'What is that feeling? So much nature energy coming from here.'
Ryuu followed the trail of nature energy.
"No, I have a mission."
Ryuu used transformation jutsu and made himself look older.
He went to a bar.
'One thing I learned from Jiraiya-sensei is wherever there's a bar and pretty ladies, you can find answers and crooks.'
He entered the bar, and everyone stared at him, having red hair was still very rare.
"I'm telling you, I thought the war would never end, it's why I left and came here."
A man who was sitting with three ladies in each of his arms said he was drunk.
"You fought in the war, too?"
Ryuu joined in on their conversation.
The ladies stared at him as he sat down.
"Someone is sitting there, move."
Ryuu smiled.
"Ah, don't worry, I'm here to join a fellow war hero for a drink, you know.
Anyway, where did you say you came from?"
"I didn't." He frowned.
"Ah, you still got your guard up, smart, I get it, here let me tell you a secret, I used to steal the food from the captain's cabin, he had the best food you know what I'm talking about?" He smiled.
"That's right, while we were stuck eating trash and still fighting for them while they sat down in their tent and slept on actual beds."
Ryuu smiled and nodded.
"On second thought, bring my friend a drink!" Ryuu smiled.
'I've never drank anything before, even in my previous life, how am I supposed to play this off?'
The drinks arrived.
"Say, I haven't seen you here before but I've been here for a few days too, where are you from?"
"I'll let you in on a secret, I'm from Konohagakure, I'm a rogue ninja who snuck out during the war.
I was planning to move to Kumogakure and change my life and on my way there I stopped here to have a drink and maybe sleep for a day or two, the ladies here don't disappoint."
Ryuu winked at them, and they giggled.
His face changed and became serious once again, he pulled Ryuu to the side.
"Come with me." Ryuu nodded.
They left the bar and went into the forest, the entrance to the forest had a warning sign and a fence.
"Mind telling me where we're going?"
He kept quiet.
"We're almost there. Shut up."
Ryuu nodded.
'I can sense so many people ahead, is this an ambush? I better get prepared.'
Ryuu folded his fist.
They walked for 15 more minutes, then stopped.
Ryuu looked around to see where they were and saw nothing but trees.
"It's me, open up!"
The ground shook Ryuu grabbed his Kunai ready to fight.
"Relax, I'm here to help."
Ryuu looked below, and his eyes widened.
'All those people down there, are they prisoners?'
"I haven't told you my name yet, my name is Ren Sotaro. I'm a rogue ninja from the hidden leaf, just like you, but I help others like us.
All these were the previous shinobi who were forced to fight, but I helped them escape and now I'm going to help them find a place to stay, you too."
Ryuu was still shocked but nodded.
"Good to meet you Ren, My name is Yukio Uchiha."
"An Uchiha eh?" Ryuu nodded.
"Well, it's good to have someone from a powerful clan like yours here, I only have two more from the Uchiha clan here, that's the least from that clan.
Everyone in the Uchiha clan has such a massive ego that they'd rather die for the village than live for their family."
Ryuu nodded.
"Anyway, count yourself lucky that we met today, we're planning to leave at midnight, leaving tomorrow isn't an option."
"Why is that?" Ryuu asked.
"Starting from tomorrow Kumogakure is adding extra security on the borders, according to the rumors, Ryuu Uchiha scared their balls off."
"I see…"
Ryuu frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"Umm nothing."
Ren nodded.
"I get it, you're excited, aren't you?"
Ryuu nodded.
"Starting tomorrow, I'm going to have a different life, no more fighting, no more wars, the things I've done to get here, they're unbelievable."
Ren looked away.
"I understand, I had to do a lot of disgusting things to get here.
I have told no one this, but I gave up secrets to Iwagakure because I thought they would win and the war would finally be over, that's how it was supposed to go.
That's until the yellow flash and that Shinobi Scourge appeared.
They made me feel like I ruined the lives of many, but in reality, I wanted to save everyone from dying.
Sure they destroyed the Kannabi bridge and sure they stopped the war but thousands of people died believing they will save them and now I hear that the yellow flash became the Hokage? It's pathetic."
Ryuu nodded.
"In that case." Ryuu transformed back.
"All I needed to know was a reason, other than that I don't need you."
Ryuu activated his Mangekyou Sharingan.
"You." He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
"Close the damn hideout!"
The ground started shaking again.
Ryuu smiled.
He threw a Kunai before it closed again.
"They say you have the ultimate defense, they say that not even poison can kill you, is that right Ryuu Uchiha?"
"Does it matter?" Ryuu took out his Katana and attacked him.
He dodged the first swing and jumped in the air, making a hand seal.
"Shuriken shadow clone Jutsu!"
Multiple shurikens appeared and headed towards Ryuu.
Ryuu stood there and watched as his flames melted them.
"What a bothersome child."
He made a hand seal.
"Explode."
*Poof!*
Red smoke appeared from the ground, Ryuu couldn't react in time and ended up inhaling the smoke, making him paralyzed.
"You can't hit me even when I'm not moving." He nodded.
"I don't plan on going after you like that, I plan on killing you internally."
He made another hand seal.
"Argh!" Ryuu felt a pain in his head.
Ryuu's eyes spun around.
"Kotoamatsukami!" Ryuu used it to make Ren release the trap.
"I can't." He responded.
"What do you mean you can't?!"
"That's the reason this jutsu is forbidden, it doesn't have a way to stop it, your brain is being attacked by the jutsu which is forcing your brain to overload by sending overwhelming messages thus making you unable to move, this will go on until you die which is only a minute to go."
Ryuu widened his eyes.
Sparks of Phoenix Flame started appearing, the sparks flew out and burned everything around except Ryuu and Ren.
"Once I save you from here, leave this place or you will regret it."
The mysterious voice once again appeared inside Ryuu's mind.
It formed a spike out of Phoenix Flame and burned through Ryuu's mind.
"Argh!" Ryuu held his head as he got out of that jutsu.
"Old geezers like you need to understand that you're no longer needed."
Ryuu formed a hand sign.
"Mind destruction jutsu!" Ren held his head in pain as Ryuu used the Yamanaka clan's secret jutsu to destroy his mind.
He took out a big scroll and unsealed the Amber purification jar before he sealed Ren inside.
"You all are just the beginning of my plans."
Ryuu made hand signs.
"Multi-Shadow clone jutsu!" Hundreds of clones spawned around the giant crater.
"Remember, we don't want them dead, just mentally destroyed."
The clones nodded.
"Let's do this then!" A large skeleton hand made of dark chakra formed and made a fist.
The Uchiha clan's secret trump card, the Susanoo.
Ryuu's was dark chakra making it the darkest one.
"Boom!" Ryuu crushed the ground with his Susanoo.
"Earth-style: earth dragon!" They combined and made a giant dragon, which covered the entire hole.
"Really?" Ryuu grabbed the dragon with his Susanoo.
"Chidori!" Multiple clones attacked the dragon and destroyed it.
They screamed in fear after seeing Ryuu destroy their attack so simply.
A middle-aged man stood forward, he looked to be 40 years old.
"Why are you doing this? We never wanted to fight, and they forced us to fight until Ren told us we could leave with him." Ryuu smirked.
"When the village needed you most, you cowered in fear, and hid away, I know children who were braver than all of you, if I'm being honest none of you deserve mercy."
He frowned.
"What? Are you scared of death?"
Ryuu smiled.
"You're not the first, you should know, Ren sold information to Iwagakure, and that lead to the deaths of many."
Ryuu's clones made hand seals.
He attacked them with the mind destruction jutsu and genjutsu.
"Let's seal all of them."
Ryuu sealed them all.
Ryuu's clones dispersed.
"Now let me go home, but first, I want to know what this feeling I've been getting is." Ryuu entered sage mode.
He sensed the massive amount of nature energy and chakra and then followed it.
"Ryuu, listen to me, leave this place before you regret coming here."
Ryuu frowned.
"You rarely talk to me in all these years and you expect me to listen to you?" He Replied to the mysterious voice inside his head.
"If you won't listen, I'll make you listen."
"Hmph, try."
Ryuu got into Phoenix Flame mode…
Authors Note: join the server for some exciting news I've shared with you all, also the next cover art for the story is there and many more...