Chapter 208 — Renji Blinded? The Akatsuki Arrive, the Curtains Rise!
It was truly a headache; the Byakugan seemed exposed.
Renji felt troubled under Hyūga Hiashi's scrutinizing gaze. He had not realized that awakening the Tenseigan would be trickier than the Rinnegan. The Rinnegan had not caused any such stirring when it awakened.
Reading Hiashi's eyes, Renji knew he expected an explanation. Hiashi himself was puzzled; his first thought was that Renji had experimented on Hyūga blood and grafted it, but that did not add up. If Renji had transplanted Byakugan, why had he hidden it so perfectly?
Renji smiled faintly and admitted the truth: they shared a common ancestor. He explained that the Ōtsutsuki line had given rise to many clans—Senju, Uzumaki, Hyūga, and Uchiha—through different descendants of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo's line. Their powers ultimately traced back to the mother of the Sage of Six Paths.
Hyūga Hiashi listened in stunned silence as Ōtsutsuki Ukai confirmed Renji's words. This revelation made Hiashi feel he had uncovered something monumental: the Sage of Six Paths had indeed been real.
Hiashi then noticed Renji's wood-style chakra and realized the significance—perhaps Renji possessed multiple bloodlines natively rather than by transplantation. If so, it explained much: their clans shared a single origin, and their mother's strength must have been unfathomable.
"You showed your Byakugan to prove this?" Hiashi asked, assuming Renji's display was demonstration.
Renji shook his head. "The Byakugan can evolve. Hiashi, don't stare at me like that—you can't evolve it." He was unbothered; once the Tenseigan's stirring finished, his power would rise further. Even if others woke Rinnegan or Tenseigan, he now had two eye powers.
Ōtsutsuki Ukai and the branch leader gaped when Renji mentioned the Tenseigan. The branch had planned to sacrifice their Byakugan to forge an artificial Tenseigan with the chakra stone. Hiashi was astonished—Byakugan could evolve? The idea sparked new thoughts in him about entering the prior marriage discussions; Renji's capabilities and shared lineage changed the calculus.
"Tsunade, please check his eyes." Hiashi requested as Renji's Tenseigan stirred. Tsunade examined closely and found Renji's eyes had lost their luster.
"He's blind."
The room fell silent. Blindness—Tsunade understood how grave that could be, especially for the Uchiha. Renji explained calmly: this was the gestation phase for the Tenseigan, commonly called fetal movement. It required three stages, and interrupting the process would weaken the Tenseigan's power.
Ōtsutsuki Ukai estimated Renji's gestation would last nine days—three days per stage—and urged bandaging. Renji wrapped his eyes and vowed not to use dōjutsu during the period. He was unconcerned; barring Uchiha Madara's resurrection, no one in the shinobi world matched him.
"Should you avoid public appearances these nine days?" Tsunade asked.
"Are you worried about me?" Renji teased, provoking Tsunade's anger. She protested she only wanted to avoid internal turmoil in the shinobi nation. Renji laughed and declared he wanted everyone to know he was blinded. Then he rose and prepared to depart for the Moon, asking them to mind things while he was away.
Ōtsutsuki Ukai agreed and left with Renji. Their debt to Renji was clear—without him, the main family might have perished. How to handle the branch now troubled Ukai; execution was unthinkable.
News of Renji's blindness spread across the shinobi nation. His office was soon besieged. Mei Terumi arrived, eyes wide with shock at the bandaged Renji. He had been well when he left; what happened on return? Tsunade confirmed the diagnosis, and Mei clenched her fists, emotions roiling.
"Now's a good time to quit the shinobi nation!" Renji quipped, testing hearts. He watched for anyone who would leave. Leaders including Ōnoki, Yokura, Mei Terumi, Ai, and others gathered—clan heads and elite shinobi came at once. No one departed.
"Don't be foolish—I never go back on my word!" Ai snarled, recalling he had vowed to join Renji's plan if defeated. Yōkura expressed gratitude for Renji's aid. Ōnoki muttered that the shinobi nation was on course and that leaving now would be shameful. Renji shrugged; he had wanted an excuse to punish them, but no one left.
"Fine, go." Renji dismissed them, telling them not to loiter. After they left, Uchiha Shisui approached, eyes serious. "Did you overuse the Mangekyō?" he asked—Uchiha blindness usually meant Mangekyō overuse. Uchiha Jin and Uchiha Fugaku joined them. The prospect of Renji's permanent blindness alarmed them all.
"No. It's unrelated to the Mangekyō." Renji shook his head. He acknowledged he'd pushed things, but he expected recovery. He planned to have Tsunade confirm matters publicly so no one thought he was testing them.
"Can you recover?" Fugaku asked anxiously; long-term blindness would be catastrophic.
"Who knows? Drop it. Leave me to rest." Renji requested solitude. The three exchanged glances and departed, leaving Uchiha members outside in complex silence.
Mei Terumi returned alone and confronted Renji. She did not believe he was truly blind. Renji said he had no reason to lie. Mei trembled—was he really blind?
"What will you do?" she asked quietly.
Renji smiled calmly. "Keep things as they are. If you can't fight, we will. We've already investigated Akatsuki. If I can't go, others will."
Mei stared at Renji, unsure how to comfort him. The Uchiha facing loss of sight was devastating, but Renji was resolute. He insisted his strength did not rely solely on his eyes; even without sight, he could confront Akatsuki.
"So then marry me. You and I will get married. With your connection to Pakura, that gives us control of three shinobi villages. Even if Ōnoki or Ai start having second thoughts, they won't dare to act rashly."
Mei Terumi hesitated. Deep down, she found it mortifying to be the one suggesting such a thing.
"Reluctant already? Maybe you should forget it."
"Pakura?"
Mei turned sharply toward the voice. Pakura stood behind her, her expression cold and unreadable. Clearly, she had heard everything.
"Kiri still holds considerable power. We may not have feelings for each other now, but we can at least try."
Pakura's calm words caught both off guard. She wasn't sure whether what she felt for Renji was affection or simply empathy — perhaps it was the instinct to save someone drowning, just as he once saved her. Maybe, in her own way, she was trying to rescue him.
"Hey, are you two pitying me now?"
Renji scoffed. "You're joking, right? One after another, suddenly proposing marriage? Is there even any emotional foundation here? How impulsive can you get?"
"I just think you need someone to stand beside you right now," Pakura said quietly. "And honestly, I can't trust anyone else anymore."
"Are you insane?"
Mei snapped, barely containing her irritation. She had just mentioned marriage, and Pakura immediately appeared to stake her claim. "If you can't trust others, fine, but don't steal my fiancé!"
"Heh, old woman."
"!!!"
Mei's fist clenched instantly. Age was the one thing she was most insecure about — yes, Pakura was younger, but not that much younger! How dare she use that word?!
"You two don't fight," Renji interjected with a grin. "I can sacrifice myself a little. I know I'm irresistible, so I'll just marry both of you!"
He sighed dramatically. "I'm too kind for my own good. I can't stand seeing women fight over me. For the sake of the shinobi nation's peace, I'll bear this burden."
"You drop the act!" Tsunade's voice cut through the air. "You're only blind for a few days — then you'll be fine again!"
"Tsunade?!"
Both Mei and Pakura froze.
They had actually been considering it — truly. They didn't want to wound Renji when he was down; perhaps they could agree for now, just to comfort him.
But Tsunade's sudden words shattered the illusion.
"Wait... he's pretending? He'll recover in a few days? Oh, that's rich!"
"Renji, any explanation?"
Pakura inhaled deeply. She had pitied him moments ago. Now she wanted to roast him alive with her Scorch Release and hang him from a lamppost.
"Yeah," Mei added, narrowing her eyes, her smile sharp as a blade. "I'd like to hear your explanation too."
Renji tried to speak calmly. "It's... a little complicated, actually—"
He was stalling. He was doomed.
Tsunade just stood there, arms folded, enjoying every second of it.
"So are you blind or not?" Pakura pressed, her patience gone.
"Now I am."
"Can you recover?"
"Maybe later."
"Maybe or definitely?"
Renji hesitated. "Cough... definitely."
He couldn't talk his way out anymore. Women were relentless when they sensed weakness.
"Go to hell!"
Both Mei and Pakura punched him squarely. Renji fell back into his chair, utterly defeated.
"Tsunade, how could you do this to me?!"
Tsunade smirked. "I'm saving you from an even worse beating later."
She wasn't wrong. Renji's flirtations had annoyed her for some time. Better to expose him now before the man dug his own grave.
"Ah, if I must die, let it be beneath a peony's bloom…"
"You'll die under a woman, idiot!"
With that, Tsunade turned on her heel and left.
That was the Renji she knew — shameless and infuriating. Any guilt she'd felt for him was gone. Others saw only his composed side; only she truly understood what kind of man he was.
"Old man, is he really blind?"
Ōnoki's aide, Kurotsuchi's father, asked with concern. The old Tsuchikage frowned deeply.
"Grandpa, that bastard can't really be blind, right?!"
Black Earth, the young granddaughter, stomped her foot. She'd dreamed of defeating Renji one day. But what meaning would that have now?
"Who knows," Ōnoki muttered.
"Then what should we do?"
Renji was the founder of the shinobi nation. Without him, chaos could erupt. Replacing him might trigger civil strife, but keeping the status quo risked stagnation.
"Grandpa, you're not planning to ruin the peace, are you?"
Black Earth eyed her grandfather suspiciously. Ōnoki groaned.
"Do you really think I'd do that?"
"Yes."
Ōnoki sighed wearily. His own granddaughter had more faith in Renji than in him. He could only shake his head.
"Don't overthink it. The shinobi nation will endure, even if I wanted to stir trouble."
"See? You do have something planned!"
Ōnoki nearly fainted from exasperation.
Meanwhile, the news spread. "He's blind," said one advisor. "But still capable of marriage, Mei."
Before he could finish, Mei stormed past, fuming.
Elsewhere, Samui analyzed the situation calmly. Renji's blindness was unfortunate, but the nation would not fall apart now. Still, Ai's expression told her he was plotting something.
"Samui," Ai said, "do you know what 'helping in snow' means?"
"…?"
Something about that tone didn't sit right.
"Nagato, according to intel from the shinobi nation, Renji is blind."
Zetsu delivered the report quickly. Konan froze. Renji — blind? Already?
"What happened?"
Nagato's brow furrowed. The news didn't seem possible.
"Yes," Obito said evenly. "No idea how, but it's true."
He saw opportunity in it.
"Nagato, now's our best chance. If Renji is blind, he can't maintain this false peace. We must capture all nine tailed beasts and form the Ten-Tails. Only then will we bring true salvation to this world. Renji's peace is an illusion. The nations will crumble without him."
Obito's words struck deep. With Renji weakened, his plan could proceed.
"Konan, confirm the situation."
Nagato exhaled and sent her to investigate. She hesitated but obeyed.
Konan soon arrived at Renji's office. Seeing him with his eyes bandaged stirred an ache in her heart.
"Renji-sama… your eyes?"
"They're blind," he replied softly.
So, Nagato had sent her. Renji wondered what his old friend would do after hearing this.
"Can they be healed?"
Konan's voice wavered. She wanted Nagato's dream and Renji's peace to coexist, but feared they could not.
"Who knows. Leave me be for now."
Renji waved her off gently. He knew Akatsuki would come soon.
Later, Konan returned to Nagato's hideout and confirmed the blindness. "He's blind," she said, then quickly added, "but his nation is stable. There's no chaos. Maybe we don't need to act."
Nagato's gaze hardened. "We'll capture the nine beasts. We won't destroy anything else — we'll use them to enforce peace. Renji can no longer uphold balance."
Konan's heart sank. The moment she feared had come.
"Then prepare for the final battle," Obito said. "Take Akatsuki to capture Renji. Itachi and Kisame will handle another task."
Obito smirked inwardly. Kisame was his loyal recruit, and Itachi's tension with Renji could be exploited. In truth, Obito planned for Nagato to die — he'd take the Rinnegan, implant one, hide the other, and later use Edo Tensei to revive Madara.
Without a living Rinnegan, Madara could never seize the Ten-Tails' power.
Zetsu observed silently, recognizing Obito's true intent.
Back in the shinobi nation, Renji felt their presence before they arrived. Through his electromagnetic perception, he sensed multiple high-level signatures approaching.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Looks like they're finally here."
(End of Chapter)
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