Chapter 32

Xixishan Hufu Gui's face was filled with cold sneers.

He didn't even bother to have Samehada act, simply hurling a vicious punch straight at Kudou Shin.

Yes.

To three Hidden Leaf genin, he, a jonin, could crush these three ants with a mere flick of his chakra.

"Heh, three brats."

"So many ninja have died in the Hidden Mist these past few days; it seems Itachi are the ones behind it."

"Since I've run into Itachi, leave your lives behind!"

Kudo Shin's face turned deathly pale.

Especially when Mangetsu Hozuki charged at him, he could already smell death.

But, right at that moment.

He felt himself lifted into the air, and the next second, he instinctively turned his head to look back.

He discovered that Uchiha Jin had actually turned back, grabbing him and sprinting directly toward the distance.

"Uchiha... Jin?"

His mind went completely blank.

After interacting for so long, everyone had come to understand each other's character.

In his eyes, Uchiha Jin was nothing but a selfish individualist.

He would be willing to help a comrade only if it didn't affect himself, and even then, only if Itachi had earned his approval.

But, similarly.

If his own life safety was threatened, he would abandon his comrades without hesitation.

The Will of Fire and such things were just words on his lips.

So.

Why?

He truly couldn't figure out why Uchiha Jin would save him.

He was just a commoner!

Before he could solve this puzzle, Uchiha Jin caught up with Nara Kazama, scooped him up with his free left hand, and then sprinted madly toward the distance with both of them.

Kudo Shin: "..."

Nara Kazama: "..."

The two of them were now completely stunned.

Obviously.

Uchiha Jin's actions truly gave them a sense of cognitive dissonance.

Actually, let alone them.

Even Mangetsu Hozuki, who was preparing to strike, now had a head full of question marks, staring at Uchiha Jin in utter shock.

Immediately following that came rage.

Good lord!

As an elite Jonin, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the wielder of Samehada, if he let three Leaf brats escape like this, wouldn't the entire ninja world laugh his head off?

This was absolutely intolerable!

Completely consumed by rage, Mangetsu Hozuki gripped Samehada tightly and charged straight at Uchiha Jin.

"Brat, I'm angry!" he roared loudly while chasing, "Stop right now, damn it!"

Uchiha Jin's mouth twitched.

As if hearing a huge joke, he shouted back while fleeing.

"Jonin? That's it?"

"With that IQ, Itachi claim to be one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Are Itachi trying to laugh me to death so Itachi can inherit my Leaf forehead protector?"

"Itachi think I'll stop just because Itachi say so? Do I look like an idiot to Itachi?"

"Does it take three years of cerebral thrombosis to say such stupid things?"

"Old man, are Itachi getting too old? I suggest Itachi hurry back to the Hidden Mist Village to retire."

"The battlefield is for us young people; what are Itachi doing out here at your age?"

Damn it!

Hearing these words, Mangetsu Hozuki nearly vomited blood from sheer rage.

Damn it, that was just a catchphrase!

Do Itachi really take that literally?

Doesn't everyone say that?

He was even angrier.

He never expected that this Leaf brat in front of him would have such a foul mouth.

The key was that he wanted to refute, but he couldn't think of a comeback in that moment.

After all.

The guy had a point!

He couldn't just say "stop" and expect the other to actually stop, could he?

The other guy wasn't stupid!

But, precisely because of this.

The anger in his eyes grew even fiercer, and he immediately let out a roar.

"Leaf brat, Itachi're dead."

"Even if I chase Itachi until the sun sets behind the mountains, I will definitely kill Itachi, Itachi little brat."

"Even if I have to abandon all other missions, I swear today I will take Itachi down!"

However, to this.

Uchiha Jin merely scoffed.

He didn't take Mangetsu Hozuki seriously at all; if not for the two useless burdens dragging him down, he would have already turned around and killed him.

Therefore.

At this guy's threat, he continued to be mouthy.

"Oh, come on, keep it up!"

"Old man, take care of your health; don't twist your waist!"

"Don't push yourself!"

Uchiha Jin's words seemed to show concern for the other's body, all in a guise of doing it for his own good.

But it was unbearable.

They were enemies!

Such mockery was intolerable to anyone.

Let alone Suigetsu Hozuki, an elite Jonin and one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

If this got out, how could he ever hold his head up again?

So, he grew even angrier.

While chasing frantically, he unleashed various ninjutsu, senbon, kunai, and shuriken, constantly hurling them at Uchiha.

One could say.

Almost everything except the Samehada in his hand was thrown out.

But, alas.

Uchiha Jin's taijutsu was too strong, especially his stamina for long-distance pursuit, leaving Suigetsu Hozuki far behind.

Even though he had gone all out, he simply could not catch up to Uchiha Jin, who was carrying two dead weights.

Not to mention him personally; even the ninjutsu he threw couldn't catch up to that brat, Uchiha.

This was truly hopeless.

Even if his strength was high and his ninjutsu formidable, the fact that he could not catch up with his enemy left him utterly helpless.

He could not even fathom it.

How did the Hidden Leaf Village produce such a creature?

His strength was mediocre, yet he was incredibly skilled at running away!

Nara Kazama: "..."

Kudo Shin: "..."

By this time, the two were completely numb.

Although being held aloft by Uchiha Jin in a rather undignified manner, they dared not speak up and ask him to put them down.

They were not stupid.

They knew very well that with their abilities, they could never outrun the enemy pursuing them.

So, sigh!

Let it be.

They simply could not understand why Uchiha Jin was provoking Suigetsu Hozuki.

In their eyes, this was sheer madness.

They just did not realize that deep down, Uchiha Jin had already cursed them both to death.

Of course!

Without these two useless fools, he would have killed the opponent long ago; why would he have to endure such frustration as he did now?

The relentless trash talk was merely a way to vent his anger.

Time slowly passed.

One chased, the other fled, a pursuit that lasted nearly half a day.

Actually...

Suigetsu Hozuki himself had already considered giving up.

Facing someone he could never catch, his urge to kill the opponent had truly faded.

He was tired.

He was a fat man; even as an elite Jonin, chasing someone for hours was simply beyond his endurance!

He was a ninja, not a track athlete.

But, damn it.

Every time he wanted to give up and slip away, that bastard Uchiha Jin would run back specifically to mock him.

Even an uncle can endure, but an aunt cannot!

Even though his heart was raging with fury, he had to force himself to keep up the chase to preserve the dignity of an elite Jonin.

And so it went.

Time slowly moved into the night.

Just as the two reached the seaside again, they saw over a dozen large ships flying the flags of the Hidden Leaf and the Uchiha, cutting through the waves and heading toward the Land of Whirlpools.

Their chase had clearly drawn their attention.

Immediately after.

More than a dozen elite Jonin arrived, stepping across the surface of the sea.

Leading them was none other than Uchiha Uchiha Shisui!

Suigetsu Hozuki: "..."

He had ten thousand curses on his tongue, yet he did not know whether to speak them or not.