Three black figures leaped from the trees, landing around Kin in a triangular formation.
This formation was typically used for protection—or for surrounding an enemy.
Kin quickly assessed the three figures. They wore gray-black ninja attire and white masks with strange patterns, identical to ANBU uniforms. Only their hair colors distinguished them: a tall man with orange hair, a slender woman with long, straight black hair, and a man with short, cropped black hair.
Kin immediately drew kunai, eyeing them warily. Their ambush in the Forest of Death clearly signaled ill intent.
"Uchiha Kin," the orange-haired man commanded, "by order of the Hokage, you are to come with us."
"I doubt the Hokage would send people to sneak up on me like this," Kin retorted. Even if Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to see him, why not send Jiraiya? Despite their ideological differences, the Hokage and Jiraiya still trusted each other.
These men couldn't possibly be acting on Hiruzen's orders.
The only one who could command ANBU lookalikes was the infamous "Shadow Hokage," Shimura Danzo.
When Kin assumed a combat stance, the orange-haired man barked, "Do you dare defy the Hokage's will?"
Before Kin could respond, a black dot shot toward him. He vanished with Shave, reappearing on another branch. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the surrounding trees—the trio had already repositioned, encircling him again.
The black-haired woman chuckled. "Impressive taijutsu."
His high-speed movement surpassed even the Body Flicker Technique. Without their exceptional skills, they wouldn't have kept up.
"Attacking during negotiations isn't the ANBU's style," Kin said, still searching for an opening.
The orange-haired man pressed, "Are you betraying the village, Uchiha Kin?"
What a loaded question.
Kin scoffed. If the outside world weren't even more chaotic, he'd have left long ago. Did they really think he'd been brainwashed by the Will of Fire?
But he couldn't say that aloud—not to Danzo's lackeys.
Instead, he smirked. "Attacking a fellow villager without cause sounds like treason to me. How about you state your names? I'll visit the Hokage myself tomorrow."
The orange-haired man fell silent. It was clear that capturing Kin wouldn't be easy.
Time for force.
He subtly signaled: Forget subtlety—knock him out and take him.
The short-haired man spread his arms, releasing a swarm of insects from his sleeves. The black mass writhed and surged toward Kin like a living tide.
Aburame clan.
Kin leaped upward with Shave, but the insects followed relentlessly.
Suddenly, the woman appeared before him, hands weaving seals.
"Water Release: Water Blade Technique!"
Water spiraled around her kunai. With no footing to dodge, Kin blocked with his right kunai while thrusting his left toward her temple.
She didn't retreat. Her water-coated kunai sheared through his weapon, but his left kunai was inches from her skull.
If this continues, she dies.
The insect swarm below couldn't save her in time.
His kunai pierced her temple—but water gushed from the wound as her body dissolved.
A water clone?!
The delay cost him. The insects were upon him.
"Got you," the Aburame murmured as the swarm engulfed Kin's perch.
But Kin wasn't done. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled a roaring inferno.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The explosion propelled him higher up the tree. He sprinted upward, only for the woman to reappear, blocking his path.
They clashed again, kunai flashing.
"Remarkable for an Uchiha without the Sharingan," she taunted, effortlessly matching his strikes.
Kin's kunai shattered under her water blade again. The insects closed in.
He Shaved to another tree, but she mirrored his movements.
How is she keeping up?!
Worse, her chakra was locked tight—impossible to siphon for Steel Slash. Was this the Tongue Eradication Seal?
"You can't escape," she sang.
The orange-haired man watched from afar, fingers in the Ram seal, poised to strike.
Yamanaka clan. Damn it.
Kin let himself drop. The swarm surged to consume him—but a wire shot from his sleeve, anchoring to a distant branch. He swung clear, dodging two insect clones that lunged from the swarm.
Shuriken flew, but insect shields devoured them.
Kin flicked two fingers behind his back.
"Spirit Gun: Twin Shot!"
Two thin beams pierced the clones' foreheads, reducing them to scattered bugs. He landed and vanished with Shave.
But the trio wasn't fooled. The Aburame turned sharply—Kin's reflection in a kunai revealed their synchronized pursuit.
They're tracking me.
As he fled, his facial wound healed, and desiccated insect corpses flaked from his clothes.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The woman materialized before him again.
Kin halted, panting against a tree. Repeated Shave and Spirit Gun had drained him.
How is she always ahead?! Does she have Flying Thunder God?!
The other two closed in. Insects blanketed the ground and air.
"No way out," Kin muttered.
Why hasn't Orochimaru noticed this yet?
If this continued, he'd be dragged to ROOT—and Danzo, the architect of the Uchiha massacre, wouldn't spare him.
I don't even have the Sharingan! Why target me?!
The woman smirked. "Give up, little brother."
Kin glared. "Say that to me in bed, and I might consider it."
She laughed. "If you survive ROOT intact, I'd be delighted."
"Hard pass. With that mask, you're probably hideous."
Her amusement vanished. No woman tolerated being called ugly.
"I'll make you regret that," she hissed.
Kin smirked—then leaped straight into the insect swarm below.
(End of Chapter)