Three black shadows sprang from the trees, landing around Jin and surrounding him in a triangular formation.
This formation was generally used for protection or...
To besiege someone.
Jin quickly scanned the three of them. They wore greyish-black ninja attire and white masks with strange patterns, identical to the attire worn by the Anbu.
He could only distinguish them by their hair color.
A tall man with orange hair, a slender woman with long straight black hair, and a man with short black hair.
The moment he saw the three, Jin already had kunai in both hands, watching them warily.
Blocking him in the Death Forest didn't look like they were here for anything good.
"Uchiha Jin, by the Hokage's verbal command, come with us."
The orange-haired man spoke to Jin with a commanding tone.
"I don't think Lord Hokage needs to be so sneaky to find me."
Jin didn't believe the other party at all. Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi really wanted to see him, why not let Jiraiya convey the message?
Regardless of any conflict in ideals between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya, they still trusted each other.
So these people were basically impossible to be Hiruzen Sarutobi's men.
The only one who could command people dressed identically to the Anbu was the legendary darkness hidden deepest within Konoha.
The Pot Shadow, Danzō Shimura.
Seeing Jin assuming a combat stance, the orange-haired man shouted sternly.
"Do you intend to defy the Hokage's decree?"
Just as Jin was about to say something, he saw a black dot flying towards him out of the corner of his eye. He quickly used Soru to vanish from the spot, landing on a tree on the other side.
He narrowed his eyes, looking at the surrounding branches.
The three people stood on the surrounding branches, surrounding him once again.
The woman with long straight black hair praised him.
"Truly impressive taijutsu."
This high-speed movement taijutsu was significantly faster than the Body Flicker Technique.
If not for the fact that the three of them possessed extraordinary abilities themselves, they wouldn't have been able to keep up with his speed.
"Attacking while talking doesn't seem like the Anbu's style."
Jin spoke, but his eyes were constantly looking for an opportunity to break through.
The orange-haired man shouted sternly again.
"Do you want to defect from the village? Uchiha Jin!"
What a big hat to pin on me.
Jin curled his lip.
If the outside world wasn't even more chaotic than the village...
He would have run long ago. Did they really think he was brainwashed by the Will of Fire?
But he couldn't say this out loud.
Especially in front of these subordinates of the Pot Shadow.
He just chuckled low and looked at the orange-haired man.
"Attacking a village comrade without cause. I think you are the ones who want to defect, right?"
"If you have the guts, state your names. I will go see Lord Hokage myself tomorrow."
The orange-haired man didn't speak again. He had already realized that taking Uchiha Jin away simply wouldn't be that easy.
Then they could only use force.
He made covert hand signals, indicating no need for a sneak attack to knock him out. They would just beat him unconscious and take him away directly.
The man with short black hair spread his arms. Countless black dots poured out from his sleeves, a dense mass of black dots flying and intertwining with each other.
They were tiny insects.
A bug user of the Aburame Clan.
The insects quickly gathered into a sea of bugs and swept towards Jin.
The next moment, Jin used Soru to jump quickly towards the upper part of the tree. These trees were tall, and they hadn't even reached the middle yet.
Below had already become a black mass.
But in the next instant, the female ninja suddenly appeared in front of Jin, her hands rapidly changing seals.
"Water Release: Water Blade Technique!"
Water flowed rapidly over the kunai in the female ninja's hand.
With both feet treading air, Jin couldn't use Soru to change position. He could only choose to take it head-on.
His right hand's kunai moved to block the opponent's kunai wrapped in high-speed flowing water, while his left hand's kunai stabbed towards her temple. As long as she didn't retreat, the female ninja's temple would be pierced.
The female ninja didn't choose to retreat immediately. Instead, she aggressively accelerated her kunai, colliding with the kunai in Jin's right hand.
Without a sound, the kunai in Jin's right hand was instantly sliced through by the flowing water. But the kunai in his left hand had already reached her temple.
If this continued, he would suffer a light injury at most, but she would die.
The sea of bugs below was spiraling upwards, but they wouldn't make it in time to save her.
The next moment.
The kunai instantly pierced through the female ninja's temple, and the opponent's kunai also cut a gash on his face.
But water sprayed from the female ninja's temple, and her body turned into a puddle of water.
"Water Clone!?"
During the delay caused by this female ninja, the sea of bugs below had arrived.
Jin was still suspended in mid-air.
"Got him."
Seeing Jin falling onto a branch already covered in bugs, the black-haired man spoke lightly.
In this moment, the opponent had already lost.
But Jin didn't think so. His hands formed seals rapidly. He took a deep breath and exhaled with all his might.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A huge fireball was spewed out. The fireball exploded instantly, and the aftershock of the explosion lifted a gust of wind upwards, allowing Jin to land on a higher branch. He stood horizontally on the tree trunk and ran upwards without hesitation.
At this time, the female ninja appeared in front again, standing horizontally on the tree just like Jin, waiting for his arrival.
Jin took another kunai from the ninja pouch on his leg.
The two didn't speak much. Meeting meant combat.
Figures crossed. Their taijutsu was actually on par for a moment.
"Truly a genius of the Uchiha. To have this strength without even awakening the Sharingan."
The female ninja praised while fighting. Her effortless demeanor formed a sharp contrast with Jin's total concentration.
Jin, however, had no leisure. The kunai in his hand was cut by the opponent's Water Blade kunai again. No matter how careful he was, he couldn't avoid it.
The bugs below were surging up again.
Jin didn't have time to continue fighting. He used Soru to jump to another tree.
But this female ninja followed like a shadow, impossible to shake off.
What Jin found most incredible was that the chakra in her body was impregnable. He couldn't steal a single bit, which meant Steel Tempest couldn't be used at all.
The chakra in her body seemed sealed by some kind of formula, unable to leak out.
He could only think of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal (Zekkōzetsu no In).
He didn't know if this was the effect of that seal.
"You can't escape."
The female ninja's voice carried a smile as she continued to tangle with Jin.
It was as if she had him eating out of her hand.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jin noticed the orange-haired man jumping towards them. The man didn't choose to enter their fight but instead held the 'Tiger' seal, aiming at him.
Yet he held back without firing, waiting for an opportunity.
"Yamanaka Clan! So troublesome."
Jin didn't continue to charge upwards. Instead, he suddenly let go with his feet and dropped down.
Countless bugs rushed over overwhelmingly, wanting to bury him completely.
But Jin reached out towards the distance. A wire instantly shot out from his sleeve, attaching to a distant branch. Relying on the wire, he swung over there.
He had no intention of fighting.
Judging just from this brief performance...
He didn't know the strength of the Yamanaka clan member, but he was definitely not a match for the other two.
At this moment, two figures identical to the black-haired man suddenly emerged from the sea of bugs.
Insect Clone Technique.
Using the sea of bugs as a springboard, the two Insect Clones charged quickly at Jin.
They wanted to intercept him.
Jin threw a handful of shuriken backhand. The shuriken collided with Clang! Clang! Clang! sounds in the air, changing direction to hit the Insect Clones.
But two shields made of bugs emerged from the sea of bugs below, blocking all the shuriken. The shuriken even disappeared visibly, as if devoured by the bugs.
However, it momentarily blocked the vision of the two Insect Clones.
Jin's fingers tapped twice behind his back.
"Spirit Gun! Double Tap!" (Reigan!)
Two Spirit Gun shots instantly turned into thin spiritual beams, piercing through the eyebrows of the two Insect Clones. The Insect Clones exploded into countless small bugs.
He also took the opportunity to reach the tree, using Soru to vanish quickly from the three people's sight.
The black-haired man suddenly turned his head to look to the side.
Jin was hiding behind a tree. Now that the leaves on the trees had all fallen, leaving them bare, it was impossible to hide.
But he had still underestimated these three.
Through the reflection on his kunai, Jin saw the three moving simultaneously.
Without thinking, he used Soru to flee quickly into the distance.
While fleeing with Soru, the wound on his face healed rapidly. Some imperceptible dried bug corpses fell from his jumping body.
"Where do you think you're running to?"
The female ninja's figure blocked Jin's path once again.
Jin stopped on a branch, leaning against the tree and panting heavily. Using Soru repeatedly and then the Spirit Gun wasn't without cost.
More than half of his stamina was already consumed.
Looking at the woman in front of him, it was simply unbelievable.
Do you know the Flying Thunder God or something?!
How could this female ninja intercept him in time every single time?
Behind him, the orange-haired man and the black-haired man were approaching rapidly.
The ground was already a sea of bugs, and countless bug shadows flew above as well.
"Absolutely no chance."
Jin gritted his teeth and looked at the woman.
"Why hasn't Orochimaru noticed yet?"
If he waited any longer, he would be captured by these people and taken to Root.
It was unknown what would happen then, but it definitely wouldn't be a good ending.
Danzō, the vanguard of destroying the Uchiha, wouldn't treat him kindly.
He didn't have the Sharingan, but he still had the surname Uchiha.
Jin couldn't understand. He hadn't even awakened his eyes. How did he attract Danzō's attention?
Go find those who have awakened their eyes! What do you want with me, someone who's almost thirteen and hasn't awakened yet?
Did Danzō foresee that I would be a threat in the future?
"You can't escape anymore, little brother." The female ninja's voice carried a smile.
Jin's breathing calmed down. He glared viciously at the female ninja.
"I hope the next time you say that to me, it's in bed!"
Long straight black hair was one of his preferences.
"If you're still intact, I'd be quite willing." The woman laughed charmingly.
She didn't think he would survive Root intact.
"Forget it then." Jin refused again.
"Wearing a mask, you're obviously an ugly monster. I'm afraid I'd vomit."
The woman, who had been smiling all along, was angry this time. No woman could tolerate being called an ugly monster.
"It seems I have to torture you properly first, to teach you some respect."
Jin wore a disdainful smile. He didn't say anything more, but this contemptuous attitude made the female ninja even angrier.
Just as she was about to say something.
Jin jumped...
Into the sea of bugs!!