CLANG—!
Heartsteel.
It was a powerful piece of equipment from a certain game Ren knew all too well. Its effect was blunt and simple: hit someone, get stronger.
Ren was no stranger to this item. Back in his world, he was a hardcore ARAM player with a Mastery Level 7 on Sion. His entire playstyle revolved around "selling his life" for stacks.
You dare hit me? Fine, I'll give you this kill, brother!
The more he died, the stronger he got. The more he fed, the tankier he became.
But now, as he was desperately trying to secure his "insurance payout" by dying, this talent had suddenly manifested. A cold shiver ran down Ren's spine.
This... this shouldn't interfere with my plan to scam the Will of Heaven, right?
Ren's face remained expressionless, but deep down, a sense of dread began to fester. He had no manual for this "cheat," and the Will of Heaven hadn't provided a guidebook.
Forget it. The priority is to grab a mission from Great Elder Setsuna. I need to get to the battlefield before this "cheat" realizes what's happening. I need a Stone Shinobi to hack me to pieces immediately!
That was the goal. The only goal.
However, Ren felt a nagging uneasiness. He turned his head and realized the source was standing right next to him.
Uchiha Shisui—the boy who looked like an angel but acted like a little demon in Ren's eyes—curled his lips into a gentle, "yasashii" smile.
"Ren-kun, don't worry," Shisui whispered softly. "I'll take the missions the Elder announces. You should stay in the clan and focus on your training."
The hair on Ren's neck stood on end. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Brother, why are you staring at me? Go bother the Uchiha Fugaku's kid or something! Leave me alone!
Ren didn't hesitate. Before Shisui could react, he lunged forward, breaking through the crowd. He raised three fingers toward the ceiling and shouted with the passion of a thousand suns:
"Elder!"
"Restoring the glory of the Uchiha is our duty! I am not afraid of danger—please, let me go to the battlefield!"
Ren's voice wailed through the hall, his tone so sorrowful and stirring that it seemed to linger in the rafters. He stood tall, his expression a mask of unwavering resolve.
"Whether it be the torrential rains of the Land of Rain or the steaming hot springs of the Land of Hot Water, nothing can shake my will to sacrifice everything for the Uchiha clan!"
"If someone must be sacrificed... then I pray that person be me!"
The hall fell silent. The surrounding Uchiha ninjas looked at him with newfound respect.
Whose subordinate is this? Since when were we so brave?
"Ren-kun! How could you..."
Shisui was too late to stop him. A look of pure shock and grief washed over his face.
In the short time they had spent together, Shisui had already decided that Ren was a comrade with a shared soul—someone he could trust with his life.
And now, Ren was throwing that life away.
Is this... is this what it feels like to lose a comrade? This... this can't be...
Shisui's face turned a deep shade of crimson. He felt a violent urge to drag Ren home and give him a thorough thrashing.
Suddenly, the pressure in his eyes reached a breaking point. Without him even noticing, his pupils bled into a vivid scarlet.
Inside that crimson glow, a single tomoe began to spin rapidly, radiating an aura of profound sorrow.
The trigger for his awakening: The despair of losing a friend. Like a cruel twist of fate, the legendary genius had awakened his eyes earlier than intended.
"You won't do. You're too much of a loser."
Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna frowned, looking down at Ren as if he were an idiot who had just crawled out of a hole.
A Genin who hasn't even awakened the Sharingan? What's the difference between him and a piece of trash?
Ren's heroic expression froze. The silence that followed was deafening. If embarrassment had a sound, Ren's heart was screaming.
[Uchiha Setsuna holds you in contempt.]
Suddenly, a massive red dot appeared in Ren's vision, right on Setsuna's face. It was so large it practically obscured the Elder's features, but those eyes—filled with pure disdain—remained visible.
Ren felt a surge of genuine anger.
Sure, I'm a bit of a loser right now. But Great Elder, tearing open my wounds like this? I can get angry too!
If you break my wings, I'll burn down your heaven!
"Great Elder!" Ren barked, taking another aggressive step forward. "This isn't about being a loser or not!"
"I know my abilities are limited. I know I haven't awakened the Sharingan!"
Ren's voice rose to a roar.
"But Genin aren't supposed to be on the front lines anyway! We handle support and patrol the fringes. Besides, every other clan has sent their Genin to the Land of Rain. If the Uchiha don't, won't the other clans look down on us?"
The crowd gasped. They looked at Ren as if he had grown a second head.
His logic was sound, but... he was talking back to a man who had tried to assassinate the Second Hokage!
Setsuna's power in the clan was absolute. His authority was mountainous. And this kid was just... going at him?
Setsuna's face darkened. Is this kid really testing me? A trash Genin without eyes dares to lecture me?
But then, a thought struck him.
Wait... isn't this exactly the kind of 'talent' I need?
As the leader of the Hawks, Setsuna wasn't just looking for power. He was looking for a specific personality.
He needed people who were stubborn, extreme, and ready to shed blood for the Uchiha at the drop of a hat. The more "bone-headed" this kid was, the more loyal he would be to the clan during a coup!
As a professional in the field of rebellions, Setsuna could proudly say: No one understands a coup better than me.
Ren was the perfect "quality cannon fodder" for a revolution.
Therefore, he couldn't let such a "talent" die in a ridiculous mission for the sake of Konoha.
Setsuna's scowl slowly morphed into a chilling, sinister smile.
The observers shivered. Even Ren felt his heart skip a beat.
Not because he was afraid of the old man, but because he was wondering: If this old geezer kills me in a fit of rage, does that count towards my life insurance?
[Yes.] The Will of Heaven replied instantly in his mind.
Ren's eyes lit up. His back straightened, and he stared right back into Setsuna's eyes with zero fear.
Setsuna almost laughed. He took a long breath, suppressing the urge to slap the brat, and decided to give him a "way out."
"Naive! Ridiculous!" Setsuna snapped. "Do you think the battlefield is a playground? You don't even understand human speech, do you, boy?"
Ren grinned wildly, sticking his neck out and patting it like a piece of meat on a butcher's block.
"So what? If you have the guts, Great Elder, then kill me right here!"
"And if you won't kill me... then send me to the war!"
The moment those words left his lips, a sharp, metallic sound rang in his ears.
CLANG—!