Chapter 18: Allies and Ambush in the Forest
Renji stood firm on the tree trunk, cradling Sakura in his arms as he assessed his three teammates. Sasuke lay sprawled, his body wracked with a high fever, the Cursed Seal of Heaven searing pain through his unconscious form. Naruto was out cold, his usual energy nowhere to be found. Sakura, too, had collapsed from chakra exhaustion. Above them, crows circled, their ominous cries slicing through the eerie silence. The setting sun bathed the Forest of Death in a blood-red hue, casting long, menacing shadows.
Renji let out a quiet sigh, his breath visible in the cooling air. He scanned the area and spotted a large tree hollow nearby—a perfect shelter. One by one, he carefully carried his teammates inside, ensuring they were safe from the forest's lurking dangers.
As night fell, Renji lit a bonfire, its crackling flames casting flickering light across the hollow. The open flame served a dual purpose: warding off wild beasts and potentially drawing in other teams for their scrolls. Two birds, one stone, he thought, his lips curving slightly.
He sat by the fire, his gaze settling on his sleeping teammates. Sasuke's body twitched occasionally, the Cursed Seal of Heaven tormenting him even in his dreams. Sakura, her breathing steady, would likely wake soon. Naruto, sprawled out like a starfish, looked deceptively peaceful.
Renji's stomach rumbled softly. He reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a storage scroll, unsealing a stash of food. Connections have their perks, he mused. Cat Mask had packed military rations, but Renji, ever picky, tossed them aside. Instead, he retrieved a neatly arranged box of sushi—bonito, tuna, amberjack, and salmon, all bought with his own money. Halfway through a piece, he unsealed a bottle of juice, savoring the sweet tang as he washed it down.
Sated, Renji stretched out on the soft grass, his body sinking into the earth. He tilted his head, his sharp senses catching the faint rustle of leaves about five meters away. Sound ninja, huh? They hadn't moved in hours, likely watching him. Fine. They can keep watch while I sleep. With a lazy smirk, he closed his eyes.
At dawn, a cool, damp sensation brushed across Renji's face. His eyes fluttered open to find Sakura kneeling beside him, gently wiping away dried blood with her pink handkerchief. Her smile was soft, tinged with relief. "Renji, you can sleep a bit longer. You must've been exhausted after yesterday."
Her voice carried a tremor of lingering fear. If anything had happened to him… She shook the thought away, her heart clenching at the idea.
Renji stretched, his energy already restored. "I'm good. No more sleep needed." He flashed her a warm grin, standing with a fluid grace that belied the chaos of the previous day.
Sakura hesitated, then stood and walked to the tree hollow. She returned with two red fruits, offering them to Renji. "I just picked these. They're edible, not poisonous—I read about them in a book."
The sweet, fruity scent tickled Renji's nose. He took one, biting into its juicy flesh, the flavor bursting across his tongue. "Let's eat together," he said, gesturing to the other fruit.
Sakura glanced at the fruit in her hand, her smile widening. "Mm!" She nodded enthusiastically, sitting beside him. With Renji here, nothing feels impossible, she thought, her heart lighter as she took small, deliberate bites.
A sudden rustle broke the moment. Three figures emerged from the trees, their presence dripping with menace.
"Let's kill these two useless guys. I'm telling you now, Uchiha Sasuke is mine!" Zaku sneered, his eyes glinting as he sized up Renji and Sakura.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100!]
[Chakra (39,130 / 100,000,000)]
Renji's lips twitched. Useless guys? Only 100 Malice Value for wanting to kill me? Orochimaru's out here dishing thousands. He raised an eyebrow at Zaku's words. 'Sasuke is mine'? Talk about ambiguous.
"Sakura," Renji said, turning to her with a calm smile, "can I leave that kunoichi to you?"
Sakura froze, her pupils dilating as determination sparked in her eyes. "Don't worry!" she said, her voice steady despite the nerves coiling in her gut.
"You cheap woman! You think I'm that easy?" Kin's eyes blazed with rage as she overheard them, charging at Sakura with a snarl.
Dosu rubbed his forehead, exasperated. "So easily provoked!" His gaze darkened under his palm. "Zaku, take Uchiha Sasuke. I'll handle this guy."
Zaku grinned. "No problem!"
Renji's smile turned sharp. "How rude! Idiots! Who said you get to negotiate?"
Dosu's eyes widened as Renji appeared between him and Zaku in a flash, his hands clamping onto their shoulders. Their bodies warped unnaturally, shrinking at a visible rate until they were small enough to fit in his palm. With a casual flick, he stored them in his ninja tool pouch.
"Dosu! Zaku!" Kin screamed, stumbling back as she and Sakura broke apart. Her face paled, sweat beading on her brow. They turned into… monsters? And got shrunk? What kind of jutsu is this?!
"Idiot! Your enemy's me!" Sakura surged forward, grabbing Kin's long black hair and slamming her head into the ground with a brutal thud. Guess her violent streak's showing early, Renji noted, amused.
He stepped to Sakura's side, placing a hand on Kin's back. In an instant, she too shrank into a modified human form, stored neatly in his pouch. Modified human weapon × 3, he thought, almost chuckling.
Renji picked up the scroll Dosu had dropped—an Earth Scroll. One down. Need another Earth Scroll and a Heaven Scroll.
Sakura glanced at him, noticing his sudden focus on the bushes. "What's wrong?"
Renji flashed his familiar smile and walked silently toward the dense foliage. Parting the grass, he drawled, "What are you doing?"
"Ah, ah, ah!" Three voices shrieked in unison. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio—huddled with their backs to him—jumped in terror.
Renji sighed, grabbing Choji and Shikamaru by their collars and dragging them back to the hollow. Ino trailed behind, her eyes brimming with tears.
The trio considered resisting, but Renji's next words doused their courage. "Move, and I'll turn you into toads too." They froze, silent as mice.
"Ino? Shikamaru? Choji?" Sakura blinked at the "trophies" Renji hauled in, utterly confused.
Ino, ignoring their past rivalry, dove behind Sakura, wailing, "I don't wanna be a hairless monster! Sakura, help!"
Sakura stifled a laugh. "Relax, Renji's just scaring you. He'd never hurt Konoha comrades." She believed that with every fiber of her being.
"Huh?" Ino peeked out, catching Renji's gentle smile as he released Shikamaru and Choji, settling by the bonfire. It was a stark contrast to the terrifying figure from moments ago.
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "This guy…" Something felt off, but there was no real threat. Despite their screams, they'd instinctively known Renji wouldn't harm them. Weird.
"Here." Choji offered Renji his bag of potato chips as a peace offering. Renji accepted without hesitation, then extended his hand expectantly.
Shikamaru groaned, looking away. Not playing dumb.
Choji blinked. "You want a scroll?"
Renji nodded. "Naruto and Sasuke are still out. I have to collect scrolls from whoever shows up."
Shikamaru gritted his teeth. We came to help, and now we're being extorted?! Still, he couldn't deny Renji's point. "Fine. You're right—they work well together. Passing this exam won't be an issue for them."
Ino nodded vigorously. "Exactly!"
Shikamaru handed over their Heaven Scroll. One Earth Scroll left.
"Let's go, Choji. We need another scroll, and this time, we're getting serious," Shikamaru said, his usual apathy replaced by rare determination.
Choji grinned. "First time I've seen you this fired up!"
Shikamaru shrugged. "What choice do we have?"
"Yosh! Let's do this!" Ino's spirit flared as the trio leaped onto the branches, vanishing into the forest.
Renji stood. "Sakura, I'm off to find lunch. Naruto and Sasuke are in your hands."
"Leave it to me!" Sakura nodded, watching Renji's figure disappear into the trees.
Renji made a few swift leaps, putting distance between himself and the hollow. Moments later, a masked figure materialized before him—a ROOT operative.
"What scroll are you still missing?" The ninja held both a Heaven and an Earth Scroll.
"One Earth Scroll," Renji replied. The operative handed it over, destroying the spare Heaven Scroll.
"Yesterday, I fought Orochimaru," Renji reported. "He bit Sasuke, leaving a Cursed Seal of Heaven on his neck. I don't know its full effects."
The ROOT ninja's expression shifted. "Orochimaru?"
"Also," Renji continued, "he tampered with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki's seal. I don't know sealing jutsu, so I can't tell what he did."
"Understood. I'll report to Danzo-sama immediately. Keep monitoring," the ninja said, vanishing.
Renji tilted his head. "By the way, any wild rabbits or pheasants around?" He shrugged at the operative's glance. "I said I was getting lunch. Can't go back empty-handed."
The ninja paused. "I'll get them." Connections, indeed.
Renji returned to the hollow, a clucking wild chicken tucked under his arm. Naruto and Sasuke were awake, though both looked worse for wear.
"Renji!" Sakura spotted him first, her eyes lighting up. She saw the chicken and stepped forward. "I'll handle it! I've seen my mom prepare chicken before."
"Thanks, Sakura!" Renji grinned, half-expecting her to protest about the chicken's cuteness. My brain's wired wrong.
The clucking stopped abruptly. Sakura's efficiency was no surprise.
Renji sat by the bonfire, arranging the four scrolls—two Heaven, two Earth—neatly on the grass.
Naruto's eyes bulged, his jaw dropping. "Ren… Renji… you got all of these?!"
Renji nodded. "Yeah. One from the Sound ninja, one from Shikamaru's team, and another from a squad I ran into while 'hunting.'"
"That's incredible!" Naruto lunged forward, stars in his eyes.
Sasuke stared at the scrolls, his voice quiet. "Thank you."
Renji shook his head. "I was too late yesterday."
Sasuke's hand drifted to the Cursed Seal on his neck, his expression darkening. "No. I was too weak."
Naruto propped his chin, frowning. "Who was that guy yesterday? No way he was a genin! He was crazy strong!" Knocked out early, he had no clue what happened after. Sakura and Sasuke had fainted too, so Renji was his only shot at answers.
"It was probably Orochimaru," Renji said calmly.