Gen's foot, which had just stepped onto the tree branch, paused. He turned his head and chuckled softly at Ren.
"Oh, you mean Yota and the others? The day before yesterday, when I was transferred here, Commander Minato assigned us together."
"Not just me, Lie and Haruhiko were also assigned to new teams."
"Is that so…"
Ren nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face.
It seemed Brother Minato intended to help the Uchiha integrate into Konoha.
Constant mutual animosity was not a solution. This war period was the perfect opportunity to improve the relationship between the Uchiha and the Village.
"Hmm?"
Ren then reacted, immediately looking up at Gen, his voice filled with joy.
"Brother Gen, has Brother Minato come over as well?"
"Yes, we arrived at the Konoha Camp the day before yesterday at noon. Commander Minato led the team, while Commander Orochimaru was transferred out. I heard he went to the Land of Rain battlefield."
Gen leaped onto a treetop, leaning against the trunk, and nodded.
"Oh, Lord Orochimaru was transferred out."
Ren was surprised; he hadn't expected this, but he couldn't concern himself with too much. Focusing on the present was enough.
Ren placed Galloy's corpse on the side, then leaped onto a treetop and leaned against the trunk, closing his eyes to rest.
Of course, he could rest on the ground, but Ren wasn't accustomed to resting next to a corpse; that would be too unsettling.
An hour passed quickly. Gen walked over to Ren's side, and just as he was about to reach out to tap him, the other party slowly opened his eyes.
"Time for a shift change, Ren."
Gen retracted his hand and smiled at Ren.
On a nearby tree trunk stood four Konoha Ninja, indicating the relief team had arrived. They would be responsible for the latter half of the night, and someone would relieve them at dawn.
"Alright, Brother Gen."
Ren nodded, stood up, and jumped down the tree, hoisting Galloy's corpse onto his shoulder.
This was a significant sum of money and merit points; he couldn't lose it.
"Let's go!"
Gen gave the signal, and soon, the few members of this small team gathered together again. Including Ren, there were five of them in total, heading towards the Konoha Camp.
Along the way, other moving teams began to appear intermittently in the jungles on both sides. Unsurprisingly, they were all changing shifts.
As Ren and the others exited the jungle, the Konoha Camp immediately came into view. Although it was already curfew, it did not affect these shifting Ninja.
All Konoha Ninja returning from shifts would come to the main entrance, present their identification for registration, and then enter the Konoha Camp. Since there weren't many people, it was soon Ren and the others' turn.
"Uchiha Gen, identity confirmed. Next."
The Chunin guarding the gate returned Gen's ID to him and then turned his gaze to Ren. Noticing the corpse he was carrying, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Who are you? There was no record of you among the Ninja registered for missions today."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere immediately became tense. The surrounding Ninja looked at Ren with a hint of vigilance, instinctively placing their hands on their waists, ready to act at any moment.
"I am Hoshimi Ren. I just returned from a mission. This is my proof."
Ren ignored the wary glances thrown his way. He simply took out his identification from his person and handed it to the gate guard while speaking in a deep voice.
"Hoshimi Ren?"
The gate guard's expression immediately froze. He took the identification and began to examine it.
Ren didn't wait long before the other party handed the identification back, saying softly at the same time.
"The identification is fine, Jonin Ren. The Commander's side sent word earlier that you need to report there upon your return."
Ren paused for a moment before realizing, and while putting away his identification, he nodded to the other party.
"Alright, I'll go now. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Just like that, Ren returned to this familiar place. Compared to the enemy camp, his own Konoha Camp certainly looked more pleasing to the eye.
Ren quickly walked over to Gen, smiling.
"Brother Gen, I need to go to the Commander's side for a bit, so I'll be leaving first."
"Alright, see you next time then."
Gen nodded. He had also heard what the gate guard said to Ren just now, so he didn't engage in much conversation.
Anyway, they were all in the same Konoha Camp, and they would have plenty of time to meet and cooperate in the future.
After bidding farewell to Gen's team, Ren carried Galloy's corpse and walked straight towards the command tent. The cold wind whistling through the Konoha Camp instinctively quickened his steps. Before long, he arrived at the command tent.
"Hoshimi Ren, please help announce me. Thank you."
Ren approached the two guards and said politely.
"Please wait."
The Chunin standing on the left exchanged glances with his companion, then turned and walked into the tent. After a few breaths, he came out again and nodded to Ren.
"Please come in. The Commander is waiting for you."
"Alright, thank you."
After thanking them, Ren passed the two and entered the tent. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw that familiar figure.
"Long time no see, Ren."
The other party put down the pen in his hand, his gaze turning to Ren, who was slowly walking in, and chuckled softly.
"Ah, it's been about a week, hasn't it, Brother Minato?"
Ren stopped in front of the desk and waved in greeting.
"Hmm, it seems your leave this time should have brought you considerable gains."
In Minato's view, Ren had changed a lot since their last meeting, and his strength felt significantly enhanced.
"Hahaha, yes, the gains were indeed considerable."
Ren instinctively reached out and touched his stomach, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
The gains were indeed considerable.
With a new companion and several new abilities, this leave of absence was a huge win.
Noticing Ren's action, Minato seemed to recall something, and a look of concern appeared in his eyes as he continued to inquire.
"By the way, during your absence, was the Seal still firm?"
After all, Ren hadn't been a Jinchuriki for very long, and issues with the Seal could not be taken lightly.
"Uh…"
At this, Ren blinked twice, then quickly stepped forward and leaned onto the desk. Under Minato's puzzled gaze, he lowered his voice and said,
"Brother Minato, I've already undone the Seal."
"Hmm… Hmm?!"
Minato instinctively responded, then realized something was amiss. He pushed himself up from the desk with both hands, looking at Ren with a bewildered expression.
"What did you just say?"
"Cough, cough."
Ren coughed twice, then continued.
"I said, I undid the Four Symbols Seal you placed on me."
"…"
Minato suddenly felt his mind in a whirl. If Ren had undone the Seal, shouldn't the Tailed Beast have used Chakra to control the Jinchuriki into a rampage and then escaped on its own?
But looking at Ren now, his eyes were clear, his mind lucid—he didn't look like he was about to go berserk at all!