"Jackpot…?"
Staring at his panel, Ren's very first thought was exactly that.
Forget the massive pile of Free Points—Wood Release Experience & Insight alone was something he'd been dreaming about.
That said, one doubt immediately surfaced in his mind.
What kind of Wood Release is this, exactly?
He knew himself well enough. Even if he intended to walk the path of Asura, he wasn't delusional about Asura's power.
Wood Release, at its core, was tied—at least partially—to a mutation derived from the God Tree's chakra.
That wasn't something he could casually reproduce.
Even if substitute routes existed, everything would still require careful thought and repeated experimentation.
"But since I've got something this good, it'll at least let me fuse Wood Release faster."
"Effectiveness aside, as long as it looks like Wood Release, that's enough."
After a brief consideration, Ren decided not to overthink it.
The meeting wasn't over yet—this wasn't the time to dive into theory.
First, he'd finish dealing with the mess in front of him.
—
"So it really is Mangekyō…"
Uchiha Fugaku's head was buzzing.
Staring at Kakashi's eye—now displaying a pinwheel-like pattern—his emotions were impossibly complicated.
For the first time, he felt a trace of regret.
Why hadn't he reclaimed that eye back then?
It wasn't simple greed.
Yes, he had thoughts about that eye—but he already possessed Mangekyō himself.
What truly worried him was the storm that eye would bring.
The Uchiha clan was already unstable.
Now this?
"…Mangekyō."
Danzō was staring just as intently.
His fists were clenched so hard they trembled.
Back then, he'd ordered Kinoe to seize Kakashi's eye.
Instead, Kinoe spared Kakashi—and worse, developed an independent will.
In the end, Hiruzen had pressured him into handing Kinoe over.
That alone had been a catastrophic loss.
Because Kinoe had Wood Release.
And now?
Danzō realized he hadn't just lost Wood Release—
He'd lost a Mangekyō Sharingan as well.
"Damn it… damn it… DAMN IT!"
Danzō was practically pounding his own chest with rage.
Hiruzen fell silent.
So did everyone else.
No one had words left.
Many gazes unconsciously drifted toward Ren—the one who had detonated everything, yet stood there as if none of it concerned him.
Was this kid unbelievably unlucky?
Or terrifyingly lucky?
All of this… from a single "minor incident."
Through sheer analysis and deduction, he'd dragged out something monstrous.
—
"At this point, we can more or less determine who orchestrated the Nine-Tails incident and the attack on Konoha."
After a long pause, the Third Hokage finally spoke, setting the tone.
But out of consideration for Kakashi, he added,
"Whether or not he truly is Uchiha Obito still requires confirmation. It's possible he obtained Obito's eye."
"Hokage-sama, I kept calling him that."
Ren spoke up casually.
"And in the end… he didn't deny it."
Then he turned to Itachi.
"Right, kid?"
"…."
Both Itachi and Hiruzen felt their temples twitch.
You're not much older than him yourself, Itachi thought.
Why does Ren keep pressing Obito so hard? Hiruzen thought.
"…Yes, senpai."
In the end, Itachi nodded.
Ren's explanation of how he'd "lured the culprit out" earlier—the corpse disposal plan—had chilled him to the bone.
He genuinely believed that if the man hadn't shown himself…
Ren might have actually done it.
"Without concrete evidence, we shouldn't rush to conclusions."
Hiruzen sighed inwardly, thinking could you at least spare Kakashi's feelings?
"In any case, Obito was once a hero of Konoha."
Even so, in his heart, Hiruzen had already accepted the truth.
Mangekyō wasn't something you could casually obtain.
More often than not—it could only be awakened by the person themselves.
"However, we can investigate along this direction."
Hiruzen looked straight at Ren.
"You're the only one who's confronted him directly and survived. This responsibility will likely fall on you."
"No problem."
Ren nodded without hesitation.
Public, official revenge?
He'd gladly accept.
"However, I'll need people. And information."
"I don't know much about him."
"Approved."
Hiruzen didn't refuse.
He was furious too.
Repeated provocations.
The Nine-Tails incident.
The deaths of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina.
This debt had to be repaid.
"Personnel—ANBU or otherwise—you may request freely."
"As for records… that will be harder."
"But I'll do everything I can—even formally request Uchiha cooperation if necessary."
"The Uchiha will fully cooperate."
Fugaku immediately declared.
Whatever he felt inside, this was not the time to hesitate.
"Good."
Hiruzen scanned the room.
"Until we reach a clear conclusion, I want absolute silence."
"The implications are too severe."
"I trust you all understand."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Everyone nodded.
This involved the Nine-Tails.
The Fourth Hokage.
If news leaked prematurely, no one could predict the fallout.
This level of secrecy required no explanation.
—
"Hokage-sama, I'll submit the document requests later."
"But I already have the personnel list."
"May I apply for immediate deployment?"
Hiruzen nodded.
"Go ahead."
"I recommend Kakashi—he possesses the other Sharingan."
"Kakashi-senpai is naturally on my list."
Ren didn't hesitate.
If he was going to disgust Obito—
He'd do it thoroughly.
"Besides him, I request ANBU Shisui and Yugao."
"They're my teammates."
"And finally…"
"I want Tenzō."
—
"…Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Later that night, deep within the Root base.
Danzō sat alone, Kakashi's eye replaying endlessly in his mind.
His anger hadn't faded.
It had intensified.
That eye should have been his.
It had always been his.
But because of Kinoe's betrayal, everything slipped through his fingers.
This wasn't something he could let go of.
Not now.
Not ever.
"Lord Danzō."
Aburame Ryūma entered quietly.
"Speak."
Danzō suppressed his fury with effort.
"We've confirmed it. Sunagakure aligns with Shihara Ren's report."
Ryūma spoke quickly, sensing his superior's mood.
"Ebizō appears to be preparing something."
"Pakura has also largely aligned with Ebizō and Chiyo."
"Our agents report that Ebizō contacted us, requested certain resources, and asked for confirmation on several matters."
"Further verification is still required, but—"
"I understand."
That report finally eased the tension in Danzō's face.
He never fully trusted Ren—by nature, he trusted no one.
That was why he'd ordered follow-up investigations.
And now?
Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.
Perhaps…
Shihara Ren really is someone I can trust.
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