"It's just ahead."
Ren and Minato Namikaze hurried along, and when they were still some distance away, Ren motioned for Minato Namikaze to stop. They were already very close, and getting any closer would risk being discovered by the warring parties.
Ren knelt down, lightly touched the ground with his fingers, closed his eyes slightly, and activated his Perception Ninjutsu.
"There are eight people in total on both sides, with equal numbers. For now, it seems to be a stalemate."
"Is that so…?"
Minato Namikaze narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then nodded to Ren.
"Be careful. Let's get a little closer and observe. Remember to conceal your presence."
"Understood."
They were now far from any towns, in a hilly area. Under the cover of the rain, the two soon arrived behind a slope. From there, they could clearly see the two warring parties.
"It's the Sunagakure."
Ren and Minato Namikaze exchanged glances, both instantly recognizing one of the parties as Sunagakure. There was no mistaking it; the two puppets were simply too conspicuous. After all, most of the Ninja World's puppet masters originated from the Hidden Sand Village. Thus, the identity of this group was practically confirmed.
Just like them, it was a reconnaissance squad dispatched by Sunagakure.
As for the other side, seeing the rain Ninja headbands worn by several individuals, Minato Namikaze initially surmised that the Sunagakure reconnaissance team had been detected by the rain Ninja, leading to the fierce engagement.
However, when Ren saw those individuals, his pupils suddenly constricted, and it took him a while to regain his composure.
"Are you alright, Ren?"
Minato Namikaze looked at the somewhat distracted Ren and asked in a low voice.
"I'm fine, Minato Aniki."
Ren shook his head, but when he looked at those people, he couldn't help but complain.
This world is too small; he could just be wandering around and still run into these famous individuals.
Following Ren's gaze, four young people wearing rain Ninja headbands were locked in a fierce battle with the Sunagakure. The leading young man had orange hair and a calm, composed expression. His excellent Water Style Ninjutsu kept the opposing Sunagakure at bay, preventing them from getting close.
"Paper Style: Paper Shuriken!"
A sharp cry came from beside him. A beautiful woman with blue hair tied in a bun and blue eyeshadow at the corners of her eyes manipulated numerous Shuriken made of white paper, sending them flying towards the opponents. Although their power was somewhat reduced due to the rain, their unpredictable angles and sheer number gave the Sunagakure a considerable headache.
As for the remaining two, they quietly provided support from the side. After all, with their Chunin strength, they truly weren't suited for an offensive role.
Just then, a man approached his leader and said something, after which the orange-haired man's face showed a hint of surprise. He then subtly glanced in the direction where Minato Namikaze and Ren were hidden. Following another round of Ninjutsu clashes, he led his group to retreat.
Seeing them retreat, the Sunagakure did not choose to pursue their advantage but instead stood their ground, vigilantly watching the other side to avoid a surprise attack.
"Friends over there, come out."
The orange-haired man ignored them and instead turned his head towards where Minato Namikaze and Ren were hiding, shouting loudly.
The two exchanged glances, surprised to have been discovered. Minato Namikaze nodded, ultimately choosing to reveal themselves and engage with the two groups.
After all, with their strength, even if everyone present attacked together, they would not be a match. So, there was no need to worry too much.
As the two approached, before they could even speak, one of the Sunagakure pointed at Ren and shouted.
"Hoshimi Ren! These two are Konoha Ninja!"
Ren: ???
Ren was a bit dumbfounded. What was going on? Was he that famous now? He hadn't even given his name, and yet he was recognized.
"Uh, you probably have the wrong person…"
Ren still wanted to salvage the situation, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the same Sunagakure from earlier.
"Wrong person, my ass! I'd recognize that face even if it were reduced to ashes!"
The Sunagakure glared at Ren through gritted teeth, then suddenly turned, lifted his clothes to reveal his back. Apart from the Sunagakure's companions, everyone else collectively gasped.
What kind of back was this? There wasn't a single patch of unblemished skin. Half was waxy white, half was charred yellow, and the surface skin was shriveled like wrinkles, as if all its moisture had been completely drained. Various scars were scattered across it.
It was simply horrifying to behold.
"All these injuries on my body are thanks to you!"
The Sunagakure snarled as he lowered his clothes, as if he wanted to glare Ren to death.
"You're talking nonsense!"
Although Ren was somewhat surprised, he quickly reacted and retorted directly.
"If I'm not mistaken, these are the after-effects from when I fought your Sunagakure's Ye Cang, right? Logically, Ye Cang should be half responsible too, shouldn't she? No, logically speaking, on the battlefield, life and death are up to fate. You should be happy you didn't die by my hand. What, you couldn't beat Ye Cang so you came to pick on me, thinking I'm an easy target? Who gave a Chunin like you such confidence?!"
"You!"
The Sunagakure, whose true feelings had been exposed by Ren, immediately turned ugly and took two steps forward, glaring furiously at Ren.
That's right, he was just a small Chunin. How could he dare to provoke a Bloodline Strong like Ye Cang? He could only transfer this hatred onto Ren, because in his eyes, Ren was much easier to get revenge on than Ye Cang.
"Enough! Retreat!"
Just then, the leading Sunagakure Captain coldly shouted, interrupting him. Unwilling, he could only return to his team, clenching his fists and remaining silent.
"Retreat!"
At the captain's command, the Sunagakure began to withdraw from the battlefield. The current situation no longer warranted fighting, and besides, their purpose here was merely reconnaissance for troop deployment later, not to fight to the death with others. Although they couldn't win anyway…
After watching all the Sunagakure leave, the gazes of the remaining individuals converged on each other, constantly sizing each other up. No one spoke first.
Finally, the orange-haired youth leading the other group made a move. He stepped forward two paces and, with a serious demeanor, spoke to the two.
"Hello, Konoha Ninja. My name is Yahiko, and I am the leader of the Akatsuki Organization!"
He then moved aside to reveal the three people behind him, introducing them seriously. The three stood in place and nodded to the two, signaling their greeting.
"They are my comrades!"
"Akatsuki Organization…"
Minato Namikaze began to ponder. In his memory, among the many factions in the Land of Rain, there seemed to be no such thing as the Akatsuki Organization. It must just be some obscure, unknown small organization.
Although he thought this, Minato Namikaze still politely responded to Yahiko.
"Hello, I am Minato Namikaze, a Konoha Ninja."
"He is…"
"I'll do it myself, Minato Aniki!"
Ren took over from Minato, looking at the familiar figures before him, feeling a surge of emotion.
"Hello, Akatsuki Organization, I am…"
A smile appeared on Ren's face as he softly said,
"Hoshimi Ren!"