Yugao was still a little dazed.
Ren smiled faintly, then turned his gaze forward.
Even with her mask on, he knew this senpai—only a year or two older than him—was actually pretty good-looking.
Yugao, of course, had no idea what her "junior" was thinking. She asked anxiously, voice tight with concern.
"Are you hurt?"
"And… where's Orochimaru?"
"Orochimaru didn't want to waste time," Ren replied softly. "He's probably wary of our reinforcements."
Their squads had been close by, which was why they'd been used as the vanguard—
And, naturally, that was also part of Danzō's plan.
"So I got lucky. I managed to hold on long enough."
"That's good… that's good."
Yugao finally released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She was disappointed Orochimaru had slipped away, but surviving an encounter with one of the Legendary Sannin was already something to be grateful for.
"Your injuries—are they serious?"
"Don't worry. I'm fine."
Ren glanced down at himself.
This "bloodied mess" was mostly for show. In truth, nothing was seriously wrong.
Because he'd done it to himself.
And with his physical attributes, his recovery speed was fast enough that it wouldn't matter soon anyway.
Boom!
Right then, the earthen wall Ren had raised earlier finally shattered. Flying rubble and feral roars echoed through the underground laboratory.
Yugao immediately tightened her grip on her ninjatō.
But Ren reached out and caught her hand.
"Senpai… leave this to me."
"You can't. You're injured—how could you—"
She refused without hesitation, but Ren shook his head.
"I only just joined. Our coordination isn't good enough yet—I'm worried we'll make a mistake."
He paused, voice lowering.
"And I don't want you getting hurt again."
"Y-you…"
Yugao's heart jumped, flustered despite herself.
Did this idiot really have to say things like that now?
Thankfully, Ren released her hand and walked toward the roaring "monsters."
These weren't fully human anymore—twisted into something between man and beast.
"But I still need your support," Ren added without turning back, tone steady. "Senpai, if things turn critical, I'm counting on you."
Ren's instincts as an old workplace veteran were sharp—he framed it as poor coordination while also emphasizing that he needed her.
It let Yugao keep her dignity, gave her involvement, and—most importantly—gave Ren space to test the cursed seal's power properly.
"And this laboratory…" Ren murmured, eyes narrowing. "It was probably used to research cursed seals."
The proof was right in front of him.
Black markings crawled across the enemies' bodies, and wild, disordered natural energy rolled off them in violent waves.
"ROAR!"
One of the creatures lunged at Ren with a furious howl.
"Watch out!"
Yugao shouted—
But at that exact moment, Ren moved.
The mark on the back of his hand flickered.
In an instant, the aura of natural chakra surged around his body.
Just as the system description promised, Ren wasn't swallowed by the frenzy. He retained his mind—his will remained his own.
"…The boost isn't as big as I imagined."
As someone who lived and breathed numbers, Ren understood his body precisely. He could feel exactly how much the cursed seal raised his ceiling.
"Roughly… it pushes me into elite jōnin territory. If I want more than that, I need either higher personal stats—or a higher seal level."
Cursed seals were meant to emulate Sage Mode, but which was stronger was hard to judge.
One relied on external modification.
The other required true cultivation.
But Ren knew one thing for sure—natural energy was power capable of standing against the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"ROAR!"
Mid-thought, another test subject burst into Ren's face.
Its hand had warped into a claw, slashing for his throat with savage force.
But Ren, also in cursed-seal state, reacted instantly. The natural energy heightened his sensory awareness.
His body shifted—
He narrowly slipped past the swipe, then snapped his kunai forward.
"He's faster than before…!"
Yugao stared, tense and unblinking. She immediately noticed the difference.
Now she truly understood.
No wonder he could face Orochimaru.
Ren's strike forced the creature to change its line.
But Ren didn't chase.
He tilted his head slightly—
And in that same instant, a shadow appeared behind him.
Several strands of messy wire snapped apart and drifted down.
Ren ignored it.
In the moment his body shifted, his free hand rose—seals formed with a single hand.
"Earth Release: Antlion Trap!"
With natural chakra infused into the technique, the ground softened and began to rotate like a whirlpool.
One enemy didn't even have time to react before being sucked underground.
Ren's index and middle fingers lifted together.
Chakra surged again.
"Earth Release: Rising Spears!"
The softened earth hardened in a heartbeat—jagged spikes erupted upward.
One test subject, cursed seal spread across nearly his entire body, was too slow.
He was skewered clean through.
At the same time, Ren's kunai flashed out again—
A figure crashed into it as if pulled by fate.
The blade sank into the carotid.
Blood sprayed past the edge of Ren's mask—
And at that moment, the last test subject charged him.
"ROAR!"
Its fist hammered down toward Ren's head.
Ren didn't panic.
The instant the punch connected, Ren's body shattered—
Breaking apart into hardened chunks of earth that scattered across the floor.
"…An earth clone? When did he—? That fast?!"
Yugao was completely stunned.
The tempo, the feints, the seamless chain of techniques—it was beyond anything she expected.
She was relieved—because it looked like the crisis was ending.
But also helpless—
Because she still hadn't done anything.
"Mm… they're here?"
Beneath the battlefield, Ren's concealed presence sensed new arrivals.
Outside the lab, a group of ANBU surged in—reinforcements from this operation at last.
"…Good."
Ren's thoughts sharpened.
"It's time to end this."
His body surged upward.
A Level 3 cursed seal couldn't be maintained for long.
Crash!
The ground burst open as Ren erupted from below—hand seals already completed.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
A roaring water dragon slammed into the final test subject.
With the brutal impact, it was driven into the ground with a howl.
But it refused to die quietly.
As Ren rushed in, it flung several kunai in a desperate counterattack.
In cursed-seal state, Ren was light as smoke.
He slipped between the projectiles mid-sprint, closing the distance—
And drove his kunai straight into the test subject's skull.
In that same instant, Ren's vision flickered once again.
[Mission Complete: Rescue ANBU Operatives]
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