Sitting in the lotus position on the lake shore, Ren held a very thin layer of water suspended between his hands, trying to keep it, albeit very small, in a spherical shape.
'Controlling the shape and surface tension,' he reflected as a drop came off the imperfect sphere. 'It looks like the rasengan exercise, but with water.'
The idea had come to him specifically by remembering the rasengan training. If he wanted to increase his control over chakra, he had to start with the basics.
After his morning practice, he found the courage to ask the question he had been planning for days.
"Tou-san," he said as he dried off from swimming, "do you think I could learn some basic techniques? Just a little..."
Toshiro studied him for a moment. "Do you have anything specific in mind?"
"I saw the genin practicing the Substitution Technique in the academy courtyard" Ren replied, trying to sound casual. "It seems...useful."
His father smiled. "The Substitution Technique? Not an attack technique? Interesting choice."
"Well" Ren scratched his head, feigning embarrassment, "I thought it best to start with something.... practical?"
' I can already imagine my nickname, Ren of the Replacement!' He thought, chuckling to himself.
"You know," Toshiro said interrupting Ren's thoughts, "most children want to learn flashy techniques. Your choice shows wisdom." He stood up. "All right, but first I will teach you basic seals.
Later that day, Toshiro took Ren to lunch at a small ramen stand. The place was run by an elderly retired ninja named Kenji, famous for his spicy broth and stories about the days when he was an active jonin. His hands, marked by old scars, still moved with precision as he prepared his famous noodles.
"Ah, Toshiro-san!" greeted Kenji with a warm smile. "And little Ren! The usual for both of you?"
Before they could answer, two figures with ANBU masks appeared silently beside their table. One of them, wearing a fish mask, leaned over to whisper something in Toshiro's ear.
His father's face became serious. "I see," he said, rising slowly. He turned to Ren, hesitating for a moment. "I'm sorry, son, but I have to go. It is ... an urgent matter."
"Don't worry, Toshiro-san," Kenji intervened, his voice gentle but firm. "Little Ren can stay here and eat. I'll make sure he gets home safely."
Toshiro exchanged a meaningful look with Kenji, years of mutual trust condensed into that brief moment. "Thank you, old friend" he finally said, laying a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Behave yourself."
As his father walked away with the ANBUs, Ren noticed unusual movement on the streets. More ninjas were being discreetly approached and called out. There was a tension in the air he had never felt before.
'Something big is happening,' he thought. 'Could it be the end of the War already? So soon?'
"One miso ramen, please!" A young, enthusiastic voice interrupted his thoughts.
Ren turned to see a young man with glasses, probably a couple of years older than him, sitting at the counter. The newcomer carefully arranged a stack of medical books beside him before noticing Ren. "Here's ramen for little Aoi!" said Kenji, setting down a steaming bowl.
"Theoretically" Aoi retorted, adjusting his glasses with a professorial air, "at seven years old you already have all the qualifications needed to enter the academy, so I'm not so little anymore, Kenji-san."
Kenji laughed, shaking his head.
It was only then that Aoi seemed to notice Ren.
"Oh! I haven't seen you here before," he said, turning toward him.
"I'm Aoi Kaito, nice to meet you! My father is a doctor-nin at Central Hospital, and my dream is to become a great ninja doctor like him. I will start the academy next semester!" He interrupted, blushing slightly. "
"...Ren" he replied simply, studying the boy. There was something genuinely friendly about his manner.
'Aoi Kaito...' pondered Ren as the boy continued to speak enthusiastically about medical techniques.
'I don't remember this name from my memories...but it might come in handy in the future.'
Kenji served their ramen with a smile, and for a moment, the weight of the events unfolding outside seemed to lighten in the aroma of the spicy broth and Aoi's animated chat about the basics of ninja medicine.
In the afternoon, the lesson with Tatsumi took an interesting turn. The Sealmaster, satisfied with Ren's progress with basic calligraphy, decided to introduce him to the first real seals.
"These are first-level storage seals" he explained, showing a simple but elegant pattern. "They are mainly used for storage of small, nonliving objects. Observe the structure."
'Now let's get into it!' Thought Ren while carefully studying the pattern. It was simpler than the seals he had seen in the store, but he could recognize some basic elements he had practiced in the previous weeks.
"The seals are like buildings," Tatsumi continued. "Each line is a foundation, each curve a pillar. If one part is weak, the whole structure can collapse."
The lesson went on until sunset. On his way home, Ren saw his father waiting for him on the street corner, still in his mission uniform. Together, they passed by the administration building, where a group of ninjas was having a heated discussion with some civilians.
"Things are changing" Toshiro murmured, leading Ren down a more secluded path. "The war is not going as planned. There's-there's this new ninja in Konoha. They call him the Yellow Lightning."
Ren felt a chill run down his spine. 'Minato Namikaze, this is it.'
At home, the tension was palpable. After dinner, Ren heard his parents talking in the kitchen, thinking he was already in bed.
"...It's too dangerous," his mother said. " You can't go too."
"I am a Ninja," Toshiro replied. " I can't turn my back on my village."
Hidden in the shadows of the hallway, Ren listened intently. 'It's starting,' he thought. 'First Minato will change the fortunes of the war, then Yagura will turn Kirigakure into the Bloody Mist. Events are moving faster than I remembered.'
That night, in the safety of his room, Ren reflected on everything he had observed. The small drop of water in his hands trembled slightly before dissolving.
'Two weeks,' he thought, looking through the window at the mist enveloping the village. 'Two weeks to prepare for what is to come.