A flicker of golden chakra energy shimmered in the air, forming a translucent rectangular barrier around the conference room.
In the next instant, the golden field pulsed and shifted into a red-hued aura, symbolizing the initiation of a "duel"—a mechanic of Ren's mysterious Face-Fruit power.
Before Ren could activate the skill fully, his eyes rolled back slightly.
"OWWWW!"
He yelped, clutching his forehead and crouching low. A single, ridiculously cartoonish bump swelled up from his skull like a ripe tomato.
Crack!
The red field shattered like glass, vanishing in a spray of chakra particles that reabsorbed into Ren's body. The Face-Fruit had fizzled out again.
Rubbing the bump, Ren looked up at the imposing figure above him—Tsunade.
Her clenched fists twitched with barely restrained fury, but that didn't distract Ren from admiring her natural assets… or lack thereof.
"The Tsunade of this era is so damn cute," Ren muttered under his breath, squinting in curiosity.
Unlike her older self from his original timeline, this Tsunade was still in her early twenties, still flat in the chest department despite her iconic name being synonymous with... destruction in more ways than one.
Today, she wasn't even wearing her usual flak jacket. Just a sleeveless green blouse and blue ninja pants. Very casual. Very dangerous.
Ren's gaze slid from her ankles upward, up her calves, over her thighs… and just as he craned his neck higher—
THWACK!
Another forehead flick from hell.
"BASTARD! You little perv, I'll gouge your damn eyeballs out!!" Tsunade bellowed, her cheeks burning red.
Ren didn't flinch this time. He stood straight, swiping the air with dramatic flair.
"Gouge my eyes out? Tsunade, how can you say that to your future boyfriend?"
Tsunade nearly choked.
"Boyfriend!? You're what—seven?! And still wet behind the ears! You think being a loudmouth brat with no hair on your balls makes you husband material?!"
Ren grinned, unfazed.
"Don't bully the young just 'cause they're young. And don't act like anyone's lining up to marry a ticking time bomb like you. I mean, you're gorgeous, yeah—but that attitude? Yikes! If you ask those two over there, I bet they wouldn't dare take you either!"
Ren pointed dramatically at the two quiet bystanders—Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Orochimaru gave an amused blink, then coolly took a step back, deadpan. He was clearly not getting dragged into this chaos.
Jiraiya opened his mouth, clearly ready to shout "I'll do it!"—but Ren turned and shot him a warning glare so intense it looked like a Genjutsu.
"...No thanks," Jiraiya muttered, averting his eyes.
Tsunade's jaw dropped. Rage flared up in her chakra. She was seconds away from drop-kicking all three of them when—
Poof!
A masked ANBU Black Ops member appeared in the center of the conference room, kneeling before the Hokage.
"Lord Hokage," the ANBU said calmly, "we investigated the Uchiha Garrison. There is no trace of Uchiha Fugaku. His subordinates confirmed that he never showed up for duty today."
"What?!" Uchiha Aida—Fugaku's father—rose from his chair, voice booming in disbelief. "Impossible! I saw him leave home this morning with my own eyes!"
Ren narrowed his eyes, feigning a gloomy tone. "Do we really need to ask why? Fugaku beat someone half to death and ran. He's too ashamed to show his face."
Ren shifted his gaze to Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Third Hokage frowned, but didn't argue. That alone was a green light. Then Ren turned to Danzo, who had been silently observing, arms folded in his dark robe like a statue.
Tsunade clammed up, sensing the shift in atmosphere. This wasn't the time for jokes.
Danzo's one visible eye slowly opened. His expression was cold and composed—exactly what made him terrifying.
"Uchiha Aida," Danzo said quietly, "how do you plan to handle this?"
Classic Danzo—cutting straight to the kill shot. Aida, now in a corner, had no leverage.
"Lord Hokage!" he tried to plead, turning to Sarutobi.
But Sarutobi lifted a hand and interjected, his tone heavy.
"Aida, forget that it's Ren. Even if it was a normal Academy student, no Chūnin has the right to assault a child over a disagreement. Fugaku is at fault."
Hiruzen's neutrality had vanished. He was clearly siding with Danzo now.
Uchiha Aida clenched his jaw, sweat beading at his temple. Two Kage-level powerhouses backing Danzo meant only one thing—he'd already lost.
"...Fine," he finally muttered. "Lord Danzo, what are your terms?"
Danzo didn't hesitate. "Simple. The Root division exists to protect Konoha. Our numbers have thinned in recent years. I need personnel. Give me five Uchiha Jōnin. We'll consider the matter closed."
"Five Jōnin?!" Aida exploded. "You're joking! You want five top-ranking shinobi for one brat getting roughed up? That's outrageous!"
Danzo chuckled, his voice low and dangerous.
"I'm not asking out of pettiness. I act only for Konoha's safety. Your clan has hordes of combat-ready shinobi sitting idle. Or… is the Uchiha clan hoarding strength for something else? A coup, perhaps?"
That word—coup—shook the room.
Sarutobi's eyes narrowed instantly. In this era, with his power still unmatched and Danzo lurking like a shadow beside him, even the slightest whiff of insubordination would trigger deadly consequences.
Aida paled.
Damn you, Danzo! This was a setup! He knew their clan had ambitions, but he never expected Danzo to exploit it so openly. If he resisted now, he'd be confirming their worst fears.
"...Three," Aida said through clenched teeth. "Three Uchiha Jōnin."
"Four," Danzo countered flatly.
"Three!" Aida growled. "And two Elite Chūnin. That's as far as I'll go."
Danzo was silent for a moment... then nodded.
"Deal."