Uchiha Jinzō's sudden dive stunned the three Root operatives.
They watched him drop straight into the writhing mass of insects below. The swarm swallowed him whole, an ocean of mandibles and wings piling over his body.
"Is he insane? That's suicide."
The black-haired Root ninja remained cold, unbothered. "It's fine. I'll just knock him out and haul him back." His chakra pulsed, tightening control over the insect tide. He could dial their attacks precisely — enough to smother, not kill. The boy would just black out.
Why Jinzō had chosen to leap into certain death was beyond him. Either way, the outcome was already decided. This time, there would be no mistakes.
"Don't let him faint too quickly," the kunoichi hissed. Her teeth clenched, fury burning under the mask. First person to ever call me ugly… like I'll let that slide.
"Emotion has no place in Root," the curly-haired blond cut her off, voice flat. "We don't indulge in hate. Or joy. Danzo demands we erase it all."
The kunoichi bit down her retort. She knew he was right — punishment for disobedience at the base was hellish. But deep inside, she still seethed. She hadn't joined Root to become some empty doll. She'd come for the thrill of killing. Now? Regret. Regret and chains she could never break.
"Bring him up, Ming," their captain ordered.
Silence.
The kunoichi and the blond both turned toward the Aburame operative. His hands were trembling as they pressed together, his voice unsteady.
"My… my insects are dying."
"What!?"
They stared down at the swarm.
Among the buzzing tide, faint streams of red light threaded through the horde. At first, only a dim glow. Then it spread — thicker, brighter, burning through the sea of bugs.
One by one, the parasites shriveled. Carcasses piled on the dirt in grotesque mounds. The Aburame's control shattered as the swarm collapsed.
And then —
A hand burst free from the mountain of insect corpses. It was drenched in blood-red chakra. Fingers curled into a slow, deliberate fist.
Boom.
A wave of crimson energy erupted. The gust tore at their cloaks, rattling the branches, sending the stench of charred insect husks into the air.
Jinzō rose from the center of the graveyard. His clothes were in tatters, half-eaten by mandibles, but the chakra wrapped him like armor. His eyes were pupil-less, pure white, glowing like an empty void.
"Eight Gates… Release. Six Paths: Immortal Thief."
His voice was hollow, unnatural, more specter than man. He lifted his gaze to them, the red aura writhing around his body like a demon's cloak.
The kunoichi staggered back. Naru, the Aburame, choked on his words. "This… this chakra—! It's almost like a Jinchūriki."
But this was no tailed beast. This was something else. Something worse.
"What are you staring at?" Jinzō's voice whispered—behind them.
All three whipped around. He was standing in the air itself, feet treading on nothing, as if climbing invisible steps.
Moon Step.
Their vision fractured, brains unable to process how he'd moved. One instant he was buried below. The next? Behind them, untraceable.
"Y-you—!" the kunoichi started.
Crack.
In a blink, she was gone. A heartbeat later her body slammed into a tree, Jinzō's palm crushing her face into the bark. The trunk exploded with the impact, splintering apart as she fell limp, mask shattering to reveal a delicate, unconscious face.
"Retreat!" their captain barked, panic finally breaking his Root calm.
But before they could even twitch—
Jinzō was already between them, arms casually hooked around their shoulders like old friends. His grin was cold, unnatural.
"Running? I'll take you where you want to go."
The Aburame's body stiffened with terror. His mind screamed: This speed isn't human. What kind of monster did the Uchiha breed?
He didn't get to finish the thought. Jinzō slammed their heads together with brutal force. Masks cracked, noses crunched, and both collapsed in a heap.
He tossed their bodies onto the kunoichi's, the three forming an unconscious pile at his feet.
Alive — barely.
He could have killed them. He wanted to. But Root belonged to Danzo, and Danzo still shared the Hokage's table. Killing them meant bringing down Hiruzen's wrath. Jinzō wasn't stupid. Better to leave them alive. For now.
"Debt noted," he muttered. "I'll settle it later."
As his chakra ebbed, his body wavered. He landed softly, turning toward the shadows at the forest's edge.
Orochimaru emerged, pale skin gleaming in the dusk, his serpentine smile fixed.
"Orochimaru," Jinzō said flatly. "Enjoying the show?"
"Not bad," the Sannin chuckled. "No Sharingan, but what I did see… was fascinating."
Jinzō's eyes narrowed. So he'd been there the whole time. Watching. Waiting for him to break. Waiting for the Sharingan to awaken.
But instead, Orochimaru had witnessed something else: the forbidden rhythm of the Immortal Thief.
"You really just stood there?" Jinzō's grin was sharp, mocking. "Didn't even think to help? Aren't you afraid I'll beat you to death next?"
Orochimaru's tongue slid across his lips. "Beat me? That chakra you stole will burn out in less than a minute. When it's gone… you'll collapse."
Jinzō clenched his jaw as the red cloak flickered, fading. His legs buckled. He dropped to the ground, panting.
The truth was cruel: this Immortal Thief technique was powerful but unstable, burning chakra like wildfire. It borrowed from the Eight Gates, running his body at impossible speeds — but the cost was immense. Normally, it would take an elite jōnin's reserves just to trigger it once. Tonight's stolen chakra had been a miracle. And a one-time miracle at that.
A disposable weapon. Not a power he could count on again.
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Even if you could sustain it… you still wouldn't be my match."
Jinzō met his gaze, a dangerous gleam in his empty eyes. One day, he thought. One day I'll prove him wrong.