Outside the barrier, the two Cloud ninjas had Setsuna Uchiha pinned between them.
Seeing Moroi gain the upper hand, they exchanged a knowing nod. Ramii kept up the pressure from a distance with Lightning and Earth Style harassment, while Dodai lunged in with his "Lariat" and Lava Release punches, keeping Setsuna constantly on the defensive.
Setsuna was desperately looking for an opening to cast a Genjutsu or sacrifice an eye for Izanagi to take one of them down. But the Cloud duo was too experienced; they fought cautiously, simply stalling. They were waiting for Moroi to finish off Ren and rejoin them to deliver the final blow.
Setsuna's expression grew heavier, his desperation mounting. If this continued, not only would he fail to save Ren, but he would also fall here himself.
But then, the atmosphere shifted.
"Hehe... Hahaha... AHAHAHAHAHA!"
A manic, rhythmic laughter erupted from within the barrier. Shocked, Moroi adjusted the barrier's seals, allowing sound to pass through.
"Ramii-senpai! Dodai-senpai! Quick, RETREAT!" Moroi's terrified scream followed the laughter.
"What?!" Ramii froze, turning his gaze toward the barrier.
There he saw him: Ren Uchiha, shirtless, his torso covered in a dense, suffocating lattice of Explosive Tags. He was holding a central tag on his chest, a cold, mocking smirk on his face as he advanced on Moroi step by step.
"What in the hell is that?!" Ramii's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. His aged, cloudy vision cleared instantly at the sight of the human bomb. "Is that kid insane?! That many tags... he'll blow this entire village to the moon!"
Beside him, Dodai swallowed hard. As the Third Raikage's right hand, he had seen many reckless men, but Ren was something else. This wasn't recklessness—it was pure, unadulterated madness. Not even the Hozuki clan of the Mist would be this suicidal.
The three masters outside stopped fighting, their eyes glued to the scene inside. Setsuna's eyes were bloodshot, his heart racing. He was terrified that Ren might trip and accidentally trigger the "Uchiha Genius" into a cloud of red mist.
"Ren Uchiha! What are you doing?!" Setsuna roared, sweat pouring down his face.
Ren turned his head, his voice eerily calm. "Great Elder, you can see the situation. I have no other choice. This is the only way."
Setsuna's throat tightened. He tried to sound commanding despite his mounting panic. "Ren, stay calm! Take those tags off right now! I will get you out of there! These... these trash can't stop me!"
"No." Ren shook his head firmly, stepping closer to the cowering Moroi. "Elder, we both know the truth. If I stop now and let this guy out, the three of them combined will kill you. And if you die, our kin in the Valley of Hell will be slaughtered by the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."
Ren exhaled, his tone heavy with "fake" gravitas. "The Chinoike clan will be freed, our mission for the Lightning Daimyo will fail, and the Uchiha reputation will be shattered. Without our leader and our funding, the clan will collapse into civil war while Sarutobi and Danzo watch with greedy eyes. This is a moment of life or death for us."
Ren took a massive stride forward, his fingers twitching on the tag. "I finally understand why I am standing here!"
"WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Moroi screamed, crawling backward on his hands and feet. "Stay back! Stop pulling the tag! It's gonna blow! IT'S GONNA BLOW! AHHHHHH!"
Outside, Setsuna gripped his blade so hard his knuckles turned white. He knew everything Ren said was true. He just hadn't expected a boy this young to have such a piercing, strategic vision.
Ren... he's not just a genius. He's a visionary! Setsuna thought. He didn't leap from the cliff because he wanted to fly... he did it because he saw the nest was on fire!
The pain in Setsuna's chest was suffocating. His usually frozen, stoic face finally cracked. His eyes turned red with raw emotion. He looked at the three Cloud ninjas with a rage that threatened to scorch the sky.
"Ren Uchiha! Enough!" Setsuna barked. "Stop! The Uchiha do not need you to sacrifice yourself!"
Ren grinned, his face softening from its cold mask. He looked back at Setsuna and shook his head with a smile.
"Elder, don't try to stop me. An eagle must have the posture of an eagle."
"This is my final goodbye," Ren said cheerfully. "After this mission... don't forget me. Burn some paper offerings at my grave next year. That's all I ask."
Setsuna's heart jolted. He opened his mouth to shout, but Ren spoke one last haunting question:
"Elder... you don't regret choosing me for this mission, do you?"
Setsuna's vision blurred. The image of the "mad" boy in front of him overlapped with the image of the defiant kid from the clan meeting. He remembered how he had sent Ren to the front lines out of a moment of spite.
The Elder's face twisted in agony. He was green with regret! If he had known Ren was this kind of once-in-a-century talent, he never would have let him near a battlefield. He had planned to use him as political fodder, and now that same boy was giving his life to save him.
Setsuna wanted to slap himself. I'm the one who deserves to die!
"Ren!" he cried out, his voice cracking with a sorrow he hadn't felt in decades.