Morning.
Sasuke sat on the corridor, putting on his shoes.
"Sasuke, don't forget your lunch."
Mikoto came out of the living room, holding a bento wrapped in cloth.
"Ah, I know," Sasuke replied, turning back.
He glanced at Itachi, who sat in the living room without moving.
"Brother, aren't you leaving?"
"Today, the Anbu has a day off," Itachi said with a light smile.
"Really?" Sasuke's face lit up with excitement.
"When I come back, can you train with me, brother?"
"Sure," Itachi nodded.
Fugaku, who was reading a magazine, looked up at Sasuke before returning to his reading.
Sasuke took the bento from Mikoto, who bent down to adjust his clothes.
"I made plenty of food, so you can share with your teammates, Sasuke."
Sasuke protested, "Why should I share with them?"
"Because they're your teammates," Mikoto said with a gentle smile.
"You should get along well with them. You could even invite them over to visit sometime."
Sasuke only pouted at this, recalling Naruto and Sakura in his mind with some disdain.
A fool and a fangirl.
"Oh, right, Mom," Sasuke said suddenly, turning to Mikoto.
"I saw that person from before."
Mikoto's expression changed slightly, and Itachi, who was drinking tea, also looked up.
"The one who saved us on the day we left for the Land of Waves. He's now a jonin instructor and is training ninja from my class," Sasuke continued.
"Is that so?" Mikoto smiled.
"What a coincidence."
"Yeah, I thanked him. I heard you already did too," Sasuke said, then added with a hint of complaint, "Mom, you found him but didn't tell me."
"…That was my oversight," Mikoto said softly.
"Alright, I'm heading out now. I feel like we'll get another awesome mission today." Sasuke said, bento in hand, as he jogged out the door.
Mikoto watched him leave, a thoughtful look on her face.
She turned to Fugaku in the living room and said, "It's the person I mentioned before."
"Ren. I know," Fugaku said calmly.
"He's now the teacher of the heirs of the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans. It's not a secret in the village; those who care have already noticed."
"Is that so?" Mikoto was surprised to learn Ren was instructing the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho.
"You said he's strong, so it's likely the Hokage is planning to groom him," Fugaku stated.
Mikoto's mind wandered, reconsidering if her initial approach had been appropriate.
Itachi sat silently, gripping his tea cup, the muscles in his hand tensing.
...
Bang!
Shikamaru's body traced an arc in the air before crashing to the ground.
Ino sat on the ground, gasping for breath, while Choji lay sprawled out, still not getting up.
"With skills like these, you'd better stick to weeding and pig feeding," Ren stood before them, clothes pristine and untouched.
"You can stop wishing for advanced missions."
"Ren-sensei, I never said that," Shikamaru grumbled, struggling to sit up. "It was Ino who kept saying it, not me."
"Shikamaru, how can you say that about your teammate!" Ino shouted angrily.
"Enough. Get up," Ren said coldly.
"Can't handle training at this level? Have you forgotten that someone your age became a jonin?"
Shikamaru gritted his teeth and stood up, muttering, "I never wanted to be a jonin. Becoming a chunin is more than enough for me. I don't have the ambition to stand out."
"Stop making excuses," Ren said dismissively.
"You're my students now, so you'll train my way. Continue!"
The trio let out collective groans of protest.
"Ah!"
"Ren-sensei, can't we switch to another type of training? Why is it always taijutsu?"
"Taijutsu is the foundation of a ninja. No discussions."
Despite their reluctance, they pushed themselves to continue.
Ren held them to the same training intensity he had endured.
He was now proficient in genjutsu and counter-genjutsu, and his ninjutsu included mastery over all five chakra natures. Only his taijutsu skill had been earned through sheer hard work.
Having seen the entire Naruto storyline, Ren knew that ordinary ninjutsu and genjutsu would become obsolete later. Strengthening taijutsu was far more practical.
Although he couldn't match someone like Might Guy, he was stronger than most standard jonin.
He could go toe-to-toe with ninjas like Kakashi or Asuma in close combat without being at a disadvantage.
Not that Ren expected to rely on taijutsu much in the future.
Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, who often slacked in their training, especially Shikamaru, struggled with Ren's sudden high-intensity regimen.
"Complaining won't help," Ren said, unmoved by their groans.
Team 10 looked miserable.
"I'll take you for barbecue when training's done," Ren added.
"Really?" Choji's eyes lit up, and his exhaustion seemed to disappear instantly.
"If you meet my standards," Ren said.
"Oh! That'll be easy!" Choji shouted, suddenly energized.
"If that's the case, even more training is fine!"
"Die, Choji!" Ino snapped.
"Shut up, Choji!" Shikamaru added.
Team 10 had completed a few C-rank missions. Although Ren was present, a B-rank mission required proper protocol, so the Hokage couldn't assign one just yet.
There wouldn't be another dramatic situation like Team 7 had experienced.
Ren stopped giving them D-rank missions and began subjecting them to intense training.
He knew it wouldn't be long.
The Chunin Exams were approaching.
And as their teacher, he wouldn't let them embarrass themselves.
He had to answer to their families, especially since the older generation of Ino-Shika-Cho had reluctantly accepted Ren as their children's instructor due to the Hokage's request.
A good performance in the Chunin Exams would benefit Ren as well.
Ren's expectations weren't high; he didn't expect Shikamaru's team to defeat contenders like Sasuke, Gaara, or Neji. Unless he took the exam himself.
But ensuring all of them reached the third round of the exam should be feasible with proper training.
Ino's preliminary opponent was Sakura.
Choji's opponent was a minor character.
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