Chapter 64: The Interrogation
Ren's plan for a clean exit was shattered. Standing before him, blocking his path, were six faces from a past he had tried to leave behind. The surprise of seeing Kakashi and the others was genuine, a flicker of his old life disrupting his new one.
The Konoha shinobi arrayed before him wore a spectrum of expressions. Kakashi was a mask of weary calm. Shikamaru and Choji watched him with guarded neutrality. Ino's face was a storm of anger and betrayal, her eyes drilling into him as if he owed her a profound debt. But it was Naruto and Sakura whose reactions were the most volatile. Their faces lit up with a desperate, hopeful excitement, and Sakura's was already streaked with tears.
"Sasuke!" they both cried out in unison, their voices choked with emotion.
Sakura, overwhelmed, broke from the group and ran toward him, her arms outstretched as if to embrace him, to physically anchor him to them and never let go again.
Ren's reaction was instantaneous and cold. His left hand shot up, and in a grotesque blur of transformation, it morphed into the head of a massive, hissing serpent. The snake lunged, its maw gaping wide, stopping just inches from Sakura's face. It didn't bite, but the threat was absolute, the promise of violence hanging in the air between its fangs.
"Be careful!" several voices yelled from behind her, too late to do anything but shout.
Sakura froze mid-step, her hopeful expression shattering into pure terror. She stumbled backward and fell to the ground, staring in horror at the monstrous snake and the impassive boy who controlled it.
"Do not come near me," Ren stated, his voice flat and devoid of any warmth. "Or I will kill you."
"Sasuke... why?" Sakura whispered from the dirt, her voice breaking. The disconnect between the boy she remembered and the cold weapon before her was too vast to comprehend.
This violent shift snapped the entire Konoha team into high alert. Their postures tightened, hands moving toward weapons, every sense focused on the potential threat. Only Naruto's shock transformed into pure, unadulterated rage.
"Sasuke, what are you doing?!" he roared, stepping forward, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. "That's Sakura! She's our comrade! How could you do that to her?!"
"Let me correct you," Ren replied, his tone dripping with disdain. The serpent retreated, melting back into the form of his hand. "She is *your* comrade. Not mine. I have always walked alone. I have never had comrades. Anyone who approaches me without invitation is my enemy. I let her live this time solely because we once shared a classroom. If any of you continue to hinder me, there will be no more warnings."
"Dammit!" Naruto seethed, his body trembling with fury. "What the hell happened to you?! What about Konoha? What about your friends?! I'll knock some sense back into you!" He made to charge, his rage overriding all strategy.
"Naruto, don't!" Sakura scrambled to her feet, tears still streaming down her face, and threw herself in front of him, arms spread wide. "Naruto, please! Don't hurt him!"
"Sakura? Get out of the way! I'm gonna punch him until he remembers who he is!"
"No, Naruto! I'm begging you, don't!"
"This is such a drag..." Shikamaru muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Kakashi moved then, placing a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder. "That's enough, Naruto. Stand down." His voice was quiet but carried absolute authority. He then looked at Sakura. "Sakura, fall back. Now."
Naruto glared at Sasuke for a long moment before finally relenting with a grunt, allowing Sakura to pull him back into the group. Kakashi took three measured steps forward, stopping a precise distance from Ren—close enough to talk, far enough to react.
"Sasuke," Kakashi began, his single eye studying him intently. "Have you left Orochimaru's side? If so, then come back with us."
Ren let out a short, derisive laugh. "Come back with you? Back to Konoha? I carved my way out of that cage with my own two hands, and you expect me to just walk back in because you asked nicely? Don't make me laugh. It's not happening."
"Then what is it you want?" Kakashi pressed, his voice still level. "Is it still revenge against Itachi Uchiha?"
"Shut up!" Ren snapped, a flash of genuine anger in his eyes. "Do not speak that name in front of me!"
"Then answer me this," Kakashi's tone hardened. "Did you attack Hoshigakure? Did you destroy their village and steal their star?"
Ren didn't even flinch. He shrugged, a cold, casual gesture. "That? Yeah, that was me. So what?"
A collective wave of dismay passed through the Konoha team. Hearing the confession from his own mouth made the horror real. Their former friend was truly capable of such atrocities.
"I see," Kakashi said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "You've become this cold and cruel. To steal an artifact, you didn't hesitate to massacre a village, take hostages, and threaten a Kage. I misjudged you. Perhaps I never should have taught you the Chidori."
"Call it cold, call it cruel. I don't care," Ren retorted, his expression one of utter boredom. "Anyone who stands in my way is my enemy. I show no mercy to enemies. Are you done with your questions? If so, either get out of my way, or make your move. I'm tired of this conversation."
"One last thing," Kakashi said, his hand moving to the headband covering his left eye. "Return to Konoha with us and submit to the judgment of the Hokage. If you come willingly, she may yet show you leniency."
"Leniency?" Ren scoffed. "Do you think Hoshigakure will just accept that?"
"That is not your concern. You need only to come with us. The Hokage will handle the rest."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then we have no choice." Kakashi slowly lifted his headband, revealing the Sharingan beneath—a perfect, spinning crimson copy of Ren's own. "The Hokage's orders are clear. We are to bring you back to Konoha, by force if necessary."
"Kakashi-sensei... please, don't do this..." Sakura begged, her voice a desperate whisper.
"Enough, Sakura," Kakashi said, his gaze never leaving Ren. "These are the Hokage's orders. The Sasuke we knew is gone. The man standing before us is Konoha's S-Class rogue ninja. He is a target to be captured. Do not let your emotions cloud your duty."
"I... I understand," Sakura relented, though her heart was breaking. She resolved silently that if Sasuke's life was truly in danger, she would intervene, orders be damned.
It was then that Ino, who had been silently fuming, finally stepped forward. Her face was pale with anger.
"Sasuke Uchiha," she demanded, her voice sharp and accusatory. "What did you do with Ren? Where did you take him?"
The question was so unexpected it created a ripple of confusion. All eyes, including Ren's, turned to Ino. Sakura's expression was particularly complex; she was shocked that Ino was still fixated on the forgotten Uchiha brother.
*Uchiha Ren? Sasuke's... incapacitated brother?* Kakashi thought, his mind racing. *I'd nearly forgotten he existed. Did Sasuke take him from Konoha as well?*
*Ren...* Naruto's face fell, a wave of guilt washing over him. *He was the first person in the village who was willing to be my friend when we were kids. But after his... accident, I just stopped visiting. I even forgot about him. Damn it... I'm such a jerk.*
Ren looked at Ino, a strange, unreadable emotion flickering deep within his eyes before it was ruthlessly suppressed.
*Ino... you actually remember me? You... foolish girl.*
𝗚𝗨𝗬𝗦, 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠 𝗔𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗛𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪9