Chapter 22: Crossroads

The three boys continued to heap blame onto Kenji, their voices a mixture of fear and resentment. "It's all his fault! He dragged us into this!"

"We didn't want any part of it! We told him to stop!"

"You traitors! Shut up!" Kenji roared from the ground, his face a mess of dirt, blood, and furious tears. The betrayal from his so-called friends stung worse than Sasuke's blows.

"Is that so?" Sasuke said, his voice cold as he withdrew his foot from one boy's back and walked over to loom over Kenji. "You… you already got your revenge on Ren! What more do you want?" Kenji yelled, his bravado crumbling into pure terror.

Sasuke's expression didn't change. "Anyone who insults the Uchiha name will pay the price." He raised his foot and brought it down sharply on Kenji's thigh.

A sickening *thud* was followed by a piercing scream of agony from Kenji.

"Apologize," Sasuke commanded, his voice flat.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!" Kenji shrieked, writhing in pain.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He lifted his foot and stomped down again, harder this time. "Apologize. Say you won't dare to do it again."

"AHH! Damn you, Sasuke Uchiha! I'll kill you! I swear I will!" Kenji's voice was raw.

The surrounding students watched in horrified silence. Some looked away, others whispered pleas for Sasuke to stop. A few ran to find a teacher.

Sasuke ignored them all. He stomped again. "Apologize. Louder."

The pain finally broke him. "I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!" Kenji sobbed, his body convulsing.

Sasuke delivered one final, contemptuous kick. "I said, *louder*."

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!" Kenji wailed, completely broken.

"STOP! What in the world is going on here?!"

Iruka's voice cut through the tension like a whip. He stood at the edge of the training ground, his face a mask of fury and concern. A student had burst into the staff room, breathlessly explaining the fight.

"Sasuke Uchiha! Explain yourself this instant!" Iruka demanded, storming over.

Sasuke didn't even flinch. "They lost to me in the last sparring session. They were too cowardly to face me, so they took it out on my brother, Ren. No one touches an Uchiha without consequences." His tone was matter-of-fact, as if stating a universal law.

"But this is excessive!" Iruka shouted, gesturing at the weeping, injured boys. "This is brutality!"

"They got what they deserved," Sasuke replied, his voice dripping with icy finality.

"You… you insolent…!" Iruka was trembling with anger. "All of you! To my office, NOW!" He bent down and helped a sobbing Kenji to his feet, supporting him as he began to walk away. He glared back at Sasuke. "That means you too, Uchiha!"

Sasuke didn't argue. He cast one last, sweeping glare over the terrified students. "Let this be a lesson. Cross an Uchiha, and you will pay." With that, he turned and followed Iruka, leaving a field of stunned and shaken classmates behind.

The message was received. No one would dare bully Uchiha Ren again.

"Ino, let's go see Ren-kun! I need to know if he's okay!" Ino said, her worry overriding everything else. She grabbed Akane's hand.

"Right! Let's go!" Akane agreed immediately, her own face pale with concern.

"Ino, where are you going?" Sakura called out, her voice laced with confusion.

"To check on Ren-kun! See you tomorrow, Forehead-girl!" Ino called back without stopping, pulling Akane along as they hurried away.

Sakura watched them go, a complex mix of emotions warring on her face—concern for her friend, disapproval of her choices, and a deep, unsettling confusion. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novｅlfire.net

***

Back at the Uchiha compound, Ren, clean and refreshed from his shower, was lying on his futon, deep in thought. He was unaware of the drama that had just unfolded at the academy.

*I'm nine years old now. My strength is probably low Chunin level. With Chidori, the Flying Raijin, and my three-tomoe Sharingan, I might even hold my own against a special Jonin for a short time. But it's not enough. Not nearly enough.*

*To get real revenge on Danzo, to truly be safe in this world, I need to be much stronger. I can't earn points stuck in this village. My growth is stagnating. I need to leave Konoha.*

The risks were immense. Leaving meant forfeiting the village's protection, venturing into a world filled with missing-nin, rival villages, and countless dangers.

*The Chunin Exams are in about two years. That's when Orochimaru will launch his attack on Konoha. The chaos will be the perfect cover for me to act, to earn points, and to escape. By then, I need to be at least Jonin-level. When Sasuke defects to Orochimaru, I can use that as my chance to slip away unnoticed. The village will assume Sasuke took his 'idiot' brother with him. No one will come looking for me. To them, I'm already a lost cause.*

His strategic planning was interrupted by a familiar voice calling from outside.

"Ren-kun! Are you home? It's us, Ino and Akane!"

*Huh? What are they doing here?* Before he could answer, the two girls, knowing Sasuke wasn't home, let themselves in.

"Ren-kun! Are you alright?" they asked in unison, their faces etched with concern as they knelt beside his futon.

"I… I'm fine?" Ren replied, feigning confusion. *Do they know about Kenji?*

"Thank goodness!" Ino exhaled in relief. "That horrible Kenji! I wish I could've punched him myself!"

"It's okay, Ino," Akane said softly. "Sasuke-kun made him pay. He won't dare bother you again, Ren-kun."

*Ah, so that's it,* Ren thought. *Sasuke actually went and confronted them. Thoroughly, by the sounds of it.*

"Ren-kun," Akane ventured cautiously, "are you… are you feeling any better? Do you remember… anything from before?"

"Before? What before? I don't know!" Ren put on his best agitated, confused act. "Why do you always ask me about the past? It's annoying!"

"Uh, it's okay! It's okay! Don't be upset if you can't remember!" Ino backpedaled quickly, shooting a worried glance at Akane.

"Sorry, sorry! We won't ask anymore," Akane added, her voice gentle. "Let's talk about something else, okay? Don't be angry, Ren-kun."

They spent the next hour making light, careful conversation, avoiding any topic that might upset him. When the light began to fade and they heard Sasuke return, they reluctantly got up to leave.

"Bye, Ren-kun! We'll see you later!" Ino said with a bright, forced cheerfulness.

"Take care," Akane added softly.

Ren watched them go, a strange, bittersweet feeling in his chest. *These two… they really are something else.*

He sighed, the weight of his deception feeling heavier than usual. They were waiting for a version of him that, as far as they knew, was gone forever. And he was planning a future that would take him far away from them all.

The path ahead was lonely, and it was paved with secrets.

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