Chapter 129: An Unexpected Guest

A cold sneer was Ren's only response to Sasuke's agonized state. With a swift, precise motion, he swung the Ryūkō Seiun not at Sasuke, but at the base of the two monstrous, burning wings attached to his back. The fiery blade sliced through the cursed flesh with ease. The severed wings fell to the ground, where the azure flames continued to consume them until they were reduced to a pile of blackened ash.

Freed from the searing pain, Sasuke collapsed onto the stone floor, his body shuddering. Sweat poured from his brow as he gasped for air. The gray, bestial hide of the Curse Mark receded like a tide, leaving behind his normal pale skin and dark hair. He was himself again, save for the raw, but already closing, wounds on his back.

Ren stood over him, the flaming aura of his sword dying down as he slid it back into its scabbard with a soft *click*.

"Incredible," Suigetsu breathed, finally breaking the tense silence from the sidelines. "Even without using his Sharingan, the Boss crushed Sasuke in his ultimate form. The gap is just... monstrous."

His commentary was met with silence. Jūgo watched Sasuke with deep concern etched on his simple face, but he remained quiet. Karin, however, could hold back no longer.

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She rushed onto the training ground, completely ignoring Suigetsu, and knelt beside the panting Uchiha. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice thick with worry. Without waiting for an answer, she rolled up her sleeve, exposing the smooth skin of her forearm. "Here, bite me! My chakra will heal you!"

"I'm... fine," Sasuke managed to push her arm away weakly, struggling to push himself up onto his elbows.

"He's right," Ren stated flatly, his voice echoing in the cavern. "My aim was true. The wounds are superficial, and his constitution is robust thanks to the elixir. He'll recover with rest." As he spoke, the twin gashes on Sasuke's back visibly knit themselves together, leaving only faint pink lines.

Physically, he was unharmed. But the psychological blow was devastating. Sasuke's face was a mask of bitter frustration. Three years of relentless training, a power he believed was approaching the summit, and he had still been effortlessly dominated. Ren hadn't even used the Sharingan, let alone the Mangekyō. The chasm between them was not narrowing; it felt wider than ever.

Jūgo and Suigetsu approached. "Sasuke, are you well?" Jūgo asked, his voice gentle.

"It's nothing," Sasuke replied, his tone colder than the cavern air. He finally got to his feet, refusing any help, his pride a fragile shield.

"This concludes today's exercise," Ren announced. "We're done here." He turned and walked out of the training ground, the implicit command for the others to follow clear. They trailed behind him, the atmosphere heavy with the aftermath of the one-sided battle.

Another day passed within the silent stronghold. By noon the following day, there was still no sign of Orochimaru. Just as the group was settling into another stretch of waiting, Ren, who had been meditating in a corner, suddenly opened his eyes.

A faint, predatory smile touched his lips. "Heh. Finally."

Suigetsu perked up. "Boss? Is it the snake?"

"Orochimaru and Kabuto are approaching," Ren confirmed. "And they've brought a guest." He turned his gaze to Sasuke, who was sharpening his blade. "Sasuke. Go and greet them."

Sasuke didn't question the order. He merely gave a curt "Hn" and stood, sheathing his sword and moving silently towards the main entrance of the stronghold.

Once he was gone, Suigetsu turned to Ren. "Aren't we going with him? I thought you wanted to see Orochimaru."

"All in good time," Ren said, the smile not leaving his face. "Let Sasuke welcome them first." Internally, his mind raced. *If the threads of fate still hold, the 'guest' is Sai, Danzō's operative. The old badger's pawn, sent to assassinate Sasuke under the guise of cooperation.*

Ren's knowledge of the future was his greatest weapon. He recalled Sai's profile: a rootless shinobi of Konoha's ANBU Root division, raised without emotion, a perfect tool for assassination. Skilled with ink-based jutsu. A man who would, ironically, later be swayed by Naruto's idealism and even marry into the Yamanaka clan.

The thought of Danzō, the man lurking in Konoha's shadows, the architect of so much Uchiha suffering, sending a child to kill his brother, ignited a cold fury within Ren. It was an insult. A profound disrespect.

Unconsciously, a wave of pure, undiluted killing intent seeped from his body. It was not the controlled pressure he had used in the spar; this was a raw, visceral promise of violence that made the very air in the room grow cold and heavy.

Suigetsu and Jūgo immediately tensed, their hands drifting toward their weapons. Karin gasped, her sensory abilities screaming in alarm.

"B-Boss?" Suigetsu stammered, his eyes wide. "What is it?"

Ren didn't answer. He was too focused on the approaching chakra signatures, and on the shadow of the man in Konoha who dared to threaten what was his. Danzō would learn that sending a tool against an Uchiha was like sending a moth into a furnace.

The interest on his debt was about to be collected.

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