The Konoha front in the Land of Rain was situated right on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.
War is merely an extension of politics. When the four great nations all wanted a piece of the Land of Fire, Konoha knew this campaign would be a long, grueling meat grinder. However, internal friction within Konoha remained high.
Within the "Konoha F4," Danzo Shimura insisted on a swift, decisive strike—thrusting deep into the Land of Wind to crush the Sand and intimidate the world.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, countered with a long list of reasons: the Sand's desert terrain was a fortress; the Ebizo-Chiyo sibling duo were too slippery; and most importantly, Konoha had to conserve strength for the Cloud at the Land of Rice border.
Helpless to change the mind of his old friend, Danzo left with a cold warning: "Hiruzen, you will regret this."
Hiruzen simply blew a smoke ring in his face and replied: "Danzo, I am the Hokage."
This disagreement at the top trickled down to the front lines. Currently, the Konoha camp held two distinct powers: the standard Shinobi forces led by Jiraiya, and the Root operatives brought by Orochimaru.
Because of the unique climate, the half of the camp facing the Land of Rain was cloaked in rolling black clouds and thunder. The half facing the Land of Fire was a vibrant spring landscape.
As a Root ninja, Ren Uchiha had to go to the side where the lightning struck and the rain poured. It was an environment that perfectly matched his current mood.
Ren walked into the camp looking dazed. In modern terms, he had just been "PUA'd" by Orochimaru.
The man gives him a Kusanagi sword and immediately starts treating him like a pack mule. In the next battle, he was expected to take on a hundred enemies alone—essentially serving as a hundred pack mules. Soon, he would even have to cross the border to assassinate a head of state!
Technically, this aligned with Ren's expectations. He had been terrified that Orochimaru would value his talent and try to protect him. Now it turned out Orochimaru did value his talent—but that didn't stop him from trying to work Ren to death.
Yet, Ren felt a lingering sense of dread.
What if this 'cheap master' of mine is following Elder Setsuna's script? What if he's just waiting for the moment I'm about to die to swoop in and save me?
The thought of the survival techniques Orochimaru would force upon him made Ren shiver. He was already terrifyingly tanky. His arsenal was a freak show of immortality, Earth Grudge Fear stitching, and the Body Revival jutsu.
If you added the Cursed Seal, Snake Ninjutsu, Ryuchi Cave Summons, Orochimaru-style Substitutions, and even Sage Mode...
Ren had a sudden urge to slap himself. He stood on the border line—half in the sun, half in the rain—feeling the dual agony of becoming even harder to kill and the joy of being able to fight to the death.
He closed his eyes and began flailing his arms at the air in a distorted, frustrated dance.
"This is a goddamn sin!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Finally, he gritted his teeth, aimed his hand at his own face, and swung with all his might!
However, at that exact moment—
"Whoa! Hey, hey, hey!"
"Ren-kun, what are you doing?!"
A clear, urgent voice rang out. In the next heartbeat, a figure appeared before him with a lightning-fast Body Flicker, firmly grabbing his wrist.
"I won't let you hurt yourself like this!"
Ren looked up and his eyes widened as if he were seeing a prehistoric monster. The person standing there, whom he hadn't seen in a week since leaving the village, was Shisui Uchiha!
Ren instinctively took half a step back, his body trembling as dead memories began to flood his mind. Everything he had become—every ounce of his current suffering—was because of this person!
It was him! It was him all along!
Ren was so emotional that his Sharingan spun to life, his pupils vibrating wildly. If this bird-brain hadn't stolen his original suicide mission to the Land of Rain, Ren would never have gone to the Land of Hot Water. He wouldn't have met Shinno, Kakuzu, or Orochimaru. He would have likely died as a nameless casualty in some quiet corner of the war.
Ren took a deep breath, painfully closed his eyes, and forced a dry smile. He raised a palm. "Hi..."
Shisui looked at Ren with deep concern and sighed. "Ren-kun, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. I've heard about what happened in the Land of Hot Water."
Shisui stood on his tiptoes to pat Ren's shoulder, his expression earnest. "No one could have done better. The Great Elder using Izanagi was unavoidable. You mustn't let it weigh on your heart."
Ren's smile froze. Right. There's still the Great Elder Setsuna. How could I forget about that loose end?
Shisui grinned, scratching his messy hair. "By the way, the Great Elder sent a messenger hawk. For the coming days, you are to join me and learn how to use the Sharingan under Big Brother Shinichi."
"We'll cover basic clan Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and all the advanced techniques."
He began pulling Ren forward, chatting as they walked. "Ren, you haven't met Shinichi-niisan yet, have you? He's incredibly strong and kind. Under his guidance, I've mastered these eyes. I even discovered that merging ocular powers with the Body Flicker creates a very special effect."
"We can discuss it together later. I think—"
Ren swallowed hard, looking at the "kind" Shisui as if he were a literal little demon. He raised his hand to cut him off.
"Stop!"
"What did you just say? What do you want to discuss with me?"
Shisui paused, then laughed brightly. "Look at me, I forgot to name the technique. Hmm... how about we call it... The Afterimage Body Flicker?"
Ren sucked in a cold breath of air. Shisui Uchiha was a once-in-a-century genius. Even without going to the Land of Hot Water, he had followed the tracks of history and developed the technique that would make his name legendary.
It was an S-rank feat of merging Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and a Bloodline Limit. Ren felt like he was witnessing the opening act of a legend: Shisui of the Body Flicker.
Ren began to cough violently, his scalp tingling. Shisui wanted to teach him that?
Enough! At this rate, before he could even start his solo hundred-man battle or his crazy assassination plan, he would be forced to become even more "tanky"!
"Cough... Shisui, I appreciate the thought, but that jutsu sounds difficult. Maybe we should take it slow..."
Ren desperately tried to change the subject. "Also, where are you taking me? We're pretty far from the main camp, aren't we?"
Without realizing it, Shisui had pulled him out of the camp and into the territory of the Land of Rain. They were currently in a dark, eerie forest filled with a foul, lingering miasma. Rain pitter-pattered through the branches.
Shisui smiled and let go of Ren's arm.
"The thing is, Ren... I've made a few friends here in the Land of Rain. They heard of your reputation and wanted to meet you."
Ren let out a hollow laugh. Reputation? He was a bottom-tier Chunin that nobody knew.
"Don't tease me, Shisui. I've been running like a mule for two days. I'm starving. Let's find some food first." Ren scratched his head. "So, where's the kitchen?"
Suddenly, a clear, disciplined voice rang out from the branches above. Three dark shadows leaped down.
"The disciple of the Sannin. The one who crushed the Jashin Cult. The 'Undying Ashura' who held his own against the Mist prodigy, Mangetsu Hozuki."
"Ren Uchiha!"
"It is an honor to meet you!"
The leader pulled back his hood, revealing short, vibrant orange hair that seemed to shine even in the gloom. He gave Ren a wide, brilliant grin.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
"I am the leader of the Akatsuki organization—Yahiko!"