On the Konoha battlefront in the Land of Rivers, Jin stood atop a tall tree branch, having already donned his forehead protector.
Looking ahead, he saw a landscape littered with jagged rocks, overgrown wild grass, and skittering squirrels alongside countless insects. It was clear this was a place untouched by human activity.
Unrolling the scroll in his hand, Jin confirmed the marked location matched his current position.
"Another illusionary barrier?"
Given the accuracy of the location, that was the only explanation he could come up with.
As he debated whether to walk straight in or use the "Kai" technique to dispel the genjutsu, his body suddenly froze.
In the next instant, he found himself surrounded by a trio of ninja.
Seeing the familiar green vests and their recognizable faces, Jin relaxed slightly, looking down to see that his shadow was now connected to another's—a sure sign of the Nara clan's signature Shadow Imitation Technique.
"Come on, Shikaku. I'm your senior. Is this really how you treat me?" Jin complained to the three teenagers in front of him.
One was broad and hefty, another had bright yellow hair, and the last looked completely unkempt. Each of them had a distinct look.
It was none other than the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio: Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi.
The current Ino-Shika-Cho trio dominating the battlefield were their parents. These three were still in the growth phase.
"Senior? We graduated before you did, Jin," Shikaku said lazily. "So, we're your seniors now."
Despite his words, Shikaku showed no intention of releasing his shadow technique. He looked like he was spoiling for a fight.
Choza and Inoichi both quietly turned their heads away. The tension between Jin and Shikaku was long-standing. It was no surprise Shikaku immediately used the Shadow Imitation Technique upon recognizing Jin.
"Heh." Jin smirked coldly. "If you graduated first, why did you always get beaten up so badly by me before?"
Shikaku's face twisted with embarrassment, and he growled in frustration. "It's different now! My strength has grown a lot over the past two years!"
"I see," Jin replied nonchalantly. "Still, do you think Meimei Sensei would ever be interested in an immature pervert like you?"
"You have no right to say that!!" Shikaku and Inoichi both shouted internally.
The grudge between Shikaku and Jin was because of their academy teacher, Meimei Sensei. Shikaku, a top student in Class A, would always sneak into Class B just to see her, while Jin outright asked her out on a date! The two had fought constantly over her in the past, though Shikaku was always on the losing end.
"Can't you at least show some respect for our teacher?! I'm going to teach you a lesson today!" Shikaku yelled, his pride wounded.
At least deny it, Shikaku! This is disgraceful for the Ino-Shika-Cho name! Inoichi and Choza remained silent, but their internal screams were deafening.
"Really now?" Jin's voice came from right next to Shikaku's ear, causing the trio's expressions to change instantly.
With a puff of smoke, the Jin they had surrounded vanished.
A shadow clone.
The cold gleam of a blade rested against Shikaku's neck.
"You're still the same as ever, Shikaku," Jin said coolly from behind him.
Shikaku shot a desperate look at his two teammates, only to see both of them deliberately looking away.
Helping him now would bring dishonor to the name of Ino-Shika-Cho!
Sighing in defeat, Shikaku raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, Jin-senpai. Please forgive me."
Only then did Jin remove his sword. "You should have just said that from the start."
Finally, Inoichi spoke up, addressing Jin. "Lord Sakumo and Lady Tsunade want to see you."
"Lead the way," Jin replied, sheathing his sword.
With that, Inoichi and Choza lifted Shikaku, and the group descended from the trees and headed toward the camp. Shikaku didn't resist; he was too afraid Jin might take his struggle as another provocation.
Jin followed them into the camp, stepping through an invisible barrier that revealed a completely different scene.
The wild grass and rocks vanished, replaced by rows of neatly arranged tents. More noticeable, however, were the rows of wounded soldiers lying on stretchers, groaning in pain.
Among them, a female ninja with long, pale blonde hair, light eyebrows, and fair skin was working diligently. Dressed in gray armor, her hands glowed with green chakra as she treated a gravely injured patient. She looked like an angel—at least that's what Jin thought.
He immediately recognized her as one of the legendary Sannin, Tsunade.
Known as one of Konoha's most skilled ninja, Tsunade was famous throughout the shinobi world, and even enemy villages hesitated to kill her, given her extraordinary medical skills.
Choza gestured toward a man standing nearby, watching Tsunade work intently. It was none other than the silver-haired Sakumo Hatake, clad in his iconic green vest.
The four of them stood silently, watching as Tsunade finished extracting the poison from her patient. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she approached Sakumo.
"Chiyo's poison is extremely difficult to treat. They've been poisoned for too long, and I can only treat so many people in a day. Some of them... won't make it," Tsunade said with a heavy heart. As a medical ninja, not being able to save everyone made her feel powerless.
If only the village had agreed to her proposal to train more medical ninjas, they wouldn't be in this dire situation. Though Sarutobi Hiruzen had established Konoha Hospital on her suggestion, it wasn't enough for the battlefield.
Sakumo's face grew grim at the prospect of having to abandon some of their comrades. His eyes caught sight of Jin, who was staring intensely at a certain... prominent feature of Tsunade's.
Tsunade, noticing where Jin's gaze lingered, frowned. His behavior, to put it mildly, extremely disrespectful.
"Uchiha Jin?" Sakumo asked.
"Ah, yes!" Jin snapped back to attention. The view had been quite distracting.
"Lord Sakumo, Lady Tsunade, I am Uchiha Jin," he introduced himself, trying to ignore Tsunade's glare.
Despite their initial lack of hope, Sakumo addressed Jin, his voice tinged with expectation. "Jin, do you have any techniques that could neutralize the poison?"
Tsunade and Sakumo didn't have much faith, but there was always a chance.
"I don't have a specific anti-poison jutsu," Jin admitted, causing their faces to fall briefly. However, he added, "But I do know how to save them."
Both Tsunade and Sakumo shot Jin a sharp look.
"What's in it for me, though?" Jin grinned brightly at them.
Tsunade and Sakumo exchanged glances, the tension rising between them and the young Uchiha.
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