Gacha Senju: Lucky Perks, Lucky Ladies

Chapter 7: The First Step into Danger

Kiyoshi, Mikoto, and Ryota followed Kenshiro through the dense forest outside Konoha. The usual warmth of the village seemed distant now, swallowed by the towering trees and the eerie silence pressing in around them.

The Genin had been given almost no time to process what was happening. They weren't told where they were going, only that the mission was starting now.

Kiyoshi's mind raced. This isn't normal. We should have had at least a briefing, supplies, maybe even backup. But instead… we're just marching straight into the unknown.

Mikoto walked beside him, her expression unreadable. Ryota, on the other hand, was clearly agitated, his grip on his katana tightening with every step.

Finally, Ryota couldn't take it anymore. "Are you seriously not gonna tell us what the mission is?"

Kenshiro didn't slow down. "I already did. It's a survival mission."

Ryota growled in frustration. "Yeah, but what does that mean? Are we hunting something? Are we supposed to track someone? Or are we just—"

"You'll find out soon enough."

That shut Ryota up. The look in Kenshiro's eyes was dead serious.

Kiyoshi clenched his fists. This isn't just some test. This is real.

After another hour of walking, Kenshiro suddenly stopped.

They had reached a clearing—an abandoned outpost from an old battle, half-ruined and covered in moss. A single broken watchtower still stood, barely holding itself together.

Kenshiro turned to them, his arms crossed.

"Alright. Here's the mission."

He gestured toward the ruined outpost.

"You three are going to survive here for three days. No food. No water. Just your wits, your skills, and whatever you can find in the forest."

Ryota blinked. "That's it?"

Kenshiro's smirk returned. "Oh, no. There's more."

He pointed at the treeline. "Somewhere in this area, there's an enemy team. Their job? Hunt you."

Kiyoshi felt his stomach drop.

Mikoto's Sharingan flickered to life. "You mean… real enemy shinobi?"

Kenshiro shook his head. "Not enemy shinobi. Chunin-level trackers from Konoha."

Ryota let out a nervous laugh. "Oh. That's—wait, that's worse!"

Kenshiro's smirk widened. "Correct. You'll be hunted by actual ninjas with orders to track you down. If they catch you? You fail."

Kiyoshi exhaled slowly. So that's what this is.

This wasn't just a survival test. It was a realistic combat drill.

Kenshiro took a step forward. "And let me be clear—you are not expected to fight them head-on. If you do, you will lose. Your job is to use your skills, avoid capture, and survive until the third day. That's the only way you pass."

A heavy silence settled over the team.

Then Ryota groaned. "Ugh. I hate this already."

Mikoto, however, didn't complain. She simply nodded. "Understood."

Kiyoshi took a deep breath. Fine. If this is the test, then I just have to win.

Kenshiro checked the sky. "You have fifteen minutes before the hunt begins. Better get moving."

And just like that—he vanished, leaving them alone.

Mikoto immediately took charge. "We need to move. Now."

Ryota frowned. "Shouldn't we scout the outpost first? It might have supplies."

Kiyoshi shook his head. "Too obvious. If I were tracking us, that'd be the first place I'd check."

Mikoto nodded in agreement. "We need to get as far as possible before the hunt starts."

Ryota sighed. "Great. Running. My favorite."

Without another word, they disappeared into the trees.

The hunt had begun.

The forest was eerily silent as Kiyoshi, Mikoto, and Ryota darted through the trees, their movements barely disturbing the underbrush. Every breath, every step, every shift of the wind felt amplified in the quiet tension of the hunt.

They had barely gotten ten minutes away from the outpost when Mikoto suddenly stopped mid-step, raising a hand.

"Wait." Her Sharingan spun as she scanned the dense foliage.

Kiyoshi tensed. "You see something?"

Mikoto nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Two… no, three incoming. Fast."

Ryota cursed under his breath. "Already? Damn it, they're good."

Kiyoshi's mind worked fast. Three Chunin-level trackers, closing in quickly… if we keep running, they'll catch us. We need a plan.

He looked up at the trees, then at the uneven terrain ahead. An idea formed.

"We need to split up," Kiyoshi said.

Ryota shot him a look. "What? That's the worst idea! They'll pick us off one by one."

"Not if we do it right," Kiyoshi countered. "Mikoto, you go left. Ryota, right. I'll stay on this path and draw their attention."

Mikoto narrowed her eyes. "You're using yourself as bait."

Kiyoshi smirked. "Exactly. If I can lead them off course, you two can reposition and ambush them."

Ryota hesitated. "And if they catch you?"

Kiyoshi's grin widened. "They won't. I have an ace up my sleeve."

He reached into his pocket and brushed his fingers over the Gacha reward he had drawn that morning.

[Item: Shadow Cloak – Temporarily renders the user undetectable for 30 seconds.]

This is my one-shot escape tool. I have to use it wisely.

Mikoto studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. Don't die."

With that, she disappeared into the trees. Ryota hesitated for a second longer before following her lead.

Now alone, Kiyoshi exhaled slowly. "Alright. Let's see how good these trackers really are."

Then, he sprinted forward, making as much noise as possible.

A flicker of movement. The rustle of leaves.

Then—attack!

A kunai whizzed past Kiyoshi's head, embedding itself in a tree trunk. He twisted mid-step, barely dodging a second strike.

"Fast," he muttered.

From the shadows, three figures emerged. They were older, more experienced, clad in standard Konoha Chunin vests. Their leader, a tall man with a scar down his cheek, smirked.

"Smart move, running," the man said. "Too bad it won't help."

Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow. "I dunno. I think I'm doing pretty well so far."

The man chuckled. "Cocky. I like that. Let's see how long that confidence lasts."

Without warning, he vanished.

Shit—!

Kiyoshi barely reacted in time as a foot came flying toward him. He twisted his body, the kick grazing his ribs instead of hitting full force. Even so, the impact hurt.

Kiyoshi tumbled backward but landed on his feet. He had no time to breathe—the other two trackers were already closing in.

I can't fight them directly. I need to stall…

Then, a plan clicked.

He reached into his pocket, gripping the Shadow Cloak.

The leader lunged again.

Just as his hand was about to grab Kiyoshi—

[Shadow Cloak: Activated.]

Kiyoshi vanished.

The Chunin's eyes widened in shock. "What—?!"

From their perspective, Kiyoshi had completely disappeared. His chakra signature, his presence—everything was gone.

The three trackers froze, scanning the area in confusion.

"Where did he go?!"

Kiyoshi, now invisible, smirked from just a few feet away. This thing is incredible.

He had exactly 30 seconds.

Silently, he moved past them, making sure not to disturb the environment. He slipped behind a tree and crouched low.

When the Cloak wore off, he'd be in their blind spot.

"Fan out!" the leader barked. "He couldn't have gone far!"

The moment they turned—

Kiyoshi struck.

He moved fast, leaping forward and delivering a precise chakra-enhanced punch to the nearest tracker's gut. The man's eyes widened as the air was knocked from his lungs, sending him flying into a tree.

The second tracker barely had time to react before Kiyoshi flipped backward, tossing a smoke bomb.

The clearing erupted into a thick gray fog.

Now, they were blind.

And then—

SHARINGAN!

Mikoto's crimson eyes pierced through the smoke.

She struck fast and clean, landing a precise kunai slash across the second tracker's shoulder. The man staggered back, but before he could recover—

CLANG!

Ryota's sword met his kunai head-on, forcing him further off balance.

The three Genin had turned the hunters into the hunted.

The leader growled, realizing what had happened. "Tch. They used the smoke to reposition!"

Kiyoshi grinned. "That's right."

He raised his hands in a Ram Seal.

Time to finish this.