Chapter 2: Team 7
The mechanical voice in Renji's head chimed again, crisp and cold, as a surge of power coursed through his body.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value +50 detected!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra +50!]
Renji felt it—the energy that had fueled him during his fight with Owl and Nightjar. Chakra. It flowed like a river, warm and electric, amplifying his senses. He recalled Danzo's infamous Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal from Naruto, a technique used to bind ROOT members' loyalty.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, he thought grimly.
As if on cue, a sharp sting pricked the root of his tongue, like an insect's bite. Instinctively, he pulled his tongue back, wincing. Danzo's cold eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Human hearts betray. Children raised by your hand betray. Loyal subordinates betray. But sealing techniques don't.
[Ding!]
[Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal detected: Malice Value 500]
[Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal converted via Cursed Energy, automatically stored as Chakra 500]
The burning sensation in his tongue vanished. The uneven engravings that had marked it smoothed out, as if they'd never been there. Renji's mind raced, piecing together the system's prompts.
Mahito was born from human malice. It's my fuel.
The realization hit hard. Malice—whether from hatred, fear, or betrayal—converted into chakra, stored within him. Even Danzo's seal, steeped in malice, had been absorbed and transformed. Could this mean any malicious attack against him could be turned into power?
That's… broken.
A flicker of excitement sparked in Renji's chest, but it was tempered by a nagging question: How do I measure this chakra? What's the benchmark?
[Ding!]
[Chakra value benchmark: Uzumaki Naruto (100,000,000)]
Renji's jaw dropped. He counted the zeros again, hoping he'd misread. A hundred million?! Is that even humanly possible?
Then he remembered the Nine-Tails. Naruto wasn't just human—he was the Jinchuriki of the most powerful tailed beast. Still, the number was absurd.
Bullshit! Renji thought, half-laughing, half-panicking. Mahito's a Special Grade cursed spirit. Shouldn't I have some insane innate power too?
[Ding!]
[Mahito is Mahito. Renji Mahito is Renji Mahito.]
The system's flat, emotionless response offered no comfort. It was a glorified calculator, answering only what was asked. Renji sighed. Guess I need to farm Malice Value fast.
Danzo's voice cut through his thoughts, low and commanding. "I am your father. Do not disappoint me. Use your time well, train hard, and do not forget our initial agreement."
With that, he turned and left, cane tapping against the stone floor.
Renji stared after him, dumbfounded. Agreement? What agreement?
This old fossil lied without even drafting a script! Renji had crash-landed into the Naruto world mere one hour ago. What "agreement" could he possibly have with Shimura Danzo?
But he had to admit, Danzo was a master manipulator. If Renji were truly amnesiac, that vague mention of a "previous agreement" would've planted seeds of trust, binding him to Danzo's fabricated narrative. With one sentence, Danzo had doubled Renji's training time, exploiting Mahito's innate learning ability.
Renji's growth was visible, almost unnatural. His body absorbed techniques like a sponge, his reflexes sharpening daily. He'd assumed Danzo would lose interest, but the old man returned every day without fail. Five minutes each visit—no more, no less—spouting cryptic life advice laced with subtle brainwashing.
And every day, those five minutes netted Renji over 2000 Malice Value. This guy's scheming is practically a Malice Value goldmine!
A month later, Danzo stood before a noticeably stronger Renji, his expression unreadable but tinged with satisfaction. "Mahito, do you remember? The agreement between us before you lost your memory."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value +100 detected!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra +100!]
[Chakra (2750/100,000,000)]
He says this without a shred of guilt! Renji thought, forcing a polite smile while inwardly cursing. What agreement? Just another way to use me for your shady missions!
One day, Renji vowed, when his chakra reserves grew and his power rivaled the best, he'd repay Danzo—maybe by transfiguring him into an invincible toad that could only croak at passersby.
For now, though, he played along. Danzo's daily sessions weren't about guidance—they were calculated brainwashing. Renji had spent a month in ROOT, and he'd learned the old man's playbook:
Step 1: Exploit the target's fear and confusion to foster dependence on ROOT.
Step 2: Repeat phrases to make the target self-hypnotize, glorifying Danzo with lines like, "You used to admire me," "You wanted to be a ninja like me," "A ninja's value is only realized in ROOT," "ROOT is where great people gather."
Step 3: Use peers to reinforce the brainwashing.
On the third day of training, a new face appeared: Sai, a pale, emotionless boy already broken by Danzo's methods. He trained alongside Renji, a living example of ROOT's success in molding loyal tools.
If Renji didn't know Danzo's true nature—and if he weren't mentally an adult—he might've fallen for it, maybe even started calling Danzo "Father" with stars in his eyes.
...
"Do you remember the plan?" Danzo asked, his face expressionless.
"I remember," Renji nodded obediently, suppressing a smirk.
As if he could forget. Owl, the cat-masked ROOT operative, had drilled the "agreement" into him three times that morning. Even a pig would've memorized it.
The mission was a bombshell. Somehow, Danzo had convinced the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, to add Renji as a fourth member to Team 7—Kakashi's team.
It was unheard of. Konoha's tradition mandated three-genin teams led by a Jonin. Even in wartime, exceptions were rare, and there was no war now. Danzo had spun a web of nonsense about the risks of a team containing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the last Uchiha. "If something happens to them, it could doom the village," he'd argued, piling on baseless fears.
In the end, Hiruzen relented, allowing Danzo to slip one of ROOT's own into Team 7: Renji Mahito.
But Renji wasn't naive. The real goal wasn't to let him "experience the beautiful world outside." Danzo wanted him to monitor Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and Sasuke, the last Uchiha. At critical moments, Renji was to act on Danzo's orders—a disposable tool in the old man's schemes.
Whatever. Mahito was never meant to be loved.
Renji could play the game. Acting was his specialty now.
...
Today was the day he'd leave ROOT's lightless tunnels. The day he'd step into the sunlight and begin his new life.
As he prepared to go, he glanced back at Sai, still standing in the dark passageway. Renji offered a half-hearted, utterly insincere apology. "Sorry, Sai. Gotta go."
No little sun here, he thought. Leave the heartwarming stuff to pros like Naruto.
A selfish cursed spirit like him? He'd only celebrate escaping this hellhole.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value +5000 detected!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra +5,000!]
[Chakra (7,750/100,000,000)]
Renji's eyes widened. Five thousand?! From Sai?!
Why does this guy hate me so much? I didn't ruin his childhood!
His lips curled into a sly grin. Keep hating me, Sai. Hate me forever.
Sunlight hit his pale, almost translucent skin as he stepped outside. The warmth was a stark contrast to ROOT's cold shadows. Renji's angelic smile hid the gears turning in his mind. Thanks to Danzo and Sai, his chakra had climbed to 7750. Still a speck compared to Naruto's monstrous reserves, but progress was progress.
Sai's outburst taught him something crucial: petty annoyance yielded small Malice Value gains, but deep, burning hatred—like Sai's—was a jackpot. To grow stronger, Renji needed to be smarter, more calculated. He needed to spark malice born from love, betrayal, or heartbreak. That kind of malice would be massive.
Time to target Team 7.
Sakura would be the easiest. Her obsession with Sasuke was her weakness. Hurt him, and she'd crumble twice as hard. Sasuke wasn't much harder—his fixation on his brother, Itachi, was a glaring vulnerability. If Renji could make Sasuke believe a trusted teammate was working for Itachi, he'd break.
Naruto, though, was trickier. The guy forgave Nagato and Obito. Earning his malice would take finesse.
No rush. Renji would play the long game, earning their trust first. Big fish required patience.
With his charming smile, Renji navigated Konoha's streets, asking villagers for directions to the Ninja Academy. His Mahito-like appearance—pale skin, stitched tattoos, and dyed hair—drew curious glances, but his charisma won them over. One kind vendor even handed him a free stick of dango.
Sweet, chewy, heavenly. Ten thousand times better than ROOT's tasteless ration pills.
Renji reached the academy, pausing to check the classroom doorplate. This is it. Naruto's class.
He pushed the door open. A blackboard eraser sailed toward his head. Renji stepped forward, and it hit the floor with a thud, kicking up a cloud of chalk dust.
His eyes locked with a blond boy standing on the podium—Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto blinked, curiosity sparking in his blue eyes. "Who're you?"
Before Renji could respond, Naruto clutched his head in mock horror. "No way! Don't tell me you're Kakashi, our Jonin sensei! You're our age! Or… are you a dwarf?!"
His chatter filled the room, wild and unstoppable. Renji stared, fascinated. He'd only seen Naruto in manga and anime, but the real deal was even more vibrant, his energy practically bouncing off the walls.
"You moron!" Sakura shouted, slamming her fist into Naruto's head.
Naruto yelped, clutching his skull and fake-crying. Sakura stepped forward, brushing her pink hair back with a smile. "You must be Renji Mahito, the new member of our team?"
Naruto froze, suddenly remembering Iruka-sensei's words. A fourth member, their age, was joining Team 7.
This guy? Naruto studied Renji, curiosity reignited.
Renji smiled, his stitched face masking the scheming mind beneath. Let the game begin.