Knitting Fate (Canon Patchworking with Uchiha Ren Part II)

Fiftieth Thread

"Huh," Elder Kana says eloquently, and honestly, if she can get any further from the supposed Esteemed Spider Sage she supposedly is, Ren is going to be surprised. "Well, there is one person we're actually teaching Sage Mode to at the moment-"

And if that didn't raise all the red flags in Ren's head, then something would be wrong.

"Someone else? As in a summoner?" she asks instantly, because that's important, because weren't summoning scrolls exclusive? As in, you had to sign them to do the thing, and Ren had the scroll, and there was no other active name than herself-

"It's complicated," Kana says, and then looks Ren up and down, as if assessing. "And while you I wouldn't mind telling, we promised secrecy. It's... a delicate matter. Very delicate. Life-and-death delicate."

"Will I ever meet them?" the Uchiha asks, and the spider just glares at her. "Ahem, yes, okay, all in its own time, I get it. So, that Sage Mode."

"Yes, that Sage Mode," Kana is still looking at Ren. The old bat probably knows that this 'other person' will now forever be a matter in the back of her head until she learns who it is. Ren might have become somewhat... Possessive, of her summons. Spiders are hers, and she isn't particularly keen on sharing. "As I was saying, it's extremely dangerous, and not for the reasons you might think. Asking specifically for it, you probably know what it is, and what nature chakra can do to you."

"It can turn you into an animal you're most connected to," Ren lists. "It can turn you into stone, burn you to ash, overload your system and fry you from the inside. It can outright kill you if you're not careful. Yeah, I know."

"To put it mildly," Kana snorts. "For us spiders, it's- Special, in a way. We're predators, you see, we were made for just one purpose – to kill, to kill better, faster, more efficiently. That's all we do, really, and those instincts, they run strong with us. If you were to gain Sage Mode through us, those instincts would never leave you. The more you use it, the less of you is left. Not to mention that our Sage Mode is always the type others would consider... incomplete."

"Huh, I dunno," Ren shrugs. "I think chitin-covered arms would be cool."

"...you are incorrigible," Kana grumbles, tensing.

"Hey, wait, what-"

Ren doesn't really have time to formulate proper question, because Kana once more launches herself at her, and Ren does not want to get mauled by a giant spider, thank you very fucking much.

"Let's see how your resolve holds then, in the face of danger!"

"That's not fair and also I've been in a plenty of life-threatening situations, go ask Hana! Never stopped me before, sure as hell ain't gonna start now!"

*

People cursing around them was not a rare occurrence – Ren cursed all the time, honestly, it was nothing odd. But to hear Shikamaru curse? Forget hearing him speak, however rare that was for the lazy bum, but for him to actually make an effort and curse?

Yeah, it didn't happen, he just couldn't be bothered to do it – and yet, here it was. Hence, piqued interest.

"What's wrong Shika?" Sakura asks from where she's sitting on the armchair with Ino and the creepy spider, and he gulps, not quit pale but visibly shaken. He looks at her, and then turns the book so that most people in the room can see.

"If the Fourth Hokage doesn't look even a little bit like Naruto to you, then I don't know you anymore," he says completely seriously. Sakura stares, then blinks, and then is suddenly furiously flipping pages from the Third Hokage's most notable disciples to the section on the Fourth and-