The red light of the signal flare faded, leaving the forest in an uncomfortable silence.
Ren leaned against a tree, cleaning his fingernails with a kunai. He glanced at Kushina, who was still gripping his sleeve tightly despite trying to look brave.
"You can let go now," Ren said calmly. "The bad guys are dead."
"I know that!" Kushina snapped, her face flushing red. "I'm just... steadying myself. My legs are tired from running."
"Right. Tactical fatigue," Ren smirked.
Mikoto was inspecting the corpses of the masked agents. She looked up, her face pale.
"Ren," she whispered. "These masks... if the village finds out we killed ANBU..."
"We didn't kill ANBU," Ren corrected her firmly. "We killed unidentified armed combatants who refused to show identification during a kidnapping attempt. There is a massive legal difference."
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Dozens of dark shapes landed in the clearing. The Uchiha Police Force had arrived.
At the front was Fugaku Uchiha, his cloak flaring. Right beside him was Satoshi, Ren's father, who looked frantic.
"Ren!" Satoshi rushed forward, scanning his son for injuries. "Are you hurt? Mikoto sent the signal—we thought..."
"I'm fine, Dad," Ren said, sheathing his sword. "Just a light workout."
Fugaku walked past them, surveying the carnage. He looked at the headless Cloud Ninja. He looked at the sliced-up masked agents.
"Report," Fugaku commanded, his eyes locking onto Ren.
"Officer Mikoto engaged Cloud Ninja kidnappers," Ren stated clearly. "I provided backup. Hostage secured. Then, these masked individuals arrived. They demanded the hostage, refused to identify themselves, and attacked with killing intent."
Ren paused, letting the weight of his next words sink in.
"I determined they were likely enemy saboteurs using Transformation Jutsu to impersonate ANBU. I eliminated them to protect the mission."
Fugaku looked at the Root masks. He knew exactly who they were. He looked at Ren, who was giving him a look that said, 'Play along and we win.'
Fugaku's expression hardened.
"Excellent judgment," Fugaku announced loudly. "These imposters attempted to confuse our officers. Burn the bodies. We don't want their fake equipment cluttering the evidence log."
Satoshi looked at the bodies, recognizing the Root gear, but he stayed silent, trusting his son's play.
Suddenly, a squad of real ANBU landed, led by a Captain in a Cat mask.
"We are taking custody of the girl!" the Captain shouted.
"Denied," Fugaku stepped forward. "The Uchiha Police Force has secured the civilian. We are escorting her to the Hokage Tower personally to ensure no further 'imposters' attack."
"You have no authority—"
"I have the hostage," Fugaku cut him off. "Ren, Mikoto, Satoshi—form a perimeter around the girl. We move to the Tower."
The Hokage's Office.
Twenty minutes later, the office was crowded.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, looking grave. Mito Uzumaki sat by the window. Fugaku and Satoshi stood at attention. Ren, Mikoto, and Kushina stood in the center.
"Explain," Hiruzen said, looking at the report. "Three Elite Cloud Ninja. Neutralized in under a minute."
He looked at Kushina. "Kushina, what did you see?"
Kushina stepped forward. She looked at Ren, then back at the Hokage.
"It was fast, old man," Kushina said, her voice trembling slightly. "The big guy... the Leader... he was super fast. He used Lightning. But Ren..."
She looked at Ren's hands.
"Ren moved like a ghost. And he had lightning in his hand. But it wasn't blue like normal lightning. It was white. It sounded like a thousand birds screaming."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "White lightning? And sound manipulation?"
He turned his gaze to Ren.
"Ren Uchiha. You are a Chūnin. How did you pierce the defenses of an Elite Jōnin with a Lightning affinity? Their armor is resistant to standard ninjutsu."
Ren stepped forward. He felt the eyes of everyone in the room—especially Mito, who was staring at him like he was a puzzle she wanted to solve.
He couldn't reveal the Quincy power. He couldn't reveal the Hirenkyaku or the Nature Energy.
Time to bullshit, Ren thought.
"It wasn't standard ninjutsu, Hokage-sama," Ren said respectfully. "It is a new technique. A high-density assassination jutsu designed for maximum piercing power."
Ren raised his hands to demonstrate. He performed the hand seals slowly and deliberately.
Ox — Rat — Snake — Monkey.
He held out his left hand and grabbed his right wrist to stabilize it.
"We call it the Chidori."
"We?" Hiruzen asked.
"It was a joint project," Ren lied smoothly, gesturing to his parents. "My father, Captain Satoshi, has a Lightning affinity. My mother, Kaori, has perfect chakra control theory. Together, we developed a method to concentrate lightning chakra into a single point on the hand."
Satoshi blinked. We did?
Ren continued before his father could react. "The technique requires immense speed to be effective—speed that causes tunnel vision. That is why it can only be used safely by an Uchiha with the Sharingan. My father provided the theory, my mother the control methods, and I... well, I was the test subject who made it work."
Ren looked at his father. "Right, Dad?"
Satoshi, realizing his son was giving him credit to protect him and elevate the family's status, straightened up.
"Yes," Satoshi cleared his throat. "That is correct, Hokage-sama. Ren perfected the output tonight. The piercing power is absolute. It ignores standard durability."
Hiruzen leaned back, impressed.
"A jutsu developed by the family," Hiruzen mused. "That explains the lethality. And the white color?"
"High compression," Ren made up on the spot. "When the chakra density passes a certain threshold, the color shifts."
Mito spoke up from the corner, her voice raspy.
"And you only used four seals," she noted sharply. "Your chakra control is impressive."
She narrowed her eyes. "And the imposters? Kushina mentioned you cut them down instantly."
"They attacked us," Ren said, his face a mask of innocence. "They didn't show ID. I used a Wind Release technique taught by my mother. It cut through them like butter."
Hiruzen sighed. He knew they were Root. He knew Ren knew they were Root. But the boy had wrapped the entire incident in a package of "Family Ingenuity" and "Protocol."
"Very well," Hiruzen said. "Kushina is safe. The Cloud plot is foiled. And it seems the Uchiha have developed a potent new weapon for the village."
He stamped the mission report.
"Ren Uchiha. For your bravery and innovation, you are awarded an S-Rank mission credit. However..."
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened.
"Your squad deploys to the Rain Border tomorrow."
"I understand," Ren bowed.
They left the office. Ren walked out with his stunned father and a smug Fugaku.