Kurenai, who had been watching from the edge of the training ground, finally released the breath she had been holding.
She jumped down from the wooden post and hurried across the clearing, her ruby-red eyes fixed on Ren.
"Ren, are you all right?"
Her concern was impossible to hide.
"That final exchange was terrifying. For a moment, I thought my father's sword was actually going to hit you!"
"I'm fine."
Ren's breathing was slightly heavier than usual, and a thin layer of sweat covered his forehead, but there wasn't a single wound on his body.
Kurenai raised her hand, instinctively intending to wipe away his sweat.
"Ahem!"
A deliberate cough came from beside them.
Kurenai's hand stopped in midair.
Shinku Yuhi stood only a few steps away, holding the broken remains of his ninja blade. He looked from his daughter's outstretched hand to Ren's face, his expression becoming increasingly strange.
Kurenai hurriedly withdrew her hand.
Her cheeks turned red as she looked away.
"Um…Dad, are you all right?"
Shinku's mouth twitched.
"I'm fine. I won't die anytime soon."
Kurenai gave him an embarrassed smile.
Shinku sighed.
He had gradually grown accustomed to the enormous difference between how his daughter treated him and how she treated Ren. It still wounded his pride as a father, but he couldn't claim he didn't understand her reaction.
The white-haired youth before him was exceptionally talented.
That description alone barely did Ren justice.
His Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, swordsmanship, Chakra control, and tactical instincts far surpassed what anyone expected from a shinobi his age. He had graduated from the Ninja Academy barely more than a year ago, yet he had already become a Special Jonin and could defeat veteran Jonin in direct combat.
Ren possessed the unmistakable brilliance of a rising star.
If he continued advancing at this pace, he might one day become a legitimate candidate for Hokage.
It was hardly surprising that someone Kurenai's age would admire him.
Shinku remembered the legendary shinobi from his own youth. The Sannin, the White Fang, and even the young Hiruzen Sarutobi had all inspired similar admiration from the people around them.
Still, understanding the reason didn't make it any easier for a father to watch.
Especially when Kurenai had shown more concern for Ren's sweat than for her father's shattered sword.
Shinku looked down at the two halves of his blade and sighed again.
He no longer felt like discussing Sen no Sen. Even if Ren explained the principle in detail, it wasn't something Shinku could immediately understand and reproduce.
The final exchange had made that painfully clear.
He bent down, picked up the severed section of his blade, and wrapped both pieces in cloth.
"That's enough for today. Kurenai, let's return home."
"All right."
Kurenai agreed, though her reluctance was evident. She glanced at Ren as if she wanted to remain for a little longer.
Ren secured his short blade across his back and prepared to accompany them out of the training ground.
At that moment, a faint Chakra fluctuation emerged from the shadows beneath the trees.
Ren turned his head.
A figure wearing an animal mask appeared silently at the edge of the clearing. The newcomer wore the standard uniform of Konoha's Anbu, and dust marked the lower portion of his clothes, suggesting he had traveled at high speed.
Unlike the Root operatives they had encountered several days earlier, this man openly carried the insignia of the Hokage's direct forces.
His masked gaze settled on Shinku.
"Jonin Shinku Yuhi, by order of the Third Hokage, report immediately to the Hokage Building for an emergency assembly of the Jonin class."
Shinku's expression changed.
"Immediately?"
"Yes."
The Anbu operative didn't offer further explanation.
Having delivered the message, he formed a hand seal and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
Leaves scattered through the place where he had stood.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Kurenai looked worriedly at her father.
"Dad?"
"You should return home without me."
Shinku's earlier irritation had disappeared. His expression was now solemn, and his voice carried the authority of an experienced Jonin.
"An emergency assembly at this hour means something serious has happened. It's probably related to intelligence from one of the borders."
He secured the broken weapon at his waist.
"I may not return in time for dinner."
Kurenai nodded reluctantly.
Shinku then turned toward Ren.
"You should come with me."
"Me?"
"Special Jonin are permitted to attend meetings of the Jonin class as observers, particularly when the matter relates to their field of expertise."
Shinku looked at him seriously.
"You've only recently received the rank, so no one will blame you if you don't attend. Still, understanding how decisions are made at this level will benefit you."
Ren considered the invitation.
Honestly, he had little interest in large meetings.
In his experience, most important decisions were made beforehand by a small group of powerful individuals. A larger assembly was usually intended to distribute orders, collect limited opinions, and make everyone feel involved in a decision that was already nearly complete.
Still, Shinku had invited him with the clear intention of guiding a younger shinobi.
Rejecting him without a good reason would be disrespectful.
There was another benefit as well.
Ren knew only a portion of Konoha's Jonin from this era. An assembly would allow him to recognize many influential figures at once.
Some of them might also practice distinctive forms of swordsmanship.
The limited-time mission required him to defeat representatives of eight sword schools. After overcoming Konoha-Style Kenjutsu, he needed to begin searching for his next opponent.
Attending the meeting could help him identify one.
"All right."
Ren nodded.
"I'll trouble you to lead the way."
Shinku turned toward Kurenai.
"Go directly home. Don't wander around the village."
"I know."
Kurenai looked at Ren one last time.
"Be careful."
"It's only a meeting," Shinku said helplessly.
Kurenai pretended not to hear him.
After watching her leave, Shinku and Ren departed the training ground and hurried toward the center of Konoha.
Fifteen minutes later, they entered the Hokage Building.
The large conference room on the first floor was already crowded.
Voices overlapped throughout the chamber as dozens of Jonin gathered in small groups. Some exchanged information in low voices, while others sat silently, studying the people around them.
Konoha currently possessed more than two hundred publicly registered Jonin.
That figure didn't include the hidden forces maintained by the major clans or the Anbu operatives whose identities remained classified. If every elite shinobi in the village were assembled at once, the number could reach three or even four hundred.
Naturally, such a gathering was impossible during wartime.
Many Jonin were stationed at border outposts, commanding units in allied territories, protecting important officials, or performing high-ranking missions outside the Land of Fire. Others were responsible for essential departments within the village and couldn't abandon their posts.
Even so, several dozen Jonin had answered today's summons.
Roughly half came from Konoha's established shinobi clans, while the others had risen from civilian families.
Ren recognized Minato immediately.
His golden hair stood out even in the crowded room. As one of Konoha's strongest active Jonin, Minato occupied a seat near the front, only a short distance from where the village's senior leadership would sit.
He was speaking quietly with a middle-aged member of the Nara clan. The man's dark hair was tied into the clan's distinctive spiky ponytail, and his relaxed posture contrasted sharply with the alert intelligence in his eyes.
Ren suspected he was one of the Nara clan's senior strategists.
Farther back sat several other familiar figures.
Fugaku Uchiha maintained a dignified silence, his expression unreadable. Aburame Shikuro sat motionlessly behind his dark glasses, while Choza Akimichi occupied enough space for nearly two ordinary shinobi.
Numerous unfamiliar faces filled the remaining seats.
Some carried swords. Others had scars or clan markings that hinted at years of combat experience.
The instant Ren entered alongside Shinku, several conversations paused.
Minato and the others who knew him showed brief surprise. A moment later, Minato stood and gestured for them to join him.
Shinku's presence attracted little attention.
He was a veteran Jonin who had served the village for many years and regularly instructed younger shinobi. No one questioned his right to attend.
Ren was another matter.
Although he had received the rank of Special Jonin, he remained extraordinarily young. Several people had heard rumors of his promotion, but many were seeing him in such a setting for the first time.
Curious and assessing gazes followed him across the room.
Some held simple interest.
Others carried doubt.
A few contained obvious dissatisfaction.
Ren ignored all of them and sat beside Minato.
Shinku barely waited until he had taken his seat before leaning toward him.
"Minato, what happened?"
Minato lowered his voice.
"There appears to be trouble along the northern border. Kumogakure has made several unusual deployments."
His expression became more serious.
"Sunagakure has also begun moving again. Their forces had been engaged in limited skirmishes and small-scale probing attacks, but new intelligence suggests they're preparing for something larger."
Shinku frowned.
"Both villages at the same time?"
"That's what concerns everyone."
Ren listened without interrupting.
The moment Minato mentioned the northern border, Ren began putting the pieces together.
Kumogakure had finally begun to move.
The original history of the Third Shinobi World War had never provided a complete timeline, but its general progression was clear.
The war had begun after the disappearance of the Third Kazekage threw Sunagakure into chaos. During the first stage of the conflict, Konoha's primary opponent was the Sand. Fighting between the two villages continued until Sunagakure's decisive defeat at the Battle of Kikyō Pass.
In the later stage of the war, Konoha's main enemies became Iwagakure and Kirigakure.
Kumogakure's involvement was less clearly recorded. Its clashes with Konoha continued intermittently for years, and tensions between the two villages remained unresolved until after Hinata Hyuga's birth.
However, history had already begun changing.
Ren's presence had altered missions, battles, and relationships that should have followed a different course. Even small changes could spread outward until the war no longer resembled the future he remembered.
At Wildfire Outpost, Konoha had learned from Pakura that Sunagakure and Kumogakure were communicating in secret.
At the time, they hadn't known whether those discussions would produce a real alliance.
Now the answer was becoming clear.
Sand intended to strike from the west.
Cloud would descend from the north.
If their offensives began simultaneously, Konoha would be forced to split its forces between two major fronts.
Ren's gaze shifted toward Fugaku Uchiha.
The Uchiha clan leader remained calm, but the fingers resting on his knee had tightened slightly.
Others in the room had reached the same conclusion.
The overlapping conversations gradually quieted.
The conference-room door opened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi entered wearing the white-and-red robes of the Hokage, his ceremonial hat casting a shadow across his weathered face. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado followed closely behind him.
All three wore grave expressions.
They had evidently been discussing the situation before entering and had reached some kind of agreement.
Hiruzen's gaze swept across the gathered Jonin.
The remaining whispers immediately stopped.
Every shinobi in the room straightened.
"It appears that most of you have arrived."
Hiruzen removed his hat and placed it upon the table.
"I won't waste time with unnecessary formalities."
The silence became oppressive.
Ren could hear the faint movement of guards outside the room.
Hiruzen drew a slow breath.
"The village has received a maximum-level warning from our border forces and Anbu intelligence network."
Several Jonin exchanged tense looks.
Hiruzen continued.
"We now have credible evidence that Sunagakure and Kumogakure have reached a secret military agreement."
His voice carried clearly across the room.
"Their recent deployments are not routine border movements. Both villages are concentrating elite units near the Land of Fire."
Minato's expression hardened.
Shinku leaned forward.
Hiruzen placed both hands on the table.
"Within the coming days, Sunagakure and Kumogakure may launch a coordinated invasion of the Land of Fire—attacking us from the west and north simultaneously."
The conference room erupted.
Some Jonin began questioning the reliability of the intelligence. Others demanded information about enemy numbers, deployment routes, and the strength of Konoha's border defenses.
Hiruzen raised one hand.
The voices gradually died.
"The village must prepare for war on two fronts."
His gaze traveled across the room before stopping briefly on Minato—and then on Ren.
"New defensive units will be formed tonight. Their commanders and deployment orders have already been selected."
Ren felt several gazes shift toward him.
Outside the Hokage Building, the evening sky remained peaceful.
But within the conference room, everyone understood the truth.
The fragile silence surrounding the Land of Fire was about to be shattered—and this time, Ren would not be sent to the battlefield as an ordinary Genin.
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