"The abilities Uchiha Itachi has demonstrated are already beyond those of an average Chūnin. His mindset and skills as a ninja far surpass others his age."
"Hmm," Danzo responded with a nonchalant hum, then fell silent.
"Permission to leave," Ren said, ready to depart after delivering his report.
"Ren," Danzo suddenly called out, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yes."
"How long have you been with the Root?" Danzo asked, seemingly out of the blue.
Ren's eyes flickered slightly. "Just over half a month."
"Has it been that long already?" Danzo remarked slowly. "How do you find it so far?"
"It's fine," Ren replied simply.
"Ren, what do you think the Root represents?" Danzo asked again.
Without much thought, Ren answered directly, "A blade that sinks deeper into the darkness."
"Subtle, cruel, and shrouded in secrecy. What is taboo for ordinary people remains hidden, never to be exposed under the light."
Danzo was taken aback for a moment. "Never to be exposed under the light," he repeated.
"Just an observation," Ren said.
"No, you're absolutely right," Danzo said, regaining his calm.
"Ren, you are well-suited for the Root."
Ren's eyes darkened slightly. "I'm only trying to do the tasks that are expected of me."
Danzo slowly approached Ren, stopping just in front of him.
"Work for me," Danzo said.
"I'm at your service."
Danzo gave no further response and merely sidestepped Ren, walking away. The door behind them opened and closed as he left.
Two Root members instantly appeared before Ren, one of them holding a scroll.
"If you want to become one of Lord Danzo's trusted inner circle, you must pledge your absolute loyalty," said the Root member holding the scroll, his voice cold.
Ren remained unmoved, as if he had anticipated this.
"What do I need to do?"
The Root member opened the scroll, revealing a complex array of markings, with a large character for "Curse" in the center.
"The Curse Seal of Absolute Obedience. Once the curse is placed on you, you won't be able to disclose any information about Lord Danzo to anyone," the Root member explained.
Ren stared calmly at the markings and characters on the scroll.
"Danzo is certainly cautious, trusting none of his subordinates," he remarked.
"Becoming a trusted ally essentially means becoming a puppet, doesn't it?"
The Root member hesitated, then replied coldly, "Do not question Lord Danzo. Remove your mask, I need to cast the seal."
Ren reached up and slowly removed his mask, revealing a composed face and a pair of crimson Sharingan eyes.
Upon seeing Ren's eyes, the Root member froze in shock.
The other Root member noticed his companion's sudden stillness and called out, "Oi?"
"He's casting the seal," Ren responded, turning his gaze toward him.
That Root member also fell silent, his mind immediately entranced by the red pupils of Ren's Sharingan.
Ren calmly put his mask back on, ignoring the two, and walked out of the room. He had used the visual illusion of the Sharingan, combined with an advanced sensory-deceiving genjutsu, to create the false impression that the seal had already been cast.
The character for "Curse" on the scroll was gradually fading away, disappearing completely.
Once outside the Root base, it was already deep into the night.
Ren stood on the roof of an empty building, gazing over the dark village below.
It seems I've become one of Danzo's trusted members sooner than expected.
...
The night sky was dark and heavy, thick clouds gathering overhead, making the atmosphere feel oppressive.
It's going to rain...
When he returned home, the streets were nearly empty.
He found a note stuck to his front door.
"Mom went out shopping again today. Why haven't you come back yet, Ren? I'm so bored."
The note was signed by Tenten.
This girl has so much free time, doesn't she know she should be training? People in peaceful times really have no worries.
Ren muttered internally as he unlocked the door and went inside.
Later that night, a torrential downpour began.
The sound of thunder woke Ren from his sleep, and raindrops splattered against his window, pitter-patter, like pearls falling onto a silver platter.
He got up and closed the window, muting the noise.
The outside world seemed chaotic, as if demons were devouring the heavens and earth, while inside, it was unusually quiet—so quiet that the ticking of the clock was clearly audible.
Rolling thunder echoed, accompanied by the sound of rain and a rapid knocking on the door.
Ren got up and went to the door. When he opened it, Tenten stood there in her pajamas, completely drenched from the rain.
"Tenten?" Ren quickly pulled her inside, closing the door behind her.
"What were you thinking, coming out in this rain? You should be sleeping at home!" Ren frowned, scolding her.
Tenten leaned against the door, her usual twin buns now soaked and sticking to her neck, while water dripped from her clothes onto the floor.
Drip...drip...
"I couldn't sleep," Tenten said softly, her head lowered.
"The thunder was too loud."
"…"
Ren sighed, then asked, "Your mom's not home?"
"She'll be back tomorrow."
"What do you want to do?"
Tenten looked up at him with pleading eyes.
Seeing her soaked from head to toe, Ren couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
"Take a hot shower first, or you'll catch a cold."
He pushed Tenten toward the bathroom, checked the water temperature, and found some clean clothes for her.
"These clothes are clean. If you don't want to use the towel, you can dry yourself with your own clothes," he said.
Click!
The bathroom was silent for a moment. Tenten glanced at her reflection in the mirror—her hair was a mess, and her wet strands clung to her skin, making her look utterly disheveled.
She reached out and touched her cheek. Her skin, which should've felt cold, was burning with warmth.
Ren's clothes lay neatly folded nearby: a dark short-sleeved shirt and black pants.
"Ren..." she called out suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"I...I'm hungry."
"Finish your shower," came Ren's slightly irritated reply from outside.
Silence fell again.
The sound of water splashing filled the bathroom as Tenten turned on the shower.
She picked up Ren's clothes, pressing them to her face and taking a deep breath.
The scent of soap…and Ren's scent…
…
The water in the bathroom finally stopped, and Tenten emerged, wearing Ren's oversized clothes, her wet hair draped loosely over her shoulders.
She noticed a sandwich waiting for her on the table, along with some recently used cooking utensils.
"Thanks, Ren," she said with a bright smile, sitting down to eat the sandwich.
"Didn't you eat dinner?" Ren asked from where he lay on the bed.
"I was waiting for you to come back and take me out to eat something good," Tenten replied, her mouth full.
Ren rolled his eyes. "I have missions. I don't have time to babysit you."
"I didn't know you'd come back so late," Tenten muttered.
"Once you're done eating, I'll take you home," Ren added.
Tenten shook her head furiously. "No, I'm scared."
"You're a ninja-in-training," Ren pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm still scared."
"…"
"…"
Ren sighed. "Fine. Sleep here tonight."
Tenten didn't say anything, just quietly finished her sandwich.
The rain outside continued to pour relentlessly, washing the world clean.
Ren sat on the bed, gazing at the rain-soaked window, lost in thought.
"I'm done eating."
Tenten's voice broke his reverie.
Ren glanced at her, noticing how she seemed a bit shy, standing there awkwardly.
He shifted on the bed, making room for her.
Tenten, her head lowered, quietly climbed onto the bed, carefully lying on the edge.
"Aren't you afraid you'll fall off?" Ren asked from behind her.
Tenten scooted a bit closer to him.
Silence.
Ren was still sitting, staring out the window at the rain.
"Ren..."
"Hmm?"
"Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Not tired."
"…Did I disturb you tonight?" Tenten asked, her voice soft.
"No. I woke up before you came."
"Oh…"
Another silence followed.
Tenten scooted closer again, her back now pressing against Ren's.
"Could you...hold me?"
"…"
"When I'm scared like this, my mom usually holds me while I sleep."
There was no response. Feeling a bit disheartened, Tenten sighed—until she felt a sudden movement. Ren's arms gently wrapped around her, pulling her close.
Resting her head against Ren's chest, Tenten finally felt safe.
"Ren."
"Hmm," came his calm voice.
"You're really nice."
"If you don't sleep soon, I'll throw you out."
"Okay."
After a while, Tenten turned over and buried her face against Ren's chest.
"Goodnight."
"…"
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