Chapter 156
2-in-1-chapter
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The Two-Tails kept silent, treated once again as little more than a "stress ball" in which its jinchūriki poured her feelings.
Even after living for a thousand years, it had never truly understood the struggles of human beings, nor had it cared. Ever since the Sage of Six Paths had passed away, Nii Yugito was the first human in a millennium that it had felt genuine attachment to.
"What you say, I cannot understand, Yugito. But the you of the past would never have cared about these things."
The Two-Tails itself was confused. It did not comprehend the intricacies of human conflict, but it understood Yugito well enough. In the past, she had cared for comrades, but her concern had always been limited. When familiar friends were killed, she would grieve briefly, but never had she spoken words like
if only there were no conflicts, how good life would be.
On the contrary, Yugito had always been notoriously combative in Kumogakure, merciless and relentless in battle.
For such a fierce and battle-hungry woman to suddenly turn compassionate and lament the cruelty of the world was a change that could only seem strange. And yet the Two-Tails, who shared her every moment, never leaving her side, detected no trace of external manipulation. Yugito was still the same Yugito it knew; her soul and spirit showed no sign of being altered.
Still, it had lived for a thousand years. It had been enslaved more than once by the Uchiha's Sharingan, and it knew clearly that the Uchiha were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. They had inherited fragments of his divine power, powers that were uniquely suited to restrain the tailed beasts. The Senju and the Uzumaki, also descendants of the Sage, at most relied on overwhelming force to seal them.
Only the Uchiha, wielding the Sharingan, could command them freely without forming a jinchūriki bond.
The Sharingan had the power to control others. Of this, the Two-Tails was certain.
And it was after Yugito's battle with that Uchiha boy that her change began. The beast had not caught any clear flaw, but it was convinced that her transformation had something to do with him. Yet this did not look like simple mind control, otherwise, it would have been able to perceive it.
"In the past, I was too young," Yugito said. When recalling her past, she showed no awareness of any anomaly, only a hint of regret on her face. "Back then, I did not understand what comrades truly meant. Instead, I drowned myself in combat and killing without restraint. Now that I think back, I regret it deeply."
The Two-Tails grew ever more suspicious. This was not right.
But even if it sensed something was amiss, there was nothing it could do. It could identify the problem, but not its root, and so it had no way to help Yugito resolve it. As a beast sealed inside a vessel, it could not break the seal and consult with Kumogakure's shinobi to investigate further.
All it could do was replay the memory of that brief but perilous battle against the Uchiha, hoping to catch some overlooked clue.
At least Yugito's life was not in danger. And whatever change had taken root in her heart, her relationship with the beast remained unchanged. She still spoke freely with it, still confided in it as always.
So there was no urgency—at least not yet.
The Two-Tails lay in its cage, half-closing its eyes as it recalled the battle that had nearly overwhelmed them both.
............
.....
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Konohagakure.
Dust-covered travelers, weary from their long journey, finally reached the red walls and green gates of the village. At the sight of the familiar scenery, even with war still raging in the north, Rēn could not help but feel uplifted. With the matter of Kirigakure settled, he had at last returned home.
"Lord Rēn, welcome back."
Waiting at the gates for some time already, Acting Fifth Hokage Akimichi Torifu stepped forward with a genial smile and clasped Rēn's hand. Leading a throng of villagers and shinobi who had gathered at the entrance, he personally welcomed them back. Such a gesture gave immeasurable honor. The Uchiha clansmen and subordinates behind Rēn were flushed with excitement, overwhelmed by the recognition shown.
Even among the Uchiha, there was no denying the Hokage as the village's supreme leader. Their past ambitions had been only to place an Uchiha in the Hokage's seat, not to build a new village apart from Konoha.
So when Acting Hokage Torifu himself appeared at the gate to greet them, at least two-thirds of the shinobi present felt moved. Their impression of the elderly Hokage rose considerably.
"Hokage-sama, I have fulfilled the mission. Kirigakure has been subdued."
"Good! Excellent! Rēn, you have done very well."
Suppressing other thoughts, Torifu regarded the Mist-nin marching alongside Konoha's shinobi, their ranks clearly distinguished yet not in conflict. The old man's joy was plain to see. Regardless of other complications, this victory would be etched into his legacy as Acting Hokage. Even if he soon stepped down, his name would remain in the village's annals.
The two exchanged a few words at the gate before Torifu drew Rēn inside. He showed no hurry to convene at the Hokage's Office to discuss the war in the north. Instead, clad in armor, Rēn walked at his side along the village streets at an unhurried pace, as if on a stroll. The roads were lined with crowds of villagers. Windows stood open on both sides of the street, heads craning to see the returning Uchiha and his company.
As arranged in advance, shinobi among the crowd spread the news of victory over the Mist. They spoke of repentant Mist-nin sending troops to support Konoha against the cruel forces of Kumogakure. They praised the heroes who had distinguished themselves on the frontlines, recounting their valor.
It was a performance long prepared, crafted to bolster morale within the village.
Konoha had first warred with the Mist, then suffered an invasion by Kumogakure. With spies from other villages sowing discord, unrest had grown. To steady the hearts of the people and prevent collapse, Nara Shikaku and his peers had orchestrated this display.
Rēn knew this well. Before returning, he had already received Torifu's letter explaining the plan and asking his cooperation. The letter even promised that the Uchiha clan's contributions would be publicly lauded to restore their reputation within the village.
By reason and by circumstance, there was no reason for him to refuse. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
For Rēn, it was exactly the kind of opportunity he needed. The family's reputation mattered. A sullied name had left Uchiha clansmen reluctant to leave their district, isolated from the village, which only deepened suspicion and resentment. Without change, that path would have led to ruin.
Now, at last, there was a chance to reverse it. Integration into Konoha's greater whole was the Uchiha's best hope for altering their future.
"Hokage-sama, it seems your plan is working well," Rēn said as they walked, listening to the roaring cheers that shook the street.
"As long as it has effect. To tell you the truth, many villagers are weary of war. Lately they have been clamoring for peace with Kumogakure, unwilling to see more shinobi sent to die." Torifu's lips moved faintly as he confided his troubles without reserve.
"To seek peace before we've struck the Cloud-nin hard enough… do you think their attacks would lessen? Their assault would only grow fiercer," Rēn said quietly in derision.
"I know that too. Kumogakure will not be placated with words. But many here think this war is not worth fighting. The setbacks in the north have only fed unrest. Though I have suppressed it on the surface, disquiet is a fact. Today's spectacle was the only way forward."
"In the end, this is the fault of Sarutobi Hiruzen. Sacrificing Hyūga Hizashi only bought time. Now many believe the solution is to follow that example, sacrificing members of another noble clan to end the war."
Even death did not spare Hiruzen from being dragged out for scorn.
Torifu twisted his mouth but held back a smile. "Rēn, let the past rest. I will only ask this: do you still have the strength to march north?"
"Crushing the Cloud-nin is no problem. But matters within the village are just as important. You have been acting Hokage for nearly half a year now. To continue endlessly in that role is not a solution. I believe it is time for the village to choose its true Fifth Hokage."
Akimichi Torifu's heartbeat quickened.
Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Rēn, clad in crimson layered armor with the Uchia Fan strapped to his back. For a fleeting moment, it was as if he were seeing that man who had once lost the contest for the position of First Hokage. Half in jest, he asked, "What is it, Rēn? Do you also have your sights set on that chair?"
Torifu still remembered clearly that when Sarutobi Hiruzen's rule had been overthrown, Uchiha Rēn had personally declared he had no interest in the position of Hokage.
But words like that—well, no one sensible would actually believe them.
"I'm too young."
This time, Rēn did not deny his ambition for the Hokage's seat, but he made it clear he had no intention of pursuing it just yet.
As one of the two founding clans of Konoha, the Uchiha were destined to have a Hokage of their own eventually. But there was no need to rush. The clan's reputation and standing in the village had not yet been restored, and if he seized power by force now, it would only lead to endless trouble and opposition.
He was only fifteen years old.
There was no need to reach the summit in one step.
"Hokage-sama, what the village needs now is an elder statesman who can make the majority feel secure and reassured, not a teenager still eager for combat. Wasn't it said that Jiraiya-senpai had returned to the village? Do we know his current stance?"
Whether Torifu truly believed Rēn's words was known only to himself. But he chose not to press further, and instead shifted the subject smoothly. "Jiraiya said he needed some time to consider. Even now he hasn't given me an answer, so for the moment it's still being delayed."
"And Tsunade-senpai?"
"She hasn't been found. According to the ANBU reports, it seems she's been deliberately avoiding those sent to track her."
As Torifu spoke, he couldn't help shaking his head, though he quickly caught himself. Since they were still walking down a busy street, he smoothed his expression back into a genial smile. Inwardly, however, he sighed heavily.
What were Hiruzen's two disciples thinking? One after another, they treated the Hokage's position as if it were a burning hot coal to be avoided.
He truly could not understand it.
While they were still discussing Jiraiya, that very Sage of Mount Myōboku stood on the rooftop terrace of an apartment building at the village center. Raising a monocular telescope to his eye, he watched Torifu and Rēn below. "Uchiha Rēn, clan head of the Uchiha at only fifteen years of age. Truly remarkable."
He kept his gaze fixed on Rēn for several seconds. From such a distance he could not make out much, so after a while he shifted his attention, turning to search through the crowd for the one he truly wished to find.
It did not take him long.