Three days had passed since Ren's awakening.
Deep within his inner consciousness, Ren stood before his Skill Tree. The Quincy Branch was radiant, glowing with eighty percent compatibility. The Hollow Branch had ascended further, unlocking forty-five percent of its potential.
Most intriguingly, the Shinigami Branch was now pulsating faintly. In the center of the trunk, the Hōgyoku sat as the divine engine driving his evolution.
Ren exited his inner space, his eyes snapping open in the physical world. Over the last seventy-two hours, he had done little else but observe his parents, and the diagnostic results were staggering. The soul fragments he had gifted them eight years ago hadn't just healed them; they had fundamentally rewritten their biology.
Ren realized that Satoshi and Kaori were no longer generating chakra in the traditional sense. Instead, their bodies were passively absorbing Natural Energy from the atmosphere, twenty-four hours a day, without any need for meditation or stillness. It was effectively a state of Permanent Sage Mode, yet they ran no risk of petrification. This constant, effortless influx of nature's vitality had drastically slowed their cellular degradation, explaining why neither of them had aged in eight years.
The genetic rewrite went even deeper, specifically targeting the fatal flaw of the Uchiha bloodline. Ren noted that neither Satoshi nor Kaori showed any signs of vision deterioration, despite years of Mangekyō usage. The fragments' influence had scrubbed the genetic defects from their DNA, eliminating the blindness caused by overuse.
But the most significant change had occurred within Ren himself. His eyes had evolved beyond the standard Mangekyō, shifting into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan without the need for a transplant.
He paused, touching his chest. He could feel the tether connecting him to his parents. He had a strong hunch that once he increased the compatibility of his Quincy branch a little further, he would be able to access and use his parents' eye techniques as if they were his own.
Ren found his parents and explained the extent of their evolution, detailing how the soul connection had created a feedback loop that strengthened them all. He revealed his new Eternal eyes: the pattern formed three arrows extending outwards, bisected by a circle with a pointed edge situated between the shafts. The pattern spun lazily as he spoke of their shared power. Satoshi and Kaori listened in awe, finally understanding the source of their limitless vitality.
"Mom, Dad," Ren said, stretching his arms. "Let's go somewhere. I have been bored to death these past three days."
Kaori nodded vigorously. "I agree. Now that you are cured, we should leave this damn place. We need fresh air and real sunlight."
"The problem is," Satoshi interjected, his voice practical as always, "where should we go? We've got pretty impressive bounties on our heads."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "How much?"
Satoshi counted on his fingers. "You have 250 million Ryo. I have 150 million. And your mother has 120 million."
Ren whistled low. "Over half a billion for the family. Who put these up?"
"We don't know exactly who sponsored them in the Black Market," Satoshi admitted. "But we know that four of the Five Great Villages are actively looking for us. We are high-priority targets."
"Which of the Five Great Villages is not looking for us?" Ren asked, curious.
"Konoha," Kaori said, a wicked smirk crossing her face.
Ren looked bewildered. "Huh? Why? You both went into Konoha, killed Danzo, and injured the Hokage. And they aren't looking for you?"
"They are too afraid," Kaori chuckled darky. "They have issued a 'Flee on Sight' order. Their shinobi are authorized to abandon their missions immediately if they spot us."
Meanwhile, in Konoha
The morning sun filtered through the curtains of a house in the Senju district. Inside, the smell of miso soup and toast filled the air.
Kushina Uzumaki sat at the table, hurriedly tying her long crimson hair into a high ponytail. Across from her sat another woman with similar striking red hair, though her demeanor was far gentler. This was Fusō, an Uzumaki refugee.
"You're going to choke if you eat that fast, Kushina," Fusō said softly, placing a cup of tea down.
Kushina swallowed hard. "I can't help it, Fusō-nee! I'm running late."
It had been months since Jiraiya brought Fusō back to the village. He had been scouring the Hidden Grass when he found her—a woman being used as a living battery, bitten and drained by Grass ninja to heal their wounds. Disgusted by the inhumanity, Jiraiya had rescued her. Now, she lived with Kushina, the two remaining redheads finding solace in their shared lineage.
"I'm off!" Kushina shouted, grabbing her flak jacket.
She sprinted through the village streets, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. As she passed the training grounds, a thunderous roar shook the morning air.
"YOUTH DOES NOT WAIT FOR THE SUN! ONE MORE LAP!"
Below, a platoon of twenty shinobi, all dressed in matching emerald-green spandex tights, were running in perfect formation with heavy logs strapped to their backs. Leading them was a man with a thick mustache and bushy eyebrows—Might Duy.
Kushina paused for a split second, watching them. Years ago, Duy was the "Eternal Genin," the laughingstock of the village. But after witnessing his prowess four years ago, Hiruzen had recognized the strategic value of his technique.
The Hokage had officially established the Special Taijutsu Unit, led by Duy. Their sole focus was physical conditioning and the mastery of the Eight Inner Gates.
"They're intense as always," Kushina muttered, a grin tugging at her lips before she flickered away toward the Hokage Tower.
Kushina burst into the Hokage's office, straightening her posture. "Jonin Uzumaki Kushina, reporting!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, flanked by the elders Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. The atmosphere was thick with tension.
"Kushina," Hiruzen began, his voice grave. "We are deploying you to the Iwa Front in the Land of Grass. You are to rendezvous with Jiraiya."
"The Grass?" Kushina asked. "Has the situation worsened?"
"Drastically," Hiruzen confirmed. "The Tsuchikage has deployed both of his Jinchūriki—Roshi, the Four-Tails, and Han, the Five-Tails."
He looked at her with a heavy gaze. "As an Uzumaki and a master of Sealing Jutsu, you are the only one capable of restraining them on the battlefield."
Kushina nodded firmly, her face setting into a hard line. "Understood, Lord Hokage."
"Good. Gather your squad. You will be leaving with the logistics and reinforcement division."
As soon as the door clicked shut behind Kushina, the silence in the room broke.
"Hiruzen," Homura Mitokado stepped forward, his expression sharp behind his glasses. "Why did you send Kushina? Why not deploy Minato to the Iwa front with Jiraiya?"
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe. "Minato is needed here."
"Is he?" Homura countered, his voice rising. "Apart from Nawaki, Minato is the strongest asset we have. In terms of raw speed and lethality, he might even have the edge over Nawaki."
Homura walked to the window, looking out at the village. "You are ignoring the political reality, Hiruzen. Nawaki's fame has been rising too fast. He is holding the Cloud Front single-handedly. He is being hailed as the second coming of Lord Hashirama."
Koharu nodded in agreement. "If this continues, it is a certainty that Nawaki will be the Fourth Hokage. And if Nawaki takes the hat... the control of the village will revert entirely to the Senju Clan. With Tsunade behind him, they will push the Council out. We will lose our influence."
Homura turned back to Hiruzen. "It would be beneficial for the balance of power if a civilian became Hokage. Orochimaru cannot take the seat for obvious reasons, and Jiraiya refuses it. We are left with Minato as our last choice. But for that to happen, he needs achievements that rival Nawaki's Wood Release."
He narrowed his eyes. "You already deployed Tsunade to the Sand Front with Sakumo, and she is indirectly earning merit for Nawaki. You must let Minato go to the front lines. Let him accumulate enough fame to compete against the Senju heir."
The Elders were pragmatists. They wanted a leader they could guide(control), not a Senju prince.
Hiruzen tapped the ashes from his pipe into a tray, his eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat. He looked at his old teammates, seeing the fear of obsolescence in their eyes.
"I have my own considerations for Minato," Hiruzen finally spoke, his voice leaving no room for argument. "There is still a long time before this war ends."
PS: Guess, Kushina's squad.