Naruto Infinite New World

In the forest.

A group of ninjas without headbands were chasing after Gin, Minato, and Kushina.

The distance was rapidly closing.

They were about to be caught.

As the pursuers sped up.

One ninja's hand almost touched Kushina's long hair.

The three turned their heads, their faces showing fear.

The chasing ninjas grinned wickedly.

"Crash."

The sound of shattering glass echoed, and it seemed as if something invisible around them broke apart.

Gin and the others disappeared.

In front of them stood Jiraiya, clad in gray armor, leaning against a tree and coldly observing the group of ninjas.

On the tall trees, figures in green vests stood on the treetops.

The ninjas halted.

"Jiraiya!" A man in the group recognized him.

He looked to the left, at a man in a gray high-collar coat, with the collar covering his mouth and sunglasses on his face, his left hand resting on an adult-sized scroll.

"Aburame Shihou!"

The current clan leader of the Aburame clan.

He looked to the right, at a man in a white kimono, with white eyes and hands behind his back, quietly watching.

"Hyuga Yu!"

The current head of the Hyuga clan.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is heavily guarded."

The man chuckled. These three were elite jounin.

Along with so many Konoha ninjas, the outcome was already decided.

"So you were the ones who leaked the information about the Jinchuriki."

They acted based on the information about Konoha's Jinchuriki, hoping to succeed.

Even though the possibility was slim.

If they could capture Konoha's tailed beast, it would cripple Konoha, giving them an advantage whether in battle or negotiations.

Unfortunately.

This was a trap set by Konoha specifically for them, and they took the bait.

"I didn't expect to catch so many."

Even Jiraiya was surprised, glancing at Ren and raising three fingers.

There were three jounin.

Chakra did not equate to combat power, but those with large amounts of chakra were usually jounin.

"I wonder if you can handle this!"

The leading man roared. They knew the mission had failed and their chances of survival were slim.

The battle erupted instantly.

On the other side.

"As expected! We're the bait."

Gin cursed inwardly.

Looking back, only three pursuers remained.

There had been a large group chasing them, but now they were gone.

It was clear now.

Why leave three? What's the point?

"What happened?!" Kushina was still confused. She only saw Gin signal to run, then people started emerging from the ground.

Minato explained to Kushina.

"Nakajirō set a trap in advance, and we walked right into it."

They were targeting Kushina, but he didn't say it outright.

Gin glanced at them. Minato was really gentle, saying it this way to protect Kushina's feelings.

He didn't say more.

His mind quickly analyzed how they became the bait.

This wasn't in the original story, so the changes he made were increasing.

The plan had been set up by the village from the beginning, using Kushina as bait, with him and Minato as collateral.

They received the mission today, but the preparations weren't made in a day. Otherwise, it would be impossible to mobilize so many people suddenly.

If Kushina hadn't mentioned the mission, Jiraiya might have arranged it himself.

Once they took the mission, everything began.

"No wonder Jiraiya agreed so readily."

Usually, genin do D-rank missions for at least a year.

They had only done a few months.

So this was the plan!? Was Kushina's future kidnapping by the Cloud Village also bait?

Was it so easy to use a Jinchuriki as bait? Did they even ask Kushina? Even if they didn't consider Kushina, what about him being involved!?

"Only three left behind, the rest have been shaken off. Shall we counterattack now?"

Kushina, comforted by Minato, was eager to fight.

Gin grinned.

Kushina was really clueless, not realizing she was bait.

Minato looked puzzled, wondering why the numbers had decreased.

Gin: ...

Usually smart, but no reaction now.

"Don't overthink it, take one each! Kill them!"

Gin stopped abruptly, a thin wire flying from his sleeve and wrapping around a tree. He swung back, dropping onto a ninja.

"Get down!"

Gin kicked the ninja down.

The remaining two ninjas tried to support their comrade.

Minato and Kushina appeared between them.

"Bang bang." They kicked the ninjas away.

Gin landed, but the ninja he kicked down was gone.

"Hey! Are you a jonin or chuunin?"

Gin suddenly asked.

The ground rippled like water, and a sturdy man emerged.

"I'm a chuunin."

He actually answered.

"Just right, I need to test my actual strength."

Gin crouched, drawing a kunai from his leg.

On paper, his strength was special jounin, but actual combat might be different.

Fighting Might Duy and others in the village, they held back, so he couldn't accurately gauge his level.

They were sparring partners, but couldn't help him understand his true strength.

This ninja was perfect, just a chuunin.

Shave! Gin appeared before the man, a side kick splitting him apart.

But it was only mud.

Earth Clone Jutsu.

Emerging from the mud, something made Gin's pupils shrink.

Rapidly burning paper.

Explosive Tag!!! "Damn you!! Iron Body!!"

Boom!!

In the explosion, Gin could only cross his arms to protect himself, the blast wave flinging him to the ground, motionless.

"Earth Release! Earth Flow Spears!!"

Sharp spikes grew from the ground.

Gin blocked the spikes with a kunai, sparks flying, then kicked off them with all his strength.

He vanished.

Hidden among the dense trees, Gin controlled his breathing.

He still had burns from the explosion, but they weren't hindering him much.

"This is a chuunin!!"

Gin cursed. Almost got killed, feeling indignant about being threatened by a chuunin.

"I failed the jonin exam."

A voice came from above, making Gin's pupils contract.

"Earth Release! Earth Prison Dome!" The man, hanging upside down, formed a rock and mud prison around Gin.

"It's over."

He quickly formed seals.

Taking a deep breath, he blew into the dome.

"Earth Release! Sandstorm Technique!"

Stones hidden in the sandstorm, each as deadly as shuriken, pierced Gin.

"I..."

Gin looked at him in disbelief, showing despair before death.

Suddenly he smiled.

"Got you!"

"Poof!"

The pierced Gin turned into white smoke.

On the tree, two arms holding kunai grew, followed by Gin's upper body.

"Demonic Illusion! Tree Binding Death!"

The kunai stabbed the man's body, but he turned into a log.

The man appeared on a distant tree, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

Though he used a substitution jutsu in time, he still took a heavy blow.

Gin ignored him for now, looking down.

An explosive tag was burning fast.

"Heh, as expected."

Boom!!

In the firelight, Gin used Shave to appear on the ground, unharmed by the explosion.

"Why is a chuunin like you so strong?"

Gin questioned, confused by the man's strength.

Inoue Satoru, a chuunin, was easily defeated by him.

The man didn't understand Gin's question, but seeing his partner missing, he felt uneasy.

But he patiently answered.

"The chuunin you encountered were likely those who hadn't done many missions, theorists who were useless in real combat, good at bullying kids but lucky to survive on the battlefield."

Their village also had such chuunin, though fewer.

A chuunin from battles and a chuunin who taught in the village, both chuunin but vastly different in combat, just specializing in different areas.

Having battle-hardened chuunin teach would be absurd.

"Understood." Gin nodded, turning to leave, exposing his back.

"What?" The man was puzzled, seeing Gin give up the fight.

Gin stopped, waving, looking back at him.

"You're already dead."

"What?" The man widened his eyes, blood gushing from his mouth, eyes, ears, and nose.

"The kunai was poisoned!"

He hurriedly searched for an antidote.

"Useless, it's elite jounin's snake venom. Without a medic, regular antidotes won't work."

Orochimaru's carefully concocted poison, lethal with one dose.

The man quickly took the antidote, but as Gin said, it was ineffective.

He fell from the tree, powerless.

The battle was over.

(End of Chapter)