Once the footsteps faded away, the cloaked figure who had been hiding within the bedchamber flickered into motion. The attendant left on night duty let out a muffled groan before collapsing unconscious onto the floor.
"Who's there?!"
Almost at the same instant, two figures vaulted in from outside the chamber, landing in front of the Daimyō's bed. They stared warily at the cloaked intruder standing silently in the center of the room.
"Identify yourself! Why have you trespassed into the palace at night?"
One of them—a bald monk—furrowed his brows and demanded an answer.
But that was all he did.
The intruder's strength was unfathomable. He had infiltrated the Daimyō's residence without making a single sound.
Cold sweat soaked their backs. If the cloaked figure hadn't revealed himself, they wouldn't have even realized someone was hiding beside them.
Fortunately, the man didn't seem hostile. Otherwise, they would never escape responsibility.
The cloaked figure ignored the monk's question and simply stared at the Daimyō lying in bed.
"That's enough, Kazuma, Chiriku. Stand down."
At some point, the Daimyō had already sat up. Though his face still carried a faint flush, his eyes were sharp and clear as he addressed the two guards.
Clearly, the Fire Daimyō—who appeared to spend his days indulging in pleasure—was far from simple.
Kazuma and Chiriku exchanged a glance, stepping back slightly but remaining on guard.
The Daimyō said nothing about it. Instead, he looked at the cloaked figure.
"You've come all this way in the dead of night. What is it you want? As long as it's not excessive, I may consider granting it."
At that, the cloaked man raised a hand, pulled down his hood, and removed his mask. He bowed respectfully.
"I am Shisui Uchiha. I humbly greet the Daimyō.."
"Uchiha?!"
All three of them were startled, uncertainty flashing in their eyes.
Shisui said nothing. He simply lifted his head, revealing the scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes.
"…Interesting."
Having confirmed his identity, the Daimyō's gaze flickered with intrigue.
Konoha Is Not the Hokage's Konoha
"Uchiha?!"
Kazuma's expression turned furious as he glared at Shisui.
"What is the meaning of this, Konoha?! Sneaking into the palace at night—are you trying to assassinate the Daimyō?!"
Kazuma was a staunch supporter of the Daimyō's authority. He had long held grievances against Konoha's shinobi, and Shisui's blatant disregard for protocol only fueled his anger.
Chiriku, on the other hand, thought further ahead. He remained silent, choosing to observe.
Shisui's expression didn't change in the slightest.
"I did not come here as a shinobi of Konoha, but as a member of the Uchiha Clan."
"I represent only the Uchiha Clan."
Kazuma wasn't a fool. Hearing this, he immediately grasped the implication and narrowed his eyes.
The Daimyō remained silent, studying Shisui thoughtfully.
After a moment, Chiriku spoke.
"What exactly do you mean by that, Shisui-dono? Are you suggesting the Uchiha Clan intends to defect from Konoha?"
Chiriku was a monk from the Fire Temple and, in a sense, its representative.
The Fire Temple stood as a third power within the Land of Fire, alongside Konoha and the Daimyō's court. Though usually detached from worldly affairs, it still safeguarded the nation's peace.
He understood the delicate balance between Konoha and the Daimyō. That was why, years ago, he stepped forward to protect the Daimyō and maintain stability.
Now, Shisui's appearance signaled a potential crisis.
Shisui shook his head.
"You misunderstand, Monk Chiriku. The Uchiha Clan is one of Konoha's founding clans. Why would we betray it?"
Chiriku pressed further.
"Then what is your purpose? As a member of Konoha, you've bypassed the Hokage to contact the Daimyō in this manner. What exactly is the Uchiha Clan planning?"
His tone was sharp—just short of accusing them of rebellion outright.
Shisui remained calm.
"This time, the Uchiha Clan seeks only a way out from the Daimyō."
He paused.
"Perhaps… a path to survival."
His humble stance caused both Chiriku and Kazuma to change expressions.
The Daimyō chuckled softly.
"Shisui Uchiha… I've heard of you. You're a descendant of Kagami Uchiha, aren't you?"
Shisui's eyes flickered with surprise.
The Daimyō continued:
"When the Second Hokage was alive, your grandfather served as his bodyguard. I met him a few times."
"You distinguished yourself in the war against Kirigakure recently. You've upheld his name well."
Shisui replied calmly,
"You flatter me, Daimyō-sama. I merely survived the war."
The Daimyō neither agreed nor disagreed.
"I acknowledge your ability—and your sincerity. But can you truly represent the entire Uchiha Clan?"
"With your seniority, you don't hold much authority within the clan, do you?"
To him, Shisui felt much like Kagami Uchiha—humble to a fault, unlike most Uchiha.
If Shisui had come on his own behalf, the Daimyō would gladly accept him.
But claiming to represent the entire clan? That was… unusual.
Shisui explained:
"The Uchiha Clan has always respected strength above all. Please rest assured—I can represent the clan."
The Daimyō narrowed his eyes.
"You came alone?"
Shisui shook his head.
"Of course not."
"Are you the leader, then?"
Again, Shisui shook his head, a hint of reverence in his tone.
"I am merely a messenger for Brother Ren."
"Ren?" The Daimyō paused, then said, "You mean the one known as the Red Sun of Konoha, rivaling the Yellow Flash?"
"That's correct."
Shisui nodded.
"Brother Ren said that after this war ends, he will become the new head of the Uchiha Clan."
The Daimyō considered this.
"He intends to become the Fourth Hokage?"
He knew the Uchiha Clan's position in Konoha—constantly suppressed by the Hokage's faction.
Their best chance at change would be entering the village's core leadership… or becoming Hokage outright.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi had built an airtight system. The Uchiha had no allies.
In such a situation, seeking support outside Konoha—especially from the Daimyō—made sense.
Still, if that was all, this "Ren" was being naïve.
Becoming Hokage was no simple matter.
Yet, to his surprise, Shisui shook his head.
"Brother Ren has no intention of becoming Hokage."
"Oh?" The Daimyō leaned forward slightly. "Then what does he want?"
"An opportunity," Shisui said plainly. "An opportunity for the Uchiha to no longer be controlled by others."
"I wish to join the Daimyō's court… and become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja."
The Daimyō didn't answer immediately.
"Has the Uchiha Clan fallen so low?"
Shisui exhaled slowly.
"In this war, sixty-eight Uchiha have died… and twenty-nine have disappeared under unclear circumstances."
"They act so brazenly—and with the Senju Clan as precedent—we have no choice but to seek a way out."
"But the Uchiha are still Konoha's Uchiha… and Konoha is not the Hokage's alone."
"We will never betray Konoha."
"So… this is the only path left to us."
The Daimyō smiled faintly.
"How rare. It seems the Uchiha have finally produced someone who understands."
In his eyes, the Uchiha were powerful and intelligent—but politically inept, constantly manipulated by Hiruzen and his faction.
Now, someone had finally learned to think strategically.
Shisui dropped to one knee.
"Please grant us refuge."
After a moment, the Daimyō chuckled.
"Very well. Life has been dull lately—this is interesting. Helping you… is not out of the question."
Three days later, within the Land of Rain.
Uchiha Ren stood atop a barren hill, gazing at the oppressive clouds overhead, filled with emotion.
Not long ago, the sky had been clear. But soon after entering the Land of Rain, everything changed.
The sunlight vanished behind thick clouds. The air grew heavy with moisture, as if rain could fall at any moment.
That was why it was called the Land of Rain—endless rainfall, rarely a glimpse of sunlight.
Bordering the Land of Fire, Land of Earth, and Land of Wind, it inevitably became a battlefield whenever a Great Ninja War broke out.
Its people had done nothing wrong, yet they suffered endlessly from war, never knowing peace.
Because of this, the nation never developed. Its people lived in constant poverty and uncertainty.
The rain itself seemed like the heavens weeping for their suffering—never ceasing.
Ren let out a soft sigh.
At this moment, he could somewhat understand Nagato—and even Hanzo of the Salamander.
In the original story, everything was told from Konoha's perspective. The suffering of smaller nations was barely mentioned.
But in reality, their pain was undeniable.
Hanzo had grown up amidst war. Witnessing his country's suffering, he resolved to change it.
To do that, he first needed to end the cycle of war.
Otherwise, any progress would be destroyed.
Internal conflict was manageable—but the attitudes of the three great nations were the real challenge.
Whenever they fought, the Land of Rain became their battlefield, rendering all efforts meaningless.
To assert sovereignty and force the great nations to acknowledge them, Hanzo declared war on all three alone.
But he failed.
Though known as the "Demigod of the Shinobi World," he was not the God of Shinobi.
Against the combined might of three great nations, the Land of Rain remained helpless.
If Hanzo had possessed Hashirama Senju's power… things might have been different.
As for Nagato, his ambitions surpassed Hanzo's.
He sought not just peace for one nation—but for the entire world.
From Ren's perspective as a transmigrator, Nagato's ideology—using absolute force to deter war—was far more practical than Naruto Uzumaki's idealistic vision.
In fact, when the village system was first established, didn't Hashirama—under Tobirama's suggestion—distribute the Tailed Beasts to maintain balance through deterrence?
In that sense, Nagato was a successor to their philosophy.
Unfortunately, Tailed Beasts were not absolute power.
Many shinobi could rival them. Hashirama himself could subdue the Nine-Tails with ease.
Thus, they became little more than military assets.
Learning from this, Nagato sought to gather all Tailed Beasts and create a weapon capable of destroying an entire nation in a single blow.
If he had succeeded, the world might have entered a period of enforced peace.
As for Naruto's ideology—
It lacked any concrete method.
It was simply a belief in mutual understanding.
Idealistic… abstract… and impractical.