Chapter 83: A Gift of Power
The air in the demolished training ground was thick with dust and the sharp scent of ozone. Ren looked down at his brother, who was still struggling to push himself up from the rubble, his body trembling with a mixture of pain, exhaustion, and pure, undiluted hatred.
"Heh," Ren let out a low, mocking laugh. "Look at you. You're seething with rage, yet you're too weak to even stand. Is this the famed Uchiha genius? You possess the Sharingan, one of the most powerful Kekkei Genkai, and yet you grovel for power from a snake's curse mark. You wear another's power like a trophy, drowning in it, too blind to see it's a cage. It's pathetic. You disgrace the Uchiha name."
"Shut up!" Sasuke snarled, finally finding his voice, though it was ragged and strained. "You don't get to lecture me! I don't care where the power comes from! I don't care what I have to become! As long as it gives me the strength to kill him, I would sell my soul to the devil himself! You... you who turned your back on our clan's vengeance! What right do you have to speak of honor?!"
Ren's expression remained cold and impassive. "Who said I turned my back on anything?"
"Didn't you?!" Sasuke spat, blood trickling from his lip. "You have those eyes! The same as his! You used them on me yesterday! You have that power... so why haven't you gone after him? Why haven't you avenged our family?!"
"What I do, and why I do it, is none of your concern," Ren stated flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You can wallow in your cursed power all you want. I won't stop you. But if you ever get in my way..." He let the threat hang in the air, heavy and ominous. "Hmph." He turned to leave.
*Damn you...* Sasuke thought, his vision swimming with pain and fury. *I will kill you for this. I will make you pay for every ounce of this humiliation.*
Ren, who had taken only a few steps, suddenly paused. "Oh. I almost forgot." He reached into a scroll pouch at his hip and produced a sealed scroll. He walked back and stood over Sasuke once more.
"Your strength is an embarrassment," he said, his voice devoid of any brotherly warmth. "You have a technique with potential like Chidori, but you use it with all the finesse of a blunt club. It's a waste. But, you are still an Uchiha. Your weakness reflects on me. And... for whatever it's worth, you did look out for me in Konoha. Once."
He tossed the scroll. It landed in the dust at Sasuke's feet with a soft thud.
"Consider this a parting gift. It contains notes on ninjutsu. Don't disgrace it."
The scroll held Ren's personal refinements on the Chidori—the Chidori Spear and the Lightning Cutter, techniques that demanded precision over brute force. Furthermore, he had spent a significant portion of his accumulated points to acquire two powerful Fire Release techniques from the system—Dragon Flame Singing and Proud Flame Extinction—and transcribed them onto the scroll. It was a dangerous gift, a kernel of true power meant to tempt Sasuke away from solely relying on Orochimaru's cursed methods.
Sasuke stared at the scroll, confusion warring with his anger. Ren offered no further explanation. Instead, he formed a rapid series of hand seals.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Singing Technique!"
He inhaled deeply and then exhaled a torrent of fire that coalesced into several massive, roaring dragons. They shrieked across the ruined training ground, obliterating what little remained standing. The resulting explosion was deafening, the heatwave washing over Sasuke and forcing him to shield his face. When the smoke cleared, a vast swath of the cavern was scorched black and molten.
The sheer, devastating power of the technique left Sasuke utterly stunned, his breath caught in his throat.
With a final, dismissive glance, Ren turned on his heel and walked away, leaving his brother sitting in the ashes, staring blankly at the scroll that promised a different path to power.
As Ren exited the demolished training area, he nearly walked into Orochimaru, who was waiting just outside the entrance. The Sannin held a clean, sterile test tube in his hand—the promised Hashirama cells, now presentable.
"My, my, Ren-kun," Orochimaru rasped, a sly smile playing on his lips. "That was quite the display. Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of my base?"
"Consider it landscaping," Ren replied dryly. "I felt the training ground needed a more... open concept."
Orochimaru's chuckle was like dry leaves scraping together. "I see. I merely thought perhaps Sasuke-kun had foolishly challenged you again."
"Don't worry about Sasuke," Ren said, his tone making it clear the topic was closed. "He's my brother. I'll discipline him as I see fit. I have no intention of killing him. Yet." The most update n0vels are published on novelꜰire.net
"Of course, of course," Orochimaru purred, though his eyes gleamed with calculating interest. "He is simply... very important to my research. I would be... inconvenienced if something were to happen to him."
"Get to the point," Ren interrupted, growing impatient with the veiled threats.
"Very well. Down to business." Orochimaru raised the test tube. "The Hashirama cells you requested. I assure you, the container is now quite... sanitized."
Ren snatched the tube from Orochimaru's hand. He held it up, the faintly glowing, pulsating cells within seeming to thrum with latent power.
*System,* he commanded internally. *Scan this. Verify it's the real thing and that it's not tampered with.*
**[Analysis Complete. Sample confirmed: Hashirama Senju cellular matter. Viability: High. Chakra Signature: Extreme Life-Force/Wood Nature. No foreign pathogens or tracking agents detected.]**
A wave of satisfaction washed over him. Orochimaru had, for now, held up his end of the bargain.
"I must admit my curiosity is piqued," Orochimaru hissed, watching Ren's intense focus. "What do you plan to do with them? Attempt transplantation? I must warn you, the procedure is notoriously unstable. The success rate is abysmal—perhaps one in sixty subjects survives, and the results are often... lackluster. Minor Wood Release parlor tricks. I could, of course, assist you. My expertise in this area is—"
"No," Ren cut him off sharply, his voice final. He pocketed the test tube, the precious cargo now secured. "Your... assistance won't be necessary."
The chapter of acquiring the cells was closed. The of his plan was about to begin.
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