"Retreat? Now?" Ren rolled his shoulder, gaze sweeping over the gathered ANBU.
Munekata felt it immediately.
That look—
It wasn't calculation.
It was appraisal.
Like a predator measuring how best to tear apart a herd.
…Does he not understand he's outnumbered?
"You're trying to take my targets," Ren said evenly. "If you walk off with them, how do you expect me to face the Third Mizukage who gave me this mission?"
"So how about this—hand Inoue-senpai back to me."
"And since you've got the numbers…"
"I'll consider letting all of you run back to Konoha alive."
The Konoha ANBU erupted.
"The hell are you talking about?!"
"You don't understand your situation, Mist bastard!"
"Captain, stop wasting time—everyone jump him!"
"If we bring his corpse back, it's a huge merit! Shikotsumyaku—research division will—"
"Captain! Give the order!"
Munekata didn't respond.
His Byakugan stayed locked on Ren, reading every shift of muscle, every breath.
Ren sighed.
"So no peace."
He formed seals—Ox, Snake, Ram—then closed his eyes.
"Then stay."
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu."
Ren's chest expanded, and he exhaled a massive sea of fog.
White mist flooded the forest, saturated with chakra—thick enough it felt like it could turn to liquid.
Even the Uzushio ruins nearby disappeared beneath it.
Munekata's Byakugan widened.
He tried to pierce it—
And failed.
Even ten meters was unclear.
How much chakra did he pour into this mist?!
"Wind users!" Munekata barked. "Disperse it—now!"
"On it, Captain! Wind Release—Great Brea—"
The voice cut off.
"Shimura?!"
Munekata flash-stepped.
He found only a corpse—
Shimura Gorō lay with throat and heart destroyed, eyes frozen in terror.
Fast—!
Munekata instantly drew out the Flying Thunder God kunai Minato had given him and activated it, yelling into the fog—
"Everyone activate your kunai and stay where you are! Attack anything that approaches! The Mist ANBU took Shimura's mask and cloak—he may impersonate allies!"
A soft voice drifted behind him.
"What are you even saying, Hyūga uncle?"
A whisper of wind—
Ren appeared at Munekata's back, a bone blade reversed in hand.
He thrust for the heart without a shred of killing intent.
"Eight Trigrams—Air Palm—ghk!"
Munekata barely sensed him, barely turned, barely fired the palm—
It forced Ren back—
But the bone blade still drove into Munekata's lung.
Blood flooded in.
Munekata's vision swam.
Breath turned into choking.
Ren's voice carried through the mist, faintly regretful.
"Mm. Byakugan with a blind spot… branch family, huh?"
"What a shame."
"If you were main house…"
"I'd have hit the jackpot."
Then silence.
And in that silence—
The air grew heavier.
Not with fog.
With blood.
The smell spread quietly, steadily, proof that Munekata's squad was being butchered somewhere nearby.
Minato… hurry…
Minato-sama—please—
Then—
"Rasengan!"
A warm, clear voice struck through the fog like sunlight.
A violent explosion followed.
Chakra detonated, whipping up a small storm that tore the mist apart.
Munekata's body was thrown, slammed into a tree, and he spat blood again—
But relief flooded his face.
He's here…
Namikaze Minato…
"Captain Munekata! You're alive—!" a woman cried, rushing to him while channeling medical chakra. She'd removed her mask, tears pouring freely.
"Chizuru…" Munekata rasped, struggling to speak. "The others…?"
"I—I don't know…" Chizuru sobbed. "Seo took an attack for me—he's lost too much blood… I saw several bodies…"
"If Minato-sama came any later… I think I'd be dead too…"
Munekata closed his eyes, guilt crushing down.
If I were stronger… if I'd activated the kunai sooner…
Chizuru tried to steady him through tears. "It's okay—Minato-sama is here now. That Kaguya monster took a Rasengan head-on. No one else has to die—"
Across the shattered trees—
Namikaze Minato stared at the figure rising from smoke.
His face was not relaxed.
Not at all.
"I felt it hit," Minato murmured. "A direct hit…"
"So why…"
"Why is he standing up so easily?"
Ren brushed himself off between fallen trunks.
He glanced at Minato, then at his own chest—skin twisted into a spiral where the Rasengan had landed.
It was already healing—bone membrane knitting beneath flesh.
Ren exhaled, genuinely wary.
"Tch… Yellow Flash."
"When I heard 'Flying Thunder God kunai,' I sped up, but you still made it."
His gaze flicked to the wound again.
That Rasengan just shaved five percent off my health bar…
Damn.
Relying on Unflinching Grip alone isn't enough.
Please let the mission rewards roll something defensive.
Ren ripped off the Konoha ANBU cloak he'd taken earlier—now nothing but shredded cloth—and let it fall.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Inkveil_