When Mei Terumī said she was coming too, Ren Uchiha was momentarily stunned.
He was broad-minded, but he wasn't stupid. He certainly didn't think that a genius from the Hidden Mist like Mei was just like the brat Hidan—drawn in by his "cool and flashy" aura and joining on a whim.
During this period, the Mist was engaged in small-scale skirmishes with the Sand Village, which had recently lost its Third Kazekage. This was the same time Rasa and Pakura were racking up battle achievements to compete for the title of Fourth Kazekage. Furthermore, the Hidden Stone, long-time rivals of the Mist, was about to launch a massive overseas assault—the Battle of the Kikyo Pass reefs—which would almost completely silence the Mist for the rest of the Third Great Ninja War.
It was strange. In such a tense time, why was a genius like Mei in the Land of Steam, hidden under an alias, instead of on the front lines? Moreover, she seemed to have her eyes on the Jashin Cult as well.
Ren frowned slightly as he looked at her. Beneath the chaos of the Land of Steam, a deeper undercurrent was surging.
Meeting Ren's intense gaze, Mei's face flushed slightly. She quickly turned her head away and explained:
"What are you looking at?"
"Don't misunderstand. I had my eyes on the Jashin Cult long before you did. I have a goal I must achieve." Her tone darkened, and a serious light flickered in her emerald eyes. "I must find a certain person. If I don't, my homeland might fall into crisis."
Ren pondered this, but with incomplete intel, he couldn't guess who she was looking for. However, he could tell this water was deep—too deep for a "weak" Genin like him to navigate.
But since Hidan was sticking to him like glue and couldn't be shaken off, having Mei around might help keep an eye on the kid. Besides, with his Ultra-Deathmatch Barrier, Ren wasn't afraid of Mei interfering in his fight.
When the time came, he'd just shout: "Welcome to the World of Men!" then slam his hand on the ground to push his teammates away and face the enemy alone. Then, amidst the enemy's horror, he'd ignite his Fire Style: Chakra Mode!
Even the gods themselves couldn't save him then! Ren grinned inwardly, playing out the script in his head. No matter how he looked at it, it was a one-way ticket to the afterlife.
Finally, he looked the two of them over and nodded helplessly. "Fine, let's go together."
Hidan and Mei glanced at each other and couldn't help but smile.
However, just then...
"Since everyone is going, why not count me in as well?"
A muffled voice came from behind. The trio turned in surprise. Hidan gasped, "Mr. Shennong?"
The speaker was Shennong, who had been so silent he seemed non-existent until now.
"I am, for what it's worth, a medical ninja. I should be of some use."
Wearing his brown hood and a pale yellow coat, the man with the large red mark on his forehead walked forward slowly. His gaze was calm, his voice steady.
Ren's eyes narrowed instantly, his gaze turning cold. This leader of the Land of Sky, masquerading as a traveling doctor, had been following them with clear ulterior motives. As a doctor, there was no reason for the villagers to drive him away, yet he followed them—specifically, he followed Hidan.
Ren didn't believe for a second that there wasn't a scheme afoot.
"Sorry, Mr. Shennong. I'm grateful you healed my wounds, but the Jashin Cult is not a peaceful place. For your safety, you should stay behind." Ren refused him flatly.
"Ren Uchiha, is it?" Shennong frowned slightly and exhaled. "You needn't be so cautious. We have no grudge, and I pose no threat to you." He glanced at Mei. "Like this young lady, I have things I must accomplish. I only need some data to verify my results. Whatever you do, I won't interfere; I'll just watch. If necessary, I can heal your wounds. So, there's no need for such vigilance."
Finally, Shennong's face turned stone-calm, his voice carrying a faint, threatening edge: "Besides, if I want to follow, you alone cannot stop me. Want to try?"
[Shennong not only looks down on you but is also provoking you.]
Ren's gaze sharpened instantly. Without a word of nonsense, he reached out, snatched Mei's tool pouch from her waist, pulled out a kunai, and flung it straight at Shennong's face.
Simultaneously, he swept his leg, kicking up a cloud of dust. Under the cover of the dust, Ren stayed low and circled around, spinning a kunai between his fingers. He gripped it in a reverse hold and lunged, aiming for Shennong's temple.
The frontal kunai, the dust, and the flank assassination attempt landed almost simultaneously. Even a typical Jonin would struggle to find time to weave signs against such a rapid assault.
Hidan and Mei stood frozen in shock. They never expected Ren to strike the doctor who had just healed him so decisively.
However, facing this composite attack, Shennong merely shook his head. A violent surge of air erupted from his body.
[Forbidden Jutsu: Body Revival]
[Forbidden Jutsu: Eight Inner Gates - Sixth Gate of View: OPEN!]
He tilted his head to dodge the frontal kunai and raised his hand, flicking a finger.
BOOM!
A sonic boom erupted from his fingertip! A gale-force wind slammed into Ren like a heavy sledgehammer, sending him flying backward instantly.
Subtitles appeared before Ren's eyes:
[CLANG!]
[You boldly clashed with Shennong, leader of the Sky Ninja. You obtained a random skill: Forbidden Jutsu: Body Revival (Proficient, S-Rank, Incomplete)]
[Your Heartsteel stacks have increased.]
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Ren bounced across the ground several times, carving a long trench in the dirt.
"Puh! Agh!" He coughed up a large mouthful of blood. He felt as if his internal organs had been shifted by that single blow. Compared to the top-tier powerhouses of the current era, he was still too green.
However, before Ren could even react, a large hand landed on his chest. A brilliant green glow lit up—the Mystical Palm Technique, a high-level medical ninjutsu—slowly realigning Ren's displaced organs and sealing the internal ruptures.
This left Ren completely bewildered. Uncle, if you're going to hit me, just kill me in one shot, okay? Why hit me and then heal me? What's the point?
He looked at the calm Shennong and asked bitterly, "Why?"
"Why what?" Shennong arched an eyebrow.
"Why didn't you kill me? Why save me again and again?" Ren stared at him, his eyes cold.
"Do you care if an ant throws a punch at you?" Shennong shook his head and sighed. "If you want a reason... perhaps seeing you all reminds me of the past. I also have a home I want to return to, but can't..."
"Is that so?" Ren knew he was talking about the Sky Village destroyed by the Leaf. It was because his home was destroyed that this man was obsessed with gathering power for revenge.
Ren spat out a breath and slapped Shennong's hand away, stopping the healing. He glared at the man and let out a cruel smile:
"I'll believe you for now. But if you dare lay a hand on those two, I will make you die a miserable death! Believe me, I keep my word."
The Body Revival technique was similar to Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred, allowing constant healing. However, unlike the Strength of a Hundred which uses stored chakra, this technique consumes life force—hence its classification as a Forbidden Jutsu.
With this skill combined with his Fire Style: Chakra Mode, Ren estimated he could squeeze out an extra five seconds of combat time.
In five seconds, under that god-like power, it would be enough to tear through the Ancor Vantian, the incomplete Zero-Tails, and Shennong himself.
"Heh." Shennong said nothing, dismissing Ren's words as mere bluster.