After cleaning up his face, Ren was so exhausted that with just a little nudge, he'd probably fall asleep and start snoring immediately. But he fought against the urge to relax. Ren knew that if he let himself rest now, he'd have to start all over again. Even though he hadn't completed the full rotation of his chakra, he had reached an initial success. He didn't want to lose that feeling. So, despite his worn-out body, he kept the two chakra rings rotating with great effort. He knew that if he wanted to become strong quickly, he'd have to go against the norm
As he was about to get up from his bed, the children began to swarm back into the room. One of them, a boy about the same age as Ren's new body, approached him with a concerned look.
"Ren, are you okay? You look really tired..." asked Toma, worry evident in his young voice.
Ren forced a small smile, knowing Toma's concern came from an innocent place. He reminded himself that, mentally, he was much older than these kids—he was a 19-year-old college student, after all, in the body of a 5-year-old. These children were just that—children. So he wasn't to swept away in this conversation
"It's nothing, Toma," Ren replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "I just... remembered something unpleasant."
Toma's expression shifted as he quickly pieced together what Ren was referring to. That monster had left its scars on everyone here, so he didn't push for details.
"Oh… I see." Toma nodded, his tone more understanding now. "Just… don't be alone all the time, okay? You know Sister Shizune was worried about you."
Ren's heart softened at the boy's concern. Toma was a cheerful child, always trying to lift others' spirits despite the fact that he, too, had lost both his ninja parents in the Nine-Tails attack. Ren admired that about him. Even in such a gloomy environment, Toma was the only one who made an effort to bring some light to the orphanage.
"Thanks, Toma. I'll keep that in mind."
Toma's face lit up with a smile. "Great! Oh, it's almost dinner time! We should hurry before we're too late."
"Go on ahead, I'm right behind you," Ren replied, his body still feeling the weight of exhaustion but not wanting to dampen Toma's mood.
As Toma skipped toward the door, Ren couldn't help but reflect on the boy's spirit. Despite everything, Toma was always trying to make people happy, even though he was just a 5-year-old kid who had experienced loss at such a young age.
Because of the Nine-Tails attack, every child in the orphanage had lost someone dear to them. The mood was often heavy and filled with sorrow, but Toma was the only one who consistently tried to make everyone smile, as if he had taken it upon himself to ease the gloom surrounding them. Ren could appreciate that, even if it reminded him of the complexity of his new reality.
Ren quickly followed after dinner, and as he, Toma, and the other children made their way back to their rooms, a voice called out to him. "Ren, come here for a moment," Sister Shizune said authoritatively. Ren feigned surprise for a second but quickly nodded and followed her.
Toma and the other children hurried to their rooms while Ren accompanied Sister Shizune to her office.
"Ren, do you think I don't know about your sneaking out every morning, not just today?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Uh, how do you—? I was just—"
"Don't bother making excuses. What if something happens to you while you're out of the orphanage, huh?"
"I'm sorry for the trouble, Sister Shizune... but you know, ever since that day, I haven't been able to forgive myself for being so weak. My mother died protecting me, and all I could do was run away from that monster." Tears began to flow from his eyes.
"But you know, Sister, when I was fleeing, I saw many ninjas fighting bravely against that monster. I want to become a strong ninja like them, which is why I've decided to enroll in the Ninja Academy next year," Ren said, determination ringing in his voice.
"That's why I want to—"
Shizune interrupted him, her voice filled with sorrow. "I understand what you're going through, Ren. If you're that determined to become a strong ninja, I'll allow you to train at the nearby grounds. But you're not permitted to wander anywhere else, do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, Ren's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you, Sister Shizune…"
"Now, go back to sleep, and remember, you're only allowed to go to the grounds in the morning, understood?"
"Yes, Sister Shizune, I'll keep that in mind... and thank you
Here's an enhanced version of your text, with some improved flow and synonyms added while keeping your writing style intact:
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'This little boy... he's blaming himself for his mother's death,' thought Sister Shizune as she watched Ren walk away. 'But if his training can keep him away from despair, then maybe that's a good thing. All I can do is hope that every child here eventually overcomes their losses.'
On his way back to his room, Ren couldn't help but smirk. The determination and emotion he had shown earlier were long gone. 'Looks like my acting skills are still sharp,' Ren thought with a trace of amusement.
Sure enough, the dramatic display with Sister Shizune had been nothing more than an act. The things he said about protecting his loved ones and never running away again? Complete nonsense. Even though this body's mother had died protecting him, Ren felt no real attachment to her. Those memories belonged to someone else, mere fragments of information to him, not something he could truly feel.
This entire conversation had been part of his plan—to secure permission to train freely for the next year without constantly worrying about being caught. There were far too many eyes in the orphanage, and even though he had been sneaking out early in the mornings, someone was bound to notice eventually. But now, with Sister Shizune's approval, he could train more openly. No more sneaking around, no more worrying about slipping back in unnoticed.
When he entered his room, Toma and a few of the other children immediately asked why Sister Shizune had called for him. Ren effortlessly lied, telling them she'd needed help moving some supplies and he was just lending a hand.
After wrapping up his brief chat with Toma and the others, Ren lay down on his bed. Despite keeping a calm demeanor, his body was thoroughly exhausted. Maintaining those two chakra rings the entire time had taken a heavy toll on him.
'Even though my body's worn out, I should at least try to keep the chakra rings going while I sleep,' he thought. But his body was already pushed through the limit so the moment he allowed himself to relax even slightly, his body gave in, and he fell asleep almost instantly.
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