The Green Beast's Shadow
Shisui's face lit up with relief, a smile breaking through the exhaustion that had lingered for days.
Thank the gods, he thought. Finally, Jin woke up.
The past two days had been torture.
He wasn't good at lying, yet ever since Jin had fallen unconscious, every elder and clansman in the Uchiha compound had cornered him with questions.
And all he could do was lie—again and again.
Fortunately, most of the Uchiha weren't exactly subtle thinkers.
Had anyone sharper been watching, they would have spotted the cracks in his tone and expression instantly.
Now, seeing Jin awake and alert, the weight finally lifted off Shisui's chest.
> "Jin, you should really thank Shisui," said Nara Kazama with a grin. "He's been suffering for days. I swear, he almost developed a twitch from all that lying."
That earned a round of laughter from everyone in the tent—even Shisui, who could only shake his head helplessly.
> "You all have no idea," he said with a sigh. "I'm terrible at lying. Every time someone from the clan asked where you were, I felt like I was going to get caught any second."
Jin chuckled, stretching lazily.
> "Shisui, you can't go on like this," he teased. "You'll need to learn to lie better. Think of this as practice."
> "This—ugh," Shisui hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll try my best. But I really don't like lying. I'm afraid I'll miss something important."
Jin smiled faintly and shook his head.
> "Shisui, don't worry about that. The reason you're believable is because you hate lying."
His tone turned calm, thoughtful.
> "It's human nature—people who lie too easily end up being distrusted. But someone like you, honest and straightforward… when you do bend the truth, no one will question it."
Shisui blinked, surprised by the logic.
> "If you don't get it," Jin added with a grin, "I'll give you an example. You know Might Duy, right?"
Everyone paused.
Might Duy?
In all of Konoha, there were few people more infamous—or rather, pitiful.
A man who couldn't mold chakra properly.
A man who'd been a Genin for over twenty years.
And yet, despite it all, he still wore that ridiculous green jumpsuit every day, preaching about "youth" at the top of his lungs.
The image alone made Kazama snort.
> "If that guy told me the sky was green," Kazama said, chuckling, "I'd probably believe him."
Even Shisui had to laugh.
> "I see what you mean, Jin. Might Duy doesn't look like he could lie about anything, even if his life depended on it."
Hinata Aya nodded thoughtfully.
> "Might Duy's dedication is admirable," she said, "but… he's hardly suited for the life of a shinobi."
The look Jin gave her in response was indescribable—somewhere between amusement and disbelief.
Kazama noticed immediately.
> "Jin," he asked, frowning, "did we say something wrong?"
The tent quieted.
Shisui and Aya both turned toward Jin, curiosity in their eyes.
Jin was silent for a moment, considering whether to speak.
But then he looked at the three of them—comrades who had faced death beside him, who shared both victory and blood on the same battlefield.
They were friends now.
So he decided to be honest.
> "It's not a big deal," he said finally. "It's just that all of you are underestimating Might Duy."
Their faces froze in surprise.
> "Don't be fooled," Jin continued calmly. "Might Duy is strong. Really strong."
> "If he unleashed his full power—honestly—even someone like me might not walk away unscathed. I'd survive, sure… but I'd be badly injured."
He let the words hang in the air.
> "Of course, he'd die in the process," Jin added lightly. "But if any of you went up against him right now—you wouldn't last a single hit."
The air in the tent thickened instantly.
A collective shiver ran through them.
> "Jin… are you serious?" Kazama asked, his voice tight.
Aya frowned. "If he's really that strong, why is he still just a Genin?"
Shisui stayed silent, eyes fixed on Jin.
As a genius of the Uchiha, he could sense that Jin wasn't exaggerating. That seriousness in his voice—it wasn't a joke.
And yet… Might Duy? The green jumpsuit guy?
It was almost too much to believe.
Jin leaned back, folding his arms with a knowing smile.
> "Your standards are too rigid," he said. "You're judging strength by rank, not by resolve."
> "Duy's taijutsu is terrifying. Even I would hesitate to fight him head-on."
Their disbelief only deepened as he continued.
> "He developed a technique called the Eight Gates Formation, derived from ancient chakra manuscripts."
> "Once the final gate—the Gate of Death—is opened, the user's power multiplies hundreds of times over. Their life burns out, but in that moment, they surpass even Kage-level shinobi."
Jin's gaze darkened.
> "Even opening the sixth gate, the Gate of View, lets him rival an elite jōnin. You've all seen what Gai can do, right? His father is the one who taught him everything."
A stunned silence fell over the group.
The wind outside the tent whistled faintly, the only sound that dared intrude.
Shisui was the first to exhale, still processing what he'd heard.
> "So that's the kind of man Might Duy really is…"
Jin nodded.
> "He's a simple man. Too humble for his own good. He never demanded recognition from the Hokage or the clans. But don't mistake humility for weakness."
His voice softened, almost wistful.
> "When the time comes… you'll understand just how terrifying the so-called 'Eternal Genin' really is."