The infirmary was quiet, the only sounds the soft rhythm of Sora's breathing and the distant murmur of the arena's celebration fading into the mountain stone. Renjiro stood beside the unconscious genin, his hand still extended from the healing examination, his mind racing through the implications of what he had just discovered. Uzumaki chakra; not vaguely similar, not simply someone with unusually high reserves, but unmistakable to someone who understood Uzumaki chakra intimately. The structural characteristics were dense, resilient, and overflowing with vitality.
He began mentally connecting Sora to the Uzumaki survivors he had encountered after Uzushiogakure's destruction; the children, the refugees, the families who had scattered across the Elemental Nations. He wondered how Sora had been placed into Konoha's civilian orphanage system without his knowledge. Someone had deliberately—or negligently—buried his identity.
How the hell did those bastards sneak in one of their children under my nose? he thought, his internal voice cold with controlled fury.
He prepared to investigate Sora's original identity, who had registered him, who had authorised his placement, and whether anyone knew his true heritage. If Sora was truly an unregistered Uzumaki survivor, then the implications were staggering. A child of a fallen clan had been hidden in plain sight, his heritage buried beneath layers of administrative neglect.
A subtle disturbance interrupted his examination. An ANBU appeared inside the infirmary without warning; Crow mask, chakra signature unmistakable. Shisui Uchiha gave a brief, professional bow, his voice carrying the weight of his message.
"Renjiro-sama. The Hokage requires your immediate presence. The meeting is taking place in the Kage suite. He considers the matter urgent."
Renjiro immediately understood that something had changed. He gave Shisui a questioning look but didn't waste time asking for details. Before leaving, he turned toward the medical nin, his voice carrying the weight of his authority.
"Sora remains isolated. No foreign personnel are allowed near him. Nobody is to discuss his chakra abnormalities. His identity is to remain confidential. If anyone attempts to remove or examine him without my authorisation, contact me immediately."
He mentally marked Sora as a protected intelligence asset.
As they left, Shisui noticed Renjiro's unusually serious expression. He asked whether something had happened with the boy. Renjiro simply answered that he would explain later. Shisui didn't press; his discipline held, and he understood that some information was not meant for immediate sharing.
Renjiro moved rapidly through the Kumo complex, his thoughts briefly returning to the Suna rogues, the trade agreement, and now Sora. He realised the examination had produced far more complications than expected. He entered a heavily secured chamber where Minato had activated a barrier around the room; the barrier prevented eavesdropping, sensory observation, chakra transmission, and potential interception. Minato was waiting for him with a serious expression.
"Give me everything," Minato said, his voice carrying the weight of his authority. "From the moment the delegation entered Kumo."
Renjiro provided a chronological military and intelligence debrief. He described the hostility from Kumo civilians, Makarui's comments, Stage One's results, Konoha's embarrassing performance, Stage Two's environmental hazards, Kumo's exploitation of home terrain, the confrontation with Makarui, the northern-ridge anomaly, the four Suna rogues, their infiltration route, the tournament, Sora's unexpected performance, and Darui's victory. Minato listened without interruption, occasionally asking precise questions.
"I still cannot prove Kumo leadership was directly involved," Renjiro concluded.
Just as the conversation appeared to be settling, Renjiro's sensory network reacted violently. His attention snapped toward one of his remote barrier markers, and a massive pulse travelled through the sensory network. He immediately realised this wasn't ordinary movement. Minato simultaneously felt something; the barrier tag attached beneath his clothing suddenly heated up. His expression changed instantly.
"The village barrier has been breached," Minato said, his voice cold and direct.
Renjiro asked how serious it was. Minato sensed the scale of the disturbance, and his expression became completely different from the calm Hokage everyone knew.
"Whatever just hit Konoha isn't a small intrusion."
They rapidly assessed the situation. Konoha was thousands of kilometres away, their delegation was in foreign territory, the Fire Daimyo was still in Kumo, the Lightning Daimyo and Kumo leadership were nearby, and the Konoha delegation was vulnerable. The timing was immediately suspicious; the attack occurring immediately after the exams could be connected to the Suna infiltration, the political negotiations, the Kage summit, or an entirely separate enemy operation.
Minato didn't speculate yet. His priority was getting back to Konoha.
"I will return to Konoha and deal with the breach," Minato said. "You will remain responsible for the Konoha contingent in Thunder Country. Protect the Fire Daimyo and return him to the Land of Fire capital. Secure the eighty-person Konoha delegation. Begin immediate withdrawal. Keep everyone alive until I can stabilise Konoha."
Renjiro asked if he should use Hiraishin, and Minato confirmed that the situation demanded it. He emphasised that the attack's timing made the delegation itself a potential target.
Minato activated Hiraishin, the atmosphere changing instantly as his chakra spiked. He gave Renjiro one final instruction.
"Keep them safe."
Then he disappeared. The room suddenly felt much larger and much emptier. Renjiro understood that he was now the highest-ranking Konoha leader physically present in Thunder Country.
He immediately moved to locate Kakashi, finding him coordinating the post-exam personnel. Renjiro interrupted without wasting time on explanations.
"Konoha has come under attack. Minato has already returned. The delegation is withdrawing immediately."
Kakashi and the other proctors immediately switched from examination mode to military mode. Renjiro formally placed Kakashi in command of the eighty-person delegation; Kakashi was surprised by the sudden responsibility.
"Assemble everyone," Renjiro instructed. "Maintain formation. Keep medical personnel protected. Prevent individual teams from wandering. Avoid unnecessary contact with Kumo shinobi. Begin moving toward the safest route out of Kumogakure."
Kakashi immediately understood the seriousness from Renjiro's tone.
Renjiro approached Kakashi privately, placing a specialized Flying Thunder God formula directly onto his shoulder. Kakashi immediately noticed what it was; his eye narrowed as he looked at Renjiro. The implication was obvious; Renjiro knew Hiraishin, and he had apparently mastered it. Kakashi's surprise was genuine; he had believed Minato was the only person capable of this level of teleportation.
Renjiro gave him a look that silently said: Not here. Not now. Kakashi suppressed his questions.
"If you channel chakra here, it means you're surrounded," Renjiro said, handing him a specialised distress seal. "Hold out for a few seconds—I will come."
Kakashi looked at the seal, then at Renjiro. He now understood why Renjiro had been so confident about emergency extraction throughout the journey. He still didn't ask the obvious question; not yet.
Renjiro immediately realised the Fire Daimyo was the most politically vulnerable person remaining. He moved toward the VIP pavilion, his priority clear; the Fire Daimyo could not be left in Kumo while Konoha was under siege. He entered the VIP area without waiting for formal permission.
The Fire Daimyo was still surrounded by his entourage, and Kumo officials were confused by Renjiro's sudden appearance. Renjiro gave the minimum explanation.
"Konoha has come under attack. The Hokage has already returned. We are leaving immediately."
The Fire Daimyo initially demanded clarification. Renjiro refused to waste time.
He gathered the Fire Daimyo and his immediate entourage, activated Hiraishin, and the entire group disappeared from Kumo. The stunned Kumo officials realized that Konoha apparently possessed another teleportation capability they had never been informed about. This could become a future diplomatic issue.
Renjiro and the Fire Daimyo materialised safely in the Fire Capital. The Daimyo's entourage was disoriented by the instantaneous journey; Renjiro confirmed that they had arrived safely. For one brief moment, there was relief.
Then Renjiro noticed something in his hand. The emergency distress seal he had given Kakashi was reacting; at first, he assumed Kakashi was simply confirming the retreat. Then the seal changed colour, burning deep crimson. His expression immediately hardened.
The Fire Daimyo noticed the change and asked what it meant. Renjiro looked back toward the direction of Kumo, realising that Kakashi's delegation had encountered something—or someone.
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