Ninjas gathering intelligence typically operate alone.
It was unlikely these Sand Ninjas were here to patrol the area.
The new Sand Ninja camp was still quite far from here—no Sand Ninja patrol would reach this location.
In other words, this Sand Ninja squad had just completed a mission and was preparing to return to camp when they unfortunately crossed paths with Hayato Ren.
Just as Hayato Ren raised his long sword, intending to send these Sand Ninjas on their final journey—
His movements suddenly froze.
Hayato Ren stared at the only female Jonin among the Sand Ninjas, falling deep into thought.
That face... it seemed familiar, as if he'd seen it somewhere before.
However, in his previous life, the only Sand Hidden Village ninjas who left a deep impression on him were Pakura—who was betrayed by her own people—and Temari, Gaara's sister.
Where did this person come from?
As Hayato Ren was lost in thought, a handful of sand struck the back of his head.
This immediately triggered his memory of the person's identity.
"Karura?"
That's right—this woman before him was none other than Karura, the future mother of Gaara and Temari.
Karura was quite a remarkable figure. Even decades after her death in the original story, she continued to exert her power to protect Gaara.
Gaara's sand shield didn't come from One-Tail Shukaku—it originated from Karura.
From this perspective, Karura must have possessed a Bloodline Limit that allowed her to control sand.
Hearing Hayato Ren's words, Karura's eyes widened in shock.
She couldn't understand why someone like Hayato Ren would pay attention to her—she was just an ordinary Jonin, nothing special.
Could it be that someone had secretly listed her name in the underground bounty station?
Hayato Ren ignored Karura's stunned expression and instead gave a meaningful glance to Gengar beside him.
Gengar naturally understood his intention and immediately used Hypnosis on the remaining three Sand Ninjas.
The previously motionless Sand Ninjas instantly collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
At this point, Karura finally couldn't hold back. "What do you want?"
Facing Karura's question, Hayato Ren slowly walked up to her.
Then, he reached out with his right hand, gripped her chin, and forced her to lift her head and face him.
"What do I want? Do I even need to ask? I'm from Leaf, you're from Sand—it's not like I'm going to invite you to dinner, am I?"
"Hmph, do whatever you want. Don't think you can get anything out of me."
Karura closed her eyes, revealing an expression of someone ready to die for their cause.
Just then, Karura suddenly felt a chilly sensation on her abdomen.
This uncomfortable feeling forced her to open her eyes.
Then she saw that Hayato Ren had somehow crouched down, lifted her top slightly, and was staring at her navel.
Suddenly, an unprecedented sensation spread from her stomach, causing Karura's expression to instantly turn strange.
Despite being a Jonin, Karura was considered quite senior among the Sand Ninjas.
However, she had never had any intimate contact with the opposite sex.
Being suddenly touched on the stomach by Hayato Ren caught her completely off guard and left her deeply embarrassed.
Fortunately, Hayato Ren's hand only rested there for a moment before he withdrew it.
"Your skin is quite nice. It's remarkable that someone as beautiful as you could come from the harsh environment of the Sand Hidden Village."
Hayato Ren stood up and spoke with a tone of admiration.
Although his words were clearly meant as a compliment to Karura,
she felt a profound sense of humiliation.
Her body had been evaluated by an enemy as if it were an object—this was truly going too far.
Just then, Karura was surprised to discover that she could move her body again.
Eagerly, she attempted to use her Bloodline Limit to bury this detestable man in the yellow sand.
But no matter how hard she tried to activate her Bloodline Limit, not a trace of Chakra flowed through her body.
It was as if she had never trained in Chakra at all.
However, Karura quickly realized what was happening.
She lifted her top and was startled to find an intricate seal pattern on her stomach, one she hadn't noticed before.
Undoubtedly, this seal was the culprit behind her inability to mobilize Chakra.
Karura's expression instantly darkened.
She had never been particularly skilled in taijutsu, and with her Chakra sealed, she retained less than a tenth of her strength.
Escaping from Hayato Ren was impossible, let alone rescuing her three subordinates.
At that moment, Hayato Ren suddenly spoke:
"Lie down."
"Huh? Are you out of your mind?"
His abrupt command was so bizarre that Karura couldn't help but look at him with a puzzled expression.
Could it be that this man had some sort of mental illness?
Ignoring her strange look, Hayato Ren walked over to the unconscious Sand Ninjas and plunged his blade into the stomach of one of the unlucky ones.
With a squelch, as smooth as a hot knife through butter,
the long sword in Hayato Ren's hand slid effortlessly into the man's abdomen.
Gengar's Hypnosis was remarkably effective; even with a gaping wound in his stomach,
the unfortunate man remained in a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking.
Witnessing this, Karura grew frantic.
"You damned bastard, stop this at once!"
As she shouted, she rushed forward, ready to fight Hayato Ren with her life.
Just then, Hayato Ren's voice echoed calmly.
"I don't like repeating myself. If you don't want your comrades to die, do as I say."
Hearing this, Karura fell into deep conflict.
If Hayato Ren intended to kill her, she wouldn't even flinch.
As a Ninja, she had long been prepared to be killed.
After all, those who live by the sword, die by the sword.
But Hayato Ren's threat to her students' lives left Karura trapped in a dilemma.
Reason told Karura that Hayato Ren only wanted to humiliate her.
Even if she obediently complied, Hayato Ren would still mercilessly kill her afterward.
Because the current Leaf and Sand Ninja could be considered mortal enemies.
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