Chapter 52

If this had been on the battlefield, no matter how many Mist ninja came, Shisui could have sent them all where they belonged with his short sword. Unfortunately, the Mist ninja before him bore the title of envoy from Kirigakure. He also knew about the incident two years ago—when the envoy from Kumogakure was killed by Hyuga Hiashi, which ultimately led to the death of Hyuga Hizashi.

He wasn't afraid of dying himself.

But he feared causing another scandal that would affect the village and clan.

He understood Rēn's personality—he would never tolerate injustice. The problem was that the Hokage constantly preached about the importance of the bigger picture. This left people conflicted. Emotionally, he wanted to beat this bastard senseless, but rationally, he somewhat agreed with prioritizing the bigger picture.

"Body Flicker... Shisui?"

The Mist ninja recognized Shisui.

During the Third Great Ninja War, Rēn and Shisui had fought on the eastern front, earning fearsome reputations while treading over the corpses of hundreds of Mist ninja. Though the titles "Flame Demon" and "Body Flicker" weren't as notorious as the "Yellow Flash," who forced the Tsuchikage to issue a retreat-on-sight order, they were still enough to make every Mist ninja treat them with extreme caution.

The Mist ninja in front of them instinctively grew wary.

However, seeing that Shisui didn't move to kill him, he quickly remembered that he was here as a village envoy, a role that gave him a layer of protection. His courage surged. Besides, he was doomed to die in Konoha anyway—so what was there to fear?

"Uchiha Shisui!"

"Die!"

He began forming hand seals. Seventeen seals completed in rapid succession. Three nearby Chūnin tried to stop him but were too slow—they couldn't match the speed of a Jōnin.

As for Shisui, who was still hesitating, he used the Body Flicker Technique to move the three youngsters to a nearby rooftop for safety, then prepared to subdue the Mist ninja. As for what came next… that could be dealt with later.

"Shisui, what are you hesitating for?"

The voice beside his ear made Shisui flinch. Turning his head, he saw Rēn already standing next to him, forming the Tiger seal with one hand.

At that moment before Shisui could speak—

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"

The Mist envoy went all out, recklessly squeezing out his chakra to unleash the strongest Water Style jutsu he knew. In this dry place, he forcibly exhaled a torrent resembling a massive waterfall purely through chakra.

But standing in front of him was a Uchiha—and not just any Uchiha.

"Fire Style: Majestic Flame Annihilation!"

With a symbolic Tiger seal, Rēn gathered chakra in his throat. A wave of searing flames roared out, meeting the waterfall head-on.

When fire and water collided, white steam hissed and burst in every direction. The powerful shockwave shattered nearby walls and buildings. Even massive trees, thick enough for five or six people to encircle, were uprooted. Under the scorching high-temperature steam, life withered instantly.

Once the eye-blocking steam was scattered by a spring breeze,

The narrow alley was completely gone, replaced by a deep pit that was still radiating heat.

As for the Mist ninja—

Shisui no longer hesitated. In a flash, he closed the distance using the Body Flicker Technique. His three-tomoe Sharingan spun as he dragged the Mist Jōnin into a genjutsu and captured him alive, like baggage, and brought him back to Rēn.

"Big brother!!!"

Fujika, full of pent-up emotion, rushed over like the wind and threw herself into Rēn's arms. Burying her face into his shoulder, she broke down crying.

"It's alright now, Fujika. Everything's fine."

Rēn gently patted his sister's head.

He spoke in a tone of tenderness Shisui had never heard from him. No matter how strong the little girl acted, she was only five years old, raised under her family's care. This wasn't wartime. Today's children didn't attend battle-readiness training to prepare them for combat or war.

Truthfully, the fact that Fujika had the courage to throw a shuriken made Rēn very proud.

In this world, relying on others was unpredictable. Only personal strength is truly dependable.

And Fujika's actions today showed the qualities of someone who could become strong.

"Rēn…"

"Whatever it is, save it for when we get back."

Out of Fujika's sight, Rēn's expression turned so cold that even Shisui felt a chill creeping into his bones.

"What about this guy…"

"Take him to the Police Division. We'll hold onto him for now—he's still useful."

"Got it."

Facing the pressure Rēn exuded at that moment, Shisui didn't argue. Watching Fujika cry uncontrollably, he too was filled with anger. Damn Mist ninja… If this were the battlefield, he'd make sure there was nothing left of him!

He had nowhere to vent his frustration. His face looked as sour as if he'd eaten a bitter melon.

"Sasuke, Naruto, you two come as well."

Rēn didn't forget the two little brats nearby.

As he called out their names, Fujika's crying suddenly paused. Her voice softened to quiet sobs… Perhaps she felt embarrassed to cry like that in front of her friends. But the grievance in her heart hadn't disappeared, and she couldn't pretend everything was fine and go back to playing with Naruto and Sasuke.

So,

Her arms wrapped tighter around Rēn's neck, clinging to him like a koala. It looked like she had no plans of getting down anytime soon.

Naruto and Sasuke said nothing, their expressions different as they followed Rēn toward the Police Division.

Sasuke stared at Rēn's back, his eyes shining with admiration and yearning. That Fire Style jutsu Rēn unleashed had overwhelmed him. Compared to the feeble two-meter-wide Great Fireball he could produce… the difference was immense!

He silently resolved to become a powerful ninja like Rēn someday!

As for Naruto,

He stared at Rēn's back, at Fujika nestled in his arms. His mind replayed the scene where the kunai flew toward her. Unfamiliar emotions flooded his chest. The stiffness and helplessness in his limbs hadn't faded.

I'm so weak.

That thought suddenly rose in his mind.

He couldn't protect his friend. When danger came, all he could do was watch—he couldn't help at all. Regret hit him hard. He regretted slacking off at the Academy, regretted all the classes he skipped and treated like a joke…

Though he knew that even if he'd studied hard every day, he wouldn't have been much different. Sasuke, who did study hard, had also been frozen in place.

Still—

That didn't stop his longing for strength!

He wanted to gain power like Rēn's—the kind of power that could protect his friends and everyone he cared about.

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