The moment Ren Uchiha left the village, intelligence regarding his movements was leaked by Sand spies embedded in Konoha.
Subsequently, Elder Chiyo of the Sand infiltrated the underground exchange centers and made his information public, drawing the gaze of Kumogakure and various bounty hunters. This sequence of events led to the joint operation between Kumo and the exchange to ambush Ren.
Before this, the black markets across various nations sold almost anything—even Bloodline Limits were chips to be traded. However, among all these, no one dared to trade the Sharingan openly. Now, with the head of their Young Clan Leader actually placed on a bounty and an ambush successfully carried out...
Dying on a battlefield at the hands of another ninja, compared to dying in an operation orchestrated by a bounty exchange, were two entirely different matters!
This was why the Uchiha clan reacted with such unprecedented fury. Under the unified command of Setsuna Uchiha and Fugaku Uchiha, elite ninjas were mobilized from the village, the Valley of Hell, and the Land of Hot Water to provide immediate support. Furthermore, clan ninjas were dispatched to cleanse the exchange centers in the surrounding small nations, purging everyone involved in the plot.
"Ren, remember this: this is a necessary measure!"
Seiichiro explained the situation in detail, offering a solemn reminder to the boy beside him.
"The Uchiha clan is different from the Hyuga. We don't have the shackles of the 'Caged Bird' or a rigid hierarchy between Main and Branch houses. We are bound by blood; every member of the clan is, in the truest sense, 'family'."
"The strong protect the weak. Those who awaken the Sharingan must shoulder the responsibility of protecting those who do not. This bloodline and our Dojutsu are the threads that bind us in this absurd, dark world—they are a bottomline that must never be crossed."
"Anyone who touches that line, even if we have to tear our own house down to do it, must be hunted to the last!"
"Not a single one left!"
Seiichiro stared at Ren, his tone heavy. "This is no joke!"
Walking with the team across the wilderness of the Land of Hot Water, lying on a flatbed cart, Ren nodded and replied with equal gravity: "I'll remember."
Seiichiro smiled and looked ahead with a hint of emotion.
In the past, when he held a cynical view of the shinobi world, he would have only wondered if the elders were being overly sensitive. He might have even felt a twinge of jealousy. Why was I sent to a near-certain death on the battlefield while the clan watched coldly, yet when this kid is targeted, the whole clan mobilizes to paint the nations red?
To a shinobi, death is death. What special meaning could it have?
But now, as someone who had been saved—someone who had been "loved"—he understood the meaning of a "clan." He didn't mind sharing this realization with Ren. Of course, Seiichiro suspected he might be over-explaining; knowing Ren's character, the kid would likely be even more extreme than himself...
"The Valley of Hell is just ahead. It's about time we part ways."
"I need to continue the purge. I'm leading a squad to hunt down a few exchange executives who fled to the smaller nations."
Seiichiro paused, glancing at the front of the caravan where the Great Elder, Setsuna Uchiha, sat cross-legged on a carriage, his blade resting across his knees as he rested with closed eyes.
"By the way... have you thought about what you're going to say to the Great Elder?"
Ren's face immediately crumpled into a look of misery. "What am I even supposed to say?"
Last time, Setsuna had commanded him to "get over here," but Ren's body had reached its limit and he had passed out, narrowly dodging that meeting. He had only just woken up and learned the full story from Seiichiro.
Instead of feeling relieved, his heart felt heavier. He had no idea how to face the old man!
When he was at his weakest, this old man had sacrificed half his life to save him. Since then, he'd been like a benefactor from a fantasy novel, gifting him everything—equipment, forbidden jutsu, swordsmanship, money, and even the clan leadership.
Specifically, the Uchiha Style: Halo Dance and Uchiha Style: Controlled Shuriken, both passed down from him, formed the core of Ren's combat abilities. They were the foundation that allowed him to rise from nothing and defeat countless enemies.
"The Great Elder's words can be... abrasive," Seiichiro admitted with a wry smile. "But he won't eat you. Some things have to be faced."
Ren looked up at the drifting clouds, watching the sunlight pierce through to warm his chest. "Yeah... they have to be faced."
Seiichiro nodded, then suddenly grabbed Ren's arm, hoisting him onto his back.
"Then let's face it right now!"
Ren froze. "Wait, what?! Hey! Put me down!"
But in his drained state, he was no match for a Jonin like Seiichiro. Seiichiro chuckled and jogged toward the front.
"You think I was just hanging around for fun? I was waiting for you to wake up! Forgive me, Ren—this is the Great Elder's mission!"
Thud!
Ren was tossed in a graceful arc into the covered carriage at the front. He skidded across the wooden floor, knocking over two jars of millet, and slammed head-first into something solid.
"Pah! Pah!"
Ren shook his head and brushed the grain off his forehead, only to realize he had slammed into Kakuzu. The bounty hunter was tied up like a holiday roast, gagged with burlap, and covered in sealing formulas that looked suspiciously flimsy.
"Mmph—!!" Kakuzu glared at him with pure murderous intent, looking like he wanted to curse Ren's entire lineage. The sheer intensity of his rage caused a surge of chakra within Ren's body.
"Yo~" Ren raised an eyebrow, fighting the urge to laugh.
The Uchiha weren't experts in sealing jutsu; the seals on Kakuzu were barely more than decorations. He could break them whenever he wanted. What really kept him quiet was the ring of Uchiha elites surrounding the carriage. Even if his masks could break him out of Genjutsu, they couldn't handle twenty pairs of Sharingan at once.
And of course, he was being personally watched by the strongest person here: Setsuna Uchiha.
Ren's smile stiffened as a faint, ethereal, aged voice spoke:
"Ren."
"You're here."
Ren looked up to see Setsuna sitting at the front of the carriage, his single healthy eye staring at him.
"What? Are you afraid I'm going to eat you?"
"No... not at all..." Ren gave a dry laugh, scratching his head as he slowly scooted across the floor toward the old man.
As he sat down, Ren realized the old man actually had both eyes open, but while the left was normal, the right pupil was a dull, dead white—the mark of Izanagi.
"Let's start with you then."
Setsuna furrowed his brow, looking at Ren with immense disdain.
"That swordsmanship of yours... what the hell was that?"
Ren perked up, ready to explain his hard work. "You mean the style I developed? I integrated Wind Release, Fire Style: Chakra Mode, and—"
Setsuna raised a hand, cutting him off. "Who asked you for a technical breakdown?"
"I'm asking: Who taught you to use a sword like that?"
The old man's face was a mask of pure contempt as he critiqued Ren without mercy.
"Ugly! Stiff! Nauseating!"
"It isn't 'Uchiha' at all. A dog swinging a stick would look better than you!"
"Do you understand technique? Do you understand the sword? If the foundation isn't solid, victory or defeat is decided in a single breath!"
"You need training! Special training!"
The old man didn't hold back, unleashing a barrage of scolding. "And thanks to Shinichi's letters, I already know about your willful truancy and slackening of training in the Land of Rain!"
"This time, I will watch you personally."
"You will undergo special training... that will be like stepping into Hell!!"
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