Knitting Fate (Canon Patchworking with Uchiha Ren Part II)

Forty-Fourth Thread

I'm late and I'm sorry for that, but we're here now! For all those who complained about lack of action in past chapters, have some fight scenes of questionable quality.

***

"Surprises are all part of life's journey."
― Steven Redhead, Life Is A Cocktail

0

Dusk finds Ren calm, surrounded by snow, cold, and fading light, waiting for an opportunity, for an acceptable opening. The quality of the nukenin encampment is surprisingly high. However, the quality of their awareness is... not. Which, considering that at least two of them are jōnin, is alarming. Right next to her, so close that their shoulders press together, Deidara is laying surprisingly patiently on the snow, newly resized white uniform fitting nicely and not hindering his movements, golden hair braided and tucked tightly under a white cap. Ren gently tugs her tube scarf upwards, almost high enough to touch her lower eyelids, and sighs silently, eerie red eyes taking in the scenery. They're currently laying on a higher slope under a tree, not far from where the encampment is. A chakra-enhanced dash will take them there within just a few seconds.

"Okay, let's go over it again," Ren says, voice muffled by the scarf. "We go for the jōnin while keeping an eye on the unknowns, and after the jōnin are down, we go for either the chūnin or the unknowns. Depends who proves to be more of an issue. Jashin, I hope this works out."

"What does it matter even if it doesn't go according to plan?" Deidara scoffs quietly. "We are shinobi! Flexibility and coming up with solutions on the fly comes with the job description, un."

"I know, but it really doesn't change the fact that I hate doing that. With a passion," Ren grumbles under her breath, eyes not leaving the encampment for a second. "Jashin, it's ridiculous how unprepared for an attack they seem. Makes every danger alarm go off in my head."

"Yeah, but didn't Anri say that they were just that, un? Unprepared, overly-cocky assholes?" Deidara asks, and Ren huffs in irritation.

"Yes, but it doesn't help my shinobi paranoia," she grumbles. Deidara sighs, but nods – he can understand it. If shinobi are not careful enough, they are basically signing their death warrant. It's always better to be over-prepared than underprepared. To overestimate than underestimate. It's the difference between literal life and death in their line of work after all. But that's to be expected, when said line of work includes getting paid for bringing in severed heads, among other things.

Ren shakes her head, takes a deep breath and moves.

*

It's going to be ugly. Uglier than normal, at the very least - Ren knows from the second they reach the perimeter of the camp, pass the makeshift palisade meant to keep wild animals at bay. Of course they don't go unnoticed – they'd known they wouldn't the second they decided to study the encampment better upon settling on the hilltop, which, in turn, left a bitter taste in Ren's mouth. She would very much prefer to take her opponents out with the element of surprise, rather than openly fighting – she is aggressive, sure, and likes fighting, but seven-on-two? Yeah, no.

And the nuke-nin in the encampment, for all their vices, are pretty aware of their surroundings, despite not having any truly set guard rotation and the constant arguing.

Ren goes in first, leaving Deidara behind and hoping he will prove to be good firepower support.

One of the jōnin – with a slashed Iwa hitai-ate - throws himself at her, hurling a barrage of kunai, half of which she evades, half of which she deflects, as she leaps close and makes a move to punch him in the face. He evades, reaching for more kunai, but it doesn't matter. Anri launches herself from Ren's open sleeve right onto his uncovered face and digs her fangs straight into his artery. The jōnin makes a surprised sound as he falls to his knees, and Ren can hear a shriek. She spares a glance to the side to see a girl – a Suna nuke-nin – run towards her.