Suddenly, the Hidden Mist rogue ninja realized his sensory perception had failed once again.
A cold chill ran down his spine. He didn't dare to speak but muttered in his mind:
"No… This isn't my technique."
Behind him, a figure slowly emerged from the mist.
"Squelch—"
"Zzt—Zzt—"
The rogue ninja stiffly lowered his head and saw a slender arc of electricity flickering over his chest, right where his heart was.
"Sorry, this is my technique."
Uchiha Tunan's cold voice came from behind.
"Thud."
The rogue ninja's vision darkened as his body collapsed heavily into the shallow water.
As the thick mist dissipated, Uchiha Tunan leaped forward, picking up Jigo, who was still sitting cross-legged on a tree branch.
Just then, Kakashi finally arrived, panting.
"Tunan, are you okay?"
Uchiha Tunan adjusted his glasses, flashed a slight smile, and replied,
"I'm fine. This rogue ninja was weaker than I expected. He underestimated my eyes."
Kakashi glanced at the enemy's corpse and narrowed his eyes. Something about the fight didn't sit right with him.
"I've experienced Tunan's genjutsu before… Is it really this strong?"
At that moment, Uchiha Tunan's eyes flickered. He reached into his ninja pouch, pulled out a small pill, and handed it to Kakashi.
"Here, take this. It's pretty good—eat it quickly."
"Uh… alright?"
Kakashi hesitated but trusted Tunan enough to pop the pill into his mouth. To his surprise, it was sour, sweet, and… crunchy?
Before he could question it, a new figure suddenly appeared in the distance.
It was Minato Namikaze.
Leaping gracefully from branch to branch, he finally landed firmly in front of them. After confirming that his students were safe, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. You're all okay."
Uchiha Tunan narrowed his eyes and spoke softly,
"Sensei Namikaze, have the two rogue ninjas been dealt with?"
Kakashi's brow twitched slightly.
Minato nodded, then glanced at the fallen Mist ninja behind Uchiha Tunan.
"Yes, they've been taken care of. Let's go—we need to escort Master Jigo to safety."
Just as Minato stepped closer to Uchiha Tunan—
The mist around them thickened again in an instant, swallowing them whole.
"Damn it, another enemy?"
Inside the dense fog, Uchiha Tunan's sharp voice rang out.
Minato frowned and immediately moved toward the source of the sound.
But just as he did—
A mass of black fluid surged toward Uchiha Tunan and Jigo, their expressions shifting in alarm.
At the same time, Minato's body suddenly transformed into another person—
Jashinist robes. Green pupils with slit irises. Stitched-together flesh.
"Kakuzu!"
"Boom!"
The black fluid splashed onto the ground.
It was a water clone!
"Damn it! That kid tricked me!"
A flicker of anger crossed Kakuzu's face as he swiftly formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
But before he could unleash the jutsu, he noticed something was wrong with his body.
Decades of assassination experience told him the answer immediately.
"Damn it… The mist is poisoned!"
At the same time, the explosive tags buried beneath the soil activated.
"Zzt—Zzt—"
"Boom!"
A small mushroom cloud rose above the forest.
These traps had been silently placed by Uchiha Tunan during his battle with the rogue Mist ninja.
Not far away, Kakashi glanced sideways at the ever-calm Uchiha Tunan, his expression unreadable.
"You had all this prepared before we even left?"
Uchiha Tunan adjusted his glasses, his lips curling into a small smile.
"Of course. The ninja shop in the Uchiha district was having a sale—buy two explosive tags, get a free bottle of poison.
I thought it was a good deal, so I bought six.
Turns out, the poison was expired. I'll have to report them when we get back."
Before Kakashi could respond, a furious roar erupted from the dust cloud.
"You little brat! I'll tear you apart!"
The smoke hadn't even fully settled when a mass of black threads shot toward the trio.
Uchiha Tunan and Kakashi leaped aside just in time to dodge the deadly attack.
Kakashi's face darkened.
"What the hell… He survived that?"
Before they could counterattack, Jigo—who had remained silent until now—lightly tapped Uchiha Tunan's shoulder.
Stepping forward, he calmly said,
"This is a difficult opponent. He must be Kakuzu, the infamous bounty hunter and rogue ninja from Takigakure."
He then extended a hand, gently pushing both Kakashi and Uchiha Tunan behind him.
"Step aside. He is beyond your level."
Uchiha Tunan, eyes filled with determination, grabbed Jigo's arm and spoke firmly,
"Master Jigo, you are our client. Even if we have to risk our lives, we will protect you!"
Jigo looked at Tunan for a moment before smiling and shaking his head.
"You truly have wisdom beyond your years."
As the dust finally settled, Kakuzu stood tall once more. This time, several black tendrils extended from his back, each connected to a different masked creature.
Uchiha Tunan's gaze sharpened.
"One of his hearts is gone… but he still has four left."
Kakuzu's hands blurred through a sequence of hand seals.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
A blazing column of fire roared toward them.
In a split second, Jigo's eyes gleamed with intensity.
Behind him, an enormous, golden Thousand-Armed Kannon materialized.
With a single, effortless push of its palm—
"Boom!"
The fire attack was instantly extinguished, and the force of the counter pushed Kakuzu dozens of meters back, toppling trees in its wake.
Kakashi stared in shock.
"What… What kind of technique is that?"
The smoke cleared, and Kakuzu was gone.
"Well, that takes care of that," Jigo said casually, withdrawing his golden manifestation.
Uchiha Tunan, eyes filled with reverence, bowed deeply.
"Master Jigo, thank you for your protection."
"That technique… it wasn't ninjutsu."
"Was it senjutsu? Or something even more powerful?"
For the first time, Uchiha Tunan found himself yearning to uncover the mysteries of enlightenment.
But knowing the gap between their strengths, he buried the thought deep in his heart.
Kakashi snapped out of his daze and turned to Minato.
"Sensei, should we go back and assist you?"
Minato, who had just arrived, shook his head.
"No. Let's get to town first. If worst comes to worst, I can escape. If you two go back, you'll just be a liability."
Uchiha Tunan nodded in agreement. Without hesitation, he hoisted Jigo onto his back and sprinted toward the town.
Five days later, the team successfully escorted Jigo to the Fire Temple.
"Thank you for everything," Jigo said after signing the mission completion form. His gaze lingered on Uchiha Tunan.
"Tunan, if you ever tire of the life of a shinobi, consider joining our temple."
Uchiha Tunan placed his hands together in a respectful bow.
"Thank you for the offer, Master Jigo, but my dream is to earn the trust of the village and dedicate my life to protecting it.
I will not leave Konoha."
Jigo smiled.
"That's alright. If you ever change your mind, the temple doors are always open to you."