Two weeks after Ren's confrontation with Ameryu.
Intense training and from an almost maniacal attention to the details of his techniques had punctuated his days.
Now he stood at the Lake, his personal training ground, surrounded by the apparent calm of the water reflecting like a mirror.
In front of him, three water clones moved with startling precision, attempting to strike him with coordinated attacks. Ren responded with agility, his breathing steady despite the fast pace of the clash.
With one swift movement, he launched a volley of shurikens, whose chakra strands weaved through the air thanks to the Manipulated Shuriken Technique. The weapons changed trajectory in midair, hitting a water clone with precision.
Ren didn't stop.
Before the other two clones could seize the opportunity, Ren activated the Mist Body Flicker, disappearing in a fine mist and reappearing behind one of the targets. With a firm blow of his weighted sword, he broke the clone, which dissolved in a cascade of water.
The other clone performed the Water Wave Technique, but Ren responded with a Rock Bullet, small fragments of stone, now much faster, penetrated the water jet, creating a devastating effect that eliminated the second clone as well.
The Rock Bullet is now at acceptable levels, he thought even though these clones had only 10 percent of my chakra.
Ren let himself fall down sitting on the lake shore, his breathing barely quickened. Despite his fatigue, a slight smile formed on his face.
The Manipulated Shuriken Technique has also been mastered, and the combinations are now much more natural.
He carefully arranged the training sword beside him, observing it for a moment.
Even with the weighted sword, I no longer feel the difference in weight now, he reflected, rising slowly.
He grabbed his sword, putting it back with measured gestures. For now I can go back to the much, he thought, his gaze turned to the calm water of the lake.
I must get used again without the weighted sword and resume infusing the wind element on the tanto. After that, all preparations for the confrontation with Ganryu will be completed.
After the intense training at the lake, Ren headed to the kiosk where he had an appointment with Jun'ko and Aoi. The academy was closed that day, and the group had decided to use the opportunity to spend time together in a different way than usual.
Ren was the first to arrive, as always on time. Entering, he sat down at one of the side tables, greeting Kenji. "Oh, Ren! " Kenji said with a friendly smile as he set some bowls behind the counter.
Ren hinted a smile.
It was not long before Jun'ko and Aoi arrived together, and as expected, Jun'ko's entrance was anything but discreet.
The kiosk door swung open with a decisive knock, and Jun'ko came running in, followed by a visibly embarrassed Aoi. A few customers turned toward them, while Kenji looked up with an expression of resigned familiarity.
He will never change, Ren thought to himself, slightly embarrassed by the curious stares of those present.
Kenji approached with a wry smile. "I'm glad you haven't lost your vitality, Jun'ko, but next time come in more discreetly," he said, gesturing toward the other customers who were staring at her.
Jun'ko, not at all upset, made a sign with her tongue, a mischievous smile on her face. "I'm sorry, It was Aoi's fault!"
"What does it have to do with me?" retorted Aoi, raising his hands in protest. "You're the one who suddenly started running!"
"Of course, because you wanted to touch my butt!" retorted Jun'ko, crossing his arms defiantly.
Aoi, blushing slightly, replied in a dry tone, "Um. Technically it's almost impossible for a man to want to touch your butt."
"What???" Jun'ko opened her eyes wide, visibly surprised and annoyed.
"All right, I get it," Kenji intervened, raising his voice to restore order. "But that's enough, or you'll scare all the customers away from me!"
Ren watched the scene, holding back a smile. I must admit, it's always amusing to see these two acting like cat and dog. It's almost like an episode of Ranma ½, he thought, shaking his head slightly.
"So Shinji should be here soon, assuming he doesn't fall asleep on the way," Aoi said as he sat down next to Ren. "Yukiko will meet us directly at the waterfall."
A few minutes later, Shinji entered the kiosk with his usual relaxed attitude. But next to him was Shin, visibly embarrassed and unaccustomed to that kind of environment.
Ren looked up, watching the Kaguya with interest. So he decided to come to the end. Good, he thought. If he can integrate into the group, I could influence future events related to his clan as well.
Shinji greeted with a wave of his hand, taking a seat at the table with the group. "Sorry for the delay. I had to convince him," he said, pointing to Shin, who sat down with some reluctance.
"You didn't convince me," Shin replied, crossing his arms. "I only came because I had nothing better to do."
Jun'ko smiled mischievously. "Oh, look who's here! Our Shin Kaguya, so taciturn but always there at the right time."
Shin looked away, slightly uncomfortable, as Aoi chuckled. "Come on, don't be so cold. That's how it is unfortunately."
Jun'ko: " What do you mean unfortunately???" Slightly annoyed.
---
Meanwhile, in a cave not far from the village, a tension-filled conversation was taking place between Obito and Zetsu. The dim light of the cave barely illuminated the outlines of the two figures, while shadows danced on the damp walls.
"The seed of discord is germinating between the Mizukage and the village," Zetsu said, his tone as usual laden with malice.
Obito, his face covered by his mask, stood motionless for a moment before responding. "It's still not enough," he said in a cold, calculating tone. "Yagura is still too mentally stable to be taken under control. To bend him completely, we need to bring him to an unparalleled level of paranoia. Only then can I put him under Genjutsu undisturbed."
Zetsu leaned forward slightly, his tone betraying a hint of excitement. "If I were you now, I would devote myself to Kyubi."
Obito was silent for a moment. "When will that be?" he asked.
"Shortly, a month or so, but we can't know for sure. We would have to force it." replied Zetsu calmly.
---
After a short journey, the group finally reached the foot of the waterfall. There, waiting for them were Yukiko and, to Ren's surprise, Kurara as well.
"Kurara? What are you doing here? You told me you were busy," Ren asked, visibly confused, as he watched her approach with her usual calmness.
"I changed my mind," Kurara replied simply, without any explanation, as she continued to stare at him with her impassive gaze.
Yukiko, observing the scene, brought a hand to her mouth to hold back a laugh. "You two are quite a sight. Really."
Ren sighed, exchanging a glance with Yukiko who seemed to be enjoying herself too much, before resigning herself. "All right, let's lead the way," he said, turning toward the path leading to the top of the waterfall.
The path, narrow and steep, turned out to be far longer and more challenging than they had expected. After almost an hour of walking, Aoi stopped, examining the geographical map he had brought with him.
"According to this map, this area may be dangerous," he said in a serious tone, lifting his gaze to the group.
Jun'ko huffed, rolling his eyes. "Aoi, don't be a professor all the time. It's just a walk."
Meanwhile, Shinji stretched, yawning blatantly. "Personally, I'd prefer a good nap. This path is too boring."
"Weak," Shin declared in his usual direct tone, walking past the group without even turning around. "Only Mizutani and I are real men."
Yukiko and Jun'ko burst out laughing as Ren ran a hand over his face, visibly embarrassed.
"Ren, did you hear that? You're a real man," Yukiko said, trying to keep a serious tone, but with an amused smirk.
"Thanks for the information," Ren replied, shaking his head.
After hours of walking, Aoi looked at the map again with a worried expression. "Maybe we took a wrong turn," he said, hesitating slightly.
Jun'ko stopped suddenly, planting his hands on his hips. "What do you mean? Weren't you the one with the map? You're our navigational genius, remember?"
Aoi blushed, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm doing my best, but this area is not well marked."
Ren reached out, taking the map from his hands. He studied it for a few moments, also observing his surroundings. "We have to go this way," he finally said, pointing to a path that went into the thicker trees.
Kurara, who had remained silent up to that point, nodded slightly, following Ren without question. She was always close to him or Yukiko, almost as if she was evaluating their every move.
Continuing along the path, the group came to a sudden halt. A wolf pup appeared in the bushes, small and silvery-coated, walking with a limp. His breathing was labored, and a faint yelp rose in the air.
"He's so adorable!" exclaimed Jun'ko, approaching cautiously.
Kurara, without saying a word, knelt down next to the puppy, watching it carefully. Although she did not speak, her interest was obvious.
The pup, startled, moved a few steps away, but before the group could get any closer, a deep roar broke the silence.
A towering bear emerged from the bush, its snout bloodied and eyes filled with fury. It lunged toward the cub with a mighty blow, hurling him into a tree.
"Back!" shouted Ren, positioning himself in front of the group with sword already in hand.
Shin advanced, blood seething. "I've got him!" he exclaimed, ready to attack.
"Don't hurt him too much!" interrupted Ren, giving him a determined look. "Remember, this is his territory, not ours."
Shin paused for a moment, frustration evident on his face, but followed the order.
With coordinated movements, the group managed to push the bear back without inflicting mortal wounds. Ren turned to Shin, who still looked irritated. "This is an ecosystem," he said, in a tone that was firm but devoid of hostility. "We are not here to destroy it, but to respect it."
Shin muttered something, but nodded.
The puppy lay on the ground, visibly injured. Aoi knelt beside him, pulling out a small bag with medical instruments. "He needs treatment," he said in a worried tone.
Jun'ko, crouching beside him, gently stroked the puppy. "We'll take him with us, right?"
"We can't leave him here," Ren confirmed, observing the little wolf's condition.
Kurara remained silent, but his gaze followed Aoi's every movement, as if to make sure the cub received all the necessary care.
After hours of walking, the group finally reached the top of the waterfall. The view was breathtaking: the water was cascading down powerfully, creating a rainbow among the drops suspended in the air.
"Wow..." murmured Jun'ko, unable to look away.
Even Shin, usually aloof, was speechless. "That's...impressive," he admitted in a low voice.
Ren, sitting on a nearby rock, observed the view with the rest of the group. "It was worth climbing this far," he said, breaking the silence.
Kurara, as is his wont, observed, saying "nice."
As the group was leaving the forest, a sound of fighting in the distance made them stop. The wolf cub, which Aoi was carefully carrying, began to yelp and wriggle, trying to break free.
"There's something over there," Yukiko said, scanning the horizon carefully.
Following the noises, the group came to a clearing. In front of them, an adult wolf, probably the cub's mother, was fighting the same bear they had encountered earlier. The scene was brutal: the wolf lunged with ferocity, but the bear, with its bulk, managed to hold its own against its opponent.
"It's the cub's mother," Ren said, watching carefully.
"We can't let her get seriously injured," Jun'ko added, in a worried tone.
Before anyone could move, Kurara stepped forward decisively, catching his kusarigama. He threw it precisely toward the bear, wrapping the chains around one of its hind legs.
The bear roared, trying to free itself, but the movement threw it off balance. Kurara pulled hard on the chain, momentarily blocking him.
" Now!" she said, his tone calm but authoritative.
Ren wasted no time. "Shinji, Shin, help me force him to escape!" he shouted.
With a combination of targeted attacks, the group managed to wound the bear more severely than the first time, but without inflicting fatal damage. The animal, now exhausted and confused, retreated into the forest with a roar of frustration.
Kurara rolled up the kusarigama with precise movements, her gaze following the bear until it disappeared into the trees. "He won't be back soon," she said calmly, stowing his weapon.
The adult wolf, wounded but still standing, approached the group. With a watchful gaze, he gently took the pup between his teeth. Before disappearing into the trees, she turned back to them, her eyes seeming to shine with gratitude.
"I think she thanked us," Jun'ko said, smiling as he surveyed the scene.
" Technically it's impossible that," and as Aoi was about to finish his sentence, " cut it," Jun'ko said, interrupting his friend.
Ren was silent for a moment, looking at the spot where the two wolves had disappeared. He thought back to the day he had just spent: chaotic, fun, and incredibly necessary to clear his mind. Despite everything, he had seen his comrades interact better with each other, and this filled him with satisfaction.
Yes, it was needed. Before I'll face Ganryu, a moment like that was really what I needed.
[ Hi there! Ito-kun here ^.^
Thanks everyone specially Jayroy_63 , Braden_T, Cordell_Clinton, Ian_Clark_6978, BagusPardana, DarkGambit,Diegoa, Desert_Dust0 , Daoist0thxiB, and Miguel_024!
Writing more then 2000 words it's so Taxing, so i'll return back to the range of 1000/1500 words.
Sincerely Thanks and remember about the Power Stones, these are the motivation for my work :) ]