Chapter 98: The Gilded Cage

The air crackled with the malevolent energy of the Nine-Tails’ chakra. Naruto, now a crouched figure wreathed in a boiling, crimson aura, was a testament to raw, untamed power. A single, whip-like tail of condensed chakra lashed behind him, tearing gouges in the canyon floor with its mere movement. For Shikamaru and Kankuro, struggling to their feet, the sight was one of pure dread—the kind of power that spelled the end of villages.

For Uchiha Ren, it was merely… interesting.

A faint, almost bored smile played on his lips. *A one-tailed transformation. A tantrum from the fox. Hardly worth the effort.* His mind, cold and analytical, was already several steps ahead. The confrontation was a means to an end. From a pocket within his cloak, he produced a small, intricate device of polished metal and glowing seals—the Tailed Beast Chakra Collector.

*Let’s see if the fox is stirred enough for a sample,* he thought.

Across from him, Naruto’s voice emerged as a guttural growl, layered over his own. “You… are not the Ren I knew. You’re just… a traitor.”

“Am I?” Ren replied, his tone light, conversational, as if discussing the weather. “And what do you intend to do about it?”

“I won’t hold back anymore!” the beast-boy roared, the sound echoing off the canyon walls. “I’ll beat you… and drag you back to Konoha myself!”

“Heh. Bold words from a child playing with a power he can’t hope to control. Prove it.”

With another earth-shaking roar, Naruto launched himself forward. The red chakra flared, granting him monstrous strength; each footfall cratered the stone as he closed the distance with terrifying speed, a blur of orange and violent red.

Ren didn’t move to meet the charge. Instead, with a contemptuous flick of his foot, he sent the groaning Shikamaru tumbling directly into the charging path like a human bowling ball.

“Naruto, look out!” Kankuro yelled from the sidelines, his voice strained.

The sight of his friend hurtling toward him broke Naruto’s murderous focus. He skidded to a halt, his clawed hands reaching out instinctively to catch Shikamaru, his momentum utterly broken. In that single moment of distraction, Ren moved.

He was a phantom. One second he was yards away, the next he was directly behind the off-balance Jinchuriki.

“Behind you!” Kankuro screamed, too late.

Naruto barely had time to turn his head before Ren’s fist, empowered by precise chakra enhancement, connected with his jaw. The impact wasn’t just physical; it carried a jolt of disruptive energy. There was a sickening crack, and Naruto was launched sideways, spinning through the air to crash into a pile of rubble.

“Damn you!” Shikamaru, despite his injuries, forced his hands into a seal. “Shadow Possession Jutsu—!”

His shadow stretched out, but Ren was already gone. A sharp kick to Shikamaru’s ribs sent the Nara genius flying again, cutting the technique short before it could even form. Shikamaru hit the ground hard, gasping for air, blood trickling from his mouth. *It’s hopeless,* he thought, his brilliant mind scrambling for a solution and finding none. *His speed… his power… it’s on a completely different level. We’re not even insects to him.*

From the cloud of dust where Naruto had landed, a deeper, more primal growl emerged. The crimson chakra erupted anew, brighter, denser, more volatile. Naruto pushed himself up onto all fours. His features were further distorted—his fangs longer, his nails like claws. The chakra cloak solidified around him, and a second lashing tail of red energy materialized beside the first. The air grew thick and heavy, suffused with the fox’s hatred.

“Two tails,” Ren observed aloud, his voice still calm, though a spark of genuine interest finally showed in his eyes. “Progress. But still insufficient.”

“System,” he queried internally. “Can I extract the Nine-Tails’ chakra from him in this state?”

***Analysis: Chakra signature is potent but unstable. Extraction efficiency would be low and may trigger a full, uncontrolled transformation. Recommendation: Force the host vessel to a four-tailed state for optimal chakra concentration and stability.***

*Four tails,* Ren mused. *Very well. Time to apply a little more… pressure.*

He deliberately turned his back, presenting a clear opening. It was a blatant, insulting taunt.

The beast-minded Naruto took the bait without a second thought. With a feral snarl, he lunged, a crimson meteor aimed at Ren’s undefended back.

At the very last possible second, Ren turned. Not with a defensive block, but with a slow, deliberate movement. His eyes were already transformed. The Eternal Mangekyō pattern swirled, its intricate design seeming to drink the light from the very air.

Naruto’s eyes, wide with bestial fury, met Ren’s gaze.

Time seemed to freeze.

A flicker of primal instinct—a warning from the fox itself—flashed through Naruto’s mind. *Danger!* He tried to abort his lunge, to look away, but it was too late. He was already captured.

“Tsukuyomi,” Ren stated, the single word flat and absolute.

The crimson chakra, the canyon, the injured forms of his friends—it all vanished.

Naruto found himself standing in a void of shifting, oppressive grey. The air was cold and still. Before him stood countless wooden stakes. Tied to them were his friends—Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Hinata, Gaara, Kankuro, even Kakashi and Iruka-sensei. Their faces were pale masks of terror and pain.

“Naruto…!” Sakura whimpered, tears streaming down her face. “Help us… please!”

“Naruto, you have to get out of here!” Kakashi strained against his bonds, his voice urgent.

“This place… it’s horrible…” Hinata whispered, her voice faint. For more chapters visit N()velFire.net

“Naruto! Don’t look at him!” Sasuke yelled, his own Sharingan active but useless against this level of illusion.

“What… what is this?!” Naruto stammered, his own voice small in the vast emptiness. “This isn’t real! It’s a genjutsu! Let me go!” He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to break the connection through force of will, but his body was paralyzed. He could not move, could not look away from the horrific tableau.

“Please, Naruto… save us…” the phantom of Iruka moaned.

The voices overlapped, a symphony of despair designed to shred his sanity and stoke the fires of his deepest fears—the fear of failing everyone he cared about.

Ren watched from the shadows of the mental landscape, a silent architect of torment. He wasn’t just hurting Naruto; he was systematically dismantling his emotional defenses, prying open the cage that held the fox.

*Now,* Ren thought, a cold satisfaction settling over him. *Let’s see how many tails despair is worth.*

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