A Sycophant

Deep in the quiet of night, Silver-spotted Cat, unwilling to go back and face Daju's eager attentions first thing in the morning, curled up in the pink cat bed inside the house and fell asleep, her fur rising and falling gently with each breath.

Ren wasn't in a hurry. Leaning against the window, he carefully reviewed in his mind everything that had happened at the clan meeting that day.

Moonlight filtered through the lattice window, casting shifting shadows across his sharply defined profile.

Ren's thoughts eventually settled on the bounty hunter, Kakuzu.

This rogue ninja from Takigakure had yet to join the Akatsuki. In the Shinobi World as it stood, his solid Kage Level strength meant he could walk all over most people in most situations.

And with his decent professional ethics and obsessive love of money, he still had his merits, despite his twisted temperament and countless murders.

As a transmigrator, Ren couldn't help making use of him as he grew and gradually took control of the Hawk Faction.

In the name of the Ninja Cats, he had secretly hired Kakuzu to carry out quite a few missions.

Killing Kumogakure Ninja and framing Konohagakure had been just one of them.

"The coming conflict with Kirigakure needs careful thought. Perhaps I can reach an understanding with the commander on the Kirigakure front."

Ren began to think it over.

At present, Kirigakure wasn't ruled by the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, but by the Third Mizukage, who had already begun implementing the Bloody Mist Policy.

One of the policy's core components was a reform of the ninja graduation exam.

The original team-based test was replaced with a survival-based elimination system.

Students in the same class had to kill one another until only half remained. The failures were executed on the spot.

This extreme selection method was supposedly meant to improve Kirigakure Ninja's combat ability and use bloodshed to cultivate outstanding ninjas.

But the Third Mizukage wasn't born into a bloodline clan, and his strength only reached the level of an ordinary Kage. He didn't have enough personal authority to truly enforce such an extreme policy.

According to information gathered by Kakuzu and the Ninja Cats, the Third Mizukage intended to stoke conflict between the bloodline clans and the civilian ninja.

He seemed to want the bloodline ninja to suppress the civilian ninja, escalating tensions and indirectly creating a survival-based elimination system.

"This sort of approach..."

A cold glint flashed in Ren's eyes.

"The Third Mizukage has probably been kept alive by a thread for a long time, all while being controlled by Uchiha Madara, who's been pulling the strings from behind the scenes."

There was no questioning the power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. At this point in history, anyone who crossed its path was in for a bad time.

That also explained why, late in the Third Shinobi World War, the Three-Tails—a strategic asset of Kirigakure—could be sealed inside Nohara Rin, a mere Genin.

Then Kakashi had killed Rin, plunging Uchiha Obito, who had witnessed it all, into despair. His faith shattered, Obito awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

It had all been a carefully laid plan.

"So how should I communicate with the Kirigakure Ninja, and how can I benefit from it?"

Even if civilian ninja had begun to make a name for themselves, most of the major villages' fighting strength still came from powerful bloodline or secret-technique users.

The Kirigakure forces invading the Land of Fire were sure to have elites from bloodline and secret-technique clans among their front-line commanders.

That gave Ren room to negotiate.

The Third Mizukage's policies wouldn't win the support of the bloodline and secret-technique clans.

The Hozuki Clan, Kirigakure's foremost clan, was a prime example. Its former head, Hozuki Gengetsu, had risen from behind and seized the position of Second Mizukage through sheer strength.

The current Third Mizukage had originally been the Second Mizukage, so the clans saw him as a failure.

At the same time, the Third Mizukage couldn't win the support of the civilian ninja.

The clans and the common people didn't start on equal footing. Under an elimination system, it would undoubtedly be the children of civilian families who died in the greatest numbers.

What would Kirigakure's Jonin who had risen from humble origins make of that?

Then again, in the world of Naruto as Kishimoto had portrayed it, ninjas were expected to obey their superiors.

Even when nobles pointed at them and cursed, they would obediently act like dogs, let alone when facing their actual leaders.

As long as the Bloody Mist Policy was handled properly, the Third Mizukage would surely push it through.

Then the Fourth Mizukage would take over, and under Uchiha Obito's control, Kirigakure would become the true "Village of the Bloody Mist," persecuted and abused.

"Bloodline clans, civilian ninja, the Third Mizukage. If I handle this three-way relationship well, the Uchiha Clan can profit."

"As for what I can gain, there are probably two things: first, use Kirigakure to keep Konohagakure in check, build up strength, and bide my time; second, get my hands on the Three-Tails."

As his thoughts turned, Ren recalled Uchiha Obito before he had awakened his Sharingan: a dead-last who liked helping old ladies cross the street.

He couldn't condemn Uchiha Obito for things that hadn't happened yet.

In fact, if things were handled well, the Uchiha Clan might even gain a devoted admirer—er, a powerful ally.

After years of observing and training Daju and Ayan, Ren had collected plenty of information on sycophants.

As long as he kept hold of Nohara Rin and let Obito live in a world where she was alive, Obito would be an unbeatable champion of true love.

Without Rin, Obito would be a complete madman, living in his own world.

"For now, all I need to do is wait for the clan head and Sarutobi Hiruzen to finish their negotiations. After that, I'll have Kakuzu add fuel to the fire and make sure those brutes from Kumogakure can't hold back any longer."

A cold look flickered in Ren's eyes.

Once Kumogakure crossed the Land of Fire's border first, Iwagakure and Sunagakure would surely swarm in like hyenas drawn by the scent of blood.

By then, the flames of war would spread across the land.

Lord Hokage would no longer have room to weigh his options and proceed one careful step at a time.

"And the Uchiha Clan can use this opportunity to avoid the worst of the fighting and protect our people."

With his thoughts settled, Ren looked toward Uchiha Mikoto's residence and softly said, "Good night." Then he turned away from the window.

The night breeze stirred the hem of his ink-black Yukata.

Ayan twitched the tip of her ear in her sleep. Ren casually tucked the thin blanket beside her cat bed around her, then lay down on his own bed.

The night passed before anyone knew it—some tossing and turning, others sleeping soundly.

The Hokage Building remained brightly lit, like a heart that never tired.

Shadowy figures bearing urgent orders rushed out one after another. In the thin fog before dawn, the Anbu Ninja bounded away and vanished beyond Konohagakure's borders.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who hadn't slept all night, stood by the window as blue smoke curled from his pipe in the morning light.

He watched Mitokado Homura walk steadily toward the Konoha Gate and set off for the Daimyo Palace.

Then his gaze shifted to the specially made crystal ball on his desk.

Inside, Shimura Danzō was preparing to visit the various clans and persuade them. His sullen eyes were full of reluctance.

A long sigh mingled with the cool morning breeze.

"Let's hope... everything goes smoothly."

The rising sun stretched Sarutobi Hiruzen's shadow across the empty office, making it seem especially desolate.