"Die, brat! If this were a few years from now, I'd definitely steer clear of you. But right now, I can kill you effortlessly! Blame your foolish Hokage for sending a genius youth like you to the battlefield!"
Ren Kurogane frowned slightly at the crazed Sand ninja before him. It seemed this man harbored a deep-seated hatred for Konoha.
"Human Boulder!"
Vroom, vroom, vroom—!
Choza noticed his teammate was in danger and immediately turned into a meat-ball tank to intercept! Before the Sand ninja could even get close to Ren, he was flattened into a meat pancake.
"Thanks!" Ren said.
"Hehe! We're partners!" Choza grinned. "But Ren, you're being way too low-profile. Look at Minato—he's completely letting loose. He's already taken down nearly twenty enemies!"
"The path of combat is to attack with three parts of your strength and reserve seven," Ren said calmly. "Minato's all-out enthusiasm is impressive, but humans eventually run out of stamina. One mistake at that level could lead to a permanent end."
At that moment, Minato returned to their side, panting heavily. Having overheard Ren, he said nonchalantly, "I know you'll step in to save me at the critical moment, Ren! After all, your strength is far beyond ours."
Ren couldn't help but smile; being trusted like that felt good. However, he didn't skip the necessary warning: "Regardless of whether I can support you, you shouldn't let yourselves fall into desperate situations. If you get used to fighting like that, you won't even know how you died later on."
Minato nodded with a smile. He understood the logic, but that applied when one was alone. With reliable comrades at his back, he felt he could charge forward boldly; his teammates would block any danger coming from behind!
Seeing that Minato was truly exhausted, the group stopped charging into the fray. For the rest of the battle, the four formed a tight-knit squad, protecting Minato while Ren and Shibi dealt with any enemies that dared approach.
With Ren essentially "half-slacking," the skirmish eventually wound down. Ninja from both sides disengaged and retreated behind their respective commanders. Standing behind Tsunade and looking at the gasping, battered shinobi around them, Ren knew the day's slaughter was over.
Sure enough, Tsunade ordered a retreat. The Sand forces, seeing their own ninja were equally spent, followed suit without hesitation.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In an instant, the forest was filled with leaping shadows. Once they returned to the safety of the camp, Minato and the others finally let out a breath of relief.
"I'm dead tired. Going to rest!" Ren said, heading straight for his tent.
After he left, Minato and the others went to wash up, scrubbing the scent of blood from their skin. While they were away, Tsunade entered the tent. Finding only Ren, she didn't beat around the bush.
"That technique you used today... did you develop it yourself?"
Tsunade had witnessed the power of the Rasengan. If that strike hit her directly, even she would be severely injured or killed. If a boy Ren's age had truly invented it, his talent was too immense to be wasted just following her around!
Ren nodded. "Yes, I developed it."
There was no point in hiding it; a simple investigation would reveal the truth. He might as well admit it openly. Yes, I am a super genius!
Though she had suspected as much, hearing the confirmation from Ren's own mouth still left Tsunade stunned. A child fresh out of the Academy had researched a ninjutsu of that caliber!
What is the old man thinking? Giving them to me... I really don't know how to lead kids like this! Tsunade felt a wave of frustration.
She had total confidence in teaching Medical Ninjutsu, but in terms of combat, she hadn't even condensed the Strength of a Hundred Seal yet. Her fighting style relied purely on "Monster Strength," and her finesse wasn't great. What could she possibly teach them?
What if... I just don't? What if I let them do as they please? A bold idea formed in her mind. He can already self-study high-level ninjutsu at his age; he doesn't need me to teach him. I just need to make sure he stays alive!
Just then, Minato and the others returned from washing up. Seeing Tsunade, they all bowed politely.
Tsunade nodded and looked at Minato. "Minato, I heard you're studying Sealing Jutsu with Grandma Mito?"
"Yes. Ren, Kushina, and I have been studying under Lady Mito for quite some time."
I knew it... Tsunade's resolve hardened.
Consequently, the next morning, Ren and his team received no direct orders. When they went to find Tsunade, they were told they were now on "Free Action."
Free Action? They weren't even given a specific objective.
To put it bluntly, she wanted them to slack off safely and avoid dangerous zones. This left Minato and the others with bitter smiles; they hadn't expected to be "free-ranged" after just one day of combat.
"It can't be helped. Our performance yesterday was too bright," Ren said indifferently. "If we went back today, we'd likely be 'specially handled' by the enemy. Still, since we're on free action, can we leave?"
"Probably not? We're assigned to the Wind front. Leaving without permission would make us deserters," Minato said after a pause. "Where do you want to go, Ren?"
"I want to find a place to train!" Ren said as if it were obvious. "Since we don't have missions, we might as well focus on our own growth. It's better than wasting time here!"
Shibi nodded in agreement. Sitting around was a waste of time; he'd rather be at home practicing his clan's secret arts.
The group left the camp to find a secluded spot for training. However, when they returned that evening, they found the camp in absolute chaos. Shinobi were foaming at the mouth, collapsing to the ground with their faces turning a sickly green.
"What happened?" Ren was bewildered. Everything had been fine when they left that morning. How did it turn into this nightmare in a single day?
Seeing a frantic Tsunade, Ren chose not to disturb her and instead found a member of the medical corps.
"We don't know what kind of poison it is," the medic said hurriedly. "In just one day, almost everyone was poisoned. Lady Tsunade is investigating, but the initial suspicion is that the Sand poisoned the water supply."
With that, the medic rushed off. Facing poison, Ren and the others were powerless. However, Ren remembered that Tsunade eventually successfully created an antidote. It was this feat that would force the Land of Wind to withdraw, effectively ending the conflict between the two nations.
It's during this time while Tsunade is researching the antidote that the White Fang becomes the Supreme Commander here, Ren recalled. He kills Sasori's parents, causing the Sand to lose two top-tier powerhouses. That was probably one of the main reasons they surrendered.
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