Deep within the dense forests of the Land of Grass, Ren's group advanced toward Kusagakure in a tight defensive formation.
The battle earlier hadn't truly affected them.
Sasori and Kakuzu were troublesome opponents, no doubt about that—but unfortunately for them, they had run into two monsters that simply didn't belong to this stage of the era.
Mangekyō Sharingan, at this point in time, was already borderline excessive.
That wasn't to say Konoha lacked ways to deal with it. With figures like Senju Tobirama in its history, Konoha was practically guaranteed to have counters.
Even in the future, Sasuke would awaken Mangekyō, challenge Killer B, then storm the Five Kage Summit—only to be beaten down repeatedly.
Reaching Mangekyō didn't make someone invincible.
Its ocular powers were terrifying, yes, but there were always solutions—stronger enemies, or simply dragging things into a battle of endurance.
Against Sasori in particular, Shisui's experience meant things were manageable, especially since they had already clashed before and possessed useful intelligence.
As for Ren—
He was simply cheating.
Wood Release and Flying Thunder God alone were absurd. Add to that the Curse Mark, Yin Release, and his overwhelming physical conditioning.
And with Kakuzu's information in hand, killing Kakuzu outright wouldn't have been strange at all.
If anything, those two were just unlucky.
Still… Kakuzu's future "salary" needs to be arranged properly.
While moving, Ren pondered quietly.
He didn't have the money to keep paying Kakuzu every month.
But Konoha did.
Ren had always believed their special task force should rely on external contractors.
Information networks didn't run themselves.
Thirty thousand ryō a month sounded like a lot, but for a core member of Akatsuki, it was a bargain.
As for whether Kakuzu might try to play both sides—
That was a problem for later.
Worst case, Ren would simply send him on his final journey himself.
Right now, the real "gift" wasn't Kakuzu at all.
It was Obito.
A White Zetsu body…
Ren's mood lifted the moment he thought of the sealed scroll in his ninja pouch.
He had no intention of injecting White Zetsu cells into himself.
He wasn't a true Senju.
Even if he was progressing in that direction, the gap was obvious.
White Zetsu bodies were modified with Hashirama cells. Even with Madara and Black Zetsu's refinements, they were poison to ordinary people.
Ren wasn't foolish enough to gamble.
He lacked Senju-level compatibility, and unlike Mangekyō Uchiha, he couldn't rely on Yin–Yang balance to suppress backlash.
He also couldn't be sure whether traces of Asura's chakra remained.
Still—
Researching it is another matter.
And maybe… he could sell a favor later.
The future of the Uchiha was uncertain, but if the right people came knocking—and could be trusted—Ren wouldn't refuse.
Besides, he had Tsunade as a "teacher."
Plenty of possibilities there.
"Ren, what are you thinking about?"
Yūgao's quiet voice pulled him back.
"We're almost there. What's the plan?"
"Already that close?"
Ren looked around, then smiled.
"Sorry. Just thinking about follow-up matters. With you all here, I'm not worried."
Kakashi coughed.
"Let's stay focused. We're about to step into serious trouble. We need an operational plan."
"Yeah," Tenzo nodded. "We've done… surprisingly little so far."
Even Itachi spoke up, nodding slightly. He wanted something solid on his record—this wasn't a mission he intended to coast through.
Ren looked genuinely puzzled.
"But against a place like Kusagakure, isn't it enough for the border forces to keep advancing?"
"…Are you trying to start a war?" Kakashi stared—then paused.
"…Wait. You're trying to thin out their internal defenses."
"Exactly."
Ren nodded calmly.
"The difficulty here isn't as high as it seems. We have plenty of reinforcements. Not using them would be a waste."
And more importantly—
Ren didn't just want Kitsuchi.
He needed freedom points.
Finishing the mission while escalating its impact would boost his evaluation.
"Since we have backup, we should think boldly. What benefits Konoha the most?"
"The most?" Yūgao blinked.
Shisui leaned closer. He knew that expression all too well—it reminded him of Sunagakure.
"For small countries," Ren continued, "what's their greatest value to major villages?"
"…Mission quotas?" Tenzo offered.
"Exactly."
Kakashi's mouth twitched.
"You're not thinking of doing something to Kusagakure itself, are you?"
"I know Iwagakure backs them," Ren shrugged. "But Danzo's intelligence confirms Kitsuchi is here. We're also investigating their research."
"No matter how you look at it, conflict is inevitable."
"So why not merge objectives?"
"We investigate, take Kusagakure, capture Kitsuchi, extract intelligence, and force negotiations."
"As long as we don't casually kill Iwa's elites, there's room to talk."
"And with Sunagakure cooperating—Ōnoki will talk."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Kakashi and Shisui immediately understood.
This was leveraging Sunagakure to pressure Iwagakure—while carving out benefits in the Land of Grass.
The key was Kitsuchi.
Kakashi felt his scalp tighten.
"…How do we do this with just six people?"
"You're sharp, Captain Kakashi," Ren smiled. "We're not alone."
"ANBU squads are already behind us."
"Why not use them?"
Kakashi hesitated.
"What about reporting to the Hokage?"
Ren frowned.
"Captain Kakashi. Speed matters. We don't know if Akatsuki already reported back."
"And—when operating outside the village, orders can be adapted."
He pointed ahead.
Kusagakure was already in sight.
Kakashi understood instantly.
He called me 'Captain' just now…
If this fails, I'm the scapegoat.
"…Damn it."
After a long pause, Kakashi made his decision.
They already captured the Fourth Raikage once. What's one Tsuchikage's son?
Orders were sent.
Border forces intensified movements.
ANBU squads prepared to strike.
Ren turned to the team.
"Shisui, Itachi—you handle search and cleanup. Genjutsu first, avoid unnecessary kills."
"Kakashi, Tenzo—flank and locate the target."
"Yūgao, you're with me."
No one objected.
They moved.
At the strike point, Ren raised his hands.
Time aligned.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The earth roared.
Vines burst upward. Trees rose violently.
Kusagakure was swallowed by two expanding forests.
Screams echoed.
Chakra was drained.
Grass ninja panicked.
Iwa ninja reacted faster—but it was too late.
Kitsuchi felt it instantly.
"So this is why Father fears Wood Release…"
A kunai flew.
"Flying Thunder God—"
Before he could finish—
Ren appeared.
"You're Kitsuchi."
"I'm ANBU. You're invited to Konoha."
Bound by Wood Release, Kitsuchi could only glare.
"This is your idea of hospitality?"
Ren smiled.
"If you cooperate, it's a visit."
"If not—"
"I'll carry you."
Elsewhere, Shisui's eyes glowed red.
The Grass Village's secrets were about to be laid bare.
And Kusagakure—
Was officially falling.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/lucarioTL