Chapter 73 - The Northern Hideout

Ren, Karin and Peri walked toward the Northern Hideout under the semi-arid climate of the Land of Earth, he they were walking, Ren and Karin talked just about anything, Karin told her story how she grew up in the Land of Grass, how she saw her mother slowly die as she healed the wounds of many ninjas just to barely be able to meet ends, how she lived under Orochimaru afraid of be the next test subject for a lethal experiment or a sacrifice for the big snake Manda, as she seen many others, the relief she felt when they stopped studying her healing factor and put her in charge of the Southern Hideout, and the dread then hope when Ren and the others attacked.

While Ren told Karin about his family, how he always trained hard to become strong enough to protect them, how the legend of the Shinigami, the resurgence of the Hollow, of his friend and ex-teammate Taro and Jiro, His almost cursed to death sensei, just because he knocked up his now wife, how he met Peri and found out his crazy potential, he also told her about Yakumo, how he saved her and were about to become something more, but in the end he left to train a to create the Baransa, and so the last time they met 6 month age they decided to remain as only friend, as she too is busy with reaching the missions quota to be qualified to become a Jonin.

While Peri got his radio out listening to the playlist I made for the boring parts of this life, suddenly Karin attention was draw by an upbeat battery and electric guitar music.

"♪We are Fighting Dreamers takami wo mezashite\Fighting Dreamers narifuri kamawazu\Fighting Dreamers shinjiru ga mama ni\Oli Oli Oli Oh! Just go my way!♪"

"♪Right here Right now (Bang!)\Buppanase Like a dangan rainaa!\Right here Right now (Burn!)\Buttagitteku ze Get the fire!\Right here Right now (Bang!)\Buppanase Like a dangan rainaa!\Right here Right now (Burn!)♪"

And while Peri was moving his head to the rhythm, Karin asked "Where did you find the song? it got me pumped up for this mission" and Ren without shame said that he made it.

The rest of the journey was more or less peaceful, if you do not count the rock rain that sometime happen in the Land of Earth 'Now I know why they called it Land of Earth, not only is mostly composed of desolate, rocky areas, but the border of the Land of Earth runs along a rocky mountain range, blocking communication with other countries. The wind blowing from the north passes over these mountains, carrying small rocks all over the country causing these fucking rocks rain'

After a full day they finally reached the mountain range that house the Northern Hideout, and with a quick sweep of his spiritual sense Ren say "I feel that there are more than 500 people inside, but I do not know who are the guards and who the prisoners".

Then Karin closes her eyes and use the Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Kagura), a technique that allows one to sense chakra from exceptional distances in great detail, with it Karin is able to find and track chakra over a vast distance, as well as perceive any unusual chakra activity within a radius of several dozen kilometres. Also, by focusing on a particular chakra, she can perceive her target's location and movements in great detail, and even gives her the capability to perceive fluctuations in a person's chakra made when they are lying or if someone, including herself, is under a genjutsu.

After a while she say "There are 50 tainted chakra signals, so those are the ones with the cursed seal, one that I know for sure is Jugo and the rest are guards, but most are at the Chunin level and few are at the Jonin level"

Then Ren though about how to attack this hideout then he says "We can go the stealthy way, the cool way or with a bang, your choice" and Karin replies "Bang!" while Peri just raise his hand as if to say ladies first and so Ren "And with a Bang it is, follow me"

And so Ren moved toward the base, once he was close enough, he drew out Senbonzakura and thew it in the air behind him, then the sword phases into the ground, as though it were a pool of water and Ren says "Bankai", energy ripples expand out, turning the surrounding area white, and within seconds a huge cherry blossom tree with all its bud closed rise up from the ground "Senbonzakura Kagenkyū (Scent of the Illusionary Thousand Cherry Blossom)".

Karin looks at the huge tree with awe and curiosity, while Ren says "Saka (Bloom)" and all the buds bloom showing the magnificent sight of a cherry blossom tree in full bloom, and a powerful and wonderful aroma can be smelt from thousands of kilometers.

Then Ren turn to Karin and explains "This is my other Bankai, its illusion power is improved to scary levels, not only in range but also in power and versatility, scent is strong enough to, with enough time, seep into victims' other belongings, keeping them entranced even if they leave the area and Senbonzakura is sealed, and if they stay even longer, the scent will seep into their bodies, and further along even soul, and like Kageyoshi, this too has three main techniques, and now I will show you one".

Then Ren closed his eyes to feel all his targets in the scent range, he choose everyone but Jugo, then he opened his eyes and said "Yume no Kōki (Dream Aroma)" and all the blossom turns black in color and the aroma change from the slightly enchanting to a more calming one, while from the hideout some white dust like thing came out and was absorbed by 589 blossom.

Looking at the beautiful show Karin ask "What did you do? It's amazing" and Ren replies "Yume no Kōki to put in simple terms, put to sleep every target that smell Senbonzakura's scent, then it enable me to control their dream, read their memory and even kill their mind through the dream, or as alternative if they stay in this state long enough they will sleep and dream forever, the limit is that I can only use it on as many targets as I have blossoms, and right now my limit is slightly more than thousand"

Hearing that Karin is shocked by its effect "My god...wait you said one of 3 techniques, is this the strongest one?" and Ren with a grin "Nope....but that is a topic for another time, now let's deal with the worst guards, and even some test subject are better dead, gotta admit that not many good people are here, as for how I know this, remember the memory thing, well this white dust-like are the memories, so I know who need rescue and help and who need to be put down, let's take care of the guard here first, the ones with a happy smile on their face are the good ones, they are having a good dream, the others, let's just say that they are getting acquainted with Jason, Freddy, Pennywise, Chucky and the others"