Chapter 63: The Reunion
Let's return our focus to the heart of the conflict. 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 giant summon retorted, puffing out its chest with pride. "Every member of my clan is a natural-born hunter, and we are all innately attuned to Earth Release. We simply prefer not to use it. True strength is measured in tooth and claw, not petty tricks!"
"Right..." Ren said flatly, utterly exasperated by the summon's stubborn pride. *He has the power but refuses to use it out of some bizarre sense of honor. Unbelievable.*
"AHAHA~~! KILL YOU! KILL YOU ALL!" Shukaku's maniacal roar cut through their conversation. The One-Tail, having regenerated its shattered form, was already gathering another massive ball of chakra in its maw, preparing to fire another cataclysmic Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Dammit, not again! Erha, stop it!" Ren yelled.
"Hmph! I don't need you to tell me!" Erha barked back. He turned his focus to the rampaging beast, his paws slamming together in a seal. "Let's see how you like this! Earth Style: Spire of a Thousand Agonies!"
The ground beneath Shukaku's bloated stomach erupted. A massive, razor-sharp spire of hardened earth shot upwards with terrifying speed and force. Shukaku, its movements sluggish and focused entirely on forming its attack, couldn't dodge. The spire struck true, finding a particularly vulnerable and undefended area with unerring accuracy.
*Ouch...* Ren winced in sympathetic pain, his own body tightening unconsciously.
***"GYAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!"***
Shukaku's shriek was one of pure, unadulterated agony and outrage. The surprise attack not only caused immense pain but also shattered its concentration completely. The half-formed Tailed Beast Bomb it was gathering destabilized instantly and detonated prematurely right in its face.
***BOOOOM!***
The explosion was contained but violent, blowing half of Shukaku's sandy body apart in a shower of granules. Thankfully, the bomb wasn't at full power. The sand protecting Gaara's unconscious form held, shielding him from the blast.
"Hey~ Not bad, Erha!" Ren cheered. "Now's our chance! We need to wake Gaara up!"
"Tch! Whatever you say, pup!" Erha grumbled, but a hint of satisfaction was in its tone.
"Perfect. I'm going in!" Ren's body vanished from the spot, reappearing instantly on top of Shukaku's head using the Flying Thunder God Formula he'd planted there earlier. He didn't pause, dashing straight for Gaara's inert body.
Shukaku, reeling from its self-inflicted wound, was slowly pulling itself back together. Its sand writhed, trying to form a protective wall between Ren and its Jinchuriki.
"Not so fast!" Ren launched himself into the air with a powerful *Geppo* (Moon Step) kick, simultaneously hurling a special kunai—another Flying Thunder God marker—directly at Gaara. A wall of sand shot up, intercepting and blocking the kunai.
"It's not over yet!" Ren yelled. A Rasengan swirled to life in his palm. In the same instant, he vanished again, teleporting directly to the kunai now embedded in the sand wall. "Break for me!"
He slammed the Rasengan into the defensive barrier. The chakra sphere tore through the compacted sand, dissolving it back into loose, harmless grains. Behind it was Gaara, completely exposed.
The Rasengan, its power barely diminished, connected squarely with Gaara's chest.
***PFFT!***
Gaara's eyes shot open, wide with shock and pain. A torrent of blood erupted from his mouth as the force of the blow jolted him back to consciousness.
"DAMN IT! I JUST GOT OUT! I'LL KILL YOU ALL NEXT TIME!" Shukaku's voice roared out one last time, full of impotent fury. Then, the massive sandy form shuddered and went completely still, the chakra holding it together dissolving as Gaara's consciousness reasserted control, forcibly resealing the beast.
"Huh? Wha... what's going on?" Gaara mumbled, his vision swimming. He looked around, bewildered. "This is... Shukaku? I... I released it?"
He tried to move, but a wave of crippling exhaustion and pain washed over him. "But... my body... I can't move... so tired..."
His bleary eyes finally focused on the figure standing calmly before him. "Uchiha... Sasuke?" The memories of the Tsukuyomi, the fight, it all came flooding back. "Where's... Kankuro?" he asked, his voice weak with concern for his brother.
"Are you asking me?" Ren replied, shrugging with feigned nonchalance. "Sorry, I have no idea where he ended up."
Gaara frowned, straining with every ounce of his will to make his body respond, to summon his sand. It was useless. He was utterly spent.
"Sasuke Uchiha... was this your goal all along?"
"Yes. My goal was simple: a sample of the One-Tail's chakra. My wish is fulfilled, so I'll be taking my leave." A playful, almost cruel smile touched Ren's lips. "As for you... well, in a few years, you're supposed to be the commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces. You might still be useful. Consider this me sparing your life."
"What... what do you mean?" Gaara asked, completely baffled by the cryptic statement.
"Heh~ It means nothing," Ren said with a light laugh. "Well, since my business here is done, I'll be on my way. I'm sure we'll meet again. When we do, I'll properly introduce myself. For now, just stay here and wait for your friends to come rescue you."
He turned his back on the helpless Kazekage and leaped gracefully from the now-inert mound of sand that was Shukaku's remains.
Gaara didn't try to stop him. He knew it was pointless. He could only watch the retreating figure, his mind racing. *Re-introduce himself? A different person? His power, his demeanor... it's all wrong. But the Sharingan... it can't be faked. What is going on?*
Ren landed softly on the scarred earth. He glanced around. "Huh? Erha's already gone. Didn't even say goodbye." The giant summon, its battle-lust sated, had apparently returned to its own realm once the immediate threat was over.
He took a few steps, ready to make his own exit, when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. His heightened senses prickled—he was being watched. Several pairs of eyes were on him.
He slowly raised his head. Standing at the edge of the clearing, having just arrived and effectively blocking his path, was a group of six figures. As his eyes scanned their familiar faces, a jolt of pure, unadulterated surprise shot through him, his expression shifting to one of stark amazement.
*It's them!*
The leader of the group took a single step forward, his voice cutting through the tense silence, calm yet heavy with unspoken history.
"Finally found you... Sasuke."
Standing before him were Konoha's reinforcements: Team Kakashi—Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura—alongside Team Asuma—Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino. Six faces from a past life, now staring him down as enemies.
After all this time away, Ren had finally come face-to-face with Konoha shinobi once more. But this time, he was on the other side.
𝗚𝗨𝗬𝗦, 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠 𝗔𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗛𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪9