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Chapter 543 - 542-Perhaps Another Time

Ayame's sharp features had settled into a mask of cool wariness as she regarded Renjiro, the surprise at his presence hardening into professional assessment. But it was the two men flanking her whose reactions spoke volumes louder than any words.

Sakurai Yuji, wielder of the twin lightning-infused Kiba swords, froze mid-step. His hand, which had been resting casually near the twin hilts jutting over his shoulders, spasmed into a white-knuckled grip. His normally sharp, confident eyes widened fractionally, then narrowed into slits of pure, visceral recognition – and the dread that followed it. He didn't move, but his entire posture radiated coiled tension, like a man facing a landslide.

Beside him, Kase Seiji, the massive bulk of Samehada strapped to his back, actually took an involuntary half-step back. The bandages wrapping the sentient sword's hilt seemed to pulse faintly, a low, predatory thrum momentarily replacing its usual hungry silence. Seiji's face paled beneath its weathering. His jaw clenched so tight the muscles stood out like cords, and a flicker of something akin to remembered pain crossed his eyes – the phantom ache of blows delivered with impossible speed and force.

The last time Renjiro Uzumaki was in Kirigakure, on a mission to return the Kabutowari sword, he hadn't just delivered a sword. He'd delivered a lesson. A casual spar had become a brutal, one-sided dismantling. Yuji, Seiji and Jurou of the Nuibari sword hadn't just lost; they'd been exposed, their legendary skills rendered momentarily insignificant against the raw, terrifying power the young Uzumaki commanded. The memory was a raw wound beneath their professional veneers.

Captain Katsu, oblivious to this silent exchange but simmering with his own indignation, seized the moment. "Lady Ayame!" he barked, "This… this is the extent of Konoha's commitment! A single shinobi! After weeks of planning, after agreeing to a combined assault requiring coordinated force, they send us… him! Alone! It's an insult! A blatant disregard for the alliance!"

Ayame, however, didn't immediately share his outrage. Her dark eyes remained fixed on Renjiro, assessing, calculating.

"Renjiro-san. It has been some time." Her greeting was cordial, devoid of warmth but also lacking overt hostility.

"Your presence is… unexpected."

Renjiro returned the nod, his expression unreadable. "Unexpected, perhaps, Lady Ayame, but necessary. Konoha's borders are stretched thinner than spider silk in a hurricane. Iwa screams accusations, Suna echoes them while Kumo sharpens its knives. Sending a larger force was impossible without inviting disaster upon our own homes."

His tone was matter-of-fact, stating strategic reality, not offering an apology.

"My presence is Konoha's commitment, condensed."

Ayame tilted her head, a flicker of genuine curiosity in her eyes. "Condensed indeed. Yet, one wonders, Renjiro-san… why send you? Your unique talents… wouldn't they be better employed shoring up Konoha's own defences? Facing the Iwa hordes or Suna's assassins directly?"

The question was pointed, probing for motive beneath the pragmatic explanation.

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched Renjiro's lips. "Defence?"

He chuckled softly, "Konoha is currently a turtle retreating into its shell. Necessary, but… dull. I find I work better when I'm the one cracking the other turtle's shell." He shrugged, "Offence suits my temperament. And my skills."

Katsu stared, baffled by Ayame's composure and Renjiro's flippant arrogance.

'Why isn't she tearing him apart? He disrespects us! He disrespects her position!' His furious thoughts churned, struggling to reconcile the Jinchuriki's calm with the perceived slight.

Then Renjiro turned his unsettling gaze away from Ayame, locking onto Yuji and Seiji, who visibly stiffened.

"Speaking of skills…" Renjiro's voice took on a deliberate, almost playful edge that sent a fresh chill down Katsu's spine. "Yuji-san. Seiji-san. Good to see you both recovered. Tell me…" He paused, "…are any of your esteemed colleagues present? Three at once barely posed a challenge last time."

Yuji's knuckles on the Kiba hilts turned bone-white. A faint tremor ran through Seiji's massive frame, and Samehada's thrum intensified, a sound like grinding teeth. They didn't look at Renjiro; they looked through him, haunted by the memory of that effortless humiliation.

"We…" Yuji began, his voice tight, strained. He cleared his throat. "…are here for the mission, Uzumaki. Not… recreational sparring." The words were clipped, forced out through gritted teeth. Seiji just gave a curt, almost imperceptible shake of his head, his eyes fixed on the tent floor near Renjiro's feet.

Katsu's anger evaporated, replaced by a cold wave of dawning comprehension and fear. The way the two legendary swordsmen – proud, deadly warriors revered in Kiri – reacted to this young Konoha ninja… It wasn't just respect. It was fear. Deep, ingrained, trauma-induced fear.

The arrogance Katsu perceived suddenly looked different, reframed by the visible dread of two of Kiri's strongest. 'What manner of demon did Konoha send us?'

The thought echoed, hollow and terrifying, in Katsu's mind.

Renjiro sighed, "A shame. Perhaps another time." He turned back to Ayame, his demeanour shifting back to businesslike calm as if the unsettling challenge had never happened. "The mission then. You were waiting for me? Let's proceed."

Ayame, who had watched the exchange with keen, unreadable eyes, gestured towards the map table. Katsu, forcing himself to move, his earlier bluster replaced by wary efficiency, stepped forward. He pointed to three marked locations on the detailed map of the Lightning Country coast.

"We will have simultaneous strikes. At Miyahira," he tapped a village marked with intricate symbols, "Umijiri," a point further north, "and Shiranami," a smaller, inland settlement near a major chakra relay station. "Kumo's power isn't centralised like ours or Konoha's. These three nodes are critical to their coastal surveillance, logistics, and long-range coordination. Sever them, and their southern flank goes dark and deaf."

"Miyahira…" Renjiro murmured, his gaze lingering on the village's name. His expression remained neutral, but a flicker of something – recognition, perhaps memory – passed through his dark eyes.

Katsu glanced up sharply. "You know it?"

Renjiro blinked, "The name rings a bell. Familiar terrain, perhaps."

"Familiar terrain?" Ayame repeated.

"Wasn't that where you had your… encounter with the two-tails Jinchuriki?"

Her gaze lifted, piercing and direct, locking onto Renjiro's.

Renjiro met her gaze, a slow, easy smile spreading across his face. It was charming, disarming, and utterly insincere. "Lady Ayame, surely you don't lend ears to Kumo's wild tales?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Their thirst for painting Konoha as monsters rivals their thirst for conquest. Me? Fight the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki?" He placed a hand lightly over his heart, the picture of earnest humility. "Standing here, feeling the sheer, blazing presence of Isobu within you… it's overwhelming. The idea that I could face Matatabi, let alone survive…?" He let out another soft laugh.

Ayame stared at him. Her expression didn't change, but inside her mind, thoughts raced.

'Lies.'

He was downplaying the whole incident. But calling him out directly in front of the others served no purpose now. He would just keep on denying it like Konoha has been since the last Kage summit. The mission was paramount.

"Fascinating stories, regardless. But you're right, our focus must remain on the task ahead." Ayame straightened, "The targets are dispersed. Miyahira is the farthest by sea. We need to move swiftly if we're to strike simultaneously."

Renjiro nodded, his smile fading into focused intensity. "Agreed. Time is the enemy now." He paused, then asked casually, yet the implication carried significant weight, "How many shinobi are we deploying per target? I can transport small groups directly to the areas near each target. I am sure that will save us time."

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