Chapter 252: An Uchiha Reunion in the Snow
The dust of their recent confrontation had settled, leaving behind a quiet understanding between Ren, Suigetsu, and Karin as they moved north. Their path now led them toward the neutral, snow-swept realm of the Land of Iron, the stage for the impending Five Kage Summit. They traveled with a purpose that was both grim and determined.
After a brief rest at a waystation, the group of four pressed on. The ambush and capture of the Fifth Mizukage seemed, for now, to be a secret contained within their small circle. The only other witnesses—the kunoichi from Nadeshiko—were unlikely to spread the news, lest they draw the wrath of the very demon they feared upon their village.
The journey was a long one, and Suigetsu, whose patience was as thin as water, eventually grew restless. He sidled up to Ren, a familiar, impish grin on his face.
"Hey, Boss," he began, his voice cutting through the crisp mountain air. "Can you imagine the looks on their faces? When the other Kage sit down at their fancy table tomorrow and realize one of their chairs is empty... that the Mizukage has been... dealt with? I wonder if they'll even have the stomach to continue their little meeting."
Ren didn't turn his head, his gaze fixed on the distant, snow-capped peaks that marked their destination. "You'll see their reactions soon enough," he replied, his tone devoid of anticipation. It was a simple statement of fact.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Suigetsu chuckled, his ego visibly inflating. "When the story gets out, the name Suigetsu of the Demon Water—along with the rest of the Hebi—will echo through every hidden village! They'll—"
"Enough," Ren cut him off, his voice flat. He had no energy for Suigetsu's grandstanding. "The delegates of the Five Great Nations are already gathering. The summit is tomorrow. We need to reach the Land of Iron before nightfall."
"Yeah, yeah... got it," Suigetsu mumbled, his enthusiasm slightly dampened. He fell back a step, knowing better than to press his luck.
They pushed their pace, their shinobi speed carrying them swiftly across the rugged terrain. Just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, they reached the border. The stark, iron-gray cliffs of the neutral nation loomed before them.
It was then that they all felt it—a presence, sharp and focused, like a single, cold needle in the fabric of the world. They halted in unison. Suigetsu and Jūgo immediately tensed, their bodies coiling into a defensive stance. Suigetsu's hand flew to the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō strapped to his back, his senses screaming of a potent threat.
There, in the middle of the path ahead, stood a lone figure, his back to them, a stark silhouette against the dying light. The aura radiating from him was cold, dense, and unmistakably powerful.
Ren's eyes, however, registered not alarm, but a flicker of surprise that quickly melted into a knowing smirk. He had recognized that solitary, proud posture instantly.
"Sasuke," he stated, the name a quiet affirmation.
The figure turned slowly, revealing the pale, composed face of Uchiha Sasuke. His onyx eyes, as deep and unreadable as ever, swept over the group before settling on Ren with an unnerving stillness.
"You're slow," Sasuke said, his voice as cold as the Iron Country wind.
"So it's just Sasuke," Suigetsu grumbled, visibly relaxing and slinging the Executioner's Blade back into place. "Don't just stand there being all dramatic. We thought you were an enemy. We've been busy doing big things, you know. Want to hear about it?"
Sasuke didn't even grant Suigetsu a glance. "Hmph. I'm not interested." He dismissed the comment entirely and walked past him, stopping directly before Ren.
"Tch. That attitude, as infuriating as ever," Suigetsu muttered under his breath, though there was no real heat in it. This was simply Sasuke's way.
Ren studied the younger Uchiha. Outwardly, he was the same—aloof, controlled. But Ren, perceptive beyond measure, could sense a subtle shift. The journey to find Itachi had left its mark; a new layer of resolve, or perhaps a quiet sorrow, had been etched into his very being. Ren chose not to pry. Some wounds were best left unprobed.
"You returned sooner than I anticipated," Ren remarked, his tone neutral, offering no judgment.
Sasuke merely responded with a noncommittal grunt, his gaze unwavering.
A faint smile touched Ren's lips. "No matter. It's getting dark. We find lodging in the city tonight. Tomorrow, we pay a visit to the Five Kage Summit."
Without waiting for a reply, Ren continued forward, his footsteps crunching on the gravel path. The others fell in behind him, and together, the reunited team crossed the official border into the Land of Iron.
The nation was a fortress, its neutrality guarded by a unique military force—the samurai. Unlike shinobi who relied on chakra for ninjutsu and genjutsu, the samurai of Iron channeled their chakra directly into their blades, achieving peerless sharpness and power. Their leader, General Mifune, was a man whose skill with a sword was said to rival that of any Kage.
As night fell, the main gate of the fortified city was a hub of rigorous activity. Armored samurai stood at attention, meticulously checking the credentials of the few travelers entering at this late hour. The security was unprecedented; with the leaders of the shinobi world gathered within, no risk could be taken.
Ren and his team approached the gate without breaking stride. As a samurai moved to halt them, Ren simply lifted his head. The Mangekyō Sharingan swirled to life for a fleeting instant, its hypnotic pattern reflected in the guard's visor.
There was no struggle, no command. The samurai's posture slackened almost imperceptibly, his mind clouded by an illusion he would never remember. He stepped aside, his focus shifting to a non-existent spot on the wall as Ren and his companions walked past him and melted into the shadowy streets of the city.
A moment later, the samurai guard blinked, shaking his head as if clearing a faint drowsiness. He glanced around, saw nothing amiss, and resumed his watch, the memory of the four figures passing through his post already erased from his mind, lost to the power of the Uchiha.
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