Watching the "pineapple-head" get stuck with a needle, Sasuke seemed to recall something traumatic; he vanished in a blur of speed before Ren could even turn around.
By the time Ren finished drawing Boruto's blood and looked for his next target, he found Sasuke already grinding Urashiki into the dirt in the distance.
"Fast runner."
Ren tucked away the massive syringe and handed a blood-replenishing pill to the pale-faced Boruto. He beckoned to Hikari, saying, "Let's get out of here. The battle that's about to unfold isn't something we should get mixed up in."
Hikari gave him a strange look. "I actually thought you were going to beat him to death yourself~"
"Hardly. I have at least some self-awareness!" Ren pointed toward the battlefield where Sasuke was systematically dismantling Urashiki. "That guy is on a completely different biological plane than us. Don't let my earlier success fool you; that was purely because my abilities are 'broken' enough to challenge higher tiers. But if you truly want to kill him, it's up to those two—specifically, it's up to this kid's ocular jutsu."
Ren shifted his gaze from Sasuke to Boruto. Looking at the boy's unique eye, Hikari felt a spark of curiosity.
"Is that... a Byakugan? By the way, what's that guy over there using? I've never seen those eyes before," Hikari asked, pointing at Urashiki, who was currently "consuming" his own eyeballs to transform.
"You'll find out eventually. It's an incredibly powerful ocular jutsu."
"Vague~"
The two turned and began to walk away, leaving Boruto staring in disbelief.
Wait, were you two always this capricious in your youth? You showed up, did a bunch of stuff I don't understand, and now you're just patting your butts and leaving? And why did you say the key to defeating an Otsutsuki lies with me?
Old Man! At least finish your sentence!
Boruto wanted to call out, but his body felt weak from the blood draw. Before he could act, Ren and Hikari vanished from his sight.
"..." Boruto had a thousand complaints, but no one to vent them to. He eventually turned his focus to Sasuke.
Having consumed his own eyes, Urashiki had undergone a radical transformation. His eyes were now fixed in a golden hue, and a golden Rinnegan had manifested on his forehead. His power had undoubtedly surged to the Six Paths level.
However, he was facing the legendary shinobi who had inherited the Sage of Six Paths' legacy and mastered human Senjutsu. Even in his "King of Chickens" feathered form, Urashiki was little more than a Genin in Sasuke's eyes.
"I was careless before and let you escape through time. This time, I won't give you the chance for petty tricks!" Sasuke's ocular power surged, the Rinnegan in his left eye shifting into the purple Six-Tomoe state.
Instantly, Urashiki felt the surrounding space turn as rigid as steel, pinning him into a microscopic focal point. Moving even a pinky finger became a monumental struggle. It was only then that he realized the sheer scale of the man before him; Sasuke was on an entirely different level than the "blind man" on the moon. Even among the Otsutsuki who had consumed Chakra Fruits, few were Sasuke's match.
"I underestimated you! But don't think you can kill me!" Urashiki spat through gritted teeth.
"Kill you? Of course not," Sasuke sneered. "Ren-sama specifically told us years ago: when facing a pure-blooded Otsutsuki, you seal them. You don't kill them."
Sasuke clenched his hand. Countless boulders surged from the earth, encasing Urashiki in a dense sphere.
Having sealed Urashiki with Chibaku Tensei, Sasuke walked over to the pale, wobbly Boruto. Sasuke slapped his own forehead in frustration. "I forgot to tell you—Uncle Ren was terrifying even in his youth. You should have stayed further away from him!"
"Uncle, why didn't you say that earlier..." Boruto said, utterly speechless. This was the kind of vital intel you lead with!
"My bad, my bad~" Sasuke waved it off. He produced the small mechanical turtle, Karasuki, and infused it with chakra. A spatial portal manifested before them.
"How are we taking that thing with us?" Boruto pointed at the massive five-meter stone sphere behind them, then at the two-meter portal, finally looking at Sasuke.
"Simple!"
Sasuke picked up a small pebble from the ground and tossed it casually into the portal. He triggered his Rinnegan's unique ability, Amenotejikara. In the next instant, the pebble inside the portal swapped places with the massive stone sphere in the sky. The Chibaku Tensei appeared inside the portal's dimension, and the tiny pebble fell to the ground behind them.
"Let's go."
Sasuke led the bewildered Boruto into the portal. The gateway vanished, and the two departed from this era as quickly as they had arrived—almost as if they had only come to deliver research materials to Ren.
Meanwhile, Ren's consciousness was suddenly pulled into a world of crimson. A massive blood-red moon hung in the sky.
Before him stood a stern Hikari. She had activated her Mangekyo and was staring at him intensely. Ren found himself tied to a cross, shivering as he looked at the girl.
Suddenly, the cross behind Ren vanished, and the ropes binding him transformed into a rather scandalous "turtle-shell" bondage harness.
"Oh Hikari, you're so naughty"
"Pfft!"
"Don't talk nonsense! I just pulled your consciousness into this mental space! The blood moon, the cross, and... and that ridiculous thing you're wearing—those are all manifestations of your own thoughts!" Hikari's face was flushed crimson as she gnashed her teeth in embarrassment.
"Nani?!" Ren looked shocked. With a single thought, the environment shifted. The crimson hue vanished, replaced by a clearing with crystal-clear lake water. The strange ropes on his body disappeared. He clasped his hands behind his back and coughed awkwardly. "You know, I've always been a man of integrity!"
Hikari's face was still pink. Seeing Ren's "fake-serious" act, she burst out laughing. "Right. I used to think you were a man of integrity, too. But now I take it back. You're a pervert! A total pervert!"
Embarrassed, Ren quickly changed the subject. "So, what did you want to ask me? Go ahead, I'll do my best to answer."
"Name?"
"Ren Kurogane."
"Mm?" Hikari's brow furrowed. "I said name. Focus on the surname!"
"Kurogane."
"Impossible! I can feel that dark aura of the Uchiha coming off you!" Hikari clenched her fists, looking indignant as if Ren were playing her for a fool.
"My name is Ren Kurogane. Surname Kurogane, name Ren. As for the Sharingan... it's a bit complicated to explain. Just assume I awakened it through extreme 'hard work' and training."
"How can anyone awaken that through 'hard work'?!" Hikari deadpanned. She looked at him seriously. "Truly not an Uchiha?"
"Truly."
Ren looked her in the eye, his expression one of complete sincerity. After staring at each other for a few seconds, Hikari looked away, her tone becoming awkward. "Fine. I believe you."
A smile touched Ren's lips. He stepped closer to her. "So, this is the Tsukuyomi space, right?"
Hikari looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to know the name of this ocular jutsu. But then again, the boy was a walking enigma; knowing about the Tsukuyomi wasn't that strange.
"Tell me your story," Ren said softly. "You're clearly of the Uchiha clan, aren't you?"