Ren walked the streets of Kirigakure, following the directions his mother had given him. The atmosphere in the village was electric, a far cry from the tension of the previous few days.
"It's said he's completed more S-Rank missions than the seven swordsmen, did you hear?" A chunin gesticulated animatedly to a group of colleagues. "He single-handedly took out an Iwa reconnaissance unit during the war, and that time he repelled an infiltration at the northern border! His water technique is something to behold."
"He also saved a squadron during that mission in the Land of Claws," another added admiringly. "It's said he's developed a way of manipulating water that no one has ever seen before."
"He's still too young," the veteran muttered, his scar creasing as he frowned. "Talent or not, experience…"
'Strange,' Ren mused as he walked past. 'It's a shame I don't know anything about his time before he became Mizukage, but Yagura probably wasn't that bad before Obito's control, or maybe someone behind the scenes is trying to boost his reputation.'
The address brought him to a secluded part of the village. The building before him had nothing to suggest a forge, except for the thin wisp of smoke rising from a chimney at the back. No signage, no weapons on display - just a dark wooden door in a nondescript facade.
Ren knocked, waiting for a response that never came. The rhythmic sound of metal beating confirmed to him that someone was inside. After a few minutes, he knocked again.
Silence.
'Well, if he's working he might not have heard,' he reasoned, his hand resting on the doorknob. 'And Mom said it was... peculiar.'
The door creaked open.
His instincts screamed a warning a split second before a massive iron bar slammed down from above, aiming straight for his head. Ren leapt to the side, feeling the rush of air as the bar narrowly missed his skull.
Immediately afterward, a middle-aged man emerged from a door at the back of the room, alerted by his mechanical detection system. His dark eyes studied Ren suspiciously.
"Who are you, little guy?" he asked sharply.
"I'm Ren Mi-"
"Didn't anyone teach you how to read?" the man interrupted, pointing to a sign Ren was sure hadn't been there before. "It says we're closed today." And with that, he slammed the door in his face.
'For the first time in two lifetimes,' Ren thought, surprised by the anger he felt rising, 'I'm seriously considering murder as a reasonable solution.' He paused, shocked by his own emotional reaction. It was unusual for him to lose his cool so easily.
As he walked away, still reeling from his unexpected reaction, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Ren?" Kurara watched him curiously, a dango skewer halfway to her mouth. "What are you doing around here? I've never seen you in the neighborhood."
"I was looking for a blacksmith," he replied, frustration still evident in his voice. "Without success."
Kurara's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Follow me," he said simply.
They walked right back to the same door. As Kurara knocked, the man's irritated voice could be heard, "So you just don't understand..." The door opened and his expression instantly changed. "...how much Grandpa loves you, little Kurara!"
'Grandpa?' Ren blinked in disbelief.
"Grandpa," Kurara said, her tone suddenly soft, "did anyone come to the shop earlier?"
"No..." Takeshi began, then noticed Ren and his face twitched in recognition. "Oh, no... I mean, maybe. A young customer who said he'd be back later on an urgent errand." He shot Ren a pleading look, accompanied by a not-so-subtle wink.
Ren put a hand to his forehead, finding the whole situation surreal. In two lifetimes, this was probably the most absurd scene he'd ever been involved in.
Kurara looked suspiciously from her grandfather, then at Ren. "Really? And this young customer looked strangely like my Academy classmate here?"
"Oh, a classmate?" Takeshi asked, desperately trying to change the subject. "Why don't you both come in? I just finished forging an interesting set of kunai..."
"Grandpa..." Kurara's tone was warning.
Takeshi sighed dramatically. "Okay, okay. Maybe I was a little... hasty. But you know how I am with new clients! And then, he passed the bar test with flying colors."
" The test ba....Grandpa! Did you set that trap on the door again?"
'Test?' Ren thought. 'So that iron bar was intentional. This man is more dangerous than he looks.'
"Just a little reflex test," Takeshi defended himself. "You can't blame me for wanting to make sure my clients are up to par with the weapons I forge!"
"What if someone doesn't have ninja reflexes?" Kurara asked in exasperation.
"Oh, for civilians I use a wooden bar," Takeshi replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Kurara turned to Ren. "I apologize for my grandfather. He's a genius with metal, but he has... his own quirks." Then, turning to her grandfather, "This is Ren Mizutani, he's..."
Takeshi's face visibly darkened. "Mizutani? Toshiro's son?"
A heavy silence fell over the room.