Forest (Part 1)

Watching Uchiha Matsuri and Jiraiya vanish from sight one after another, Kiba Inuzuka, still trapped in the genjutsu, shouted, "Don't leave yet! You haven't told me how to break this genjutsu!"

After dispelling the genjutsu, Jiraiya glanced at the dazed Minato Namikaze and Kiba Inuzuka beside him, shook his head, and then helped them break free from the illusion.

Once the genjutsu was lifted, Minato Namikaze and Kiba Inuzuka familiarized themselves with their surroundings, and then Kiba Inuzuka suddenly yelled, "Look! Why are Matsuri's eyes so red? Did he catch Red Eye disease?"

Hearing Kiba Inuzuka's slightly dim-witted remark, Minato Namikaze looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that Uchiha Matsuri's pupils had turned blood-red.

"This... could it be the Sharingan?" Minato Namikaze said, slightly startled.

Minato Namikaze had heard of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan long ago, but he had never seen it with his own eyes.

"I didn't expect that kid Matsuri to be hiding his true strength. He's already awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and he didn't even let me know." Jiraiya looked at Uchiha Matsuri with a complex expression.

If Uchiha Matsuri possessed the Sharingan, even Minato Namikaze, who had only just begun to master the Flying Thunder God Technique, would be at a disadvantage in a spar.

"Um, can I ask what the Sharingan is?" Kiba Inuzuka asked awkwardly from the side.

"..."

After listening to Minato Namikaze's explanation, Kiba Inuzuka was instantly unsettled: "Damn, the Sharingan is actually that powerful? But this kind of talent is exclusive to the Uchiha Clan; isn't that a bit unfair?"

Ignoring Kiba Inuzuka's envy, jealousy, and hatred, Uchiha Matsuri looked at the man in the tree and said coldly, "I didn't expect you to be able to trap us in a genjutsu without us even noticing. You're certainly not simple."

"Hahaha, thank you for the compliment. I originally intended to use the genjutsu to make you all fall off this cliff, but it's a pity you broke free a step ahead of me." The man shook his head with regret.

"Heh, I didn't think you'd be so vicious." Uchiha Matsuri felt a lingering fear. If he had been a moment slower to realize the truth, he would likely be a corpse at the bottom of the cliff right now.

Noticing that the man in the tree did not have much chakra left, Jiraiya said leisurely, "Matsuri, Inuzuka, I'll leave this guy to you two."

"Understood." Both nodded simultaneously.

Upon receiving the order, Kiba Inuzuka was exceptionally excited, thinking that this was another chance to show off.

However, after glancing at the battle-ready Uchiha Matsuri, Kiba Inuzuka still said, "Matsuri, I won't go easy on you this time. This guy will be the ghost under my blade sooner or later."

"Is that so?" Uchiha Matsuri chuckled, "Then let's see which one of us kills him first!"

"Hmph!" Hearing Uchiha Matsuri's provocation, Kiba Inuzuka snorted and prepared to engage in battle.

Hearing the two treat him as if he were nothing, the man was so angry he became embarrassed. He pulled out several kunai coated in deadly poison and threw them at Uchiha Matsuri and Kiba Inuzuka.

The moment the two dodged the kunai, the man performed hand seals once again, casting a genjutsu.

Unlike Kiba Inuzuka, whose eyes instantly showed confusion and dullness, Uchiha Matsuri, having activated his Sharingan, was unaffected by this illusion.

"Trying the same trick again?" Uchiha Matsuri said coldly.

Hearing this, the man looked at Uchiha Matsuri in shock. That last genjutsu was a full level higher than the first, yet it had been easily broken by Uchiha Matsuri.

Ignoring Kiba Inuzuka, who was still performing the "Passing Fang" while under the influence of the genjutsu, Uchiha Matsuri used a "Phoenix Sage Fire Technique" to knock the man to the ground.

"You're so weak," Uchiha Matsuri mocked.

Even though his specialty was genjutsu, the man still had faith in his ninjutsu. However, he never imagined that he would be easily defeated by an unknown genin.

Seeing that the man had no strength left to resist, Uchiha Matsuri said coldly, "Time's up."

With that, Uchiha Matsuri performed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground.

"Lightning Release: Ground Flash!"

The electric current traveled through the earth and struck the man, who let out a miserable scream before being reduced to ashes.

The moment the man died, Kiba Inuzuka, who had been under the genjutsu, immediately regained his senses. Seeing the ashes covering the ground and the others watching coldly, Kiba Inuzuka realized what had happened instantly.

"Sigh, I thought I had successfully killed the enemy, but it was just a genjutsu," Kiba Inuzuka muttered in disappointment.

After a few seconds of silence, Kiba Inuzuka consoled himself: "That guy only won by luck because his Sharingan made him immune to that kind of genjutsu. Just you wait, next time I'll definitely outperform you!"

Unlike Kiba Inuzuka's disappointment and unwillingness to accept defeat, Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya both frowned in unison when they saw Uchiha Matsuri's final strike.

"Such a cold gaze." Minato Namikaze couldn't help but shiver when he saw the look in Uchiha Matsuri's eyes.

Beside him, Jiraiya also noticed this detail: "This child's eyes are so similar to Orochimaru's."

There was no doubt that the trace of coldness and ruthlessness that had inadvertently leaked from Uchiha Matsuri's eyes had been perfectly captured by Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya.

Even Jiraiya was unsure whether this phenomenon was good or bad.

On one hand, as a ninja, killing was a daily occurrence; only by being decisive in battle and showing no mercy to the enemy could one survive longer in this cruel world.

On the other hand, if this tendency were allowed to develop, Uchiha Matsuri could very well become a bloodthirsty demon who killed without blinking. Naturally, the Third Hokage and Jiraiya, who viewed Uchiha Matsuri as a potential candidate for Hokage, did not want him to turn out that way.

A day passed, and the caravan entered a vast forest, nearing the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.

Because they were within the Land of Fire, the caravan had not encountered any formidable enemies over the past few days. However, once they left the well-policed Land of Fire, everything would become complicated. Bandits, rogue ninjas, Grass ninjas... various factions were coveting this valuable cargo.

"The caravan is about to leave the Land of Fire; everyone, stay alert," Jiraiya reminded the three of them softly.

"I will head to the front of the caravan. Minato, you go to the left; Inuzuka, you go to the right. Matsuri, you monitor from the rear."

"Yes."

"Mr. Moriya!" Jiraiya looked at Koji Moriya, who was strolling alongside the caravan. "We are approaching the forests of the Land of Grass. For your safety, please return to the carriage."

"Understood," Koji Moriya replied irritably.

After entering the carriage, Koji Moriya suddenly poked his head out and threatened Jiraiya: "Jiraiya, if a battle breaks out, you must protect this cargo. Its value is worth far more than the lives of the four of you."