Ren had actually sensed Root's surveillance.
His training in observation and perception had not been wasted. Although creatures such as White Zetsu could conceal themselves through methods that were extremely difficult to detect, Root's operatives were still human ninja.
Most of the agents monitoring him possessed strength below the Jōnin level. Once Ren concentrated, their presence was almost painfully obvious.
But noticing them and dealing with them were two different matters.
He could not simply drag the operatives from their hiding places and kill them.
Danzō still held immense authority within Konoha. He controlled Root, possessed influence among the village elders, and had spent years gathering political power.
Declaring war upon him without sufficient preparation would be foolish.
There was another complication.
Danzō and Orochimaru had always maintained an ambiguous relationship. They cooperated whenever their interests aligned, particularly in matters involving forbidden research and experiments that could not be acknowledged publicly.
Ren could not entirely dismiss the possibility that Orochimaru himself had encouraged the surveillance.
For now, the wisest course was to pretend he had noticed nothing.
If Root crossed the line later, that would be another matter.
Between his enhanced Transformation Technique, which could alter his physical structure, and the Transparent Escape Technique he had learned from Jiraiya, Ren could think of at least nine methods to quietly eliminate the operatives and ensure their deaths could not be traced back to him.
Whether he used those methods would depend upon a simple calculation.
Would the benefits outweigh the consequences?
Until the answer became yes, the Root ninja could continue hiding in the bushes and pretending they were invisible.
Ren soon returned to the mountain and reunited with Kakashi and the others.
Asuma and Kurenai immediately asked what they had found below. Raidō also listened with visible concern, while Kakashi quietly studied the expressions of Ren, Rin, and Obito.
Ren kept his own explanation brief.
Rin and Obito described the villages, their crumbling homes, and the many elderly residents and children who had nowhere else to go.
They also recounted the village chief's answer when asked why the civilians would not evacuate.
Leaving might kill them just as surely as the war.
The story left the others subdued.
Everyone agreed that the villagers deserved protection, but none could find a solution that preserved the secrecy of Orochimaru's ambush.
In the end, they could only set the matter aside temporarily.
Over the next several days, Ren led Team Minato and Team Asuma through intensive preparations across the Mount Kikyō region.
They planted explosive-tag formations beneath likely approach routes, created concealed mechanisms, and positioned traps capable of firing poisoned arrows.
On steeper slopes, they prepared piles of logs and boulders that could be released with a single severed rope. They dug trenches in narrow passages, reinforced ambush positions, and concealed pits along routes that Sunagakure's puppet units were likely to use.
Every one of those methods had been included in the Ninja Academy's curriculum.
Knowing the theory, however, was entirely different from applying it across a real battlefield.
Ren and the others had participated in encounters and surprise attacks before, but they possessed little practical experience in constructing a defensive line or preparing a large-scale ambush.
This was where Kosuke Maruboshi proved invaluable.
The Eternal Genin walked among the younger ninja, patiently correcting every mistake.
"Bury the explosive tags deeper," Kosuke instructed as he crouched beside one of Obito's traps. "If they're too close to the surface, a puppet master's chakra threads may detect the disturbance."
Obito immediately began digging.
Kosuke turned toward Raidō and Asuma.
"Place more tripwires inside the pits. A person may fall after striking the first one, but a puppet can continue moving. Multiple wires will entangle its limbs and interfere with the controller's chakra threads."
He then pointed toward several containers.
"Keep the paralytic powder separate from the smoke bombs until deployment. If the seals are damaged during transport, you don't want the entire unit breathing poison."
The supplies did not come from Ren or the others.
Konoha had provided the explosive tags, wire, smoke bombs, mechanisms, poison, tools, and sealing materials. Orochimaru transported everything to Mount Kikyō before leaving for Wildfire Outpost with Shikaku.
In Orochimaru's absence, Kosuke was responsible for storing and distributing the equipment.
Ren's group then carried each batch to the appropriate location and concealed it according to the map.
The workload was enormous.
Almost every ninja involved created shadow clones to accelerate the preparations. Even with their combined effort, surveying the terrain, transporting supplies, and installing traps required hours of exhausting work each day.
Ren used shadow clones as well.
While they handled some of the repetitive labor, his original body spent the remaining time studying the scrolls Tsunade had given him.
The medical texts expanded his understanding of battlefield treatment, while Tobirama's notes revealed new applications for Water Release.
Because Tsunade had personally authorized him to possess the scrolls, Ren did not need to hide their origin. He could openly study and practice the techniques without anyone accusing him of stealing the Senju clan's inheritance.
During those days, he tested Tobirama's Water Formation Wall twice.
Ren completed the two required hand seals and released his chakra.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Water surged from the ground around him.
Instead of producing a flat barrier in one direction, the stream rapidly circled his body. It rose while rotating, forming a thick ring of flowing water that enclosed him from every side.
The current moved continuously, distributing the force of an impact across the entire barrier rather than enduring it at a single point.
To test the defense, one of Ren's shadow clones launched several kunai and followed them with a Fire Release technique.
The kunai vanished into the rotating current and were carried harmlessly around the wall.
The flames struck a moment later.
Steam exploded outward, obscuring the area in a white cloud, but the water barrier remained intact.
When the mist cleared, Ren stood untouched in the center.
"Not bad."
He examined the remaining water.
"Finally, a proper defensive ninjutsu."
Strictly speaking, he already possessed another defensive technique—the Great Fire Wall.
But Fire Release naturally favored offense. It could intercept projectiles and deter enemies from approaching, yet it lacked the stability and endurance of a technique specifically designed for protection.
The Water Formation Wall was different.
It existed to defend.
As Ren continued practicing over the next few days, the technique's favorability rose again.
At last, it crossed the seventy-five-point threshold and entered the Attachment stage.
The gala system responded immediately.
[Water Formation Wall favorability has reached 75/100—Attachment.]
[Trait upgraded: Water-Body Integration.]
[Your Water Formation Wall possesses strong self-management awareness. It will actively observe your combat habits and predict the flaws you are most likely to expose.]
[When released, its defensive strength receives an additional increase of 40% → 55%.]
[It now possesses a 30% chance of activating automatically to block a surprise attack that would otherwise be difficult for you to withstand.]
Ren read the description twice.
The direct defensive increase had risen to fifty-five percent, making the technique far stronger than an ordinary Water Formation Wall.
More importantly, it now had a chance to activate independently.
If an enemy attacked from a blind spot, the Water Formation Wall might respond before Ren consciously formed the hand seals.
A thirty-percent chance was not reliable enough to depend upon, but in a fatal situation, even one automatic defense could save his life.
Combined with Wild Water Wave's ability to reduce the chakra consumption of all Water Release techniques, Ren's defensive strength had increased considerably.
An ordinary ninja would now struggle to break through his Water Formation Wall, especially with a single attack.
Ren could not help feeling that the technique's personality had influenced its new trait.
The affection-starved Water Formation Wall had apparently developed such an intense desire to protect its master that it was learning to deploy itself without being asked.
While Ren studied and refined his Water Release, the others also trained whenever the trap-laying work allowed it.
Obito focused mainly on Fire Release and shurikenjutsu.
His chakra reserves were excellent, and his Sharingan dramatically improved his accuracy. What he lacked was patience and timing.
After his experience in the villages, he also began seeking instruction in genjutsu.
The sight of an Uchiha asking Kurenai for help with illusion techniques felt like a reversal of the natural order.
Unfortunately, Kurenai's genjutsu relied upon conventional sensory manipulation, while Sharingan illusions functioned through the Uchiha clan's unique ocular power. Her knowledge could help Obito understand the principles, but she could not teach him how to properly use his eyes.
Kakashi's expertise was similarly limited.
Although he possessed Obito's Sharingan in the original timeline, the present Kakashi had no dōjutsu and little experience casting ocular genjutsu.
They could provide only general advice regarding chakra control, eye contact, and identifying an opponent's mental vulnerabilities.
If Obito wanted to truly master Sharingan genjutsu, he would need instruction from an experienced Uchiha—or wait for the ancient man hiding beneath the earth to offer his guidance.
Alternatively, Obito might eventually experience an epiphany and awaken the knowledge hidden within his bloodline.
Rin divided her time between Water Release, medical ninjutsu, and the Monstrous Strength Technique.
Tsunade's method demanded extraordinary chakra control. A slight error could cause the chakra to disperse before impact or damage the user's own muscles and bones.
Rin had not yet reached Tsunade's level, but every successful strike left a deeper crater in the training ground.
Asuma and Raidō frequently sparred in close-quarters combat. Asuma practiced combining Wind-nature chakra with his trench knives, while Raidō refined the foundation of the swordsmanship that would eventually make him a Special Jōnin.
Everyone's future appeared promising.
Kosuke often watched the younger ninja with a cheerful expression. From time to time, he stepped forward to correct their posture or explain a more efficient method of releasing chakra.
More often, he sat quietly off to the side, polishing the enormous clay pot he carried upon his back.
On the fourth day, two figures finally returned from the direction of Wildfire Outpost.
Orochimaru and Shikaku both looked travel-worn. Dust covered their sandals and the lower edges of their clothing, suggesting they had maintained a rapid pace without much rest.
Ren approached them first.
"Lord Orochimaru, you've returned."
Orochimaru's pale golden eyes swept over the surrounding terrain, pausing briefly upon the concealed traps and reinforced positions.
"No need for formalities, Ren."
His tongue passed lightly over his lips.
"You have all worked hard. The preparations appear satisfactory."
Obito and the others stood silently nearby.
Orochimaru's presence immediately changed the atmosphere. Even when he spoke politely, the pressure radiating from one of the Legendary Sannin made the younger ninja reluctant to interrupt.
Ren glanced toward Shikaku, then asked the question on everyone's mind.
"How did the discussion at Wildfire Outpost go?"
Orochimaru's expression darkened.
"Hmph. Jiraiya remains an idiot incapable of distinguishing the primary objective from secondary concerns."
His voice contained obvious irritation.
"He actually believed we could defeat Sunagakure while ensuring that no one on our side died."
Ren was unsurprised.
Jiraiya possessed far more compassion than Orochimaru. A strategy that deliberately placed Konoha ninja in danger to lure the enemy forward would never have received his immediate support.
"Fortunately," Orochimaru continued, "he is not completely beyond reason."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Shikaku.
"After a lengthy discussion, Shikaku and I persuaded him."
The surrounding ninja relaxed slightly.
The operation would proceed.
But Ren noticed that Shikaku did not look satisfied.
The Nara clan heir's face was composed, yet fatigue and unease remained in his eyes. Whatever agreement had been reached at Wildfire Outpost, it had clearly required concessions.
Ren looked back toward Orochimaru.
"What was the final decision?"
A thin smile spread across the Sannin's pale face.
"Jiraiya agreed to order the retreat."
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes gleamed.
"Sunagakure's army will soon be invited into Mount Kikyō and once it enters, we will close the trap."
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