"Pa-pa-pa."
A burst of applause echoed from the forest ahead.
Kurozawa Ren's eyes narrowed as several shinobi in Uchiha clan uniforms stepped out. Leading them was a man with a dark, defiant aura. The right half of his face was concealed by a mask that wrapped around his eyes, where three tomoe spun ominously in his Sharingan. This wasn't just a minor threat.
A fully matured Sharingan meant at least jōnin-level strength—and the others didn't look weak either. Cold sweat beaded on Ren's forehead. Though he craved the thrill of battle, this was pushing it—these enemies were too damn strong.
And more troubling than their power was their identity. They were clearly Uchiha, so why target the clan head's son?
"As expected of Fugaku's child," the masked leader said, clapping. "You've just entered the Academy, yet your strength already exceeds genin. I'd wager you're more than qualified to graduate."
Though the words sounded like praise, the man's eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
Kurozawa Ren drew his Asauchi from his back, watching them warily.
"You're Uchiha as well," he said coldly. "Why are you attacking me? Aren't you afraid of what my father will do?"
The leader laughed uproariously, as if hearing a child's joke.
"Hahahaha! The Uchiha clan? And you—Fugaku's brat—dare to speak for it? Fugaku's a damn lapdog for Konoha! He abandoned Uchiha pride long ago!"
Ren immediately pegged him as one of those fanatics—drunk on their own power, blinded by the clan's name.
Sure enough, after the laughter died, the man's face twisted into anger.
"Our Uchiha clan is one of the greatest in the ninja world. And yet look at how Konoha treats us! Banished to the edge of the village. Forgotten by the higher-ups. Treated like criminals!"
"And what has Fugaku done as patriarch?" he ranted. "He's bowed to every demand from the Hokage and the elders! He's never once fought for our rightful place! Even now, as resistance grows within the clan, he ignores it. Runs from it!"
The man's voice rose to a shout, eyes glinting with fanaticism.
"He even accepted Namikaze Minato's proposal to allow other clans into the Konoha Military Police! More compromise! More weakness! Fugaku is not worthy to lead us! He's a disgrace to our legacy!"
"I, Uchiha Setsuna, will restore our clan's glory! Under my leadership, we'll rise to power and take control of Konoha. We will become the true elite of the village!"
Setsuna's declaration rang with madness, and Ren noted that while the name "Uchiha Setsuna" didn't ring any bells from the original timeline, he certainly embodied that arrogant Uchiha pride often spoken of.
"Will killing me help you achieve that goal?" Ren asked calmly, calculating the odds. These men were too strong to take head-on, but he needed to buy time and understand their plan.
Setsuna smirked darkly. From inside his cloak, he pulled out a blood-stained animal mask and a short kunai, both cracked and scorched. He tossed them to the ground.
"You weren't killed by us, kid. You were eliminated by Danzo's Root operatives," he said with a twisted grin. "Normally, no one would believe that a six-year-old fought off the Foundation… But you're not normal. All I need is for the rest of the Uchiha to believe it."
Damn it. He was scapegoating Danzo!
And the worst part? It was plausible. Ren glanced down at the mask and knife. Standard Root gear. It'd work.
He had to admit—Setsuna wasn't stupid.
"But you've been stalling, haven't you?" Setsuna sneered, eyes narrowing. "Asking questions, trying to buy time. Clever, but pointless. This is the village's outskirts. Even if you die here, no one will know for hours… This is the Uchiha clan's tragedy."
Then, with a sharp flash of tomoe, Setsuna's eyes locked onto Ren's.
Sharingan genjutsu!
But—nothing happened.
Setsuna blinked. "What the hell? I used a genjutsu—why aren't you affected?"
Only then did Ren realize: that stare just now had been a casted illusion.
He wanted to laugh.
Illusions, after all, target the soul and spirit. But Ren had spent years meditating and training under the Shinigami system. His spiritual power had grown far beyond the ordinary. Most illusions were ineffective against him now.
Without replying, Ren pressed his index finger to his hilt. The time was ripe for a surprise attack.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsō—Sharp Spear!"
With the end of Hajime, his blade extended rapidly in a piercing thrust toward Setsuna.
Setsuna's eyes widened. This was no ordinary ninjutsu—it wasn't even chakra-based. But he still had a jōnin's instincts and the reflexes of a Sharingan wielder. He twisted his body and narrowly avoided the strike.
"So, the other son of Fugaku is a monster too—not just Itachi," he muttered. "But it doesn't matter. You'll still die here!"
He gestured violently. "Kill him!"
At the command, the surrounding Uchiha advanced toward Ren in unison.
Faced with overwhelming numbers, Ren turned on his heel and activated Shunpo, vanishing into a blur of motion as he threw his travel satchel behind him to bait pursuit.
His figure flickered through the trees. Thanks to his Flash Step mastery, they couldn't keep up—at least not yet.
"Bakudō #21: Sekienton!"
A cloud of red smoke exploded around him, concealing his movements and blocking the Uchiha's line of sight.
A textbook smokescreen—perfect for dodging pursuit.
Thankfully, the Sharingan didn't possess the Byakugan's level of chakra sensing or x-ray vision. Otherwise, this wouldn't have worked.
With their vision obstructed, Ren slipped into the denser thickets.
"Bakudō #26: Kyokkō!"
A veil of light spiritual energy covered him, bending light around his body—rendering him visually invisible.
Please, no sensory-types…
Ren silently prayed. Just let me vanish.
Kyokkō only cloaked his physical form. It couldn't hide his chakra or spiritual pressure. If any of them were trained sensory shinobi, they'd still find him.
Kurozawa Ren held his breath in the silence.
And waited.