Cold passes on the river. Sunset stains the tower.
Four people strolled through the Leaf's streets, enjoying the calm before the storm.
Asuma and Kurenai walked behind, pausing at stalls and shopfronts now and then. Ren walked in front with their captain, Yuuhi Shinku, discussing training and practical use of genjutsu.
No one in the Leaf thinks of Ren as an ordinary chunin. There has never been a three-tomoe Uchiha who is only chunin-level.
"People say the Uchiha rely on the Sharingan for their unmatched genjutsu. Without it, an Uchiha might not be much stronger than an ordinary genjutsu user.
I used to believe that. Now I feel ashamed of it. Ren, your understanding of genjutsu is no less than mine."
Shinku sighed.
He is a noted Leaf genjutsu specialist. Ren is an Uchiha whose fame is not built on Sharingan genjutsu.
Even so, Ren can match him on pure genjutsu understanding without relying on the Sharingan, which likely means Ren's overall strength already exceeds his squad-leader jonin level.
"Captain, do not sell yourself short. I do have some unique takes on genjutsu. Most Uchiha…"
Hmm?
Mid-sentence, Uchiha Ren suddenly turned. He raised his slender index finger and pointed out a form of the Godshock Point—Start of Spring.
Cycles begin anew and all things regrow. The finger force, fused from inner power and chakra, was tough yet brimming with life. Blending martial technique, shinobi body arts, and genjutsu, the form conjured a vivid sense of spring returning, the earth awakening.
A Flying Thunder God kunai, shaped uniquely, had not yet reached within a meter of Ren before the resilient, life-rich finger force pushed it back.
"Minato, I told you. Ren would definitely catch your sneak attack."
Kushina, leading Kakashi and the other two, scolded her boyfriend without mercy.
Kakashi folded his arms. His dead-fish eyes showed a spark. He had never seen Ren use a finger art like that to repel Minato-sensei, which meant Ren's strength had stepped up again.
"What move was that?" Minato retracted the Flying Thunder God kunai and scratched his head, curious.
"A finger art based on the twenty-four seasonal terms."
Japan has the twenty-four seasonal terms. If Japan has them, the shinobi world will too.
"Very stylish."
Minato put up a thumb. Kakashi cares whether something is strong. Minato cares whether it is stylish.
"It is stylish," Ren said, not humble at all.
He knows hundreds of arts. If the Godshock Point were not stylish, why would he train it?
"Can I learn it?" Minato blurted the key question.
A finger art like this could serve as a family core secret, enough to sustain a small clan for generations. No one would casually teach such a treasure.
But Minato also knew he was not "no one," and Ren was not "just anyone." They were friends—good friends.
Ren tossed Minato a scroll. Last night he had written down the training method for his version 2.0 Godshock Point.
"Why is it another thing that requires inner power and genjutsu?"
Minato flipped it open and skimmed the overview. His face fell at once, and his eyes lost their light, as if his dreams had been snuffed.
Friends close to Ren know he developed an energy system called inner power and true-qi. He has taught different methods to some friends, Minato included.
Results have been underwhelming for everyone, as expected. In low-martial worlds, even a supreme art trained for decades might fail to beat a Leaf genin. Ren only stacked more than a thousand years of deep inner power thanks to loadout rewards, letting him hurl bricks with strength.
To push Godshock 2.0 to the limit, you need the composite energy of inner power and chakra.
There is another crucial piece…
"You do not understand genjutsu. Without high genjutsu mastery, it is hard to conjure that vivid, half-real atmosphere. Without that atmosphere, the finger art is not stylish."
If it is not stylish, why train it?
Minato nodded earnestly. Why do I have no genjutsu talent? Could not do the Heavenfall Strike. Now I cannot do this finger art either.
Then he remembered Ren lacks space-time talent. Even with Minato's Flying Thunder God scroll, Ren could not learn it, and ended up with the standard body flicker. Minato felt better.
"I will try anyway. Maybe I can adapt it to my conditions."
Minato slid the scroll into his pocket. The finger art was too dazzling, as irresistible to him as top-shelf bait to a certain kind of pervy old fan.
What if I can get something to work?
With the squads joined, Kushina led five kids. The three men walked point.
Minato said he had perfected a Rasengan training method and would teach Ren later.
Ren nodded, but did not plan to train it. It is not stylish.
Minato added, "Your finger art has real substance, and the naming is great. I have an even better naming idea though. Take the 'Awakening of Insects' form. What if we rename it 'Heaven's Thunder Rings, Heart-Shock and Soul-Rattle, Wind-Flower-Snow-Moon'?"
Ren turned straight into the barbecue shop.
"I think my name is great. No taste at all," Minato muttered, following him in.
The celebration was not perfect.
The shifting, dark currents of the shinobi world had reached even the barbecue shop. The meat was not the freshest. Most of the Leaf's logistics were allocated to wartime supplies. The best fresh meat was for soldier pills.
Even a shop connected to the Akimichi could not get the best cuts.
Seasonings were last year's stock. New spices were on the market, but distribution was not as smooth now due to the turmoil.
Still, everyone was happy.
Friends are among the best seasonings in the world. Friends' stories are among the best drinking snacks. With friends at the table, everything tastes good.
"Sigh."
Fresh back from a frontline assignment, Minato set down his drink. "I do not know when the fighting will start."
Ren set his cup down too. "Flowers have their seasons. No one knows when they will move."
The Leaf sits on the best land in the shinobi world, which draws envy. If it expands aggressively, it will be attacked from all sides.
Add that the Third Hokage is cautious and steady, and the Leaf's wars are sure to begin when other villages launch large offensives.
Minato said, "I have already seen a tree of pear blossoms blooming."
"How so?" Ren looked over.
Pear blossoms bloom in a set season.
Minato smiled mysteriously. "You will know tomorrow when you meet the Hokage. He has a task for you."
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