After roughly twenty exchanges, the spar between Ren and Kurenai finally came to an end.
At first, the two had been evenly matched. Kurenai's movements were light and cautious, her eyes always watching for an opening, while Ren fought with the relaxed confidence of someone who had already gone through this sort of training countless times. He didn't rush. He didn't overcommit. He simply defended, tested, and waited.
And eventually, Kurenai made a mistake.
It was only the tiniest flaw in her rhythm, barely noticeable to anyone without sharp eyes or enough combat experience. But to Ren, it was as clear as a crack in glass.
He moved instantly.
With a sharp step inward, he slipped past the edge of her attack and caught her wrist with his bare hand. Before Kurenai could react, Ren twisted, redirected her balance, and forced her fingers open.
Her kunai flew from her hand.
A heartbeat later, Ren followed up with a short, clean combination—one strike to break her posture, one kick to disrupt her footing, and one final blow that stopped just shy of finishing the fight for real.
The match was decided.
Kurenai staggered back, breathing hard, her cheeks flushed from exertion. She looked frustrated, but more than that, she looked thoughtful. She knew she had lost fairly.
Ren exhaled, relaxed his stance, and after a brief moment of silence, began reviewing her performance.
"You're too focused on standard movement patterns," he said, looking at her seriously. "Your transitions are neat, but they're also predictable. Once someone reads your rhythm, they can start baiting your responses."
Kurenai blinked, then frowned slightly as she replayed the fight in her head.
Ren continued, pointing out several issues in her taijutsu form—how her center of gravity rose too high when attacking, how her follow-up steps were sometimes delayed, and how she unconsciously favored one side when defending.
Then his expression turned more measured.
"If you want to improve your weak points, light-load training might help. It'll build better control and endurance without ruining your movement speed."
He paused, then added in an unusually serious tone, "Heavy-load training isn't ideal for you right now. It might affect your development."
Kurenai looked confused for a second. "Development?"
Ren coughed lightly, then glanced at her height.
"If you don't grow taller later, that'll be troublesome."
For a split second, the training ground went silent.
Then Kurenai's face turned red.
"As if that's any of your business!"
Ren, however, remained perfectly calm, as if he had said something completely reasonable.
In truth, he wasn't teasing her without cause. Physical development mattered for ninja training, especially at their age. Putting excessive strain on the body too early could create long-term problems. But the way he had phrased it…
Well, it was no surprise Kurenai looked like she wanted to throw the discarded kunai at him.
Still, Ren didn't stop there. His tone softened just a little as he shifted to what really mattered.
"Kurenai, your real talent isn't in taijutsu."
That made her pause.
"It's genjutsu," Ren said. "You're naturally suited for it. Your control, your timing, your awareness—they're all better in that area. You should focus on developing that as your main path. Taijutsu can stay as support."
Kurenai's expression gradually changed. The irritation faded, replaced by thoughtfulness.
Ren folded his arms and went on, "You don't need to force yourself to become a front-line close combat specialist. Play to your strengths. And if possible, try combining your genjutsu with movement and close-range pressure."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"A hybrid style. Something like genjutsu-assisted taijutsu."
That would be the path best suited for her.
Compared to monsters like Itachi Uchiha, Kurenai's genjutsu talent might not look extraordinary. But that comparison itself was unfair. Itachi, especially after awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, stood dangerously close to the peak of genjutsu in the shinobi world. Very few people could even be mentioned in the same breath.
Kurenai didn't need to reach that level.
If she developed properly, Ren judged that her genjutsu could at least rival elite Uchiha with fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan.
And for most shinobi?
That was already more than enough.
Against opponents with weak mental resistance, it would be devastating.
Kurenai let out a long breath, then nodded seriously.
"I understand."
This time, there was no trace of complaint in her voice.
She stepped away to rest, still panting, clearly thinking over every word he had said.
Then Rin stepped forward.
The moment Ren looked at her, his expression became a little more complicated.
Rin was his teammate, and that made him naturally more concerned about her progress. But concern didn't change reality.
Her taijutsu was… not great.
Compared to Kurenai, Rin was worse in both strength and technique. Her movements lacked confidence, her power was limited, and her instincts in close combat still hadn't fully formed.
Technique could be learned with enough repetition.
Strength, however, was another issue.
If there were enough time, Ren knew Rin could theoretically walk a path similar to Sakura Haruno's future route: extraordinary chakra control, medical ninjutsu, the Yin Seal, and terrifying superhuman strength. If she truly developed in that direction, her combat ability would rise tremendously.
The problem was time.
That path wasn't something you built in a few months. It took years—at least two or three, probably more.
And by the time those results appeared, the war might have already reached the stage of Kannabi Bridge.
Ren's thoughts turned heavy for a moment.
One step at a time.
The Yin Seal wasn't something anyone could learn casually. Even among gifted ninja, it was an advanced technique requiring frightening levels of chakra control and long-term accumulation.
For now, Rin needed survival tools.
A few more days, Ren thought. Then I'll find a chance to teach her Water Clone Technique and Water Chaos Wave. They won't turn her into a powerhouse, but they'll give her better options—distraction, escape, and emergency response.
As for Water Wall…
He dismissed the idea immediately.
He hadn't fully mastered it himself yet. Teaching it now would only be irresponsible.
Then another possibility crossed his mind.
Maybe I can try passing on a modified version of the Transformation Technique. Something with special properties… that might actually work.
As for the Substitution Jutsu, even if he could teach it, Ren had no intention of doing so.
One person abusing that technique the way he did was already enough.
When Rin's turn ended, Asuma was the last one to step forward.
He cracked his knuckles and grinned, the competitive fire in his eyes impossible to miss.
"Come on, Ren!" he shouted. "I'm not giving up so easily this time!"
Before the final word had even left his mouth, he charged.
His feet slammed against the ground, and in the next instant he was already in front of Ren, driving a heavy right fist straight toward his face. The punch carried a sharp wind with it, showing just how much force Asuma had put behind it.
Ren calmly raised his arm.
Thud.
Forearm met fist.
The impact rang out dully through the clearing.
Ren slid half a step back to absorb the force, while his left hand immediately shot out to seize Asuma's wrist. But Asuma was ready for that. He dropped his elbow to knock the grab away, and at the same time his other hand reached into his ninja pouch.
A kunai flashed out.
He slashed in a smooth arc.
Clang!
Ren drew the short blade from his back at once, catching the strike with the ringed end of the hilt. Bright sparks burst in the air between the two boys.
Then the exchange accelerated.
Kunai, short blade, fists, elbows—Asuma pressed aggressively, and Ren answered with sharp, disciplined counters. Their footwork crossed and recrossed over the dirt as the distance between them vanished, reopened, and vanished again.
The others watched closely.
Then suddenly—
Ren's gaze sharpened.
From the corner of his eye, he caught the slightest hint of movement in the nearby trees.
Without hesitation, he forced Asuma back with a burst of strength and instantly used the Substitution Jutsu to retreat.
His eyes turned like lightning toward the bushes.
"Who's there?" he barked. "Come out!"
Asuma froze, startled, then immediately turned in the same direction. Kurenai and Rin did too, their expressions growing wary.
For a moment, nothing happened.
The shadows between the trees remained still.
Then the leaves rustled.
A slender figure slowly stepped out, looking more embarrassed than hostile.
He was a boy of about seven or eight, slightly younger than Ren and the others. His hair was short, black, and faintly curly. He wore a dark blue short-sleeved clan outfit, and like Ren, he had a short blade strapped to his back.
Most eye-catching of all was the fan-shaped crest on his sleeve.
The Uchiha clan emblem.
"Sorry," the boy said, bowing slightly. "I didn't mean to spy. I was just passing by. I heard fighting, so I stopped to watch for a bit."
Asuma frowned immediately.
"An Uchiha?"
The boy nodded politely.
"Yes. My name is Shisui Uchiha. I haven't become a ninja yet."
The moment he heard that name, Ren's eyes flickered.
So it was him.
Shisui.
The future master of Kotoamatsukami.
Ren had known before that Shisui and Obito were around the same age, yet he had never seen him in the Academy. That alone already suggested something. Among the major clans of Konoha, not every child followed the Academy route. Some especially talented heirs were trained privately inside the clan from the start.
The Hyuga would later do similar things with children like Hanabi.
To powerful clans, the Academy was often for the less promising members—not the most gifted ones.
That meant Shisui showing up here was a small surprise.
But more than that—
To Ren, this was a treasure chest walking on two legs.
Compared to Obito, who at this stage basically only had the Great Fireball Technique going for him, Shisui was much more valuable. As a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, he likely knew more ninjutsu already, and his skill in genjutsu was naturally superior as well.
Ren's current strategy list still lacked a proper genjutsu-type target.
If he could quietly learn something from Shisui, even a little, it would be extremely useful.
Just as Shisui politely bowed again and prepared to leave, Ren called out to him.
"Hold on."
Shisui stopped.
Ren smiled faintly. "If you came to observe and learn, then just watching won't help much. Why not spar with us?"
Shisui looked surprised.
"With you?"
He glanced at Asuma, then at Rin and Kurenai, clearly hesitant.
"This… wouldn't that be inappropriate? You're in the middle of training."
"It's fine," Ren said casually. "This is only sparring. We're all comrades from Konoha. No need to be so formal."
Then he turned to Asuma. "What do you think?"
Asuma was still slightly annoyed that his own fight had been interrupted, but in front of an Uchiha, he didn't show it too clearly. More importantly, he was curious.
How strong was this younger clan prodigy, really?
After a short pause, he stepped aside and gestured toward the field.
"Go ahead."
Shisui licked his lips, and the hesitation in his face gradually disappeared.
His hand moved to the hilt of the short blade on his back.
His expression changed too.
The awkwardness and politeness were still there, but now they were layered over something much sharper.
"Then," he said quietly, "please guide me, Senior."
Ren took a slow breath and lowered into a ready stance.
"Alright," he said. "Come."
Shisui drew his blade.
And in that instant, the entire atmosphere changed.
The shy younger boy from a moment ago seemed to vanish completely. A sharp, cutting aura rose from him instead—cold, focused, and dangerous. He crouched slightly, body coiled like a predator preparing to spring.
The training ground fell silent.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Then—
Whoosh!
Shisui kicked off the ground.
He didn't rush forward like Asuma. He vanished.
His body became a black blur, crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. His speed was so fast it created afterimages, as if two or three shadows were overlapping in midair.
And while moving, he had already drawn the short blade from his back.
The attack came low and vicious, like a venomous snake striking from the dark.
A cold flash of steel shot straight for Ren's ribs.
"So fast!"
Rin and Kurenai cried out almost at the same time.
Even Asuma's expression changed.
But Ren's pupils only narrowed.
Thanks to all the daily training he had endured with Kakashi, his body reacted before his thoughts fully caught up. His wrist snapped upward, and his own short blade slashed up at the exact angle needed.
Clang—!!
The sharp explosion of metal rang across the clearing.
Sparks burst between the two blades like fireflies.
The force that traveled back through Ren's arm was enough to surprise him.
His feet held.
His blade held.
But his eyes sharpened further.
This guy…
He's strong.
An unexpectedly dangerous onlooker had just become a very real opponent.
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