{Here we go, make sure the stones aren't lacking.}
Ren's heel slammed down, and the tiles cracked under the weight, but Yoru was already gone, as he slid low, and a kitchen knife flashed past Ren's ribs. Hyperfocus dragged the motion into clarity, the blade's arc frozen for a split second. Ren twisted with it, palm catching Yoru's wrist before it cut through, then shoved, forcing him off balance.
Yoru didn't fight the momentum. He rolled with it, there was an unnatural shift in weight as his body slid out of Ren's line of sight before snapping upright with a kick that Ren barely intercepted with his forearm. The shock rattled his bones, even through hardened muscle.
Ren pushed forward anyway. His body blurred as he launched a straight-line burst that should've split Yoru in two, but the man broke rhythm, vanishing into his own shadow-step footwork.
Steel sparked against Ren's forearm, a kunai carving across hardened skin, but the angle was already read. Ren caught Yoru's elbow, yanking him forward, knee driving for his chest and it connected.
The impact echoed, sending Yoru skidding back across the floor, but he landed on both feet without breaking stance.
Ren didn't stop. With another burst he rushed forward, fifth gate roaring through his muscles. His fists came down in a barrage, each one heavy enough to crater stone, each one narrowly deflected, parried, or slipped past.
Yoru's movements weren't faster, but sharper interruptions, micro-cuts, that were breaking Ren's flow by fractions of a second.
But Hyperfocus knitted it back together. Ren flowed through the gaps like water, adjusting with every strike. Yoru's knife flashed again, and Ren's hand closed on his wrist before it reached. The other hand rose, palm sharp and glowing faint with chakra, but Yoru twisted, driving his shoulder into Ren's chest, breaking them apart.
They both slid back, air heavy between them. Equal ground. Neither one backing down, neither one giving in.
Then, as if all the seriousness from earlier had just been a passing act, Ren straightened his back and gave a long stretch, arms over his head, shoulders rolling loose. He let out a sigh and smirked.
"Man, that was a good workout," he said, voice casual, almost lazy compared to the fists he'd been throwing a moment ago. "Thanks for the early morning refresher, boss-man."
Yoru, seeing Ren drop his stance, relaxed as well. With a flick of his wrist, the kitchen knife that had been in his grip spun through the air in a clean arc. It sailed right back through the open window they'd passed earlier, clattering neatly onto the counter where it belonged. Like it had never left.
Ren chuckled and walked over, wiping imaginary dust from his palms. "So," he said, tone laced with mischief, "what was it you needed, boss-man? You wouldn't have come all the way here just to give your favorite subordinate a morning workout, would you?"
He dropped down onto the floor without ceremony, legs stretched out, breathing steady as if they hadn't been trading killing blows moments ago.
It was still early morning, the sun had only just begun to filter into the Senju compound. Ren hadn't even rolled out of bed when Yoru barged into his room without any knock, or warning, just an uninvited entry like it was his own damn house.
Ren hadn't minded much, he was a light sleeper anyway but it gave him the excuse to spring at Yoru the moment he registered who it was.
The commander hadn't hesitated either, catching Ren's rush with the same blunt professionalism he always did. From there, it turned into a full-on clash as the two stormed out of the house, their fight tearing through the compound. Somewhere along the way, Yoru had snagged the knife from the kitchen mid-motion, like it was the most natural thing in the world, and kept using it against him.
Now, with the clash over, Yoru dusted off his sleeve and spoke like the fight hadn't even happened. "The date for Danzo's trial has been set," he said simply. "One week from today."
Ren's eyes lit up. He slammed his fist into his palm with a sharp smack, his grin spreading wide across his face.
"A week from now…" Ren muttered, realization settling in. Then he barked a laugh. "That's my birthday! Damn, Danzo really is giving me a perfect gift."
He threw his head back and laughed in short, rough bursts of amusement spilling out, a "hehehe" that carried just enough malice to make his mood clear.
Six months.
That's how long it had been since he came back from the Mist mission and the whole storm around Danzo began. In that time, Yoru and the others had been working non-stop, gathering every shred of evidence, every piece of testimony, building the case brick by brick. By rights, the trial should've happened three months ago, would've happened, if not for the Daimyo suddenly pulling out.
The reason had been simple but frustrating: his youngest son had gone missing. Everyone at the top levels of Konoha knew who was behind it. It reeked of Danzo's hand. But knowing and proving were two different things.
They couldn't march to the Daimyo and accuse an ex-councillor without evidence, even if he was under scrutiny right now, so they had to play it safe. Orders came down, and the search spread across the Land of Fire.
The one responsible wasn't Root or any shadowy faction, it was just some no-name bandits. Ren had found the kid by chance, aided by his butterflies, tucked away in a camp they wouldn't have thought to check otherwise.
The boy had been returned, safe and shaken but alive. The Daimyo, with his son back, finally cleared the trial to move forward. And by pure coincidence, the date lined up with Ren's own birthday.
No wonder he was laughing.
Yoru didn't seem bothered by Ren's casual mockery. He simply folded his arms across his chest, his tone clipped but steady.
"Be there on time," he said flatly. "And don't try to pull something weird in front of the Daimyo. This will be your first official meeting with him since you were confirmed as the Senju heir. He's been wanting to meet you for a while, more so after you were the one who found his son. Right now, he has a good impression of you, Ren. Make sure it stays that way. His favor will be useful later, especially once you take over the Hokage seat."
Ren gave a half-hearted mock salute from where he sat, "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Respect the Daimyo, bow my head, smile politely, all that boring crap. You've been drilling this into me for so long that it's starting to get annoying. Well, to be honest, it was annoying the first time you said it too."
Yoru's voice hardened. His tone shifted, sharp and serious now, the weight of an ANBU commander filling the room.
"My continuous insistence isn't for nothing. It's because you don't actually understand the severity of being on bad terms with the Daimyo." He leaned forward slightly, his masked face locked on Ren. "You need to realize something, the Daimyo holds more power than you think. His personal strength might not mean much, but the seat he occupies gives him the entire Land of Fire as his army. Nearly sixty percent of our missions are assigned directly by him or his offices. If the Daimyo ever decides the Leaf is not working in his interests, he will take drastic measures."
Ren tilted his head, arms folded, listening. For once he didn't interrupt.
"The Leaf has around thirteen thousand shinobi," Yoru continued, voice low, deliberate. "But sixty to seventy percent of that number are Genin. Cannon fodder.
The Land of Fire itself is dotted with smaller shinobi villages, combined, their strength makes up about six to seven thousand fighters. That's one part of the Daimyo's army.
The other part is his personal force. Around two hundred elite, all trained to at least Chunin level. Dozens of them are jonin. And then there are the Guardians, twelve of them. Two already stand at the level of S-Rankers, the other ten are each a step away from that threshold. And don't forget, if the Daimyo ever feels his rule threatened, he can call for aid from other Daimyo. They'd rush to his side immediately, because they all want the system of Daimyos preserved."
Yoru paused slightly as he studied Ren. "Do you understand now? The power of the Daimyo isn't just about the man himself. It's the system he embodies. Unless all five great nations agreed to launch a coup together, which will never happen, no single village could topple the Daimyo rule without plunging the world into another Great War."
Ren fell quiet for a moment, his usual mocking grin fading into something more thoughtful. He tapped his chin lightly, his mind turning.
'Huh,' he mused silently. 'So the Daimyō isn't just some fat piece of flesh in fancy clothes… he's sitting on an actual fortress of power.'
But then his grin returned, sharp as ever. He looked up at Yoru and asked in a tone that was half-serious, half-provocative, "What if I had the strength of the First Hokage… or Madara Uchiha?"
Yoru went silent at that. For a long moment, he didn't respond. Then, with deliberate weight, he spoke slowly.
"…Then you can go wild."
Ren blinked, then burst into laughter, his body shaking as he wiped a fake tear from the corner of his eye. "Oh, boss-man, you really are funny!"
Just then, a butterfly drifted lazily into the compound, its wings glimmering faintly in the early morning light. It circled once before settling gently on Ren's shoulder.
Ren's grin froze. Seconds ticked by in silence. His posture shifted, his shoulders stiffening, and the casual air around him bled away. Within moments, the usual mischief in his expression was gone, replaced by a sharp, controlled seriousness.
Yoru caught the change instantly. He studied Ren for a few seconds before asking, his tone clipped, "Danzo?"
Ren exhaled through his nose and gave a single nod. "He must be involved. Multiple bounty stations have been shadowing Dad's movements lately. Too many hunters asking questions, too many eyes on his routes. And his bounty…" Ren's lips thinned, "it's suddenly spiked in value these past few weeks. That doesn't happen by chance. Someone's deliberately dragging his name into the spotlight."
"Must be Danzo," Yoru said, his voice calm but weighted.
Ren shook his head. "Danzo's involved, sure, but he's not the core of it. The bounty centers don't bend just because some village rat whispers in their ear. They bend to profit, to hunters who've earned their trust and filled their coffers." His jaw tightened. "To move every bounty centre in the Land of Fire at once there's only one man who can push the market like that."
Both of them spoke at the same time, voices hard. "The Heartless Kakuzu."
Ren clicked his tongue sharply. "Tch. So that's the route he chose to go with."
Yoru's voice didn't change, but his tone carried a low hum of acknowledgment. "Not unexpected. We always knew he'd try to act before the trial. He just waited for the date to be set, then moved. Fits his style." Yoru's eyes narrowed slightly. "Still, Danzo hasn't had a single opportunity to communicate. He's under watch twenty-four-seven. He hasn't stepped outside his cell, and no one's met with him either. That means someone else is keeping tabs on his trial. Someone with reach."
Ren's mind jumped immediately. He had a guess, and it wasn't a comforting one. 'Obito. Who else could peek in and out of the village without leaving a trace? And Kakuzu… Kakuzu wouldn't lift a finger unless someone profitable vouched for the kill.'
Ren's tone was flat as he answered, "Doesn't matter right now. What matters is whether Kakuzu going after Dad is just bait to draw me out, or if he actually means to cash in on the bounty."
Yoru's focus flicked toward him. "Where's Juichi's location?"
"Near the borders of the Land of Iron," Ren said without hesitation. His voice was clipped, focused. "I already warned him Danzo might try something. He was planning to escort Aunt Sayo back to the Iron Capital first, then return home. Timing-wise, he should be on the road back by now."
Ren bit his thumb, his chakra surging as he quickly wove hand seals before slamming his palm into the ground. A puff of smoke erupted, and Ko appeared with the delicate flutter of wings.
"Ko," Ren said, his voice steady but urgent, "link with the butterflies tracking my father. Pass word to him, tell him Kakuzu's coming."
Ko's wings pulsed once in acknowledgment, then she vanished in a blink.
Ren straightened, his eyes hard. He turned to Yoru. "Clones won't pass for the trial, will they?"
Yoru shook his head once, the gesture firm.
Ren let out a slow exhale. His jaw clenched, then relaxed. "…Alright. I'll handle it. I'll try to be back before the trial starts." He glanced away, his voice dropping into something dark, cold, and absolute.
"But if I'm late…" his eyes narrowed, "…I'll just kill Danzo once and for all."
~~~~~
{One of you asked me to do something about the Daimyo and not just make him another figurehead so here it is, anyway, what do you think Danzo's fate might be? Comment below}
{If you want, you can support me on pat-reon we're 8 chapters ahead on pat}
{ 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}
{STONES!!!!}