The sound of coins clinking had barely faded when a breathless scout burst into the Command Tent, skidding to a halt before the map table.
"Urgent report!" the scout gasped. "Movement from Amegakure! Hanzo of the Salamander is mobilizing his forces. He intends to intercept our flank!"
The mood in the room shifted from celebratory to suffocating in a millisecond.
'Hanzo,' Ren thought, glancing at the map. 'The demi-god of this era. The guy who breathes poison for breakfast. Fantastic. The party just keeps getting bigger.'
Hiruzen stared at the map, his eyes narrowing. "If Hanzo joins Onoki and the One-Tails, we will be encircled. We cannot wait for them to combine forces. We strike first."
The God of Shinobi began moving pieces on the board with decisive snaps.
"Danzo and I will take the heavy infantry to the North attack Onoki's head on . Danzo, your Root will enter their camp from rear and destroy their supplies."
Danzo nodded grimly. "Acceptable."
Hiruzen turned to his three students.
"Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade. You three will take a battalion to the West. Intercept Hanzo. Do not let him reach the main battlefield."
Ren looked at the three soon-to-be legends. They looked confident.
"And finally," Hiruzen pointed to the South marker. "Sakumo. You, the Uchiha clan, and 800 shinobi will strike the Suna front. Your target is the One-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Understood," Sakumo said, his hand resting on his tantō.
"Dismissed!" Hiruzen barked. "Squad leaders, mobilize your troops. We march in one hour."
The tent cleared out rapidly, a flurry of flak jackets and orders. But just as Ren turned to leave with his parents, Anbu guards blocked the exit.
"Satoshi, Kaori, Ren," Hiruzen called out. "Please stay."
The tent was empty now, save for the Hokage, the Uchiha family, and the lurking shadow of Danzo in the corner.
Hiruzen stepped around the desk, his demeanor shifting from commander to benevolent leader. He smiled at Kaori and Ren.
"In light of your exceptional service," Hiruzen began, "and the critical nature of your contributions, I am granting a field promotion effective immediately."
He handed two scrolls to Satoshi.
"Kaori Uchiha. Ren Uchiha. By the authority of the Hokage, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Jonin."
Ren, however, kept his face impassive.
'Jonin,' Ren's inner voice grumbled. 'Great. A new vest with extra pockets. And with it comes more paperwork, and the expectation that I should die for the village without complaining.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Ren said aloud, bowing perfectly.
"You represent the Will of Fire," Hiruzen continued, launching into his favorite speech. " The village is a family. The strong protect the weak. The leaves dance in the fire, and the shadow illuminates the village..."
Ren listened, nodding rhythmically.
'Here it comes. The corporate propaganda. "We are a family." Yeah, a family where Uncle Danzo tries to kidnap me and Grandpa Hiruzen sends me to fight nuclear monsters. I feel the love. I really do.'
Hiruzen placed a hand on Ren's shoulder, looking him in the eye.
"Ren-kun. A talent like yours needs proper soil to grow. The Uchiha clan has raised you well, but the village needs you closer."
Hiruzen's eyes hardened slightly.
"I am formally inviting you to join the Anbu Black Ops under my direct command. You would answer only to me. You could oversee the tag production from the safety of the village, protected from our enemies."
Satoshi stiffened. This was it. The attempt to sever Ren from the clan.
Ren looked at the Hokage. He looked at the Anbu mask hanging on the wall.
'Join Anbu? And wear a porcelain mask while I commit war crimes in a sewer? Pass. Also, "oversee production from the village" is code for "we lock you in a basement until you spit out tags."'
Ren took a step back, gently dislodging Hiruzen's hand. He put on his most innocent, wide-eyed expression.
"I am deeply honored, Lord Hokage," Ren said, his voice trembling with fake emotion. "But... I must refuse."
"Refuse?" Hiruzen frowned.
"I am a healer, sir," Ren said, holding up his hands as if they were made of glass. "My place is saving lives, not taking them. The darkness of the Anbu... I fear it would cloud my heart. I don't like fighting. I get scared easily."
From the corner, Danzo let out a noise that sounded like a strangled cat. He had seen the report of Ren blasting an Iwa ninja's face off.
"Scared?" Danzo hissed. "You fought the Kazekage!"
"I was terrified the whole time," Ren lied shamelessly. "I nearly wet myself."
Ren stood straighter. "Furthermore, the production of the Healing Tags requires my constant, hands-on supervision. The ink mix changes with the humidity. If I am busy with Anbu missions, the quality will drop. The supply will stop. And soldiers will die."
He looked Hiruzen dead in the eye. It was a threat wrapped in concern. If you leash me, the golden goose stops laying eggs.
Hiruzen stared at the boy. He saw the intelligence behind the innocence. He saw the leverage.
"I see," Hiruzen sighed, defeated. "You are dedicated to your craft. Very well. I will not force you."
"Thank you for understanding," Ren bowed. "We should go prepare for the battle. My timid heart needs to steel itself."
Ren grabbed his parents and ushered them out before the Hokage could change his mind.
As the tent flap closed behind the Uchiha, the warmth in the room vanished.
Danzo stepped forward, his cane slamming into the floorboards.
"You let him walk," Danzo accused, his voice low and dangerous. "He mocked you, Hiruzen. 'Timid heart'? He is a wolf in sheep's clothing."
"I know," Hiruzen said wearily, sitting back on his desk.
"We cannot let the Uchiha have a monopoly on those tags," Danzo snarled. "It gives them too much power. Too much wealth. We must extract the blueprint. Bring him to Root. I will peel the secrets from his mind before dawn."
"Danzo!" Hiruzen snapped, his chakra flaring and cracking the desk. "We are hours away from the decisive battle of the war! You want to kidnap a war hero and the son of a prominent clan now? The Uchiha would defect on the spot! We would lose the war before the first kunai is thrown!"
"He is a threat!"
"He is a soldier of Konoha!" Hiruzen yelled back. "As long as he produces those tags for the village, we will tolerate his independence. We cannot create instability in the middle of a crisis!"
Hiruzen rubbed his temples, aging ten years in ten seconds.
"We will deal with the political fallout later. Right now, we have a Tsuchikage to fight."
Danzo stared at his old friend, his eye cold and unyielding.
"Later," Danzo echoed, turning to leave. "Always later with you, Hiruzen. One day, 'later' will be too late."
Danzo exited the tent into the rain, his mind already spinning new webs. If Hiruzen wouldn't break the Uchiha monopoly, Danzo would have to find another way.
Outside, Ren walked between his parents, humming a jaunty tune.