Whoosh—
Konoha, a training ground.
Kabuto Yakushi froze stiff on the spot.
In the next instant, Ren's figure appeared behind him as if he had blinked through space itself. A kunai infused with Wind Release was already resting against Kabuto's throat.
Kabuto's mind went completely blank.
He knew he wasn't Ren's opponent. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been beaten so badly back at the Root training base that he'd started questioning his own existence.
But to be defeated this quickly—so cleanly, so decisively—was far beyond anything he'd imagined.
"You lost."
Ren didn't seem bothered at all. He casually withdrew the kunai and looked at Kabuto with an easy smile.
"Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed. You're weaker than I expected. If you were exposed while infiltrating another village, how exactly do you plan to survive?"
"..."
Kabuto stared at Ren in silence. After a long moment, he took a deep breath and shook his head.
"Against the Flying Thunder God Technique, even stronger shinobi wouldn't last long," he said slowly.
"But when did you learn it?"
Kabuto felt numb.
And that was only natural.
As he said, even far stronger ninja would feel powerless when facing Flying Thunder God.
What he couldn't understand was how Ren had suddenly mastered it.
"This was my reward from the Sunagakure mission," Ren shrugged with a grin.
"I spent a few months studying it before slowly figuring it out."
That, of course, was a joke.
In reality, Ren had learned Flying Thunder God—and reached a fairly advanced level—in less than a single second.
The price was consuming the one-time ability [Shinobi World Doctor].
But Ren didn't think it was a loss.
At the very least, mastering Flying Thunder God dramatically increased his chances of escaping if he ever ran into real danger.
Strength could be accumulated over time.
A life, however, was something you only had one of—especially in a world where a single kunai to the back could mean death.
Even so, Ren had been extremely cautious.
Although he had already mastered the technique, he hadn't used it immediately.
Since he hadn't been sent on any missions recently, he deliberately broke Flying Thunder God into separate components and practiced openly in front of Shisui and Yugao, creating the illusion of gradual progress.
Now, with the Chūnin Exams approaching, he felt it was finally time to put it to use.
"And Flying Thunder God isn't as invincible as you think," Ren added calmly.
"Some people can react to it—and even force a mutual kill."
"Learning it in just a few months… you really are—"
Kabuto started to marvel, but then frowned.
"And still, that speed… it's hard to imagine anyone keeping up."
Ren glanced at him.
Kabuto clearly lacked a proper understanding of the world's top tiers.
Not to mention that someone could directly avoid Flying Thunder God with Kamui, or that Kumogakure's famed duo were genuinely capable of reacting to it.
Flying Thunder God still relied on markers.
As long as someone anticipated them, counterplay wasn't impossible.
Even when Minato ambushed Killer B, B's blade had already been aimed at Minato's abdomen.
Of course, Minato's kunai was also at B's throat.
Mutual destruction was still destruction.
"Alright, enough about that," Ren said, smoothly changing the subject.
"How have things been on your end lately?"
"What's Root like now? And did you find a chance to check on the orphanage?"
"Root…"
Kabuto's lips twitched.
"Things haven't been great."
He shot Ren a look, clearly holding back words.
Recently, Root's training intensity had reached inhuman levels. Kabuto genuinely suspected Danzō was trying to grind them to death.
And the cause of it all was standing right in front of him.
Shaking his head, Kabuto skipped the topic and turned serious.
"As for the orphanage, I did look into it. The headmistress really did leave years ago."
"So my suspicion is probably right," Ren nodded.
Kabuto had the ability to investigate quietly.
In the original timeline, he hadn't acted because he trusted Danzō—but things were different now.
"Has Danzō assigned you a new mission yet?" Ren asked.
"Something like infiltrating another village?"
"There's been talk," Kabuto sighed.
"But nothing concrete yet."
He then looked straight at Ren.
"You never finished explaining last time. What exactly are you planning to do?"
"It's actually very simple," Ren replied after checking their surroundings, his tone turning serious.
"We make Lord Danzō famous."
"…What?"
Kabuto stiffened.
But after thinking it through, realization dawned on his face.
"You mean… like what you did in the Land of Wind?"
"Looks like you've grown," Ren said with satisfaction.
"Danzō dreams of becoming Hokage. That ambition is exactly what we can exploit."
"In the Land of Wind," Kabuto continued slowly,
"everything you did benefited Konoha—but all the hatred ended up concentrated on Danzō."
"No matter what happens in the future, or how Sunagakure turns out, they'll hate him," Kabuto said grimly.
"And the greater his reputation, the more his ambition will swell… which makes him more dangerous inside Konoha."
"The Hokage may tolerate him," Ren concluded,
"but I doubt he'll tolerate things becoming extreme and uncontrollable."
Whether this would fully come true was hard to say—after all, Danzō had even survived attempting to assassinate the Hokage.
But actions always left traces.
After the Uchiha massacre, Danzō's authority over Root had been partially stripped.
And whatever Danzō did, the Third Hokage would never be completely unaware of it.
At least, Ren wouldn't allow that.
"So," Ren said softly, patting Kabuto's shoulder,
"we need to add a little more weight to Lord Danzō's shoulders."
"After all, we're Root shinobi," he continued with a low chuckle.
"Serving Lord Danzō is our duty."
"You're seriously twisted," Kabuto muttered under his breath.
That remark immediately irritated Ren.
A man obsessed with digging up corpses and squeezing value out of the dead—someone who deserved to be hung from a lamppost—had the nerve to call him evil?
"Then what about the headmistress?" Kabuto asked after a moment.
"First, we confirm exactly where she is," Ren replied calmly.
"But I still believe it'll be your next infiltration assignment."
"To make sure, you'll keep acting like before," Ren added.
"Emphasize that you want to leave Root after your final mission—and make it clear you want to see her. Understood?"
"Yeah. I understand."
Kabuto nodded.
He knew full well he was already on a pirate ship.
But he didn't regret it.
Whether it was the future Ren had promised him, their shared past in the orphanage, or the possibility that Danzō had truly deceived the headmistress—
Especially the last point—
It had already changed Kabuto's heart.
He was destined to oppose Danzō.
"Relax," Ren said, seeing Kabuto's lingering tension.
"Danzō's fate will be in our hands."
"…Yeah."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, steadying himself. Then he chuckled softly.
"Still, for now, our lives are in his grip. The Chūnin Exams are about to start—and you've been assigned as an examiner, right?"
"..."
Ren pursed his lips, then suddenly smiled.
"Right. Gaining experience. Who knows—when you finally leave Root and take the exams yourself, I might still be your examiner."
"..."
Kabuto froze.
Thinking about it carefully—
Damn it, that was actually very possible.
"So," Ren added lightly,
"if you don't want to be a genin for the rest of your life, you'd better stay polite."
"..."
"Now you understand," Ren said with a grin,
"why power deserves respect."
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