"I swear by the Sage of Six Paths that I will never tell anyone!"
"…"
The two shinobi exchanged glances. They weren't stupid.
They knew that with Uchiha Jin's terrifying speed, there was no chance to escape.
If they wanted to survive, all they could do was beg for mercy.
But it was useless.
The next second, Uchiha Jin vanished. In less than ten seconds, both were lying lifeless on the ground.
Just like Uchiha Yoshio, their chests were hollow—hearts completely torn apart.
Uchiha Jin stood silently, gazing at the three corpses. His face showed no emotion.
To him, it was as if he had stepped on three ants. No fear. No hesitation.
"Hmph, begging for mercy?" he muttered coldly.
"If begging for mercy could solve everything, why would we need ninjutsu?"
He brushed off the blood from his sleeve and turned away.
"Almost time to leave."
And with that, he disappeared into the forest.
---
Outside the Forest of Death, silence returned.
Hours passed.
Then, a pale figure slowly rose from the ground, like a weed sprouting after rain. White Zetsu.
He glanced at the corpses, his voice oddly cheerful.
"So pitiful. Big hole in the chest—dead instantly."
"This taijutsu is no joke. Was that brat really an Uchiha?"
A grin crept across his face.
"Another good talent from the same clan as Lord Madara!"
"This is unexpected. I should report this to him right away."
White Zetsu turned to leave—
—but a violent gust of wind cut through the air.
"Navy Six Styles: Storm Kick—White Thunder!"
A figure appeared so fast its afterimage blurred, performing a flawless 180-degree backflip before unleashing a sharp, light-blue arc of chakra.
White Zetsu froze.
Before he could react, the strike ripped him apart.
Uchiha Jin reappeared, arms crossed, calm as ever.
"Tch. Knew it," he muttered darkly.
"So, Uchiha Madara is still alive. No way Konoha—and especially the Uchiha clan—wouldn't be under White Zetsu's surveillance."
He exhaled slowly, suppressing his irritation.
"Good thing I've been careful. If I hadn't perfected the Way of Lying Low, I'd have Madara's eyes on me right now."
He looked down at the bisected White Zetsu.
"System, come out."
Silence.
"Don't play dumb. Storage space is standard. Don't think I don't know."
"Hurry up and open it!"
Uchiha Jin's tone was nervous, but his eyes were sharp. Truthfully, he wasn't even sure his so-called "system" had such a feature.
If it doesn't, I'm screwed…
[Ding! The host is shaking like a leaf.]
[Storage space unlocked. Don't bother me again.]
[I'm out.]
Relieved, Uchiha Jin smirked.
"As expected."
Without wasting time, he stored White Zetsu's remains and disappeared once more.
---
The edge of the forest fell silent again.
Two hours later, Uchiha Jin reappeared.
"Good. Looks like no one followed me."
He stretched slightly.
"Time to handle business."
He rushed back to his backyard and began digging.
Ten minutes later, his shovel struck something solid.
A corpse.
To be precise, a frozen corpse wearing a Kumogakure forehead protector.
Uchiha Jin crouched, staring at the body thoughtfully.
Two years ago, back when he was just a third-year academy student, this man had broken into his house in the dead of night.
After capturing him alive, Uchiha Jin learned his mission—his team had been sent to capture Kekkei Genkai users, targeting clans like the Uchiha and the Hyūga.
This particular ninja had been unlucky enough to encounter Jin, who—despite acting like a cowardly "pig"—was already deadly enough to kill him.
Instead of reporting the body, Jin had chosen to keep it hidden, sensing that it might be useful in the future.
So, he froze it in ice.
And now… that decision paid off.
---
Edge of the Forest of Death
After ensuring no one was around, Uchiha Jin used Fire Release to burn through the corpse's brain, destroying all traceable evidence, before scattering the remains deep within the forest.
Then, without encountering anyone, he slipped away.
Back home, he returned to his usual calm and lazy façade, stretched out on his bed, and fell asleep.
---
The next morning, just as the sun peeked through the curtains—
Knock. Knock.
The sound at his door woke him.
Uchiha Jin scowled in annoyance, pulling the blanket over his head.