"Ren-kun… and Kakashi-kun… are both incredible…"
Rin stood quietly at the edge of the training ground, her voice soft, almost swallowed by the breeze.
"Not just ninjutsu… even their swordsmanship…"
She exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around her ninja pouch. Her palms were damp with sweat, her heartbeat still unsteady from watching the intense spar just moments ago.
They had all graduated together.
They had all started from the same line.
And yet now…
The gap felt overwhelming.
Especially Ren.
Just a few months ago, he had been… normal. Talented, yes—but nothing that stood out too much. Someone she could still compare herself to.
But now—
He felt distant.
Like a mountain rising suddenly from flat land.
Unreachable.
Rin lowered her gaze slightly.
If this continues…
Will I become a burden to the team?
---
"Switch! Switch! Your sword's broken—my turn!"
Obito's loud voice shattered the tension.
He jumped up from the ground, pointing dramatically at Kakashi, full of energy as always.
"Come on, Kakashi! Fight me!"
Kakashi, who had just been about to leave, paused mid-step. He let out a quiet sigh, as if already regretting what was about to happen.
"…Fine."
He turned back slowly.
"If you can last two minutes against me, I'll count it as your win."
"…Huh?"
Obito blinked.
Two minutes?
The next second—
The fight began.
---
Clack!
Obito rushed forward recklessly, his movements loud and direct. Kakashi, on the other hand, barely moved more than necessary. His defense was tight, his counters clean and efficient.
Within seconds, the difference was obvious.
---
Meanwhile, Ren walked back toward the sidelines and sat down beside Rin.
He glanced at her briefly.
"Rin, how's your progress with tree climbing and water walking?"
Rin looked a little embarrassed, but she answered honestly.
"Tree climbing is… better than yesterday. I can go halfway up now without falling."
She hesitated slightly.
"But water walking… I still can't stabilize it. My chakra control feels… uneven."
Ren nodded.
"Show me."
"…Okay."
Rin stood up immediately.
She stepped toward the nearby stream, removing her sandals before coating the soles of her feet with chakra. Carefully, she stepped onto the water's surface.
One step.
Two steps.
Her body swayed.
Her balance broke.
Splash.
She fell straight into the shallow water.
Before she could fully soak herself, Ren reached out and pulled her back up.
Water dripped from her feet, her toes curling slightly as she stood there, clearly a bit flustered.
Ren crouched slightly and pointed calmly.
"It's still your chakra distribution."
His finger hovered near her ankle and calf.
"Here—and here. You're tensing your muscles too much. That interrupts the flow."
Rin stiffened slightly at the proximity, her ears faintly reddening, but she forced herself to focus.
Ren continued, his tone steady and instructive.
"Relax your legs. Don't fight the water. Let the chakra spread evenly from the sole—like a cushion supporting you."
Rin nodded.
"…I understand."
She took a breath, calmed herself, and tried again.
This time—
Her steps were slower.
More controlled.
Still unstable.
But better.
---
Over the past few days, their lives had fallen into a strangely repetitive rhythm.
Eat.
Sleep.
Train.
Fight Kakashi.
Repeat.
In between, they had completed more than a dozen D-rank missions.
Clearing river debris.
Finding lost pets.
Repairing walls.
Harvesting herbs.
Cleaning training grounds.
Even chasing wild boars out of farmland.
It was… everything.
And nothing.
Obito complained constantly, insisting that someone with his talent shouldn't be wasting time on such trivial work.
But Minato enforced discipline strictly.
And Kakashi—
Kakashi suppressed Obito effortlessly every time.
As a result, the team remained stable.
Barely.
---
Today, Minato had shown up briefly in the morning, only to be called away again to the Hokage Building.
Which meant—
They were on their own.
Ren didn't mind.
In fact, he was getting impatient.
He still had his mission—
"Vindicate the Great Fireball."
And for that, he needed to leave the village.
But…
He glanced at Rin, who was still trying to stabilize her footing on the water.
Not yet.
Neither Rin nor Obito had fully mastered basic chakra control.
Sending them outside now would be dangerous.
So he waited.
---
"Boom!!"
A body flew through the air.
Obito landed heavily on the ground near Ren and Rin, groaning.
Kakashi stood not far away, hands already in his pockets again.
"One minute and forty-nine seconds," he said calmly.
"That's five seconds longer than last time."
Obito's face twisted.
"Five seconds?! That's it?!"
Kakashi didn't even look impressed.
"With your current strength, you shouldn't be thinking about leaving the village."
His tone remained flat.
"You should be thinking about how not to drag the team down."
He glanced briefly at Ren.
"If something happens during a mission, Ren and I will have to split our attention to protect you."
That was the final blow.
Obito jumped up instantly.
"What did you say?! Who needs your protection?!"
Kakashi curled his lip slightly, about to reply—
When suddenly—
A faint golden flash appeared beside them.
In the next moment—
Minato Namikaze materialized.
"Kakashi, how's training going?"
"Minato-sensei."
Kakashi stepped forward immediately and began reporting their progress.
Minato listened patiently, nodding occasionally.
Then—
He looked at all of them, smiling gently.
"It seems everyone has been working hard. That's good."
He paused briefly.
"Originally, I planned to let you consolidate your basics for a few more days."
Then—
He dropped the news.
"But a C-rank mission just came in."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"I'd like to ask—do you have the confidence to take it?"
---
"C-rank mission?!"
Obito's eyes lit up instantly.
"Does that mean—leaving the village?!"
Ren's eyes also sharpened slightly.
Finally.
For him, this wasn't just about excitement.
It was opportunity.
---
Only Kakashi frowned.
"…Minato-sensei."
He hesitated slightly.
"Isn't this too fast?"
He spoke calmly, but his concern was clear.
"A normal genin team usually needs at least half a month before taking missions outside the village."
Minato's smile faded slightly.
He sighed.
"Yes… under normal circumstances."
His gaze shifted toward the distance.
"But you've noticed it too, haven't you?"
"The number of injured in the village has increased."
"And the intelligence from the borders…"
He paused.
"…isn't optimistic."
Silence fell over the group.
Ren understood immediately.
Rin too—she had been to the hospital.
Kakashi had just returned from outside missions.
Even Obito, slow as he could be, sensed the weight in Minato's words.
War.
It was coming closer.
---
Minato straightened slightly, his smile returning—gentler this time.
"But don't worry."
"Because of Kakashi and Ren, our team's overall strength is above average."
"And C-rank missions usually don't involve enemy ninja."
"That's why I decided to give it a try."
He added calmly—
"And if something unexpected happens…"
A faint confidence entered his voice.
"I'm confident I can bring all of you back safely."
That reassurance mattered.
Because coming from Minato—
It wasn't empty words.
---
He took out a scroll and handed it to them.
"This is the mission."
Ren opened it.
Escort mission.
Medical personnel.
Supplies.
Destination—
The border of the Land of Fire.
Departure: the day after tomorrow.
Ren's eyes lingered on the words.
The border…
His father was stationed there.
By the timeline, his rotation should be ending soon.
For a brief moment, Ren felt something stir in his chest.
---
"That's everything," Minato said.
"You can end training early today."
"No missions tomorrow. Use the time to rest and prepare."
His gaze swept across them.
"Even for a C-rank mission, danger still exists. Be prepared for unexpected situations."
"Bring enough ninja tools."
He paused.
"Meet at the village gate at seven in the morning—the day after tomorrow."
---
"Understood."
All three responded together.
---
After Minato left—
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then—
Kakashi glanced sideways at Ren.
His tone was casual.
"Hey… Ren."
Ren looked at him.
Kakashi continued:
"You're interested in swordsmanship, right?"
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
Here it comes.
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