"You're here."
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the three of them with his usual gentle expression.
"How have things been lately? Has the rest period—and the team's coordination—gone smoothly?"
"Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sama. We're getting along well."
Shisui Uchiha bowed slightly as he answered, though his tone carried a hint of stiffness.
After all, "getting along well" was a generous description.
Over the past few days, they had met occasionally—but more often than not, it was Ren sparring with Yugao in kenjutsu practice, while everyone else went about their own business. True coordination hadn't really happened.
And then there was that other matter.
The fact that he had actually questioned the Hokage's decision—and was now calmly telling a "kind lie" about it—left Shisui deeply unsettled.
"That's good," Hiruzen said with a nod.
He knew the real situation of this newly formed squad well enough, but chose not to expose it.
Bonds took time to form. There was no need to rush—neither for Shisui, nor for Ren.
He still wanted to resolve the Uchiha issue.
The Nine-Tails incident had indeed planted suspicion in his heart, but unlike Danzō Shimura, Hiruzen would never leap to conclusions based on prejudice alone.
Besides, the Uchiha were not a monolith.
If things went well, Shisui might one day become the key to untangling that knot.
As for Ren—
While his entry into ANBU hadn't been entirely "clean," and he clearly carried Danzō's intentions with him, his conduct during the Orochimaru operation spoke volumes.
Protecting his teammate and standing directly against Orochimaru—that alone had earned Hiruzen's genuine approval.
And then there was Naruto.
Hiruzen had no intention of letting that child be dragged into Danzō's schemes. If possible, he would gradually sever Ren from Root's influence altogether.
"This time, I have a mission for you," Hiruzen said, his tone turning serious.
"A dangerous one. I want you to be mentally prepared."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Ren, Yugao, and Shisui answered in unison.
Hiruzen stood, retrieved a map, and spread it across the desk.
"I want you to travel to the Land of Wind."
The Land of Wind?
Ren's expression immediately soured.
That place was a barren nightmare—wind, sand, and poverty as far as the eye could see.
It wasn't polite to say it outright, but when a country's daimyō cut military funding so aggressively that its Hidden Village had to rely on its Kazekage panning for gold just to survive, it was hard to feel any affection for it.
Though… if Ren remembered correctly, Yakushi Kabuto was currently lurking around that godforsaken desert.
Serves him right.
"I trust you're aware," Hiruzen continued, pointing at the map,
"that Sunagakure is our ally. But our ally is currently taking some very dangerous actions."
"According to reliable intelligence, shinobi from Kirigakure have appeared within the Land of Wind and are harassing Suna. At the same time, Iwagakure shows signs of moving south."
"These two villages are likely to clash directly—and that would affect Konoha."
"If Kirigakure escalates further, the situation will become even more volatile. For Konoha's sake, I want you to investigate and confirm what's truly happening."
In the shinobi world, conflict among the Five Great Villages was never isolated.
With Sunagakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure all maneuvering in the Land of Wind, Konoha—situated at the center of the continent—could not afford complacency.
Especially now.
Konoha was stretched thin, suffering from a genuine shortage of experienced manpower. Preparation was no longer optional.
"We understand," the three replied without hesitation.
Whatever their personal thoughts, anything that threatened Konoha demanded attention.
"And one more thing," Hiruzen added, his voice firm.
"Be cautious of Sunagakure itself."
"Though we are allies, they don't share everything with us. And after the war, they've made… questionable decisions."
"After all," he said quietly, "they allied with us because they lost."
Konoha's distrust was obvious.
If true trust existed, this mission wouldn't require ANBU at all—it could have been handled through diplomatic channels.
"We'll be careful," the three answered again.
"This mission won't be easy."
"Then go and prepare," Hiruzen said, returning to his seat with a sigh.
"I originally planned to have Kakashi Hatake accompany you. Unfortunately, we've uncovered new traces of Orochimaru. He's been reassigned to deal with that."
"I'm sorry I can't provide reinforcements. Still, I believe in you. Protect yourselves—and return safely. I'll be waiting here in Konoha."
He spoke calmly, but his words struck deep.
Shisui and Yugao were visibly moved.
Even Ren—the hardened workplace veteran—couldn't help comparing this to Root.
Root was "complete the mission or bring your head back."
ANBU was "protect yourself. Come home alive."
It might have sounded like empty reassurance—but it carried trust.
And that was something Danzō could never replicate.
"No wonder he's Hokage," Ren muttered inwardly.
They left the office together, soon dispersing to prepare on their own, agreeing to regroup and depart that very night.
[New Mission Acquired]
[Investigate Sunagakure's Secrets]
Walking home, Ren skimmed his mission panel while piecing things together.
"Kiri harassment… Iwa moving south…"
The sense of déjà vu grew stronger with every step—until the missing link snapped into place.
"Right. This is when the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sold out Pakura to Kirigakure just to secure his flank against Iwa."
Scorch Release—Pakura.
Ren remembered her clearly.
In a way, she resembled Madara Uchiha: terrifying offensive power, fragile defense.
The difference?
Pakura died riddled with kunai.
Madara died while having a conversation—with Black Zetsu's hand through his chest.
"So that's how it is. This mission just got a lot clearer."
He nodded to himself.
But the system didn't settle the task.
Which meant he still had to follow through.
Then—
Ren stopped.
His gaze shifted toward a nearby shadow.
"Sharp senses," a voice said calmly.
"Seems you didn't relax just because you left Root."
A figure stepped out.
Ren raised an eyebrow.
Aburame Ryūma.
One of the men who—alongside Danzō and Orochimaru—had personally dragged Ren into Root.
Danzō's eternal lapdog.
"Lord Danzō knows you're heading to the Land of Wind," Ryūma said flatly, producing a scroll.
"He has a task for you."
"The details are inside. He expects your report."
"I understand," Ren replied, taking the scroll.
Then, after a moment's thought, he asked with a strange expression,
"Is this a solo assignment? May I request support? The Land of Wind isn't our territory. Someone like… Yamato, perhaps?"
"Hmph."
Ryūma snorted, though his eyes—hidden behind dark lenses—seemed to turn colder.
"Don't you already have your ANBU teammates?"
"Yamato has other assignments. Don't disappoint Lord Danzō."
With that, he turned and vanished without another word.
Ren watched his back, thoughtful.
"Kakashi chasing Orochimaru. Yamato on another mission…"
"…No way."
He shook his head, quickened his pace, and hurried home.
Once inside, he shut the door, unfurled the scroll—and froze.
Then his expression twisted into something spectacular.
He only had one thought:
"You old bastard… you've gone too far."
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