"Come in!" Resounded from the Hokage office, and Ren, who was in the waiting room, stood up with a bored sigh before he walked in through the door.
His eyes instantly fell on the busty blonde woman sitting behind the desk, scowling at the paperwork as if it were her staunchest enemy. Tsunade had arrived at the village just a few days ago, and her inauguration to the Hokage seat happened yesterday.
Ren went to watch it with Hinata and Ino, and they enjoyed the ensuing festivities. There were a lot of food stands, and the whole thing practically turned into a village-wide festival. The Konoha leadership most likely wanted to give the people something to celebrate and lessen the tensions among the general populace. But Ren didn't care about that. What he cared about was the fact that he and his girls had fun.
Unfortunately, it wasn't terribly surprising that he woke up to an ANBU knocking on his door with a summons to the Hokage office at a set time later in the day.
The new boss clearly needed to meet and assess her ninjas, and starting with the S-rank threats was most likely the smart thing to do. Especially since two other ANBU showed up not a few minutes after the first one left, bringing similar messages for Ino and Hinata, who were still blissfully asleep after Ren thoroughly wore them out during their after-date activities.
Oh, yes. He was damn proud of it, too! Stamina restoration wind Jutsu for the win!
Heh. Ino still didn't manage to replicate that one.
As a small, barely noticeable smirk appeared on Ren's face, his eyes roamed the Hokage office, and he had to say, the contrast between Hiruzen's tidy room with a slightly messy table and Tsunade's... absolute mess everywhere was jarring.
'And some people actually simp for this woman.' Ren inwardly shook his head in disbelief. Her office was a pigsty. He didn't want to see her home. He would most likely be horrified. No, thank you.
Worse, however, was her appearance. Ren just barely managed to stop himself from wincing by tightening his facial muscles as his eyes landed on her face.
From the anime, he imagined she looked like a twenty-five to thirty-ish-year-old woman. The problem was that this appearance was just the illusion she liked to wear to appear young. And after the confrontation with Itachi, where he keenly observed how the Uchiha fought, Ren, or rather, his clones, since he was too busy, started developing a new seal.
One that countered genjutsu.
The seal was... faulty. It was a successful failure. It worked thirty percent of the time. It could counter A-rank genjutsu, only to fail at D-rank one. Other times, it countered C-rank genjutsu just fine, only to fail dispelling a B-rank one.
It was a case-by-case thing, and Ren had no freaking idea what the problem was. The testing he and Ino put it through was extensive. But they were left only more confused than when they started. They thought they could find some clue or common point that would lead them to the cause of the seal's occasional failure.
They thought wrong.
It was still a useful seal, though. It was the dispelling component that had problems. The genjutsu detection part worked exactly as intended. And the reason why Ren, Ino, and Hinata now all had these seals was that it worked way faster than even an experienced ninja.
Even an experienced genjutsu user needed to first notice that he or she was under a genjutsu to dispel it. That took time. Precious seconds that could be the difference between life and death.
For blatant genjutsu, it wasn't such a big problem. But for minor stuff like what Itachi was using with a very deadly effect? To genjutsu that shifted the position of his body by an inch? The position of his blade just slightly to the left? That made him seem to look to the side when he was staring you directly in the eyes with his Sharingan?
These tricks would be barely noticeable even for somebody like Kurenai, who spent her whole life studying genjutsu. Especially in the heat of a battle.
This was what made Itachi so terrifyingly deadly. It was impossible to react to his genjutsu in time unless you were an S-rank yourself. And even then, it was a challenge.
Ren's new Anti-genjutsu seal, however, evened the battlefield. The detection part of it was fast. Genjutsu would be detected, and the user would be pinged before the human mind could even start looking for it.
It was the same difference as the human mind compared to a computer or other kind of machine. The seal was simply superior in this regard every time.
Sure, the dispelling was still on the user, but knowing the genjutsu was there was ninety percent of the battle when it came to fighting genjutsu users.
Alas, the illusion covering Tsunade's true appearance was something that fell in the happy thirty percent that his seal could deal with. Unfortunately for her and Ren.
He did not see a thirty-ish, blonde, pig-tailed bombshell with massive, full tits to die for. No. He saw a wrinkly old woman between her seventies and eighties. One that did not age gracefully. One that had big but saggy breasts and a small hunch back.
Her Creation Rebirth was clearly not gentle with her, and using a technique that consumed her lifespan for healing had consequences. Jiraiya looked old even for a man in his fifties. Just a little bit. But Tsunade? For a woman in her fifties, she looks like she should be on her deathbed.
Ren doubted she had many years left in this world. Then again, she was an Uzumaki, so what did he know? He was most likely wrong, as those redheaded menaces had vitality for ages.
"Chunin Yotsuba." Tsunade lifted her gaze from the paperwork in front of her, wearing an unhappy frown as she addressed Ren.
But he could tell it was aimed more at what was written on the paper in front of her rather than at him, so he just politely nodded and gave her a small bow, "Lady Hokage. You have called for me."
He got a gruff huff in reply as Tsunade reached for a bottle on the side of her table and promptly took a sip, only to scrunch her face in an expression of distaste.
Shizune, her assistant, who was sorting the paperwork on the table on the left side of the room, exchanged a knowing look with Tsuande, making the new Hokage sigh in a mournful sadness as her head slightly dropped.
Ren honestly felt almost bad for her.
But only until he realized she was sad that the bottle was filled with water, instead of sake. He fought to keep the annoyed twitch from manifesting on his face as he stood at attention in front of her desk because holy shit. He suddenly started to have big worries about Konoha's future.
Would the village still stand a few years later with a drunk and a gambler as its Hokage?
It was all fun and jokes in the anime. But this was his new boss. The woman with the power to send Konoha's ninjas to their death with a simple order.
And she was drunk.
Why was the world-renowned medical kunoichi drunk?
She could have purged the alcohol from her blood in seconds, no?
'And some people actually simp for this woman.' Ren had to repeat that sentence in his mind because important things needed to be said thrice, and he still had one time in reserve. Just in case.
"I heard you are one of Konoha's difficult and stubborn cases. S-rank ninja who refuses to be promoted to a Jonin." Tsunade smirked, but her eyes didn't reflect it. They were sharp and very much not amused with his... situation.
There were other ninjas who refused promotions in Konoha. Those happy with their ranks. Ren was not the only one. But an S-rank ninja refusing a Jonin rank was definitely an issue for the village and especially for its Hokage.
Ren nearly smiled in mirth as he realized what this meeting was about. The poor, poor woman probably wanted to show her competence by one-upping Hiruzen.
She expected Ren to enter her office as a Chunin and leave it as a Jonin.
Well, she was going to be disappointed.
"Yes." Ren politely answered in a bland tone and without much emotion as if he were reporting on the weather.
Tsunade's eye twitched. To give her credit, she realized what Ren was doing almost instantly. This whole refusing a promotion thing was a finicky thing.
Tsunade was still the dictator of Konoha. Just as Hiruzen was. When Hiruzen 'offered' or 'requested' the promotion to Ren in the past, it was simply a politely worded order.
Yet, Ren told him, 'No, thank you.' to his face with a smile.
And he did so because the Hokage needed to maintain a certain image. He could not be seen forcing his ninjas, especially not somebody who was an S-rank threat, to do things they were, by Konoha's law, allowed to refuse.
After all, the dictatorship needed its silk glove to hide the iron fist within.
The thing was, Ren also needed to maintain a reasonable image while refusing the promotion. It could not come off as if he was doing it to the detriment of his village. Because, in the end, he was still a soldier in Konoha's very authoritarian employ.
During a war, there would be no way to refuse the promotion and still look loyal. Alas, Konoha was not at war, and the invasion was over.
Honestly? It was no wonder that Hiruzen probably disliked him. He would have disliked himself, too, in his position. From the old man's perspective, Ren probably looked like a little shit who would not do what he was told, while also being too strong to strong-arm into it.
Connections suddenly clicked in Ren's mind, and he started to see why he might be having so much trouble concerning his business and clan in the village.
Well, no shit, Sherlock.
"I also heard that you are good at teaching." Tsunade continued, and Ren blinked as his attention was brought back to reality.
Hopefully, she had not noticed his laps-, Tsunade gave him a look, and Ren instantly knew she did, indeed, notice it.
"Yes." He maintained his polite smile, hoping he was pulling off a passable imitation of Kakashi, who always got away with stuff like that.
"Why not become a Jonin-sensei, then?" Tsunade 'offered', her tone carrying a small note of tempered excitement as she started having hopes that she would get what she wanted.
"I refused the Jonin promotion for a reason, Lady Hokage. I don't feel ready to take on a full-time genin team." Ren measuredly replied with a mock humbleness.
And Tsunade was pissed again.
A small cracking sound resounded from her desk as she squeezed the poor wood while giving Ren a severe stare, just daring him to go against her will.
"And if I insist?"
Ren hummed. "No is still no, Lady Hokage."
And the cracking sound became louder as Tsunade's fingers literally burrowed into the wood in her rising temper without her even noticing.
But Ren could not give in to her wishes. It was the question of relative freedom. A Jonin is more 'beholden' to his village and has more responsibilities.
For example, the genin team. Tsunade could not force genins on Ren while he was a chunin. But once he is a Jonin? The choice would be out of his hands. She could give him any kids from the village, and he would be expected to lead and teach them well.
Not to mention that, at least for the next two years, the Jonin were going to have a very bad time since Konoha had to show that they were strong.
Ren understood why they were salivating at the prospect of having an S-rank ninja to throw at any high-end problem. Except, he had no desire to be thrown at their high-end problems.
"Is that so?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes and let out an angry breath. "I could still transfer you to the Academy as an instructor." She threatened. "That's a perfectly fine post for a chunin, isn't it?"
But unlike what she expected, Ren's smile only widened. Yes. She could totally do that. "Mhm. I prefer my Barrier Corps, Lady Hokage." He shrugged. "But the Academy sounds like a good, cozy place for slacking off, too. I shall serve the village in that capacity if you so desire."
Ren took no small enjoyment in how Tsunade's jaw slightly fell from her disbelief at his sheer audacity. Only for her mouth to shut with a small click as her expression went blank when she realized he was perfectly polite and she could not reprimand him for it unless she came off as unreasonable.
The sound of teeth grinding against each other was music to Ren's ears, but he didn't dare to comment. After all, he had the utmost respect for his boss lady!
"So, you would agree to take the academy students under your wing?" Tsunade asked, a bit more strongly than she probably should have, while the wood of her table screeched as if it were being murdered.
Ren would be disappointed at such a blatant scare tactic if he were not so sure she was not even noticing that she was ruining her desk.
"I will only mentor those I want to mentor." He answered with finality, and that was that. According to the Konoha law, not even the Hokage could force somebody to take on an apprentice. And that's exactly what she desired.
The village wanted him to make more Hinatas and Inos.
That was the whole point of them trying to make him into a Jonin-sensei or an Academy Instructor. Hell, even Anko tried to seduce him yesterday when she never showed any interest before, only to run off to the hills when Hinata and Ino gave her a very unhappy glare.
Somebody might think he was being unreasonable. That since he wanted to strengthen Konoha, he should just train S-rank ninjas for them, left and right.
Ren disagreed. Especially after the last harassment from Konoha's higher-ups. Was it petty? Sure. But emotions often were.
Since influencing Konoha and making it stronger was a bust, the only path for Ren was to grow to Madara and Hashirama's levels of prowess. To make Ino and Hinata reach it, too.
And to be completely fair, Ren was not sure if they could do it. He had no idea how to get there. And they had only three, maybe at most five years to do it.
So, excuse him for being selfish, but let's speak plainly. Unless he was fucking her, he was not going to waste two years of his life training another apprentice.
As Tsunade's temper started simmering throughout the dragging silence in her office, the corners of Ren's eyes crinkled in a small eye smile, "Is there something else, Lady Hokage?" He asked in a perfectly polite tone.
Unexpectedly, Tsunade fell back into her chair, and her anger seemingly evaporated as she gave Ren a grin. It was not a nice one. Vindictiveness and schadenfreude practically oozed out of it, throwing Ren off.
"Why, yes. There indeed is." Tsunade harshly chuckled, "Hiruzen Sarutobi requested a meeting with you after we are done here. It concerns the future of this village."
'And your future in it.' was what Ren heard despite it not being stated out loud. His polite smile almost fell, and he would be lying if he said he was not concerned.
"Since you don't want to play ball with me, so be it." Tsunade gruffly snorted, "Go and have fun with the old monkey and his schemes." Disgust seeped into her tone. That was not something that alleviated Ren's concerns. It actually had an opposite reaction, and Ren's posture tensed.
He was starting to get worried about what the old man was going to pull next.
"Hinata Hyuga and Ino Yamanaka should be waiting for you in front of Sarutobi's new office by now. Dismissed." With that, Tsuande returned back to her paperwork, ignoring Ren's presence, who helplessly stood in his place for a moment.
That... didn't end how he imagined it.
Wryly smiling, Ren bowed in respect before turning around and walking out of the office, feeling as if he had both failed and succeeded in what he wanted to accomplish in the meeting.
'And some people actually simp for this woman.' Ren disgruntledly thought for the third time.
It was not a nice feeling.
...
AN:
ALRIGHT TSUNADE SIMPS!
No hard feelings. I just had her as a female interest in my other story and wanted to bring a different perspective to the character. No idea if it will be appreciated or disliked, but here it is.