The forest blurred into streaks of green and brown as Team Kushina sprinted back toward their encampment. The Genin were struggling to keep up with their sensei's frantic pace, their minds still reeling from the strange encounter in the town.
"But Sensei," Obito panted, running alongside her. "You said he saved you when you were a kid... but that big brother looked younger than you."
"Quiet, Obito!" Kushina cut him off mid-sentence, her voice sharp and leaving no room for argument. "We will talk about it after we secure the perimeter. Just run!"
They burst into the clearing of the logistics camp a few minutes later. Kushina didn't even stop to catch her breath.
"Pack everything up!" she screamed at the startled logistics crew. "Abandon the heavy tents! We are leaving immediately!"
She signaled to two elite Jonin standing guard. "With me. Now."
She dragged them into the command tent, leaving Obito, Kakashi, and Rin standing outside, bewildered and out of breath. Inside the tent, Kushina's hands trembled as she grabbed a scroll and ink.
"Send a messenger hawk to the village immediately," Kushina ordered, her voice low and urgent. "Priority Red..."
The Jonin paled, exchanging terrified glances before rushing out to dispatch the bird.
Kushina stepped back out of the tent, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her three students were waiting for her, their expressions a mix of fear and curiosity.
"Sensei," Obito asked, his impatience getting the better of him. "Please, tell us. Who was that big brother? Why are we running?"
Kushina hesitated. She looked at the innocent faces of her students, then back toward the direction of the town.
"It was Ren Uchiha," she said heavily.
Rin blinked. "He... he is from your clan, Obito?"
Obito scratched his head, furrowing his brow. "I... I think I've heard the elders talk about him. They said Ren Uchiha was the most talented ninja our clan ever produced, but they always lower their voices when they say his name. I don't know much else."
Kushina didn't speak. Instead, she reached into her flak jacket and pulled out a small, black book. The Bingo Book.
She flipped through the pages until she reached the S-Rank section and handed it to them. The three Genin huddled around the book, their eyes widening in shock. There, on the page, was the face of the boy they had just shared a meal with.
Name: Ren Uchiha Rank: S-Rank (Global Threat) Bounty: 250,000,000 Ryo Instruction: FLEE ON SIGHT.
On the adjacent pages were two more familiar faces—the man and woman : Satoshi Uchiha and Kaori Uchiha. Both were marked with similar "Flee on Sight" orders.
The reality of how close they had come to death settled over them like a heavy blanket.
Kakashi, however, was staring intently at the book. His analytical mind picked up on a disturbing detail. He looked up at Kushina, his eyes narrowing.
"Sensei," Kakashi pointed at the page. "This entry says this photo was taken eight years ago. But... the guy we saw in the restaurant looked exactly like this picture. He hasn't aged a day."
Kakashi looked back toward the town. "Did he use a Transformation Jutsu to look younger? To trick us?"
Kushina shook her head slowly, her expression haunted. "I... I don't know, Kakashi. All I know is that we need to put as much distance between us and that town as possible."
She clapped her hands, snapping them out of their daze. "Pack up! We leave in five minutes! Move!"
One Day Later: Konoha
The atmosphere in the Hokage's office was thick with tobacco smoke and the stress of war. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, reviewing casualty reports from the Mist front.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The rapping on the door was frantic, impatient. It lacked the usual discipline of his staff.
Hiruzen frowned, putting down his pipe. "Come in."
The door flew open. An ANBU operative rushed in, not even waiting for full permission. He was out of breath, clutching a small scroll with a red seal.
"Hokage-sama!" the ANBU blurted out. "Urgent intel from Jonin Kushina's squad!"
He handed the scroll to Hiruzen. "It's... it's him."
Hiruzen unrolled the scroll. His eyes scanned the brief message, and the color drained from his face.
Hiruzen crushed the scroll in his hand, the paper crinkling loudly in the silent room. He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.
"Go," Hiruzen ordered, his voice grave. "Summon the Elders. Immediately."
One day later, The Land of Iron
On a lonely, frosted path, Ren Uchiha walked with his hands stuffed deep into his pockets, his breath pluming in the freezing air. He wasn't paying attention to the spies from the Five Great Nations watching him from the distant ridges. He wasn't even thinking about the war.
He was mumbling to himself, his face twisted in sheer agony.
"I got played... I absolutely got played. Nine million? I should have started at six! No, five!"
Two Hours Earlier
Ren had come to the Land of Iron for a specific purpose: Chakra Metal.
While his parents had the ability to use basic Quincy techniques like Blut, they couldn't manifest complex spirit weapons like he could. Ren could form a Reishi sword effortlessly. His parents, however, needed a focal point—a medium to condense and stabilize the energy. They needed a Quincy Cross.
And to craft a cross, Ren needed the highest grade of conductive material: Chakra Metal.
"But Chakra Metal is expensive. I could sell some Healing Tags, but setting up a distribution channel takes time."
He had turned to his father. Satoshi had turned out his pockets, revealing a ball of lint and a single shuriken.
"Don't look at me," Satoshi shrugged. "Your mother handles the finances."
Ren turned to Kaori. "Mom, I need money," Ren said bluntly.
Kaori narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "For what? Are you planning to buy some useless golden trinkets?
"I need to buy three kilograms of Chakra Metal," Ren explained patiently. "It's to forge weapons for you and Dad."
Kaori studied his face for a long moment, looking for any sign of deception. When she found none, she sighed.
"Fine."
She stretched her hand out toward the snowy ground. Suddenly, the shadow beneath her palm stretched and rippled like liquid. A sleek, black briefcase rose from the darkness, levitating into her grip.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You're using the Shadow Realm... as a purse?"
"It's perfect for logistics," she replied simply.
She opened the lid. Ren's eyes widened. The briefcase was stacked with neat bundles of Ryo notes. It was a small fortune.
Kaori counted out several stacks with practiced speed. "Here is thirteen million Ryo. I won't give you a coin more. Make do with it."
Ren took the money, stunned. "Mom... where did you get all this?"
Kaori's expression softened. "I saved. Every mission bonus, every bounty I claimed... I put it away."
She looked him in the eye. "It was for your retirement, Ren. I wanted to save enough so that one day, you could quit this cursed ninja profession. You could get married properly, start a normal business, and live a long life. If it wasn't for your stubbornness... I would never have let you become a ninja."
Ren felt a warmth spread through his chest. He clutched the money tight. "Thanks, Mom. I'll make it worth it."
Ren had walked into the first blacksmith supply store he found, feeling confident and loved.
"Welcome!" the shopkeeper greeted. "What do you need, young master?"
Though his voice seemed polite, it was full of reluctance and fear.
"I need three kilograms of refined Chakra Metal," Ren stated.
"I'll bring it right away!" The shopkeeper turned to go to the back.
"Hold on," Ren stopped him, his merchant instincts kicking in. "Tell me the price first. Then I'll decide."
The shopkeeper looked Ren up and down nervously. "For you? Twelve million Ryo."
Ren's internal calculator whirred. 'Twelve million? That's steep. I have thirteen million, but I shouldn't spend it all in one go. I need to employ the walk-away strategy.'
Ren decided to quote an outrageously low price to force the shopkeeper to haggle. He would say a low number, the shopkeeper would get mad, Ren would pretend to leave, and then the shopkeeper would lower the price to keep him.
"How about nine million for the three kilos?" Ren said confidently.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up instantly. "Deal!"
He practically sprinted into the back room and returned ten seconds later with the metal, shoving it into Ren's hands before he could change his mind.
Ren stood there, holding the heavy box, the realization crashing down on him.
'He said yes too fast...'
Ren handed over the money with a trembling hand. As he walked out, he did the math. 'If he accepted nine million that quickly... the real price was probably around seven million. Maybe even six million if I pushed hard enough.'
After Ren left, the shopkeeper collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. "Thank god... I thought I would die today. I took a loss of six million Ryo, but at least I saved my life."
Back in the Present
Ren kicked a pile of snow.
"I have been tricked," Ren grumbled. "I could have saved three million Ryo. That's enough to buy a golden toilet seat! I regret this. I regret everything."
He continued walking, wallowing in his financial failure, ignoring the spies tracking him from the trees.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, Ren stopped.
His sensory range, now passively covering a massive area, picked up something approaching fast.