"You're actually… kind of decent."
Watching Orochimaru's figure disappear completely, Ren couldn't help muttering a complaint. Only then did he finally let out a long breath.
The pressure Orochimaru gave off was genuinely overwhelming. Even someone as abnormal as Ren found it hard to endure.
But that was only natural.
No matter how flashy his status panel looked, strictly speaking, his current strength was still only at the jōnin level.
Still—
"Kabuto and I both entered Root at around seven years old. I never even got sent on external missions, just internal village tasks… and I still ended up at this level?"
Thinking about it, Ren felt it was absurd.
Just how brutally did that bastard Danzō exploit child labor?!
Then again, after calming down, Ren realized he was actually fairly lucky.
Compared to Kabuto—or those unfortunate souls who had already been used as cannon fodder on the battlefield during the Third Shinobi World War—his situation didn't seem quite as tragic.
[New Mission Acquired]
[Objective: Rescue ANBU Operatives]
Seeing the newly issued mission, Ren wasn't surprised at all.
To him, missions were a good thing.
Without missions, how was he supposed to break free from Danzō? How was he supposed to stab his "boss" in the back and escape his current predicament?
Besides, being a Konoha ninja meant holding an official position in one of the Five Great Villages.
At the end of the universe… was still a stable post.
Ren had no intention of giving that up.
Of course, even an old office veteran could still have ambition.
But promotion required your superior to move up first—and if your superior didn't get promoted, the only thing left was waiting for him to die.
Ren understood workplace politics very well.
As he put his mask back on, Ren glanced at his status panel again.
Five Free Points.
There were plenty of possible upgrades—anything at LV5 or below was on the table.
But what truly caught his attention… was the Unbound Cursed Seal he had just obtained.
[Unbound Cursed Seal: A cursed-seal manifestation of natural energy. Can be bound to the host to prevent disorder and chaos caused by natural energy. When activated, enhances the host's abilities based on level.]
Ren knew very well the pros and cons of cursed seals.
Though excited, he remained cautious. He had no intention of ending up like Jūgo—or Sasuke—losing himself to madness.
But judging from the description, his worries seemed unnecessary.
The system might not have given him many good things before, but this cursed seal was undeniably solid.
"I just don't know how strong a low-level cursed seal really is… and seriously, even the rewards are pushing me toward becoming a pure stat monster?"
Ren muttered to himself.
Still, being a stat monster wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Strictly speaking, the First Hokage of Konoha could also be considered one.
"Bind the cursed seal. Upgrade it."
Ren silently issued the command.
Almost instantly, a scorching heat surged from the back of his hand. He quickly pulled off his glove and looked down.
A black, three-tomoe seal had appeared on his hand.
At the same time, his panel updated.
[Cursed Seal Bound — Current Level: LV1]
[Cursed Seal Upgraded to LV3]
[Remaining Free Points: 2]
After absorbing the information flooding into his mind, Ren nodded in satisfaction.
He then carefully sensed his surroundings and quickly grasped the general situation nearby.
It was strange—Overall Physical Attributes really did enhance everything.
Even his perception had improved beyond expectations.
Perhaps this was the perk of being a fully balanced stat monster.
Honestly, if not for the need to maintain sufficient combat power, Ren would have loved to dump all his Free Points into that single stat.
"Alright. Time to move… and test out what this cursed seal can really do."
—
Yugao Uzuki's expression was grim as she faced several enemies ahead of her.
They were clearly not in their right minds—yet their strength was terrifying.
She had followed Ren's advice, temporarily disengaging from Orochimaru to seek reinforcements.
What she hadn't expected… was to run into opponents like these.
"As expected of one of the Legendary Sannin… even after leaving Konoha, he still has so many followers."
While exchanging blows, Yugao couldn't help thinking this to herself.
Normally, a mission involving Orochimaru would never have been assigned to a few small squads like theirs.
But the intel had come suddenly. The situation was urgent—and they just happened to be nearby.
They had been hastily deployed.
Even with full mental preparation and extreme caution, things had still spiraled into this outcome.
It left her frustrated.
"No… I have to move faster. That kid—"
Dodging a fatal slash, Yugao clenched her teeth.
The image of Ren choosing to face Orochimaru alone hardened her resolve.
Surrounded by these fearless, deranged enemies, she suddenly leapt into the air, her ninjatō spinning in her hand.
This was a sword technique she had personally developed.
Still only a prototype—but perfect for staking her life on.
"Konoha Style: Veiled Moon!"
Her blade turned into a blur as she slashed toward the enemies, who roared and charged at her in return.
Their eyes were filled with madness—no fear, no hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, they were already upon her.
They ignored her blade entirely, swinging their own weapons straight at her.
These were clearly Orochimaru's experimental subjects.
And yet, his charisma was undeniable.
They were his most loyal followers—anyone who opposed Orochimaru was their enemy.
Even if it meant dying together with their foe, they would not hesitate.
"Damn it…"
Yugao sensed their insanity—but still met them head-on, her resolve unwavering.
She had to defeat them.
She had to find the others.
She had to go back and save Ren.
The distance between them closed rapidly. Sharp blades tore through clothing as both sides committed fully.
But at the instant they were about to collide—
Their expressions changed.
The ground shook violently.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive earthen wall erupted from the ground, standing between them.
Boom!
Its sturdiness far exceeded expectations—neither Yugao's strike nor the enemies' attacks managed to break through immediately.
Dust billowed as the wall forced both sides apart.
Yugao landed unsteadily.
Before she could regain her balance, she felt someone supporting her.
Startled, she looked up.
Through the swirling dust, a slightly disheveled yet resolute figure came into view.
"Senpai," Ren said calmly,
"that's the second time now. You really need to be more careful from here on out."
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