NOVEL WEB Chapter 69: Diverting Trouble
"Have you found him yet?"
"No, that damn brat is too fast. He disappeared right after turning the corner."
Inside the Uchiha clan grounds, a group of Uchiha kids were chasing after Ryun's shadow clone.
"Be careful, he might use Transformation Jutsu or Hiding Jutsu. Check every living thing within the encirclement carefully. Don't let him slip past us…"
As ninjas, they were well aware of the evasion tactics a ninja might use.
Ryun, hiding in a tree, frowned when he heard this.
Most people in the clan were currently at the Ancestral Shrine, leaving only women and children wandering outside. This made it difficult for Ryun to escape using Transformation Jutsu, let alone stir up trouble…
"Wait… maybe I can use this to my advantage and turn the tables on these little brats…"
Ryun's quick mind came up with a clever plan.
The next moment, he jumped down from the tree and dashed in a certain direction.
"The little brat is over there! Hurry, someone catch him!!!"
A genin shouted, immediately drawing the attention of the pursuers. A large group of people rushed toward the same direction.
"I remember seeing a patrolling clan soldier around here earlier. Where did that guy go…"
Ryun muttered to himself, a trace of impatience flashing across his face.
"Found him, he's there!!!"
Spotting the person he was looking for, Ryun wasted no time and hid nearby.
"What's going on? Where did this kid come from? What's he doing?"
Uchiha Tatsuki, who had been lying on a rooftop bored while watching the moon, was puzzled when he saw a scruffy-haired boy pinching his nose and crawling into a large trash can.
The kid was acting suspicious… yet he also waved at him.
If the kid wasn't up to something… why was he sneaking around and behaving so strangely?
What kind of normal person would willingly crawl into a trash can? Did it smell good in there?
Uchiha Tatsuki scratched his head, unsure whether he should jump down and investigate.
"Did you find him?"
"No! But he's definitely nearby. There's no way he got away!"
A group of furious kids closed in, with the confused Uchiha Tatsuki now at the center of their encirclement…
"There's someone on the roof!"
Soon, someone spotted Uchiha Tatsuki on the rooftop.
"Don't let him escape! That guy might be the little brat!"
An elite genin barked orders.
"What's going on???"
Faced with the surrounding group of young genin, Uchiha Tatsuki grew slightly panicked.
He was a patrolling clan soldier, a chunin responsible for guarding the clan grounds, mainly to prevent outsiders from entering, as well as stopping thieves, fires, and other disturbances…
'Why are there so many people? Did they see me slacking off and decide to come after me?'
Seeing their hostile expressions, Uchiha Tatsuki began overthinking.
'But that can't be… just a bunch of weak genin. Where do they get the guts to mess with me?'
"You damn bastard… where do you think you're running?" A genin sneered and cursed.
"Huh??? Who the hell are you calling a bastard?" Uchiha Tatsuki widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Keep pretending, idiot. You didn't even think to disguise yourself as a genin? Don't you know all the chunin are at the clan meeting in the Ancestral Shrine? You don't even have the brains of a dog. How dare you openly insult Young Master Fugaku?"
Another genin jeered.
His words made the surrounding genin burst into laughter, all mocking the "stupidity" of the little brat.
In their eyes, the little brat had panicked and lost his cool, making such a dumb mistake.
"What nonsense are you spouting? What Transformation Jutsu? And what's the meaning of surrounding me like this?"
"I'm a clan soldier. My duty is to patrol. If everyone went to the clan meeting, who would stand guard? Who would protect the clan grounds?"
Uchiha Tatsuki's face darkened. If not for the fact that these brats outnumbered him… being called a bastard twice would have made him lose his temper long ago…
"Get lost. Obstructing a clan soldier on duty is a serious offense…"
Uchiha Tatsuki coldly threatened.
"Keep pretending. Soon you won't be able to keep it up!"
The elite genin from earlier also spoke coldly.
Some were still carefully inspecting the surroundings, not all of them crowding around.
There weren't many hiding spots nearby. The building below was just a single-story house. Three genin had already searched inside but found no trace of the little brat.
"Any updates?"
The elite genin suppressed his urge to attack and asked one last question.
"Nothing! The entire encirclement only has this one person. No other living things around." Someone reported loudly.
"Hey, hey, hey, you guys are looking for a kid around 10 years old, right? That kid is hiding inside that trash can…"
Uchiha Tatsuki quickly spoke up, explaining the situation.
He thought the kid from earlier was acting suspicious. These people were probably his enemies. This might all be a misunderstanding, and he didn't want to take the blame for no reason.
"Bullshit, I already checked that spot… you damn bastard, stop pretending!" A genin yelled angrily.
"Bakayarou!!!"
After being cursed at repeatedly, Uchiha Tatsuki could no longer hold back his anger. He raised his hand and slapped the genin across the face!
The genin didn't expect Uchiha Tatsuki to suddenly attack and failed to dodge in time. He was sent flying off the roof, howling in pain as he hit the ground.
This move intimidated quite a few people!
"Blind idiots, there's clearly someone hiding inside. Why the hell would I lie to you for no reason? If you don't believe me, go check again!"
Uchiha Tatsuki had been keeping an eye on the trash can. There was no way the person inside could have escaped under his watch.
The one who said there was no one inside was obviously lying.
The elite genin from earlier, seeing Uchiha Tatsuki's expression didn't seem fake, grew suspicious.
"Everyone, keep the encirclement tight. I'll check myself…"
The elite genin jumped down from the roof and headed toward the trash can.
As soon as he got close, a foul stench hit his nose, making him instinctively pinch it.
Peering inside, he saw only some food scraps and a bulging black plastic bag.
The elite genin was about to get angry when a sudden thought crossed his mind. Looking at the black bag, he had an idea:
'Did the bastard use Object Transformation Jutsu?'
Thinking this, the elite genin endured the stench and slashed the black bag with a kunai.
An overpowering stench instantly assaulted his senses. The black bag was filled with cat litter and cat feces. The pungent smell of urine almost made his eyes water…
Realizing he had been "humiliated," the elite genin kicked the trash can over and pointed at Uchiha Tatsuki, roaring in fury:
"Everyone, beat the crap out of him!!!"
As his words fell, chaos erupted on the rooftop. In the darkness, agonized screams rang out.