Chapter 65: A Real, Living Cursed Spirit
Once he settled beside Renji, who was lounging in the hot spring with an air of total relaxation and comfort, Naruto turned to him and couldn't suppress a spark of curiosity rising in his chest.
So, he blurted out the question. "Renji, aren't you even a little curious about peeking over there?"
Renji slowly cracked open his eyes at the query, meeting Naruto's gaze steadily.
Truth be told, back when he was just cosplaying as a regular person in earth, sure, he'd have been burning with curiosity about such forbidden thrills.
But now that he had fully transformed into a real, living cursed spirit — with all the powers that came with it — that shallow curiosity had completely vanished, leaving behind not even a trace of desire or temptation.
He now possessed the power to reshape and manipulate the human body at will, molding it into countless forms and variations.
In light of that godlike ability, any mundane curiosity about the opposite sex's secrets had long faded into irrelevance.
Through endless rounds of experimentation and hands-on practice, he'd already unlocked a comprehensive, crystal-clear understanding of the human body's mysteries—no need for sneaky peeks when you could engineer perfection yourself.
Renji shook his head firmly, signaling his total lack of interest in the matter.
"So amazing, man!" Naruto stared at Renji with pure envy shining in his eyes, filled to the brim with genuine admiration and awe for his friend's unflappable composure.
He couldn't hold back an exclamation. "Renji, you're seriously incredible! I wish I could be just like you, all cool and unbothered!"
Hearing Naruto's heartfelt praise, a complicated mix of emotions flickered across Renji's eyes—pride tinged with a subtle pity.
If Naruto were truly like him, devoid of those fiery desires and impulses, he probably wouldn't find much joy in life at all!
That desireless state was downright pitiful, a hollow existence compared to the vibrant chaos Naruto embodied.
…
Night eventually blanketed the land, wrapping the entire hot spring inn in a tranquil, serene atmosphere that invited deep rest after the day's trials.
For once, Kakashi revealed a surprisingly generous side, stepping up without hesitation.
Fresh from the hot springs' comforting embrace, he treated the whole Team 7 to an extravagant seafood feast, plates piled high with fresh catches from the sea.
The moment Naruto caught wind of this rare treat, excitement exploded through him—he nearly drooled right on the spot, his mouth watering uncontrollably.
He eagerly claimed a spot at the dining table, eyes glued to the mouthwatering spread of dishes, mentally mapping out his attack plan to devour every last bite.
"Kakashi-sensei, can we really chow down on all this goodness without holding back?" Naruto asked, still half-disbelieving his luck, fearing it might vanish like a fleeting dream.
After all, Kakashi-sensei's legendary stinginess was infamous across the village—everyone knew it.
So this sudden lavishness was a total shocker, raising eyebrows and whispers of suspicion.
Was there some hidden conspiracy or catch lurking behind this generosity?
"..."
Kakashi simply nodded with a warm smile, confirming it was all real and on the house.
Today's Kakashi was bordering on excessively generous, which made Renji shoot him another sidelong glance, trying to read the intent behind it.
Catching Renji's scrutinizing look, Kakashi responded with a meaningful, cryptic smile that spoke volumes without words.
"Alright! Dig in time!" Naruto snatched up his chopsticks with zero patience, diving in headfirst and shoveling food into his mouth at breakneck speed.
Sakura, beaming with delight, clasped her hands together in gratitude before joining the feast, savoring each flavorful bite.
Sai, true to form, kept his face a blank, emotionless mask throughout.
"Wow! This meal is straight-up legendary—absolutely amazing!" Naruto declared with sincere gusto between massive mouthfuls, his voice muffled by seafood. "Man, how awesome would it be if every single mission came with feasts this delicious and over-the-top?"
Sakura nodded vigorously in agreement, her eyes sparkling with the same wishful thinking.
Kakashi crushed their daydreams without mercy. "Don't get your hopes up—treats like this are few and far between, not the norm."
Naruto let out a helpless sigh at the reality check but wasted no time, burying his face back into the food pile with renewed vigor.
"I'm stuffed to the brim!" Naruto patted his now-bulging belly, which protruded like he was eight months into a pregnancy, proudly showing it off to Renji sitting right beside him.
Renji couldn't fathom why anyone would want to stare at such a ridiculous, inflated gut, so he just blinked blankly at Naruto, caught off guard.
Under Naruto's eager, expectant stare, Renji finally played along, giving the belly a light pat like bouncing a ball, then delivered the line just as wished. "Whoa, it's so big!"
"Hehe!" Naruto grinned triumphantly, fully satisfied with the reaction.
Renji: "..."
This guy's acting like he's got some kind of illness—totally hopeless.
…
Early the next morning, as the first rays of dawn pierced the horizon, sunlight spilled gently around the hot spring inn, painting a peaceful, idyllic scene of calm and renewal.
Nestled amid rolling mountains, the inn was surrounded by dense, lush trees swaying in the breeze, with a crystal-clear stream babbling nearby, and the air thick with a fresh, invigorating scent that cleared the mind.
Sai perched quietly by the stream's edge, fully focused and absorbed in the drawing taking shape on the paper before him, his brush moving with precise, deliberate strokes.
Sakura's voice drifted from behind him, breaking his concentration slightly. "Are you sketching something out here?"
Sai turned his head just a fraction, fixing Sakura with his usual blank, expressionless stare, and replied in a cold, detached tone. "Is there a problem?"
Intrigued, Sakura stepped closer, her eyes dropping to the drawing paper gripped in Sai's hand.
To her surprise, the figure captured on the page was none other than Renji, depicted in a sound asleep pose, peaceful and vulnerable.
Sakura let out an involuntary exclamation. "You're out here drawing? I figured you'd be capturing the natural scenery around us. Never thought it'd be Renji—and from memory, no less, without even looking..."
Her voice faded as she traced Sai's line of sight, spotting a scenic pond nearby.
And across the pond's opposite bank, Renji's room came into clear view.
The massive floor-to-ceiling window offered an unobstructed panorama of Renji's sleeping form sprawled on the tatami mat inside, utterly exposed.
"You!" Sakura's brows knitted together in tight fury, and in that instant, the full picture snapped into focus for her.
Sai had been secretly sketching Renji from this spot all along.
Moreover, he'd scoped out this prime vantage point deliberately, ensuring he could observe Renji in perfect, uninterrupted detail.
"It's nearly time to hit the road and leave!" A distant voice called out, urgent and impatient.
"Kakashi-sensei sent me to round you two up!"
It was Naruto, his face twisted in clear dissatisfaction as he emerged behind them, hands on hips.
Naruto strode over while speaking, closing the distance quickly.
In that moment, his peripheral vision snagged on the figure immortalized in Sai's drawing.
"Hey!" Naruto bellowed at the top of his lungs, his tone exploding with raw anger and deep displeasure.
"You sneaky guy!"
"You're out here secretly drawing Renji like some creep?" Naruto's eyes bulged wide, and he lunged forward, seizing Sai's collar in a vise-like grip, knuckles white with rage.
Sai, unfazed, merely curved his lips into a slight smile and countered coolly. "What's the issue with that?"
He showed zero concern for Naruto's interrogation, his expression even carrying a smug undercurrent, like he was reveling in the provocation.
"I've been drawing Renji ever since we were kids, and Renji's fully aware of it—he's cool with it."
At that revelation, Naruto ground his teeth hard, rage churning like a vortex in his chest.
This damn guy always pulled stunts like this, flaunting his so-called special bond with Renji to rub it in everyone's faces, deliberately excluding the rest of them.
"What the hell are you all doing over there?" A questioning voice rang out from nearby, drawing their attention to Renji and Kakashi standing on the stone bridge arching over the stream, their gazes locked intently on the trio below.
Naruto released his hold on Sai's collar with a shove, shot him one last venomous glare, and then bolted toward Renji at full sprint.
"Nothing important!" Naruto yelled back over his shoulder as he ran.
Renji watched Naruto charging toward him, a soft smile curving his lips in amusement at the familiar antics.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1000!]
[Chakra (72,457,500 / 100,000,000)]
Sai stared at the radiant, dazzling smile gracing Renji's face, a pang of something sharp twisting inside him.
"Thank you for your patronage—please come again soon!" The young lady at the inn's entrance called out politely as their group departed, waving them off with a warm farewell.
Afterward, Kakashi directed everyone to alter their route temporarily, veering off the original path for strategic reasons.
Night descended once more, and the team gathered around a crackling bonfire, flames dancing high and casting flickering shadows on their faces.
"Didn't Lord Hokage mention something key?" Kakashi shattered the heavy silence abruptly.
Sakura lifted her gaze to Kakashi, confusion clouding her features.
"The intel Sakura picked up is almost certainly a trap laid out for us," Kakashi elaborated, his tone grave.
"The Akatsuki Organization is highly likely setting up an ambush right at Tenchi Bridge, and their primary target is none other than Naruto—drawing him out into the open."
"Sakura, I've got a few questions specifically for you," Kakashi continued.
Sakura nodded faintly, her face turning serious and resolute. "Sure, no issue at all—fire away."
"You're the only one in our group who's actually clashed with Sasori in battle and seen his true face up close. Sure, we've got reports from Hidden Sand Village, but I need your firsthand take on his words, actions, mannerisms—everything to paint the full picture."
Kakashi aimed to extract every scrap of useful detail from her memory, hoping it would tip the scales.
Sakura drew in a deep breath, steeling herself, and dove into recounting the intense battle with Sasori, piecing together his image step by step from the chaos of that fight.
Kakashi nodded pensively, absorbing it all. "My plan is to disguise myself as Sasori and infiltrate that location myself."
Sakura's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Ah, got it now. If Sasori doesn't show up as expected, the enemies probably won't reveal themselves either—keeping their guard up."
Kakashi affirmed with a nod. "Exactly, that's the most probable scenario. If the spy we planted near Orochimaru's side fails to appear, this whole mission turns pointless. Without solid leads on Orochimaru and Sasuke, we can't proceed to the follow-up operations. It'd just be a massive time sink and resource drain."
A trace of helpless frustration colored his voice, underscoring the stakes.
After a brief pause for thought, Kakashi outlined further. "When the time comes, I'll impersonate Sasori and make the approach. The rest of you hold position and stay hidden. Once the target's confirmed, we strike fast and hard. Key point: Maintain absolute vigilance at all times—don't give them any inkling that something's off, or it all falls apart."
Sakura nodded firmly, signaling her full grasp of the strategy.
Kakashi pressed on. "Good, now let's break down the mission's core objectives in detail."
Sakura and Naruto leaned in, rapt with attention, awaiting Kakashi's directives.
"Our main goal is to capture the mission target alive and unharmed if possible—no injuries or kills. Killing him means losing a vital intel source that could unravel bigger threats. That makes this op way trickier than just taking down an enemy in a straight fight."
"I'll handle the lure and initial capture attempt."
"If things go south for me, you all shift into action to secure him without delay."
Kakashi scanned the faces illuminated by the bonfire's glow. "Let me lock in the team assignments for clarity."
"Sakura pairs with Renji; Naruto teams up with Sai."
At the announcement, a flicker of satisfaction lit up Sakura's emerald eyes.
Yay! Teaming with Renji—couldn't ask for better!
"No way!"
"Absolutely not!"
"I demand to be with Renji!"
"Me too—I want to team with Renji!"
Sai and Naruto protested in perfect unison, their voices overlapping in desperate harmony.
Renji chuckled lightly. "Look at you two—suddenly so in sync, huh?"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1000!]
[Chakra (72,458,500 / 100,000,000)]
----
For every 100 total Power Stones, I'll drop another +1 bonus chapter!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read future chapters early, just search "Demonic_Fiction" on "P4trƐon" (link in the synopsis)