Chapter 5 : Sparks in the Training Ground**
The pale dawn light did little to lift the heaviness in Ren's chest. He woke to the familiar, dull throb behind his eyes – a constant reminder of the impossible power sleeping within and the suffocating grief that wasn't truly his own. Pushing aside the cold dread of monstrous choices, a simpler urge surfaced:
*See Konoha.*
See this village he was now trapped in, not through memories, but with his own eyes. He needed to map his prison.
The routine was mechanical. Splashing cold water on his face. Making a tasteless breakfast of rice and pickled vegetables in the oppressive silence of the empty house. Fuel for the body, nothing for the soul.
Dressed in simple, dark Uchiha training clothes, he stepped out. The Uchiha compound felt quieter than usual, the air thick with unspoken sorrow. Crossing into the wider village was a shift. Konoha buzzed to life: market vendors setting up, the clang of a blacksmith, the smell of baking bread and something savory – ramen. Shinobi, young and old, moved with purpose. Ren walked, absorbing it all – the Hokage Tower, the Academy gates, the bustling market square, the quieter clan districts. It was vibrant, alive, a stark contrast to the bleak future he knew awaited it. The knowledge was a stone in his gut.
His feet eventually led him to the public training grounds near the edge of the village forest. The sounds of exertion – *thwack* of kunai, grunts of effort, shouted encouragement – grew louder. He stopped at the edge of Field 5, partially hidden by a thick-trunked oak. A group of Genin, maybe Chuunin candidates, were training hard. His borrowed memories supplied names and faces, but his gaze locked onto one figure in particular.
**Asuma Sarutobi.** The Third Hokage's son. Around – Ten, maybe Eleven. He was sparring fiercely with a serious-looking girl with dark hair in buns Kurenai Yuhi, Ren's memory supplied while a lanky boy with spiky brown hair and a lazy grin Genma Shiranui offered commentary from the sidelines. Asuma moved with the fluid confidence of natural talent honed by privilege. He blocked Kurenai's strikes easily, his movements economical and strong, a cocky smirk playing on his lips.
Ren's borrowed blood boiled. *Sarutobi.* The name tasted like ash. *Will of Fire.* Noble words used to mask the old man's failures, his compromises that would lead to the Uchiha compound running red, leaving only Sasuke as a broken tool. Seeing Asuma, healthy, confident, training under the sun with friends, fueled by his father's legacy… it felt like a personal insult to Ren's raw grief and terrifying burden. He couldn't watch this.
He turned sharply to leave, the bark of the oak rough under his palm.
"Oi! Uchiha!" Asuma's voice, loud and carrying, cut through the training noise. He'd disengaged from Kurenai, wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm, his eyes fixed on Ren. "Ren, right? Didn't peg you for the training ground type so soon after... you know." His tone wasn't malicious, but it was loud, carrying, and lacked any real sensitivity. It drew attention.
Ren froze, then slowly turned, his expression carefully blank. "Sarutobi," he acknowledged, his voice flat.
Asuma grinned, closing the distance with an easy, athletic stride. Before Ren could react, Asuma threw a heavy arm around his shoulders, pulling him into an awkward, unwanted half-hug. "Come to watch the future of Konoha hone their skills?" he asked, gesturing grandly with his free hand towards his friends, who were now watching with open curiosity. Genma raised an eyebrow, Kurenai looked concerned.
Ren stiffened, the contact jarring. He shrugged Asuma's arm off with more force than necessary, taking a deliberate step back. "Just passing by," he stated coldly. "Leaving now." He turned again.
"Hey, hold up!" Asuma stepped quickly into his path, his grin fading slightly, replaced by a hint of annoyance at the rejection. "Since you're here, why not join in? Spar with me. Light match. Good way to... work things out." He gestured towards an open patch of ground. His eyes held a challenge now, the confidence of someone used to getting his way.
Ren met his gaze, his own brown eyes like chips of flint. "Not interested."
Asuma's easy posture tightened. He crossed his arms. "Not interested? Or..." He paused, letting the implication hang, his voice dropping slightly but still loud enough for the nearby trainees – a mix of his group and others who had paused to watch the exchange – to hear clearly. "...*scared*?"
A ripple went through the small crowd. Low murmurs started.
"Uchiha always think they're too good..."
"Probably scared he'll lose to the Hokage's son..."
"After what happened to his parents... maybe he's just weak now..."
"Typical stuck-up clan..."
"Yeah! I don't really like the Unciha clan members"
Ren felt the heat crawl up his neck. The prejudice, the casual disdain for his clan, it was thick in the air. He looked back at Asuma, seeing the smug challenge in the other teen's eyes. The dull ache behind his own eyes pulsed, a warning.
"Scared?" Ren repeated, his voice low and dangerously calm. It cut through the murmurs. "Of *you*? No, Sarutobi. I'm not scared. I just don't see the point in wasting time humiliating someone who's clearly... *mediocre*." He let the word land like a slap. "Wouldn't want you crying to your Hokage daddy because I bruised your precious ego."
Ren really did not want to fight with him , as he had had the strength of a Kage level powerhouse. And there was no reason fighting with him.
Silence crashed over Field 5. Even Genma stopped smirking. Kurenai looked shocked. Asuma's face flushed a deep, angry red. The friendly mask vanished completely, replaced by raw, teenage fury. Being dismissed like that, publicly, by a grieving clan kid known for arrogance? It hit a nerve.
"Mediocre?" Asuma spat, taking a step closer, his fists clenching at his sides. His chakra flared, a hot, palpable wave of anger. "You've got a big mouth for someone hiding behind dead parents and a fancy name!" The cruelty of the words, born of wounded pride, hung in the air.
"Beat him, Asuma!" a voice yelled from the growing crowd of onlookers.
"Show the Uchiha brat!"
"Yeah! Teach him some respect!"
"Put him in his place!"