Chapter 48

Yakumo's frail body limited her daily activity time. After only a short conversation with Rēn, she was already yawning from exhaustion. She was then taken to rest by Kurama Rin, leaving Kurama Sōun and Kurama Unkai to accompany Rēn.

"Um, Rēn, that thing just now… was a joke, right?"

"What about it?"

Rēn glanced sideways. "You think I'm not qualified to take on a student?"

"I'm not joking with you, Rēn." Kurama Sōun felt a headache coming on.

"I wasn't joking either," Rēn said seriously. "To be honest, aside from me, I don't think anyone else in Konoha could guide Yakumo in unlocking her talent. Frankly, leaving that child in your clan is like letting a pearl gather dust."

"Also, Sōun-senpai, you've said it before: you already know what's behind Yakumo's problem, don't you? There are so many people in the village—don't expect me to believe you came to me purely by luck. Your clan… must have records related to Yin Release, right?"

Kurama Sōun helplessly shook his head. "You figured it out? I guess we can't keep it hidden… You're right. Our clan does have some notes on Yin Release, left behind by those among us who awakened our kekkei genkai. It says that the root of our kekkei genkai originates from Yin Release—fundamentally the same as the Uchiha's Sharingan."

"At the meeting four days ago, I noticed that your spiritual energy had suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds. That's when I thought… if it's you, Rēn, maybe you could help solve Yakumo's problem. But I truly didn't expect you to accept her as a disciple!"

"Four days ago, huh?"

Rēn wasn't surprised.

Ever since the end of the Third War, he had kept a low profile, rarely revealing his abilities. Anyone who had witnessed him in combat was already in the belly of the King of Hell. But that fight four days ago had drawn enough witnesses.

Perhaps,

Kurama Sōun wasn't the only one who had seen through a part of Rēn's capabilities. Who knew what the other old foxes had picked up on. Honestly, Rēn couldn't say for sure. But he knew that as long as his blade remained sharp, it didn't matter if some secrets got exposed.

So he didn't dwell on it.

He didn't care much and simply said, "Sōun-senpai, I won't say this a third time—Yakumo is an extraordinary gem. I don't want to see you waste her potential. When it comes to Yin Release and genjutsu, no one in Konoha can compare to me. As for the issue with Yakumo… that's naturally my responsibility as her teacher."

Kurama Sōun had no reply.

What more could he say? ....it just felt like by the way Rēn was talking he wasn't giving him the chance to refuse.

Anyhow, thinking it over, Yakumo being taken in by Rēn might not be a bad thing. The Uchiha in the past weren't exactly the easiest to deal with. To be honest, even now they still weren't. The patrol members from the Police Force still had that annoying habit of looking down their noses at others.

But—

As long as Uchiha Rēn stood tall, the Uchiha clan would remain unshaken. The terrifying power of the Mangekyō Sharingan was recorded in the Kurama clan's archives. So he knew what it meant to possess does eyes.

Besides, even without the Mangekyō Sharingan, Rēn himself was exceptional. With a teacher like that, there was no need to worry about Yakumo going astray…

................

........

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While Rēn had just taken on a new disciple, far away across the sea, in a village shrouded in thick mist, a lingering scent of blood filled the air. Corpses were being carried out of the village by the flowing waterways.

Last night,

Hōzuki Mangetsu, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and a Jōnin of the Hidden Mist, after many delays, finally attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage. The coup failed—he was injured and fled the village.

The Fourth Mizukage didn't pursue him. Instead, he launched a new round of purges within the village.

The waters of the Mist were dyed blood red.

"Obito, don't you think you went a bit overboard?"

In a secret chamber, a strange being with a Yin-Yang face and a pitcher plant-like body emerged from the ground. Looking at the corpses of the ANBU piled in the room, the white half spoke in amazement.

"No number of Mist ninja deaths is enough."

Uchiha Obito, wearing his orange spiral mask, sat atop the mountain of corpses, a frigid gaze peeking from the sole eyehole. "Everyone in this village… deserves to die!"

The blood still dripping from the corpses testified that his murderous intent was no joke.

"Zetsu, what happened? Didn't I tell you not to bother me unless it was important?"

"It's Konoha."

Black Zetsu opened his mouth. His hoarse voice scraped against the ears.

"The Uchiha clan has a new clan head."

"…Uchiha Fugaku stepped down?" Obito blinked. That was interesting.

"That's right, that's right!" White Zetsu cut in excitedly. "The Uchiha held a clan meeting in a secret chamber under that shrine of whatever. Fugaku was ousted. The new head is a guy named Uchiha Rēn—he's only fifteen!"

"Uchiha Rēn?"

The familiar name stirred Obito's thoughts. Memories buried deep surfaced again.

If he recalled correctly, unlike himself—the dead last of the Ninja Academy—Uchiha Rēn was younger, but, together with Shisui, known as one of the Uchiha clan's Twin Stars. They had always been in different worlds…

He never thought Uchiha Rēn would become the clan head.

"Oh, and I almost forgot—Samehada is now in Uchiha Rēn's hands. Also, during a high-level meeting in Konoha, he suddenly fought Shimura Danzō and beat him into a coma. He's a vegetable now, completely immobile. From what my clones observed, Rēn may have awakened the Mangekyō."

The flood of complicated information was dazzling.

Even Obito, no longer the dead-last student of the academy, felt a headache from all the intel. It took him half a minute to sort out the rough outline.

"He awakened the Mangekyō?"

Obito rested his hand on the hidden chin behind the mask, silent in thought.

"Well? Obito, sounds like this Uchiha Rēn is a wild variable. Should we take him out?" White Zetsu, bored as always, egged him on.

"Mangekyō… Without knowing the specifics, attacking recklessly is too risky." Obito, as a Mangekyō Sharingan wielder himself, understood more than anyone how terrifying the eye techniques could be.

In his view,

Compared to a Mangekyō Sharingan user, even Jinchūriki and Tailed Beasts were hardly a threat.

"Right, Zetsu, did you say Samehada is in Uchiha Rēn's hands?" Obito suddenly asked.

"My clone saw it with his own eyes."

White Zetsu confirmed it confidently.

"Samehada… In that case, maybe we can put it to some use," Obito turned to look at the Fourth Mizukage standing motionless in the corner like a puppet.

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