"Really, really, Ren-nii?" Naruto raised his head, his blue eyes shining with a rekindled light. The stagnant pain that had weighed on his heart finally seemed to dissipate, and the spark of his former self bloomed once more in his gaze.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?" Ren said with a gentle smile.
Naruto nodded, a genuine, trusting warmth spreading across his face. "I believe in you, Ren-nii."
"Good. Don't overthink things anymore," Ren said, patting Naruto's shoulder. "Your top priority now is to prepare well for your Chūnin Exam." The Naruto in the original timeline didn't even pass the Chūnin Exam until he gained Kage-level power. This time, things will be different.
"Yes, Ren-nii!" Naruto's face lit up with excited determination. He declared firmly to Ren, "Ren-nii, don't worry! I'll definitely be preparing intensely for the exam during this time! Heh heh, I definitely won't embarrass you during the exam!"
"Don't forget what I told you before," Ren reminded him gently.
"Hey, I won't forget it!" Naruto scratched his head, a naive grin spreading across his face. "Ever since I knew I had this Nine-Tails sealed in my body, I've been trying to communicate, but that guy has a really big temper. He hasn't even talked to me once." Naruto's expression grew a little serious. "However, I've always followed your advice, Ren-nii. I've been trying to draw chakra from the Nine-Tails for my own use. Even though I don't have enough control over Nine-Tails' chakra right now, I've got a little bit of a clue." Naruto shared the situation on his side without reservation. In his opinion, the only trustworthy person in the village now was Ren alone. And he also knew that Ren was the one who genuinely cared for him.
"It's okay. It's just that your current strength is too weak, so the Nine-Tails ignored you," Ren explained, having anticipated this. With Kurama's arrogant personality, the current Naruto, merely a Genin, was not enough to capture his attention. It was normal for him to ignore Naruto's attempts at communication.
"Too weak…" Naruto clenched his fists, his voice firm. "I must become stronger! I'll earn the approval of that Nine-Tails!"
Since Ren's conversation with Naruto that day, Naruto had truly undergone a remarkable transformation. Not only was he no longer withdrawn, but he also began leaving early and returning late, spending every day diligently practicing at the training grounds. Even Naruto's Jōnin instructor, Kakashi, was surprised by the change in his student. He couldn't fathom how Ren had managed to achieve all this.
With the Chūnin Exams drawing closer, the number of shinobi from other ninja villages who had signed up to take the exams in Konoha Village gradually increased. Walking through Konoha's streets, one could frequently spot ninjas wearing forehead protectors from various other villages. For a while, the bustling Konoha Street became even more lively, buzzing with not just more vendors, but also a heightened sense of tension and occasional friction.
Ren knew that Orochimaru would seize this opportunity, collaborating with Sunagakure to launch the Konoha Crush plan. Therefore, the village would be quite unsafe in the coming period. So, Ren found a plausible excuse, claiming that a batch of urgently needed materials for their family business required his parents, Tatsuo and Keiko, to travel to the Land of Iron to procure them. The Land of Iron was relatively close to the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning. Neither of Ren's parents were shinobi, but with the strength of their caravan and the value of their goods, this journey would take at least two months for a round trip. By then, whether it was the Konoha Crush plan launched by Orochimaru and Sunagakure during the Chūnin Exams, or Ren's own subsequent plans, everything would have already been settled. Without parental restraint, Ren would also be freer to display his full strength in the upcoming battles. Only his younger sister, Tenten, who was participating in the Chūnin Exams this time, would remain by his side every day, and Ren had more than enough confidence to protect her.
And for this arrangement, Tatsuo and Keiko, though a little regretful that they couldn't stay in Konoha to encourage Tenten during her exams, still agreed. After all, their son had said the materials he needed were critically important. So, a few days ago, Ren's parents, Tatsuo and Keiko, had already set off for the Land of Iron, escorted by a group of trusted bodyguards. At home, only Ren and Tenten remained.
To ensure a better performance in the Chūnin Exams, Tenten pestered Ren to accompany her in training every day.
"Oh, Onii-chan, I'm still a little nervous!"
"Don't worry, with your current strength, few of those taking the test will be your opponents," Ren said with a reassuring smile, gently rubbing Tenten's head. Then he playfully grabbed the two little buns of hair on her head. Though Tenten, now thirteen, looked like a proper young kunoichi, in Ren's eyes, she was still as cute as when she was a child.
"Oh, but I want to perform even better," Tenten stuck out her tongue, grinning at Ren. "Hehe, I want everyone to know that Onii-chan's sister is also a very powerful kunoichi!"
"Hey, let him go!"
"What kind of skill is bullying a kid? If you're so tough, come fight me!"
Just as Ren was about to respond to Tenten, Naruto's voice suddenly erupted from ahead, interrupting their chat.
"Hm?" Ren looked forward with a curious expression. Who is Naruto talking to?
"Stop it! You'll get scolded if you keep this up. Besides, he's just a kid. Let him go, Kankuro." Ren faintly heard a girl's voice speaking from the side.
Kankuro? Are they here already?
Sure enough, Ren saw a young man dressed in purple, with distinctive purple markings on his face, carrying something large wrapped in bandages on his back—it had to be his puppet, Crow. And he held a small child by the collar with one hand, who appeared to be Konohamaru. Naruto, at that moment, was standing in front of Kankuro, screaming angrily. Behind Kankuro, a blonde girl with a massive folding fan strapped to her back stood, who Ren recognized as Temari.
"Stop that! How can you treat a child like this? That's going too far!" Sakura and Sasuke had emerged from the side at some point, joining the confrontation.
"It's so lively. Come on, Onii-chan, let's go take a look too." Before Ren could speak, Tenten, possessing the "enthusiastic citizen" attribute, had already grabbed his arm and was striding purposefully forward, a curious gleam in her eyes.
Good grief, Ren thought with an internal sigh. My sister's habit of jumping into the thick of things… when will it ever change?