Konoha — Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, reading the documents in his hands, though his thoughts kept drifting elsewhere.
To be honest, he was deeply uneasy about Ren's current mission.
By his own wishes, he never wanted to send that boy out in the first place.
He causes too much trouble…
Recalling the chaos caused when the Fourth Raikage had been "invited" to Konoha, Hiruzen felt his head throb.
Capturing the Raikage had certainly boosted morale, but the aftermath had been exhausting.
What if Kumogakure declared war?
What if it escalated into another Shinobi World War?
Yes, Ren had prepared countermeasures to save face for Kumogakure, but Hiruzen knew very well that under-the-table retaliation was inevitable.
If only things could be simpler…
And that was just the external pressure.
Danzo was one headache. Tsunade was another.
"Old man!"
The office door slammed open.
Tsunade stormed in, fury written across her face.
"Lady Tsunade, please calm down!" Shizune cried, desperately trying—and failing—to hold her back.
"How long is Ren going to be gone? And what's actually happening over there?!"
Her fist slammed into the desk.
"He vanished without a word, and you haven't given me any clear answer. Don't you think that's crossing a line?!"
"Tsunade, calm down," Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples. He gestured for Shizune to stand down before continuing.
"The situation on Ren's side is stable. This mission was urgent—I explained that already. You don't need to come asking every single day."
"I understand your worry. I share it. If there were any other option, I wouldn't have sent him either."
Grass Country leaned toward Iwagakure. There were secret experiments involved. And there were rumors involving Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines.
This wasn't something ordinary shinobi could handle.
Ren's team could fight, retreat, and escape.
There was no better choice.
"And Ren has Flying Thunder God," Hiruzen added. "If anything goes wrong, he can leave immediately. Other ANBU units are also supporting them."
"I trust he'll be fine."
"Tch."
Tsunade turned away, clearly dissatisfied.
A naturally awakened Wood Release user—not an experiment.
She had already begun to see Ren as family.
And now he was thrown into danger again.
"Lord Hokage! Urgent report!"
A shinobi rushed in, froze upon seeing Tsunade, then hesitated.
"Bring it here," Hiruzen said calmly.
The scroll bore Grass Country markings.
"…Looks like Ren's report," Hiruzen said. "Let's read it together."
Tsunade stepped behind him without a word.
The scroll opened.
And both of them froze.
"…This—"
Hiruzen's lips twitched.
The report stated that Ren's team had mobilized border forces—within their authority—without crossing into Kusagakure itself.
That alone had pushed Grass Village into panic, forcing them to send internal forces to the front.
Then—
They coordinated with trailing ANBU units.
They attacked Kusagakure.
The village fell.
And Kitsuchi was captured.
"What the hell is he trying to do?!"
Hiruzen's composure shattered.
He knew Ren would cause trouble.
He never imagined it would be this big.
"Call them back! Immediately!" he barked, voice trembling. "Release Kitsuchi—now!"
"Wait," Tsunade snapped. "Did you actually finish reading?"
Hiruzen paused, then continued.
His expression slowly changed.
Obito appeared.
A mysterious missing-nin organization.
Iwagakure's involvement.
A plan to pressure Iwa via Sunagakure—with Danzo as envoy.
Hiruzen fell silent.
"So that's it…"
Ren's team already had authorization to pursue Obito.
Kitsuchi was a crucial intelligence node.
Using Danzo to pressure Iwa while holding political leverage…
And quietly carving out benefits in Grass Country.
"…That brat."
Hiruzen exhaled deeply.
Ren had considered everything.
Village利益 first.
Strategic restraint.
Political exits prepared in advance.
Only one problem remained—
His methods were terrifyingly extreme.
"Hiruzen," Tsunade smirked, "so… should we release Kitsuchi?"
Hiruzen smiled bitterly.
"If he's a guest, then treat him well."
"Bring them back."
Please let that be the end of it, he silently prayed. My heart can't take much more.
Grass Country.
Ren checked on the restrained Kitsuchi before turning to the others.
"Everyone okay?"
"We're fine," Kakashi replied. "Other ANBU units took losses."
That was the fate of shinobi.
Even prepared, death still hurt.
"In Root, we sometimes had to eliminate our own to prevent leaks," Tenzo added casually.
The atmosphere froze.
Kakashi smacked the back of his head.
"Say something else, idiot."
Ren silently agreed.
He checked on Yūgao—bloodied but unharmed—then turned to Shisui and Itachi.
Behind them stood a trembling red-haired girl with glasses.
"Who's this?"
"We found her in their laboratory," Shisui said quietly. "She was the test subject."
Yūgao knelt. "Are you alright?"
"My name is… Karin."
Ren stepped forward.
"They used you to heal the wounded, didn't they?"
She flinched.
He gently lifted her sleeve.
Bite marks. Needle scars.
"…Uzumaki," Ren said softly. "No doubt."
Her sensory ability confirmed it—Kagura's Mind Eye.
"Any family left?"
She shook her head.
"My mother… died."
"We'll take you to Konoha," Ren said firmly. "You'll be safe."
Later, Tsunade made the decision herself.
"You're coming with me. I'll train you."
Karin nodded, tears falling.
Back in Konoha.
Kitsuchi was escorted as a "guest."
Ren finished his report.
Hiruzen praised them.
And then—
Ren's system refreshed.
Mission Complete: Investigate Kusagakure
Evaluation: SS
Freedom Points +12
Hidden Mission: Expose Uchiha Obito (4)
Evaluation: S
Freedom Points +10
Special Rewards:
• Kakuzu's Fire Release (scaled to heart level)
• Freedom Points ×2
Current Freedom Points: 45
Ren's mind went blank.
…Maybe next time, I should target a bigger village.
Hiruzen sighed.
"Next time… please don't do this again."
I'm begging you, his heart screamed.
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