Dawn. Ren was completing his tenth lap of hand-walking around the lake when a familiar presence materialized nearby.
"Your left shoulder is lower than your right," Toshiro observed, sitting with effortless elegance on a nearby rock.
Ren rose to his feet in one fluid motion, wiping sweat from his forehead. It was unusual to see his father at the lake so early - normally he would have been out on some mission by now.
"I see you've been increasing the weights," Toshiro noted, indicating the bands adorning his son's arms. "How's the substitution technique going?"
"Almost done," Ren replied, straightening his back. "I think I just need to improve my speed of execution."
"Show me."
For the next few minutes, Toshiro watched and corrected his son's technique, suggesting small adjustments that made a big difference. Then, in one fluid motion, he pulled two bokken from his pack, tossing one to Ren.
"The third form," he said simply.
The wood of the bokken was warm to the touch, worn from countless hours of practice. Ren began the sequence of movements, each gesture the product of hundreds of repetitions.
"Again," Toshiro ordered after the first pass. "This time, let your breath guide the movement. Like water: continuous, uninterrupted, fluid."
The sun rose slowly over the fog as they repeated the sequence. With each pass, Toshiro focused on a different aspect: now the angle of the wrist, now the position of the feet, now the transfer of weight from one leg to the other.
"The kata," he explained as they rested, "is not a simple series of movements. It is an intimate dialogue between the warrior and his blade."
The sun was high by the time Ren reached the academy. The morning fog, instead of thinning, seemed to have thickened, enveloping the building in an opaque blanket.
'Perfect,' Fujimoto-sensei's voice rang out in the classroom. 'Nature has provided us with the perfect conditions for our lesson today. Everyone to the courtyard.'
The students followed their teacher outside, where the fog created a surreal environment, turning familiar figures into blurry shadows.
'Today we will practice the concealment technique,' Fujimoto announced. 'Split into pairs.'
Aoi automatically approached Ren, but Fujimoto shook his head.
"Today I will pair up. Mizutani with Yukiko, Kaito with Jun'ko..."
Yukiko positioned herself next to Ren with her usual measured grace. "Let's see if your morning training has improved your stealth as well," she whispered with a thin smile.
"The first stage is observation," Fujimoto explained. "Study how the natural mist moves, how it reacts to your movements."
The students dispersed into the courtyard. Jun'ko, trying to hide, stumbled loudly, causing Aoi to sigh as he was trying to explain the optimal density of the fog.
Ren watched as Yukiko moved: her steps were so light that the fog barely swayed as she passed. With her kekkei genkai, she had an innate understanding of how cold air interacted with humidity.
"That's right," Fujimoto agreed, silently materializing next to them. "The mist is not a cloak to wear, but an environment to inhabit. Observe how Yukiko-san moves—her chakra blends with the environment instead of disturbing it."
In the afternoon, after class, Ren and Aoi had retreated to a secluded corner of the academy courtyard for their usual medical ninjutsu practice. The fog provided a natural curtain that insulated them from curious eyes.
Ren watched the green chakra in his hands begin to manifest with increasing stability. It was a peculiar sensation, as if a dormant muscle memory were being awakened.
"Your progress is remarkable," Aoi observed, as Ren healed a small superficial cut on his arm that he had made specifically for training. "Your healing chakra is becoming more stable."
'Good thing,' Ren thought, concentrating on keeping the flow steady. 'At least a little satisfaction that my medical studies are bringing me some benefit.'
The cut slowly healed under his fingers, still requiring a lot of concentration. 'Another technique to develop in addition to chakra scalpels: self-cellular regeneration.'
"Look," Aoi said, leaning in for a closer look, adjusting his glasses with his trademark gesture. "The regeneration is occurring evenly, although still slow. Technically, with more practice, you could significantly increase the healing speed."
'Yes,' Ren mused, 'the ability to regenerate could make all the difference in a prolonged fight.' He nodded vaguely at his friend's technical explanations, his mind already exploring the possible applications of these techniques.
When he returned home, Ren found his father sitting at the kitchen table, hunched over the old family scroll.
His elegant handwriting filled the yellowed margins of the pages.
"Come," Toshiro called, beckoning him closer. "There's something I want to show you."
He walked over to a dark wood shelf, retrieving an object wrapped in a time-worn silk cloth. "You know," he said, returning to the table with an almost embarrassed smile, "your birthday is in a few days, and since I'll be on a mission... I thought I'd give you this early."
His hands moved delicately as he unrolled the cloth, revealing a small tanto. "It was your grandfather's. He intended it for his heir. I actually wanted to wait until you were seven, but..." He scratched the back of his neck, in that characteristic gesture he did when he was slightly embarrassed. "I didn't want to miss seeing your face when you saw it."
Ren's hands trembled slightly as he took the weapon. The blade seemed to vibrate beneath his fingers, as if recognizing an affinity with his chakra.
"It's no ordinary blade," Toshiro explained, pride mingling with affection in his voice. "It was specifically crafted to channel chakra. I thought… given your progress in kenjutsu, you might want to familiarize yourself with it while I'm away. And when I get back," he added, ruffling his hair, "we'll celebrate your birthday properly and explore it together."
Ren clutched his tanto to his chest, surprised by the depth of feeling that coursed through him. In this new life, birthdays had taken on a whole new meaning. 'How ironic, to feel this way…here of all places."
"Thank you, Tou-san," he said simply, but the words contained more than just a thank you.
That night, after his father's footsteps had faded away towards his room, Ren lay awake, the family scroll open before him in the dim moonlight. His eyes wandered over the incomplete technique, trying to penetrate its secrets.
'I never thought I'd receive a blade to channel chakra so soon, perfect, I'll have to speed up my training with the wind element too if I want to imitate Asuma's style.'
' But...there's something,' he thought, a subtle uneasiness creeping into his mind. 'Something I'm missing...'