The moment Ren Takashi reappeared, it was inside the Security Department's command office—standing face-to-face with his father, Uchiha Nobuhiko.
"Hm? Takashi? You used Flying Thunder God to come straight here—what's wrong?"
But before he finished his sentence, Nobuhiko's nose twitched. He took a step forward, eyes narrowing as they caught the streaks of crimson on Ren's sleeves.
"This scent… blood? And not from our own? What's going on?"
"Cloud Shinobi," Ren replied flatly, before launching into a rapid recount of the ambush, the Root's suspected involvement, and his theory that Danzo had facilitated it all.
"Good. Very good!" Nobuhiko's voice trembled with barely restrained fury. "Cloud Shinobi, Danzo… those bastards deserve to be torn limb from limb!"
His fists clenched tightly. But amid the wrath, there was a flicker of awe—his son had annihilated two elite Jōnin in mere seconds. Even Nobuhiko, a seasoned warrior and Sharingan veteran, couldn't have executed it more cleanly.
"You mentioned Root agents stationed outside the village? More than a dozen?"
"Sixteen in total. Eight Jōnin, the rest Chūnin," Ren confirmed. "I came here to ask if you'd like to accompany me."
"Of course I'm coming!" Nobuhiko didn't hesitate. "Let's move before they realize their trap failed and flee."
With a firm grip on his father's shoulder, Ren activated his Flying Thunder God mark—and in a flash, they vanished.
They reappeared atop a broad tree deep in the southern forests beyond Konoha's borders. From there, Ren pointed.
"720 meters that way. Three Root squads in ambush. Leave the Chūnin to you—I'll handle the Jōnin."
"You sure?" Nobuhiko asked. "I can bring out Mangekyō if needed—"
"No," Ren cut in. "Your eyes are still recovering. No need to risk permanent strain unless it's life or death. Trust me."
A pause. Then Nobuhiko nodded.
Ren didn't delay. He pulled out a custom-forged Flying Thunder God kunai, the blade forged from chakra-conductive alloy and infused with Wind Nature chakra.
With a blur of blue lightning, they vanished again.
They appeared behind two Root Jōnin just as they were rotating shifts.
Ren's kunai glinted.
Shhck—!
A clean, surgical thrust pierced the spine of the first Jōnin. He didn't even scream—just collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut.
Meanwhile, Nobuhiko burst forward, carving through the distracted Chūnin like a vengeful specter.
The moment the first Jōnin hit the ground, the others began to react.
But they were too late.
Ren became a blur, teleporting in rapid succession, his Wind Chakra blade humming with fatal precision.
"Secret Technique: Insect—"
That was all the second Jōnin managed to say before his head was removed in a single arc of wind-steeped steel.
No incantations. No jutsu. No time.
Each Root Jōnin—trained, disciplined killers—was reduced to a name on a forgotten roster within seconds.
Uchiha Nobuhiko had just raised his hand to form his next hand seal when he froze.
All the Chūnin had already fallen. And every Jōnin lay dead with neat cauterized wounds.
"...You brat," Nobuhiko muttered, letting his hand drop. "If you're this overpowered, why even bother bringing me? Wanted to show off?"
Ren just grinned and rubbed the back of his head.
"Hey, backup's never a bad idea. They were three full elite squads. I figured it was safer to have you along."
Nobuhiko glared, half-exasperated, half-proud.
"And that chakra blade of yours—what the hell? Even Danzo's Wind techniques aren't that refined. When did your control over Nature Transformation get this good?"
Ren shrugged. "Been refining it quietly. Better to work out the blade's edge before putting it into combat."
He looked around at the battlefield.
"Two more Nature types to go—earth and water. Then I'll have the full set."
He pulled out several sealing scrolls and tossed them to his father.
"Help me seal the bodies. Might be useful later—for research."
Nobuhiko nodded, and the two went to work.
Within three minutes, the battlefield was sterilized, the corpses packed away.
Then came the final touch.
Ren and his father moved back, and a chorus of Shadow Clones unleashed a synchronized bombardment.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Combo!"
Hundreds of overlapping infernos swallowed the clearing in a blaze, leaving behind a massive scorched crater.
A few minutes later, both vanished from the scene.
——
Shortly afterward, Anbu patrol teams arrived.
They stared at the devastation—melted terrain, carbonized trees, the telltale heat signature of a Grandmaster-level Fire Style user.
"This… is either Uchiha or Sarutobi fire technique," one of them muttered.
A nearby Uchiha elite guard overheard and scoffed. "Don't jump to conclusions. We're not the only ones who use Fire Style."
More teams came. Information was logged. Footsteps erased.
And then—minutes later—Root backup arrived.
Xiao, a senior Root agent, scanned the ruin.
"This is where Shan, Yehu, and Ming's squads were stationed, correct?"
"Yes," another Root ninja replied.
"They're all gone," Xiao said darkly. "Uchiha must've found them. No way Cloud Shinobi did this."
He narrowed his eyes. "Let's report back. Danzo-sama must be informed."
——
At Root Headquarters, Danzo received the report with thunderous rage.
"Three teams gone? All sixteen men?"
He tried to reach them via the curse seal—but got no response.
Dead.
"Uchiha Ren Takashi," Danzo spat the name like venom. "I should have never allowed him to grow unchecked."
He turned, cloak billowing, and stormed toward the Hokage Tower.
——
At that moment in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage received a report from an Anbu captain.
"A powerful battle took place just outside the barrier, Hokage-sama. Large-scale Fire Style usage—suspected Grandmaster level. No clear evidence left."
The Third frowned. "Did you send scouts to investigate further?"
"Yes. Teams are sweeping the perimeter. And Danzo-sama is being summoned."
"Good…"
But before the words fully left his mouth, Danzo entered.
"You're quick," Hiruzen said, surprised.
"I was on my way already," Danzo growled. "Hiruzen, we can't wait any longer. Uchiha Ren Takashi must be eliminated—immediately."
"…Danzo."
The Third took a long drag of his pipe and let out a cloud of smoke.
"You let Root act behind my back again, didn't you?"
"You failed, didn't you?"
"Do you realize what you've done?"
Danzo's face was like stone.
"He cannot be allowed to mature. Every year we delay, he becomes more dangerous. Soon, we won't even be able to challenge him."
"And then, Hiruzen, we'll both pay for the sins we committed in the shadows."
The Third said nothing at first.
Just watched the smoke curl upward.
And silently, he realized—
They had already gone too far.
And now, there was no turning back.