The ones fighting Uchiha Itachi looked like two chunin-level ninja.
Otherwise, with Itachi's current skills, there's no way he could hold his own in a two-on-one fight.
Still, that didn't mean much comfort for Toji.
Even as he watched from a distance, the only thing he could see clearly was the constant blur of movement—he couldn't even make out their hand signs. It was way beyond anything he could track.
After hearing Itachi shout in anger, Toji's nerves kicked in hard. He quickly scrambled up from where he'd been standing and took off running, still trying to play the part of a clueless civilian from Konoha.
But inside, he wasn't panicked at all.
He had enough black points banked to get out of this if needed.
Then, just as Toji turned and started running, he caught something in the corner of his eye—a flash of sparks from clashing weapons.
A loud clang! rang out near his ears.
He looked just in time to see two kunai flying through the air before clattering into the dirt right in front of him.
That confirmed it.
He had known this mission wouldn't be that simple.
If someone was willing to jump in and protect him like this, it meant there were definitely others following Itachi. Probably backup, just in case.
And when Toji looked up again, there it was—someone standing between him and the fight.
The guy wore a high-collared black shirt with the Uchiha clan crest—one red, one white fan—on the back.
The hairstyle, the uniform, the triangle-shaped armor...
Toji immediately recognized the man.
It was Uchiha Shisui.
He kept his expression neutral, still pretending to be confused and scared, but inside he was thrilled.
This was the second reason he had chosen Itachi to escort him.
He wanted to draw out Shisui.
This way, he could come into contact with him naturally, without raising suspicion.
Right now, it didn't seem like Toji was in any actual danger. The enemy barely even acknowledged his presence anymore.
To Itachi and Shisui, he was just someone to protect. Nothing more.
"Damn it!" Itachi shouted mid-battle. "I'm sorry, Shisui! I let you down!"
Shisui, still shielding Toji and watching the attackers closely, replied calmly, "You're doing great. Holding your own against two Root ninja is impressive already. I didn't think Root would get involved in something like this."
One of the masked attackers spoke up: "Uchiha Shisui, stay out of this. Root doesn't allow any potential threats to leave the village."
Shisui shook his head. "I don't know what you consider a threat, but I know this—he's a villager of Konoha and our client. That makes him my responsibility."
With that, Shisui activated his three-tomoe Sharingan and rushed into the fight.
Within seconds, they were locked in an intense battle—exchanging strikes, clashing weapons, throwing kunai. From Toji's point of view, it all happened in a blur.
Sparks flashed everywhere.
Weapons clanged and skidded across the ground.
Despite the chaos, Itachi and Shisui managed to hold the upper hand. None of the enemy's attacks came anywhere near Toji.
If they didn't have to protect him, this fight probably would've been over already.
Meanwhile, the Root squad leader, fighting Shisui, was starting to regret everything.
They had clearly underestimated Itachi.
They figured one of them could stall him while the other went for Toji.
But the plan backfired hard—this "Genin" Itachi wasn't playing around. He was way stronger than expected.
Realizing things weren't going well, the Root leader exchanged a glance with his teammates.
It was time to fall back.
Maybe they could find a better chance to strike later on the road.
But that plan wasn't going to work out either.
Toji had picked Itachi for a reason—he saw his loyalty and how much he cared about the village and the Uchiha name.
Now, with Shisui involved, there was no chance Toji would be left unprotected.
Then, as if on cue, both Uchiha ninja moved at once.
They launched a final coordinated strike—and just like that, the Root agents retreated.
They vanished into the trees in a few quick movements, disappearing from sight.
Toji was left stunned.
Why did they leave so easily?
No one let their guard down right away.
They stood in silence, scanning for signs of a trap.
But nothing came.
Eventually, the tension faded. Everyone relaxed.
The three of them regrouped.
Toji immediately ran over, full of gratitude, shaking both their hands one after the other. "Thank you! Seriously, thank you both for saving me. I thought I was a goner."
Shisui, clearly the friendlier of the two, smiled and put a hand on Toji's shoulder. "It's fine. That's our job. Don't worry—we'll keep you safe. Once we reach the town, they won't risk acting again."
"Right, right—thank you so much!" Toji said again, still trying to play his part.
The rest of the trip felt a little different.
Now that the threat was exposed, Shisui stuck around openly. No more hiding.
With all three traveling together, Toji suddenly had a lot more to talk about.
He asked endless questions—like a curious kid seeing ninja for the first time.
Shisui, patient as ever, answered everything without getting annoyed.
It made the whole atmosphere much more relaxed.
"Oh, by the way," Toji asked, "I saw your eyes turn red just now. How do you do that?"
"That's the Sharingan," Shisui explained. "Only members of the Uchiha clan can awaken it."
"Really? So, what's it do? Why do you guys always use it in fights, they look pretty cool"
"The Sharingan can…"
Since it wasn't really sensitive information, Shisui was happy to explain.
They kept chatting like that, their conversation getting more detailed as they went—until Toji finally brought up the real question he'd been leading toward.
The one he'd been waiting to ask from the start.