The site of Unming City was nearly identical to Kumogakure—situated in an open expanse of jagged peak forests. Most of the city's architecture leaned against the mountain spires, using them as foundations to rise straight into the sky, creating an imposing atmosphere.
Standing atop the inner walls, which were built even higher than the mountain peaks themselves, one could look down to see thousands of mountains acting as blades and the drifting clouds serving as banners. It was a magnificent sight.
But when Ren Uchiha, led by Minato Namikaze, actually stepped into the city, he realized that the reality was starkly different from the breathtaking scenery that usually makes a writer want to pump out another three hundred words.
Most of the residents here looked exhausted. Their frames were gaunt, their faces clouded with gloom, and they walked with their heads down—looking exactly like corporate slaves trying to calculate whether a fuel tax or a drop in gas prices would be better for their wallets.
Walking down the street, not a single person spared them a second glance. This was true even though Ren and Minato were wearing bamboo hats and black cloaks that practically screamed "I am a terrorist" in bold letters.
Ren sighed at the sight.
The Land of Lightning was already at a high altitude, and this bird-brained city insisted on building against the mountains while leaving so much flat space below unused. Walking through it felt like being back in the mountain cities of his previous life; every short distance was followed by a steep slope. It would be a miracle if the people weren't tired.
Beside him, Minato, thinking Ren was feeling pity for the civilians, sighed and spoke up.
"The Land of Lightning is different from our Land of Fire. This nation is martial and bellicose, plundering others year after year. To ensure sufficient military funding, various taxes are kept extremely high, so..."
"Martial and bellicose?" Ren curled his lip. He watched an elderly man nearby, well into his seventies, climbing a slope with a basket of coal on his back just to deliver it to a luxurious mansion at the peak. Talk about fighting, Ren thought. They fight heaven, they fight earth, they fight other ninjas, and they even fight their own people.
And what was the result of all that fighting? Aside from the portion that went to Kumogakure to bolster their armaments, where did the rest go? Why were the buildings at the top so beautiful while people were carried up those peaks in palanquins? Was this some new kind of extreme tourism?
Of course, it might be forced by the environment or national circumstances, but Ren found it increasingly unpleasant to look at.
Among the Five Great Nations, the Land of Lightning had the highest level of technology; they could even build era-defining weapons like Chakra Cannons. Yet, the commoners were still using primitive manual labor while the land-owning nobles indulged in archaic pleasures.
The world shouldn't be like this, Ren mused. These nobles should be having their souls sucked out by En Oyashiro's arenas, waving their banknotes in Roman-style coliseums until they're squeezed dry!
Naturally, Ren only grumbled internally. After all, it had nothing to do with a handsome passerby like him.
"Let's go."
Ren soon lost interest in talking. They continued in silence as Minato led him away from the bustling inner city, through the mountains, and across suspension bridges connecting the circular platforms on the peaks.
As the sky grew darker and the thunder above the clouds roared louder, they finally arrived in front of a somewhat dilapidated building with a vaguely Baroque style.
"What is this place?"
Ren looked up at the desolate, ruined tower that looked like it hadn't been inhabited in years. He recalled that this building actually appeared in the original manga—it was where the "Zombie Duo," Hidan and Kakuzu, captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii.
Ren felt a strange sense of irony. Now, the Zombie Duo seemed to be on his side, and the Yugito Nii they were supposed to fight had already died by his hand. He had effectively stolen Kakuzu and Hidan's job more than a decade early.
Looking at it this way, I really do seem like a villain...
"A public welfare project, I suppose? They're apartment blocks originally built for commoners. The Land of Fire has many of them too, though I'm not sure why they were abandoned here."
"There aren't many people around. I've been operating out of here for the past few days."
Minato shook his head and pushed open the rickety wooden door. He entered the ghost-house-like structure first, striking a flint to light a torch for illumination. Ren followed, a spark of curiosity rising in his mind.
"What are you doing here? And back in the inner city, you said Danzo found you. What did he tell you?"
Technically, Danzo Shimura was still Ren's "boss." That boss was incompetent at almost everything, but when it came to being a professional "shit-stirrer" in the shinobi world, Ren didn't doubt his expertise for a second.
However, the idea of Boss Danzo teaming up with a "Little Sunshine" like Minato Namikaze was... rare.
Minato's blue eyes dimmed slightly. He gave a forced smile but didn't answer immediately. He led Ren into a room and flicked a switch on the wall.
Click!
Incandescent lights flickered on, illuminating the room. In the center lay a large map covered in dense annotations, delicate handwriting, and various lines. The territory of the Land of Lightning was heavily highlighted. On the sides of the room were old tables and chairs cluttered with opened letters.
Looking at the map—which was clearly expensive and detailed enough to show mountain ranges and small towns—Ren raised an eyebrow. If I had this, I wouldn't have wasted so much time with those two idiots in the Land of Frost.
Just as Ren was about to ask if he could get a copy, Minato stood before the map and turned back with a grave expression.
"Listen, Ren!"
"You asked me what Konoha's plan has to do with the upcoming Five-Nation Talks? I'll tell you now."
Minato spoke with absolute solemnity.
"We have reached a consensus with Danzo Shimura."
"A decision and an action that defies the will of the Third Hokage!"
Ren's mouth hung open slightly in shock. It didn't surprise him at all that Danzo would oppose Hiruzen Sarutobi or make a contrary decision—that was perfectly normal. But the fact that Danzo could convince the "Little Sunshine" to join his "filth" made this very suspicious!
Ren frowned. Instead of asking what Danzo wanted, he zeroed in on the key word in Minato's sentence.
"'We'? Besides you, who else is involved?"
Danzo had approached Minato because of his close relationship with Ren, likely using that as leverage. Aside from that, the core participants of the Hell's Valley incident were Ren and Orochimaru; Danzo couldn't manipulate Orochimaru. So who else could he have found?
Ren felt a creeping sense of unease. He instinctively felt this person had to be related to him.
"It's the Captain of the Police Force, Fugaku Uchiha."
Minato took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening. "We are going to commit an act of high treason!"
"In six days, the Lightning Daimyo and the Third Raikage will definitely appear at the site of the Five-Nation Talks!"
"And we... will strike there to assassinate the Lightning Daimyo!"
Minato let out a heavy breath, his face etched with the weight of a martyr.
"The primary executioner of this plan—the one who will take full responsibility for the entire incident—is me!"
Ren felt his scalp go numb as he stared at Minato's "martyr" expression.
"What?! You want to assassinate the Lightning Daimyo too?!"
"That's right!" Minato's face was set in stone. "If there is anyone in this world who can truly assassinate a Daimyo right in front of the Third Raikage... it is undoubtedly me, the master of the Flying Raijin!"
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