"Show yourself! Lightning Release: Guillotine Drop!"
A leapt high into the air, bringing his leg crashing down in a devastating axe kick.
With a thunderous boom, the ground within dozens of meters shattered. Uchiha Ren burst out from the rubble.
"—!"
A pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to its limit. His body vanished in a flash, giving Ren no time to react. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of him and threw a punch.
"Shunshin!"
Ren's expression hardened as flames burst beneath his feet, propelling him rapidly upward.
Now!
A's eyes gleamed. He abruptly withdrew his half-thrown punch and changed tactics mid-strike.
"Lightning Release: Lariat — Thousand Dance!"
A shot upward as well, lightning gathering in his hand and forming a blade-like edge.
Ren's Body Flicker Technique only allows linear movement. The instant between his first step and the landing of his second is when he cannot alter his trajectory.
That single step determines victory.
Boom!
A's lightning-wreathed hand struck Ren's waist—
—but no blood appeared.
Ren's body exploded into flames.
"A Fire Clone?!"
A froze for a moment, then immediately rejected the thought.
"No… impossible. That was the real body!"
Though Ren had once again burst into flames, this felt completely different from the earlier Fire Clone.
This time, the flames didn't disperse. Instead, they trapped A's arm within them.
A trusted his instincts.
"…Genjutsu?"
The thought crossed his mind.
The Uchiha Clan was infamous for their mastery of genjutsu. With a single glance from the Sharingan, one could be dragged into an illusion.
There was even a saying in the shinobi world:
"If you encounter an Uchiha one-on-one—flee."
It wasn't absolute, but it spoke volumes.
In battle, eye contact is inevitable. One mistake could mean falling into genjutsu and being left at your opponent's mercy.
Against multiple opponents, however, allies could disrupt each other's genjutsu—creating a chance to fight back.
That was also why Ren had entrusted the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, Killer B, to Minato Namikaze.
Although the Sharingan suppresses tailed beasts, Killer B was a perfect jinchūriki—essentially a two-man team—greatly reducing the effectiveness of genjutsu.
From the very beginning, A had avoided direct eye contact, tracking Ren's movements solely through body motion.
So when did he fall under genjutsu?
If this wasn't genjutsu… then what was it?
"It's called Elementalization."
Ren's calm voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
A instinctively turned—
—and met a pair of scarlet eyes.
Not good.
His body froze instantly.
His consciousness was dragged into a black-and-red world, where massive iron stakes pinned him in midair, immobilized.
"Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique."
In the real world, Ren's body reformed. One hand pressed against A's head, reinforcing the genjutsu's hold.
As expected—if you want to capture someone alive, genjutsu is the most efficient method.
The moment A converted the power of his Guillotine Drop into speed earlier, Ren realized his Fire Release Chakra Mode had been partially figured out.
From the start, Ren had no intention of killing A—only capturing him.
So he exploited A's overconfidence, using Elementalization to disrupt his judgment and create an opening for genjutsu.
Elementalization allowed his body to transform into fire, nullifying physical attacks.
This ability came from the Flame-Flame Fruit.
In its original world, Logia abilities were nearly invincible—only those who mastered Haki could touch their true bodies.
However, Ren discovered that chakra-infused attacks could still harm him.
Even so, Elementalization remained extremely effective for preemptively avoiding attacks.
Used properly, it could decide a battle—
just like now.
Ren exhaled slowly, deactivating his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He hoisted the unconscious A onto his shoulder and vanished in a series of Body Flickers.
He soon returned to Minato's team.
The battle there had already ended.
Without A's speed to restrain him, Minato's abilities were unleashed to their fullest.
Among Kumogakure's forces, only Killer B could exchange a few moves with him. The rest were defeated instantly.
With support from Konoha shinobi like an Inuzuka clan member and an Akimichi clan member—all elite jōnin—Killer B was sealed before he could fully transform.
"Ren!"
Minato and the others immediately noticed his arrival.
"I've restrained him with genjutsu for now," Ren said, dropping A to the ground. "But to be safe, you should seal his chakra."
"Understood."
Minato formed hand seals. Five chakra flames ignited across his fingers.
"Five Elements Seal!"
He slammed his palm onto A's abdomen, imprinting five tomoe-shaped markings that disrupted his chakra flow.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Minato said:
"I used a lot of chakra sealing the Eight-Tails jinchūriki earlier. This will only disrupt his chakra—it won't completely cut it off."
"But he won't be able to use any jutsu."
"That's enough," Ren replied. "We'll secure him properly once we return to the village."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"This war… is finally ending."
Relief spread across everyone's expressions.
After nearly eight years, the war was finally nearing its conclusion.
Several years earlier, Sunagakure of the Land of Wind ignited the war under the pretense of searching for the missing Third Kazekage—seeking to redirect internal conflict outward.
Their first target was Konohagakure of the Land of Fire.
What began as small border skirmishes escalated into full-scale war.
Soon after, Iwagakure and Kumogakure also made their moves, launching attacks on Konoha when the timing suited them.
Konoha faced unprecedented pressure—fighting three great nations while also balancing internal clan politics. Nearly all available forces were deployed.
Fortunately, Kumogakure—the notorious wild card—disrupted the balance.
They first attempted a sneak attack on Sunagakure, then struck at Iwagakure from behind, buying Konoha precious breathing room.
Seizing the opportunity, and aided by Minato Namikaze's brilliance, Konoha swiftly defeated Sunagakure and forced a ceasefire.
At the same time, Konoha destroyed Iwagakure's supply lines and crushed its frontline forces, leaving it temporarily unable to wage large-scale war.
By then, the outcome seemed clear.
Just as Konoha began celebrating—
Kumogakure turned on them.
Having suffered losses against both Sunagakure and Iwagakure—including the death of the Third Raikage—they chose to attack Konoha next.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi could hardly comprehend their logic.
Worse still, Kirigakure of the Land of Water—long silent—also declared war.
Konoha was pushed to the brink once again.
Though weakened, Iwagakure still retained enough forces to reignite war at any moment. Konoha had to station troops along that border.
Sunagakure's ceasefire agreement was fragile at best, forcing Konoha to maintain defenses there as well.
Combined with the ongoing war against Kumogakure, Konoha had no forces left to counter Kirigakure.
With no alternatives, Konoha's leadership turned to the clans they had long kept at arm's length—
the Uchiha Clan and the Hyūga Clan.
Both were powerful noble clans, feared for their strength and rigid internal structures.
The Uchiha Clan in particular, known for their pride, had long been suppressed by leadership influenced by the Second Hokage.
They had been deliberately kept away from the battlefield—
partly to isolate them, and partly to prevent them from gaining political influence through military merit.
Another reason was the Sharingan.
This kekkei genkai evolves through intense emotional stimulation.
On the battlefield—where life and death are constant—the Uchiha could grow stronger as the war progressed.
While others weakened, they might become even more powerful.
Those who survived war were the elite among elites.
Though their numbers might decrease, their overall strength would surge.
Indeed, during this very war, two members of the Uchiha Clan awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan.
Either one alone could rival an entire army.
Under such circumstances, Konoha's leadership had every reason to limit their involvement—
until Kirigakure's invasion left them no choice.
The Uchiha Clan was finally deployed.
Looking across the entire Third Great Ninja War, the other great nations fought intermittently.
Only Konoha fought continuously—enemy after enemy.
After nearly eight years of war, everyone in Konoha was utterly exhausted.
And now—
it was finally coming to an end.
Aftermath and Decision
"Ren, what should we do next? Should we take them all back to Konoha?"
Minato Namikaze quickly composed himself and looked toward Uchiha Ren.
The war wasn't truly over yet—this was no time to relax.
Ren fell silent for a moment, then replied with a question of his own.
"What do you think?"
Minato hesitated briefly before answering:
"The Third Raikage is dead, and the Fourth Raikage has yet to be officially established. Kumogakure is leaderless right now."
"If we want to end the war, we should at least return their candidate for Fourth Raikage so he can stabilize the village."
"I've noticed that A and the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, Killer B, share a deep bond. If A returns and takes charge, it will make it easier to push for a ceasefire—especially with Killer B as leverage."
Minato intended to release A.
After all, without a leader, a village would inevitably fracture. Opportunists would emerge.
If A returned, Killer B's value as a bargaining chip would be maximized.
Ren smiled faintly.
"Minato, you're overlooking one thing. That strategy would work for any other village—but Kumogakure is different."
"Do you believe that if you release A, he won't rally his forces tomorrow and threaten full-scale war to force us to release Killer B?"
Minato paused.
Given Kumogakure's reputation, he couldn't refute that.
Ren continued:
"A is their Fourth Raikage candidate, and Killer B is the Eight-Tails jinchūriki. Neither can be abandoned."
"Only by holding both can we ensure Kumogakure sits down at the negotiating table."
Minato frowned slightly.
"Are you certain their leadership will agree on that?"
Ren sighed softly.
"Kumogakure's leadership isn't like Konoha's. They're far more unified."
"And their Raikage advisor, Tōdō—he's a smart man. He won't allow chaos."
"So for now, we take both A and Killer B back to Konoha."
After a brief pause, Ren added:
"When you report this… don't mention me. Say it was your team's accomplishment."
Minato's pupils shrank.
"…Ren, this mission wasn't ordered by the Third Hokage?
The moment Minato spoke, everyone present was visibly shaken.
An Inuzuka clan shinobi spoke first:
"Ren, this isn't something to joke about. If handled badly, it could be used against you."
Shinobi required authorization even to leave the village—especially during wartime.
Acting without orders could range from dereliction of duty to outright treason.
Given Ren's identity as a member of the Uchiha Clan, leniency would be unlikely.
Ren smiled calmly.
"Relax. The Kirigakure front is mostly staffed by Uchiha and Hyūga. I have people covering for me."
"And… I had no choice but to come."
"No choice?" Minato asked, sensing something deeper.
"Sit," Ren said.
Everyone settled down.
Ren spoke slowly:
"This war has lasted nearly eight years. Everyone is exhausted."
"No matter how it ends, Konoha has suffered immense losses."
"And as Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi bears responsibility. His time is coming to an end."
"You've all heard the rumors."
Early in the war, Hiruzen hesitated against Sunagakure's provocation, allowing the conflict to escalate into a stalemate—giving Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure the opportunity to join.
Had he acted decisively, the war might not have dragged on this long.
Even after defeating Sunagakure, he demanded no reparations—making concessions instead.
Discontent spread through Konoha.
Now, word had been deliberately spread that Hiruzen would step down after the war.
Ren continued:
"Even without me, the war was already nearing its end."
"Large-scale battles are unlikely now. At most, there would be minor border conflicts."
"With Iwagakure and Kumogakure mistrusting each other—and both wary of betrayal—neither can risk full-scale war."
Minato nodded.
"I've received orders to return to Konoha soon."
"And… in a private message, the Third Hokage hinted at supporting me as the Fourth Hokage."
Ren smiled.
"It seems he values you greatly."
Minato shook his head with a wry smile.
"He values power—not me. He intends to make me a puppet."
"Just like you wrote—'control the Hokage as a puppet.'"
Ren nodded approvingly.
"Under normal circumstances, Orochimaru would be the ideal candidate."
"He's calm, perceptive, powerful, and has distinguished himself in both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars."
"But that's exactly why he was rejected—he's too independent to control."
Minato didn't argue.
"That's true… aside from his cold personality, he's fully qualified."
Ren continued:
"Orochimaru is no longer in contention."
"Minato, when you return, the Third Hokage will test you."
"Until everything is decided, you should avoid being seen as close to the Uchiha Clan."
"That's why I'm telling you this now."
Minato's expression grew serious.
Ren continued without hesitation:
"During this war, we've already taken control of the Land of Waves."
"And right now, Shisui should be at the daimyō's residence."
Everyone was stunned—then visibly excited.
Minato spoke with restrained emotion:
"Does this mean… the reform begins early?"
Originally, everything was meant to begin only after Minato became Hokage.
Ren nodded.
"Plans change."
"I met someone on the battlefield."
"Who?" Minato asked.
"Kado."
Minato frowned—he didn't recognize the name.
Ren explained:
"He's not a shinobi, but a businessman—the head of the largest shipping company in the world."
"He controls maritime trade—his wealth rivals a nation."
"We intercepted him while he was smuggling weapons through the Land of Water."
Minato's eyes sharpened.
"So… you've already secured him?"
Ren nodded.
"Controlling him gives us a continuous source of funding."
"With enough money, many problems solve themselves."
"And we finally have the foundation to begin reform."
Minato fell silent, weighing the implications.
An Akimichi clan shinobi spoke:
"But Ren… isn't targeting civilians against the rules?"
Ren smiled faintly.
"Rules?"
"Rules are fixed—but people aren't."
"Don't forget our ultimate goal."
The man stiffened.
"To change the world completely."
For thousands of years, conflict among shinobi had never ceased.
From the Warring States Period to the current hidden village system, peace had always been temporary.
Even those who stood at the top of the world sought peace.
Ren looked at him seriously.
"But changing the shinobi alone isn't enough."
"How many shinobi exist in this world?"
"Even at most—less than two hundred thousand."
"And the total population?"
"…That number is measured in the hundreds of millions."