As Renjiro approached the gates of Shimogakure, the atmosphere was thick with tension. The village, nestled within the snowy region seemed on edge.
Renjiro slowed his pace as he neared the entrance. The guards at the gate, usually vigilant but relaxed from what Renjiro saw last time, were now on high alert. Their eyes darted back and forth, scanning every movement with suspicion.
Renjiro could sense their apprehension even before he was within speaking distance.
"Halt! State your business!" one of the guards barked as soon as Renjiro came into view.
The man's voice was rough, edged with the kind of anxiety that comes from long hours of standing watch under tense circumstances.
Renjiro stopped in his tracks, holding his hands out to show he meant no harm. "I'm Uzumaki Renjiro, from Konoha," he said calmly, "I was with the Hirai Clan before the attack."
The guards exchanged wary glances, their doubt evident. The second guard, a younger man with a nervous energy about him, stepped forward. "How do we know you're who you say you are? You might be an impersonator," he said, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Renjiro.
Renjiro frowned slightly, a twinge of frustration bubbling up inside him. He understood the need for caution, especially after what the village had recently been through, but this level of suspicion seemed excessive.
'I don't know if this is because of Yutaka's death, but still, why all the fuss?' he thought, his patience wearing thin.
Before Renjiro could respond, a shinobi standing a short distance away caught sight of the Konoha forehead protector strapped around Renjiro's head. The shinobi's eyes widened in recognition.
'He must be the Konoha shinobi they talked about,' the shinobi thought, recalling the briefings they had received when the village went on a lockdown.
The shinobi hurried over to the gate, "It's alright," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"This is the Konoha shinobi who was part of the team sent to assist us. He's not an imposter."
The guards hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "If you say so," the first guard muttered, though the doubt in his voice hadn't completely dissipated.
Renjiro gave the shinobi a respectful nod, "Thank you," he said, grateful for the intervention. The shinobi, a man in his mid-thirties with sharp eyes and a calm demeanour nodded in return.
"I'm just glad to see you made it back safely. Come on, I'll take you to where your squad is waiting."
Renjiro followed the man through the village, his eyes taking in the changes that had occurred since he had left. The atmosphere was heavy with the aftermath of loss and the lingering fear of another attack.
As they neared the location where Renjiro's squad was stationed, the tension in his shoulders began to ease. He could see his squad members waiting near the entrance of a small, snow-covered building, their expressions a mix of relief and surprise.
"Renjiro-sama!" Todo called out, rushing over as soon as he spotted him. The others quickly followed, gathering around their leader with wide eyes and incredulous looks.
"Thank you for escorting me," Renjiro said, bowing slightly to the shinobi who had brought him to his squad. The man waved off the thanks with a small smile before turning to where he was.
"You're back!" Akira exclaimed. "We were starting to worry."
"I'm fine," Renjiro replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he saw the concern on their faces.
"Why are you all so surprised that I returned?"
Kudo scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Well… it's just that the person who you were facing was one of the legendary swordsmen of the mist, we weren't sure if…"
"If what?" Renjiro prompted, raising an eyebrow.
Miki hesitated, "If you'd make it back."
'Why are they so surprised that I returned?' Renjiro wondered.
'Even if I couldn't defeat the Kiri shinobi, I could have at least found a way to escape, even if I would have had to summon Uno.'
The thought of Uno, his summon, brought a new question to Renjiro's mind. Up to now, Renjiro had not summon her, or any of the Lightning Eagles, since they entered a summoning contract.
Renjiro did not know what was worse, not getting a chance to summon her in one of his battles, or not facing someone who was able to push him to that extent. He had played with the idea when he faced Date, but he had too many cards to play that he didn't have to
'That reminds me, can I summon Uno with the gates opened?'
The idea intrigued him, but he pushed it aside for now. There were more pressing matters to attend to.
"How did you escape?" Kudo asked.
Renjiro's smile turned into a confident smirk. "Escape? What do you mean by escape? I have all their bodies stored here," he replied, his tone carrying a hint of pride as he handed over three storage scrolls.
The reaction from his squad was immediate. Miki and Akira's eyes widened in shock, While Kudo and Tora's jaw dropped as he took the scrolls from Renjiro. While Shoda did not show any reaction
"You… you took them all out?" Kudo stammered, barely able to believe what he was hearing.
Renjiro nodded, clearly enjoying their astonishment.
"Yes, all of them. The Swordsman, and the rest of his team."
Miki blinked, trying to process the information.
'He's just a Chunin, and he already took out a Swordsman from Kiri? He was probably an Elite Shinobi!' she thought, struggling to grasp the enormity of Renjiro's accomplishment.
"But how?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Renjiro's expression remained proud, but he could see that there was no need to further inflate his own ego.
"It wasn't easy," he admitted, "But I had to do it. If I didn't, it could have meant trouble for Shimogakure and our mission."
"But enough of that," Renjiro said, shifting his focus back to the task at hand. "We need to prepare to head back to the village."
His squad members nodded, as Renjiro left them to gather their things and made his way to the Shimogakure authorities to report the details of the mission.
When Renjiro reported the information he had gathered from the Kiri shinobi, the leaders of Shimogakure listened intently. His detailed account of the mission impressed the village authorities.
They were particularly grateful for his success in neutralizing the Kiri Swordsmen, who had posed a significant threat. After confirming that the immediate danger had been eliminated, their mission was formally declared complete.
In a gesture of appreciation, they expressed their thanks to Konoha for their crucial assistance in dealing with the Kiri Shinobi, recognizing the vital role Renjiro and his team had played in protecting their village.
With the mission officially concluded, Renjiro and his squad were free to return to Konoha. However, Renjiro chose to stay behind, honouring Yutaka, a significant casualty in the fight and a respected ally to Konoha.
After the burial, the squad prepared to depart. The snow had ceased its relentless fall, leaving the village in a tranquil silence that belied the chaos of recent days. Renjiro felt a sense of closure as he bid farewell to Shimogakure, the bonds forged in battle lingering in his heart.
Upon returning to Konoha, Renjiro made his way directly to the office of Fugaku. Entering the office, Renjiro was greeted by Fugaku's stern yet welcoming presence.
"Renjiro, come in. I was not expecting you to finish the mission this soon," Fugaku said.
Renjiro bowed respectfully before settling into the chair opposite Fugaku's desk. "Thank you for meeting with me, Fugaku-sama."
Fugaku nodded, his eyes sharp and assessing. "How did the mission go?"
Renjiro began to detail the events, describing the attack, and the confrontation with Date.
Fugaku listened intently, "So you encountered Date and Kabutowari? I did not think Kiri would send one of the Swordmen. How did you escape?"
Renjiro sighed, "I Killed him"
"You what?" Fugaku asked, fearing he heard his own things.
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