Chapter 206: Sasuke Will Never Know Peace (Because of Ren)

Chapter 206 - Sasuke Will Never Know Peace (Because of Ren) As Ren and Itachi came to a halt just before the Hokage's raised platform, the air grew still again. All eyes now turned to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who stood calmly in his formal robes. His aged face carried a gentle smile, and his hands were clasped behind his back as he looked over the crowd, then back to the two boys standing before him. "Hoho," he began with that familiar grandfatherly chuckle, voice echoing through the entire area, "It is truly a joyous occasion for the village today. The noble Senju clan has found its heir once again." He paused, gaze resting on Ren's blue eyes. "I am certain, young Ren will lead the village to greatness, just as his ancestors once did." There was a low murmur in the crowd, pride from the elders, curiosity from the civilians, silence from the officials. Hiruzen's words had been clear and deliberate, lead. Not support or serve, but lead. Then the Hokage turned, smiling again as his gaze settled on the boy beside Ren. "And of course, the gifted young Itachi Uchiha shall support him all the way." The words struck harder than expected. A noticeable shift passed through the Uchiha section of the crowd. Several of the more senior Uchiha frowned, their brows furrowed, and a few younger ones exchanged stiff glances. The idea that their clan heir, the clan's pride, was being assigned the role of a supporting figure sparked a quiet, bitter sting. Ren, however, kept his composure and smiled back with perfect poise. His voice was smooth and respectful, yet, his words were like a seasoned politician who knew how to handle things. "Of course, Lord Third. The Senju and Uchiha, together, side by side shall serve the village as one. That has always been the dream of our founders. For the good of all." His tone was calm, but his words were measured. Unity without subservience. Together without hierarchy. The kind of answer that placated both ends, without betraying either. Hiruzen smiled approvingly at the clever phrasing, and the two shared a brief exchange of knowing glances, punctuated by another soft "Hoho." Meanwhile, Itachi remained quiet. He stood like a statue, perfectly composed, but internally, it was a different story. 'So I'm the pretty accessory, huh? A glorified trophy for village unity.' It didn't sting as much as it should have, Itachi had no desire for the spotlight. In truth, he didn't care for the politics of position. Ren could be the star. Let him deal with the burden of leadership, of scrutiny, of the suffocating expectations. Itachi didn't envy that weight. 'Maybe, I'll just travel the world, he mused idly. See the lands beyond the borders. Take in the mountains, the sea, the silence.' The idea made him smile faintly. A quiet life, away from this village, away from all of this bloodshed. He wondered if Sasuke would come with him, however he wouldn't want to force anything on his brother. For a brief second, a certain brown-haired Uchiha girl came to mind. He wondered what it'd be like to travel with her. However, his cheeks heated at the memory. 'I shouldn't think about things like that.' He quickly composed himself and looked back toward the crowd. His eyes scanned the sea of faces until they landed on a small but familiar one, Sasuke, seated safely in Mikoto's arms. His younger brother's eyes lit up when he saw him, and he began waving wildly. Itachi's expression softened. He just gave a very small smile in return but his heart swelled to see his brother and mother after arriving from a long mission. Then, from the corner of the frame, Ren's head popped into view, leaning dramatically to make sure he was seen. His gaze locked on Sasuke like a predator spotting its prey. A second later, Sasuke blinked and then, a massive, ripe tomato appeared in front of him. So vivid and so detailed that his mouth practically watered on instinct. "Wow!" Mikoto reacted instantly, covering her son's eyes with a practiced hand. She whispered something into Sasuke's ear, and whatever she said caused his entire face to go beet red. His little fists clenched, and he glared at Ren. But Ren had already turned away, continuing his cheerful back-and-forth with Hiruzen as if nothing had happened. Itachi saw it all as he realized that Ren was using Genjutsu to mess with Uchiha clan leader's younger son. His eye twitched faintly. This wasn't the first time Ren was messing with Sasuke, he had done so once before at the time of Chunin Exams with the Tomato tray and all. Still. Itachi narrowed his eyes, just slightly. 'Enough is enough. I'm putting an end to this before Ren turns my innocent little brother into a tomato-obsessed deviant. From today onward, I swear it. I'll protect Sasuke from Ren.' The formal exchange between Ren and Hiruzen finally drew to a close. What had started as a ceremonial welcome had slowly morphed into Hiruzen testing Ren's political acumen while Ren always had the answers no matter the question. Hiruzen's old-man charm was on full display, while Ren played his part with sharp composure and just enough cheek to stay respectful as he was in front of a lot of crowd. After a final chuckle, Hiruzen turned away from Ren and addressed the shinobi squad and the extracted agents lined up behind them. He gave a few brief words of recognition, congratulating them on their bravery, their successful return, and the importance of their sacrifice. The crowd, now thinning, listened quietly. Then the Third Hokage turned back to Ren with a light smile. "Well then," he said, adjusting his robes slightly, "shall we go?" Ren gave a small nod, and turned back to the team behind him. "You all did well on the mission," he said, voice casual but sincere. "Let's meet tomorrow at Yakiniku-Q. Kakashi's treating." Kakashi's visible eye narrowed behind the dog mask. "I didn't agree to that." Ren didn't respond as he was already walking off with Hiruzen, hands casually tucked in his sleeves. Itachi gave a small exhale and followed closely behind, as the silent shadow of a symbolic alliance, ever-present and ever-watching. The crowd, now having seen what they came for, slowly began to disperse, however their mouths wouldn't stop, after all the information they received was just too huge to ignore. The Senju elders began whispering excitedly among themselves. Plans were already forming to welcome the heir back to the old clan residence, which had remained closed for decades. Energy buzzed between them like electricity. The Uchiha clan, in contrast, departed as silently as they'd arrived. No chatter, no celebration, just a synchronized movement of black silhouettes retreating to the outer district. Soon, only the extraction team remained outside the gate, standing in relaxed formation. Just as they were about to disperse, however, multiple chakra flickers snapped through the air. Figures in black cloaks surrounded the group in a perfectly timed maneuver, forming a wide circle around them. Masks covered their faces, but the unnatural stiffness in their posture was unmistakable. Root. Utakata's eyes narrowed slightly, but his voice remained calm. "What does the Foundation want?" One of the black-clad figures stepped forward. His voice was clipped and emotionless. "The extracted agents will come with us. For questioning." Utakata didn't even blink as he responded "That's not possible." The Root operative's posture stiffened further, as if about to retort, but he barely got a word out. "We are not-" In an instant, new chakra flickers echoed through the air, there presence was less like a machine and more human, however they still exuded a chilling aura. Behind every black-clad figure, two ANBU operatives appeared silently, masks glinting under the sun. Among them, standing behind the Root leader, were Number Two and Number Three from the Numbers. Two's voice was cold and clinical as he began, "Foundation does not have the authority to detain or question these agents. Any legitimate operative would know that." His tone grew sharper. "If you don't withdraw immediately, you will be identified as spies impersonating Foundation personnel and eliminated on the spot." A long silence followed. Then, one by one, the black-clad figures flickered away, vanishing without a word. Utakata exhaled slowly and began walking past Number Two. As he passed, he spoke quietly. "Get it done quickly. He'll want the reports as soon as possible." Number Two nodded once and Utakata flickered from the spot. Number Three stepped forward now, facing the remaining extracted agents. "You all know the drill. Follow us to the ANBU base. There'll be a round of standard questioning." Her voice was neutral, but every agent there understood, "standard questioning" wasn't just formality. It was the assessment of loyalty. The line between being cleared and being branded a liability was razor-thin. Still, all of them nodded silently. None dared protest. In a smooth sweep, the ANBU flickered again, taking the agents with them. Number Three glanced at the remaining squad. "The commander said you all are granted one week of rest before resuming active missions." She turned her masked face directly toward Kakashi. "Dog. Tenzo. You're with us." With that, Numbers Two and Three vanished. Kakashi gave a faint sigh, one hand lazily raised in a mock salute. Then he too flickered away, with Tenzo following a beat later. Only Yugao, Hitoshi, and Noi remained. Yugao reached for Hitoshi's hand and they quietly walked away together, exchanging no words, just a shared glance, tired but full of silent understanding. Noi, standing alone for a moment longer, turned to leave, only to be intercepted by three figures. They appeared around him in perfect unison, cloaks fluttering as they vanished again, taking him with them. With that, the gate front was empty once again except for the guards who weren't really interested in the happenings of the Root and the ANBU. ~~~ As they reached the base of the tower, Itachi quietly separated himself from the group, neither Ren nor Hiruzen said a word, and none was needed. He understood his symbolic presence was no longer required. The moment had passed, and Itachi, ever perceptive, knew when to step back into the shadows. Ren and Hiruzen continued on in silence, their steps echoing softly against the stone corridors of the Hokage Tower. They moved with practiced ease, an old leader and a young storm, both aware of the conversation that was about to unfold. Hiruzen finally broke the silence, voice casual, but carrying a subtle weight. "So, how was the mission? Any important details I should know about?" Ren didn't even pause as he spoke, "Your friend tried to sabotage it. Again." The Third Hokage's shoulders tensed slightly. He didn't ask which friend, he didn't need to. The hope he had held, that perhaps Danzo had refrained this time, even marginally, crumbled under the weight of Ren's blunt reply. Ren saw the fatigue flicker across Hiruzen's expression. But he didn't offer comfort as he didn't see the point. In Ren's mind, Danzo's unchecked authority, his unrelenting overreach wasn't just Danzo's doing. It was Hiruzen's failure too. "There were always risks in this mission," Ren continued, tone flat. "But thanks to him, the risk factor increased several times over. We lost more people than we should've." His voice grew colder as he added. "I'm not letting him walk away this time." Hiruzen gave a slow nod, exhaling through his nose. There was no protest, no defense, Ren noticed this. The old man beside him, once hailed as the God of Shinobi, had long since traded his might for politics, and his instincts for silence. But now, he seemed... resigned and thoughtful. And, if only slightly, highly strategic. "Alright," Hiruzen said finally, voice weary. "I won't interfere. You two do what you have to do." Ren's step paused for half a second as it was faster than expected. He turned his head slightly, glancing at the man beside him. Hiruzen didn't meet his eyes. But his words still hung in the air. Ren understood what this was. 'Is this his first move to throw Danzo under the bus?' He hummed inwardly, amused. The pieces were finally shifting. Hiruzen, the long-time fence-sitter, had seen the signs of the brewing conflict, the weight of public opinion, and the monster he'd allowed to grow in the shadows. 'He is a smart man. He must have seen what's coming. He knows Danzo won't survive untouched much longer, and he's trying to carve out some distance before it's too late.' But Ren wasn't naive. 'Even if he wants to separate himself from Danzo, it won't be that easy. The stain is too deep.' Still, the leeway was appreciated. Hiruzen choosing not to protect Danzo was not just passive, it was an invitation and Ren would be a fool not to accept it. He exhaled lightly, glancing upward toward the grand staircase ahead. 'Now I have more room to move. Let's see how Danzo reacts.' The thought brought a smirk to his lips. 'Would he really sit still while this meeting is going on?' Ren's pulse quickened, not from nerves, but from anticipation. He hoped Danzo would act. He hoped there was already a trap waiting. Because that would mean the real game had started. 'Come on, Danzo. Make your move. Let's see who will win the first round.' ~~~~~ {The tables are set, the meeting is about to begin and with that Ren and Danzo will finally become real opponents and not just playing through Hiruzen or Yoru.} {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} {280 Stones = Extra Chapter} {STONES!!!!}