Clang!
The Great Sword Samehada, glowing red and wrapped in thick bandages, slammed onto the deck. In the next instant, sharp spikes tore through the cloth, and a grotesque, absurd tongue lolled out from the front of the blade. The sword writhed and rolled across the floor in agony—it no longer looked like a weapon, but a living fish trembling from the searing heat of Ren Uchiha's internal fire.
The sound of the sword hitting the deck was immediately swallowed by a series of sharp, whistling winds!
It was the Hunter-nin, following close behind Fuguki Suikazan. Wearing their characteristic four-water-drop masks, they moved with an eerie lack of emotion, launching lethal strikes toward every vital point.
In a heartbeat, alarm bells rang in Ren's mind.
He felt the sharp focus of killing intent locking onto his throat, temples, kidneys, carotid sinus, and even his... "Little Ren."
Looking up, he saw the Mist Hunter-nin brandishing daggers, whipping water-lashes, throwing kunai, or weaving signs. They attacked as a cohesive unit of ten Jonin, using a unique coordinated striking technique that allowed their individual attacks to reach Ren at the exact same moment.
Fortunately, while their momentum was fierce, there was still a gap between their strength and that of their leader, Fuguki. Ren had struggled to dodge a full-power ambush from an elite Jonin like Fuguki, but these Hunter-nin were a different story.
Ren's eyes flashed with a predatory light. He reached behind him, pulling four shuriken into each hand from his tool pouch.
With a dazzling blur of movement, he threw them. Almost instantly, a kunai appeared in his right hand, launched silently through the shadows created by the moonlight reflecting off the eight shuriken.
Though it had been some time since he'd used it, the Uchiha Style: Manipulated Shuriken Technique was etched into his muscle memory. If his previous mastery represented perfect accuracy, his current Transcendent level of shuriken-jutsu allowed him to create possibilities out of the impossible, using light, airflow, and his opponent's reactions as weapons.
The eight shuriken trailed steel wires from his pouch, crisscrossing in the air to form a simple but deadly net above him.
"!!"
The lead Hunter-nin, a close-quarters specialist wielding a straight-edged blade, felt his pupils contract. If he charged forward, he wouldn't just be turned into a pincushion; he would be shredded by the razor-sharp wires. He tried to swing his blade to parry the shuriken and cut the wires behind them.
But in that darkness, a cold gleam manifested out of nowhere. It bypassed his parry and flashed across his vision, reflecting the moonlight over the sea.
Puchi!
A blossom of blood painted the air. Simultaneously, Ren crushed the deck beneath his foot and lunged forward in a great leap, his hand clamping around the Hunter-nin's throat.
He didn't stop to ask the corpse if it "wanted to dance." Instead, he swung the body around him in a wide arc, using it as a shield. The barrage of ninja tools, two water-whips, and a lunging blade slammed into the corpse.
Mid-leap, Ren kicked another incoming Hunter-nin squarely in the face. As the man's face deformed under the impact, Ren spun sideways, grabbed the man's hand, and forced it into the 'Tiger' sign.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The flickering ball of flame collided violently with a surging water wave. Instantly, thick white steam billowed out, blanketing the deck. The Hunter-nin skidded to a halt, their vision obscured.
"Scatter your chakra! Use the Hidden Mist Technique!" one commanded, seeking to regain control of the battlefield.
However, before they could act, Ren stepped out of the thick fog, still casually gripping the first Hunter-nin's neck.
Fuguki Suikazan's eyes narrowed. He noticed something wrong with Ren's hand. It seemed to be "melting" into the Hunter-nin's skin. As Ren took a deep, satisfied breath, the arm connecting the two glowed a dull, angry red.
Something was being drained from the Hunter-nin and funneled into Ren.
As this happened, the massive gash on Ren's left shoulder—the one carved by Samehada—began to knit itself shut at a visible speed!
This was Sage Transformation: Cell Absorption!
An innate talent of the Sage Transformation, it allowed Ren to absorb the flesh and cells of others, converting them into his own to heal injuries at an incredible rate. It was similar to Madara Uchiha's chakra absorption, though slightly less efficient in terms of raw chakra utility.
"Hah..."
Chakra began to flow through his body once more. The return of his strength brought a smile to Ren's face.
Thump.
He tossed aside the shriveled, desiccated husk of the Hunter-nin and scanned the ten survivors. He exhaled a long plume of white steam, like a dragon's breath.
Ren lifted his head. His Sharingan flared—scarlet eyes with three tomoe circling a star-shaped black cross.
"Are you finished?"
As the veins around his eyes throbbed, his expression turned grim, a cold and cruel smirk playing on his lips.
"Then... let me return the favor!"
Ren raised his right palm. A mark resembling a Black Sun appeared in the center of his hand. Immediately, a brilliant, dazzling sphere of yellow light coalesced there.
This was the Sage Transformation cannon, infused with natural energy and chakra:
True · Multiple Lotus Non-Self Connected Cannons!
Unlike Jugo, who needed to enter a full Level 2 Cursed Seal state and physically manifest muzzles on his body, Ren—who had conquered natural energy and possessed a superior Sage Transformation—could perform this without deforming his body or losing his sanity.
Through the "Black Sun" mark on his palm, he could perfectly control the beam for focused fire, scattering shots, or total omnidirectional evaporation.
On his left hand, a White Crescent Moon mark appeared, representing a different power altogether.
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