The idea immediately painted an absurd picture in Ren's mind—a lone swordsman charging toward a towering Susanoo, holding nothing but a short blade in his hand.
He could almost see the result.
The swordsman would leap fearlessly into the air, stab the enormous chakra warrior, and then be swatted away like an irritating mosquito.
Ren found the image rather amusing.
Hatake Swordsmanship, however, did not seem to consider it a joke. Its response appeared before him with an unusual degree of seriousness.
[Hatake Swordsmanship: The so-called Susanoo is merely ocular power condensed into a physical form.]
[Hatake Swordsmanship: In the martial arts of this world, nothing is truly indestructible. Only speed cannot be overcome.]
[Hatake Swordsmanship: If your swordsmanship is sufficiently refined, then even a god can be slain with a single strike!]
Ren's footsteps slowed.
"Is that… really true?"
His voice carried undisguised skepticism.
Honestly, Ren had never placed the upper limit of Hatake Swordsmanship particularly high.
That did not mean he considered it weak.
Far from it.
The White Fang had once brought terror to every major ninja village. He had been a true grandmaster of the blade, and his name alone had been enough to make enemy ninja abandon their missions.
However, the White Fang's strength had always seemed somewhat specialized.
His lethality against human opponents was terrifying. Once he approached his target, killing elite ninja was probably no more difficult for him than chopping vegetables.
But that fighting style also had obvious limitations.
The White Fang excelled at pursuit, assassination, and close-range combat. Against ordinary ninja—even many Jōnin—he would be an absolute nightmare.
The problem came when the scale of battle increased.
Tailed Beasts, enormous summons, widespread elemental ninjutsu, and attacks powerful enough to reshape the terrain were entirely different matters. In those situations, ordinary assassination techniques and sword strikes could only accomplish so much.
Minato Namikaze was somewhat similar.
His greatest advantage was his overwhelming speed. Against human opponents, the Flying Thunder God made him almost impossible to touch. Yet Minato also possessed mastery of sealing techniques, a contract with the toads of Mount Myōboku, and the Rasengan he was presently developing.
Those abilities gave him ways to participate in battles dominated by monstrous entities.
Even in the worst possible situation, he possessed sealing techniques powerful enough to drag his enemy down with him—just as he would eventually do against the Nine-Tails.
Hatake Swordsmanship did not appear to possess any comparable method.
Because of that, Ren had always assumed its ultimate form would produce nothing more than an enhanced version of the White Fang.
It would be more than enough for most situations. Against ordinary ninja, Ren could probably slaughter his way through the battlefield without meeting meaningful resistance.
But if someone suddenly summoned Susanoo or fired a Tailed Beast Ball at him, what was he supposed to do?
Swing a sword at it?
Charging directly into battle against a chakra giant with a short blade sounded less like courage and more like a particularly creative form of suicide.
Yet according to Hatake Swordsmanship, a swordsman who reached the true peak could cut through even Susanoo.
Of course, there was always the possibility that it was simply bragging.
Breaking the skeletal form of Susanoo was not entirely impossible. Danzō Shimura had once damaged one with Wind Release, while the Five Kage had also broken through Madara's Susanoo when he was not taking the battle seriously.
But Susanoo's later stages were completely different.
Once it developed armor, weapons, and its full body, its defensive power rose to an unreasonable level. The Complete Body Susanoo could carve apart mountains with a casual swing of its sword.
Ren found it difficult to imagine any ordinary blade cutting through something like that.
Even if his swordsmanship eventually reached the necessary level, the weapon itself might not survive the collision.
A brief crack had already appeared in the White Fang's short sword during his fight with Yūhi Shinku. If he truly tried to slash through a Complete Body Susanoo with it, the blade would probably shatter before the chakra armor even noticed the impact.
Ren glanced at the weapon hanging by his side.
This sword still belonged to Kakashi.
He would have to save enough money to commission a proper chakra-conductive blade of his own, then return the White Fang's short sword before he damaged the Hatake family heirloom beyond repair.
Unless he found another method.
"Maybe I could obtain a suitable weapon from somewhere else…"
The Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist immediately came to mind.
Every one of them possessed a unique ability, and some were strong enough to alter the course of a battle. If Ren could obtain one—or perhaps several—they would make excellent replacements and spare weapons.
The Land of Iron was another possibility. Its samurai had forged swords for generations, so there had to be a few exceptional chakra blades hidden among them.
Of course, getting his hands on any of those weapons would not be easy.
The Seven Ninja Swords belonged to Kirigakure's most famous elite unit. Asking them to hand one over politely was unlikely to work.
As for stealing one…
Ren considered the idea for a moment longer than he probably should have.
Hatake Swordsmanship, meanwhile, seemed unwilling to explain anything more about Susanoo or the mysterious Third Power.
Ren tried asking two more questions but received no answer.
He eventually gave up.
If Hatake Swordsmanship wanted to maintain an air of mystery, then so be it. He would discover the truth sooner or later.
As he walked home, Ren chatted with several of his other techniques, praising some, provoking others, and patiently collecting the small increases in favorability that had become part of his daily routine.
By now, six of his ninjutsu had reached maximum favorability.
Two were Fire Release techniques, one was Water Release, and the remaining three were the basic Clone, Transformation, and Substitution Techniques.
The Healing Technique was also close.
Unfortunately, its remaining favorability appeared to be locked behind a special event. Until Ren fulfilled the necessary condition, the final increase would remain out of reach.
Still, the Healing Technique had already reached the Attachment stage.
That was more than sufficient for most purposes. Unless he encountered injuries as severe as those suffered by Dan Katō or Nawaki Senju, he could treat nearly any ordinary battlefield wound.
For a ninja, that was already an incredible advantage.
Ren silently reviewed his priorities.
"First, I should raise the favorability of the Dragon Fire Technique and Water Formation Wall."
If he obtained three Fire Release techniques at maximum favorability, there was a chance they might form another Bond.
His Three Basic Techniques had already demonstrated how powerful those Bonds could become. If three combat-oriented Fire Release techniques produced a similar effect, Ren's offensive power might rise dramatically.
"The Nerve Activation Technique can't be rushed. I'll have to wait for Orochimaru to make progress."
That technique depended upon research involving the body's nervous system. Recklessly increasing its output could cripple him before it strengthened him.
Then there were sealing techniques and the Summoning Jutsu.
The more Ren considered the approaching war, the more important those two paths appeared.
He would have to visit Tsunade soon and ask whether she could obtain a summoning contract with Shikkotsu Forest for him.
Unlike the Yin Seal or the Strength of a Hundred Seal, the summoning contract did not demand years of chakra storage before it could be used. As long as Ren mastered the necessary Summoning Jutsu and received recognition from Shikkotsu Forest, he could call upon Katsuyu.
Even a small portion of Katsuyu would grant him an invaluable safeguard in the war's second phase.
Healing, communication, battlefield coordination, protection from dangerous substances—Katsuyu's abilities were almost perfectly designed for large-scale warfare.
As for the deeper inheritance of the Senju clan, that could wait.
Ren already had far too many things to learn.
Even with the gala system assisting him, it was impossible to swallow everything in a single bite.
Over the next several days, the atmosphere throughout Konoha became noticeably heavier.
The streets remained busy, stores continued operating, and children still ran between the buildings. Yet beneath that ordinary appearance, tension spread through the village like an invisible fog.
News of the war's second phase had arrived.
Sunagakure and Kumogakure were simultaneously threatening the Land of Fire from the southwest and northeast.
The information quickly spread through Konoha.
Inside taverns, people cursed the Third Raikage's aggression. Merchants complained bitterly about disrupted trade routes, while civilians demanded to know why the Kazekage had chosen to deepen the conflict when every nation had already lost so much.
What they did not know was that the Third Kazekage was almost certainly dead.
By now, Sasori of the Red Sand had most likely turned him into a human puppet.
Sunagakure had tightly sealed all information regarding its leader's disappearance. Rather than admit that the strongest Kazekage in history had vanished, they continued maintaining the illusion that he remained alive.
The truth would not be revealed for many years—not until Sasori reappeared and openly displayed the Third Kazekage's corpse as one of his most prized puppets.
For now, Konoha's citizens could only blame a dead man for the decisions being made in his name.
As the news spread, mobilization orders began arriving at the homes of ninja throughout the village.
They came to the major clans first, then to smaller shinobi families and civilian-born ninja.
The notices seemed to fall over Konoha like snow.
Every morning, new groups gathered at the village's assembly points. Ninja checked their weapons, tightened their forehead protectors, and said hurried farewells to their families before departing toward the border.
Some tried to appear confident.
Some joked loudly with their teammates, pretending the journey ahead was merely another mission.
Others embraced their families in silence, knowing there was a chance they would never return.
The war had once felt distant to many people in Konoha.
Now it was standing outside their doors.
The atmosphere inside the Nohara household became particularly heavy.
There was a simple reason.
Hiroshi Nohara's name had appeared on the reinforcement roster for the southwestern battlefield.
His selection was not surprising.
Hiroshi was a capable Chūnin with considerable mission experience. Once Konoha initiated full mobilization, ninja like him were among the first to be assigned to the front lines.
Rin tried to hide her worry, but she was not particularly successful.
During the days before his departure, she repeatedly checked his equipment, prepared medicine for him, and reminded him about injuries that had healed years ago.
Hiroshi responded to every warning with the same easy smile.
"Don't worry, Rin. Your father is a Chūnin. I've survived plenty of dangerous missions."
"That doesn't mean you should be careless," Rin replied, tightening the strap on his medical pouch. "There will be Jōnin on the battlefield. There could even be puppet users from Sunagakure."
"I know."
"And don't forget to check your water supply."
"I won't."
"Also, if your squad encounters poison—"
"Rin."
Hiroshi placed a hand gently on his daughter's head.
His smile softened.
"I promise I'll be careful."
Rin lowered her gaze. She wanted to believe him, but those words could not erase the fear tightening around her heart.
She was a ninja herself.
That only made things worse.
Unlike an ordinary child, she understood exactly what could happen on the battlefield.
Hiroshi lightly ruffled her hair.
"Besides, thanks to you and Ren, I'm much stronger than I used to be. I've learned several new techniques, remember?"
Some time ago, Ren had taught Rin the Water Formation Wall and Water Dragon Bullet Techniques. Naturally, he could only teach her the conventional versions. The unusual traits produced by his system could not be passed to someone else.
After receiving Ren's permission, Rin had taught both techniques to her father.
Hiroshi's ninjutsu arsenal had expanded significantly as a result. Combined with his previous experience, his overall ability had risen to the level of an elite Chūnin.
As long as he did not encounter an especially powerful enemy, he should have a reasonable chance of surviving.
He could not compare with Ren's father, Tajima, who had managed to retire from active duty altogether.
But Tajima's situation depended heavily upon luck. Most ordinary ninja who experienced similar hardships would die long before receiving an opportunity to change their fate.
The morning of Hiroshi's departure arrived far too quickly.
He stood outside the Nohara home with his pack secured across his back. His forehead protector caught the morning light, and the familiar weight of his weapons rested against his side.
Rin stood before him, forcing herself not to cry.
Hiroshi reached out and rubbed her hair one final time.
"Keep training while I'm gone," he told her. "Listen to your teachers, don't skip meals, and try not to worry too much."
"You make it sound as if I'm still a little girl."
"You'll always be my little girl."
Rin's lips trembled.
She abruptly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
Hiroshi stiffened for an instant before embracing her in return.
Neither of them spoke.
The sound of distant footsteps echoed through the street as other ninja made their way toward the assembly point. The village gates would not remain open for Hiroshi's unit forever.
At last, Rin reluctantly released him.
"Come back safely, Dad."
Hiroshi looked into his daughter's eyes and smiled.
"I will."
But as he straightened, the warmth in his expression faded.
His gaze moved past Rin and settled upon Ren, who had remained nearby throughout their farewell.
"Ren."
The solemnity in Hiroshi's voice made Ren instinctively straighten his posture.
"Yes, Uncle Hiroshi?"
For several seconds, Hiroshi said nothing.
He looked at Ren, then at Rin, as if weighing words he had been reluctant to speak aloud.
He had comforted his daughter, promised that he would return, and presented himself as a confident veteran.
But Hiroshi understood the truth better than anyone.
The battlefield did not care about promises.
A Chūnin could be killed by a stray kunai. A carefully prepared squad could disappear beneath a single large-scale ninjutsu. Even the strongest ninja could fall because of one moment of exhaustion or one enemy they had failed to notice.
Hiroshi did not know whether he would ever stand in front of this house again.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low and earnest.
"That child, Rin…"
His fingers tightened around the strap of his pack.
"I'm leaving her in your care."
Rin's eyes widened.
"Dad—"
Hiroshi did not look away from Ren.
"When I'm not here, please protect her as much as you can."
His voice became rougher, carrying the weight of everything he refused to say in front of his daughter.
"This is not an order, Ren. You don't owe me anything."
He took a deep breath and lowered his head.
"It is simply the plea of a father who may not return."
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