The night was as deep as still water. Above, the sky was crowded with stars, the Milky Way hanging like a ribbon of pale light across the void.
Ren Uchiha lay sprawled on the bed of his guest room at the hot spring inn. Before him sat a high stack of papers; beneath the bed, a chaotic mess of crumpled trash. Each sheet was covered in analytical diagrams that only Ren could decipher.
After a session of grueling "labor" with his superior, he had finally extracted the intelligence he needed from Ryoma Aburame. He now had a comprehensive grasp of the current situation on the Rain Country battlefield.
Although the process had been irritating, the information provided was undeniably detailed.
The Sands of Fate:
The Hidden Sand had just ended its long-standing friction with the Mist. Two young powerhouses had emerged as candidates for the Fourth Kazekage: Rasa and Pakura.
To prepare for their invasion of the Land of Fire, the Sand was desperate to close the Mist front to avoid a two-front war. Originally, Rasa and the elders planned to sell out Pakura to the Mist as a sacrificial lamb to secure peace.
The Shift:
But then, Orochimaru and Danzo intervened. By leaking the Stone's ambush plans to the Mist, they caused the Mist elders to call off the war themselves. Having failed to sell out his teammate, Rasa was forced to take a desperate path to secure his throne.
He volunteered for a high-stakes diplomatic mission: personally traveling to the Land of Earth to negotiate an alliance with the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki. This bold move won him the title of Fourth Kazekage.
Ren let out a massive sigh of relief.
He had spent the night sketching lines and cross-referencing events. His conclusion? The butterfly effect hadn't shattered the main plot—yet. He had saved a few people who were meant to die, but the war's tide remained largely unchanged. Even if the Mist was stronger now, they were still just pawns in the grand design of the man behind the curtain: Madara Uchiha.
"Orochimaru joined the war because he didn't get the Body Revival technique... and he's doing this specifically to get his hands on it," Ren muttered.
He tapped his pen aggressively on the words: Rain Country Decapitation Strike. He drew a line connecting his name, Orochimaru's name, and the mission.
"Assassinating the Fourth Kazekage? It sounds pivotal, but this mission is a joke!"
"This is a suicide mission."
Ren narrowed his eyes, his mind tearing apart the logic of the assignment. Assassinating Rasa had no real strategic value. Even if they succeeded, the war was inevitable.
From Ren's perspective, this was a "lottery ticket" mission born from pure malice.
- The Master: Orochimaru didn't want a successful mission; he wanted Ren's corpse for dissection. He was sending Ren to the most dangerous front, hoping he'd die so he could drag the body back to a lab.
- The Shadow: Danzo was just "pulling the lever." If the mission succeeded, great. If it failed? He only lost an Uchiha kid.
It was a perfect trap.
In front of him: A Kage-level master, Rasa.
Behind him: His backstabbing master, Orochimaru.
To his left: A superior, Danzo, who hated his clan.
To his right: The meat-grinder of the Rain battlefield.
And in the center: Ren Uchiha, a boy with a death wish.
Ren couldn't help but let out a foolish, ecstatic grin.
"This is it..."
"My lower half is already in the morgue. This time, even Jesus can't save me!"
A flash of pure excitement surged in his eyes. He leaped out of bed, gathered every scrap of his secret analysis, and performed a hand seal.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
The papers turned to ash in an instant. Ren hopped back onto the bed and closed his eyes.
"Goodnight, motherf**kers!"
The next morning, at 7:00 AM sharp, Ren woke up.
Outside, the sky was a bruised purple, heavy with the promise of a downpour. A howling wind kicked open the window, sending a chill down his spine.
To welcome a day filled with death and challenge, Ren opened the scroll Seiichiro had given him. He funneled chakra into it, and a set of custom-made Uchiha combat gear materialized. He tossed the standard Leaf forehead protector into the trash.
He pulled on a mesh-lined undershirt and reinforced trousers. He buckled the charcoal-black vest armor bearing the Uchiha crest. Finally, he threw on the iconic high-collared navy blue robe of his clan.
Full battle dress.
Ren flipped out of the window and landed on the street. Ryoma Aburame was already waiting.
Ryoma raised an eyebrow as he took in the sight of the heavily armed, strikingly handsome youth. He had to admit: Uchihas might be crazy, but their sense of aesthetics was always on point.
"Good. It seems you're prepared."
"But don't forget—you are a Root ninja now. Wear this. And take your sword!"
Ryoma tossed him a pair of black tactical gloves and the Kusanagi blade. He turned toward the horizon, his gaze freezing over.
"Target: The Land of Rain!"
"Move out!"