Pocket Hunting Dimension – Training Grounds
Kushina stood at the edge of the blackened arena, sleeves rolled up, chakra flaring. Her crimson hair danced in the wind, alive with movement as dozens of shadow soldiers surrounded her in formation.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You call this elite? Let's toughen you up, kids."
With a battle cry, she surged forward—chains of golden-red chakra erupting from her back like serpents. They weaved through the battlefield, wrapping, binding, slamming. Her style was unpredictable—raw force wrapped in brilliant instinct.
From a nearby tower, Ren watched.
Junko leaned over the railing beside him. "She's intense. Nothing like I expected."
"She's fire given form," Ren murmured. "But not just rage. She's… passion. When she loves, she does it with her whole being. That's why she'll lead them."
[Affection Rising: Kushina Uzumaki – 24%][Bond Trait Developing: Matriarch's Command – Shadow Troop Morale Boost When Led by Kushina]
Ren's gaze lingered on her, pride and curiosity flickering behind his eyes.
She didn't know it yet—but every second she spent here, her heart shifted. From the past… to him.
A Distant Cavern – Crystal Bloom Prison
Elsewhere in the dimension, shadow scouts had discovered something strange. A dormant energy chamber, encased in layers of unmelting crystal. Seals long decayed lined the entrance, the air pulsing faintly with forgotten chakra.
Ren stepped inside alone.
At the center lay a woman. Long blue hair spilled over a broken stone dais. Her body was cocooned in crystalline growths—soft pinks and translucent purples. She was breathtaking. Frozen in time.
"Guren," Ren said quietly. "Crystal Release… One of Orochimaru's strongest weapons. And one of his most wasted."
He knelt beside her. The air thickened.
[Revival Ritual Initiating – Guren: Status: Sealed but Alive][Dimensional Overlap Detected – Crystal Release Highly Compatible with Monarch Veins]
He reached out, pressing his palm against the cold gem across her chest.
"Wake up, beauty," he whispered. "You've slept long enough."
A flash of violet light. The crystals cracked. And then—
Eyes opened.
Sharp. Alert. Dangerous.
"Who—are—you?" Guren hissed, instantly shifting into a defensive crouch.
"I'm the man offering you freedom," Ren said calmly, rising. "Not as someone's tool. But as yourself. Strong. Desired. Worshipped."
She blinked. "I don't worship anyone."
Ren smirked. "You will. Not out of fear… but choice."
[Affection: Guren – 5%][Mental Resistance Detected – Moderate][Potential Trait: Crystal Dominion – Crystal Constructs Apply Magical Defense Buff to Shadow Structures]
She looked around, eyes narrowing at the strange stars above. "This isn't Earth, is it?"
"No," Ren said. "It's ours. And I'd like you to stay."
She didn't answer.
But she didn't attack either.
And that was a start.
Back in Konoha – Hokage Tower
Tsunade tapped her fingers against the desk, her expression tight.
"We've lost contact with Mei. Kushina is gone. And intel suggests the Pocket Dimension has expanded again."
Shikamaru spoke slowly. "Ren's… not just seducing them. He's empowering them. Making them generals."
"Exactly," Tsunade snapped. "Which is why we need eyes inside. A spy. A trusted one."
A silence fell.
Then a voice from the doorway:
"I'll do it."
They turned to see Ino Yamanaka—confident, composed, and deadly curious.
"I can get close," she continued. "He doesn't know me well. But I can be… persuasive."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "You'd better be. If you fall for him—"
"I won't," Ino said. But her smirk didn't quite reach her eyes.
[Mission Assigned: Operation Mind Dive – Infiltrate Shadow Vale][Infiltrator: Yamanaka Ino – Infiltration Start: Chapter 17]