Pocket Hunting Dimension – Crimson Hunt Zone
Ren moved with effortless grace through a blood-red forest, the trees pulsing with chakra and the air thick with hostility. A new zone had opened—one he had unlocked by fusing Pakura's revived chakra signature with the Scorch Core orb he'd looted two nights ago.
The creatures here weren't ordinary beasts anymore. They were twisted monstrosities of raw chakra and elemental fury.
Perfect training.
"Pakura," he called over his shoulder.
She landed beside him in a flash, Scorch Release sparking across her skin. "Targets?"
He nodded toward the treeline. "Three flame-drakes. Tougher than Root agents, but not by much."
A grin danced across her lips. She had been a weapon of the Sand. Now she was a queen of fire under his command. She moved with elegance and bloodlust, vaporizing the beasts in a storm of heat and ash.
Ren watched, satisfied.
[Shadow Extraction Successful: Flame-Drake General x3][Shadow Army Count: 81][Bond Status – Pakura: 58% Affection | 43% Loyalty]
She walked back to him, her cheeks slightly flushed from exertion. "You watching my every move, or just the good angles?"
Ren didn't even smirk. "You're beautiful when you burn things."
Her lips parted—caught off guard for once. "You… mean that?"
He stepped closer, shadows curling around his fingertips. "I don't say anything I don't mean."
And he didn't. He wasn't a liar. Just a man who knew exactly what kind of king he was becoming.
Konoha – Hyuga Compound
Hinata sat cross-legged in her room, her Byakugan activated as she tried to meditate. But she couldn't stop thinking about Ren. Ever since his energy had shifted, his chakra growing darker and vaster, she'd felt it—felt him—even across the village.
She wasn't afraid.
She was curious.
Why did her heart beat faster now when she thought of him?
The door slid open. Aiko stood there, arms crossed.
"You still think he's the same Ren?" she asked.
Hinata looked up slowly. "He's changing. But… I don't think that's a bad thing."
Aiko's eyes darkened. "You don't know what he's capable of."
Hinata stood. "And neither do you. But maybe it's time we stop pretending we don't want to find out."
Hidden Dimension – Later That Night
Ren lounged in the twilight grass, orb light drifting above him like stars. His girls were scattered nearby—training, talking, or simply resting in the unnatural calm of the dimension. It was a world he controlled completely.
He ran it like a kingdom.
Junko approached and knelt beside him, tossing him a crystalized orb. "Rare drop from the drake. Looks like a bloodline enhancer."
[Item Acquired: Crimson Flame Essence][Effect: Permanently unlocks affinity for Scorch Release]
Ren grinned. "Good. It's time I started taking the best of everything."
Junko smirked. "You already do."
She leaned closer, breath warm against his skin. "You ever going to stop collecting girls like they're trophies?"
His voice was low. "I'll stop when I find one who doesn't want to be one."
Junko blinked, her cheeks pink.
He rolled onto his back, arms behind his head. "They all stay because I treat them like they matter. Not just pretty faces. They're mine… and I cherish what's mine."
Junko stared down at him, heart thudding.
"Dangerous words," she whispered.
He grinned. "I'm a dangerous man."
Outside the Dimension – Rain Village Perimeter
Konan stood in the rain, silent as ever, her paper wings unfurled as she stared into the horizon.
Something… massive had moved through the dimensional fabric nearby.
A ripple in chakra reality.
And it wasn't Pain.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Ren Uchiha…" she whispered. "You're not from this timeline, are you?"
To Be Continued…