The retreat of Kumo shinobi echoed like a receding tide across the scarred battlefield. Dust plumes, kicked up by frantic footsteps, hung thick in the bruised twilight air, mingling with the acrid smells of ozone, spilt blood, and charred earth.
In a relatively sheltered dip between two shattered earth walls, Kakashi allowed himself a single, almost imperceptible exhale. It wasn't relief, precisely – more a loosening of the wire-taut tension that had held him rigid for hours.
His visible eye scanned the chaotic withdrawal, sharp and analytical, but the frantic edge was gone.
'They're breaking. Good. Holding position was becoming untenable.'
He subtly shifted his stance, easing the pressure on his bruised ribs. His primary mission – protecting Rin and Obito in Minato-sensei's absence had just become significantly less suicidal.
Nearby, Rin sagged against a fractured chunk of barrier wall, her headband askew, smudged with dirt and sweat.
"They're... they're really leaving?" she breathed, disbelief warring with profound gratitude in her wide, brown eyes.
The terrifying pressure of the Jinchuriki's chakra, the relentless assault, the near-collapse – it felt like a nightmare receding. She looked towards the eastern horizon, where flickers of unnatural light had finally ceased. "Renjiro-sama... he did it."
Obito, however, wasn't looking at the retreating enemy. He stood ramrod straight, fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white. His eyes, usually alight with either enthusiasm or frustration, were fixed on the distant, smoke-wreathed crater where the final, apocalyptic confrontation had occurred. He wasn't seeing destruction; he was seeing power.
Raw, world-bending power. Renjiro Uzumaki, crimson hair like a banner against the hellscape, wielding chains that bound demons and fire that burned chakra itself. Obito's heart hammered not with fear now, but with a fierce, burning longing.
The whispers in the Uchiha compound echoed in his mind – 'Late bloomer.' 'Weak eyes.' 'Not like the prodigies.'
But Renjiro… Renjiro wasn't even a pure Uchiha! And yet… he'd faced the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, the monster that made seasoned Jonin quail, and fought it to a standstill. The display hadn't just saved them; it had ignited a furnace within Obito.
'That… that's what it means to be strong. To protect everyone. Not just talk… to do it. Like Renjiro-sama. I will get stronger. Strong enough… strong enough to make them all see.' The resolve hardened in his gaze, replacing the lingering terror with something far more potent: ambition.
"Swish!"
Kakashi's head snapped around, his hand instinctively relaxing from his tantō hilt. Rin gasped, a genuine smile breaking through the grime on her face. Obito whirled around, his intense expression momentarily replaced by pure relief.
"Minato-sensei!" Rin cried, scrambling to her feet.
"Sensei! You made it!" Obito yelled, bouncing forward, the weight of his newfound resolve momentarily lightened by the sight of their teacher.
Minato stood there, his yellow hair bright even in the dim light, his blue eyes sweeping over his students with swift, intense assessment.
"I'm glad," he said, "Truly glad you're all alright."
Rin rushed forward, throwing her arms around him in a brief, fierce hug. Obito followed, bouncing beside him, radiating frantic energy. Kakashi simply nodded, walking over with his usual measured pace.
"Sensei," he acknowledged, the single word conveying volumes.
Minato gently disengaged from Rin, placing a reassuring hand on Obito's shoulder. "The barrier held longer than expected. Reinforcements must have arrived just in time." He scanned the battered but holding Konoha lines, the organized chaos of medics tending to the wounded.
Obito couldn't contain himself. "Reinforcements? Sensei, it wasn't reinforcements! It was Renjiro!"
Rin nodded vigorously, her eyes wide with the memory. "He was amazing! Like a hero from a story! When the big barrier fell, and that monster Jinchuriki was about to smash us all, BAM!" She slammed her fist into her palm.
"Renjiro-sama made this huge red barrier appear out of nowhere! It covered us all!"
"And then," Obito cut in, practically vibrating, "he went straight for the Eight-Tails! On this giant eagle! They were fighting so fast, all fire and lightning and these crazy chains! And Renjiro-sama was winning! He had the Jinchuriki screaming! I think... I think he almost killed him! The Jinchuriki looked terrified before they ran away!"
Minato's eyebrows rose slightly. Impressed, certainly, but also analytically engaged.
'Renjiro… alone? Against the Hachibi's Jinchuriki? And forced a retreat?' The rumours about the two tails jinchuriki gained weight.
'His power has grown exponentially. Could he truly rival Kushina now?'
A darker thought flickered: 'The Sharingan… if he could impose genjutsu on a Tailed Beast…'
He immediately dismissed it.
'Only during full transformation, and that usually kills the host. Bee wouldn't risk it.'
Still, the sheer audacity and capability were staggering.
Kakashi, ever the counterpoint to his teammates' enthusiasm, spoke up, "Obito and Rin are… embellishing the terror aspect, Sensei. But the core is accurate. Renjiro arrived alone, erected a secondary barrier, engaged Killer Bee solo after the primary barrier fell, and successfully prevented him from breaching our defences. Killer Bee was indeed forced into a partial transformation. Renjiro utilized unique chakra chains and fire techniques that seemed effective against the Tailed Beast chakra. He held the Jinchuriki at bay until Kumo's main force retreated."
Minato absorbed this, his gaze thoughtful. "Understood. Thank you, Kakashi. That clarifies things significantly." He ruffled Obito's hair gently, acknowledging his spirit. "You three, stay put. Secure the area, and assist medics if needed. I need to find Commander Shiba for a debrief." With a final reassuring nod, he flickered away.
Minato found Shiba near the remnants of the command hub, a scene of organized chaos. Shiba stood at the centre, "...casualty reports consolidated by squad leaders by dawn. Prioritize identification of the critically wounded for immediate transport. Secure all enemy equipment for analysis. Aburame team, sweep the perimeter for lingering sensor tags or explosive traps. Move."
Minato waited patiently until the immediate flurry of orders subsided and the shinobi dispersed.
"Commander Shiba. You look like you could use a week's sleep."
Siba turned, his dark eyes rimmed with fatigue, deep lines etched around his mouth. He managed a faint, humourless twist of his lips.
"Sleep? An elusive luxury, Minato."
He ran a hand through his already dishevelled hair.
"The aftermath of every battle is always the true drag."
Minato smiled sympathetically. "Indeed. I was hoping to speak with the hero of the day. Renjiro but I couldn't locate him."
At the mention of Renjiro, Shiba's face underwent a subtle but profound shift. The weariness deepened, hardening into something grim, almost troubled.
"Renjiro," Shiba echoed, "Yes. The hero. Undoubtedly."
He paused, choosing his next words with visible care.
"The power he displayed today... it was decisive. It saved countless lives. It was also... surprising. And deeply telling."
Minato's keen eyes caught the shift, the gravity in Shiba's tone. "Telling, Commander? Why the concern? His intervention turned the tide."
Shiba glanced around, ensuring no one was within easy earshot. He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near-whisper "I believe Renjiro might possess the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Minato's breath hitched.
His usual composure faltered for a fraction of a second.
'Mangekyō?'
The name alone carried the weight of legend and dread. The last known wielder in Konoha was Uchiha Madara.
'How? When?'
"Why do you think this?" Minato asked, his own voice low, matching Shiba's intensity.
"The eyes," Shiba stated flatly. "During the height of the confrontation with the Jinchuriki, specifically when he was applying significant pressure... they were bleeding. And the fire... it wasn't standard Katon. It clung to the Jinchuriki's chakra cloak and burned it. Actively consumed it. The screams... it was agony on a level I've rarely witnessed."
Minato absorbed this, the image forming in his mind: Renjiro, eyes streaming crimson, wielding unnatural flames against a demon.
The cost of such power...
"He's so young," Minato murmured, "The trauma required... what could have possibly happened?"
Shiba nodded grimly. "Precisely. The Sharingan evolves through profound emotional trauma. The Mangekyō... the legends speak of witnessing the death of someone irreplaceably close. What horror did that boy endure?"
"His closest ties..." Minato mused, "Kushina, certainly. And Uchiha Miwa, his aunt. How is she?"
"Alive," Shiba confirmed. "Severe chakra exhaustion. Unconscious, but stable. She collapsed during the barrier effort, long before Renjiro engaged Bee directly."
He shook his head slightly.
"If seeing her fall triggered it... perhaps. But the control he exhibited with that fire... it didn't feel like the power of someone who'd just awakened it moments before. It felt practised. Familiar. That's what troubles me more."
Minato frowned. "Renjiro has always been a prodigy. Absorbing techniques at an unnatural rate. Perhaps he adapted quickly?"
"Perhaps," Shiba conceded, "But honestly speculating feels like madness right now. Because the truly terrifying thought?"
He met Minato's gaze directly, "I don't believe we saw Renjiro pushed to his limits today. Not truly."
Minato's eyes narrowed. "You mean... Susano'o?"
Shiba gave a single, silent, grave nod. The unspoken implication hung heavy: Renjiro potentially had access to the legendary, chakra-construct avatar, the pinnacle of Mangekyō power, and hadn't needed to use it.
Shiba sighed, "Even without confirming the Mangekyō, the power he displayed... it's frightening. And it will be noticed. There will be a scramble. A rush to claim him, to control that power."
He paused, "The Uchiha Clan will move heaven and earth to bring him firmly into their fold. Imagine it: two known S-Rank shinobi openly associated with the clan – Daichi and now Renjiro, potentially wielding the Mangekyō. And who knows how many others might possess it secretly? Their influence... it would shift the entire balance within Konoha."
Minato understood instantly. The Uchiha's historical tension with the village leadership, stemming from Tobirama's policies and Hiruzen Sarutobi's continuation of them...
"The Hokage..." Minato began carefully.
"...is blinded by biases inherited from his sensei," Shiba finished bluntly. "I've disagreed with his approach to the Uchiha for years. Mistrust breeds resentment and resentment in a clan with that kind of latent power is... volatile."
He looked intently at Minato.
"This stays between us. But the status quo is untenable. Perhaps... perhaps a new Hokage would be more open to genuine negotiation. To mend that rift before it fractures completely."
Minato was momentarily speechless.
The implication was clear, "Commander... you're not suggesting..."
Shiba held up a weary hand, cutting him off. "A coup? Sage, no. I lack the stomach for it, and frankly, I'm not sure I'll survive this war long enough to see its end anyway."
He offered a bleak, humourless smile. "But Hiruzen-sama has spoken privately of stepping down once stability returns. He's weary. He wants to pass the mantle. I'm merely... considering the landscape for his successor. Planning ahead, as is my duty. This Uchiha complication will be one of the largest boulders on the new Hokage's path."
Minato was silent for several long seconds.
The weight of leadership, the complexities of clan politics, the terrifying potential of Renjiro's power... it was a daunting tapestry.
Finally, he sighed, a soft exhalation of acceptance. "You're right, Commander. Dwelling on solutions now... it's premature. These are burdens for the Hokage's desk. Or... the next Hokage's."
Shiba eyed him for a long, appraising moment.
Without a word, he reached into his flak jacket pouch and pulled out a slightly crumpled cigarette. He lit it, the flame flaring briefly in the gloom. He took a long, deep drag, inhaling the smoke as if it could cleanse the taste of ash and blood and impossible choices. He held it for a second, then slowly exhaled, a plume of grey smoke curling into the twilight air like a ghost of his burdens.
"Yes," Shiba agreed, his voice rough with smoke and fatigue, watching the smoke dissipate. "Let the next Hokage worry about that."
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