Pocket Hunting Dimension – Edge of the Blackwood Abyss
The sound of crackling flame echoed faintly as Ren stood at the cliff's edge, overlooking the abyss where obsidian trees swayed with no wind. Dozens of shadows knelt behind him—his army, growing with every battle, every kill.
Among them stood several women, each with a faint glow around them—girls bound to him through the Pocket Hunting Dimension. Junko, first and fiercest. Then Sayuri, the scrollkeeper of the Uzumaki ruins. And the newest addition—a wandering Cloud kunoichi he "rescued" after luring her into his realm under the pretense of a shared hunt.
They all had one thing in common now.
Him.
[Pocket Hunting Dimension — Sync Complete: 7 Girls Bound][Dimensional Affinity: Increased Orb Drop Rate for Bonded Partners][Shadow Enhancement: Allies gain 20% of Host's Power Passively]
Junko approached, her newly forged shadow blade sheathed across her back. "The dimension's evolving again. More orbs. Higher beasts."
Ren didn't look at her. "Good. We're just getting started."
He turned to the others.
"I want ten more orbs before sundown. If you're not pushing yourselves, you're slowing me down."
There was no complaint. No hesitation.
Because each of them, slowly but surely, was falling for the storm that was Ren. He didn't coddle them, but he cherished them. He remembered every name, rewarded loyalty with strength, and teased their hearts with just enough edge to make it thrilling.
And for some? That teasing had become an addiction.
Back in the Real World – Outskirts of the Land of Rivers
Ren walked calmly through the remains of a battlefield—a skirmish between rogue Sand-nin and a Konoha scouting party. The scent of blood was sharp.
He knelt beside a female kunoichi with long violet hair, her face twisted in pain. A Sand kunoichi.
"Still alive," he murmured.
She gasped, one eye fluttering open.
"Pakura," he said, lips curling into a grin. "Scorch Release. Dead in canon, but not for me."
[Resurrection Ritual Activated][Conditions Met: Shadow Anchor Available][Shadow Soul Fusion Complete]
Dark smoke wrapped around her, twisting into her wounds. Her body glowed—chakra pulsing violently—before stilling.
Her eyes snapped open.
She gasped, then looked at him, confused. "You… brought me back?"
He held out a hand. "Welcome to the rest of your life. Stick close—and you'll never die again."
She took it.
Not out of trust. But curiosity.
That was all Ren needed.
Later – Hidden Waterfall Village
A caravan passed by, escorted by Waterfall shinobi. Inside sat a noblewoman, barely older than Ren, dressed in silk, her beauty concealed behind a veil.
Ren's eyes flicked to her as he passed by—just a glance.
He didn't need a reason.
He simply wanted her.
And what Ren wanted?
He took.
By nightfall, she was inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension—rescued, wooed, and carefully manipulated. Not cruelly, not violently. But with charm, power, and purpose.
Her eyes widened as she saw the skies and beasts of his world. "Where… am I?"
Ren stood before her, glowing softly under the twin moons of the dimension. "You're where you belong."
[Bond Initiation: In Progress][Affection Growth: Rapid]
She stared at him, breathless. "You're… not like any shinobi I've met."
Ren smiled, taking her hand. "I'm not a shinobi. I'm your future."
Back in Konoha – Hokage Tower
Tsunade slammed the report on her desk. "Another chakra anomaly—this one even deeper than before. Something's happening."
Kakashi stood beside her, reading. "All of them… tied to one name."
Tsunade's jaw tightened. "Ren Uchiha."