The staging ground was still a chaos of exhausted shinobi and urgent activity; genin collapsed onto the grass, their bodies trembling with the aftermath of the mass teleportation. Medical personnel rushed between the fallen, their hands glowing with healing chakra, their voices sharp with commands. Kakashi stood apart from the group, his clothing damaged, his visible eye fixed on Minato with an expression that carried the weight of his report. The delegation had been extracted, but Renjiro was still out there, alone against an unknown enemy.
Then a sudden burst of yellow-red light erupted at the centre of the staging ground. Renjiro materialised alone through Hiraishin, his arrival immediate and jarring. He was visibly exhausted; breathing heavier than normal, clothes damaged and dirty from the battle, blood still dried around one eye, and chakra reserves noticeably depleted. His Mangekyō Sharingan remained active, still spinning despite the strain, its pattern a testament to the battle he had just endured.
His arrival immediately drew the attention of nearby shinobi. Several genin looked up, their faces pale with exhaustion. Medical personnel paused in their work, their eyes fixed on the lone figure. The tension in the air shifted; relief mixed with concern as they realised that the commander had returned, but he had returned alone and battered.
Renjiro looked across the staging area and noticed Minato and Hiruzen standing together. This caught him off guard. He had expected Minato to remain in Konoha after returning, secure the village, and then eventually head back toward the border. He had not expected the Hokage to still be here.
Wait… why the hell is Minato still here? He thought, his internal voice sharp with sudden suspicion. Was the attack worse than we expected? Did something else happen while I was gone? Did they find something?
He remembered Minato's original priority had been securing Konoha before returning to the delegation. The fact that the Hokage was still here suggested something significant had occurred. His paranoia briefly kicked in, his mind racing through possibilities. Then he consciously dismissed the thought.
Dammit, Renjiro, he told himself, his internal voice firm with self-correction. Not everything is a conspiracy. You're exhausted and coming directly from an insane battle. Your mind is probably overanalysing everything.
He forced himself to relax.
Hiruzen immediately noticed Renjiro's eyes. This was the first time the Third Hokage had personally seen Renjiro's Mangekyō Sharingan activated. He studied the unusual pattern carefully, his aged eyes tracing the intricate design, the way the tomoe seemed to move, the sheer power radiating from the dojutsu.
The pattern is clearly Mangekyō, Hiruzen thought, his internal voice analytical. The chakra being emitted from Renjiro's eyes is extraordinary. This isn't a simple evolution; this is something far more advanced.
Crucially, Hiruzen did not realise Renjiro possessed an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. He assumed Renjiro was suffering the normal consequences associated with prolonged Mangekyō use; the strain, the pain, the gradual deterioration of vision.
How long has he possessed this? Hiruzen wondered. And what exactly happened in Kumo to leave him looking like this?
Minato's attention shifted from the conversation with Hiruzen to Renjiro. His first concern was practical; was Renjiro injured, where was the delegation, did everyone make it back safely? He moved toward Renjiro, his blue eyes scanning the damage, his voice sharp with urgency.
"Renjiro. What happened?"
Renjiro gave him a tired look, his eyes reflecting the exhaustion of the battle. He confirmed the delegation was safe, his voice carrying the weight of his assurance.
"The delegation is safe. Everyone made it back."
The immediate tension around Minato dropped slightly.
"Start from the moment you separated from the delegation," Minato instructed. "Tell me everything."
Renjiro explained everything in chronological order, his voice flat and matter-of-fact. First, he had prioritised getting the Daimyo and his entourage to safety. He had ensured the Daimyo was securely returned toward the capital, confirming that the delegation's safety remained his primary objective throughout. Then, once the Daimyo was secure, he had gone back to confront the attackers.
"They weren't ordinary shinobi," Renjiro said, his voice carrying the weight of his observation. "Their abilities were completely abnormal. Mechanical bodies, regenerative summons, gravity manipulation, chakra absorption."
He paused, his eyes meeting Hiruzen's.
"They were from the Akatsuki."
Hiruzen listened increasingly carefully, his aged eyes fixed on Renjiro's face. The name was familiar, the organisation a shadow that had been growing in the margins of the shinobi world.
Renjiro recounted how the enemy operated as a coordinated group, explaining the shared vision between them, the way they moved as one, and how he had adapted his fighting style around that advantage. He briefly mentioned the techniques he had used; Susanoo, Adamantine Sealing Chains, and his spatial movement. He described the destruction and sealing of several enemy bodies, his tone almost matter-of-fact.
"They attacked. I figured out what they could do. I killed and sealed the ones I could. The strongest one escalated and got the sealed bodies before escaping."
His tone was so casual that it made the scale of what he had accomplished feel even more impressive.
Hiruzen recalled Kakashi's earlier description; mechanical weapons, regenerating summons, gravity manipulation. Renjiro's account confirmed that Kakashi hadn't exaggerated anything. The Third Hokage realised that Renjiro had fought these monsters alone after sending everyone else away. His concern shifted from suspicion to genuine astonishment.
"How did you survive?" Hiruzen asked, his voice carrying the weight of his disbelief.
Renjiro casually explained that he had used Hiraishin repeatedly throughout the battle. He explained that it had allowed him to escape the gravity techniques, avoid fatal attacks, appear inside openings, and attack during the enemy's cooldown. He mentioned that the enemy had more chakra than him, which was a surprise since he hadn't come across any shinobi who had more chakra than him apart from jinchuriki.
He carefully omitted the details of his confrontation with Pain; he couldn't let Minato and Hiruzen know how that encounter had truly gone. He lied about the extent of the battle, the nature of the enemy, and the outcome of the exchange.
"Even Orochimaru?" Hiruzen immediately asked.
Renjiro was surprised at how the former Hokage knew of this and wondered if Minato had divulged the information to him. His internal reaction was one of irritation; he thought this was totally unnecessary, a breach of trust that could have been avoided.
"Yes."
Minato told him? Renjiro thought, his internal voice sharp with displeasure. That was completely unnecessary. There was no reason to share that information.
Hiruzen interrupted Renjiro, his expression shifting as he asked the question that had been forming in his mind.
"So you really mastered the Hiraishin?"
Renjiro looked at him, slightly confused by the reaction. He confirmed it casually, his voice carrying the weight of his admission.
"Yeah."
Hiruzen realised that Renjiro wasn't talking about knowing the technique or being capable of using it occasionally. He had apparently mastered it enough to use it repeatedly in a prolonged, high-level battle. The revelation gave Hiruzen another reason to reassess everything he thought he knew about Renjiro.
The Flying Thunder God is one of the most difficult techniques in existence, Hiruzen thought, his internal voice carrying the weight of his realisation. Even Minato's mastery of it is considered exceptional. And Renjiro has apparently achieved the same level.
He realised that Renjiro was not just the young boy he had literally seen grow up, but his possible involvement in something much larger was throbbing in Hiruzen's mind. This was because he regarded associating with Orochimaru a great sin; the thought that Renjiro might have some connection to his former student was deeply troubling.
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