Thousands of meters up in the sky, the fierce wind sliced like blades.
The Golden-Winged Roc carried them back to the Land of Fire in just one day, and soon, the familiar outline of Konoha Village came into view in the distance...
But it seemed the village was far from peaceful right now...
"HALT RIGHT THERE!"
From high above, Aoi Ren could see countless black specks moving and chasing each other across the ground.
It looked as if one group of people had stolen something from another and were fleeing.
Aoi Ren initially paid it no mind. Right now, his absolute priority was to retrieve Yuya Uchiha's body; everything else could wait.
The Roc moved with incredible speed. A few powerful flaps of its wings later, they were hovering directly above the Uchiha Clan compound...
However, the once peaceful and dignified district was now in total chaos. Flames were rising everywhere, though it was clear this was far more than just a simple fire.
Whoosh...
The Golden-Winged Roc beat its wings hard, and the powerful gale instantly blew out the fires. Aoi Ren leaped down from its back, grabbed a passing Uchiha clansman, and demanded:
"What is going on here? How did the clan end up in such disorder?"
Covered in soot, the man sighed impatiently. "What else could it be? It's because of that body!"
"The body?"
"Yuya Uchiha's body!" The man waved his hand irritably.
"Ever since that boy showed off his power that one time, it's like the whole world knows he possessed some kind of Mangekyō Sharingan."
"We've had at least three waves of thieves coming every single month just trying to get their hands on those eyes!" The clansman gnashed his teeth in frustration.
"And now... they finally succeeded in stealing it..."
"Stolen?!"
Aoi Ren's jaw tightened. He immediately realized the situation was worse than he thought.
Those groups of people chasing each other earlier... they must have been the ones who stole Yuya's body!
"GO!"
The Roc shot straight up into the air. Left behind, the Uchiha clansman slowly came to his senses, muttering, "Wait... that guy looked really familiar..."
---
"Dammit!"
They pursued all the way to the outskirts of Konoha, but the trail had gone cold. The thieves must have already fled far away.
But just then, Aoi Ren sensed a familiar presence — the aura of a Cursed Seal. It was faint, but unmistakably one that belonged to him.
"Byakugan!"
Masaru Hyūga activated his Doujutsu. "There is a massive hidden underground chamber deep within that forest! The thieves didn't escape far at all; they are hiding there using a concealment jutsu."
That faint Cursed Seal aura was also coming from that exact location. What on earth is going on there?
"Come on, let's go down and see."
With the Byakugan guiding the way, Aoi Ren kicked open the concealed entrance to the underground chamber.
Inside, sure enough, lay Yuya Uchiha's body, guarded by several Ninja from the Mist Village.
Seeing Aoi Ren burst in alone, the guards were stunned for a moment. Then, they immediately drew their kunai and charged at him...
The strongest among them was a Jōnin who was highly skilled in Snake Ninjutsu.
Seeing this style, Aoi Ren became even more certain: These men are all subordinates of Orochimaru!
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Aoi Ren sliced the snakes into pieces with his Kusanagi blade, frowning sharply as he shouted, "You are all Orochimaru's men? Stand down at once!"
"And who are you to order us around?!" The Mist Ninja sneered and attacked even more fiercely.
"I am Aoi Ren!"
He had to reveal his identity. He assumed this Jōnin must surely know about the connection between him and Orochimaru.
However...
"You're Aoi Ren?" The Jōnin from the Mist Village burst out laughing loudly.
"Aoi Ren died over a year ago! Are you some kind of ghost?!"
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