In the center of the ruins, the battlefield was split in two. A circular barrier stretched toward the sky, sealing Uchiha Ren inside with his hunter.
"Tch, one of them got away."
Moroi's cold gaze fell on Ren, a twisted, sinister smirk spreading across his face. "No matter. I'll make your death quick."
Ren stared at the man—red trench coat, blonde hair, and a thick beard. His eyes narrowed. He recognized this man from the original story. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, this guy would become the head of the Cloud Barrier Corps, the man who deployed 36 regenerative barriers on Turtle Island to stall Naruto and Killer B. Even those two had to team up to break his defenses.
But right now, Moroi was "only" a Tokubetsu Jonin.
Ren felt a bit uneasy. Does a barrier specialist even have enough attack power to kill me? I mean, Seishiro said he's good with a blade, but still... common, man! Hit me hard!
"Kid, what's with that look?" Moroi unsheathed his long katana and pointed it at Ren. "You're unlucky. A trash Genin who hasn't even awakened the Sharingan, meeting a master like me at the start of his career."
Moroi's voice was flat, confident. "One strike. That's all I need to end you."
[Your enemy, Moroi, is taunting you.]
Ren ignored the notification and actually grinned. He nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Cloud-bro, I like the way you talk! Don't hold back. A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit. Throw everything you've got at me—don't give me any room to breathe!"
Ren's expression turned solemn. "Whatever you do—do NOT let this turn into a battle of attrition!"
"Good! Kid, you've successfully pissed me off!" Moroi's brow twitched. Is he calling me weak? Saying I can't go the distance?
Moroi didn't take the words seriously. As a barrier ninja, he had basic sensory abilities. He could feel it: Ren only had Genin-level chakra reserves. To Moroi, Ren was just blustering to buy time for his teammate.
With a flick of his wrist, Moroi wove the seal for the Body Flicker (Shunshin).
Zip!
He vanished and reappeared instantly above Ren's head. He swung his blade in a wide, lethal arc aimed straight at Ren's neck. The blade hissed through the air, sharp enough to cut a falling hair.
For a split second, Ren's scalp went numb. Death was inches away.
But then, a jolt of electricity surged through his limbs—his Combat Intuition taking control. He ducked and tilted his head, the blade grazing his cheek. Simultaneously, his hand blurred toward his pouch.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Three kunai shot upward, forcing Moroi to parry mid-air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
By the time Moroi landed, Ren had already put distance between them. Ren looked at Moroi with genuine fury. "I told you! Throw everything at me! You're a barrier ninja, why are you playing with swords?! Why won't you just listen?!"
Moroi's rage boiled over. "Stop playing the fool! DIE!" He lunged forward, thrusting his blade at Ren's vitals.
Ren's eyes sharpened. He threw eight shuriken in a complex, curving trajectory. Moroi skidded to a halt as the shuriken whistled past him. Before he could move again, Ren unfurled a massive scroll and swung it.
Dozens—hundreds—of kunai erupted from the scroll.
Damn it! Moroi cursed inwardly. Are Genin this rich nowadays? Buying ninja tools by the ton?! He was forced to spin his blade in a frantic dance to deflect the metallic rain.
When the dust settled, the ground around Moroi was a forest of embedded kunai. Moroi was gasping for air. The sprint to catch the Uchiha had already drained him, and now he was facing a "porcupine" whose tool mastery was beyond anything a Genin should possess.
Just as Moroi thought he had a window to close in and finish it—Ren flicked his fingers.
Suddenly, hundreds of glints appeared at the base of the kunai. Thin, nearly invisible wires pulled taut.
The ruins—walls, ground, dead branches—shattered like glass under the sudden tension. Dust billowed. Moroi felt a sharp sting on his cheek. He touched his face; his hand came away wet with crimson blood.
He looked around. A massive, intricate web of wires had emerged, intersecting to form a cage that blotted out the sun. A canopy of steel, designed to shred anything within.
Moroi slashed at the wires with his katana, but the blade simply bounced off the reinforced structure.
"What... what the hell is this?!" Moroi gasped, his face pale with horror. "How? How did a kid weave a web this complex in such a short time?!"
Ren shook his head. Special Jonin loses to a Genin in a head-on fight... no wonder they call Cloud ninjas barbarians. No brains.
Ren's gaze turned cold. "Pay for your arrogance."
He wove four seals: Snake – Dragon – Rabbit – Tiger.
Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!
Ren exhaled a massive torrent of flame. The fire raced along the wires, flooding the web and engulfing the screaming Moroi.
But Ren wasn't done. He had the "craftsman spirit" of a finisher. He wove more signs.
Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!
And as the fireballs launched, he added eight shuriken into the mix, their rotation catching the flames.
Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Red!
Finally, Ren yanked the wires one last time. The web collapsed inward, tightening the burning, shredding cage onto its center.
Dragon fire for a prison, Phoenix fire for a requiem.
Ren looked into the heart of the inferno and whispered a cold farewell:
"Jana! (See ya!)"