The bonfire crackled, its orange light flickering against the dark forest sky. Through the rustling leaves, one could almost hear the faint, distant screams and the chaotic echoes of a world on the brink.
The three of them sat in a heavy, brooding silence around the fire.
Uchiha Setsuna glanced at his subordinates, his expression grim. "The true danger of this mission stems from an unexpected complication."
"Just half a month ago, the Chinoike Clan submitted their third letter of confession and repentance to the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning."
"However, the messenger sent back by the Daimyo was assassinated on the road. His head was traded at the Underground Exchange for a bounty."
"Infuriated, the Daimyo of Lightning ordered the continued imprisonment of the Chinoike. Desperate and seeing no way out, the Chinoike secretly contacted Kumogakure (The Hidden Cloud)."
"Kumo will send people to liberate the Chinoike. In exchange, the clan will merge into Kumogakure, becoming a bloodline clan for the Hidden Cloud."
Uchiha Seishiro looked bewildered. "But aren't the Chinoike already a bloodline clan of the Land of Lightning? Why would they agree to such terms?"
Ren shook his head slightly. Having read the original story, he had an idea. The Chinoike had once been nobility in the Land of Lightning, but after a political scandal involving a concubine, they were exiled to the Valley of Hell. They had stayed in that prison for generations, hoping for a pardon to reclaim their noble status. Now that hope was dead, they had no choice but to join the "barbarians" of Kumo to survive.
Setsuna didn't offer a deep explanation to Seishiro. He simply stated, "All you need to know is that the primary threat is Kumo. Our priority is to reach the Valley of Hell and regroup with our clansmen. It's nearly night. Seishiro, you and Ren will rotate the watch. Set up perimeter traps. Dismissed."
Seishiro, frustrated at being given the "dirty work" without answers, stood up grumbling.
Suddenly, Ren's eyes lit up. "Wait... why don't we travel through the night?"
"Under these circumstances, shouldn't we reach the Valley of Hell as fast as possible?"
Seishiro shot him a look of pure disdain. "Absurd! Kid, have you even read the Shinobi Handbook? Rule Number One: A ninja should avoid marching at night to prevent being ambushed."
[Uchiha Seishiro despises you.]
Ren shook his head inwardly. The rule makes sense, sure. But if we wait until morning, won't we just walk right into the ambush Kumo has prepared?
Ren's plan was simple: combat, combat, and more combat. Besides, he had a logical basis. He stood up and smiled.
"We have to analyze the situation, Senpai. It's pitch black tonight. You can't see your hand in front of your face. But we are Uchiha. Why are you afraid?"
Ren was relying on the Sharingan. Even in total darkness, the kinetic vision and chakra-perception of the Sharingan would make an ambush difficult to pull off. If Setsuna and Seishiro used their eyes, they could break through.
And he, Ren, without a Sharingan, would be a sitting duck in that high-speed night battle.
I could white-out (die) so gloriously!
Setsuna's eyes flickered as he looked at the heavy clouds gathering in the sky.
Seishiro, however, lunged forward and grabbed Ren by the collar. He pulled Ren close to his ear and hissed, "Uchiha Ren, let me tell you one more time—I'm only in this mess because of you!"
He gnashed his teeth, his voice dripping with contempt. "Who do you think you are? You think you're qualified to question the survival rules written by the Second Hokage himself? Do you have any idea how many ninjas die every year because they ignored those warnings?"
The wind died down. The forest went silent. Ren looked calmly into Seishiro's eyes, seeing the cold indignation there.
"Seishiro-senpai," Ren said softly. "A ninja climbs a wall because it's the easiest way. But if jumping over it is too much trouble..."
Ren pried Seishiro's hand off his collar and smirked.
"Going through the wall is also an option. You've confused the means with the end."
As he spoke, a deafening, crisp sound rang in his ears.
[CLANG—!]