Chapter 63: The Reunion
The heart of the conflict pulsed like a living thing. Just after Erha’s unexpected Earth Style ninjutsu had neutralized the weakened Tailed Beast Bomb, Ren could only stare in stunned disbelief.
"I’ll be damned… Erha, you actually know ninjutsu?!"
"Hmph! Of course," the massive summon retorted, puffing out its chest with pride. "Every member of my clan is a natural-born hunter, attuned to Earth Release. We simply prefer not to use it. True strength is measured in tooth and claw, not petty tricks!"
Ren exhaled flatly, utterly exasperated. He has the power but refuses to use it out of some bizarre sense of honor. Unbelievable.
A maniacal roar split the air. "AHAHA~~! KILL YOU! KILL YOU ALL!" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel✶fire.net
Shukaku, its regenerated form coiling with rage, had already begun gathering another Tailed Beast Bomb, a sphere of destructive chakra brimming in its maw.
"Dammit, not again! Erha, stop it!" Ren yelled.
"Hmph! I don’t need you to tell me!" Erha barked back, slamming its massive paws together in a seal. "Let’s see how you ! Earth Style: Spire of a Thousand Agonies!"
The earth beneath Shukaku’s bloated stomach erupted. A jagged spire of hardened soil shot upward with terrifying speed, striking a vulnerable spot with unerring accuracy.
The One-Tail shrieked, its concentration shattered. The half-formed Tailed Beast Bomb detonated prematurely, a contained but violent explosion showering sand in every direction. Gaara’s body, protected by his own sand, remained unharmed.
"Not bad, Erha!" Ren cheered. "Now’s our chance—wake Gaara up!"
"Tch! Whatever you say, pup," Erha grumbled, though a hint of satisfaction softened its tone.
Ren vanished, reappearing atop Shukaku’s head via his Flying Thunder God marker, racing toward Gaara’s inert form. The sand writhed, forming a defensive wall, but Ren was ready.
"Not so fast!" He leapt into the air, a kunai—another Flying Thunder God marker—hurtling toward Gaara. The sand intercepted it.
"Break for me!" Ren yelled, Rasengan swirling in his palm. He teleported to the embedded marker, smashing the chakra sphere into the wall. Sand shattered into harmless grains, revealing Gaara.
The Rasengan slammed into Gaara’s chest. His eyes shot open, blood spilling from his mouth as the blow jolted him fully awake.
"DAMN IT! I JUST GOT OUT! I’LL KILL YOU ALL NEXT TIME!" Shukaku roared one last time, impotent fury in its voice. Its massive form shuddered, then dissolved as Gaara regained control, forcibly resealing the beast.
"Huh? Wha… what’s going on?" Gaara’s vision swam. "This is… Shukaku? I… I released it?"
His body screamed in exhaustion. Every attempt to summon his sand failed.
Then, his gaze fell on the figure standing calmly before him. "Uchiha… Sasuke?" Memories of the Tsukuyomi, the battle—all came crashing back. "Where’s… Kankuro?"
"Are you asking me?" Ren shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "No idea where he ended up."
Gaara strained, trying to summon his sand. Utterly spent, he could only watch.
"Sasuke Uchiha… was this your goal all along?"
"Simple," Ren replied, a playful, cruel smile tracing his lips. "A sample of the One-Tail’s chakra. My wish is fulfilled, so I’ll be leaving. As for you… in a few years, you’re supposed to command the Allied Shinobi Forces. You might still be useful. Consider this me sparing your life."
"What… what do you mean?" Gaara asked, bewildered.
"Heh~ It means nothing," Ren said lightly. "My business here is done. I’ll leave. We’ll meet again, and then… I’ll properly introduce myself. For now, just stay put and wait for your friends."
He leaped from the inert mound of sand, landing softly on the scarred earth. Erha had already vanished, its battle-lust sated.
Ren paused, senses pricking. He was being watched. Several pairs of eyes—alert, calculating—pinned him in place.
At the edge of the clearing stood six figures. His expression shifted from smug satisfaction to pure astonishment.
A single step forward. The voice was calm, commanding, heavy with unspoken history.
"Finally found you… Sasuke."
Before him stood Konoha’s reinforcements: Team Kakashi—Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura—alongside Team Asuma—Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino. Six familiar faces, now his opposition.
After all this time, Ren finally confronted Konoha shinobi again—but this time, he was on the other side.
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