Chapter 58: Don’t worry about the rest!

"Why should we run? Didn't your ninjutsu hit him?" Sasuke questioned, his frustration evident.

He couldn't shake off the feeling of being overshadowed by Shinji's strategic prowess, despite his own accomplishments—awakening the Sharingan at seven, subduing the Nine-Tails, and saving the village. Each time he faced Shinji, his confidence took another blow.

Ahead, Shinji focused on their escape, ignoring Sasuke's complaints. He couldn't afford to reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan now; its exposure would dredge up his unauthorized forays into the Anbu and Root facilities, potentially leading to severe consequences—either defection or the village's judgment. And if he defected, reclaiming the Uchiha clan's Sharingan from Danzo would become exponentially more difficult.

Neji's urgent voice broke their contemplation, "The enemy is closing in!"

"What!?" Sasuke was surprised. "Didn't that Fire Style technique even singe him?"

Shinji quickly assessed their remaining ninja tools. "We can't keep running like this. We need to find a place to set up an ambush." Sasuke and Neji nodded in agreement.

Aware they couldn't match the enemy's speed, the trio opted to strategize. Continuing to flee risked imminent capture; instead, an ambush might provide a tactical advantage and buy them time.

Swish.

A rush of wind heralded the mysterious man descending from above. Shinji's earlier Great Fireball Technique seemed ineffective; the man's smile remained unperturbed.

Following the footprints into the bush, the man paused just before stepping into Shinji's trap. Sasuke inwardly urged, "Step into it already!"

Recognizing Shinji's trap, the man halted at the threshold. Shinji swiftly cut the nearby steel wire with his kunai.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The cut wire triggered a chain reaction, weaving a massive net of steel wires that ensnared the man. Even Sasuke and Neji, who had witnessed Shinji's setup, marveled at his meticulous strategy.

More impressively, other wires concealed detonating tags. Boom! Boom! Boom! The explosions engulfed the trapped man.

Before Neji's Byakugan confirmed the outcome, Sasuke rose from cover. "I got him!"

Huh.

Before Sasuke could react, a gust of wind struck from behind.

Reacting swiftly with his Sharingan, Sasuke turned to counterattack, but his blow found no target. Instead, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, followed by a powerful kick that sent him flying into a distant tree. The man twisted his neck, directing his next words to Shinji, "Can you reach this level before your eyes opened?"

Shinji grimaced.

Despite executing a sophisticated ambush with silk thread manipulation and Uchiha clan tools, he couldn't unleash his Mangekyō Sharingan, leaving a critical flaw the man exploited with ease.

Sasuke struggled to stand, clutching his abdomen. "Damn you..."

With blinding speed, the man closed in on Sasuke, striking him hard in the stomach.

"Poof."

Sasuke coughed up blood, curling into a ball of pain.

"He's formidable. We need to fight together," Neji urged.

Shinji quickly assessed their tools, then dashed out with Neji.

The man, without looking back, leaped to a distant tree. Unaware of the anticipated explosions, he found none.

Instead, two kunai darted from the bushes, altering the first kunai's trajectory mid-air. They wove through Sasuke and Neji's legs, anchoring steel wires around their ankles. With a swift pull, the wires dragged Sasuke and Neji into the bushes.

The man on the tree grinned.

In the bushes, Shinji secured the remaining detonating tags and wires, then hoisted Sasuke and Neji over his shoulders, continuing their escape without looking back.

He knew his physical stamina was barely superior to Sasuke and Neji's. In close combat, he'd be overpowered in mere moments.

After some distance, Neji gasped, "I can walk. Put me down!"

"I'm fine too!" Sasuke added quickly. Shinji set them down, catching his breath.

"Is he still chasing us?" Sasuke asked, his fear evident.

Before Neji could activate his Byakugan to check, a figure dropped from the sky, knocking him unconscious.

Another figure landed beside Sasuke, rendering him unconscious.

Shinji leaped back, instantly on guard. It dawned on him—this involvement couldn't solely be Orochimaru's doing.

"Danzo?" Shinji contemplated.

Assuming it was Orochimaru's plot, he didn't expect Danzo's intervention. Yet, an idea struck him: if he feigned capture by Danzo's subordinates and was brought to the Root base, he might bypass the need for a covert infiltration.

This incident had escalated.

The Third Hokage would intervene, pressuring Danzo. Captured and taken to the base, Shinji could seize all Sharingan from Danzo's grasp inside the Root base.

Pretending vulnerability, Shinji allowed himself to be struck and fell, feigning unconsciousness.

"Genius move," he thought.

Listening to two Root ninjas conversing nearby, Shinji overheard their plan.

"Take Uchiha Sasuke."

"And the other two?"

"Forget them."

Confusion filled Shinji's mind, "What...?"

End of chapter.