Special Training! The Reckless Root!

"Oh, so you lost to that kid," Tsunade said, not surprised at all. "That kid's strength is enough that even ordinary jonin can't beat him. It's perfectly normal."

Kato Dan also comforted his cousin. "Jin is graduating this year, and it's only been a little over half a year from genin to Anbu squad captain. His talent is probably second only to the Hokage's."

"Besides, his master is the White Fang of the Leaf, and his teachers include Shinku Yuhi, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. It makes sense that you can't beat him." Tsunade patted his shoulder. "It's not that you're weak. He's just too much of a freak."

"This..." Listening to that extravagant lineup of teachers, Kato Narumi could hardly believe it. "He... he really..."

"Strength is the best proof. Didn't you experience it yourself?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, right, Dan, how's the medical reform proposal going? I think we can let that brat Jin attend the meeting. After all, right now he counts as one of the old man's coveted treasures..."

And the protagonist being discussed had once again, again, again been called into Hiruzen's office for a talk.

"Your squad's first mission is to monitor the jinchuriki." Hiruzen pushed the file over to Jin.

Jin gave it a quick glance. Although he knew who the jinchuriki was, he still put on a very surprised look. "The jinchuriki is Sister Kushina?"

"I know you're close to Kushina, but there are some circumstances right now," Hiruzen said in a low voice. "Hidden Cloud seems to be planning to make a move on the jinchuriki. We have to guard against that."

"Hiss..." Jin hesitated over whether he should bring up that matter in his mind. Seeing Jin's constipated expression, Hiruzen said impatiently, "If there's something, say it. I'm still very busy."

"Uh... today I met the others. Mm... I'm not sure if they'll still come or not." Jin tilted his head, not daring to meet Hiruzen's gaze. "It might, probably, maybe, uh, hit their confidence."

"Oh? If they don't come, then you go protect her alone. Twenty-four hours a day, nonstop," Hiruzen said irritably.

Hearing that, Jin hurriedly said, "Don't do that. Besides, our Anbu aren't the only ones monitoring Sister Kushina, right? And from the current situation, my squad isn't the strongest squad in the Anbu."

"Root..." Hiruzen naturally knew who Jin was talking about. He closed his eyes slightly and sighed. This old friend of his did sometimes reach a little too far...

"I'll send another Anbu squad to monitor and protect Kushina." Hiruzen lit his pipe but did not smoke it. "If you encounter people from Root, make your own decision. I'll bear the consequences."

"Fine." Jin nodded. With that, it basically meant he could act first and report later...

Only after Jin leisurely left the Hokage Building did Hiruzen stand by the window and gaze into the distance...

"Go report to Lord Danzo. Jin has left the Hokage Building." On a tree trunk somewhere, a masked person instructed the person behind him.

"Yes."

"Is the time when Sister Kushina gets taken away now?" Jin muttered as he walked. "The timeline doesn't match, does it? Could it be because of me?"

"Brother Jin, Brother Jin!"

"Meh?" Jin turned his head and saw Obito and the others sprinting toward him. Seeing this, Jin could not help muttering, "How do I run into these people no matter where I am?"

"Brother Jin, do you have time to guide our training?" Obito looked at Jin eagerly. "That guy Kakashi went off to train with Senior Sakumo. We don't want him to leave us too far behind."

"Uh-huh." Jin looked around. "Where are Guy and Asuma?"

"One went to train with his dad, and the other went to pick up his cousin from the hospital. It's just me, Rin, and Kurenai left." Obito shrugged.

Jin thought about it. He had nothing to do anyway. "I see. Then let's go."

Training Ground Seven

"Your basics are still too weak." Jin looked at the three of them with a headache written all over his face. "Kurenai and Rin, your physical fitness is too poor. As for Obito, look at the shuriken you threw. I can't even be bothered to roast you."

"Uh... hehe..." Looking at the pillar, where there were only two shuriken stuck in it, Obito scratched his head awkwardly.

"Obito, demonstrate the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." Jin raised an eyebrow and looked at Obito.

Obito lifted his goggles with his hand and said confidently, "Okay! Then let this Uchiha genius show you!" After speaking, his hands formed seals rapidly. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Whoosh...

A tiny flame spat out of Obito's mouth and went out after only lasting two seconds. Yet Obito still said with great confidence, "How was that? Pretty good, right, Brother Jin?"

Jin saw the awkward looks in the other two's eyes, then looked at Obito's confident appearance... "You call this ninjutsu? Forget it. I'll treat today as special training for you."

After saying that, Jin slowly formed seals and pressed both hands to the ground. "Earth Release: Moving Earth Core." The ground within a three-mile radius suddenly sank, forming a huge pit. Immediately after, Jin continued forming seals. "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique."

"Huh? Huhhh!"

"Ah~"

Jin used a Body Flicker to lift Rin and Kurenai up. "Control of chakra is what you need to practice most at your current stage. They taught it at the Ninja Academy, right?"

"Mm... probably... glug~ huff, I guess so." Obito thrashed about in the water. Jin let go and tossed Rin and Kurenai into the water. "Practice properly."

After saying that, he used a Body Flicker to leave the "little lake" he had specially made for them, flashing over beside a large tree to observe the three.

"Brother Jin is amazing." Rin praised him while steadily maintaining her balance. Kurenai also softly echoed, "Yeah. How long will it take us to reach Brother Jin's current level?"

"Hey, Obito, are you taking a bath in there?" Jin shouted from the side, purely because that kid had been thrashing around in the water the whole time and had never stood up once...

"Huh?" Obito looked up at Jin not far away, his face blank. Perhaps his movements were too large, causing ripples to surge across the already small "lake."

"Ah!"

"Ow!"

Rin and Kurenai were affected by the ripples, and for a moment the chakra under their feet lost balance. The two of them could not help falling into the water and both cast resentful looks at Obito.

"Ah... sorry..." Obito subconsciously rubbed his nose...

"Hey—"

Jin had been about to continue speaking, but suddenly he saw a shuriken flying straight toward Rin and Kurenai's position. By instinct, he used the Flying Thunder God mark left on Kurenai's body to teleport over.

Bang—

Looking at the shuriken he had blocked, Jin felt a wave of lingering fear in his heart. That was close. Good thing I made it in time.

"This..."

"Hide behind me," Jin said softly. Three of his Water Clones slid out of the water and guarded the three of them.

Jin's main body held the Kusanagi Sword in a reverse grip. His three-tomoe Sharingan opened, and he narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked toward the woods not far away.

"Whoosh."

Two figures rushed out from the woods. Obito cried out in surprise, "Anbu? What are they here for?"

Jin, however, looked at the two masked people before him with a rather grave expression. "Root... If it were just me, there'd be no problem..." Jin murmured to himself, then turned his head slightly to look at the three little ones. "But... you sure know how to pick your timing, dog Danzo."