Outside the Izakaya, Land of Steam...
After kicking Hidan out, Seiichiro Uchiha shook his head and looked up at the clear blue sky, narrowing his eyes. "The package from the clan should be arriving soon."
Fugaku Uchiha, Captain of the Police Force, had left after settling the matters in the City of Steam and Ren's situation. He had to lead his team toward the Land of Water for a far more dangerous mission. Now, Seiichiro was in charge of everything here.
Ren Uchiha becoming a disciple of a Sannin was a massive deal for the clan. Along with the forehead protector and ID, there should have been a standard green Konoha flak jacket and equipment. However, once the package passed through Great Elder Setsuna, he had tossed the jacket aside in disgust, claiming it was "too ugly" and "not Uchiha enough."
The clan was rush-ordering a custom-made combat uniform for Ren, tailored to fit the prestige of the Uchiha. Seiichiro was taking this very seriously.
Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced the air. Screee!
A hawk dived from the clouds. Seiichiro's eyes lit up as he held out his arm. He retrieved a palm-sized storage scroll from the hawk's pouch. This scroll was top-tier, worth a fortune, and far superior to the junk Ren used to carry.
Seiichiro grew curious. How cool could this custom armor actually be? He started to peel back the seal just to get a sneak peek.
But then, a cold, detached voice hissed in his ear:
"Do you really think you're worthy of seeing what's inside?"
Seiichiro snapped his head up. Four ninjas in Konoha Anbu gear were walking toward him. The leader wore a black cloak, dark sunglasses, and had a purple mark tattooed on the right side of his face.
"Where is Ren Uchiha? You. Lead the way."
Seiichiro's pupils shrank. From the masks, he knew immediately: these weren't standard Anbu. They were Root. And the man in the glasses was a captain-level figure equal to Orochimaru himself: Aburame Ryoma.
The Streets of Yunokage...
By the time Ren snapped out of it, Mei Terumi had already pulled him through the crowded streets and into a quiet alley, stopping before a peaceful little shop. The shop sat amidst the morning mist, its white walls and shrine-like roof looking serene.
Sweet steam rose from the baskets out front, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms. In the display case sat various traditional sweets, but the highlight was the Sakura Mochi—delicate pink shells wrapped in salted leaves.
Ren looked at the price and his heart nearly stopped. What the hell? Are these diamonds? 100,000 ryo for one?! This tiny thing cost as much as 1,053 bowls of Ichiraku Ramen!
He looked at the shopkeeper, wanting to ask if the mochi came with a free wife for that price.
"Is something wrong?" Mei asked, looking back at him. "Don't worry, this place is famous. They even send these to the Daimyo every year."
Ren couldn't exactly admit he was broke in front of her. He nodded awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. Which one do you want, Mei?"
Mei crouched down, resting her chin on her hand as she scanned the case. Then, she pointed to an exquisite arrangement and looked up at Ren with shimmering eyes. "Ren Uchiha... I want that one!"
Ren's chest tightened as he slammed his borrowed 100,000 ryo note onto the counter. "Fine! We'll buy it!"
Mei chuckled, but then she shook her head. She pulled out a small wallet, produced a bankbook, and pointed at Ren. "Shopkeeper, pack all of them. I'm buying them for him."
The shopkeeper's eyes practically turned into dollar signs as he packed every single mochi and handed the bag to Ren. Ren was stunned. What kind of sugar mommy is this? She just dropped an S-rank mission fee on snacks like it was nothing.
As they walked, Ren holding the bag and Mei nibbling on a mochi like a little hamster, she spoke softly:
"Ren Uchiha... next time, don't spend your hard-earned money on 'those kinds of places.' Take better care of yourself. Eat something good."
She turned around, showing him her empty wrapper, and blushed. "I want another one."
Ren's face heated up. Wait... is she asking me to feed her? He slowly raised a piece of mochi toward her lips. Mei froze, her emerald eyes wide and her ears turning bright red. She only wanted him to give her one, but he was actually feeding her? This was moving way too fast!
But then, the sound of something hitting the ground broke the tension.
Clatter!
Hidan, who had been following them while chewing on a rock-hard bun, stood there with his jaw dropped. His "food" had fallen to the dirt.
But as Ren and Mei turned, they realized Hidan wasn't the problem. On the rooftops behind him, countless ninjas in Mist uniforms were already weaving hand signs.
A roar tore through the peace of the city:
"Suiton: Dai Bakusui Shouha! (Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!)"
Ren's pupils contracted into needles as his Sharingan flared crimson!