Kakashi had never imagined that one day he would be grabbed by the neck by a junior.
Feeling the evil power just inches from him, shock filled his eyes.
His perfectly unharmed right eye widened several times over in an instant.
In his mind, an ominous thought quickly surfaced.
He struggled to pry the fingers away, trying to lessen the searing heat of the crimson Chakra as he asked,
"Jin! Where did you get that crimson Chakra?"
But as soon as he looked up, he saw a pair of scarlet eyes.
His disheveled reflection showed in those blood-red pupils.
But it wasn't the man he was now. It was... the boy who had lost his father, alone and unable to shed a single tear.
The man who had numbed himself with missions after losing Obito.
The man who had fallen into utter darkness after accidentally killing Rin with his own hands.
And the man who had gradually turned toward the light under the care of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, only to lose that light again.
"Maybe... I really am a terrible person."
Kakashi murmured as his raised hands slowly fell to his sides.
Inside him, chaotic Lightning Release Chakra ravaged every inch of his body.
Only after a full three minutes, with his entire body torn apart by lightning, did he manage to lift his head again.
Looking at the young boy opposite him, he rasped, "Hell Viewing Technique? You're even proficient in genjutsu."
Though he was joking, there was no lightness in his tone.
Instead, it was as harsh and weary as a rotting tree.
The turmoil in his heart had long since become a raging storm.
Shock!
Surprise!
Disbelief!
He hadn't expected Jin to be not only skilled in taijutsu, but also so proficient in genjutsu.
With just a glance, he had put a Jonin in a passive position.
"Good... good... At least you're only proficient in taijutsu and genjutsu..."
"If you were proficient in ninjutsu too, then we'd really be in trouble."
He pulled at the corner of his mouth, managing a strained smile.
If a boy this young were also proficient in ninjutsu, he couldn't imagine how to deal with this child from the Uchiha Clan.
And he couldn't imagine how the village's higher-ups, who schemed against the Uchiha Clan all day, would ever sleep soundly again.
Not proficient in ninjutsu?
At that, Jin's expression didn't change, and he offered no rebuttal.
He only regretted in silence that this young Jonin prodigy seemed to have stopped improving years ago.
Or perhaps he had simply stagnated?
If Kakashi hadn't been forcibly powered up later on, he would probably have remained a mere support.
As a result, there were many traits of Kakashi's that Jin couldn't even see right now...
Shaking off those jumbled thoughts, Jin turned his hand and tossed Kakashi to the ground.
A shuriken appeared silently in his hand.
Under the moonlight, it gleamed with a faint, cold light.
The sight made one's scalp ache.
"N-no... please, don't hurt Kakashi-senpai."
Just then, Yamato woke up again beside them.
Without the slightest hesitation, he dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.
"Kinoe!"
Kakashi's eyes shifted, and something inside him seemed to surge out.
It quickly overwhelmed his whole mind.
He turned to Jin and gave a bitter smile. "Jin, don't worry. I won't interfere in the matter between the village and the Uchiha anymore."
He knew Jin hadn't intended to kill them; otherwise, they wouldn't have had the chance to beg for mercy.
He also had a vague idea of why Jin had done this.
The conflict between the Uchiha and the village had grown increasingly severe, so Jin's actions were understandable.
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Jin shook his head. "No. It doesn't matter to me whether you interfere or not."
Of the Leaf's forces, the only one who truly inspired fear was Eight Gates Guy.
Guy might not be as outrageously cool as he had been when he kicked Madara, but he could still kick his way to Super Kage-level strength.
Of course, that was assuming he didn't get the chance to activate his Golden Body.
The remaining members of the Konoha F4 were already old.
Kakashi had been wasting away for years, and his strength hadn't increased much.
The Sannin were off wandering everywhere.
As for the great clans?
As long as they found someone to take the blame, the Leaf's various ninja clans probably wouldn't make a move.
Of course, if they did, they'd be wiped out.
"Phew... Without even realizing it, the Leaf seems to have become no threat at all."
"Instead, it's Wood Release and the Mangekyo..."
Jin shook his head slightly and looked down at the two beneath him.
Moonlight fell across his somewhat unkempt Uchiha hair, illuminating his still-childish face.
He was, after all, not yet ten. Even with his face set in an expressionless scowl, he still looked soft and cuddly, like someone you'd want to pat.
Kakashi lowered his eyes and asked softly, "Then what are you planning to do?"
Jin's lips curled into a faint smile. "I need you two to agree to one thing."
"Hm? One thing? A chat?"
Kakashi's expression froze as he suddenly remembered this guy's particular quirk.
His body tensed.
After nearly three years of watching him, intentionally or otherwise, he had finally confirmed one thing:
Jin really didn't have the Uchiha Clan's arrogance or obsession, but he did have a quirk—he loved to chat!
Whenever he went to chat with someone, it never lasted more than fifteen minutes.
Sometimes he would laugh maniacally afterward; other times, he'd look sour and even start a fight.
After the fight, his expression would brighten again.
Kinoe, for example, was one of those he'd chatted with, then immediately fought after looking sour.
It didn't make sense, but once Kakashi remembered he was an Uchiha, it all seemed reasonable again.
So when Jin mentioned one thing, he agreed without even thinking. "Sure. I'll bring Kinoe to visit the Uchiha every day from now on."
"No need. Once a week is fine." Jin shook his head.
Fixed NPCs +2.
First chat for ten minutes, then beat them up.
But...
Thinking of Yamato's Wood Release ninjutsu, along with his Water Release and Earth Release techniques, Jin couldn't help rubbing his chin in curiosity.
"Kakashi, can you extract all of this guy's ninjutsu except for Wood Release?"
If he could extract all of Yamato's other ninjutsu and leave only Wood Release behind—
Then he'd be the perfect NPC!
One Wood Release trait a week. At that rate, the Wood Release Cells could evolve in just a few months, right?
"Huh?!"
Kakashi froze. He was about to shake his head, but then he remembered that both of them were still under Jin's foot.
He could only furrow his brows and think hard.
Caw, caw—
Crows flew past the woods.
They stirred up faint breezes that carried a hint of chill.
The night had deepened.
"Itachi's been meeting secretly with the Third Hokage more and more often..."
Jin looked up for a moment, then tied his long hair behind his head and clapped his small hands.
"I hope you'll keep what happened today a secret. I don't have any plans for the village."
"But some old dogs who have designs on the Uchiha will die."
As he spoke, the Red Chakra in his hand was no longer restrained. He unleashed all of it against the boulder behind him.
Boom!
Crack!
In an instant, the boulder burst apart, showering the area with stone fragments!
This powerful display overturned Kakashi and Yamato's understanding of the world all over again.
"A casual strike, and he can split a mountain and shatter stone!"
"Even Enma, summoned by the Third Hokage, needs a staff to do that, doesn't he?"
Kakashi swallowed as he looked at Jin's small figure, his face growing even more serious.
"And the power he just used... it should be... the Nine-Tails' power, right?"
"The Nine-Tails? What Nine-Tails!"
At that moment, a figure wrapped in bandages slowly poked his head over the edge of the crater.
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