Country of Rivers, in front of a certain estate.
It was raining. The curtain of rain fell like fine silver threads.
Heaven and earth were shrouded in a hazy mist.
In the distance, three figures slowly approached the estate.
They wore black bamboo hats, the hanging fringe swaying gently in the rain, obscuring their faces.
"This is the employer's residence," Danzo said, glancing at the mission map in his hand.
"Something feels off. I think we're too late," Renya muttered, tilting the brim of his hat lower. His Sharingan gleamed faintly crimson under the shadow. "Stay alert."
Instinctively, he gripped the katana at his waist.
Their footsteps slowed in unison. The sound of raindrops striking their hats became unusually clear.
Before long, the estate's vermilion gate came into view.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew, lifting Renya's hat. He quickly pressed it down, but his gaze locked with a figure standing on the rooftop—also wearing a hat.
Renya sighed inwardly.
This mission had failed.
They'd arrived too late—the employer was already dead...
Still, since they were here, shouldn't they at least avenge the client?
With that thought, Renya immediately activated a genjutsu with his Sharingan.
The person on the roof made eye contact with him—and froze in place, blank and unresponsive.
"Heh... You dared to meet the eyes of a Uchiha's Sharingan?" Renya's lips curled faintly. He didn't even need to guess the outcome.
"Take them down!" Danzo barked.
In a flash, Koharu spun and flung several shuriken. They sliced through the rain, flying toward the figure on the roof.
"Thwip thwip thwip—"
The sound of steel piercing flesh echoed, and the figure tumbled down from the rooftop.
Renya stepped forward and pushed open the door. The thick stench of blood mixed with damp air hit them instantly.
Corpses were sprawled haphazardly inside—most likely the bodyguards hired by the client.
But they were clearly too weak—no match for the killer.
Under the flickering torchlight, a plump man in luxurious robes slumped in a wooden chair. A gaping, gruesome wound at his neck had nearly severed his head. His bulging, cloudy eyes were frozen in terror, as if silently screaming the despair he'd felt at the moment of death.
There was no doubt—this was their employer.
"Damn it, we're too late!" Danzo clenched his fists, unwilling to accept what he saw.
"What do we do now, Renya-kun?" Koharu asked.
"Well, the client's dead, but we can't just leave empty-handed, right?" Renya looked around at the lavish furnishings. "Let's grab something valuable for the road. Call it a travel reimbursement."
Danzo twitched at the corner of his mouth, unsure what to say.
Uchiha Renya was getting more and more wicked—he wouldn't even let a dead man's belongings go...
But admittedly, it was a good idea.
Just looking at the decor, there was no doubt this guy had money.
The three began to loot the estate.
If anyone saw this scene, they'd definitely assume that Konoha's shinobi had killed the client for money.
"Hahaha! We struck gold!" Danzo was beaming, staring at a chest full of gold and jewels, grinning so wide his face nearly twisted.
"Danzo, finders keepers means all three share," Renya said.
At some point, he and Koharu had appeared next to him.
Danzo: "..."
Watching them take two-thirds of the loot from the chest, he wanted to slap himself.
He should've kept his mouth shut.
Now look—he'd gone from hitting it big to hitting it kinda big.
After they finished looting, the three left the estate.
Renya took the time to gather up the corpses, intending to bury them somewhere proper.
That money? He'd consider it the employer's funeral fee.
"Sigh... This mission was a bust," Renya said with some regret.
He had deliberately chosen a bodyguard mission to get away from Senju Tobirama and stay out in the field for a while.
Who would've thought the mission would end before it even began?
"Damn that Uchiha Tanaka!" Renya said irritably.
If that old geezer hadn't wasted his time, the client might still be alive.
So naturally, Renya blamed the mission failure on Tanaka—and was now even more determined to kill him.
Danzo and Koharu looked confused. They had no idea who Renya was referring to.
Had some Uchiha clashed with Renya?
Strangely, the thought of Renya having a falling out with the Uchiha clan made Danzo feel... oddly satisfied.
Though Renya had never wronged him, Danzo simply couldn't stand to see him doing well.
Maybe that was just human nature at its worst...
Renya picked a scenic spot, buried the employer, and then led the others back to the village.
...
The return trip was smooth. It only took them two days to get back to Konoha.
As soon as Renya entered the village, he ran into three Uchiha members. One of them—a brawny teen nearly two meters tall—caught his eye.
That guy... if he wasn't Uchiha Shun, who else could he be?
Hard to believe that face belonged to a 14-year-old. You could tell someone he was forty and they'd probably buy it.
Uchiha Shun wore a blank expression and completely ignored Renya.
Renya didn't respond either. He simply walked past them.
Just then, one of the Uchiha boys sneered at him.
"Hey, isn't that Uchiha... Oh wait, I should be calling you Senju Renya now!"
He emphasized the word "Senju" loudly on purpose.
Renya being kicked out of the Uchiha clan had already spread within the family.
Now that the so-called prodigy had been expelled, these teens couldn't pass up the chance to mock him.
Renya stopped and turned to look at the boy who had spoken.
Under Renya's stare, the teen felt uneasy. To break the tension, he continued:
"What are you looking at? You're just a stray guy who got kicked out of the clan!"
"So, what exactly are you trying to say?" Renya suddenly smiled. "Trying to feel superior? Trash."
"You bastard, did you just insult me?!" The boy's face twisted in rage.
Renya looked at him with confusion.
He was the one who'd started the provocation, and Renya had only clapped back—yet he was the one getting angry?
Seriously? What the hell are you mad about?
As expected, most of the Uchiha were arrogant fools...
"I don't think you realize the gap between us." Renya activated his three-tomoe Sharingan. "Since when did weaklings get to shout in front of the strong?"
The boy froze as soon as he saw those eyes.
Renya vanished in a flash and reappeared in front of him. Before the others could react, he smashed his fist into the boy's nose.
Blood sprayed as the boy was sent flying.
The sharp pain jolted him out of the genjutsu. He glared at Renya with a twisted expression.
"You dare hit me? Do you even know who I am?!"
At that moment, Uchiha Shun stepped forward and said:
"This is the second son of Clan Leader Tanaka—Uchiha Retsu."
"Heh... That old bastard Tanaka's son, huh?" Renya's eyes narrowed. "I don't even respect your father—what makes you think I'd respect you?"
Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, Renya was already in front of Retsu again.
He stomped down on the boy's chest—and even ground his foot in for good measure.
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