The arrival of Yagura Karatachi and Mangetsu Hozuki might have been a relief for Mei Terumi.
But for Ren Uchiha?
Well, it seemed like an opportunity of a different kind.
Ren realized instantly that these two would never let him walk away. He knew too much of the Mist's darkest secrets, and with Mangetsu now officially part of Yagura's faction, the stakes had shifted.
Yagura, still unaware that the Third Mizukage already knew of his betrayal, likely believed that Mangetsu was his ultimate trump card—an ace in the hole to checkmate the Mizukage. But that ace had been seen by an Uchiha, a Konoha shinobi.
Their positions were now diametrically opposed. The conflict was irreconcilable.
A normal person in this situation would have wished for two extra legs just to run faster.
But Ren Uchiha?
Running hadn't even crossed his mind.
Two dark spots grew larger as they approached, eventually landing on the rooftop with a splash of receding waves.
Yagura's expression was grim. He held a single-handed seal, using the water's surface to sense his surroundings—the very method he had used to track Mei's location. Seeing that she was unharmed, he allowed himself a small sigh of relief.
To a man obsessed with changing the "Bloody Mist," the support of the clans and elders behind Mei was indispensable.
His gaze shifted, landing on Ren and the steel threads in his hands. He noted the marks on the rooftops across the city, realizing this child was the one who had navigated the chaos so effectively.
He assumed Ren was simply a friend Mei had made from a smaller nation. A gentle, gentlemanly smile crossed Yagura's face as he spoke.
"You must be the one who saved Mei?"
Ren tilted his head slightly. Does he really not recognize me? He gave a non-committal grunt, his eyes drifting toward Mangetsu Hozuki.
Yagura nodded, memorizing Ren's face. "The situation is urgent. We must leave immediately. If you ever find yourself near the Hidden Mist, come find me. I will see to it that you are properly rewarded."
He turned to Mei, about to signal her to follow.
"Wait, Yagura."
Mangetsu Hozuki's brow furrowed. He reached out, gripping Yagura's shoulder with a cold hand.
"Hmm? What is it?" Yagura asked, confused.
Mangetsu didn't look at him. His eyes were locked onto Ren, fixed with a predatory chill.
"That brat... is an Uchiha."
"An Uchiha?" Yagura's eyebrows knit together. He looked back at Ren, who stood silently on the roof.
It made sense. An Uchiha with a Sharingan would naturally be an expert in wire-play and shurikenjutsu. After a moment of thought, Yagura shook his head at Mangetsu.
"It doesn't matter. We have no direct conflict with Konoha right now. Completing our objective is the priority. Let's not go looking for trouble. We leave."
The Mist Pursuer-nin were out in force specifically for Yagura. Every second wasted increased the risk of capture.
But Mangetsu didn't move an inch.
"No, Yagura."
He raised a hand, pointing to his bandaged, sightless eye. His voice was a razor's edge.
"Do you remember asking me how I lost this eye?"
Yagura froze. He looked back at the Uchiha boy, realization dawning on him. Is this the one from Mei's reports?
Mangetsu let out a harsh cold snort, a flash of murderous intent igniting in his gaze.
"That's right. This brat is the one responsible."
He bared his shark-like teeth in a cruel smirk.
"Isn't that right... Ren Uchiha!"
Ren's eyes flared into a crimson Sharingan. He actually smiled.
"What? You want me to blow out the other eye too?"
Mangetsu chuckled darkly and shook his head. He reached behind his back, gripping the hilt of his massive blade.
Slowly, he began to unwrap the bandages, revealing the broad, heavy twinswords—Hiramekarei. The blade's edge shimmered with a cold, blue light.
The air on the rooftop turned stagnant. A suffocating pressure radiated outward.
The civilians Ren had saved realized the shift in atmosphere and scrambled back in terror. One even threw himself back into the churning floodwater. In the world of shinobi, being caught in a crossfire was a death sentence. To them, drowning was a mercy compared to what was coming.
Mei stood between the three of them, her heart racing. The shift was too fast, leaving her torn. She stepped forward, trying to intercede.
"Wait! Lord Yagura! Mangetsu! You—"
"Step back, Mei."
Ren interrupted her, his voice calm—almost unnervingly indifferent.
Mei turned to him, her emerald eyes filled with conflict. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ren's gaze stopped her.
"This is the fate of a shinobi, Mei," Ren said quietly. "As long as we are in this cycle, this is unavoidable. You once said we were destined to be enemies... destined to meet on the battlefield."
He took a deep breath, his focus narrowing.
"It took less time than expected. But we are here now."
In the next heartbeat, Ren slammed his hand against his abdomen!
The Ouroboros seal flared to life, swirling around his palm. The erupting Dark Chakra was fully unleashed, surging through every vein and meridian in his body.
His crimson Sharingan glowed with an eerie, supernatural light. The massive surge of chakra caused the roof tiles beneath his feet to rattle and crack.
He was a Jinchuriki now. He was at full strength. And he was ready to use his forbidden techniques once more.
Facing Mangetsu, the man who had nearly died by his blade, Ren felt a surge of anticipation. He wanted to see how far he could go.
A sudden gust of wind whipped through Yagura's deep green hair. The hesitation in his eyes vanished, replaced by a gaze as cold as ice.
"I see."
"I didn't want to waste time here, but... I'm sorry. You know too much."
Yagura raised his hooked staff, pointing it directly at Ren's heart.
"For the greater good of the Mist, you must die here. Don't worry. I'm fast. You won't feel a thing."
Looking at Yagura, and then at the hellish, flooded landscape surrounding them, Ren felt a sudden urge to laugh.
His gaze turned feral. He stomped the ground!
A dozen roof tiles were kicked into the air. With a flick of his wrists, Ren sent them spinning like shuriken toward his two opponents.
Under the cover of the flying tiles, he lunged forward, his hands blurring through seals.
"Suiton: Suiyaba! (Water Style: Water Tooth Blade!)"
His Sharingan darted left and right, his eyes finally locking onto a swirling vortex on the water's surface nearby.