Before Rēn could change tactics,
He sensed a subtle vibration underfoot and instinctively moved. At the critical moment, he dodged an upward strike aimed at his abdomen. A sharp blade emerged from below, slicing past his right side. The red armor deflected the wind-infused blade, not even leaving a scratch, to the masked Mist shinobi's visible confusion.
This attacker—number one in swordsmanship among the Fourth Mizukage's shadow guard—had once cleaved through a comrade's Water Dragon Bullet and split boulders in two. Yet now, his blade couldn't penetrate armor barely thicker than a thumb.
He was baffled.
But he didn't dwell on it.
They were still in the middle of battle.
Swinging his right-hand blade had failed, so with no time to sheathe and draw again, he flicked his left arm, drawing a kunai from his sleeve. Wind chakra spiraled around it as he flung it at Rēn's unprotected face. The failed strike had already shown him that Rēn's armor had staggering defense—so now he targeted the head.
And he wasn't fighting alone.
"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spears."
The ground behind Rēn rippled like a carpet, and stone spears burst upward, aiming for his feet. At the same time, attacks came in from both sides—not Wind or Earth Style this time, but Kirigakure's specialty: Water Style.
"Water Style: Water Whip."
Two Mist shinobi cracked long whips strong enough to split stone, aiming directly at Rēn.
Against a Sharingan wielder, at least two equally skilled opponents were needed—this was an iron rule among the villages of Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure. The Mizukage's shadow guards, hardened by countless battles, knew this well.
So, to ensure the success of capturing Uchiha Rēn, the four of them attacked at once.
And it proved wise.
Though the outcome didn't change—the gap between them was too wide to be bridged by caution alone.
Rēn looked at the incoming kunai, formed a one-handed tiger seal with his left hand, and gently exhaled.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.
At close range, the fireball not only deflected and superheated the kunai, but also incinerated the blood-soaked ground where it landed, leaving a deep, irregular crater.
"One."
Rēn counted softly.
After eliminating the Mist shinobi in front of him, he stomped the ground and leapt into the air, narrowly dodging the spears erupting from the earth. In midair, he glanced at the Earth Style user.
Of course,
His troubles weren't over yet.
The water whips striking from both sides carried a fierce, cutting whistle with each swing, making it clear they weren't to be taken lightly. Although Water Whip was classified as a C-rank ninjutsu, a jutsu's rank didn't always directly reflect its power. Its classification involved many complex factors. And most importantly, the same jutsu could vary drastically in effectiveness depending on the user.
This pair of Kirigakure shinobi provided a perfect example. The Water Whips they wielded clearly exceeded standard expectations.
Even if he were struck, he wouldn't be shattered limb from limb—his armor possessed the defensive power of a D-rank Noble Phantasm. While it couldn't completely neutralize incoming damage, it would significantly reduce its impact.
At most, it would send him flying with some bruising and contusions.
"Uchiha Style: Great Fire Blade."
Faced with the Water Release technique, Rēn was reminded of the good old days on the battlefield, setting Kirigakure shinobi ablaze. He drew his sword, flames coiling around the blade, and as the twin water whips lashed in from either side, he met them midair with a clean, sweeping arc.
Offense against offense. Force against force.
Back then, what he loved most was overwhelming enemy Water Release head-on with Fire Release.
To crush the enemy using their strongest domain—
That was exactly the reason Rēn earned the nickname "Flame Demon." The "Flame" referred to his mastery of Fire Release; the "Demon" described his ruthless and often excessive methods.
As flame and water collided midair, a burst of tightly controlled, high-temperature fire evaporated the whips completely. The mist of steam that lingered was like a cloud hanging in the air. Judging from the way the two Kirigakure shinobi recoiled and withdrew their hands, they had likely been scalded by the superheated steam.
Then—
Still airborne, Rēn turned his gaze into the distance.
"You're the second."
The Kirigakure ninja who had used Earth Release to attack Rēn was startled by the voice behind him. He had clearly seen Rēn counter his teammate—who often boasted about being the most skilled swordsman among them—and attempt to retreat. He had been calculating which jutsu to use in coordination...
So how had Uchiha Rēn suddenly appeared behind him?
Body Flicker? Shadow Clone? Or some technique he didn't know?
His thoughts raced. In that brief instant, he couldn't figure out what technique Rēn had used. He stopped thinking. Instead of waiting to die, he moved purely on instinct, spun around, and punched hard in the direction of the voice. The punch was reinforced with Earth Release: Hardening Technique. If it hit, it would hurt Rēn for sure.
Even if he died in the process, he chose offense over defense or retreat. That ruthless decisiveness was a trademark of Kirigakure shinobi.
But the full-force punch struck only empty air.
Behind him, he saw only the solitary shadow of himself.
When the incoming shuriken shattered his spine and drove bone fragments deep into his body, the blinding pain snapped him out of the illusion. In the final moments of his life, he finally realized what Rēn had done.
It was genjutsu.
Of course he should have expected that from a Uchiha.
His dulling mind couldn't even pinpoint when he'd fallen under the illusion.
That final puzzle in his heart unresolved, he coughed up blood laced with bits of his organs, then collapsed face-first, his body cooling into a corpse.
"What a hassle."
Rēn lowered his left hand after releasing the shuriken. His brow furrowed. These Kirigakure shinobi were quite skilled. Killing them wasn't easy. The two who had burned their hands retreated behind the castle gates, where members of the Shadow Guard skilled in medical ninjutsu began treating them.
So far, only two of the four attackers had been killed.
He had to admit that these Kirigakure ninja were elites: strong and troublesome to kill.
And this was without Yagura taking the field. The remaining ten members of the Shadow Guard also chose not to intervene. If Yagura recovered and joined the battle, Rēn's current abilities might not be enough to handle it.
More importantly, Yagura was now a Jinchūriki. If the Tailed Beast was released and just two Tailed Beast Balls were launched, Rēn would have no choice but to flee or resort to using the Mangekyō Sharingan. Fleeing wouldn't be easy either—Yagura and his twelve subordinates could delay him long enough to prevent escape.
So—
Using the Mangekyō Sharingan might be the only real option.
"Is the goal to drain my ocular power? Or to probe my dojutsu?"
Rēn's scarlet eyes rotated.
At this point, he began to grasp Uchiha Obito's true intent behind setting this trap. Perhaps Obito's target had been him all along—fearing the unknown potential of Rēn's hidden dojutsu. Was he trying to expose it? Or just wear it down until it left him blind?
Or maybe... both?
Rēn had never fully understood why Obito was involved in the Uchiha Clan's massacre. After all, Rin Nohara's death couldn't be blamed on the Uchiha.
Then he recalled Obito's deep wariness toward Uchiha Itachi—and a theory took shape. Maybe beyond gathering Sharingan for Izanagi, the real purpose had been to prevent the rise of more Mangekyō.
After all,
Obito's dominance in the shinobi world came from Kamui, his Mangekyō dojutsu. He, more than anyone, understood the sheer power of those eyes.
And now—
Faced with this situation, Rēn was starting to believe his theory was correct.
Staring at the castle ahead, Rēn's lips curled slightly into a smile. Even if it was a trap, he would walk into it—because understanding what Obito was after was too important to ignore.
Now that he knew what Obito wanted—
He would give it to him!