It was not a tearful embrace that awaited the two. It was not a heartbreaking embrace full of familial love and lots of memory to share with each other. This was not a story with a happy ending

 

Ren was nonplussed to say the least. It was slightly awkward from his side. It was as if the gods themselves had woven it this way on purpose. Sure, he had expected to meet his cousin one of these days, after all only she and him could invite people to the compound.

 

“Indeed, it was me who entered the compounds. My teacher told me to practice some techniques, and what better place to find scrolls than the Senju’s broad collection.”

 

To someone else, his attitude might’ve seemed recalcitrant but he honestly didn’t care. His tone might’ve seemed brusque, but that too, he did not care about in the slightest.

 

Some sort of fire arose from the depths of his stomach; a feeling he did not know he even had, something unfamiliar and dark.

 

“Kakashi was not wrong in his beliefs. Techniques must be thoroughly studied, but I like to believe that first-hand experience is better than mindless studying. It teaches you more than reading does.” Tsunade spoke while crossing her hands below her chests, raising the well-endowed area higher.

 

If this wasn’t a serious conversation, he’d definitely have tried to peek at them once, but not now, it wasn’t the time for such silly things.

 

‘So, she knows about who I am apprenticed under huh.’

 

Just the thought of it made his heart brim with a strange feeling. In a way it definitely felt rude, but a part of his heart enjoyed the attention. He inwardly shooed this feeling as fast he could.

 

“I do agree with you to a degree, but that’s besides the point right now. I’ll just try my best to enjoy this amazing collection, I do have permission to be here right? Clan Leader?”

 

Tsunade shifted positions and got closer to him and chose not to respond until she stopped right in front of him. Cold eyes shone with a hint of something he could recognize all too well, fear and confuse.

 

“Of course, it would be nonsense for me to deny you that right.”

 

It was as short as it was icy. There was nothing positive about her attitude and he couldn’t really blame her, but nor could he reason with it.

 

“Well then, I’ll be on my way if it’s that way.”

 

Footsteps resonated as Ren made his way across the many bookshelves, navigating himself through sections.

 

A deafening silence was what followed. Tsunade pursued her lips, unsure of what to say. In a way, she wanted to connect to her only alive relative, but what was the point?

 

He was going to die sooner or later anyway. They all did, always.

 

That was how she comforted herself when she turned around and soon left – and then she stopped.

 

“Ren, could I ask something of you?” She spoke with a strength she didn’t know she possessed. Her, one of the strongest kunoichi’s – if not the strongest – found something as simple as this… intimidating.

 

The boy-turned-killer stared at her patiently and nodded.

 

“Great. I know saying that we haven’t had the greatest of family connections would be a great underestimation, but… would it be possible for you to spend some time with me one of these days?”

 

Ren found himself startled, amused even, from what he’d heard before, Senju Tsunade was far more stubborn than this. So, his reply was short and swift.

 

“Sure.” – and he turned around, not heeding her any more of his limited attention. Not that she seemed to mind it however.

 

It was a start at least.

 

As to where it would lead?

 

Ren didn’t want to know and he definitely was not in a rush to learn that as well.

 

He was not going to entertain the thoughts of having a healthy relationship with his cousin at this stage of his life, a stage where he wasn’t sure if he would survive to see the light of the sun for another day.

 

xXx

 

Kakashi was in a difficult spot. A pretty weird spot if he was to be asked to be fair. The Copy Ninja did not find it amusing nor entertaining.

 

He knew his team was more than ready to take on a C-rank Mission. Naruto might need some more adequate training, but with the two other’s support there was nothing wrong with them taking at least one.

 

Hiruzen and by some extent his… helper for the week seemed to disagree. Since the academy had but finished for the year, Iruka had found it necessary to aid the Hokage with other jobs such as being a short-time helper.

 

He wanted nothing more than to agree with their summary of his team, but he couldn’t. How could he? In Hiruzen’s eyes, Ren was a powerful fuinjutsu user, but he was rash

 

Rash!

 

Kakashi wanted to laugh. He had come out with a superb plan, connecting it way back to the seal they had used on him when he had been late to getting his team.

 

Ren might’ve not even knowing it himself, but he had been wary of the redhead’s seals ever since. That was also part of why his focus had been entirely on the seal for more than a moment when Naruto had earned his attention.

 

He was straight up a scary fuinjutsu user, he now could sort of understand why Uzushiogakure had been destroyed decades ago. It must’ve been a scary existence in the eyes of the other shinobi.

 

A village which did not rely on others, just one tiny clan. A tiny clan which had struck fear in every village excluding Konoha just on their usage of fuinjutsu.

 

Regardless, Kakashi was not going to let this stand now. It was sort of mandatory for genin teams to complete at least 50 D-Rank missions before they could get a single C-Rank one. He found it funny.

 

It was supposed to be a reminder that discipline was something valuable and non-exchangeable for shinobi, but it was doing the opposite for his team right now.

 

Well it was nothing he couldn’t fix.

 

He swore on his name as an Hatake. Team 7 would get their C-Rank mission in a way or another. But first, let’s make them work on their chakra control, his teacher’s son seemed to be a bit worse than the duo, but it was not something unfixable.

 

xXx

 

It was freezing.

 

That was Ren’s first thought of tonight’s breeze. The moonlight enveloped most parts of the village and an ominous shadow danced together with it. The village was illuminated by various lights, both electric and natural-made.

 

Today was different for him. His eyes wandered around and a fire pit stared right back at him. Despite being summer, the night was less than pleasant and harsher than anywhere else in the Land of Fire right now.

 

Why was he out in the wild at this time and day you might ask?

 

It was not to temper himself, nor to train himself. He had received words from Kakashi that they were going to leave for a C-Rank Mission tomorrow morning, and judging by how happy the jounin was, he had really tried his best to get one for them.

 

Such happiness was also reflected on his face as well, but not for too long. This was the true beginning of his shinobi career, unlike that poor and louse part that he did not want wandering in his memory any longer!

 

So, we go back to the first question.

 

It was of course, fuinjutsu!

 

Ren stood up from his position on the ground and circled the area he was in. After finding nothing suspicious, his hand shone with a blue light and a ceremonial knife dropped on his palm.

 

The same knife he had shown the Nine-Tails a few weeks to a month ago. He yawned before using the knife to make a precise cut on his palm. He let the blood drip on the ground and used his foot to create a circle.

 

A certain Jashin Cult-Worshipper would’ve admired the effectiveness of Ren’s work with the tiny bit of blood he was working with.

 

After successfully forming a circle, he then proceeded to throw a scroll he had acquired from a pocket of his pants onto the ground, while unveiling it at the same time.

 

He walked towards the center of the circle and stabbed the blade of the knife on it. His bleeding hand twitched for a few moments, adjusting to the eccentric movements, before he intertwined both of his palms together and went through several hand-seals.

 

Monkey -> Rat -> Dragon -> Ox -> Bird -> Boar -> Dragon -> Ram -> Tiger -> Dragon

 

The ceremonial knife shone with vile crimson energy -chakra- which bloated with vigor and power that overwhelmed Ren’s effortlessly.

 

‘If there’s one thing you need to know Nine Tails, it’s that you don’t play with fire and not expect to be burned.’

 

A cold expression emerged on his face as the chakra got absorbed by him in a ritual which lasted no more than ten minutes.

 

His eyes flashed from amethyst to crimson with splits for a silver of a second before they became normal once again.

 

“It worked.”

 

His lips curled upwards in a sign of victory.