanding the same.

“Mm… And they’ve assigned me another mission,” Kakashi pulled out a mission scroll.

“If we applied, then…” Hayate began.

“It probably wouldn’t be approved either. I saw many scrolls piled on the desk. If nothing unexpected happens, you’ll soon be sent out for missions as well,” Kakashi shook his head.

“At times like this, you need a ninja not on the Leaf’s roster, able to act freely—a hired shinobi,” Shiraki crossed his arms arrogantly.

“Shiraki, we’re counting on you!” Kakashi said earnestly.

“By the way… can I go during the day tomorrow?” Shiraki glanced at the darkening sky.

“Why?” Kakashi was puzzled.

“I… am afraid of ghosts,” Shiraki admitted sincerely.

“You, afraid of ghosts?!” Yuugao Uzuki thought that ghosts should be afraid of Shiraki.

“No matter how strong a ghost is—even if it could shatter the moon with a slap—it’s still something to be feared,” Shiraki nodded.

“Actually… I’m afraid too,” Obito shrank his neck.

“I’m just worried about Guy and the others…” Kakashi frowned.

“Alright, alright… I’ll head out now. Let’s hope tonight is a full moon,” Shiraki wiped his mouth and stood up.

“Thank you, Shiraki.” Kakashi formed a summoning seal, conjuring a ninja dog the size of a bulldog and handed it to Shiraki.

“This is my ninja dog, Pakkun. He’s skilled at tracking scents and can help you locate Guy. If you encounter an emergency…”

“Then I’ll stew him for food, right? Thanks for the rations,” Shiraki petted Pakkun’s head.

The system always compared him to Pakkun in its evaluations, making it feel as if Pakkun was the pinnacle of combat power. Even when Kakashi became the Sixth Hokage, he’d respectfully carve Pakkun’s likeness.

The current evaluation: A man who matches Pakkun fifty-fifty.

“Woof!” Pakkun bit Shiraki’s hand, “You actually want to eat a cute dog! You must never have felt its bouncy paw pads!”

Next moment, Ah Fei leaped up and swallowed Pakkun whole.

“No… I meant for Pakkun to dissolve the summoning technique. Even if he disobeys, we’ll rush over immediately,” Kakashi hurried to explain.

“If that’s all… Ah Fei, spit Pakkun out,” Shiraki said with some disappointment.

“Ugh, damn… What was that thing? It had no organs or intestines inside,” Pakkun trembled in fear.

“And no brain, either,” Ah Fei even opened his head for everyone to see, revealing a hollow emptiness.

“Ew…” The group responded with disgust, but weren’t too shocked. They treated Ah Fei as a chakra creature akin to a tailed beast.

“Kakashi, maybe you should summon another dog. I feel a bit dizzy today,” Pakkun wore an unhappy expression.

“It’s alright, Shiraki was just joking. He’s reliable—after all, you’re the best at tracking scents,” Kakashi patted Pakkun’s head.

“Fine… Let’s go, I hope the mission ends quickly,” Pakkun sniffed the air, searching for the strong sweat stench left by Might Guy.

“Oh, unforgettable… Like mackerel dried for twenty days. Let’s go!” Pakkun’s four short legs spun, running faster than a dog should.

Shiraki dashed after him, leaving camp and heading toward the location where Guy’s trio was assigned.

The first area was where the three had been ambushed by Rock Hidden ninjas. The ground was littered with broken stone spike traps, dead Rock ninjas, and dried blood.

No special skills were needed to determine the cause of death:

One corpse’s head drooped lifelessly, the cervical vertebrae crushed to powder—presumably by Guy’s signature taijutsu, Leaf Whirlwind, snapping his neck.

Another corpse was covered in bruises from blunt force, its head swollen like a pig’s—almost certainly beaten by Guy’s nunchaku.

The final Rock Hidden corpse was probably killed by Ebisu and Genma Shiranui, perishing in the blast of a paper bomb—its body mangled beyond recognition.

“They weren’t injured and continued toward the mission point,” Pakkun sniffed around.

“I think so too—would ‘Emperor Guy’ fall here?”

Pakkun led Shiraki onward.

By now, night had deepened, and moonlight was their only illumination. Shiraki yawned, finally climbing onto Ah Fei’s back to be carried, since White Zetsu’s stamina was inexhaustible—no reason not to ride.

As for physical training, he’d leave that to the system and his bloodline; his own duty was to nurture pure spiritual energy in his dreams.