Chapter 174: Return to Otogakure
Watching their comrades be slaughtered before their eyes, the remaining Iwa-nin, driven by grief and rage, launched a desperate charge against Ren.
"Insects trying to shake a mighty tree," Ren sneered. With a mere thought, the Susanoo's left hand stretched out, palm open. A vortex of black flames—Amaterasu—swirled into being. From the center of the palm, a shower of black sparks erupted, raining down upon the charging shinobi like lethal, burning hail.
"Damn it! Evade! Evade!" a ninja screamed, but the warning was futile. They knew the legends of Amaterasu, the flames that could never be extinguished. But knowing and surviving were two different things against such a wide-area attack. A few managed to dodge the initial volley, but the flames were too dense. One by one, they were struck. The moment the black fire touched them, it clung and spread, engulfing their bodies in an instant. Horrific screams filled the air, cut short as the victims were reduced to piles of ash.
In mere moments, the bustling border checkpoint was silent. Of the dozens present, only one person remained alive: Kurotsuchi. Ren had deliberately spared her.
Staring at the carnage her recklessness had caused, Kurotsuchi was consumed by a tsunami of remorse and self-loathing. But it was too late for regret. That grief quickly hardened into a burning hatred directed at the figure standing calmly amidst the devastation.
"Why that look?" Ren asked, his Susanoo dissipating as he walked toward her, a mocking smile on his lips. "You caused this. You should have been prepared to face the consequences."
"Uchiha Ren! Iwagakure will never coexist with you under the same sky!" she spat, her voice trembling with fury.
"Hmph. You're not the first to say that. I'm growing tired of hearing it," he replied dismissively. "I already have grievances with three of the Five Great Villages. Adding one more, Iwagakure, means little to me. As for you... you might still be of use to me." He looked her over, his expression calculating.
"What do you plan to do?" she demanded, a cold dread washing over her. Death she could face, but the thought of being used as a pawn against her village was a far worse fate.
Her mind made up, she swiftly drew a kunai and, without hesitation, thrust it toward her own throat.
But Ren was faster. In a blur of movement, he was before her, his hand clamping around her wrist like a vice, stopping the blade inches from her skin. At the same time, his Mangekyo Sharingan pulsed. Her eyes met his, and her will was instantly overwhelmed. Her body went limp, collapsing unconscious into his arms.
"Trying to kill yourself? How naive," he muttered. Hefting her unconscious form, he stored her within his personal dimension. "Time to go. This commotion will have drawn attention. More Iwa-nin will be here soon."
With that, he vanished from the scorched and silent checkpoint.
***
True to his prediction, not long after he left, a squad of Iwagakure shinobi arrived at the scene, summoned by the signal flare. The sight that greeted them was one of utter destruction.
There were no bodies. The relentless Amaterasu had seen to that. Only scorched earth and a few stubborn patches of black fire still burning remained. The checkpoint itself was a smoldering ruin.
"Damn it! We're too late!" the squad leader cursed. "Search for survivors!"
"Sir! There are no signs of life anywhere!" a scout reported moments later.
"How is that possible? Even if everyone was killed, where are the remains?"
"Those black flames... it must be Amaterasu. It burns everything to nothing. It seems they all fell to that technique."
"Uchiha Ren! How dare he come to our land and commit such atrocities! He will not get away with this!" another ninja roared, slamming his fist into a charred post.
"Enough! Our priority is to report this to the village immediately. Let the Tsuchikage-sama decide our course of action!" the leader ordered.
They carefully sealed the remaining Amaterasu flames into scrolls, left a small guard detail at the destroyed post, and hurried back to Iwagakure with the grim news. Notably, in the shock and chaos, none of them yet realized that the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, was among the missing.
***
Meanwhile, Ren encountered no further obstacles on his journey back to Otogakure in the Land of Sound.
As he approached the village, he noticed a significant change. Unlike the desolate, leaderless place he had left, it now buzzed with a semblance of order and activity. While it paled in comparison to the great villages, it no longer felt like a ghost town.
It seems Karin has done well. She's managed to consolidate control over the village and Orochimaru's network. This can form a substantial force, he thought, feeling a flicker of approval for Karin's administrative skills.
He was waved through the gates by guards who now regarded him with deep respect. He nodded in acknowledgement and headed straight for the main hall, which had been repurposed as the Eagle team's headquarters.
Inside, he found Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo. Their faces lit up with surprise upon his entrance.
"Ren! You're back!" Karin exclaimed. "How did it go? Did you capture the Four-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"Does the boss even need to ask?" Suigetsu grinned. "Of course he succeeded, right, Boss?"
"Yes, the Four-Tails is secured," Ren confirmed. "I also eliminated Kisame Hoshigaki of Akatsuki."
"WHAT? Kisame is dead?" Suigetsu's eyes widened. "I was hoping to fight him myself one day to take that sword, Samehada! Hey, Boss, please tell me you brought it back with you?"
💀 WANT TO READ AHEAD? 💀
👉 JOIN MY PATREON — Patreon.com/The_Ripper_87
════════ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ════════
🔥 CURRENTLY AT CHAPTER 275: A TEACHER'S RESOLVE🔥
⚡ SUPPORT THE STORY WITH YOUR POWER STONES! ⚡
🖤 EVERY STONE AND EVERY PLEDGE HELPS KEEP THE STORY GOING! 🖤
BONUS CHAPTER FOR EVERY 100 POWERSTONE