Chapter 15 – The Genius
Knock knock.
Just as Minamoto Ren was about to deliver the carefully prepared explanation he had rehearsed, there was a knock at the door of the Hokage's office.
"Come in."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention shifted toward the hallway.
The door opened, and in stepped a blond boy wearing a blue bodysuit, sunlight practically radiating off his bright, cheerful smile.
Ren recognized him. He'd seen him during the war declaration ceremony—standing three paces behind Hiruzen, off to the side, clearly someone of note.
Namikaze Minato.
A genius among geniuses.
The future Forever Little Brother of the Leaf.
"Ah, Minato."
Hiruzen's entire demeanor softened at the sight of him.
To Ren, it seemed like that classic case of skipped-generation affection—like how the Ming Emperor Zhu Di doted on his grandson Zhu Zhanji. Hiruzen, similarly, had a special fondness for his student's student.
Sadly, though, Konoha's "good grandson" wouldn't live long enough to carry the Will of Fire into the next generation.
"I came to return the book, Sandaime-sama."
Minato held up a thin scroll—the abridged copy of the Sealing Techniques Compendium.
A watered-down version. Each scroll held between one and three sealing techniques, but never any forbidden jutsu.
Ren couldn't help the flicker of envy in his eyes. So this is the power of connections…
To someone like Minato, the entire village's collection of ninjutsu was open for casual browsing.
Meanwhile, others had to claw their way forward, earning every scrap with blood and battle merits.
Some people were born to plow fields.
Others were born in Rome.
Minato walked in and gave a slight nod to the others present. He knew Nawaki, but it was clear this wasn't the time for pleasantries.
Hiruzen, too, kept his composure.
He admired Minato, but he couldn't show too much favoritism in front of others.
Talent alone wasn't enough. In the ninja world, graveyards were full of "untapped geniuses."
He accepted the scroll from Minato and casually slid it into his desk drawer. Then his sharp gaze returned to Ren.
The interrogation wasn't over.
---
But Ren, upon seeing Minato, abruptly abandoned the speech he had planned.
There was no point trying to trick an old fox like Hiruzen—not with some clever misdirection.
Even with Nawaki and Hyūga Haining backing him, it would be hard to pull it off.
So instead, Ren raised his voice and boldly pointed at the retreating figure of Minato.
"Hokage-sama, do you believe in geniuses?"
Minato paused mid-step, turning back with a puzzled expression—Wait, what does this have to do with me?
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"What are you getting at?"
Ren straightened his back.
"Just as Namikaze Minato is known throughout Konoha as a genius—"
"—I, Minamoto Ren, am also a genius. Not of ninjutsu, not of genjutsu… but of the battlefield."
"That's a bold claim."
Hiruzen's tone cooled, but his curiosity was piqued.
"I've seen your ninja academy records. Apart from theory, you were average across the board. So tell me—what makes you a genius? Your understanding of ninjutsu theory?"
This was the sharp, perceptive side of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At just over forty, he was in the prime of both his ninja prowess and political cunning.
Not someone who could be easily fooled.
Ren, unfazed, shook his head.
"Not theory, no."
"What I possess is a specialized genius—just like Lady Tsunade excels at medical ninjutsu, and Lord Orochimaru has mastery over esoteric arts…"
He drew himself up proudly.
"…my talent lies in kenjutsu. I am a genius of the blade."
Hyūga Haining, who had been silently hanging his head, finally glanced up at Minamoto Ren with a startled expression.
Boss… this isn't the script we agreed on!
Ren, however, remained calm.
"Back in the Academy, I always used kunai. It was the standard weapon—especially for someone like me, with no family background and no inherited techniques. Kunai were all I could afford."
"But once I stepped onto the battlefield, I switched from short weapons to a long blade. With Lord White Fang setting such a shining example, I could only try to imitate him in my own clumsy way."
Hiruzen nodded. That explanation made sense.
The Academy taught everyone with kunai—it was cheap, standardized.
For an orphan with no legacy techniques, kunai would naturally be the go-to.
Ren continued confidently:
"But the day I picked up a ninja blade… I felt it. That was the moment I discovered my talent."
"I began practicing every night—shaping a style that suited me. I didn't have the chance to test it… until the day Hanzō attacked."
He straightened his back and spoke firmly:
"That day, I used pure kenjutsu to defeat the Rain jōnin who wounded Mizudori. A fair and direct fight. That battle proved to me—I am talented. I just hadn't found the path my talent belonged to… until now."
His words rang with conviction.
And that made Hiruzen hesitate.
If Ren had claimed to be a ninjutsu prodigy, or a genjutsu genius, or someone skilled in sealing arts—Hiruzen would've seen right through him in an instant. He knew those fields intimately.
But kenjutsu?
He didn't know much about kenjutsu at all.
---
At the door, Namikaze Minato stood awkwardly. Leave? Stay? He wasn't sure.
But after hearing Ren's bold declaration, his curiosity was piqued.
Golden Boy Minato was drawn to brilliance like a moth to flame.
Geniuses tend to recognize each other.
Hiruzen gave Ren a long, thoughtful look. Then his eyes shifted toward Minato… and an idea formed.
"White Fang is still on a mission in the Land of Rivers, and I'm no expert in swordsmanship myself," the Hokage said slowly.
"How about this—you and young Minato have a quick spar. I'll serve as referee."
It was a clean, decisive solution.
If Ren truly had what he claimed—if his kenjutsu could best Minato—then Konoha had gained another genius.
If Minato won, as expected, then Ren's battlefield accomplishments would be called into question—and a full investigation could follow.
"Gladly."
Ren accepted without hesitation.
Minato agreed just as quickly.
It had been a long time since he'd had a proper opponent at the Academy.
---
Hiruzen brought everyone to one of Konoha's outer training grounds—a rare moment of leisure in the midst of war preparations.
On the field, fifteen-year-old Minamoto Ren stood across from eleven-year-old Namikaze Minato.
They formed the Seal of Opposition, then each took five paces back.
Both of them were considered among Konoha's top tier in terms of appearance.
Ren's features were sharply defined, skin smooth with youthful energy, his lean frame brimming with coiled strength.
Minato, by contrast, had that radiant, sunny aura—it was almost impossible to dislike him.
"Is Ren-nii really going to fight Minato-nii? I bet on Ren-nii winning," Nawaki muttered as he eyed the two.
Hyūga Haining went even further:
"Thirty seconds. That blondie won't last more than thirty seconds."
Hiruzen's ears caught the two boys whispering, and his interest in Ren only deepened.
Say what you will about how he wins people over—but if someone inspires absolute confidence in others, that's a quality only a Hokage usually possesses.
---
"Begin!"
Hiruzen gave the command and started the stopwatch.
In the next instant, Minato leapt backward in a blur.
If Ren was a kenjutsu specialist, then keeping distance was key.
But Ren had already predicted this move.
His right hand gripped the blade, left hand formed a seal—
And with a flicker, he launched forward using the Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu).
To clarify:
"Shunshin" refers to an effect, not a specific style. There are many forms:
— Lightning Flicker, used by elite users like the Yondaime Raikage
— Purple Lightning Flicker, seen in Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki
— Even basic taijutsu-enhanced flickers qualify
— And yes, Minato's Flying Thunder God is one, too
As long as the movement makes the eye "drop frames" and achieves instant acceleration—it counts.
Ren used the simplest and most brutish version: flooding his body with chakra to hyperstimulate muscles and propel forward. Wasteful, yes—but effective.
And with his Kakashi-tier chakra reserves, Ren could afford a few of these bursts.
If he could get in close, Minato would have no escape.
A clean blade to the neck—checkmate.
---
"Fast!"
Minato's expression shifted as Ren's form blurred forward in bursts.
He quickly formed his own seals, releasing his countermeasure—
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough! (Fūton: Daitoppa)
It was a suppression jutsu—not lethal, but useful for forcing back attackers.
For killing power, you'd want something more like Danzo's custom techniques.
But Ren didn't hesitate.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!" (Suiton: Mizu Rappa)
His only ninjutsu.
It surged forward to clash with the wind jutsu, offsetting its force.
That was his weakness—he had no other ranged or versatile ninjutsu.
But for now, it was enough.