One Month Later. Location: Land of Iron (Outskirts).
The biting wind of the Land of Iron howled through the valley, stripping the heat from anything it touched. Yet, the three figures walking through the snow seemed entirely unbothered, moving with the casual grace of a spring stroll.
Ren walked slightly ahead, his hand resting on the hilt of a newly forged sword strapped to his hip. Internally, he was reviewing the last month's productivity.
'The Tsuchikage's order was surprisingly easy,' Ren mused, kicking a small chunk of ice. 'Mom and Dad churned out the Type-1 tags in their sleep, and I finished the 50 Type-2 tags in five days. The real challenge was the last twenty-five days.'
He tapped the scabbard of his weapon.
'I still can't create a perfect Quincy Cross for them. I don't fully understand the structural composition required to make it yet. Eventually, I will recreate it, but it will take time. So, for now... I compromised.'
He had spent the last three weeks at the forge. Using the 9 million Ryo worth of high-grade Chakra Metal, he had created two specialized Ninjatō—one for Satoshi, one for Kaori (and one for himself).
'Instead of creating a sword from nothing, they use this physical blade as a core. By channeling Reishi through the alloy, they coat the blade in spirit particles. It's a toned-down version of the Seele Schneider.'
A small smirk played on his lips. 'But I got an unexpected bonus. The alloy amplifies elemental chakra. If Dad pumps Fire Release into it while the Reishi coating is active... the result is catastrophic.'
They reached the designated meeting point—a secluded clearing surrounded by towering ice cliffs.
The air above them shimmered. A short, floating figure descended from the grey sky, flanked by eight masked ANBU.
Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage.
Ren looked up, feigning boredom as he suppressed a yawn. "You're punctual, Old Man. But really? You came personally to collect a mere 62 million Ryo order? Don't you have a war to run? Or do you just not trust your underlings with money?"
Onoki's left eye twitched visibly. "Mere? 62 million is a significant portion of our budget, brat. And these tags are vital for the war effort. I have to ensure their safety myself."
He floated down until he was at eye level with Ren. "Do you have the goods?"
"Of course," Ren scoffed.
His shadow stretched out across the snow, bubbling like tar. Slowly, a large wooden crate rose from the depths, settling on the frozen ground with a heavy thud.
"Fifty Type-2. Three thousand Type-1. Count them if you want, but I value my reputation."
Onoki signaled his ANBU. They quickly pried open the crate, inspected a few bundles, and checked the chakra signatures. After a tense moment, the captain nodded to the Tsuchikage.
"Good," Onoki grunted.
He snapped his fingers. His ANBU unrolled several large storage scrolls. With a puff of smoke, the seals were released.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Bundles upon bundles of Ryo notes piled up on the snow, forming a small, beautiful mountain of cash.
"62 Million," Onoki stated. "We are square."
The ANBU sealed the crate of tags into their own scrolls. Onoki turned to leave, but paused, hovering in the air. "If I need more... how do I find you?"
Ren reached into his pocket and flicked a singular, black paper tag toward Onoki. The Tsuchikage caught it effortlessly.
"Tear that tag," Ren explained, his eyes already drifting toward the mountain of money. "I'll know where you are."
Onoki scoffed, pocketing the tag. With that, he flew away with his escort, disappearing into the low-hanging clouds.
As soon as the Stone Ninja were gone, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
Ren's stoic facade vanished. His eyes turned into cartoonish Ryo symbols, and drool practically dripped from his mouth as he stared at the pile of cash.
"Sixty... two... million..." Ren whispered reverently, falling to his knees. "I can finally commission that solid gold toilet seat I've been dreaming of... It will be glorious."
He took a step forward, his shadow expanding to scoop the money.
Swish.
Two shadows moved faster than him.
Satoshi casually swiped two large stacks—about 7 or 8 million Ryo—and stuffed them into his own shadow before anyone could react. "Dad tax," he muttered, whistling innocently and looking at the sky.
Kaori, however, was the real threat. Her shadow expanded like a maw, trying to swallow the entire remaining pile of Ryo in a split second.
"NO YOU DON'T!" Ren shrieked.
Acting on pure instinct, Ren dived. He managed to intercept the shadow, wrestling control of the pile. He frantically swallowed half the remaining pile into his own storage, leaving the other half to be claimed by his mother.
Ren panted, clutching his chest. 'Thank god. I saved half. That's roughly 27 million. It will be enough for the toilet. I'll figure out how to get the rest back later.'
Kaori smiled. It was a terrifying, benevolent smile that promised pain.
"Return that money to me, Ren-chan," she said sweetly. "I will keep it safe for you."
"NO!" Ren screamed, shaking his head frantically. "I'm 23! I'm an adult now! I can handle my own finances!"
"No," Kaori refuted, wagging a finger. "You are physically fifteen. Look at yourself. Do you need me to show you a mirror? In this family, you will only be an adult when you get married."
Ren turned pale. He scrambled backward and hid behind Satoshi. "Dad! Help! You took money too! Tell her!"
Satoshi cleared his throat, sweating slightly as Kaori's gaze shifted to him. "In my defense... I am an adult. I have a sweet wife and a son. I am officially an adult."
Kaori tilted her head. "Oh? Then give that money to your sweet wife for safekeeping."
Satoshi stiffened. He looked at the money in his pocket, then at his wife. "Seriously?" He took a breath. "Fine. Only if you tell me how much money you have saved up till now from our missions."
Kaori narrowed her eyes. It was a standoff. If she revealed her stash, she lost leverage.
"Fine," Kaori huffed, flipping her hair. "Keep that pocket change."
She leaned in close, her aura flaring slightly. "But both of you listen closely. If I see either of you bring home anything useless made of gold... I will bury you in the backyard. Alive."
Ren sweated profusely. "H-How did she know?"
The tension broke, and Satoshi sighed, looking at the desolate landscape. "Where should we go now? We can't keep wandering this frozen wasteland forever."
Kaori stopped humming and looked south. "Let's go to the Land of Rice Fields. It's a small nation adjacent to the Land of Fire. There are no major wars, few ninja, and no samurai. It will be quiet."
Five Days Later. Hokage's Office, Konoha.
It was evening in the Hidden Leaf. The Hokage's office was dim, filled with piles of paperwork that were the bane of Hiruzen Sarutobi's existence.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, holding a lit pipe, but he wasn't smoking it. He was staring at the latest intelligence report from the front lines, his brow furrowed so deeply it looked etched in stone.
"It doesn't make sense," Hiruzen muttered to the empty room.
The battlefield was silent. Too silent.
The Cloud Front: Since the stalemate with Nawaki, the Raikage had pulled back. They were licking their wounds and rebuilding their morale.
The Sand Front: No harassment skirmishes. No poison squads. Just defensive posturing.
The Stone Front: This was the most baffling. "Onoki has met Ren," Hiruzen deduced, tapping the table. "I am certain he bought healing tags from him. We know Onoki came to the border three days ago. We sent reinforcements to the Iwa border in anticipation of a push..."
But nothing happened.
Onoki was just... sitting there.
"And this report," Hiruzen tapped a specific line. "Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, has been ordered back to Iwagakure."
Hiruzen stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the peaceful village below. Civilians were shopping, children were running—it was a picture of tranquility.
"Why would Onoki send his Jinchūriki away from the front line just as I sent my reinforcements?" Hiruzen whispered, his mind racing.
A cold realization began to form in the pit of his stomach.
"He didn't send Roshi back to the village," Hiruzen realized, his eyes widening in horror.
CRACK-BOOM!
Suddenly, a pillar of blinding light appeared in the center of the village. It struck with the speed of a divine judgment, shattering the tranquility instantly.
The light vanished as quickly as it came.
"No!" Hiruzen roared.
He didn't hesitate. He smashed through the glass of his office window, leaping out into the open air. He shed his Hokage robes in mid-fall, revealing his black combat gear.
But before he could even summon Enma...
"ROAAAAAAR!"
A massive surge of red chakra exploded outward from the crater, vaporizing the surrounding shops and homes. From the smoke, a titanic beast rose.
It was a colossal red monkey with green skin, bulging muscles, and four massive tails swishing behind it like whips of destruction.
Son Gokū. The Four-Tails.
The beast opened its mouth, lava dripping from its fangs. It slammed its fists onto the ground, sending a shockwave that leveled a city block in an instant.
But as Hiruzen landed on a nearby roof, staring at the catastrophe, his heart sank even further.
The beast wasn't alone.