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Chapter 110n
🕑 Added 2025-07-26 18:17:34 +0000 UTCChapter 110n
2-in-1-chapter Extra large chapter today to make up for some that were a little shorter than usual.
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"Big Brother Rēn."
Naruto greeted him politely.
"Hmm."
Rēn nodded lightly in response. He didn’t say much to Naruto at this point, only adding, "Yakumo, Fujika, and Naruto, whatever you want to talk about, do it on the road. We’re leaving now."
While they were talking, the participating Jōnin had assembled at the front gate—sixty-two Jōnin in total, nearly one-fifth of the elite forces drawn from the front lines. With Rēn personally leading them, this force would be more than enough to crush one or two small countries.
Uchiha Chihaya led the three children into the ranks of the assembled Jōnin.
The Jōnin merely glanced at Yakumo, Fujika, and Naruto, then looked away without comment. No one stepped forward to object that taking these kids along would drag them down. The Uchiha clan’s shinobi had already submitted completely to Rēn’s leadership, offering their loyalty to their invincible clan head.
The other clans and even shinobi of civilian origin had likewise been subdued by Rēn and the Uchiha clan’s overwhelming strength.
Yagura stood outside the crowd,
silently watching the Konoha shinobi kneeling on one knee before Uchiha Rēn, watching the many family crests on their backs. In that moment, it felt as though he were witnessing Konoha in its prime once more—the era when Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had together dominated the entire ninja world.
"Uchiha Rēn... are you going to repeat history?"
Yagura rubbed his face and quickly steadied his mind. At this point, the stronger Konoha became, the better. Kirigakure would never compete for hegemony anyway; peaceful development was its only future. And a strong Konoha would be best suited to deal with that damned mysterious man and any unknown organization or power lurking behind him.
"Our mission this time is simple: I want you to crush all the Mist ninja who stand in our way and bring this war to a complete end. I want to make sure that for the next twenty years, the Mist will not dare even think about provoking Konoha again. Everyone! I expect you to achieve this goal together with me."
Rēn’s gaze swept over everyone before him.
His crimson eyes brimming with ruthless killing intent. His cold, icy expression left Naruto, standing at the rear of the crowd, bewildered. In Naruto’s memories, Big Brother Rēn was always smiling, composed no matter what happened.
This was the first time he’d seen Rēn looking like this...
So full of killing intent.
There was no time for idle thoughts. Once Rēn gave the order to march, this relatively small but unquestionably elite force immediately set out at top speed. Naruto, still confused, was forced to run along and keep up.
Acting under Rēn’s command.
.......................
"Shibi, do you think the Uchiha Clan Head’s plan will succeed?"
Akimichi Chōza stood at the castle gate, watching as the figures gradually disappeared from view.
"If it’s the Uchiha Clan Head, I don’t think he’ll disappoint. Even the Fourth Mizukage has already become his prisoner. As long as that mysterious man doesn’t interfere, there’s no chance this operation will fail."
The normally reticent Aburame Shibi spoke unusually at length.
Neither of them had joined this operation. For one, they had only just arrived at Black Tide Mountain and hadn’t yet had time to rest. Their chakra was still depleted and couldn’t recover so quickly. For another, Rēn had said Black Tide Mountain Castle needed people to guard it. Hyūga Masayuki was getting old, and even in his prime, he had only been a capable Jōnin. Originally, Rēn had intended to leave Aburame Shikuro behind.
Among these thousands of Konoha shinobi, if Rēn was undoubtedly the strongest, then Aburame Shikuro was unquestionably the second strongest. To be honest, even Rēn had to give his utmost when facing this rare poison-insect user of the Aburame clan.
Rēn was not yet immune to all poisons.
"Mysterious man... Uchiha Madara?"
Akimichi Chōza could no longer see their disappearing figures in the forest. He sighed softly, recalling how his father had spoken of Uchiha Madara, and could only pray in his heart that Rēn’s operation would proceed without unforeseen complications.
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After leaving the Black Tide Mountain fortress and passing through the hills and forests ahead, the endless blue ocean came into view the moment they emerged from the woods. At the shore, a medium-sized wooden ship capable of carrying over a hundred passengers was docked at a harbor carved out of the rocky beach by the hands of shinobi.
Without a ship, how could they sail?
The unnamed island that served as the command center for the Kirigakure army was some distance from the mainland. Even the Kirigakure shinobi needed to use ships to launch their attacks. With the descendants of the Senju and Uzumaki clans now so few that their bloodlines were nearly extinct, it had become increasingly rare to see those monsters who didn’t care about chakra consumption.
Ocean travel still depended on ships.
The dozen or so shinobi stationed on the ship quickly rushed forward upon seeing Rēn at the head of the group.
"Prepare to depart, destination unchanged."
Rēn led the group aboard the ship.
After issuing orders,
His subordinates dispersed to get to work. At this point, Rēn had nothing else to do; he had no interest in interfering with matters outside his expertise. As long as they reached that unnamed island absent from maps, it would suffice.
He had other matters to attend to.
"Naruto, are you looking for information about your parents?"
Inside the ship’s dining hall, since Naruto and the others had rushed here, they hadn’t had time for lunch. So Rēn brought the children to the dining hall. Yakumo and Fujika had already eaten, but they were curious about what Naruto had mentioned earlier and followed along.
In addition,
Uchiha Shisui, Hatake Kakashi, and Might Guy were also here to eat.
With the upcoming battle imminent, they needed to fill their stomachs before going to the battlefield.
However,
No one expected Rēn to raise such a topic at this time. Kakashi immediately choked; fortunately, Guy thoughtfully handed him a glass of water, saving him from the predicament. Without time to thank Guy, Kakashi turned his gaze toward Rēn and the three children at the next table, nervously clenching his fist.
He wondered whether he should interrupt this conversation.
He was afraid that if Naruto learned the truth about his parents now, he might lose control and go berserk… but Guy placed a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder. "Kakashi, don’t act rashly. I think Lord Rēn must have his reasons. As for Naruto… you’d better think carefully before acting."
Amusingly, many so-called secrets seemed to be known by everyone except the person concerned.
Even the straightforward Guy understood Naruto’s background: Naruto was the orphan of the Fourth Hokage… that man, who once shone like the sun in winter, had asked him and Kakashi to be Naruto’s friends. He still remembered it vividly to this day.
Kakashi froze.
How should he manage the distance and relationship with Naruto? Whether to tell Naruto the secret of his lineage? Though he had resolved to protect Naruto, Kakashi realized that resolve itself was useless. The issue wasn’t resolved just because he was determined; it remained like an immovable mountain before him.
Naruto was confused as well, lowering his chopsticks. "Brother Rēn? I…"
"What? Isn’t that what you’re doing? Or is there something you can’t say?"
Rēn looked at Naruto and asked.
"I just heard some rumors in the village."
"But aren’t you taking those rumors to heart? Doesn’t that mean you want to know about your parents? There’s nothing strange about that. It’s normal for a child to want to know who their parents are, what kind of people they were… there’s no need to feel embarrassed."
Naruto fell silent.
Even though Rēn said that, he didn’t pursue the topic about his parents.
"Naruto, you really are a clever child."
Looking at Naruto’s reaction, Rēn sighed softly. "Was it that man, Yagura, who let something slip and made you suspect the truth? Or did you already have some idea from the start?"
Naruto lowered his head, remaining silent.
His chopsticks kept stirring the rice in his bowl.
Beside him, Fujika stared blankly, completely at a loss. Yakumo looked thoughtfully at Naruto, thinking that the rumors must have been true. She hadn’t expected Naruto to really be the Fourth Hokage’s child—that was truly surprising.
"A shattered mirror can’t return to its smooth, flawless state. Once a lie is exposed, the revealed truth isn’t something you can pretend not to see. Deceiving yourself might bring temporary comfort, but some things must be faced eventually."
"Moreover, your uniqueness means that even if you wanted to escape, it wouldn’t be possible."
Rēn’s words, sharp as a blade, mercilessly cut through the cocoon Naruto had wrapped around himself.
"But even if I know the truth, what difference does it make?"
Naruto’s voice rose, shrill and piercing.
At the park, he had naively thought that if he were the Fourth Hokage’s child, perhaps everyone wouldn’t hate him or shun him anymore. Yet when he realized that he might really be the Fourth Hokage’s child, he didn’t feel ecstatic; instead, the pain in his heart grew even deeper.
He really was the Fourth Hokage’s child,
The child of a hero.
Then why was he being called the ‘Nine-Tail’s Fox’ by everyone in the village?
He couldn’t describe the pain and anger in words learned from the Ninja Academy.
That was why he had denied his connection to the Fourth Hokage in front of Yakumo and Fujika. This pain was so unbearable that he tried to deceive himself, to ignore the truth that was right in front of him, immersing himself in the illusions of the past.
"It doesn’t change anything."
Rēn calmly replied, "Your deceased parents won’t come back to life because of this, and the malice you’ve endured since childhood won’t vanish as if it never happened. None of this is something you can change. But… you can decide your future. Only the future is in your hands."
"The future?"
Naruto looked over in a daze.
"Yes, the future," Rēn nodded. "Of course, not everyone has the ability to seize their own future. Most people simply drift with the current called fate. Seizing your future isn’t something you can achieve just by saying so."
Naruto lowered his head again, and his chopsticks resumed moving.
To this,
Rēn was not disappointed in the slightest. Seeds planted need time to take root and sprout. Patience is a necessary part of enjoying the harvest. He was looking forward to seeing whether what sprouted would be fragrant flowers, deadly poison, or ordinary weeds.
Where Naruto’s future would lead, that was a research subject worth observing.
He was eager to see a different Uzumaki Naruto.
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Unnamed Island.
In the forest on the island, tents were scattered everywhere, with over a thousand Kirigakure shinobi gathered there. Unlike other countries that needed to disperse troops along the vast coastline for defense, the Kirigakure shinobi only needed to establish camps at several key points, naturally covering much of the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire.
In addition to this place, there were two other bases.
"Mangetsu, have you heard that rumor?" In one corner of the camp, Hōzuki Mangetsu, Momochi Zabuza, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Ringo Ameyuri were eating. At that moment, Zabuza suddenly asked.
"Rumor?"
Hōzuki Mangetsu looked over, puzzled. "What rumor?"
"The rumor that the Fourth Mizukage has already been captured by Konoha shinobi." Zabuza spoke while drinking miso soup and chewing on a hard rice ball, his words slightly muffled.
"That? I’ve heard it too. It was a few days ago, right? But then the Fourth himself made a tour of the camp and the rumors just disappeared… Zabuza, why are you bringing this up? Don’t tell me you still think the current Fourth is an imposter?" Mangetsu teased his companion with a grin.
"Why not?"
Zabuza’s face showed no hint of a smile, though he was rarely one to smile anyway.
"If the Fourth Mizukage currently at the camp’s center is an imposter, then the recent string of muddleheaded, suicidal tactics would make sense. And from what I’ve observed, the Fourth’s habits and behavior have changed significantly—and very suddenly—around the same time the rumors spread."
Zabuza put down his empty bowl and pulled a notebook from his vest pocket, seemingly unaware of the changing expressions of his companions as he quickly shared his observations.
As for why he had been observing the Fourth Mizukage, he did not explain.
But in fact, there was no need to explain. They were all native Kirigakure shinobi. Assassination, rebellion, and coups were commonplace in Kirigakure—nothing surprising at all. The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had already survived many assassination attempts. Even Mangetsu was contemplating whether to just eliminate the Fourth.
Hoshigaki Kisame’s eyes gleamed, but he said nothing.
Ringo Ameyuri, a Lightning Release prodigy, didn’t care what her companions were discussing. As long as she could enjoy the thrill of battle, it didn’t matter to her whether the Fourth Mizukage was genuine or not. At least she still had some concept of loyalty to the village… but then again, who knew? She might betray them in pursuit of even greater combat thrills.
Kirigakure had the highest number of rogue-nin in the entire shinobi world.
By comparison,
Konoha, unable to match them in numbers, could only compete in quality. Just one Orochimaru could rival over a hundred rogue Kirigakure shinobi.
"So what do you plan to do?"
Mangetsu also set down his empty bowl and stared at Zabuza across the table.
"I…"
Zabuza put away his notebook, about to invite Mangetsu to discuss their next move, when he suddenly fell silent, pricking up his ears. He caught the faint sound of an explosion in the distance, and his expression changed at once. He and Mangetsu, Kisame, and Ameyuri stood up simultaneously.
