The Endless Chase
No matter how strong his ninjutsu was, Uchiha Jin couldn't catch up with the enemy—and that helplessness gnawed at him.
He truly couldn't understand.
How could something like this happen within Konoha's ranks?
He wasn't particularly skilled in teamwork or tactics, but if there was one thing he excelled at—it was running away.
Nara Kazama: "…"
Kudo Nobu: "…"
At this point, the two of them were completely numb.
Though they were both being held under Uchiha Jin's arms in a rather humiliating position, neither dared to complain or ask him to put them down.
They weren't stupid.
With their limited stamina and skill, there was no way they could outrun the enemies on their tail.
So, well—this was their only option.
Even if it looked ridiculous.
What they couldn't understand, though, was why Uchiha Jin had provoked the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
To them, it seemed like pure madness.
Of course, they didn't know that Jin had already cursed the two of them a thousand times over in his mind.
Idiots!
If it weren't for these two dragging him down, he would've already escaped cleanly.
Now he was stuck in this ridiculous chase, venting his frustration through sarcastic remarks.
---
Time crawled by.
They had been running and dodging for nearly half a day—one side fleeing, the other pursuing.
Even the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost, for all his strength, was reaching his limit.
He was drenched in sweat, his massive frame heaving with exhaustion. Despite being an elite jōnin, he was no marathon runner.
He wanted to give up.
This wasn't a fight—it was torture.
But every time he was about to retreat, Uchiha Jin would suddenly appear again, taunting him with that infuriating smirk.
Uncle could tolerate it. Aunt couldn't!
So, driven by pride more than logic, he kept chasing—furious but unwilling to lose face.
---
By evening, their chaotic pursuit led them back toward the shoreline.
There, cutting through the ocean mist, a fleet of over a dozen ships approached the Land of Whirlpools, each bearing the banners of Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
Their drawn-out chase had drawn the fleet's attention.
Moments later, more than a dozen elite jōnin surged forward across the water—led by none other than Uchiha Shisui.
The Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost froze.
He stood, drenched and panting, eyes wide in disbelief.
For a long moment, he couldn't even form words.
Then the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
He had been chasing this lunatic for an entire day…
And now, the Konoha reinforcements had arrived?
He wanted to curse the heavens.
Damn it!
Fooled by Uchiha Jin, exhausted beyond reason, and now staring down an incoming Konoha army—he had truly picked the wrong day to show off.
If he'd known this would happen, he'd have stayed far away from this "easy mission."
But who could've expected a freak like Uchiha Jin to appear in a mere cannon-fodder squad?
After a long, defeated sigh, the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Ghost shot Jin one last venomous glare—then turned and bolted toward the sea without a word.
He wasn't suicidal.
The approaching fleet had at least three thousand Konoha shinobi onboard, all bearing the Uchiha crest.
Even as one of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen, this was a fight he couldn't win.
Sometimes, survival meant knowing when to run.
---
As the mist-nin retreated, Uchiha Jin finally dropped Nara Kazama and Kudo Nobu onto the sand and collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily.
The battle—or rather, the farce—was finally over.
The Konoha fleet was here, and he could finally stop pretending to be the village's lone savior.
Kudo Nobu: "…"
Nara Kazama: "…"
They exchanged helpless glances, rolling their eyes at the sight of Jin lying there like he hadn't just caused a day-long international incident.
---
Five minutes later, Uchiha Shisui and several elite jōnin landed on the shore.
Their eyes immediately fell on the trio.
"Konoha shinobi? Another Nara—and an Uchiha?" Shisui frowned slightly, confusion flickering in his gaze. But seeing no hostiles nearby, his expression eased.
"What happened here? Can anyone explain this?"
Normally, Uchiha Jin would've been the first to speak.
But this time, he only gave a tired shrug and gestured toward Nara Kazama.
Let the Nara handle it, his expression said. They're better at talking anyway.
And indeed, Nara Kazama didn't disappoint.
He calmly recounted everything that had happened—from their deployment to the Land of Whirlpools, to the ambush, to the chase.
Well, mostly everything.
He left out a few less-flattering details about Ishikawa Tree's blunders.
By the end, the jonin were silent.
The scale of the events—and the absurdity of it all—left them stunned.