Chapter 107: A Lesson in Respect
The next morning, Ren was pulled from a deep, Pulse-induced sleep by a sharp, polite knocking at his door.
"Ren-kun? Are you awake? Lord Orochimaru is here to see you." Kabuto's voice, smooth and insincere, filtered through the heavy stone.
Ren's eyes snapped open, instantly clear. *Orochimaru. Coming to me.* A cold smirk touched his lips. *Let the snake wait.* He made no move to answer, instead taking his time to rise and perform a methodical series of stretches, feeling the new, vibrant energy thrumming within his cells. The Pulse's effects were not a dream.
Outside, the silence stretched.
"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto murmured, his voice lower now. "He is clearly awake. Shall we... enter?"
A low, rasping chuckle answered him. "Hehehe~ No, Kabuto. This is a deliberate snub. A child's tantrum. But then, Ren-kun *is* still young. If he wishes to make me wait to assert his displeasure, so be it. We shall indulge him."
Ren, listening from inside, rolled his eyes. *'A child's tantrum.' Keep underestimating me, snake. It'll be your undoing.*
After a suitably lengthy and pointed delay, Ren finally unsealed the door and slid it open. He leaned against the frame, affecting an air of bored annoyance.
"Orochimaru. To what do I owe this... early disruption?"
"Ren-kun," Orochimaru greeted, his lipless smile firmly in place. "I merely heard of your return and wished to welcome you back personally. I considered visiting yesterday, but you seemed to be... resting. I didn't wish to disturb." His golden eyes scanned Ren, looking for any sign of change or injury. "Won't you invite me in?"
Ren gave a dismissive grunt but turned and walked back inside, leaving the door open. An invitation it was not, but a tacit permission.
Orochimaru glided in, followed by a watchful Kabuto. The room was Spartan, offering only a bed and a single chair. Ren reclaimed his seat on the bed, leaving Orochimaru to take the chair. Kabuto was left to stand silently behind his master, a faint, superior smirk on his face.
Orochimaru settled into the chair, steepling his fingers. "Hehehe~ You seem... tense, Ren-kun. Did your journey present any complications? Perhaps I can be of assistance."
"Cut the act, Orochimaru," Ren snapped, his voice losing its feigned boredom and turning sharp. "You owe me an explanation."
"Oh? An explanation for what, precisely?" Orochimaru's smile didn't waver, playing the part of the confused host perfectly.
"Don't play dumb!" Ren's voice dropped, becoming dangerous. "You sent your lackey," he jerked his chin contemptuously at Kabuto, "to tail me to the Land of Wind. What was your intention? Did you think I wouldn't notice? Or did you simply not care if I did? Who do you take me for?"
"Ah, that," Orochimaru said, waving a dismissive hand. "A simple misunderstanding, I assure you. I merely asked Kabuto to ensure your well-being from a distance. A gesture of concern for my partner. Nothing more."
Before Ren could retort, Kabuto chose to interject, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Indeed, Ren-kun. Your tone is rather ungrateful. You should show more respect to Lord Orochimaru. He has offered you—"
"**Silence.**"
The word was not shouted. It was a low, venomous command that cracked through the room like a whip. In the space of a heartbeat, the air grew heavy. Ren didn't move from the bed, but his eyes shifted.
The three tomoe bled away, replaced instantly by the sinister, spinning hexagram of his Mangekyō Sharingan. He didn't look at Orochimaru. He fixed his gaze solely on Kabuto.
Kabuto's smug expression shattered. His world vanished. The cold stone room, Orochimaru, everything was swallowed by an absolute, suffocating darkness. He was paralyzed, unable to move a muscle, unable to even scream. The only things in the void were himself... and a pair of colossal, terrifying Sharingan eyes that loomed in the blackness, pressing down on him with immense spiritual weight. An primal, formless dread seized his heart, freezing his blood and constricting his lungs. He began to tremble uncontrollably, cold sweat beading on his forehead and soaking his shirt.
In the real world, it lasted only a second. Orochimaru, seeing Kabuto lock up, his face draining of color and twisting into a mask of pure terror, knew immediately what was happening. *A genjutsu? No... he didn't even form a seal. Just a glance...* A flicker of his own remembered humiliation at Itachi's hands surfaced. He could not afford to lose his most useful subordinate to this petty squabble.
"Ren-kun," Orochimaru said, his voice losing its playful edge and becoming conciliatory. "There is no need for such... dramatic measures. Kabuto speaks out of turn, but his loyalty to me makes him overzealous. A simple lesson is enough, I beg you. He is, after all, my right hand. Please, grant me this courtesy."
Ren held the gaze for a moment longer, letting the absolute terror sink into Kabuto's very soul, then let his eyes revert to their onyx state.
Kabuto gasped as if emerging from deep water, staggering back a step. He was drenched in a cold sweat, his breath coming in ragged pants. He refused to meet Ren's eyes, staring at the floor, his body still trembling slightly. The intellectual arrogance was completely burned away, replaced by raw, animal fear.
"Hmph," Ren snorted, turning his attention back to Orochimaru as if Kabuto were merely a piece of furniture that had been mildly disruptive. "Since you ask so politely, I'll spare him. But let him remember his place. There won't be a warning next time."
He leaned forward, his expression all business now, the brief display of power having made its point perfectly clear. "Now, back to our discussion. I will... overlook this incident. But if you wish for our partnership against Akatsuki to continue, there will be no more games. No more shadows. Our cooperation must be transparent. And to that end... I require something from you."
Orochimaru's smile returned, thinner and more cautious now. The dynamic in the room had irrevocably shifted. "Of course, Ren-kun. What is it you need?"
"I need to borrow a few of your people."
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