Besides Ren's exhausting training schedule, one other matter deserved attention.
Tsunade had kept her promise.
Her hemophobia prevented her from personally performing Tajima's operation, but she had participated in every stage of his diagnosis. After examining his injuries, reviewing the medical reports, and consulting several senior medical-nin, she personally designed a detailed surgical and rehabilitation plan.
The result was far better than Ren had expected.
If the operation succeeded, Tajima would have approximately a thirty-percent chance of walking again.
Thirty percent might not sound particularly high, but considering the extent of his injuries, it was already an astonishing possibility.
More than a decade later, Rock Lee would suffer a similarly devastating injury. Even after Tsunade overcame her hemophobia and personally performed the operation, Lee would face a significant risk of dying on the operating table.
Tajima's condition was not identical, but the damage to his nerves and muscles was severe enough that an ordinary medical-nin would have simply declared his leg beyond saving.
Whether he could ever return to active duty as a shinobi was another question entirely.
According to Tsunade's initial assessment, the chances were extremely low.
Ren was perfectly satisfied with that outcome.
Remaining a shinobi during wartime was not necessarily a blessing. The best result would be for Tajima to recover enough mobility to live independently while remaining medically unfit for active duty.
He could retire from the shinobi ranks, find ordinary work inside Konoha, and never again be sent to the battlefield.
Being alive, able to walk, and unable to fight sounded ideal.
To thank Tsunade for everything she had done, Ren made a special trip to her office.
"There's no need to thank me," Tsunade replied without looking up from the medical text spread across her desk. "Treating injured shinobi is Konoha Hospital's responsibility."
Her office was filled with medical reports, anatomical diagrams, and stacks of handwritten notes. Several files concerning Tajima's operation had been placed beside her right hand, each page covered with corrections in red ink.
Even if Tsunade dismissed the matter as her responsibility, it was obvious that she had invested considerable effort.
Ren bowed his head slightly.
"It may be your responsibility, but you still did far more than anyone could reasonably expect. My family won't forget it."
Tsunade's eyes paused on the page.
For a brief moment, her expression softened.
Then she closed the book with a snap.
"If you have enough time to stand here expressing gratitude, use it to prepare for the Medical Corps assessment at the end of this month," she said. "I already warned you. If either you or Rin fails, you can both pack your things and leave."
The assessment would test medical theory, chakra control, emergency treatment, poison identification, and practical field medicine. Failing any critical section would result in immediate disqualification.
Ren showed no concern.
"Thank you for the reminder, Lady Tsunade, but I'm already prepared. You can arrange the assessment whenever you want."
"Oh?" Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "That's a confident answer."
"The theoretical sections won't be a problem, and my practical treatment skills meet the required standard. As for Rin, I've been helping her review the subjects she finds difficult."
Tsunade studied him for several seconds.
Ren's confidence did not appear to be empty arrogance. He had absorbed medical knowledge at an extraordinary pace, and his chakra control had improved every week.
Rin's progress was slower, but it remained steady. More importantly, she was diligent, compassionate, and remarkably calm when dealing with injured patients.
"Very well," Tsunade said. "I'll wait to see whether your performance matches your confidence. If you fail after saying all of that, I'll make you clean every bedpan in this hospital for a month."
Ren's expression stiffened.
"That seems slightly excessive."
"It's excellent motivation."
Tsunade rose and stretched her shoulders after spending hours hunched over medical reports. Ren immediately averted his eyes and focused with suspicious intensity on an anatomical chart hanging on the wall.
Tsunade noticed his sudden change in posture and narrowed her eyes.
"Why are you still standing here?"
"I was admiring the educational materials."
"You were staring at a diagram of the human liver."
"It's a very informative liver."
A vein pulsed on Tsunade's forehead.
"Go visit your father before I test whether your skull is stronger than my desk. His surgery is in two days. The probability of failure is low, but it isn't zero. Spend some time with him."
Ren moved toward the door but stopped before opening it.
"Lady Tsunade, there's one more thing I'd like to ask."
"What is it?"
Ren turned back, his expression becoming serious.
"It concerns the Nerve Activation Technique."
The irritation in Tsunade's eyes disappeared.
She watched him closely, then gestured for him to close the door.
Their conversation continued for several minutes.
When Ren finally left the office, his face revealed nothing about what had been discussed.
He made his way to Tajima's ward.
After learning there was a chance he might walk again, Tajima's mood had improved considerably. He spent most of his time talking with nearby patients, sharing stories from border missions, and repeatedly trying to convince the nurses that he was healthy enough to eat something other than hospital food.
The moment Ren arrived, Tajima waved him over.
"You came at the right time! I was just talking about you."
The patient in the neighboring bed laughed.
"Your father has spent the last twenty minutes telling us that his son is Tsunade's personal student."
"I said he was studying under Lady Tsunade," Tajima protested. "That's completely different."
"You also said he defeated the Hokage's son."
"He did!"
"And that he'll become a jōnin before turning fifteen."
"That part is my prediction."
Ren sat beside the bed.
"If you keep shouting, your wounds will open again."
Tajima immediately lowered his voice.
After the neighboring patient returned to his book, Tajima leaned closer.
"Ren, have you decided what to do with the mission credits I mentioned?"
Ren had expected the question.
"Not completely."
"What is there to think about?" Tajima asked. "Leaving the credits unused would be a waste. We should exchange them for a powerful ninjutsu that can help you protect yourself."
His expression grew solemn.
"Konoha and Sunagakure are already at war. You may still be young, but you're a shinobi now. If the situation becomes worse, the village could begin assigning dangerous missions to genin teams."
He tightened his grip on the blanket.
"I don't want you standing on a battlefield wishing you had learned something when you had the chance."
Ren understood the fear behind his words.
Tajima had watched three teammates die because their squad walked into an ambush. Now that his own career was over, the only thing he could do was give his son every possible advantage.
Ren had spent the past several days considering his options. He had even approached Minato privately and asked for advice.
At present, his combat system could be divided into two primary styles.
The first was close-quarters combat built around the Three Basic Techniques and Hatake Swordsmanship. Through combinations of clones, transformations, substitutions, and precise blade work, Ren could confuse an enemy, close the distance, and deliver a decisive strike.
That style possessed enormous potential.
His second combat style revolved around Fire Release.
The Great Fireball Technique provided overwhelming destructive power at short to medium range, while the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique allowed him to suppress multiple targets and manipulate their movement.
His Water Release techniques and the Eight Gates remained secondary abilities. Their proficiency was still too low for either to become a foundation of his combat style.
Ren had considered whether he should use Tajima's mission credits to address those weaknesses.
In the end, he decided against it.
Water Release required a great deal of chakra when no natural water source was nearby. Although the characteristic provided by the Wild Water Wave reduced that burden, Ren was still far from flooding an entire battlefield like Tobirama Senju or Kisame Hoshigaki.
The Eight Gates demanded something even more difficult to obtain: time.
Its strength depended on physical conditioning, endurance, and countless repetitions. Exchanging for an unrelated taijutsu technique would not allow him to skip that process.
Rather than spreading his attention across too many different abilities, Ren preferred to strengthen the combat system that had already begun taking shape.
Minato had agreed.
"Your Great Fireball Technique is already exceptionally powerful," Minato had told him during their private conversation. "Combined with the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, you possess excellent firepower at short and medium ranges."
He had drawn three circles in the dirt to represent different engagement distances.
"What you currently lack is a long-range precision attack. The Great Fireball is powerful, but its size makes its path easy to read. Against a fast or experienced shinobi, overwhelming power means little if the attack never lands."
Ren had nodded.
"What would you recommend?"
"The Dragon Fire Technique or the Great Dragon Fire Technique," Minato replied. "Both possess far greater range and precision than the Great Fireball."
He tapped the farthest circle.
"The Dragon Fire Technique concentrates the flames along a narrow path, allowing it to strike distant targets. The Great Dragon Fire Technique is more difficult, but once mastered, you can create multiple fire dragons and control your angle of attack."
Minato looked directly at him.
"With your talent for Fire Release, I believe you can eventually reach that level."
His reasoning had been convincing.
Ren had originally considered exchanging the mission credits for the Majestic Destroyer Flame.
The memory of Madara Uchiha releasing a sea of fire so massive that an entire unit of shinobi had been required to counter it remained deeply impressive.
However, once the spectacle was removed from the equation, Majestic Destroyer Flame was essentially a vastly enhanced version of the Great Fireball Technique. It covered a far greater area and possessed terrifying destructive power, but its chakra consumption was equally enormous.
It was an excellent technique for crushing armies or changing the terrain of a battlefield.
It was less useful against a single elite shinobi capable of dodging or countering it.
Long-range precision was the missing piece in Ren's current combat system.
For a moment, he considered an even more advanced option.
"The Dragon Flame Release Song Technique…"
That ninjutsu was reputed to possess frightening accuracy, but Madara Uchiha was the only person Ren remembered using it. Its difficulty was undoubtedly extreme, and there was no guarantee that Konoha's public ninjutsu archive even contained it.
The Uchiha clan might possess a record of the technique.
Unfortunately, the clan's ninjutsu were private property. An outsider could not simply enter their compound and request access to a secret manual.
Ren returned his attention to Tajima.
"I've made my decision," he said. "I'll exchange the mission credits for the Great Dragon Fire Technique. If the credits aren't enough, I'll choose the standard Dragon Fire Technique instead."
Tajima immediately smiled.
"Good! A powerful Fire Release technique suits you. Once my operation is over, we'll submit the request."
"There's no need to wait. Your surgery is in two days, and you should focus on that. I can handle the exchange myself."
Tajima hesitated before reaching toward the cabinet beside his bed. He removed his shinobi identification papers and handed them to Ren.
"Take these. The Mission Hall will need proof that I authorized you to use my credits."
Ren accepted the documents.
"Rest properly. I'll deal with everything."
Two days later, while Tajima was being prepared for surgery, Ren entered Konoha's Mission Hall.
The building was far busier than usual. Shinobi teams crowded around the assignment counters, messengers hurried between offices, and several chūnin sorted stacks of requests connected to the war effort.
Ren waited until one of the reception counters became available, then presented Tajima's identification and the signed authorization form.
The shinobi behind the counter read the documents before glancing up.
"Are you Ren? A member of Minato Namikaze's team?"
"Yes."
The receptionist searched through several records, and recognition gradually appeared on his face.
"Your father's accumulated mission credits are sufficient for two C-rank ninjutsu," he explained. "Unfortunately, they fall slightly short of the amount required for a B-rank technique."
Ren had expected that possibility.
"Then I'll exchange them for the Dragon Fire Technique."
"Hold on." The receptionist removed a second document from the file. "Minato Namikaze visited several days ago and left instructions concerning your request."
Ren paused.
"What instructions?"
"If you chose a B-rank ninjutsu and your father's credits were insufficient, the difference should be deducted from Minato's personal mission credits."
Ren stared at him.
Minato had never mentioned this.
His teacher must have predicted that Tajima's credits would not be enough and quietly covered the remaining cost before Ren even arrived.
Warmth briefly touched Ren's chest.
Before he could respond, a familiar translucent panel suddenly appeared in front of him.
[Through the introductions of your father and teacher, you have arrived at the matchmaking agency located in the center of Konoha.]
Ren's expression froze.
The system continued.
[The agency staff have warmly received you. Your father and teacher have already paid your membership fee and selected a straightforward, passionate young lady as your first potential partner.]
[Her name is: Great Dragon Fire Technique.]
[Would you like to begin courting her? Yes/No]
A final line appeared beneath the first option.
[Alternatively, you may examine the matchmaking agency's list and select another potential partner: ______]
Ren slowly raised his head and stared at the crowded Mission Hall.
Shinobi were accepting assignments, reporting casualties, exchanging battle records, and submitting requests for dangerous techniques.
Until today, he had believed this was one of Konoha's most important administrative buildings.
Apparently, he had been mistaken.
According to the system, the Mission Hall was Konoha's largest matchmaking agency—and Minato had just arranged his first date.