Chapter 15: Victory, Injustice, and Quiet Resolve

  The tides of war shifted once more.

  News swept through the frontlines like wildfire—the Third Raikage of Kumogakure, known as an indomitable warrior, had fallen. Besieged by ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi, he fought alone for three days and nights before finally collapsing.

  His death shattered the Thunder Country's morale.

  Kumogakure surrendered soon after.

  Uchiha Ren stood amidst Konoha’s battered forces as the announcement came. The war—at least this front—was over. The thunder in the skies had quieted, replaced by a stillness many didn’t know how to handle.

  After nearly two years of bloodshed, he returned to the Hidden Leaf.

  The village hadn’t changed much. Children still played in the streets, vendors still called out their wares, and life moved on—as if it hadn’t been built on the corpses of the fallen.

  Ren was summoned to the Hokage’s Office within days of his return.

  Stolen story; please report.

  The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, greeted him with his usual composed expression, flanked by advisors—Homura, Koharu, and Danzo, whose eyes lingered on Ren longer than was comfortable.

  “You’ve performed admirably, Uchiha Ren,” Sarutobi said. “Multiple successful missions. Survival under extreme odds. Your contribution was… significant.”

  Ren bowed silently.

  “But,” the Hokage continued, “due to your current political standing and incomplete squad evaluations, your Jōnin promotion is under review.”

  Ren didn’t flinch. He had expected this.

  He was a marginal Uchiha—an orphan with no direct backing from the clan’s influential figures. That, combined with the village’s simmering distrust of the Uchiha, made promotion beyond Special Jōnin difficult.

  “However,” Hiruzen offered, “you are granted access to choose three A-rank ninjutsu from the restricted library as compensation.”

  A consolation prize.

  Ren accepted with grace, but his heart simmered quietly.

  When the meeting ended, Danzo’s voice cut through the chamber as Ren turned to leave.

  “A strong shinobi should understand that patience often outweighs power.”

  Ren offered no reply.

  He left the tower with his pride intact, but his ambition scarred. The injustice was bitter—but familiar.

  Later that night, he stood before the Hokage’s restricted scroll vault, eyes scanning the techniques. He selected three powerful jutsu, each one chosen not for fame, but for utility, lethality, and secrecy.

  The world wouldn’t hand him recognition.

  So he would take power instead.

  Quietly. Relentlessly.

  Because one day—they would no longer be able to ignore the name Uchiha Ren.