A burst of chakra tore through the air, violent and sudden, like a scream of pure energy. The ground trembled, and Ren was hurled with uncontrollable force, slamming violently into a tree. His breath caught, pain spreading through his body like a wave.
One hour earlier
Ren observed the seals drawn on the ground with precision, the chakra flowing through them like a delicate luminous weave. He was experimenting with new Fuinjutsu techniques, focusing on barriers and concealment seals. Far from the village, he felt free to test ideas that had come to him to enhance the security of the hidden laboratory in the shop's basement.
The golden light of late afternoon filtered through the trees, barely breaking the monotony of the mist. "Maybe with a tweak to the lateral flow," he murmured, bending down to examine a spot where the seal flickered slightly. A satisfied smile crossed his face when the barrier's aura stabilized.
"That's enough for today," he muttered to himself, carefully stowing his tools and seals into his containment scroll. His mind briefly wandered to home, to the comfort of a warm meal and the tranquility of his small room. But just as he turned to leave, a ripple passed through the air.
At first, it was faint, almost imperceptible. But within moments, it transformed into a wave of pressure that made his skin crawl. Ren froze, his heartbeat quickening. This chakra—wild and immense—sent chills down his spine. It wasn't just powerful; it was a wave of chaos ready to engulf everything.
"What the hell..." he whispered, instinctively placing his hand on his tanto.
The sensation intensified, a strange vibration making him pause. Maybe I should just leave, Ren thought as his gaze wandered into the mist, which seemed to call to him. But curiosity propelled him forward, one step at a time. "This isn't normal... What could it be?" he wondered, his heart beating faster with every step.
When he reached a clearing, his eyes widened. Before him stood two figures. One was a ninja he didn't immediately recognize—Harusame—cloaked in a mantle. Only after a moment did he place him: he'd seen him once at the village kiosk, a man of few words, seemingly always lost in thought. His cold, analytical eyes observed every movement carefully, while his dark hair, tied in a ponytail, fluttered lightly in the chakra turbulence. His hands formed a series of seals with precision and urgency, his gaze fixed on the unstable aura surrounding the other figure, none other than Utakata. But something was off. The jinchūriki's body trembled violently, his face contorted as he struggled to contain the furious power of the Six-Tails within him. The chakra pulsed irregularly around Utakata, forming a chaotic aura that distorted the air.
Harusame's sharp gaze fell on Ren, and his voice shattered the tension. "Get out! Now!"
Ren's instincts screamed at him to run, but his body seemed frozen in fear. I've made a mistake. I need to escape, now! he thought, panic rising within him like an uncontrollable fire. Before he could move, Utakata roared with a primal sound, and the air became unbearably heavy. Harusame placed a seal on Utakata's chest, but the bijuu's influence exploded violently in defiance.
"No!" Harusame shouted, frantically forming another seal, but it was too late.
A condensed sphere of energy—a Bijuu Dama—formed in front of Utakata. Its crackling energy lit up the clearing with a sinister glow before being unleashed. The attack ripped through the air, heading straight for Ren.
Adrenaline surged through his veins, and Ren moved instinctively, leaping to the side in a desperate attempt to dodge. The Bijuu Dama veered slightly off course, weakened as Harusame's seal tightened its grip on Utakata. The sphere detonated in the distance, but the shockwave was immense, hurling Ren far away.
The world spun as his body slammed into a tree. An explosive pain shot through his back, and the air was torn from his lungs. Darkness crept into the edges of his vision as he collapsed to the ground, the echo of the explosion still ringing in his ears.
" I am fading?" he wondered, a desperate thought slicing through him like a blade.
Meanwhile, in Kirigakure
Ao walked beside Mei through the mist-shrouded streets of the village. Suddenly, he stopped, his gaze lifting to the horizon. A devastating pressure of chakra rippled through the air, an energy so intense it made the ground beneath his feet tremble.
"Mei, stay here," he said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Without waiting for a response, Ao moved quickly, heading toward the source of the terrifying chakra explosion.
In the Mizukage's tower, Yagura rose from his desk, his face impassive but his eyes sharp. "There's a chakra disturbance north of the village," he said to an ANBU team awaiting his orders. "Investigate immediately and report back with every detail."
Ren, still lying on the ground, struggled to breathe. "No, it can't end here" he whispered through clenched teeth, gripping the earth with trembling hands. "I have too much left to do."
He couldn't allow it to end like this.
With one last effort, he pulled a containment scroll from his pocket. Shaking, he retrieved a syringe: a prototype he had developed in the laboratory for emergencies. "Better than nothing," he thought, observing the transparent liquid inside. The condensed adrenaline had never been tested in real conditions, but now there was no choice. Gritting his teeth, he injected it directly into his arm.
A sharp pain coursed through his body, followed by a surge of energy. His heart pounded in his chest, and his breathing became rapid and irregular. His eyes widened as a newfound clarity overtook him, but his body still trembled, his legs unsteady. "This isn't a cure," he told himself, standing slowly. "But it's enough to keep going."
Determination burned in his eyes. Whatever was happening, it wasn't over yet.
With his mind now sharpened by adrenaline, Ren began running in the direction of the village. Each step was painful, but the need to reach safety overpowered everything else. The mist seemed to thicken around him, and time blurred into a confused whirl.
At one point, he felt something behind him. His breath caught, and a surge of fear made him glance briefly over his shoulder. He saw only shadows moving indistinctly in the mist. A shiver ran down his spine as he quickened his pace.
"Stop!" a distant voice called, but he couldn't make it out. His body, pushed to its limits, ignored the warning, continuing to run until his legs gave out. He collapsed to the ground, panting, his eyes refusing to fully close. Before him, a familiar silhouette appeared.
It was Ao, his face tense and his breathing heavy. "Boy... you need help," he murmured, approaching cautiously. Ren tried to say something, but the words died in his throat as consciousness abandoned him.
It wasn't long before a few ANBU arrived, their masks gleaming in the dim light. Ao turned to them, his face serious and his gaze piercing. "The source of the chakra was in that direction," he indicated precisely, "but now it seems to have dissipated. Check the area immediately and report every detail to me."
One of the ANBU stepped forward. "What kind of threat are we dealing with?"
"We don't know yet for certain, but the chakra I felt was extraordinary," Ao replied, continuing to tend to Ren. "Search the area now and report back to me."
Another ANBU moved closer, observing Ren carefully. "And who is this boy? What is he doing here?"
"I know him; he's from the village," Ao replied firmly. "But I don't know why he was here. Right now, the priority is to save him."
As the ANBU headed in the indicated direction, Ao leaned over Ren, lifting him carefully. "Come on, boy, you can't leave us now," he murmured, his voice firm but tinged with rare concern as he began carrying him toward the village hospital.
Harusame knelt beside Utakata, his breathing labored and his mind racing. Before him, the jinchūriki's still body seemed too fragile to contain the devastating power of the Six-Tails. The seals applied to Utakata's chest glowed faintly, indicating they were working. The Six-Tails' chakra had receded, and the area around the clearing had returned to an eerie silence.
He took a moment to steady himself, running a trembling hand through his hair. This bijuu is too much of a burden for him, he thought, his gaze fixed on Utakata's exhausted face. The image of the boy he had seen earlier—Ren—flashed through his mind, and a sense of guilt struck him hard. Did he survive?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps. Within moments, an ANBU squad emerged from the mist.
One of them, with an authoritative voice, asked, "What happened here?"
Harusame stood slowly, maintaining a calm but firm tone. "During training, Utakata suddenly lost control. I applied the seals to contain him, and he's now stable."
The ANBU exchanged glances, nodding. "Do you need help returning him to the village?"
"No," Harusame replied, shaking his head. "But there was a boy... he was here just before. I don't know if he survived the explosion."
One of the ANBU stepped forward. "Ao has already found him. He's taking him to safety, but we don't know if he'll make it."
Harusame closed his eyes for a moment, another burden adding to his already overwhelming sense of responsibility. "I see. Report to Yagu... the Mizukage on Utakata's condition. I'll take him back." The ANBU nodded, quickly disappearing into the mist to carry out their orders.
In a cave far from the village, two figures lay in shadow. Obito Uchiha, his face masked, turned to Zetsu, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "As a first experiment, it didn't go badly."
Zetsu, his dual voice intertwined, responded, "The Six-Tails reacted as expected. But it might attract too much attention."
Obito let out a low, cold laugh that echoed in the cave. "Every pawn has its role," he said with icy calm. Then, fixing his gaze on the fading vision, he added, "Let's continue. The game has just begun."
[ Hi there! Ito-kun here ^.^ Happy New Year!!!
Thanks everyone specially Jayroy_63, ao2_6309, Overlord_Of_KARMA, ZoraFN , Daoistninewinds, Malar, AKIB19 and Miguel_024!
let me know what do you think in the comment and remember about the Power Stones, these are the motivation for my work :)]