Sarutobi Hiruzen was tempted.
After a moment's thought, he shook his head.
"No."
"Uchiha Jin is a junior from Kagami's line, and he is close to Shisui. Shisui is our most important set of eyes on the Uchiha."
"If he learns Jin was sent to Root, he will lose all trust in us."
"Containing the Uchiha is the bigger picture. Danzo, I need you to understand."
"Do not touch Uchiha Jin. That is my advice."
Danzo's face darkened.
Rejected again.
Hiruzen's indecision filled him with rage.
One useless Uchiha whelp could not possibly affect the grand plan.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this."
"Danzo, I am the Hokage."
Their familiar exchange ended. Danzo turned with a stormy face and slammed the door.
He truly regretted it.
Back then he had been a hair's breadth from the Hokage's seat.
Otherwise he would be the one behind the desk now.
The next morning at dawn.
Uchiha Jin yawned awake, washed up, and headed straight to Ichiraku.
After breakfast he strolled home at ease.
This time, as he turned into a side alley, he sensed a tail again.
What now.
Yesterday it had been Shisui. Today who.
The Hokage's ANBU, or Danzo's Root.
The next second he realized he had overthought it.
A glance to the side showed three Uchiha clansmen.
Familiar faces.
Uchiha Isamu, Uchiha Ryo, Uchiha Yoshio.
"…"
Annoyance pricked him.
Across the whole clan, the ones who needled him most often were these three.
True elites, prodigies, even most jonin could not be bothered to target him every day.
Only these three dimwits, neither high nor low, pestered him constantly.
He had endured for the sake of lying low.
But they were getting addicted.
His eyes flickered.
He turned the corner and headed for the woods behind the Hokage Rock, toward the thickets near Training Ground 23, at the edge of the Forest of Death.
They were all shinobi, and their pace was swift.
Half an hour later, Jin dropped from a tall tree and looked over the lush green. He was satisfied.
At that moment, Yoshio and the other two landed and ringed him in.
"Uchiha Jin, you deserve to die."
"A piece of trash like you sullies the Uchiha name. Why have you not died already."
"So you scrape by. Fine. But you went and dragged Shisui into it."
"You cannot even use the Three Body Technique properly. Your existence is an insult to our honor."
"Fine place, mountains and water. It will serve as your grave."
Uchiha Yoshio's face was ice.
Arms folded, chin high, his eyes burned with scorn.
He was no prodigy.
A proud Uchiha driven mad by hearing Shisui praised day after day, he simmered with anger and helplessness.
He knew the truth.
He might hate and envy Shisui, but he could never surpass him.
So if he could not touch the prodigy, he could at least crush the weak.
All that hidden bile spilled onto Jin.
Bullying the soft and fearing the hard.
Inside the compound he would only dare a beating at most.
Here was different.
The edge of the Forest of Death.
Far from the village. No witnesses.
Worse, Jin seemed close to Shisui.
The malice in him swelled. Killing intent surged.
If he killed Jin, Shisui would grieve for a long time.
The thought of hurting Shisui made him tremble with excitement.
"Together. Kill him."
He bared his teeth and whipped out a kunai.
"Big bro, this…" Ryo blurted, stunned. "Isn't this too much. Jin may be hateful, but he is still Uchiha."
Isamu chimed in. "Yeah, just beat him."
The two still had a sliver of sense and tried to stop him.
Yoshio would not be swayed.
"Hmph, cowards."
"I will kill Uchiha Jin. Do as you like."
"If word gets out, you will not escape punishment either."
He cut the talk short.
Blood flooded his eyes. Two tomoe spun to life.
Kunai whistled as he used the Uchiha throwing style, seven blades sealing every angle and cutting Jin's retreat.
His hands flashed through signs, and his cheeks puffed.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."
BOOM!
A tide of flame roared from his mouth, swelling into a blazing sphere that rushed at Jin.
Ryo and Isamu traded a look.
Only fear and confusion flickered in their eyes.
This was clan-killing.
There was no choice.
As Yoshio had said, if this leaked, they would be punished too.
They could not let Jin escape.
They nodded hard, and their gazes went cold.
In an instant their eyes bled red, single tomoe spinning.
Shuriken and kunai rained from both flanks, hemming Jin in.
Jin's eyes narrowed.
Watching the three rush him, his lips curled in a mocking smile.
"From the look of it, you have decided I am a sure kill."
"But why."
"I genuinely do not understand. Do you have no brains."
"If I had nothing better to do, why would I come to the Forest of Death."
"Did you think I was worried you would not manage it, so I brought you to the perfect spot."
"How did your heads get this stupid."
His voice turned cold.
The usual ease drained away, and a killing chill filled him.
This was the grave he had chosen for his dear clansmen.
In an instant his own Sharingan opened, three tomoe spinning with a sinister chill.
He looked at the trio and smiled, cruel and thin.
He had had enough of these fools.
He only wanted to lie low and grow strong. Why pick him to feed your fragile pride.
Since they wanted death, he would oblige.
After all.
He was very kind.