Chapter 146: The Enemy in the Shadows
The sound of Ren's footsteps on the damp earth was the only thing breaking the oppressive silence of the forest.
He moved swiftly, his heart cold, his breathing controlled, but the tension was there, palpable.
Then—
He stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
In front of him, Shin.
His body was twisted in an unnatural position, bones visible through torn flesh, his breathing ragged, broken, almost nonexistent.
Ren approached with measured movements, attentive to every detail.
He observed him closely.
His chest barely rose.
He was breathing.
But with difficulty.
He quickly turned towards Shinji.
He was in slightly better condition.
Injured. Severely.
But conscious.
When their eyes met, Shinji opened his mouth with effort.
And with a faint voice, he spoke the truth.
"That… is not Mori Mizuchi."
Ren tensed.
Too strong.
To take down Shinji, who is one of the strongest, and Shin together…
This is no ordinary student, he should be at least at Chunin level, or more.
The pieces instantly fell into place.
There was no longer any doubt.
Someone was behind all of this.
And it was not just a simple Academy student game.
Ren wasted no time.
He knelt beside Shinji and Shin, quickly assessing their wounds.
He had to stabilize them.
He had to be quick.
But—
A distant sound caught his attention.
- - -
At the spot where Zabusa had fallen into the Fuinjutsu trap, the silence was broken by the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps.
A figure emerged from the mist.
An amused smile, but tinged with annoyance.
"And yet I told you to be careful of his Fuinjutsu."
Mori Mizuchi.
Or at least, someone impersonating him.
He approached the trapping seal that held Zabusa.
He observed it for a moment, his expression almost irritated, then, with a precise and swift motion, dispelled the seal with an expert gesture.
The barrier shattered instantly.
Zabusa fell forward, panting, his body still weakened from the previous battle.
But Mizuchi did not seem concerned.
He took out a small black pill, rolled it between his fingers, then tossed it towards him.
Zabusa caught it midair, without hesitation.
"Take it."
Zabusa did not ask for an explanation.
He swallowed the pill.
And in an instant, his body reacted.
His muscles tensed, his breathing stabilized, his fatigue vanished.
His eyes filled with a new fury.
"Go."
Mizuchi gave a faint smile.
"Take your revenge."
- - -
Ren was still tending to Shinji and Shin, his hands moving fast, bandages soaking with blood, but at least they were stable.
Then—
He stopped.
Two presences.
Fast.
They were approaching.
Shinji, who was already beginning to recover, felt it too.
"They're moving."
Ren slowly rose to his feet, his face impassive, but his chakra ready to erupt.
He had already arrived.
The masked man.
Zabusa.
He launched his attack without hesitation, his sword aimed straight at Ren's chest.
But Ren was ready.
So, someone very skilled is helping them… someone managed to break my Fuinjutsu trap. He is a Jonin.
He left Shinji and Shin behind him, raising his blade to counter the attack.
The blades clashed with a deafening sound.
CRASH!
Zabusa pressed with brutal force, but Ren held firm without giving in.
Then—
BZZT!
A flash of lightning streaked through the forest.
Ren saw the attack only at the last moment.
"Tsk."
Too late.
A lightning strike hit him.
- - -
The lightning tore through the forest, a blue flash illuminating the scene for a brief moment.
The energy discharged violently at the spot where Ren had stood just a moment before.
But Ren was no longer there.
And at the point of impact—stood Zabuza.
The electric current coursed through his body, making him convulse violently, smoke rising from the burns left by the attack.
The masked man's body collapsed heavily to the ground, his mask cracking.
And then, with a sharp CRACK—
It shattered into pieces.
Ren looked down at him, expressionless.
Zabuza Momochi.
I knew it.
Mori Mizuchi Reveals Himself
A slow clap echoed through the forest.
The footsteps were controlled, unhurried.
From the shadows, two amused eyes emerged, a grin more akin to a sneer of pure interest.
"I must say, impressive."
Mori Mizuchi.
He stopped a few steps away from Ren, studying him intently.
"We should have chosen you as a candidate."
Ren didn't answer immediately.
His eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing the situation.
He was right, everything had been orchestrated.
But by whom?
He had to find out.
And the only way…
Was to play their game.
"We... should have chosen a better candidate… We...Who ?"
The question fell into silence.
Mori Mizuchi smirked.
"Do you want to join us?"
Ren didn't hesitate.
"Why not."
Mori's expression didn't change.
He wasn't fooled.
"Ah."
A wider smile.
"You're clever, but not clever enough."
Ren remained still.
He hadn't expected his bluff to be seen through so easily, but this confirmed something for him.
Mori Mizuchi was a puppet.
He knew more than he should, but not enough to be the mastermind.
Obito had manipulated someone in power.
And Mizuchi was just following orders.
- - -
A movement.
A heavy, ragged breath.
Zabuza was getting back up.
Again.
Ren didn't give him time to recover.
His fingers moved in a flash, two kunai.
And without hesitation—
HE THREW THEM.
THUNK!
The Kunai embedded themselves in Zabuza's foot joints, preventing him from standing again.
A muffled scream escaped the boy's lips, pinned to the ground, with no way to escape.
Mori Mizuchi sighed theatrically.
"How brutal of you."
Ren didn't answer.
He didn't even turn around.
Zabuza was finished.
He had to focus on the real problem.
From his position, Shinji finally managed to stand.
He was tired, injured, but still capable of fighting.
His voice reached Ren before any other movement.
"Be careful."
Ren listened without turning.
"He mostly uses the Lightning element and Taijutsu"
Ren nodded slowly.
The air grew denser.
Mori Mizuchi's smirk widened.
Sparks of chakra began crackling around him.
And the battle had just begun.
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