"Akatsuki, huh?"
Ren stroked his chin after hearing Jiraiya's words.
Talking about Akatsuki wasn't a problem for him at all—especially since it involved his hidden missions.
The real question was how to talk about it in a way that maximized his own gains.
And more importantly—
How should he explain where his intelligence came from?
There was no way he could just say, "Oh, I laid a massive intelligence net earlier."
Even if someone believed it, would anyone think information like this could be bought for a few hundred thousand ryō?
Obviously not.
Prices have to go up.
Just like raising pigs—humans feed pigs, pigs feed humans.
A perfect win–win.
That, too, was mutual respect.
"Karin, you should head back first."
After deciding on his approach, Ren turned and smiled at her.
"Sorry. Something came up, so Yūgao and I won't be able to keep you company."
"Mm. I understand."
Karin was sensible as always. But as she turned to leave, she shot Jiraiya a sharp glare.
Her first impression of him was terrible.
Too lecherous.
Wasted her time.
Completely unforgivable.
"…"
Jiraiya's mouth twitched, but he didn't argue with a kid. Instead, he looked at Karin with curiosity.
"So that's the Uzumaki descendant… She really does resemble Kushina a bit."
The words clearly touched a sore spot.
Jiraiya sighed.
Minato and Kushina's deaths still weighed heavily on him—something he'd never truly come to terms with.
But after that brief pause, he straightened up.
"Alright, let's talk about Akatsuki. You were the first to encounter them. I've read the reports, but you're the ones with real firsthand insight."
Ren thought for a moment, then spoke seriously.
"Akatsuki is dangerous—but more than that, they're mysterious.
If you really want deeper information, I personally suggest capturing Ōnoki."
"…!"
Yūgao stiffened.
Jiraiya rubbed his temples.
As expected… pure Danzo-style extremism.
"Ōnoki has hired them many times. He definitely knows more than we do," Ren continued calmly.
"We captured Kitsuchi, but at the end of the day he's just an employee. How much could he really know?"
"…"
Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose.
"First of all—Kitsuchi is Ōnoki's son. Second—stop saying insane things. I'm begging you."
"Yes, yes."
Ren nodded obediently, hands spread.
"That was just a practical idea. As for what I actually know about Akatsuki—it's limited."
"For example, they're most likely hiding in small countries near Iwagakure.
They prefer recruiting missing-nin—it makes mobility easier."
"Didn't you just say Kirigakure is showing movement?" Ren continued.
"If we find links there… that won't be good news for us."
"Not good news?" Yūgao asked, confused.
Jiraiya, however, immediately understood.
"Your intelligence net started in Grass Country. Your first Akatsuki encounter was in Sunagakure.
If Uchiha Obito is now in Kirigakure, that means—"
"They don't have a fixed headquarters," Ren finished.
"They're scattered."
"Unless it's a large-scale mission, it's almost impossible to wipe them out in one sweep."
Jiraiya scratched his head.
That was troublesome.
No fixed base.
No central target.
Messy—but perfectly suited for a group made entirely of powerful, unruly missing-nin.
"Looks like this will be a headache…"
Jiraiya sighed.
Then Ren blinked suddenly.
"By the way, Jiraiya-sama… who exactly is Konan?"
"When we fought earlier, you clearly hesitated. You knew her?"
"…Yeah."
Jiraiya was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"She was my student. One of them."
He went on to tell the story of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.
This wasn't classified anymore.
And since Ren would inevitably clash with Akatsuki again, knowing this mattered.
"Myōboku Mountain told me eight years ago that they were dead," Jiraiya said quietly.
"So I never went back to the Rain Country."
"Who would've thought Konan survived… and joined Akatsuki."
"Rain Country… eight years ago…"
Ren frowned as if recalling something.
"When I first joined Root, I noticed something strange.
There were very few elite Root shinobi."
"I asked Danzo-sama. He got furious. Aburame Ryūma told me to shut up."
"But later… I secretly read some files."
Jiraiya's eyes sharpened.
"Eight years ago, Danzo-sama went to the Rain Country.
He cooperated with Hanzō the Salamander to purge an armed pacifist organization."
"…Only Danzo and Aburame Ryūma returned."
Silence fell.
"…Hanzō? Purge? What exactly happened?"
Jiraiya's face darkened.
Ren hesitated deliberately.
Jiraiya immediately understood.
"I swear I won't reveal your involvement," he said firmly.
"I'll even exchange techniques if you want. Please—tell me."
Then he turned to Yūgao.
"You too. Don't tell anyone—not even the Hokage. This concerns Ren's safety."
Yūgao flushed slightly, then nodded.
"I won't say anything. Ren already did something dangerous just by telling you."
Stealing classified files was a serious crime—even for ANBU.
Ren sighed internally.
You're really good at this, Jiraiya.
"I don't remember everything clearly," Ren said cautiously.
"I was scared. Reading files secretly isn't exactly praiseworthy."
"I get it," Jiraiya said quickly.
"I've done worse."
Ren glanced at him.
So I'm lying, and you actually did it?
"From what I remember," Ren continued,
"A pacifist group in the Rain Country threatened Hanzō's rule. Hanzō promised Danzo benefits, and Root moved in to wipe them out."
"As for the result… I don't know. But Danzo-sama personally acted.
Maybe they were completely eliminated."
Jiraiya's hands clenched.
Eight years ago.
Rain Country.
A pacifist group.
"…Yahiko. Nagato. Konan."
His voice shook.
"No wonder Konan said I didn't understand anything.
No wonder she rejected returning to Konoha."
Hatred had been reignited—toward Konoha itself.
And the one responsible was—
"Shimura Danzo."
Ren glanced at Jiraiya's white-knuckled fists.
Looks like I added another brick to Danzo-sama's great legacy.
But this time, he wasn't lying.
Whether or not those files existed—
Danzo did do it.
[Hidden Mission Completed]
Expose Akatsuki's Origins (2)
Evaluation: B
Freedom Points +5
Ren froze.
Just talking… completed a hidden mission?
That felt incredible.
Low difficulty.
Pure profit.
"Maybe I should tell more stories in the future…"
His eyes gleamed.
There were so many things he could talk about—
Tailed beasts.
The Ōtsutsuki.
Senju vs Uchiha.
Hyūga origins.
All potential hidden missions.
"…This system really is a treasure."
"Thank you, Ren," Jiraiya said sincerely.
"I'll investigate this thoroughly. And I promise—you won't be dragged into it."
Then he straightened.
"To repay you, I'll teach you a technique. One that pairs perfectly with Flying Thunder God."
As he spoke, chakra gathered in his palm, spinning violently—
A condensed sphere of power formed.
"This is the jutsu my student, the Fourth Hokage, created."
"Rasengan."
Ren's mouth twitched.
You really do love promoting this thing…
Still—he admitted it was useful.
Versatile.
Scalable.
Perfectly compatible.
"I want to surpass Asura," Ren thought.
"Not replace Uzumaki Naruto…"
Root Base
Danzo smashed the scroll Orochimaru sent him.
"You dare defy me?! Leaving a survivor behind?!"
Rage boiled inside him.
But even in fury, he knew—
He couldn't easily deal with Orochimaru.
Jiraiya's sudden involvement had shattered their plan.
And worse—
Ren might find out.
"As long as Nono and Kabuto die…"
He clenched his fist.
"I must bind Ren tighter."
Even with a curse mark, Ren's growing power worried him.
Hatred.
Loss.
Dependency.
He needed new chains.
Uchiha Clan
Shisui sat with Uchiha Fugaku.
"I've decided," Shisui said quietly.
"I'm leaving ANBU."
Fugaku smiled faintly.
"That's good. The clan needs you."
He spoke of fish in a pond.
Of cages disguised as villages.
Of trust that was never given.
As Shisui listened, Ren's words echoed in his mind.
Is the problem really the clan… or something else?
Cold sweat formed.
Evening — On the Way Back
"You're really talented," Yūgao said, staring at Ren.
"Even Jiraiya-sama looked defeated."
Ren laughed.
"My best talent is physical strength."
"Tch. Nonsense."
Then she added seriously:
"Don't read Jiraiya's books anymore."
"…Too late."
She narrowed her eyes.
"He's writing a series."
"…Alright. I'll stop."
Ren smiled.
"Anyway, he's a good teacher. I'll teach you Rasengan too."
And then—
[Rasengan Learned]
Chakra Level: Lv.10
Rasengan Level: Lv.10
Ren froze.
Because Rasengan is pure chakra… it scales directly?
This was huge.
"Now the real question is—what happens when I add attributes?"
Lightning.
Wind.
Fire.
The possibilities were endless.
The Uchiha were unstable.
Danzo was tightening his grip.
Kirigakure was stirring.
And Ren?
He was harvesting everything.
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