"You truly are good at killing," A said, sincerely.
Ninja cannot avoid killing. A, the Sannin, and all who lived through wars have killed more than Ren.
Why, then, is Ren famous for being good at it?
Because he does it fast and with beauty.
Ren's different vibe and style make even killing feel like an art, a ritual that feels solemn and sacred.
Ren shook his head. "That is a misunderstanding. It is not what I am best at."
"Oh? Then what? Making friends or making money?"
Rumor says Uchiha Ren excels at three things: friends, money, and killing. If not killing, it must be the first two.
"You will know soon."
Ren smiled, gathered full power, and let out a long cry, like dragon and tiger. The sound rolled like lightning and wind, surging toward one side.
Lion's Roar, in some traditions listed among the Shaolin seventy-two arts. In martial tales it is a classic sonic attack.
The shinobi world has sonic techniques too. In the original, Tayuya from the Sound Village excelled at them.
Long ago, Ren had rolled a loadout with Lion's Roar. It was stylish, so he trained it hard, even consulting Orochimaru for experience points.
His current Lion's Roar blends native sonic attacks and genjutsu and is iterated to version 5.6.
The strange, loud dragon-tiger boom detonated at ears. Including three or four jonin, a dozen Cloud elites clutched their heads, minds reeling. The certain death ring cracked open.
"Go."
Ren slapped Shinku and Asuma and Kurenai. Thick, steady force wrapped them like a long, gentle wind, carrying them out of the ring.
"Forget them. Full focus on Tsunade and Uchiha Ren," A said, hard as a bolt of lightning, punching at Ren.
He had misjudged.
The net he thought unbreakable opened in a heartbeat at Ren's roar.
It was brief. But A knew that if Ren had chosen to flee, he could have taken that instant and burst out.
Ren did not flee. He threw his three companions out, like the Second Hokage, Tobirama, choosing to stand last…
Oh, not alone. One Tsunade remained.
Because Tsunade did not go, A decided at once, full focus on Ren and Tsunade.
Kill those two, and letting some fish slip would still make this ambush a roaring success.
Even then, though ordered to focus, the Cloud still sent two or three jonin and four or five genin and chunin to chase Shinku's group.
Without A's order, more would have split off.
Before touching ground, Shinku used the shinobi lightfoot Ren had developed, pushed off in midair, grabbed both kids, and ran without looking back.
A veteran does not posture. The most important thing now was to get news of the Cloud's imminent offensive back to the Leaf.
Kurenai, cradled under her father's arm, cried all the way. Saving the beauty and staying to hold the line is cliché, but truly moving.
Ren glanced at them and turned back. Captain and future father-in-law had not failed him, fleeing cleanly.
With Shinku's speed buffs from lightfoot training, escape looked likely. Good. Ren could focus fully on the fight.
"Worried about others even in a ring of enemies?
No wonder you are Uchiha and still trusted by the Third Hokage."
In an instant, A's fist arrived at Ren's face.
Ren did not hard-tank. He swept an arm around Tsunade's slim waist and used Moonstep Grace v6.3, slipping to the far edge of the ring. He pointed and struck.
Twenty-Four Seasons Godshock Point: Great Heat.
He had just unlocked this art, but Ren's scholarship drove him to develop it fast. He wove genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu into it, customizing each form's upgrades by season.
Awakening of Insects had Lightning Release folded in, and Ren already excels at lightning, so it is one of the strongest single-target forms and the fastest.
Spring forms gained Water and Earth where fitting. Autumn forms Fire and Wind. Winter forms Water and Bright Jade inner power.
Ren does not know Ice Release, but Bright Jade's cold true-qi covers the role.
Summer forms pair with Fire Release. Great Heat is the hottest seasonal term. The form burns hottest.
Ren's finger thrust was a fine line at first, then caught the wind and swelled. By the time it reached the Cloud ring, it had become a lateral pillar of fire three to four meters thick, devouring everyone in its path.
Big area means less single-target punch. Cloud ninja train taijutsu. Their defenses are high.
The form did not kill many outright, but it threw the ring into trouble.
System notice: "Congratulations, host! Top-tier master defeated. Reward unlocked: [Thunder Shower · Dazzling Shot]."
"Fall back. Anyone without refined taijutsu, get behind the line."
A's face went stone-dark. As he issued orders, he flashed at Ren again, respect maxed.
The trained eye sees the work. He knew how strong Ren was, and how grave a threat he posed to the Cloud.
Ren's movement speed had nearly matched A's. Scarier, after opening range, Ren had no lag. He threw a killing form immediately. Smooth.
Most jonin know the Body Flicker. Most use it as dodge or retreat and never weave it into a live combat rhythm.
The normal Body Flicker strains the body. It squeezes past human limits to explode speed for a heartbeat.
It damages, and inertia makes a heavy "lag" on stop, in game terms, an after-cast.
Only those with massive bodies and recovery can weave normal Body Flicker into live combat without lag, like A himself, like Tsunade…
It was clear now: Uchiha Ren is also that kind.
Strong body. Fast. Heavy hits. If he takes the rhythm, he slaughters anyone slower and less skilled at taijutsu.
So yes, he truly is good at killing.
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