Whether it was called theft or accepting nature's gift didn't matter.
Ren had never intended to leave the Dragon Vein to anyone else—and what he'd said earlier wasn't wrong either.
If it stayed here, Sunagakure would keep eyeing it endlessly. In the future, it would even attract that so-called "An Lushan," turning the place into a complete disaster zone.
Since that was the case, he might as well strike first and remove the problem altogether.
At least then, this massive source of power wouldn't be constantly coveted.
After all, this perfectly aligned with Root's creed—
Everything for Konoha.
Of course, this operation wasn't without risk.
Ren had never seriously invested in sealing techniques.
Whether it was Danzō or Obito, none of them had given him the luxury of time to prepare thoroughly.
"Still, Seal Techniques at LV5 should be enough to undo the current seal," Ren muttered, eyes slightly unfocused.
"And what I need to do after that…"
Grab it in one motion. Refine it in an instant.
The wording sounded exaggerated—but functionally, that was exactly the plan.
Whether it was a kekkei genkai, a kekkei tōta, or his ultimate ambition—kekkei mōra—all forms of fusion required chakra on an absolutely absurd scale.
A scale far beyond what normal people could ever produce.
The human body had limits. Not everyone could even generate chakra in the first place.
That was precisely why the ninja world still had so many civilians, and why the Academy screened students every year for aptitude.
Ren, of course, had talent. Otherwise, Danzō wouldn't have dragged him into Root in the first place.
And with his current physical stats, his chakra reserves were already impressive.
On top of that, pushing his chakra level to LV7 didn't just enhance control, efficiency, and recovery—it also increased the raw quantity.
Even so…
Ren still didn't believe his chakra alone was enough to sustain large-scale bloodline fusion.
"After all this is over, I really need to focus on physical stats and chakra," he sighed internally.
"Damn it… free points are still way too scarce."
Physical condition was the foundation.
LV7 physical stats only put him around elite jōnin level.
LV10 was barely Kage-tier.
If he wanted to approach Hashirama Senju's physicality, he'd need LV12 or higher.
And as for the Ōtsutsuki…
"…Let's stay grounded for now."
Ren cut off that train of thought immediately. Thinking further would only give him a headache—and trigger choice paralysis.
Specialization was good, but sometimes adaptability mattered more.
If he hadn't invested in Earth Release, focusing solely on Water Release earlier, he'd have been beaten senseless in previous missions.
And if he wanted kekkei mōra, becoming a well-rounded bucket was unavoidable.
"I'm mostly recovered. I'm starting," Ren said calmly.
"Keep watch for me."
"Don't you need help?" Kabuto asked quietly, adjusting his glasses.
Ren shot him a look.
"…Do you know sealing techniques?"
"I'll handle security."
Kabuto immediately switched lanes. Knowing his limits, he didn't insist. Ren nodded in satisfaction.
Crouching down, Ren carefully examined the sealing formula before him.
But the moment he got close, he sensed something strange.
From within the seal came a muffled, furious surge—as if something was roaring in rage.
Its chakra fluctuations were immense, yet completely suppressed by the seal.
"This is insane…" Kabuto swallowed hard.
"At first I thought it was just wind pressure."
He turned to Ren, unease written all over his face.
"Are you sure you can handle this? Don't screw this up."
"Don't distract me. I know what I'm doing."
Ren did feel pressure—but he wasn't bluffing. He'd already noticed something crucial.
"…Four Symbols Seal. So this is how effective it can be."
After careful analysis, Ren identified the seal unmistakably.
Four Symbols Seal.
The entry barrier wasn't high, but true mastery was extremely difficult.
Minato Namikaze's execution had been brilliant—layered Four Symbols Seals, interlocking in a closed loop that completely locked down the Dragon Vein.
Even more impressive was the feedback mechanism.
If one layer was damaged by the Dragon Vein, the others would immediately suppress it.
The damaged seal could even repair itself using leaked chakra from the Dragon Vein itself.
After all—
The Dragon Vein was pure chakra. Perfect repair material.
"And worst case, he could just teleport back instantly using Flying Thunder God."
Ren glanced at the specially designed kunai embedded nearby and couldn't help but sigh.
The Fourth Hokage had been meticulous to the extreme.
Unfortunately… heaven was jealous of talent.
Killed by his own student, choosing death alongside his wife.
Otherwise, Ren wouldn't even have had this opportunity.
"And thank goodness it's Four Symbols," Ren muttered.
"If it were the Eight Trigrams Seal, I'd be completely out of luck."
That was the seal used on the Nine-Tails. Ren had absolutely no way to deal with that.
"…Alright. Let's begin."
Taking a deep breath, Ren extended a finger. A thin thread of chakra gathered at his fingertip and pressed into the weakest section of the seal.
His sealing skill level wasn't high—but Four Symbols Seal was already categorized knowledge.
And what he needed to do wasn't complicated.
He just had to open a gap.
Let the Dragon Vein clash and consume itself against the seal.
That way, when chakra finally leaked out, it wouldn't explode uncontrollably.
And in that window—
He'd complete his own preparations.
Humm—
The moment the gap opened, violent chakra began to quake.
The flames inside the tower flickered wildly.
A suffocating pressure washed over both Ren and Kabuto.
"You do have a retreat plan, right?" Kabuto asked tensely.
"Relax. I'm not gambling with my life."
Ren nodded, then sat cross-legged beside the seal and slowly closed his eyes.
Kabuto didn't say another word. He scanned the surroundings and began laying traps.
He'd already been dragged into this mess—complaining was pointless now.
Still, he chose to trust Ren.
They'd both been raised by Nono Yakushi.
They were both children of the same orphanage.
And after entering Root, Kabuto understood just how rare—and valuable—that bond truly was.
At this point, the only people he trusted were Nono… and Ren, this utterly shameless bastard.
Meanwhile, Ren began refining the chakra within his body.
Earth Release came first—his most familiar attribute, the one he used most often in combat.
Next was Water Release.
Though terrain often limited its use and he avoided excessive chakra consumption, its level—second only to Earth—reflected his natural affinity.
Finally, he slowly drew out the power of Yang Release.
When all three forces were fully mobilized, Ren began circulating them according to the formula in his mind.
And at that exact moment—
Something went wrong.
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