Morning in the Storm
Konoha was wrapped in mist that morning, the kind of gentle fog that clung to rooftops and blurred the sunrise into a glowing haze. In the distance, the Hokage Monument watched over the still-sleepy village like silent sentinels.
Renji stood alone in a clearing behind his family's modest home. A long branch in hand, he moved with careful precision—slow arcs, fluid twists, striking the air like he'd done it a thousand times. The patterns weren't from the Academy curriculum. They came from dreams. Or maybe memories.
His breath misted in the air as he moved.
Strike. Shift. Anchor. Breathe.
The motions felt... right, even if he didn't remember ever learning them.
Behind him, a soft crunch of gravel.
"You're up early," came a voice.
Renji didn't turn. "So are you, Hinata."
She stepped into the clearing. Her dark hair was tied in a small side-braid, her eyes sleepy but warm.
"I saw you here yesterday too," she said shyly. "You… move differently."
"Different's been a theme lately."
She hesitated. "I… I could train with you sometime. If that's okay."
He stopped, then lowered the branch. "Yeah. I'd like that."
Her shy smile lingered in his mind even as she disappeared into the mist.
Academy Challenge: Kiba's Bark
The buzz of anticipation echoed through the Academy courtyard that afternoon. Iruka stood with his arms crossed in front of a chalkboard listing today's pairings.
"Alright class! Time for friendly sparring matches. Winner moves up the board. No weapons, no ninjutsu. Taijutsu only. Try not to break anything—including each other."
Whispers broke out the moment one name hit the list:
Renji vs. Kiba Inuzuka
"Finally!" Kiba barked. "Time to see if quiet-boy Renji can take a real hit!"
Akamaru, perched in his hoodie, yipped in support.
Naruto elbowed Renji, grinning. "You got this! Show him that weird style of yours!"
Renji stepped into the sparring circle calmly. His movements quieted the courtyard. He wasn't nervous. If anything, he was... alert. Watching.
Kiba charged without hesitation, fists flying in a blur.
Renji side-stepped, dipped, spun.
He moved like water through cracks in stone.
Kiba snarled and pressed harder—punch, sweep, dropkick—trying to overpower with sheer aggression. But Renji didn't meet force with force. He met it with precision. He slipped behind Kiba with a clean pivot and tapped the back of his neck lightly with two fingers.
Kiba froze, realizing what happened.
"Point. Renji."
The crowd was stunned into silence.
Then—
"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Naruto cheered.
Even Iruka blinked, scribbling a note beside Renji's name.
From the side, Hinata watched, hands clasped. He's not just strong, she thought. He's… something else.
Flashback: Nightmares of Another Life
That night, Renji tossed in his sleep.
The dream was vivid again.
He stood on a battlefield—not of this world—surrounded by crimson skies and steel rain. Shadows loomed. A man with silver eyes and a red spear charged at him, screaming something in a language he didn't know, yet somehow remembered.
Renji raised his hands in reflex.
Chains burst from his arms—black and glowing with symbols—and impaled the sky.
Then—
"RENJI!"
He gasped awake, sweating. His mother stood over him, concerned.
"It was just a dream," she whispered.
But it wasn't, Renji thought.
It was a memory.
The Letter from the Hyuga Compound
Three days later, a sealed note arrived addressed to Renji—an invitation from Hiashi Hyuga himself. Formal sparring invitation. Joint training with the heirs of prominent clans.
Naruto stared at the envelope. "Dude… you got invited to the Hyuga compound?! They don't even like people!"
Renji opened it, eyes scanning the clean brush strokes.
Hinata had signed her name beneath her father's.
She had arranged it.
He smiled faintly, heart skipping.
END OF CHAPTER 11