"Red Demon…" The choked whisper escaped Kenji, his face pale beneath the pale light, eyes wide with primal fear. His hand instinctively flew to his kunai pouch.
"Shut it, idiot!" Taizo hissed, shoving Kenji hard in the chest.
"Thump!"
Kenji stumbled back against a thick root, gasping. Taizo's own eyes never left the silhouette above, his knuckles white on the hilt of his wakizashi. The other two Kiri shinobi froze, their postures rigid with alarm. Recognition dawned, sharp and chilling. The shock of red hair, even in the gloom, was unmistakable against the Konoha forehead protector. The Sharingan… the sheer, silent lethality.
"Uzumaki… Renjiro," Taizo breathed, the name tasting like cold iron.
Before any further reaction could solidify, Renjiro acted. He didn't descend. He simply… expanded. Not physically, but his chakra erupted outwards in an invisible, crushing wave.
"FWOOM!"
A suffocating blanket of raw power settled over the entire island. The air itself seemed to thicken, pressing down on lungs. The incessant drone of insects ceased abruptly. The water's lapping grew muffled, distant. Every root, every leaf, every hidden crab scuttling in the mud – Renjiro sensed it all.
He felt the thrumming fear of the four shinobi before him, their chakra signatures flaring like startled beacons against the island's background hum. It was instantaneous, total awareness.
'Ooh,' Renjiro thought, a flicker of amusement touching his mind as his Sharingan scanned the trembling figures below.
'Almost thought these were the heads, but they are just the welcoming committee.'
Without a word, without a sound beyond the faintest displacement of air, he vanished.
"Fwip."
Gone from the branch as if he'd never been there, leaving only the oppressive weight of his chakra field and four stunned shinobi gasping in the sudden, eerie quiet.
The silence stretched, broken only by Kenji's ragged breathing and the slow, hesitant return of the swamp's nocturnal chorus. The crushing pressure of Renjiro's chakra receded as swiftly as it had arrived, leaving a vacuum filled with shock.
"Wait…" one of the cylinder bearers muttered, wiping sweat from his brow with a trembling hand.
"That… that was him? Uzumaki Renjiro?"
"It had to be," Taizo confirmed, his voice rough. He scanned the treetops warily, his own chakra still prickling.
"Red hair. Konoha headband. And those eyes…" He shuddered involuntarily.
"Reports don't do it justice. When he looked down… my instincts screamed run."
Kenji pushed himself off the root, rubbing his chest where Taizo had shoved him.
"He's… younger than I expected," he mumbled, a mix of awe and lingering terror in his voice.
"But… threatening doesn't even cover it. It felt like… like standing in front of a tidal wave made of knives."
"Enough gawking!" Taizo snapped.
"He's headed for the command tent. Move! We need to inform Captain Katsu that the Konoha… team… has arrived. Now!" He gestured sharply. =====
Renjiro materialized inside the command tent with the same silent abruptness he'd employed outside.
"Fwip."
The air inside was marginally drier but thick with the smell of lamp oil, stale sweat, and the faint brine that permeated everything on the island. A single, guttering lantern cast long, dancing shadows on the heavy canvas walls.
A man in Kiri jonin vestments, his dark hair cropped short, was bent over a large map spread on a collapsible table, tracing a route along the coastline with a calloused finger. He didn't look up.
"Amari," the man – clearly Captain Shiro Katsu – grunted, his voice focused but weary. "Have the Konoha team finally dragged themselves ashore? Or did they get lost sightseeing in the mangroves?"
He made a small notation on the map with a charcoal stick.
"Skritch!"
Silence answered him. Only the faint hiss of the lantern and the distant sounds of the swamp filtered in. Frowning, Katsu finally looked up. His dark eyes, sharp and assessing, met Renjiro's calm gaze.
Renjiro's Sharingan was deactivated now, his eyes a deep, unsettling blue-violet, but the intensity remained. Katsu's brows furrowed instantly, confusion hardening into suspicion.
"Who the hell are you?" Katsu demanded, straightening up, his hand drifting instinctively towards the tanto at his hip. His posture radiated authority and immediate distrust. This wasn't one of his men, nor any Kiri shinobi he knew.
The Konoha headband was a glaring anomaly.
"You must be Shiro Katsu, right?" Renjiro asked, his voice calm, almost conversational, yet carrying an undercurrent that demanded attention. He didn't move, simply stood just inside the tent flap, an island of stillness.
Katsu's eyes narrowed, taking in the youthful face, the shock of red hair, the unnerving composure. A flicker of realisation dawned, warring with disbelief.
"Ooh… so you're part of the team Konoha sent?" His gaze swept past Renjiro as if expecting others to materialise behind him. He sized the young Uzumaki up, clearly unimpressed by the apparent lack of backup or visible weaponry beyond standard kunai pouches.
Just then, the tent flap was yanked open. Taizo burst in, slightly breathless.
"Captain! The Konoha shinobi—!" He stopped short, seeing Renjiro already standing before Katsu. His eyes widened slightly.
Katsu waved a dismissive hand, his gaze still locked on Renjiro. "I'm aware, Taizo."
He jerked his chin towards Renjiro. "See that the rest of his team is prepped and briefed on the insertion point. We move within the hour."
Taizo opened his mouth, then closed it, glancing uncertainly between his captain and the eerily calm Konoha ninja.
Renjiro smiled faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "There is no 'rest of the team,' Captain Katsu," he stated, his voice clear and cutting through the tent's thick air.
"I am the team Konoha sent."
"You… what?" Katsu's voice was dangerously low. The initial confusion hardened into cold, simmering anger. His face darkened, the lines around his mouth deepening.
"Taizo," he said, his tone icy, "go. Now. Fetch the other captians and inform Lady Ayame that her presence is required. Immediately."
Taizo snapped a hasty salute, "Hai, Captain!" and ducked out of the tent, shooting one last bewildered look at Renjiro.
The flap fell shut, leaving Katsu and Renjiro alone in the lantern-lit silence, the tension crackling like static.
Katsu took a step closer, "Does your village hold our alliance in such contempt? Do you truly disrespect Kirigakure so deeply that you send a single boy to support a critical joint assault?!"
His voice rose slightly, fueled by indignation and the perceived insult.
Renjiro met Katsu's anger with unflinching calm. He inclined his head slightly, a gesture that could be interpreted as respect, though his eyes remained watchful. "Contempt is not the reason, Captain Katsu. Necessity is. Iwa has openly accused Konoha of aggression. Suna echoes their claims. Kumo will most likely fan the flames. Konoha expects a combined assault from all three, potentially imminently. Every able-bodied shinobi of the Leaf is currently deployed or held in reserve, consolidating our defences across multiple threatened borders." He spread his hands slightly, a pragmatic gesture.
"Sending a larger force was impossible without critically weakening our homeland's defences. My presence here is a testament to the value Konoha does place on this alliance and this mission."
Katsu snorted, "Value? You are alone! Why approve the attack plan if you knew you couldn't commit the agreed-upon force? This reeks of either arrogance or stupidity!"
He took another step, invading Renjiro's personal space, trying to intimidate with his veteran presence.
Renjiro didn't flinch. Instead, a slow, confident smirk touched his lips. "Because, Captain," he said, "while I may be here alone, I am more than capable of contributing significantly to the success of this mission. In fact, I'd wager I can deliver more impact than the squad you were expecting."
Katsu's eyes blazed. "You arrogant lit—!"
The tent flap was swept aside with force. Three figures entered. Leading them was a woman with sharp, intelligent features and short, dark hair. She wore practical Kiri attire, but an aura of contained, immense power radiated from her – Ayame, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki. Behind her loomed two men.
Seeing the new 'visitors', Renjiro's smirk widened, transforming into a knowing, almost predatory grin as his sharp eyes flickered between the Jinchuriki and the two legendary swordsmen. He offered a shallow, deliberate bow towards Ayame, his gaze never fully leaving the swordsmen.
"Ayame-san," he said, "It has been a while. I was just informing Captain Katsu here that I am more than capable enough to contribute significantly to the mission."
The air crackled with unspoken history and lethal potential. "Though I must admit," Renjiro added, "I did not know Kirigakure would be gracing us with the presence of some of its legendary Seven Swordsmen."
=====
Bless me with your powerful Power Stones.
Your Reviews and Comments about my work are welcomed
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/SideCharacter
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon.