He was the shadow behind Konoha — Shimura Danzō, the so-called "King of the Konoha Pot."
His face was grim as always as he stepped inside, leaning on his cane.
> "I know everything," he said coldly.
"Since this Uchiha Jin is worthless, let him join Root. Think of it as recycling trash. If used well, he might not help me kill the Uchiha — but at least I can disgust them to death."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's brows furrowed.
For a brief moment, he was tempted — Jin was no loss to anyone — but after a pause, he shook his head.
> "No," he said, tone firm.
"Uchiha Jin is Kagami's junior and is now close to Shisui. Shisui is my most important asset for monitoring the Uchiha. If he learns we forced Jin into Root, he will lose trust in us entirely.
> "Danzo, this is not just about one boy. It is about the balance of the village. Don't touch Uchiha Jin. That is an order."
Danzo's face darkened even more, his one visible eye narrowing.
Rejected. Again.
Sarutobi's hesitation, his constant compromise, filled Danzo with silent fury.
> "Hiruzen," he said icily, "you will regret this."
> "Danzo," Sarutobi replied sharply, "I am the Hokage."
With that, the conversation ended. Danzo turned with a swirl of his cloak and slammed the door behind him, the sound echoing through the Hokage's office.
Once again, he tasted the bitter reminder that it was Sarutobi — not him — who sat in that chair.
If things had been different years ago, the village would have been his.
---
The Next Morning
Uchiha Jin woke up with a yawn, went through his usual morning routine, and made his way to Ichiraku Ramen for breakfast.
After a satisfying meal, he strolled lazily back toward home.
But halfway through an alley, his instincts screamed — someone was tailing him.
> Again? he thought irritably. First Shisui yesterday… who is it today? Anbu? Root?
But when he glanced back, his shoulders slumped.
Three Uchiha were following him — and not strangers, either.
Uchiha Isamu.
Uchiha Ryo.
Uchiha Yoshio.
> Great… these three again, Jin thought with a grimace.
Among the entire clan, these were the ones who harassed him most often.
Not geniuses. Not elites. Just three middle-ranked bullies with nothing better to do.
The truly powerful Uchiha ignored him. These three seemed to think tormenting him was a hobby.
Normally, Jin tolerated them for the sake of survival. But today, there was a sharpness in their movements that put him on edge.
His eyes narrowed.
Silently, he changed direction — heading toward the back of the Hokage Rock, deep into the forest near Training Ground 23, right on the edge of the Forest of Death.
If they wanted to follow him, so be it.
Half an hour later, Jin landed in a quiet clearing, surrounded by tall, dark trees.
Satisfied with the location, he waited.
Moments later, the three Uchiha dropped down and surrounded him, blocking every exit.
> "Uchiha Jin, you really are looking for death!" Yoshio snarled, arms crossed.
"You're a disgrace to the clan — a loser who can't even use the Three Body Technique properly. Why don't you just die already?"
Ryo stepped forward, voice dripping with contempt.
> "It's bad enough you live like trash, but you actually went crying to Shisui?"
Isamu sneered.
> "Your existence is an insult to the Uchiha name. This place is quiet and perfect. It can be your grave."
Jin said nothing, only watching them calmly.
Yoshio's face twisted with frustration.
For years, he had endured hearing Shisui praised as the clan's future.
No matter how hard he trained, he knew he would never surpass him.
He couldn't touch Shisui — not without facing consequences.
But he could touch Jin.
And here, on the outskirts of the Forest of Death, no one would stop him.
His grin turned cruel as he slowly drew a kunai.
> "Let's kill him."
Ryo hesitated, glancing around nervously.
> "Big Brother… isn't this going too far? He may be annoying, but he's still Uchiha."
Yong also frowned.
> "Yeah, just beat him up and be done with it."
But Yoshio scoffed, his killing intent spiking.
> "Two cowards. Fine, I'll do it myself. But if word gets out, you'll be dragged down with me!"
The air grew heavy.
The forest fell silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
For the first time in a long while, Uchiha Jin's expression changed — not fear, but something colder.