The Uzumaki compound's guest quarters buzzed with subdued activity, the tension palpable among the Konoha ninjas stationed there. Morning light filtered through intricately carved wooden panels, casting latticed patterns on the polished floors. A room at the heart of the building had become the de facto hub for the mission's leaders, Shikadi Nara and Nohiro Yamanaka.
Shikadi leaned against a low table, his signature nonchalant air intact despite the gravity of their mission. His sharp, calculating eyes took in the maps and scrolls spread before him, while his fingers toyed idly with a piece of stray thread. Nohiro, on the other hand, stood near the window, his posture rigid and his face shadowed in thought. The Yamanaka's striking blonde hair caught the light as he turned to face Shikadi.
"Shikadi," Nohiro began, his voice a quiet murmur laced with an edge of concern, "what do you think of the candidates Ashina mentioned?"
Shikadi shrugged, his lips curving into a small, wry smile. "It's not like we're here to dictate their decisions. But if you're asking my opinion, Ren's the obvious choice."
"I don't think so. Yes, if you consider chakra reserves and skill, Ren might seem the obvious choice. But in the grand scheme of things, Do you really believe that chakra is the most important factor? It's true that to make effective use of a jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast, only Uzumaki clan members possess enough chakra to suppress the beast without compromising their own fighting power. But the Hokage insists on raising the jinchūriki in Konoha from childhood." Nohiro glanced at Shikadi, his expression hinting at a shared, unspoken understanding.
"To better control the jinchūriki—something we failed to achieve with Lady Mito," Shikadi murmured, puffing out a ring of smoke. "And the best way to control someone is by making them believe they're acting of their own free will."
"Yes, and that's why we need a child," Nohiro replied with a sigh.
"Isn't that boy also a child? You've been teaching him for months," Shikadi asked, puzzled.
Nohiro's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. "Child? He's anything but a child. At ten years old, he's surpassed the level of a chunin—not yet a jonin, but who knows how long it'll take him to reach that level? That's not the issue, though. Konoha has seen geniuses like him before. The problem is his nature. He's cold, calculating, and ambitious—a lone wolf who'll do anything to achieve his goals. No leash can hold him, and if you try, he'll bite your hand off before you realize it."
The Ninja of the Nara clan took another inhalation of the smoke and sighed, "what a waste, he could've been useful. But there's nothing we can do now." There was a forecast of something hidden deep inside of his sentences And Yamanaka was not a complete fool in himself. The years of experience of second ninja world war had taught him many things and among them was not just the ability to sense chakra but ability to sense the depth of one's action also.
"What do you mean by that?", this tone was the same when Shikadi asked him to share the clan secret technique to Ren. It was blatant and unreasonable request. Although, they knew That Uzumaki clan would ask something in return, but they did not expect it to be clan's hidden technique. But Shikadi convinced Nohiro to give it away by saying that if Ren comes to Konoha then technique would not be lost to others. But Situation have changed since then. So, he asked, "And what about leaving Ren here? Isn't that risky? if Uzumaki clan start a civil war then possibility of leaking my clan's technique is very high."
"Are you so tense about that? We have much more urgent task to think about?", Shikadi Nara didn't answer his question. Instead, he asked a question in return.
"I am. Don't forget that I've taught him. And although He tried to hide , I know at the least, he is much more than it seems."
...
Yamanaka's memories of teaching Ren the mind-body technique were vivid, a series of clashes between mastery and innovation. Ren had been an exceptional student, but his approach often veered away from tradition. In the candle-lit training chamber, Nohiro remembered watching the boy's sharp gaze as he absorbed every word, his understanding of the Yamanaka clan's techniques almost unsettling in its depth.
"Focus," Nohiro had instructed, his tone firm but patient. "The Mind-Body Switch requires absolute precision. Even a sliver of hesitation can leave your mind vulnerable."
Ren nodded, his expression unreadable. His hands formed the seals with fluidity, and his chakra flared in response. Yet, as the days turned into weeks, Nohiro began to notice small deviations in Ren's technique. Subtle shifts in his chakra flow, adjustments in his seals—changes that hinted at a deeper, personal experiment.
The atmosphere was heavy with the stillness of night, the faint rustle of leaves outside the chamber the only sound. It was during one such late evening when Nohiro had returned to the chamber for a forgotten scroll, that he stumbled upon Ren. The boy's figure was illuminated by the flickering candlelight, his hands weaving seals like a flowing water. It was in that moment, catching him red-handed, The boy stood in the center of the room, his hands weaving seals at a blistering pace. The air around him shimmered with an unfamiliar energy, and Nohiro's heart sank as he realized what Ren was doing. He was trying to split his mind. The mind-body technique did not work like that. It uses a chakra connection to establish temporary control over another person's body.
"Ren," Nohiro's voice cut through the quiet like a blade. The boy froze, his chakra dissipating instantly as he turned to face his teacher. His crimson hair was damp with sweat, and his expression held pain but neither fear nor guilt—only calmness.
"What are you doing?" Nohiro demanded, stepping closer. "This isn't the Mind-Body Switch. What were you trying to achieve?"
Ren's lips pressed into a thin line before he answered. "Improvement. The technique is inefficient. It leaves the user too exposed. I was trying to create a version that doesn't require full possession—something that allows partial control while maintaining awareness of one's own body."
Nohiro's eyes narrowed. "You're tampering with a technique that's been perfected over generations. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"
"I am aware, teacher.", Ren replied by bowing head in ninety-degree angle.
"You are dismissed," Nohiro's voice hardened, the weight of authority unmistakable. "What you're doing treads dangerously close to creating a forbidden jutsu. It doesn't just harm others—it risks consuming the caster entirely. This ends now. You are prohibited from practicing or experimenting on it anymore. Go back. NOW.", Nohiro sent Ren back for the day but how useful his prohibition would be successful was doubtful.
And then there was the astonishing fact that the boy had mastered the technique in just three months—a feat that had taken Nohiro himself several arduous years to accomplish. The contrast was both humbling and unsettling, a stark reminder of the gap between Ren's prodigious talent and even a seasoned ninja's experience.