~A Few Hours Ago~
~Stone Village~
~ Tsuchikage's Office~
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of the Dust Style, sat hunched behind his desk. His back ached; his hips ached; his patience especially ached. Yet none of that compared to the throbbing vein forming at the side of his forehead as he reread the letter in his trembling hands.
Around him, the elders of the Stone Village stood in rigid silence, their faces frozen somewhere between dread, disbelief, and the collective humiliation of an entire nation.
Onoki slowly dragged his gaze down the page again, as if hoping that the words would magically rearrange themselves into something dignified.
They did not.
~
Ren's Letter:
Hello old man Tsuchikage, how are you?
Me? I'm great, more than great even since I got to fight a lot yesterday, first Kakuzu, then people from your and Cloud village… and how great of you that you even sent your son to fight me!
Onoki's eyebrow twitched.
But you lost to old man Raikage on that front, he actually sent a jinchuriki and one of their most important people, C. Well I don't really think his name was C, because if your parents named you "C"? Sheesh.
One elder snorted before quickly covering his mouth.OnokiOnokinokishot him a glare sharp enough to slice stone.
Anyway, moving on, your little alliance lost, sad.
But! Your son is still alive and about twenty or so shinobi are also alive. I didn't really count the cannon fodders.
Several elders' faces paled.
Oh, that reminds me, I have a suggestion, please don't send these cannon fodders next time. If you want to give me a gift then please send one of your jinchūriki… or maybe you yourself?
Nahh, that might be overkill for now. Maybe in a year or two, yeah, by then I should be ready, don't you think?
Onoki's fingers curled around the parchment so tightly it almost tore.
Now then, about what to do going forward, you? Nothing.
That's right, do nothing, and your remaining people will be fine, especially your son. I don't want to harm him; he seems like a good man.
One elder whispered, "At least he respects Kitsuchi-sama…"
Onoki suppressed the urge to throw a rock at him.
As long as you stay put for about a week that should be enough. By then we'd also be finished cleaning up some of our mess, as you must have known by now.
A few elders exchanged glances. They knew about Danzo's trial too.
You also don't have to worry about Yamanaka people going through their minds. I haven't given them to the village for now, they're my prisoners.
Whether that's good news or bad news is up to you.
"That brat…" Onoki muttered, rubbing his temple.
Also, I advise you don't take this warning lightly. I'm not old man Hokage thinking about peace and everything.
Onoki groaned openly at that line.
You must know me by now, right? Young, brash, moody, whatever else people say about me.
It's up to you how you decide, but if I see any signs of your forces moving toward the Land of Fire then (¬‿¬).
Every elder in the room craned their necks to look what that symbol at the end was.
An elder standing by the door whispered, "…Is that a threat?"
Another whispered back, "I think it's worse. It's mockery."
Onoki sagged into his chair, feeling about ten years older.
Also, I'm sending you a proof in case you don't believe me.
That's all, byeee. Hope you have a good time.
Oh, and if you find out C's real name, do write to me.
Onoki's eyelid twitched then he held the letter up so that no one could read it.
Oh, I almost forgot, keep this one to yourself.
Keep an eye on people who try to instigate things too much. Normal amount is understandable, but you should know what "too much" I'm speaking about.
The "too much" that led you to sending so many of your people.
Ren's tone changed there, enough that Onoki felt it through the letter. It wasn't a warning, it was more of a hint, a reminder.
Then the letter ended cheerfully.
Well, that's all, byeeeee.
~
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the dust motes drifting through the air seemed to freeze.
Onoki exhaled slowly, then reached forward into the still-unconscious body of Elder Hishiro, who lay on the floor wrapped in medical bandages. His old fingers pulled out a folded photo.
He unfolded it.
And the entire room stopped breathing.
There, inside a massive underground cavern, sat forty Stone and Cloud shinobi, tied securely with sealing ropes, heads slumped unconscious. Kitsuchi and Yugito were seated in the front row, each in a chair, each thoroughly restrained.
And between them…
Ren Senju Takahashi, grinning ear-to-ear, flashing a cheerful peace sign like he was posing for a vacation photo.
Onoki slowly turned the photo over.
There was a handwritten note on the back.
"Give this to everyone in the picture after they return, as a trophy of their bravery."
A vein burst on Onoki's forehead.
One elder finally broke the silence.
"…Tsuchikage-sama, what are your orders?"
Ōnoki inhaled.
Exhaled.
Inhaled again.
Then, in a tone so weary it scraped the bottom of his soul, he replied.
"…We do nothing."
"But!"
"Only until the leaf's mess is over."
Silence.
"He also has Yugito and Cloud is not one to stay silent, let them go first."
More silence.
Onoki slumped back, staring at the photo again.
"This brat," he muttered, "maybe I should just retire and leave him to the next Tsuchikage."
~~~
~Around the Same Time~
~Cloud Village~
~Raikage's Office~
The atmosphere inside the Raikage's office was nothing short of explosive.
The large chamber, built of reinforced stone and metal, seemed to vibrate with barely contained rage. Lightning chakra crackled faintly along the walls, not from a jutsu, but from the sheer emotional pressure filling the room.
At the center sat A, the Fourth Raikage, in front of a broken table, arms crossed, jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles along his neck stood out like cords. His presence alone usually silenced any room.
Today, it did not.
"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!"
One of the elders slammed his fist against the table so hard the wood creaked. His face was red, eyes blazing.
"C is dead! One of our most important people, our strategist, our sensor, our backbone! If we don't retaliate immediately, the village will erupt into chaos once the people learn of this!"
Another elder stood just as abruptly, voice sharp but fearful rather than furious.
"And Yugito is with him. That boy didn't deny it, he has her. And he made it clear he isn't Hiruzen Sarutobi. We don't know how far he's willing to go."
The room quieted slightly as that sank in.
"He's a Senju," the elder continued. "And he might also have Uzumaki inheritance with him. We don't know what kind of sealing inheritance he might have. If he knows even a fraction of Uzumaki Fuinjutsu, what stops him from extracting the Two-Tails?"
A murmur rippled through the room.
"If Konoha gains another jinchuriki on top of the Nine-Tails," the elder finished grimly, "it's over. Even if it's unstable, even if it's imperfect, just unleashing a tailed beast on the battlefield would tilt any war in their favor."
Another elder scoffed loudly.
"That's a ridiculous leap. Uzumaki inheritance? Extraction methods? You're stacking assumptions on top of assumptions just to justify cowardice."
He turned toward A, voice rising.
"I say we march to Konoha immediately. We declare war. We crush them before that brat has time to consolidate his gains."
The room erupted again, voices overlapping, arguments colliding, grief for C twisting into reckless anger.
"Enough."
The voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
An older man seated directly across from A rose slowly. His hair was grey, his back straight despite his age, his gaze sharp and disciplined.
"Shut up," he said flatly, scanning the room. "All of you."
Silence fell, not because of A, but because the oldest elder, Elder Kimishiro had spoken.
"Are you elders of a great village," he continued coldly, "or freshly minted Genin letting emotions dictate strategy?"
No one answered.
"Think," Kimishiro said. "Right now, the Leaf Village is on complete lockdown. Danzo Shimura is on trial. There is no doubt he will be found guilty."
Several elders frowned, already seeing where this was going.
"But Danzo," Kimishiro continued, "will not accept that outcome quietly. The Leaf will descend into chaos for a short time."
He leaned forward slightly.
"That is when we act."
Murmurs rose again, quieter now.
"We wait until Konoha finishes tearing itself apart. When they're weakened, when their attention is inward then both Cloud and Stone apply pressure together."
He tapped the table once.
"Not only do we secure the safe return of our people, but we extract additional concessions."
Someone started to object, but Kimishiro raised a hand.
"That boy said he isn't Hiruzen, true. But Hiruzen is still the Hokage. And Hiruzen will always choose stability over pride. Apply pressure correctly, and he will accept our terms."
The room slowly quieted.
Finally, A spoke.
"…Kimishiro is right."
Every head turned toward him.
"We wait," the Raikage said. His voice was calm, but beneath it was coiled fury. "But treat this as a wartime situation."
He turned sharply.
"Alert all border patrols near the Land of Fire. Engage in small skirmishes only. Test the Leaf's response time. See how far we can push before that brat reacts."
He straightened.
"Now go. Kimishiro, stay."
One by one, the elders bowed and left, their footsteps echoing heavily as the doors closed behind them.
Kimishiro remained, confusion flickering briefly across his face.
Once they were alone, A spoke again, quietly this time.
"Keep an eye on the one who was pushing hardest for war just now."
Kimishiro's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And make sure no one instigates chaos inside the village," A added. "If emotions boil over before we're ready, we lose control."
Kimishiro nodded.
"As you command."
He left, the doors closing with a dull thud.
Alone at last, A turned toward the window overlooking the village. Lightning flashed faintly outside, mirroring the storm in his chest.
His fists clenched.
"I should have killed him when I had the chance," he muttered darkly.
~~~
~Leaf Village~
~Trial Chamber~
Just as the murmur of the assembled leaders began to settle and the formal opening of the trial loomed, the heavy doors at the far end of the chamber swung open.
The sound echoed and every head turned.
Ren walked in first, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed to the point of arrogance. Utakata followed a step behind him, expression calm as he reached back and closed the doors with a soft thud.
"Hey guys," Ren said cheerfully, waving once. "I'm back."
For half a second, no one spoke.
Then the pressure hit.
It wasn't visible, but it was felt, a dense, suffocating killing intent that rolled out from Ren like heat from an open furnace. Clan heads stiffened. Several elite jonin instinctively shifted their stance. Even seasoned veterans felt a chill crawl up their spines.
The Daimyo's reaction was immediate.
His breath hitched, sweat forming on his brow as his face paled. Compared to the shinobi in the room, he was only marginally stronger than a normal civilian, and Ren's presence crashed into him like a wave. His hands trembled before he even realized it.
Hiruzen reacted instantly.
He raised one hand and placed it lightly on the Daimyo's arm, his chakra flaring just enough to form a protective buffer. The pressure eased slightly, enough that the Daimyo didn't collapse outright.
The two guardian shinobi behind the Daimyo stepped forward at once, hands hovering near their weapons, their faces tight with strain. Even they weren't entirely comfortable standing so close to Ren in this state.
A low cough cut through the tension.
Hiruzen cleared his throat.
"Ren," he said evenly, though there was unmistakable fatigue in his voice, "please restrain your killing intent. This is not the place for such… displays."
Ren frowned slightly, tilting his head as if genuinely confused.
"I want to," he replied honestly. "But I can't."
He glanced sideways briefly, pointedly at Danzo.
"So many rats," Ren continued casually. "They just kept coming at me. I lost count of how many I had to kill before I could make it back to the village."
The pause that followed was heavy.
Every person in the room understood what he was implying.
Danzo had sent people after him.
Hiruzen's eyes flicked to his former teammate for just a fraction of a second before he looked away again, a tired sigh escaping him.
"Come here," Hiruzen said, motioning Ren forward.
Ren vanished from where he stood and reappeared directly in front of the Hokage.
The Daimyo stiffened again, his breathing growing shallow until both of his guards stepped fully in front of him, forming a shield with their bodies. Even then, their jaws were clenched, sweat beading along their temples.
Hiruzen ignored the tension and placed his palm flat against Ren's chest.
"Follow the chakra paths," he instructed quietly. "Mirror the flow where I guide it."
Ren nodded. He closed his eyes and focused.
Hiruzen's chakra moved slowly, weaving through Ren's coils like a practiced hand smoothing turbulent waters. Ren followed, adjusting instinctively, mimicking the pattern.
Gradually, the crushing pressure in the room lessened.
It didn't disappear. It was still there, but now it was wrapped in a thin, controlled film of chakra that masked its sharpest edges.
Several people in the chamber exhaled without realizing they'd been holding their breath.
Ren opened his eyes, surprised.
"Huh," he said. "Didn't know we could do that. Thanks, gramps."
Hiruzen smiled faintly, though the expression didn't quite reach his eyes.
"It's a wartime technique," he said. "One I hoped your generation wouldn't need to learn so soon."
He withdrew his hand and sighed.
"But alas."
Ren nodded once, his expression sobering just a little.
He then turned toward the Daimyo, who was finally able to breathe normally again. Ren straightened, his casual demeanor shifting into something formal, almost ceremonial.
He bowed.
"The Senju heir greets the Guardian of the Fire Regent," Ren said clearly. "May your radiance continue to bless the Land of Fire like an eternal flame."
The words tasted like ash in his mouth, but he forced them out anyway. Politics demanded it.
The chamber remained silent as the Daimyo studied him for several long seconds, his gaze sharp, wary, and calculating.
Finally, he spoke.
"Let us not waste our time," the Fire Daimyo said. "Take your seat, Senju heir. We have matters to conclude."
Ren straightened, gave a small nod, and turned toward the seating area, the trial of Danzo Shimura was finally, truly, ready to begin.
{Pause today, tomorrow whenever you're reading it. Saturday night, no chapter.}
~~~~~
{There will be more of the Cloud and Stone coming up, but I believe we really should start with the trial lol.}