Obito watched the Root operatives disappear into the forest before finally releasing the breath he had been holding.
"So that guy really was a traitor."
His initial nervousness quickly transformed into anger. He clenched his fists and glared in the direction the operatives had gone.
"I thought he was a fellow Konoha shinobi, but he was secretly selling our intelligence to another village! How could anyone betray the village at a time like this? People like that deserve to be hunted down by the Anbu!"
Ren glanced at him.
"You believe everything they said?"
"Huh?"
Obito blinked, caught off guard by the question.
"Those masked men were Anbu serving under the Third Hokage, weren't they? They wouldn't lie about something this serious."
He pointed toward the scorched earth left behind by the Great Fireball Technique.
"Besides, that man attacked us. If you hadn't intervened, I might've been caught in the explosion along with those two."
"Seeing something doesn't always mean you understand the truth behind it. Hearing one side of a story certainly doesn't."
Ren raised one hand toward the burning undergrowth.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave."
A concentrated stream of water burst from his mouth and swept across the flames. Steam hissed into the air as the fire rapidly died, leaving only blackened branches and thin trails of smoke behind.
Ren wiped the corner of his mouth before looking at Obito again.
"You didn't know that man's name. You didn't know what information he supposedly leaked, who received it, or why Root was pursuing him. All you heard was a brief explanation from two strangers, yet you've already decided he was guilty."
Obito's confidence faltered.
"But they were Anbu…"
"They weren't ordinary Anbu. They belonged to Root."
"Root?"
Obito scratched his head, openly confused.
"What's that?"
Ren considered how much he should explain.
Giving Obito a complete account of Danzo's activities would be difficult. Ren himself only knew parts of the organization's structure, and speaking too openly about Root inside Konoha could attract unnecessary attention.
"Root is an independent branch operating under Danzo Shimura, one of the Hokage's advisors. They handle missions that ordinary Anbu can't perform openly."
Obito still looked confused, but Ren didn't elaborate.
"Just remember this: when something seems obvious, stop and think before making a decision. Ask yourself who benefits from convincing you and whether you truly understand what happened."
His tone remained casual, but there was a deeper purpose behind those words.
Ren knew what awaited Obito in the original timeline.
Madara Uchiha would manipulate him, destroy his faith in the world, and transform an impulsive but kindhearted boy into the weapon behind one of the greatest disasters in shinobi history.
The exact time and method might have changed because of Ren's presence, but Madara was still alive.
And somewhere in the darkness, he was undoubtedly still watching.
Ren couldn't expose Madara yet. He lacked the power to confront that ancient monster, and accusing one of the founders of Konoha without evidence would only make others question his sanity—or alert Madara that Ren knew too much.
Nor could Ren guarantee that he would be present when Madara finally made his move.
For now, he could only teach Obito to question what he saw and heard.
Whether the warning would change anything remained uncertain.
Still, saying something was better than remaining silent.
Obito nodded slowly.
"Oh…I understand."
Judging by his expression, he clearly didn't understand everything.
But at least the words had entered his mind.
Rin stood beside them, watching Ren thoughtfully. Her instincts told her that his warning wasn't only about the spy or Root. There seemed to be another meaning hidden beneath his words.
However, she chose not to question him.
The encounter with Root became nothing more than a brief interruption to their afternoon.
Once the three finished lunch and rested, Rin fulfilled her promise to spar with Obito.
Under normal conditions, Obito was considerably stronger than her. His Two-Tomoe Sharingan enhanced his perception, while the Uchiha clan's combat training gave him more experience in direct confrontation.
Unfortunately for him, he couldn't bring himself to attack Rin seriously.
Whenever he had an opportunity to strike, he hesitated. Whenever Rin stumbled, Obito instinctively slowed down to avoid hurting her. His Fire Release was also naturally restrained by the Water Formation Wall she had spent the morning practicing.
After several minutes, Rin stepped through the steam created by their colliding techniques and drove a Chakra-enhanced fist toward the ground beside Obito.
Boom!
The earth exploded.
Obito was thrown backward by the shock wave, flailing through the air before landing in an undignified heap.
"Wait! Rin, when did you learn to punch like that?"
Rin stared at the crater she had created and looked equally startled.
"I might have used slightly too much Chakra."
"Slightly?"
Obito looked at the crater again and swallowed.
If that punch had struck him directly, his afternoon would have ended in Konoha Hospital.
Ren finally stepped forward.
"That's enough. Obito, spar with me."
Obito's fear vanished instantly.
He jumped to his feet, brushed the dirt from his clothes, and activated his Sharingan.
"Good! I'll show you how much stronger I've become!"
This time, Obito stopped holding back.
His hands blurred through a sequence of seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball roared across the training ground.
Ren evaded it with a single sidestep, but Obito had already predicted his movement. Three shuriken curved toward the space where Ren was about to land, their paths guided by almost invisible wires.
Ren twisted between them.
Obito rushed forward.
His crimson eyes followed Ren's shoulders, hips, and feet, capturing every subtle movement. When Ren threw a punch, Obito mirrored the angle. When Ren shifted his balance, Obito attempted to reproduce the same footwork.
Obito had begun using his Sharingan to copy Ren's movements.
For a few exchanges, his performance faintly resembled the future Copy Ninja, Kakashi.
Unfortunately, reproducing a movement and understanding it were entirely different things.
Obito could imitate Ren's posture, but not the experience behind it. He saw the attack, yet failed to recognize the rhythm connecting it to the next one.
Ren deliberately repeated the same forward step three times.
On the fourth, Obito anticipated another punch and raised his guard.
Ren changed direction halfway through.
His foot swept behind Obito's ankle while one hand pressed against his shoulder.
Obito lost his balance and crashed onto his back.
Before he could recover, the dull edge of Ren's blade rested against his throat.
The entire exchange had taken less than a minute.
Obito stared at the weapon, then groaned.
"Ah! I was so close!"
Ren sheathed the blade.
"No, you weren't."
"That doesn't matter. I can feel the distance between us shrinking!"
Obito sat up and pointed confidently at Ren.
"I copied several of your moves just now. Once I practice them, I'll definitely use them against you next time!"
Ren offered no comment.
Obito's progress was real, but the distance between them hadn't shrunk nearly as much as he imagined. Still, allowing him to maintain some confidence would probably motivate him to train harder.
The three continued practicing separately throughout the afternoon.
By the time the sunlight began turning orange, Ren finally stopped and gathered his equipment.
"That's enough for today. The sun is about to set."
He glanced at Obito and Rin.
"Let's have dinner at Ichiraku Ramen. I'll pay."
Obito's exhaustion disappeared instantly.
"Really? Yes!"
Rin gave him a disapproving look.
"Obito, Ren was promoted to Special Jonin, but you didn't even prepare a gift for him. Now you're letting him buy you dinner too."
Obito froze.
"Huh?"
He looked from Rin to Ren before scratching his head awkwardly.
"I completely forgot."
"That isn't something you should admit so proudly," Rin said.
"Sorry! I'll prepare something."
Obito slapped his chest with confidence.
"Don't worry, Ren. I'll find a gift so incredible that it'll shock you!"
Ren stared at him, several disturbing possibilities flashing through his mind.
Considering Obito's history, the words I'll give you a gift sounded far more ominous than they should have.
For one absurd moment, Ren imagined Obito tearing out one of his Sharingan and presenting it to him on the spot.
Fortunately, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge was still far in the future. Obito was unlikely to die and start distributing his eyes anytime soon.
The gift would probably be a kunai, a packet of military ration pills, or something equally ordinary.
"At this point, let's eat first."
Ren began walking toward the village.
"I still have lessons to study tonight, so hurry."
Rin followed him while Obito rushed after them, loudly insisting that his eventual gift would be far better than any medical kit.
As they walked, Ren planned the rest of his evening.
He still possessed the sealing scrolls borrowed from Minato and Kushina, and now he had the collection of medical books Tsunade had entrusted to him. The Gala System could help him accelerate the learning process, but he couldn't depend entirely on shortcuts.
Before his next mission outside Konoha, there was a great deal he needed to accomplish.
At the same time, far beneath the western district of Konoha, an entirely different conversation was taking place.
The underground headquarters of Root was silent and oppressive. Cold stone walls swallowed every sound, while sparse candles cast wavering shadows through the enormous chamber.
Danzo Shimura sat upon a stone chair.
Bandages covered half his face, and the shifting firelight made his visible expression appear even more severe.
A Root operative knelt before him, delivering a complete account of the failed pursuit and their encounter with Ren.
When the report ended, silence lingered.
"Ren…"
Danzo's fingers tightened slightly around the head of his cane.
"It's him again."
His visible eye narrowed.
"Only a little more than a year has passed since he graduated from the Ninja Academy, yet he has already reached this level. Truly unexpected."
Danzo felt something he despised admitting.
Regret.
He had learned Ren's name not long after the boy graduated. At the time, he had attempted to recruit him into Root, only for Orochimaru to interfere.
Ren had looked talented then, but Danzo hadn't considered him irreplaceable. Orochimaru had even offered two promising orphans in exchange for Danzo abandoning his interest in the boy.
Danzo had accepted the arrangement.
Now Ren had leaped from Genin to Special Jonin in barely more than a year.
Even Kakashi Hatake—the genius praised throughout Konoha—was still only a Chunin.
If Danzo had known Ren's potential would develop so quickly, he would never have withdrawn. Even if it meant damaging his cooperation with Orochimaru, he would have taken the child and personally molded him into Root's sharpest blade.
In Danzo's mind, Orochimaru's replacement orphans no longer mattered.
All he saw was the weapon that had escaped his grasp.
Orochimaru has cost me dearly.
That thought filled Danzo with bitterness.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late.
Ren was still young.
Young shinobi could be influenced, pressured, isolated—or broken.
"Have we confirmed the movements of Sunagakure and Kumogakure?" Danzo asked.
The operative lowered his head.
"Yes, Lord Danzo. According to the latest intelligence sent by Nono Yakushi, Kumogakure's A–B duo secretly left their village and entered the Land of Hot Water."
Danzo's gaze sharpened.
"What of Sunagakure?"
"Their elite puppet troops have withdrawn from the eastern border and are gathering near the Land of Rivers. Our agents suspect Sunagakure has reached a secret agreement with Iwagakure."
The operative paused.
"Based on their current preparations, another large-scale offensive will likely begin within one or two weeks."
A faint smile appeared on Danzo's face.
"Very good."
War was a disaster for ordinary people.
For Danzo, it was an opportunity.
Conflict created fear. Fear created desperation, and desperation made people easier to control.
"Ren is a newly promoted Special Jonin and one of Minato Namikaze's prized students. Once war erupts again, Hiruzen will inevitably entrust him with dangerous missions."
Danzo's fingers tapped slowly against his cane.
"When that happens, we may finally have an opportunity to approach him."
His voice became colder.
"A genius like Ren can only realize his true value after joining Root."
The operative bowed.
"Understood. We will monitor his movements and await your command."
"Leave."
The shinobi vanished into the shadows.
Danzo remained alone, studying intelligence reports gathered from throughout the shinobi world. Candlelight stretched his shadow across the stone floor, making him resemble an old predator waiting patiently at the bottom of an abyss.
Eventually, his hand stopped on one report.
"Land of Rain…Akatsuki."
Danzo read the information again, his expression hardening.
"Another potential threat."
He set the report aside.
"When the opportunity comes, they must be eliminated."
Several days passed.
On a secluded training ground in eastern Konoha, two figures moved through a clearing surrounded by dense trees.
Their swords collided in a storm of silver light.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks scattered through the air as the combatants shifted between offense and defense. One moved like a falcon diving upon its prey, while the other advanced with the relentless pressure of a hunting beast.
Kurenai sat on a wooden post at the edge of the clearing. Her hands were clasped tightly against her chest, and her ruby-colored eyes followed the battle without blinking.
She barely remembered to breathe.
The promised duel between Ren and Shinku Yuhi had finally begun.
Because this was a private spar, they hadn't invited an audience. Kurenai was the only spectator.
Her father's blade moved like the wind—fluid, agile, and continuous. Each attack flowed seamlessly into the next, creating almost no opening for a counterattack.
Ren's swordsmanship was entirely different.
His style was fierce and direct, yet never crude. Every movement possessed an effortless precision, and his short white hair flowed behind him whenever he changed direction.
Even in the middle of a dangerous sword fight, Ren's movements possessed an undeniable beauty.
But as Kurenai continued watching, she realized something shocking.
Her father was losing.
Shinku was undoubtedly a master swordsman, but his true specialty was Genjutsu. Swordsmanship had always been his secondary discipline.
Against Ren's Mind Blade Domain, that weakness became increasingly obvious.
Ren seemed to know where every attack would land before Shinku completed it.
Thirty exchanges passed.
Then forty.
Shinku's breathing grew heavier.
Ren remained calm.
Realizing that the battle would only become more unfavorable, Shinku deliberately allowed Ren to force him back. His sword shifted, creating what appeared to be a small gap in his defense.
Ren attacked.
Shinku's eyes flashed.
He had been waiting for that moment.
Ren's previous strike had ended. His old strength was exhausted, while the power for his next movement had yet to gather.
Shinku stepped forward.
"Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Willow!"
A cold flash tore through the air.
The technique combined swordsmanship with a subtle visual disturbance, drawing the opponent's attention away from the true path of the blade.
The tip shot toward Ren's chest.
Kurenai's heart nearly stopped.
Ren pivoted.
The blade passed within a hair's breadth of his clothes.
Shinku's eyes widened.
Ren had already planted his rear foot.
His waist twisted, his muscles tightened, and his entire body compressed like a spring.
Then he struck.
His sword transformed into a streak of silver lightning.
It was faster than Shinku's Willow and far more violent. The blade cut directly toward the point Shinku had no choice but to defend.
Swish!
A soft sound passed through the clearing.
Shinku remained frozen in his stabbing posture.
Disbelief filled his face.
One second later, the middle of his ninja blade slid apart.
Clatter!
The severed half fell and embedded itself in the soil.
Ren stood opposite him, holding his sword horizontally. His expression remained composed, as though severing the weapon of a veteran Jonin had been nothing more than a routine exercise.
The clearing fell silent.
Only the rustling leaves and their uneven breathing remained.
Shinku slowly lowered his broken sword.
"Good lad."
A bitter smile crossed his face.
He had expected that he might lose, but he hadn't expected his defeat to be so complete.
He hadn't even seen the final strike clearly.
All he remembered was a cold silver line sweeping across his vision.
"Your swordsmanship has already reached sixty or seventy percent of the White Fang's level."
"Thank you for the praise."
Ren smoothly returned his blade to its sheath.
"Your swordsmanship was exceptional. If you hadn't held back at the end, I might not have avoided that final attack. My victory was mostly luck."
Shinku's mouth twitched.
"There's no one else here besides Kurenai. You don't need to comfort me with such obvious lies."
Kurenai quietly looked away.
Shinku examined his broken blade.
"I've lost before. I don't need a child protecting my pride."
His expression became serious.
"But what exactly happened during the final exchange? It felt as though you understood my intention before I even moved."
Ren considered the question.
"Have you heard of Sen no Sen?"
Shinku nodded faintly.
"It refers to perceiving an opponent's intention before the attack begins and responding in advance. I once comprehended something similar and gradually integrated it into my swordsmanship."
That explanation wasn't entirely false.
Ren had encountered the concept in books about swordsmanship. However, without the Sharingan's dynamic vision—or an ability equally extraordinary—it was nearly impossible to put the principle into practice consistently.
The Mind Blade Domain represented the perfect realization of that concept.
Unfortunately, the ability was something that could be understood only through experience. Ren couldn't properly explain it to Shinku, much less teach it to him through words.
As Shinku continued examining the broken sword, Ren shifted part of his attention toward the Gala System.
[Ding! Hatake Swordsmanship favorability +4.]
[Current favorability: 64/100.]
[Special Event: World's Greatest Swordsmanship.]
[Progress: 1/8.]
[Defeated sword school: Konoha-Style Kenjutsu.]
A quiet thrill passed through Ren.
The first of the eight sword schools had fallen.
Hatake Swordsmanship's favorability had also risen beyond sixty. If Ren challenged members of the Uchiha clan and defeated Uchiha Style Kenjutsu, he might soon push its favorability to seventy-five and unlock the third-stage trait.
What would the final trait be once favorability reached its maximum?
Most techniques underwent a qualitative transformation at one hundred favorability. If Hatake Swordsmanship's limit was merely an expanded Mind Blade Domain, then it could never truly deserve the title of the world's greatest sword style.
After all, somewhere in the darkness, an ancient Uchiha could summon a Susanoo capable of splitting mountains with a single sword stroke.
If that counted as swordsmanship, Hatake Swordsmanship still had an impossibly long distance to climb.
Ren rested one hand on the hilt of his blade
One school had fallen.
Seven remained.
And the next blade standing between him and the summit would belong to the Uchiha clan.
----------------------------------------------
Extra chapters available in Patreon⚡
[Www.patreon.com/Samurai492 ]"
_________________________________