Ren kept his breath shallow, melting into the pitch-black alcove of the tree roots.
Outside, the rain continued to hammer the forest floor, masking the soft sound of his shifting weight.
The three Senju scavengers were cautious, but arrogant.
To them, this sector was clear of main Uchiha forces—they expected to find only dead bodies or terrified civilians.
“Nothing here but mud and rot,” one of the junior Senju muttered, kicking a fallen branch.
“Let’s check the ravine and head back to the main camp.”
“Shut up and keep your eyes open,” the leader snapped.
He stepped directly toward the hollow oak tree, drawing a short trench knife to poke through the dense brambles concealing the roots.
The blade cut through the foliage, stopping less than three inches from Ren’s left eye.
Ren didn’t flinch.
He watched the leader’s foot placement through the leaves.
The man’s weight was leaning forward on his right leg, his left hand loosely holding his kunai pouch.
He was completely off-balance for a surprise low-angle attack.
Now.
Ren didn’t leap out with a dramatic scream.
He lunged straight out from the mud like a viper, driving his small body into the leader’s supporting knee.
CRACK!
The leader let out a choked gasp as his knee joint buckled backward under the sudden, unexpected weight.
Before the man could fall or yell to his squad, Ren channeled a sharp burst of chakra into his right hand, driving his chipped kunai upward through the soft tissue right under the leader’s chin.
The steel bit deep into the jawline, piercing straight through into the brain cavity.
The Senju leader went limp instantly, dropping into the mud without a sound.
“Leader?!” one of the scavengers yelled, turning around in shock.
Ren didn’t waste a microsecond celebrating.
He grabbed the dead leader’s steel trench knife and his heavy kunai pouch in one smooth motion, rolling sideways behind the fallen body just as a barrage of shuriken tore through the air where he had been standing.
Thwack!
Thwack!
Thwack!
The iron stars embedded into the dead leader’s back.
“It’s just a kid!
Kill him!” the second Senju shouted, drawing his katana and rushing forward.
Ren crouched behind the corpse, his heart thumping, but his thoughts cold as ice.
Two left.
No chakra techniques revealed yet—they’re pure taijutsu scavengers.
He reached into the dead leader’s stolen pouch and felt the distinct texture of heavy canvas and metallic powder—Smoke Bombs.
Ren pulled the cord with his teeth and slammed the orb onto the chest of the dead Senju.
BOOM!
A thick cloud of grey, choking smoke exploded outward, instantly covering a ten-meter radius in the heavy rain.
“Scatter!
Don’t let him circle around!” the third Senju barked from inside the fog.
Ren didn’t circle around.
He dropped flat onto his stomach, crawling beneath the smoke line near the muddy ground where the air was still clear.
Through the mist, he saw the boots of the second Senju frantically turning left and right.
Ren reached into his stolen pouch, grabbed a handful of explosive-tagged paper scrolls, and slapped one directly onto the heel of the Senju’s left boot.
He kicked off the ground, sliding backward into the brush as he yelled at the top of his lungs, mimicking the dead leader’s voice: “RETREAT TO THE RAVINE!”
The second Senju panicked, spinning around to run toward the command—unknowingly stepping hard on the armed explosive tag.
BOOOM!
A violent flash of fire and shrapnel tore through the rain, blowing the second scavenger off his feet and throwing him into the mud, his lower leg completely severed.
He shrieked in agony, thrashing blindly in the smoke.
The third Senju froze in absolute terror, his weapon trembling.
“What kind of devil child…?”
Out of the smoke behind him, Ren stepped forward quietly, holding the stolen trench knife high.
‘This isn’t just about survival,’ Ren thought, his blue eyes cold and sharp.
‘Every weapon I steal, every combat pattern I memorize, and every drop of chakra control I refine here comes back to Konoha with me.’
He brought the blade down.
[Notice: Wiped Out a Senju Recon Squad][Chakra Control Efficiency Increased by 4%]