"Even a flicker can spark a forest fire… or light the path forward."
Morning at the Academy – The Calm Before Chaos
Sunlight poured through the Academy windows, catching dust motes mid-air as the class buzzed with anticipation. Iruka stood at the front of the room with a wide grin that meant trouble.
"Alright, everyone — today, we're conducting our first full-day mock mission simulation!"
The classroom exploded with excitement.
"Quiet down! You'll be working in teams of three," Iruka continued. "You'll be navigating terrain outside the village walls, completing objectives under surveillance, and returning before sunset."
Naruto nearly fell out of his chair. "Outside?! Like actual missions?!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," muttered Sasuke, bored as ever.
"Teams will be announced now," Iruka said, flipping his clipboard.
Team 3: Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyūga, Renji.
A pause. Then, murmurs.
Naruto grinned. Hinata visibly blushed. Renji didn't react — but he leaned back in his chair with a wry smile tugging at his lips.
He could feel half the class staring even seniors.
Especially one pair of sharp Hyūga eyes from the back — Neji's.
Outside the Walls – The Forest Beckons
The trio stood near the outer training perimeter — a thick stretch of forest, marked by red flags and wooden markers. They were to retrieve a scroll from a wooden post deep in enemy-simulated territory and return with it. Traps, wildlife interference, and other student teams would all simulate real-world interference.
Naruto tightened his hitai-ate. "Okay! Operation Steal-the-Scroll starts now!"
"Maybe don't yell that right next to the start line?" Renji muttered, tying back his messy hair.
Hinata whispered, "I-I have the map, and I think if we go left at the river—"
"Wait," Renji said, crouching.
He placed a finger on the soil. Chakra hummed subtly from his hand.
"There's a group of three ahead, setting up a snare trap. Probably Kiba's team."
Hinata's eyes widened. "How did you—?"
"Kagura Mind's Eye," he said casually. "A sensory technique. Let's just say I cheated in life's exam and kept some… tricks."
"Cool!" Naruto blinked. "I want that!"
"You have to be born with that," Renji said with a smirk. "Sorry, no refunds."
Into the Wild
They moved through the woods like shadows, Renji adjusting their path based on minute chakra pulses. Hinata used her Byakugan sparingly, wary of alerting enemies with a sudden flare.
But it was Naruto's unpredictability that became their biggest strength — and their greatest threat.
"Why are you climbing the tree again?"
"I thought I saw a squirrel with a scroll!"
"It's a trap, you glorified raccoon!"
Sure enough, the "squirrel" was a wooden puppet loaded with an ink bomb.
They ran. It exploded.
Hinata tripped — but Naruto caught her before she hit the ground.
Renji looked back, hair singed.
"Never again are we trusting squirrels."
The Scroll Stand – Trouble at the Top
By noon, they reached the scroll stand — a tall wooden tower overlooking the forest. One team was already fighting near it — three older students, including a brash kid named Daichi who'd failed the Academy once already.
"Renji," Hinata said quietly. "They're not… holding back."
He noticed it too. One of the younger students in Daichi's path was bleeding.
"That's not sparring. That's an ambush."
Renji's eyes narrowed.
"Plan?"
Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Charge?"
Hinata bit her lip. "I can create a distraction. Renji can take the high ground. Naruto—"
"I cause the distraction," he said proudly.
Renji gave a half-smile. "Then let's make it theatrical."
The Fight – River Style
Naruto came in loud.
"HEY! YOU THREE LOOK LIKE BAD HAIRCUTS!"
Daichi turned mid-punch. "You little—"
A kunai whizzed past his cheek.
Then came Hinata — a flurry of precise strikes, forcing one of the ambushers back with her Gentle Fist.
And Renji?
He dropped from the trees above, landing in a crouch with his hands already glowing.
"Suiton: Mizutsume – Water Claw Technique!"
His chakra formed rippling water claws over both hands, dripping and crackling as he moved like a predator. He slashed upward — not to wound, but to disarm. A wooden sword was sent spinning into the air.
"Who the hell are you?!" Daichi growled.
Renji's grin sharpened.
"Your replacement."
Aftermath – Bonds Forged in Sweat
They got the scroll.
Naruto wore it like a victory crown.
Hinata, panting, smiled softly at Renji and Naruto.
"You were both… amazing."
"You too," Renji said. "That spin kick? Didn't see that coming."
Naruto laughed. "We make a good team! Let's call ourselves… Team Trouble!"
"Let's not," Renji muttered.
Back at the Academy – Secrets in the Dark
That evening, Renji sat in the shade behind the Academy, watching the sunset bleed red into the horizon.
His chakra stirred restlessly.
In the distance, a man with dark robes and an ANBU mask watched from the treetops.
He whispered into a summoning seal.
"The boy is showing advanced chakra sensitivity. Observe further. No contact. Yet."
The seal vanished.
End of Chapter 4