The hall was engulfed in a silence so thick you could hear a pin drop.
The gathered Uchiha ninjas stood frozen, their faces etched with horror. No one dared to even breathe too loudly, fearing that a single stray sound might provoke Uchiha Setsuna into hacking Ren to pieces right then and there.
Setsuna's face was dark, shadowed with a brewing storm of rage. Being confronted by a suicidal brat like Ren was a test for even his iron-clad patience.
Setsuna's eyes flared with a chilling, scarlet light. Three tomoe began to rotate slowly within his Sharingan as he stared down at Ren. A suffocating killing intent began to bleed into the hall, filling the air with the metallic tang of impending blood.
It looked as if, at any second, the Great Elder would draw the blade from his back and carve Ren up like a piece of fruit.
Ren, however, was too preoccupied to notice the lethal pressure.
He was staring blankly at the floating subtitles flickering before his eyes.
[CLANG—!]
[You have bravely confronted Uchiha Setsuna. Random skill acquired from target: Uchiha Style—Manipulated Shuriken Technique (Transcendent Level).]
[Your Heartsteel stacks have increased.]
In that instant, Ren's mind reeled as a massive flood of knowledge was forcefully seared into his brain.
Everything—from the intricate designs of various shuriken to the specific tension of steel wires, the throwing arcs, the hidden strengths, and the subtle flick of the wrist—rushed through his consciousness.
In a heartbeat, he bypassed years of grueling practice. He transcended the muscle memory that usually took a lifetime of life-and-death struggle to forge.
He reached the peak.
Uchiha Ren had just mastered the Transcendent Level of the Uchiha Style—Manipulated Shuriken Technique.
Wait... what the hell is happening? Ren was dazed.
This wasn't a joke. The "Windmill Shuriken" that young Sasuke used in the original series wouldn't even be worthy of tying his shoes now. Shurikenjutsu was a skill with no shortcuts; it usually required decades of repetition. This level of mastery was something only the adult, one-armed Sasuke—fighting gods like Momoshiki—could hope to rival.
And yet, he had gained it just by standing his ground against Great Elder Setsuna.
I guess the old man's resume of 'trying to kill the Second Hokage and surviving' isn't for show, Ren thought, a bit shaken. This is the power of Heartsteel... there really is beauty in sheer numbers!
Sweet! But... wait... why hasn't the Elder killed me yet?
Three minutes of agonizing silence passed.
Finally, Great Elder Setsuna turned his head away, looking somewhat speechless. He had finally confirmed it: this Uchiha Ren was a complete blockhead who didn't understand the concept of fear.
The kid had stared back at his terrifying killing intent as if it were a mild breeze. If they kept staring at each other, the situation would just get awkward.
"Hmph," Setsuna snorted coldly. "Since you're in such a hurry to die for Konoha, I won't stand in your way. You! Step forward!"
Ren snapped out of his trance and looked up. Instead of the joy of receiving a mission, his face was masked with pure bewilderment.
Hold on, this isn't the script! Ren had expected to be martyred on the spot. He was ready to go out in a blaze of glory right there in the hall.
Elder, why haven't you cut me down yet? Just one quick swing! Where is your 'Hawk' masculinity?
"Ren-kun..." Shisui watched him from the sidelines, deeply moved.
He saw the pale look on Ren's face and misinterpreted it immediately. Look at him... Ren knows exactly how dangerous the war is. He's pale with terror, yet he still stands tall. Such courage!
Shisui, his Sharingan still spinning with emotion, stepped out from the crowd and bowed toward Setsuna.
"Great Elder, the mission is still short one Genin. Please, allow me to join as well."
Setsuna frowned, his gaze landing on Shisui's scarlet eyes. "You're Kagami's descendant, aren't you? Shisui?"
"Yes. Please, allow me this one selfishness. I wish to choose the mission to the Land of Rain."
Setsuna didn't respond immediately. He gave Shisui a long, cold look before turning away to assign the remaining ninjas.
It was a silent acknowledgment.
As the leader of the Hawks, Setsuna naturally despised the Dove faction. But Shisui was a genius, a war hero in the making, and the grandson of a former leader. The Doves would baby him regardless.
Right now, Setsuna had a bigger headache: Uchiha Ren.
The Hawk philosophy was simple: throw the fledglings off the cliff. Those who could fly became the eagles that ruled the sky. Those who couldn't... well, becoming a pile of gore at the bottom of the valley was a mercy in this chaotic era.
But Ren... Ren hadn't even grown feathers yet and was already trying to leap into the abyss. His "iron-headed" nature was borderline suicidal.
Even an extremist like Setsuna thought this kid was taking things a bit too far.
The rosters were quickly finalized. Setsuna announced the assignments with cold indifference.
"For the Land of Rain: Jonin Shin'ichi will serve as Captain, with Tokubetsu Jonin Tasuke and Genin Shisui. You will depart for the border camp immediately. A messenger hawk has been sent; Uchiha members will meet you there."
He paused, his voice dropping an octave. "A word of advice for you three: your lives belong to the Uchiha, and they belong to yourselves. They do not belong to the Leaf. Understand that well!"
"As for the Valley of Hell in the Land of Hot Water..."
Setsuna's eyes swept over Ren. "I will lead that squad personally. Chunin Seishiro and Genin Ren will be under my command. We will reinforce the garrison there."
"Squad members, assemble at the village gate tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Dismissed!"
With that, Setsuna vanished in a flicker of movement. The remaining ninjas began to disperse, leaving only Shisui and a pensive Ren in the hall.
Ren's brow furrowed. Because of Shisui's interference, he was being sent to the Valley of Hell instead of the Land of Rain.
He had wanted the "meat grinder." The Land of Rain would be a battlefield for five long years, eventually leading to the Battle of Kikyo Pass—the bloodiest conflict for Konoha in the Third War.
But as a lowly Genin, he was lucky to even get a mission. He had no choice but to accept.
However, a more disturbing thought crossed his mind.
In the original timeline, without Ren's presence, Shisui should have gone to the Land of Hot Water to fight the Hidden Mist, eventually earning the name "Shisui of the Body Flicker."
Now, because Ren had snatched that spot, the timeline was shifting. Like a butterfly flapping its wings, the story was changing.
Will Shisui die in the Land of Rain because of me?
And if Shisui dies early... will Itachi still awaken his Mangekyo? Or will he become a different kind of psychopath?
Ren felt a violent shudder run through his body. His very existence—his desperate will to commit insurance fraud—was already tearing the fabric of history apart.
The path ahead was shrouded in a fog so thick he couldn't see his own hands.