Kakashi had never imagined that one day he would be seized by the throat by a junior.
Feeling that malevolent power so close at hand, shock filled his pupils.
Even his intact right eye widened several times over in an instant.
A bad thought surfaced rapidly in his mind.
Straining, he pried at the crimson chakra gripping him, trying to dull its scorching heat, and asked,
"Jin! Where did this red chakra of yours come from?!"
But the moment he raised his head, he met a pair of scarlet eyes.
Within those blood-colored pupils was reflected his own wretched state—
yet not the him of now.
It was the him who had lost his father in childhood, lonely and unable to shed a single tear.
The him who, after losing Obito, numbed himself with endless missions.
The him who, after mistakenly killing Rin with his own hands, sank completely into darkness.
And also the him who had slowly turned toward the light under the care of the Fourth Hokage and his wife—only to lose that sunlight once again.
"…Maybe I really am a terrible person."
Kakashi murmured. The hands he had raised slowly drooped.
Inside his body, chaotic Lightning Release chakra rampaged through every inch of his flesh.
Only after three full minutes—after his entire body felt torn apart by lightning—did he struggle to lift his head again.
Looking at the small boy before him, he rasped hoarsely,
"Hells Viewing Technique? You… you're even this proficient in genjutsu."
Though it sounded like teasing, his tone was anything but relaxed.
It was heavy, like rotting old wood—dry and strained.
The turmoil in his heart had long since turned into a raging storm.
Shock.
Astonishment.
Disbelief.
He had never expected that Jin wasn't just strong in taijutsu, but also so skilled in genjutsu.
Just a single glance, and this seasoned jōnin had been forced into a passive state.
"Fortunately… fortunately…"
Kakashi tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing out a difficult smile.
"You're only proficient in taijutsu and genjutsu…"
"If you were also proficient in ninjutsu, that would be truly terrifying."
If someone this young also mastered ninjutsu, he didn't know how the Uchiha's second son could even be dealt with.
Nor did he know how those higher-ups constantly plotting against the Uchiha would manage to sleep at night.
Not proficient in ninjutsu?
Hearing this, Jin's expression did not change, nor did he refute it.
He only felt a trace of regret—this once-genius jōnin who had made his name young seemed to have stagnated for years.
Or rather—had he confined himself?
If not for later, forced power-ups, Kakashi might've remained nothing more than a support-type ninja.
That was also why many of Kakashi's traits weren't even visible to Jin yet…
Shaking his head to dispel the cluttered thoughts, Jin casually flung Kakashi to the ground.
A shuriken quietly appeared in his hand.
Under the moonlight, it gleamed with a cold, eerie sheen,
sharp enough to make one's scalp prickle.
"N-no… please… please don't hurt Kakashi-senpai."
At that moment, Yamato woke up once more at the side.
Without any hesitation, he dropped to his knees and begged.
"Captain—!"
Kakashi's eyes flickered. Something surged up from his heart,
quickly flooding his entire mind.
He then turned toward Jin and gave a bitter smile.
"Jin, don't worry. I won't interfere in matters between the village and the Uchiha anymore."
He knew Jin hadn't intended to kill them—otherwise, neither of them would still be alive to beg.
At the same time, he vaguely guessed Jin's reasoning.
The conflict between the Uchiha and the village was growing ever more intense; Jin's actions were understandable.
Unfortunately—he was wrong.
Jin shook his head.
"No. Whether you interfere or not doesn't matter worth a damn."
Among Konoha's combat power, the only truly fearsome one was Might Guy with the Eight Gates.
The current Guy might not yet be the blazing, heaven-shattering version who kicked Madara,
but he could still deliver power beyond Kage-level—
assuming Jin didn't activate his golden body in time.
As for the rest?
Konoha's "F4" were already old.
Kakashi had been depressed for years; his strength hadn't increased much.
The Sannin were scattered, wandering the world.
As for the great clans?
As long as the scapegoat was chosen well, the major ninja clans of Konoha likely wouldn't act at all.
Of course—if they did act, then wipe them out.
"Ha… without realizing it, Konoha doesn't really seem threatening anymore."
Jin shook his head slightly and looked down at the two beneath him.
Moonlight spilled over his somewhat messy Uchiha hair, lighting up his still-youthful face.
After all, he wasn't even ten yet.
Even with a stiff expression and a cold face, he still gave off a soft, almost huggable feeling.
Kakashi lowered his gaze and asked softly,
"Then what is it you want to do?"
Jin's lips curved upward as he chuckled lightly.
"I need you to promise me one thing."
"…One thing? Chatting?"
Kakashi froze, suddenly recalling this kid's peculiar habit.
His lower body tightened involuntarily.
Over nearly three years of deliberate and accidental observation, he had finally confirmed one thing:
Jin truly lacked the Uchiha clan's typical arrogance or obsession—but he had one quirk.
He liked to chat.
Every time he chatted with someone, it never lasted more than fifteen minutes.
Sometimes he'd burst into laughter afterward; other times his face would turn sour—
and sometimes he'd even start a fight.
After the fight, his mood would inexplicably brighten again.
For example—
the man beside him now: Kinoe.
They'd chatted, Jin's face had gone sour, and then he'd immediately started beating him up.
Incomprehensible—but once you remembered he was an Uchiha, it all somehow made sense.
So when Jin mentioned "one thing," Kakashi agreed without thinking:
"Fine. From now on, I'll bring Kinoe to visit the Uchiha regularly."
"No need. Once a week is enough."
Jin shook his head.
A fixed NPC +2.
First chat for ten minutes.
Then beat them up.
Perfect.
But—
Thinking about how Yamato possessed Wood Release, along with Water and Earth Release, Jin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Kakashi, can you strip this guy of all his ninjutsu except Wood Release?"
If Yamato lost everything except Wood Release—
wouldn't that be the perfect NPC?
One Wood Release trait per week.
In just a few months, wouldn't the Wood Release cells fully evolve?
"…Huh?!"
Kakashi froze, about to shake his head—
but remembering they were still under Jin's feet, he could only frown and ponder seriously.
Caw—caw—
A crow flew past outside the forest.
A light breeze followed, carrying a chill.
The night deepened.
"Itachi's private talks with the Third are getting more and more frequent…"
Jin looked up for a moment, then tied his long hair back and clapped his small hands.
"I hope you keep today's events secret. I have no particular designs on the village."
"But—those old dogs who have designs on the Uchiha…"
"They'll die."
As he spoke, the crimson chakra in his body surged without restraint,
slamming straight into a massive boulder behind him.
Boom!
Crack!
In an instant, the boulder exploded into countless fragments!
This overwhelming display once again shattered Kakashi and Yamato's worldview.
"A casual strike… splitting mountains and shattering stone!"
"Even Lord Sarutobi's summoned Enma-sama would need to use his staff to do that!"
Kakashi swallowed hard, staring at Jin's small back, his expression grave.
"And that power he just used… it should be…"
"The Nine-Tailed Fox's power, shouldn't it?"
"Nine-Tails? What Nine-Tails?!"
At that moment, from the edge of the pit,
a bandage-wrapped figure slowly leaned forward and poked his head down.
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