Chapter 153: Not a Hero, Just Here to Punch Danzo (What a dream for all of us)

Chapter 153 - Not a Hero, Just Here to Punch Danzo (What a dream for all of us) {Make sure you read the notes at the end.} ~ Tsunade began, her voice steady and grim, "Sayaka was attacked, right after she got pregnant with you. Fortunately, your father's team was with her at the time. If they hadn't been there... no one knows what might've happened." She paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "However, that wasn't even the main concern. What mattered more was what came after. The village took charge of the investigation to find the attackers, and all evidence pointed to the "Uchiha," Ren completed for her, his tone dry. Tsunade nodded. "Yes. That's what the village believed. But Sayaka, she noticed too many things that didn't add up. Before the situation could escalate, she arranged a secret meeting with the then Uchiha clan leader. He agreed." She looked off toward the window, as if replaying the memory. "There was a lot of back and forth between me and him during that meeting. But one thing was clear, he didn't order the attack. The Uchiha didn't do it. In fact, there was evidence that could have proven their innocence." Her lips curled into a bitter scoff. "But the very next morning, the entire village was buzzing with one headline, 'The Uchiha attacked a Senju princess, who was also pregnant.' That news was never supposed to come out. It was classified, locked down. But somehow, everyone knew." Ren's eyes hardened. "Danzo?" Tsunade gave a sharp nod. "Most likely. Though, after what I've learned today, there's a chance Sensei was involved too." Her voice cracked just slightly at that word. She exhaled slowly, then continued, "Both our clans understood what was going on. The idea of the Uchiha supporting Sayaka, that wasn't something the village's higher-ups could tolerate. So, we had to put on a show. Act like enemies. The alternative was political death or worse." Ren crossed his arms. "That's surprising. I didn't think there were any peace-loving Uchiha back then." "There were," Tsunade said softly. "A few. Enough that Sayaka tried to keep the door open. But it didn't matter in the end." Ren leaned back against the wall, brows drawn. "So it was all theater, to protect her?" Tsunade nodded. "After that, things quieted down, somewhat. But the damage was done. The Uchiha started getting marginalized. And it wasn't just because of Sayaka's incident. Some of the more, cancerous elements within their own clan fanned the flames. They refused to accept that the Senju and Uchiha could ever exist in peace." Ren's gaze turned sharp. "Still, it reeks of Danzo. And probably the Third too." Ren continued speaking, "You've been away from the village for a long time. You don't know how bad it's gotten." Ren added slowly. "I've seen it. I've felt it. The civilians hate the Uchiha. Even the ones who don't say it out loud treat them like they're always a second away from going rogue. And to be fair, the Uchiha are arrogant, there are many radicals among them but not to the point where every single one of them deserve this level of hate." Tsunade watched him for a moment, then said, "You're under Yoru's supervision. So I'm sure you've heard things. But let me make this absolutely clear." Her voice dropped low. "The Uchiha are planning a revolt." At that, Shizune who had been silent all this time gasped audibly. But Tsunade simply glanced at her. That look alone was enough to keep Shizune quiet. Ren didn't even flinch. He simply nodded. "I had my suspicions. The Commander has been meeting with the Jonin Commander, the Uchiha leader, and Utakata-Sensei. They must've been planning something." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Though what Commander told me was that they were going to deal with Danzo Shimura." Tsunade exhaled, as if that had been the answer she expected. "It's not that simple." She looked directly at him now, her eyes heavy with the weight of history. "Dealing with Danzo is the end goal, yes. But there's another priority, cleaning up the Uchiha's own rebellious elements. The village can't survive with Danzo alive. But it also can't survive if that deep-rooted Uchiha resentment is allowed to fester." She closed her eyes for a second. "In the end, neither Danzo's camp nor the Uchiha's radical faction can be allowed to win. Both have to lose. That's the only way for the village to truly come out as the victor." Ren leaned back against the wall, fingers interlaced behind his head, voice casual but eyes sharp. "That goal is way too high," he muttered. "Someone wants to clean up Danzo and the Uchiha at the same time? That's either suicidal or monstrous." Tsunade answered plainly, folding her arms. "It's Yoru. He's the one planning everything, with the help of the Nara clan leader. Their brains are not something we can comprehend." Ren scoffed, "You should speak for yourself. I'm smart enough to guess what they might be planning." Tsunade arched a brow. "Oh? Then do tell." Ren straightened a little, adopting a mock-theorist tone. "Corner the Third into not acting, maybe even force him to stand down quietly with you and a few others. Let the Uchiha actually revolt, just enough to satisfy the radicals. But the ones they'll be fighting will most likely be Danzo and his cronies. Then, once the dust settles, appoint a figurehead. Someone the public can rally behind as a symbol of victory and peace." Tsunade tilted her head, intrigued. "And who do you think they're planning to make the figurehead?" Ren met her gaze flatly. "Not me. I've already told Commander Yoru, I only want to kill Danzo for the fun of it. He can handle the rest." Tsunade smiled knowingly. "At least sound more convinced that you won't be the figurehead." Ren clicked his tongue and groaned. "It's too much work. And way too bothersome. I'm already sick of all the finger-pointing I got after the Chunin Exams. I don't need more." He paused, then added dryly, "Let's just make the Uchiha leader the Hokage. That'd be refreshing. I've only met him once, but he seems fun to mess with." Tsunade gave a tired sigh. "The Uchiha have done enough over the years to make the village unwilling to accept one of them as Hokage." Ren shrugged. "You do realize that even if I do become the figurehead, they'll end up forcing the actual Hokage seat onto you, right?" He shot her a wry look. "My strength isn't enough to become Hokage. Not yet. Or even within a year. Probably" he added the last part under his breath. Tsunade chuckled and waved a hand lazily. "Let's leave all that to Yoru and the others. It's better to be the brawn than the brains. That way, you get to avoid most of the paperwork." Ren let out a bark of laughter. "Is that why they've never offered you the Hokage position?" Tsunade cracked her knuckles, her grin turning dangerous. "Looks like you've gotten bolder ever since learning I'm your sister. Is that what makes you so brave?" Ren tilted his head innocently. "So you mean to say that calling you an unmarried elder woman wasn't bold, but calling you stupid is?" He smirked. "How stupid." The air cracked. By the time Tsunade's hand whipped out toward his face, Ren had already moved, vanishing from his spot and appearing beside the window, one foot already on the ledge. He gave her a final grin. "Hope you get your romance soon, unmarried elder 'sister'. Maybe Pervy Sage would be a good option, right?" With a laugh, he jumped down through the window, disappearing into the street below. Tsunade stood frozen for a moment, face red not from anger but sheer embarrassment. Shizune, watching the entire scene with barely hidden amusement, let out a long, exhausted sigh. ~~~ In the streets of Tanzaku Gai, Ren strolled casually, hands laced behind his head as his mind wandered. 'It feels weird knowing I'm the grandson of the Second Hokage,' he mused, snickering a little. 'I'm not a racist though.' He paused as another thought came to him, 'Eh, maybe a little towards those losers, not Itachi though. He's cool.' His amusement faded as a more serious thought settled in. 'Hey, System. Is that seal thing real? And what kind of higher power are you, exactly?' A familiar digital chime echoed in his mind, followed by the mechanical voice of the System. [THERE WAS INDEED A SEAL PLACED BY THIS WORLD'S LAW ON YOUR BODY AT THE TIME OF BIRTH. THAT SEAL SUCCESSFULLY KILLED THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE ORIGINAL REN SENJU. IT WAS ALSO AT THAT TIME THAT YOUR SOUL WAS BROUGHT INTO THIS WORLD AFTER YOU FILLED THE TRANSMIGRATION FORM. HOWEVER, YOUR MEMORIES WERE ONLY RECOVERED AFTER YOU TURNED SIX YEARS OLD AND THE SYSTEM ACTIVATED.] Ren's eyebrow rose. 'Hmm. So that means I didn't do the usual body-snatching thing. It was more like a normal rebirth. I was here since the beginning, just without memories. Only after I turned six did I remember anything from my past life.' His expression darkened slightly as another realization struck. 'Doesn't that mean I don't actually have a cheat? The System's just been unlocking my real, inborn powers little by little, like reward packages from a delivery service.' But before he could sink further into that line of thought, another System notification rang: [PLEASE NOTE THAT SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY A CHEAT. WITHOUT THIS SYSTEM, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED UNTIL THIS DATE, AS THE SEAL OF THE WORLD WOULD HAVE FORCED YOU TO DIE THE MOMENT YOU TURNED SIX YEARS OLD.] 'Cool down, man,' Ren thought with a dry chuckle. 'I was just kidding. I do know you're my real cheat. Technically, I wasn't born with any of the cool abilities, the original Ren was. But after he died and I took over the body, the seal stopped me from using them until you started removing those restrictions. So yeah, credit where it's due.' He paused, eyes scanning the lively street without really seeing it, then asked again, 'So, can you tell me anything more about my transmigration to this world?' [NEGATIVE. THE HOST'S POWER IS NOT ENOUGH.] Ren sighed inwardly. 'Figures.' Still, he bounced back quickly, turning his thoughts to something more exciting. 'Alright then. Show me my rewards.' The System responded instantly with its usual celebratory chime [CONGRATULATIONS, USER. YOU HAVE CHANGED THE FUTURE: ELIMINATED THE NOKIZARU GROUP.] [REWARDS:] Water Affinity: UNLOCKED New Special Stat Unlocked: PERCEPTION (PER) Current PER Stat: 93 (Note: Special Stats cannot be increased using stat points. They increase naturally as the user's inherent ability evolves.) As Ren glanced at the system rewards, a subtle frown tugged at his brow. 'Hmm. The system's rewards are really weird. I fought the whole Nokizaru group, nearly died, and all I got was the water affinity?' He clicked his tongue lightly. 'Is it because I already had the rest? I don't have that shadow manipulation ability though.' His eyes narrowed slightly. 'Not that I need it. I wouldn't even use it if I had it. Still, it's a weird way of handing out rewards. It's probably related to what original Ren had and some others, I guess. ' He rolled his shoulders and sighed. 'But whatever. It's good that I finally have water affinity now. I already assigned a clone to work on water mastery, but it's been going very slowly. Hopefully this will give it a boost.' Then his attention shifted to the newly unlocked stat. Curious, he opened its description. [PERCEPTION (PER): Perception reflects the user's alertness and awareness of his surroundings, and how the user utilizes their senses to gather and react to information.] [Current PER: 93] 'Just like in games, huh?' Ren mused. 'This is my highest stat to date. Though I guess it's not surprising. With how heightened my perception has become, it's like I can see the damn air shifting around me.' He stood there for a moment, letting the wind pass by, his senses attuned to every flicker of movement, every ripple of chakra, every layered interaction between motion and silence. 'Alright. Now that the rewards are settled time to deal with the other thing.' With that thought, he made his way to a quiet, empty patch of ground near the edge of Tanzaku Gai. A narrow clearing lined with sparse trees and old wooden fencing. No one around. Perfect. Ren took a breath and called out softly, "Kimura." ~~~~~ {Many things became clear with this Chapter, if you have any doubts about them please comment here.} {Also, this is my version of political landscape of Konoha, it would become much more clearer once the story progresses towards the Shadow's War arc, but yeah, this is my take on it.} {I tried not to make anyone true villain, just them taking the chance to gain a benefit, but since Ren is in the Senju camp you might feel that the other side is in the wrong. When infact, everyone was working for their own benefit. Just like the law of jungle, 'the strong survives.'} {One more thing. Guys. I am neither suicidal nor depressed so please STOP ACTING LIKE YOU ARE MY MOTHER. I'm happy reading your comments but I honestly feel like you are treating me like a kid, for which I don't know how to feel but is mostly like Ren's summons are playing in my stomach. So yeah, neither suicidal not depressed, was just a bit tired and THAT'S IT.} {If you want, you can support me on pat-reon} { h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n } {You know what else} {300 Stones = Extra Chapter} {As I said, the goal's been increased. Hope you guys still shatter it.} {STONES!!!!}