"Give it to Orochimaru?"
In the training field that afternoon, Setsuna Uchiha frowned slightly as he took the envelope.
He was the one who had finalized the decision for Ren to become Orochimaru's disciple, so he naturally knew that the two, having signed contracts with Ryūchi Cave, had their own specific means of communication. But Ren had approached him to use the clan's private channels to deliver this letter.
The implications made the old man cast a sidelong glance at him.
"Fine, I understand." Setsuna nodded, tucking the letter away. "However, news arrived from the village this morning—Orochimaru has already left Konoha. His whereabouts are unknown. Fortunately, he hasn't been gone long; finding him only requires an information exchange with the Ninja Cats."
"Orochimaru left the village?" Ren was stunned.
In the original timeline of the Third Great Ninja War, among the Sannin, only Jiraiya was constantly abroad on intelligence missions. Tsunade remained at the Konoha Hospital due to her hemophobia, and Orochimaru was supposed to be conducting secret experiments funded by Danzo—the very human experiments that would eventually lead to his defection.
Now, the usually shut-in Orochimaru had become active. Ren wasn't sure what he was up to, but on second thought, this was a good thing. At the very least, it might prevent his defection. Given Orochimaru's status, if he wanted to leave, he could just find an excuse to travel like Jiraiya. If he became a rogue ninja now, it wouldn't be good for the Uchiha clan's current position.
Having handed the letter to Setsuna and settled his business, Ren naturally began his training under the old man's watchful gaze.
Time flew.
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
Ren spent his mornings practicing swordsmanship and his afternoons in live combat to solidify his basics. At night, he studied the sealing scrolls Kushina had given him. Because those scrolls were so precious, he had stored them inside a summoned snake beforehand, which was the only reason they had survived the Kumogakure ambush.
With his S-rank sealing jutsu [Super Death Match Barrier] as a foundation, his progress in Sealing Arts was steady. Combined with the basic sealing exercises provided by the clan, new lines of text soon refreshed on his panel:
[You have mastered: String Light Formation (C)]
[You have mastered: Shadow Clone Jutsu (B)]
[You have mastered: Three-Directions Seal (B)]
These were fundamental seals, none surpassing the strength of his Death Match Barrier. The only thing of note was the Three-Directions Seal, which required the use of Shadow Clones to manifest the formation simultaneously, leading Ren to master the Shadow Clone Jutsu as a prerequisite.
Furthermore, his swordsmanship proficiency reached a new milestone:
[Uchiha Style: Dance of the Halo (S+, Proficiency: Master 0/500)]
Through relentless combat and training, the skill had finally crossed the threshold into the Master rank. At this level, he could seamlessly weave Genjutsu into his blade to incapacitate enemies and use the gale force of his flame slashes to shift his trajectory mid-air.
Once he reached this stage, the effectiveness of repetitive training diminished. Hikaku and Setsuna stopped demanding sword practice and pivoted to teaching him the Uchiha's ancestral Fire Style.
Fire Style: Great Fire Crimson, Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame, Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire... As an Uchiha, how could he not be a master of flames?
However, with Ren's natural "talent," learning these techniques was a bumpy road. Fortunately, he had the Sharingan to forcibly copy the seals and flow, and since he had already mastered the nature transformation of fire, he practiced them to death in live sparring. Though his progress made Setsuna curse like a sailor every day, growth was visible.
One month later.
Valley of Hell, Cliffside.
The setting sun of the late afternoon cast long shadows across his body. Shadows leaped as birds took flight. Ren stood on the tip of a jagged rock, opening his status panel with a thought to inspect his gains.
[Employee: Ren Uchiha] (Expand)
Looking at the rows of accomplishments earned through sweat and blood, Ren's lips curled into a slight smile. He might not be exponentially stronger than he was before, but things earned through hard work would never betray him. Even if he lost everything else, he would still exist as a formidable Uchiha.
This gave Ren—who had been feeling uneasy due to his suspiciously rapid growth—a sense of grounded stability.
"Senpai, what are you smiling at?"
A youthful voice came from behind. Stepping through the long shadows of the dusk, a boy of about seven or eight walked over, looking at him curiously.
"It's nothing," Ren glanced at Tenzo (Yamato) and shook his head.
His period of secluded training had ended, and he had just rejoined his team. Before this, Aburame Ryoma and Tenzo had been operating as a two-man squad patrolling the Valley of Hell. Technically, Ren's behavior—ditching missions to train alone—was against regulations.
However, nothing major had happened. The Chinoike clan had been unusually quiet lately, and since the client for this mission was the Uchiha clan—and Ren was the nominal "Young Clan Head"—using his position for personal gain was perfectly reasonable and legal! Yes, exactly.
"But you can finally go on missions with me!" Tenzo looked up at Ren, his expression filled with excitement. "So, Senpai... shall we begin now?"
Ren was taken aback. "Wait a second... begin what?"
Tenzo straightened his small face and put his hands on his hips. "Senpai, did you forget? I was sent here specifically as a control tool to prevent you from going berserk! According to Ryoma-senpai's instructions, you need to guide me until I'm strong enough to beat you into the ground!"
Ren: "..."
So I really have to teach the kid how to beat me up?
Ren's lip twitched as he glanced at Aburame Ryoma, who was leaning against a nearby tree. He could practically see the three black lines on his own forehead. No doubt, this was revenge from Ryoma for having to babysit a child for over a month.
The problem was, Ren didn't know Wood Style, nor was he an expert in the specific seals Tenzo used. Tenzo's ability to suppress Jinchūriki relied on a technique that required the necklace around Tsunade's neck. What was he supposed to teach?
Ren rubbed his chin, thinking. Suddenly, a grin spread across his face as he formed the 'Tiger' seal before the boy.
Actually, as a senior, he did have one thing he could pass down.
"Alright then. I'll teach you a super powerful sealing technique!"
"A high-level seal?" Tenzo's eyes lit up with anticipation.
Ren whispered ominously, "That's right. This technique is known as a Konoha Secret Taijutsu Mystery... From this moment on, we are enemies. I will perform this ultimate art on you! Tenzo, are you truly ready?"
Gulp.
Tenzo swallowed hard, feeling a bit nervous. "Wait, Senpai, why is a 'Taijutsu Mystery' a 'Sealing Technique'?" But meeting Ren's gaze, the boy steeled himself. "Yes! I'm ready!"
"Very good!"
Ren wore a smile of pure catharsis, remembering the shameful memory of that night at the Land of Hot Springs bathhouse.
"As your superior, the first lesson I'll teach you today is this: A ninja must never leave their back exposed to the enemy!"
"Eh?" Tenzo blinked, only to realize a gust of wind had suddenly whistled past him.
He whirled around in shock, only to see another Ren Uchiha crouching on the ground behind him. His hands were locked in the 'Tiger' seal, fingers extended like a spear aimed directly at Tenzo's backside. He lunged forward with explosive force!
The real Ren, standing in front of the boy, patted Tenzo on the shoulder with a look of deep nostalgia.
"Tenzo... this is the Konoha Secret Taijutsu Mystery..."
"One Thousand Years of Death!"
Whoosh!
Thwack!
Tenzo's eyes bulged. His face contorted into a mask of pure shock and twisted agony as he soared into the sky.
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