Lynn Uchiha raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had expected the Third Hokage to send some pursuers after him.
But he hadn't expected Sarutobi Hiruzen to send Hatake Kakashi, an elite jonin, himself.
Beside him, Uchiha Sasuke caught sight of Kakashi, and a flash of joy crossed his face.
As expected, Konoha hadn't given up on him.
They'd even sent Kakashi himself.
Kakashi had quite a reputation in Konoha.
After all, he was a prodigy who had become a jonin at just twelve, and his father was the renowned White Fang of Konoha.
Though he hadn't seen much action in recent years, his strength still ranked among the best in Konoha.
So when Sasuke saw Kakashi appear, hope stirred in his heart.
He looked up at Lynn Uchiha beside him.
Though he couldn't make out the face hidden in shadow, Sasuke could already picture Lynn Uchiha being defeated.
After all, Konoha's pursuers had come in groups of at least three or four.
Couldn't several jonin take down a single Lynn Uchiha?
Sasuke lowered his gaze to his right hand. His index finger was gone, leaving nothing but an empty space.
The hatred in his eyes grew more and more intense.
Damn Lynn Uchiha. Konoha would make him pay dearly!!
"Lynn Uchiha, I don't care why you defected from the village, but I'm here now as the voice of the Third Hokage."
Hatake Kakashi walked forward slowly, his voice slightly hoarse.
"I've been ordered to take you back to Konoha."
As his words fell, the empty street seemed to freeze.
Only the occasional raindrop fell from the treetops, dampening the ground.
Lynn Uchiha furrowed his brow as he looked at Hatake Kakashi.
Feeling the immense strength coursing through his body, he curled his lips into a cold smile.
"Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi, you think... you can take me down?"
Kakashi's expression didn't change.
He'd seen plenty of sneers like Lynn Uchiha's.
But this time, he'd brought several teams of jonin with him.
"I suggest you don't resist for nothing. This fight began the moment you saw me."
As Kakashi finished speaking,
a shadow on the ground suddenly shot toward Lynn Uchiha.
"Shadow Sealing Technique?" Lynn Uchiha raised an eyebrow.
It was the Nara Clan's secret technique. By using chakra, they sent their shadows skimming across the ground or another surface toward their target.
Once the two shadows merged, the user could control the target's movements like a puppet on strings.
Lynn Uchiha held out a finger and pointed it at the shadow on the ground.
"Spin."
In an instant, a golden bolt of lightning burst from his hand.
The current began rotating clockwise at incredible speed.
Lightning Release Chakra and electricity made the air crackle.
A faint pull seemed to come from the gaps between the spinning currents.
The shadow rushing toward Lynn Uchiha suddenly sped up even more, surging forward.
"Wait... H-how is this possible?"
A masked jonin pressed his hands together, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
He was the one using the Shadow Sealing Technique.
The moment Lynn Uchiha's golden lightning began to spin,
Nara Seishi felt as if his shadow had gone out of control, hurtling toward the current.
How was this possible?
How could this happen?
Was Lynn Uchiha using some kind of technique that countered his?
Or...
"Seishi, stop the chakra flow!"
As Nara Seishi panicked, Kakashi suddenly slapped him on the shoulder.
The flow of chakra stopped at once.
The shadow rushing toward the current halted, then returned to Nara Seishi's feet.
He stared warily at the two figures in the shadows ahead.
Nara Seishi took a deep breath and said:
"Lynn Uchiha, we're not the only ones here. Other teams have also come to capture you.
If you know what's good for you, I suggest you come back with us quietly. Otherwise..."
"Why waste so much time talking to him?"
Several more figures leaped down from the rooftops and landed beside Kakashi.
They were another jonin squad sent by Konoha.
The Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō had gone to great lengths to capture Lynn Uchiha, the missing-nin, and bring him back.
Nine jonin stood before them, their eyes fixed on the two people at the end of the street.
"I suggest you give up running, Lynn Uchiha," Hatake Kakashi said with a slight frown.
"Nine jonin could take down even Lord Hokage."
"Is that so?" Lynn Uchiha chuckled.
The next moment, he began walking forward, carrying Uchiha Sasuke as if he were a little chick.
Under the gaze of all those eyes, a stern-faced man in a black robe emerged from the shadows.
Lynn Uchiha's expression remained blank as he said:
"Let's see how nine jonin are going to take me down."
"Heh..."
Seeing that Lynn Uchiha still refused to see reason, Nara Seishi sneered.
"You'll find out soon enough what nine jonin can do!"
With that, several shinobi moved forward.
"In that case, let's see just how ignorant you are, kid!"
Kakashi glanced at the shinobi.
At their head was Aburame Shibi of the Aburame Clan, who had just spoken.
When it came to controlling insects, Aburame Shibi was one of Konoha's top experts.
His insects, combined with the support of the other jonin, should be more than enough to deal with Lynn Uchiha.
Kakashi even thought that without the Sharingan, Lynn Uchiha would probably be finished in a single exchange.
But the Sharingan really was unfair.
And Kakashi had been watching closely for any sign that Lynn Uchiha might use it.
It probably wouldn't be a problem.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Aburame Shibi and the other jonin attacked.
Almost at once, a terrifying burst of flame erupted from one jonin's mouth.
The fireball's incredible heat distorted the air around it.
The other jonin saw him unleash the fireball and began forming Hand Seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Several enormous fireballs merged, forming a terrifying mass of flame dozens of meters across that hurtled toward Lynn Uchiha.
And beyond the fireball's reach, countless tiny chakra-born insects swarmed about.
Watching this, Omoi and Samui stared in shock from a distance.
What a terrifying fireball!
If Lynn Uchiha failed to dodge, wouldn't a fireball that powerful blast him away in an instant?
Did the shinobi of Konoha really have to go this far?
As they wondered, the terrifying fireball, dozens of meters across, suddenly erupted.
Like a towering wave of fire, it surged toward Lynn Uchiha and Uchiha Sasuke.
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