Chapter 96: An Unwelcome Reunion
The figure that emerged from the shadows was unmistakable: Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's ever-present, smirking right hand. Ren's expression, which had been one of triumphant contemplation, instantly frosted over. His mind, sharp and calculating, connected the dots instantly. Kabuto didn't have the initiative or the courage to follow him on a whim. This was a direct order from the Snake Sannin himself.
*Orochimaru,* Ren thought, a cold fury simmering in his gut. *Even after the display of the Mangekyō, he can't help himself. He's like a child who sees a shiny object and must poke it.* He reconstructed the events: Kabuto, using his considerable skill in suppression and tracking, had tailed him all the way to these ruins. He'd likely hidden in the deeper darkness of the cavern while Ren was preoccupied with Hyde, witnessing the entire confrontation. The violent tremors of the supposed "rampage" had probably forced him to retreat temporarily. And now, returning to investigate the sudden calm, he had walked right into Ren's path.
"You have precisely three seconds to give me a reason not to reduce you to a red smear on these walls," Ren said, his voice low and devoid of all warmth.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the light glinting off the lenses to hide his eyes. He offered a placating, practiced smile. "My apologies, Ren-kun. There's no need for such hostility. Lord Orochimaru was merely concerned. After your... altercation with the Sunagakure ninja, he feared you might encounter further complications in the Wind Country. He sent me merely to observe and offer assistance if it became necessary. I was simply ensuring a valued partner's safety."
The lie was smooth, almost believable. But Ren was far from a fool.
"Assistance?" Ren repeated, a derisive sneer twisting his lips. "From you? Do you truly believe I'm as gullible as that fool Sasuke, swallowing every poisoned word Orochimaru feeds him?"
Without another warning, a mass of swirling, grey-white chakra erupted around Ren, coalescing into the colossal, spectral arm of his Susanoo. It moved with blinding speed, shooting across the space between them and closing its gigantic fingers around Kabuto. The medic-nin had no time to react. The breath was crushed from his lungs as the immense pressure squeezed him, lifting him off the ground. His glasses cracked, and his face began to turn purple from the strain.
"I know Orochimaru sent you," Ren's voice was a cold hammer in the quiet ruins. "Now, you will tell me his true purpose. What does the snake want from this place?"
Kabuto struggled, his body screaming in protest, but he was tough. He didn't beg. He didn't scream. Gasping for air, he forced the words out. "The... Garel Stone... He... wanted to know... what it was..."
"The Garel Stone?" Ren's grip tightened infinitesimally, making Kabuto grunt in pain. "So he covets it?"
"No...!" Kabuto choked out. "Curiosity... only! He thought... if I retrieved it... he could... gift it to you... A favor... to put you in his debt... If you already had it... the matter... would be over... He does not wish... to antagonize you..."
The explanation, likely spun from a kernel of truth, was clever. It presented Orochimaru as a shrewd benefactor rather than a rival thief. Ren held him there for a long moment, the Susanoo's grip unyielding, his Mangekyō burning into Kabuto's pained face, searching for any flicker of deception. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NovєlFіre.net
Finally, with a dismissive snort, Ren willed the Susanoo to hurl Kabuto away. The medic-nin was flung like a ragdoll across the cavern, smashing into the far wall with a sickening crunch of stone and bone. He collapsed in a heap, buried by a small avalanche of rubble.
"Go back to your master," Ren's voice echoed in the settling dust. "Tell him his 'concern' is noted. And tell him that if he sends his pets to spy on me again, I will return them to him in a box. Are we clear?"
He didn't wait for a response. Turning on his heel, he strode out of the ruins, leaving Kabuto to dig himself out of the debris.
Some time later, the pile of rubble shifted. Kabuto pushed himself free, coughing dust and blood. His body was a symphony of bruises, but nothing was broken beyond quick repair. He adjusted his shattered glasses, a wry, pained smile on his lips.
"Cough... Uchiha Ren... truly a monster," he muttered to himself, staring at the exit where Ren had disappeared. "Hehe... Lord Orochimaru's new toy is far more dangerous than he anticipated. I'd best deliver this message... and maintain my distance." Choosing a path that diverged from Ren's, he slunk away into the shadows.
Meanwhile, Ren emerged from the ruins into the open air of the canyon. He took a deep breath, intending to put the entire affair behind him. But his heightened senses, a boon of his recent power-ups, immediately picked up on approaching chakra signatures. Familiar ones.
He frowned, his mood darkening again. *Can I not have a single moment's peace?*
A flash of orange and yellow shot around a bend in the canyon, followed by three others. It was Naruto Uzumaki, yelling something incoherent, with Nara Shikamaru and a recovered Kankuro of Sunagakure hot on his heels.
Seeing Ren, Naruto skidded to a halt, his face a mask of relief and concern. "Ren! You're okay! Old man Tsuchi said the whole mountain was gonna blow up from the Garel stuff! Did you stop it? Are you hurt?"
He made to rush forward, but Shikamaru's hand shot out, grabbing the back of Naruto's jumpsuit in a firm, restraining grip.
"Naruto, stop! Don't get close to him!" Shikamaru's voice was sharp, his eyes locked on Ren with intense wariness. Every line of his body was tense, ready for a fight.
"Hey! Let go, Shikamaru!" Naruto protested, struggling against the hold. "He helped us! He saved Tsuchi and Tem! We've gotta have this all wrong!"
"Naruto, shut up for a second, you idiot! This is troublesome..." Shikamaru hissed, never taking his eyes off the lone Uchiha. His voice was low and serious when he addressed Ren. "Uchiha Ren. I don't know what your game is here, but I doubt it's anything good for Konoha or Suna."
Ren looked at the trio—the optimistic fool, the shrewd but outmatched strategist, and the vengeful puppet master. A cold, contemptuous smirk spread across his face.
"Heh," he let out a short, derisive laugh. "What's this? Is Konoha's next generation here to arrest me? How... ambitious."
He made no move to attack or flee. He simply stood there, radiating an aura of such absolute, dismissive power that it made the very air feel heavy. The canyon, once a site of ancient power, had become a stage for a very modern, very dangerous confrontation.
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