Chapter 73: Gambles and Reunions
The casino buzzed with a chaotic symphony of voices, a deafening cacophony that filled the air with electric energy. Every table was swarmed with eager crowds, layers deep, the atmosphere crackling with fervent anticipation and wild abandon.
Renji stood quietly behind his clone, Senju Hashirama, observing with a mix of amusement and exasperation. The First Hokage's clone gripped the dice cup tightly, his knuckles whitening as he swallowed nervously, eyes alight with a gambler's thrill.
"Open! Open! Open!" The surrounding crowd chanted, their voices rising and falling like a tidal wave, their faces flushed with fanatic excitement, as if their collective energy could flip the entire casino upside down.
For ninja, gambling was child's play. Their heightened senses could easily discern the subtle clatter of dice, and with a flick of their wrist, they could manipulate the outcome with precision. But that would strip the game of its raw, chaotic joy.
So, Renji's clone had sealed his five senses, embracing the unpredictability to preserve the thrill. Renji, however, couldn't help but wonder: did inheriting Wood Release also mean inheriting Senju Hashirama's infamous gambling luck—or lack thereof? So far, the clone had been on a losing streak, not winning a single round. Renji was half-tempted to dispel the clone out of sheer frustration.
Then, with a dramatic flourish, Senju Hashirama lifted the dice cup. The dice revealed high points—a win! The victory was so abrupt that the surprise hadn't even faded from Hashirama's face when several familiar Chakra signatures infiltrated the casino, closing in fast.
Without a moment's hesitation, Hashirama sprang to his feet, grabbed Renji by the arm, and bolted out of the casino, weaving through the raucous crowd. He led Renji to a vast, open field far from the bustling streets, the noise of the gambling den fading into the distance.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100,000!]
[Chakra (78,797,501 / 100,000,000)]
Tsunade stood before them, her eyes locked on the figure of her grandfather, Senju Hashirama.
"Grandpa…" Her voice carried on the wind, laced with a poignant mix of sadness and resolve.
"Ah," Hashirama responded with a warm, nostalgic smile, his tone light but tinged with emotion.
'Ah', Renji echoed silently in his mind, a wry grin tugging at his lips. Being the elder here felt pretty damn good.
Kakashi and Might Guy, meanwhile, zeroed in on Renji, their concern palpable. "Renji, are you alright?" Might Guy asked, his voice thick with emotion, his usual exuberance tempered by worry.
Renji shook his head stiffly, his expression unreadable.
"I'm fine." He glanced at the clone beside him, his face a complex mix of relief and wariness. "Lord First Hokage didn't harm me…"
"Silly!" Tsunade snapped, her lips curling into a wry smile as she shot a pointed look at her grandfather. "Taking you to a casino counts as harm in my book!"
What if he corrupted her chosen successor? Sure, Tsunade herself loved a good gamble, but she'd be damned if her grandfather turned Renji into another gambling addict. Two Hokages with a gambling streak were more than enough for Konoha's reputation.
"Who's the leader of the Revivalist Alliance?" Tsunade pressed, her tone sharp as she probed for answers.
Renji, watching the exchange, decided to lean into the chaos. If they were going to play this game, they might as well go all in.
Senju Hashirama met Tsunade's gaze with a profound, almost enigmatic look before shaking his head. "I can't say. But I can tell you this: they're not human. They're beings that transcend soul and death itself."
Tsunade, Kakashi, and Might Guy froze, their minds reeling. Not human? What could that possibly mean? Beings that transcended soul and death? Did such creatures even exist? The Revivalist Alliance's ability to fully reincarnate the dead—without the sacrificial costs of Edo Tensei—lent chilling credibility to Hashirama's words.
"What's their goal? Why do they want Renji?" Kakashi demanded, his voice urgent.
Hashirama's smile turned awkward, almost sheepish. "I don't know the details. We're compelled to carry out their tasks, but beyond that, we're kept in the dark." His gaze shifted to Renji. "My mission this time was simply to bring Renji back."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000!]
[Chakra (78,807,501 / 100,000,000)]
The situation grew murkier by the second, a tangled web of unknowns. Tsunade fixed her grandfather with a steely gaze, her resolve unshakable. "I won't let you take Renji away."
They could unravel the complexities of the Revivalist Alliance later, once Renji was safely back in Konoha. For now, protecting him was the priority.
Hashirama extended a hand, his expression calm but firm. "Then use your full strength, Konoha ninja!"
A massive Wood Release dragon surged forth, its coils wrapping around Renji and yanking him away from the battlefield in a blur of motion. The beauty of being a one-man organization was the lack of a fixed base—no headquarters for enemies to track down.
Black Zetsu, for instance, had been scouring tirelessly for the Revivalist Alliance's supposed stronghold these past few days, only to come up empty. If it had found something, Renji would've been downright terrified. A real Revivalist Alliance base would mean someone in the ninja world was impersonating him, using his name to deceive others—a chilling thought.
---
Meanwhile, in a desolate desert where sandstorms howled with relentless fury, Yamato's Wood Release tore through the sand-covered ground with ease, carving a gaping hole in the earth. Without hesitation, he leaped into the breach, Naruto and Sakura hot on his heels.
Yamato was the appointed captain of this mission to rescue Sasuke, leading Naruto and Sakura through the perilous operation. Using the tracker Kakashi had planted on Sai, they'd successfully infiltrated Orochimaru's underground lair, a labyrinth of shadows and secrets.
"First, we locate Sai," Yamato whispered, his senses attuned to the tracker's faint signal. "This way." He gestured to the left, leading Naruto and Sakura forward with silent, cautious steps, their movements as soundless as ghosts.
The underground base was a maze of nearly identical rooms, designed to disorient and confuse intruders. But Yamato, a former ROOT operative turned elite Anbu under the Hokage, was no stranger to such environments. His combat experience and razor-sharp intuition guided him unerringly to the room where Sai awaited.
Yamato's fingers transformed into hardened wood, shaping a makeshift key with fluid precision. He inserted it into the lock, turning it gently until a crisp click echoed, and the door creaked open. Yamato peered through the crack, his eyes scanning the room with vigilant intensity. "He's here, as expected," he murmured, his gaze locking onto a familiar figure seated in the corner—Sai.
Sai sat calmly in a chair, as if he'd been expecting their arrival all along. When he saw Yamato enter, followed by Naruto and Sakura, a faint smile curved his lips. 'Perfect. Renji came to find me.'
But as the door closed behind them, his smile faltered. Renji was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Renji?" Sai asked, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Naruto lunged forward, grabbing Sai by the collar with barely restrained fury. "You bastard! Why the hell did you betray us?"
Sai blinked at him, genuinely puzzled. "Betray? If it weren't for me, do you think you'd have found this place so easily?" He paused, his tone sharpening. "I'm the one asking questions here—why didn't Renji come?"
A faint crimson glint flickered in Sai's eyes. Did Renji not care at all about his actions? Or perhaps Renji didn't give a damn about that traitor, Uchiha Sasuke? That had to be it.
"Renji was taken by ninja from the Revivalist Alliance," Yamato said, his voice steady but grave.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000!]
[Chakra (78,817,501 / 100,000,000)]
"You useless bunch," Sai muttered, his smile laced with mockery.
Naruto's teeth ground together, but he released Sai's collar, unable to refute the jab. He knew they'd failed Renji.
"Sai, you betrayed us because of Lord Danzo's orders, didn't you?" Sakura said, her voice cold and accusing. Though it pained her to question Renji's father like this, Renji and Danzo were worlds apart in her eyes. "Danzo's planning to ally with Orochimaru for some scheme, isn't he? And you're the liaison between them. What exactly are you plotting?"
Sai regarded the three of them, his smile widening into something almost predatory. "Since you found me, my mission's a bust. But…" His eyes gleamed with cryptic intent. "My failure doesn't mean Renji's mission has failed too."
Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? What mission does Renji have? His mission was the same as ours!"
Yamato's expression darkened, his mind racing. As a former ROOT member and current Anbu, he'd never worked directly with Renji, but he'd heard the whispers—ninja who called Renji a genius destined to carry the Hokage's mantle, Konoha's future entrusted by the Third Hokage before his death. But Sai's words now sowed seeds of doubt. Renji was Danzo's son, after all, and Yamato knew Danzo's manipulative ways all too well.
"Are you saying Renji's working with you and Danzo?" Sakura snapped, her voice laced with scorn. She laughed coldly, dismissing the idea outright. "Impossible! Renji's nothing like you. He left ROOT behind!"
"Left?" Sai chuckled, the sound low and mocking. "No one ever truly leaves ROOT. It's a lifelong chain."
"You expect us to believe that just because you say it?" Sakura retorted, her expression unyielding. Tsunade had warned her of this exact scenario: if Sai's true mission was exposed, he'd likely try to drag Renji down with him to deflect blame.
"You bastard!" Naruto growled, his fists clenching. "Keep spouting nonsense, and I'll beat the crap out of you!"
He had no doubts about Renji—none at all.
Sai let out a soft, derisive laugh. "Renji's far more successful than I am. Lord Danzo didn't misjudge him."
The smile vanished from his lips, leaving only a cold, calculated stare.
Yamato acted swiftly, binding Sai with wooden restraints and leading him out of Orochimaru's underground lair. "You'll stay here, guarded by my clone," he said, his voice firm as he secured Sai beneath a towering red rock.
Sai sat calmly, his expression blank as he gazed up at them.
"Alright, let's get back to the mission," Naruto declared, his fists clenched with renewed determination. "We're rescuing Sasuke, no matter what!"
Sai's gaze swept over Naruto, Sakura, and Yamato, his tone soft but pointed. "So, because the enemy's too strong, you've given up on saving Renji?"
"No," Sakura shot back, her voice unwavering. "Our strength isn't enough for that fight. Lord Hokage herself is leading the mission to rescue Renji. We'll never abandon our comrades."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000!]
[Chakra (78,827,501 / 100,000,000)]
Sai lowered his eyes, his voice barely a whisper, almost as if speaking to himself. "But you still chose Sasuke over Renji, didn't you?"
Yamato, Naruto, and Sakura didn't catch his words, only noticing the slight movement of his lips. Sai leaned back against the rock wall, closing his eyes as a faint, bittersweet smile played on his lips. No one would lay down their life for Renji—not like he would. Only he could die for Renji.
Suddenly, a kunai streaked through the air like lightning, hurtling toward Naruto's position. The trio dodged reflexively, their senses razor-sharp.
Kabuto Yakushi materialized before Sai, his cold gaze flicking over the bound ninja before settling on Yamato, Naruto, and Sakura. He assessed the situation, calculating swiftly. One against three wasn't ideal—if it came to a fight, he'd be at a disadvantage.
With a swift motion, Kabuto summoned a Chakra Scalpel, slicing through the wooden bindings holding Sai. "It seems you didn't betray us after all," he said coolly. "In that case—"
Before he could finish, a powerful force slammed into him, pinning him in place. Sai, whom Kabuto had momentarily trusted, had turned on him without warning, clamping down on his arm with surprising strength.
Yamato seized the opening, his Wood Release surging forth to bind Kabuto tightly, immobilizing him. Kabuto showed no anger, only a flicker of curiosity and confusion. Why would Sai side with Naruto's group? It didn't add up.
He stared at Sai, searching for answers. "I didn't expect you to betray—"
Sai cut him off, his gaze steady. "I just don't want to waste time here." His eyes flicked to Naruto, his voice quickening. "I know where Uchiha Sasuke is. I'll take you to him."
Before anyone could respond, Sai unrolled a scroll adorned with vivid ink drawings of animals. The creatures sprang to life, leaping off the page and scattering in the direction Sasuke had gone.
Naruto and Sakura didn't hesitate, sprinting after the animated beasts, their figures darting through the underground base's twisting corridors. Their hearts pounded with tension, each beat echoing their desperate hope.
Boom!
The ground shook violently, a section of the underground base collapsing with a thunderous crash. The commotion could only mean one thing—Sai had found Sasuke.
A faint light pierced the oppressive darkness ahead. Naruto and Sakura raced toward it, their breath catching as they reached the source. They froze, staring at the figure silhouetted against the glow.
Sai stood beside Naruto, his senses sharp. He could feel Sasuke's piercing gaze sweeping over them, searching for something—or someone.
Sai knew exactly who Sasuke was looking for.
"Sakura, Naruto…" Sasuke's voice was flat, almost indifferent. "Where's Renji? Why didn't he come?"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000!]
[Chakra (78,837,501 / 100,000,000)]
"Did Kakashi come too?" Sasuke asked, his tone unchanging.
Yamato stepped forward, his presence steady. "Unfortunately, Kakashi didn't come. I'm the acting leader. Team Kakashi is here to bring you back to Konoha."
"Team Kakashi?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed, landing on Sai with a cold intensity. Renji wasn't here, but this guy was? What kind of Team Kakashi was this?
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000!]
[Chakra (78,847,501 / 100,000,000)]
…
Back with Renji, the sudden flurry of notification beeps in his mind left him bewildered, his face twisting in confusion. Who the hell was out there stirring up all this Malice Value against him now?
----
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