Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Retrieval Rampage—Slime vs. Sound Four Freaks

Konoha war room: Grim faces, maps splotched blood-red. Sasuke defected—Orochimaru bait taken. Hokage mobilized retrieval squad: Naruto (Team 7), Neji/Choji (10), Kiba/Shino (8), Shikamaru lead—plus "wildcard: Team 9 partial."Ren Uchiha fist-bumped Guy. "Snake hunt? My jam."Might Guy grinned flames. "REN-KUN! Gates of retrieval burn bright! Lee rests—YOU and Neji carry our youth!"Neji nodded fate-defyingly. "Sasuke's path... we'll intercept."Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome goo-kid. Just don't eat the enemy too flashy."Naruto bear-hugged Ren. "Save teme—and ramen debt!"Forest of Death 2.0: Sound Four ambushes primed. Retrieval squad split—scouts ahead.Team 9 vanguard hit first barrier: Jirobo—earth-tank brute, cursed seal stage 2 bloating."Food wall!" Jirobo barrier'd path—chakra-absorbing dome.Neji Byakugan pierced. "Weak points—tenketsu overload."Ren chuckled. "Predator Siege." Slime form oozed under barrier—Earth Spear counters (old absorb) spiked from below.Jirobo stomped—Doton Crush. Ground quaked.Ren surfaced massive—Slime Golem Mode. "Crunch time!" Punches rained—regenerating fists vs. tank hide.[Analyzing: Cursed chakra barrier. Breach 67%.]Neji struck palms—Gentle Step: Eight Trigrams 64! Tenketsu popped.Jirobo roared seal 2—barrier swelled. Ren dived in: Full Predator Embrace. Dome shlorped—earth chakra, curse fragment gobbled.[Jirobo down: Massive Doton arsenal, Cursed Seal Lv. 2 data (sealed). Bulk +40%, evolution push!]Reformed buffer-sized, Ren burped boulder. "Buffet cleared. Next!"Shikamaru radio'd: "Tayuya ahead—sound demon pipes."Path 2: Tayuya, cursed sirens wailing genjutsu hell. Sound waves shredded minds; demon summons lumbered.Neji faltered—illusions clawing. "Curses..."Ren Sonic Resistance (Dosu gift) tanked waves. "Oto Slime Symphony!" Pipes mimicked—vibration waves clashed, canceling.Tayuya sneered. "Freak!" Demons charged—three-headed rage.Slime Clone Swarm x30—goo horde engulfed, Predating limbs wholesale.[Sound mastery full, demon chakra scraps. Genjutsu null Lv. 3.]Neji recovered, Rotation finish. Tayuya sealed—marbleized.Radio crackle: "Kidomaru spider webs—Kiba squad pinned!"Ren/Neji blurred ahead. Spider-freak spun chakra silk traps, bow drawn—blood jutsu arrows.Neji snipped webs—Byakugan precision.Ren Wind Tempest shredded strands. "Arachno-snack!" Arrow volley met Predator Arrows—goo shafts devoured mid-flight, firing back enhanced.[Acquired: Spider Thread, Blood Bow. Flexibility +55%.]Kidomaru laughed maniacally—seal 2, extra limbs. "Bow hell!"Ren three-tomoe'd: MS tease—prediction max. Melt-dodge, full coil—Vibration Maw. Spider slurped.[Kidomaru core: Thread mastery elite, ranged OP. Evolution: Slime Body Lv. 5—Thread Generation unlocked!]Final gate: Sakon/Ukon—ghoul bros, body-merge curse duo.Shikamaru trapped one—shadow bind. Naruto Rasengan'd in support.Ren faced merge-beast. "Two-for-one? Deal!" Thread cocoons (fresh) bound—Tempest shred.Bros split-attacked—flesh bullets.Predator shotgun. Goo blobs ate projectiles, reforming assault. "Brothel special—ghoulish!"[Ghoul fusion absorbed: Body hop resist, curse resilience. Final surge!]Orochimaru's lair loomed—Sasuke halfway cursed.Ren radio'd: "Path clear-ish. Goo express inbound!"Guy rendezvoused—Gate 5 green supernova vs. remnants.Sasuke paused seal, eyes conflicted. Orochimaru smirked. "Your slime pet races... too late?"Valley showdown brewed. Ren panted triumph—[Total gains: Sound Four full kit. Cursed Seal counter 78%. MS threshold: Critical.]Naruto tackled hug. "You ate FOUR dudes? Legendary!"Neji: "Fate... grateful."Shikamaru: "Less troublesome than expected."Ren grinned, threads weaving casual web-chair. "Dinner party's just starting. Snake boss—main course."Orochimaru tasted air. Slime evolution... must harvest.Retrieval rampage: Half-won. Slime storm swelled.