Gravely Injured

Jin panted hard as he struggled to maintain the Water Formation Wall. Freed from the Water Prison Technique, Cicada formed hand seals and said, "Crow, release the Water Formation Wall and use your Body Flicker Technique to get to my side!"

"Wind Release: Wild Wind Dance!"

The last traces of poison in the air were swept into the tornado and sent toward the Sand Ninja behind them.

Almost in an instant, Jin released the Water Formation Wall, then used the last of his chakra to cast Flying Thunder God, teleporting himself to Cicada's side, where he had marked her long ago. "Good thing there was a mark..."

"Retreat!" Gennosuke said urgently, carrying the unconscious Jin on his back.

Seeing the huge tornado bearing down on them, the Sand Ninja immediately stopped and called for someone to use Earth Release. By the time they blocked the tornado, the people they wanted to chase had long since vanished.

In a safe place, Cicada carefully examined Jin's body with medical ninjutsu.

"Captain, we need to return to the village as soon as possible. I can only suppress the poison gas in Crow's body and slow its onset," Cicada said urgently. She only knew a tiny bit of medical ninjutsu. If too much time passed, then maybe...

"Go! I'll send a message immediately and have the hospital prepare!" Gennosuke said anxiously too. In the end, Jin had been injured and fallen unconscious because he was saving them...

Hokage Building

An eagle reserved for the Anbu landed outside the window, interrupting Minato and Kato Dan, who were reporting a mission to Hiruzen.

Hiruzen recognized at a glance that this was the eagle of his nephew's Anbu Squad One. He quickly got up and took the secret letter from beside the eagle's talons.

"Crow poisoned. Critical!"

Those four simple words made Hiruzen's brow knit tight. He handed the secret letter to the two of them and ordered in a deep voice, "Minato, go receive Jin. Kato Dan, please have Tsunade prepare for detoxification!"

"Yes!" The two looked at the contents of the secret letter and hurriedly answered in unison. As soon as the words fell, Minato no longer cared about the usual rules and flipped straight out of the Hokage's office window.

Kato Dan immediately followed close behind Minato. To Kato Dan, Jin was an excellent junior, and he naturally did not want such a genius to fall. Besides, this genius had saved him before.

And to Minato, Jin was someone very important in his heart. After spending so much time together, he had long since treated him as his own younger brother.

Along the way, Minato pushed the Flying Thunder God to its limit. If anything happened to Jin because he was a step too slow, he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life...

Sakumo, who had finally returned to the village, had no time to rest. The first thing he did was hurry to the Ninja Academy to pick up his son after school.

"Kakashi should be very happy to see me," Sakumo thought smugly to himself, already imagining the scene when Kakashi saw him in a moment...

"Ah, Dad, I missed you so much~"

Sure enough, the moment school let out and Kakashi came out with his companions, he saw a white-haired figure outside... Looking closely—

"Dad, why are you here?" Kakashi sprinted to Sakumo's side. Obito and the others also came forward one after another and greeted Sakumo. "Hello, uncle."

"He actually didn't give me a hug. Sigh~ that kid Kakashi..." Sakumo muttered, but he still took the initiative to pick Kakashi up.

"Hello, hello," Sakumo said with a kind smile, reaching out to pat Kakashi's head. "You must be Kakashi's friends. Thank you for looking after him usually."

"What are you talking about, Dad? Why would I need them to look after me?" Kakashi lifted his head and looked at his father in dissatisfaction.

Just as Sakumo was chatting with the others and learning about Kakashi's performance at school, an Anbu appeared beside him and said in a low voice, "Minister, Crow of Anbu First Division, First Squad was poisoned during a mission. Lord Hokage would like to ask you to come over and learn about the situation."

"Crow? Poisoned?" Sakumo looked at the Anbu beside him in confusion. He had not known that Anbu First Division, First Squad had a new member. And Anbu Squad One was under the Hokage's direct command, so he did not even know what mission it was...

"All right. I'll go right away," Sakumo replied.

Sakumo's words were also heard by Kakashi and the others. Especially when Kurenai heard "Crow," the first thing she thought of was Uchiha Jin...

At this moment, Asuma no longer cared about the grudges between him and Jin, and hurriedly asked Sakumo, "Uncle, may I ask if it's Sarutobi Gennosuke's squad?"

"Hmm?" Sakumo sized up the boy who had spoken. How did he know Squad One belonged to Sarutobi Gennosuke? Had information on Anbu members leaked this badly already?

"My name is Sarutobi Asuma," Asuma quickly introduced himself. "Sarutobi Gennosuke is my cousin."

"So that's how it is." Sakumo suddenly understood. "Yes, it is. What's wrong?"

"Then... Then may I ask if it's Uchiha Jin..." Rin, considerate as ever, spoke the words in Kurenai's heart for her.

"Jin?" Sakumo was even more confused. When had Jin joined the Anbu... "I don't know. I was on the front line and haven't handled Anbu affairs. You all know Jin too?"

Kakashi tugged at the corner of Sakumo's clothes. "Dad, did you forget you asked that guy to take me to school?"

"Ah... oh, right." Seeing that the group of children before him cared so much about Jin, Sakumo quickly said, "I'll go learn about the situation. I'll come back later and tell Kakashi, and have Kakashi pass it on to you."

With that, he left in a great hurry. If it had been anyone else, he might not have been so anxious, but that person was his good disciple whom he had not even had time to teach yet.

"What should we do, Rin..." Yuhi Kurenai tugged at Rin beside her, her eyes red. Rin comforted her, "It'll be fine. Big Brother Jin is so strong, he definitely won't be in trouble."

Even though she said that, everyone's hearts were heavy. Even Asuma, who had always seen Jin as an enemy, was no exception. After all, no matter how much he disliked him, Jin was still a ninja of Konoha.

"Why don't you all come home with me and wait for news from my father?" Seeing his friends so worried, Kakashi suggested.

By the time Sakumo returned home, the moon was already hanging high in the sky. As soon as he entered, he saw several children gathered in the courtyard.

"You're all here." Sakumo walked up to them.

"Uncle, sorry. We were too worried..." Rin acted as the group's spokesperson, but Sakumo waved his hand and interrupted her, saying with both sorrow and joy, "It's Jin's good fortune to have you little ones."

As he spoke, Sakumo also sat down cross-legged. "It is indeed Jin who was injured. From what I learned from Lord Hokage, during the mission, Jin was exposed to Hidden Sand's poison in order to cover his teammates' retreat."

At this point, Sakumo could not help but worry silently. After all, by the time he went there, the latest intelligence had already come back... The poison in Jin's body had already begun invading his heart...

But he still comforted them. "However, Lord Hokage has already arranged for someone to meet Jin and the others. At the same time, Lady Tsunade, one of the Three Ninja, has also prepared to treat Jin. Don't worry."

At this moment, Kakashi displayed an intelligence beyond his age. "Dad, Hidden Sand's poison is very powerful, isn't it? If it isn't treated in a short time, then maybe..."

Sakumo was somewhat surprised. Although his son had been clever since childhood, had he analyzed the truth so quickly...

Seeing that Sakumo did not speak, the others instantly understood that Jin must have been afflicted by a serious poison...

After hurrying with all his might, Minato finally sensed the Flying Thunder God mark he had left on Jin, and used Flying Thunder God without the slightest hesitation.

"Someone's here!" Cicada instantly caught a faint, unusual fluctuation of chakra.