"…No, that's not it! I didn't mean—"
Minato panicked at Ren's accusation, trying to explain himself, but in the end, he gave up and simply accepted it with a sheepish nod.
Yeah… worst case, he could just repay Ren if he ever needed help in the future.
Besides, Minato had come to believe in his own potential. This past month of training had made him confident in his abilities.
"Alright then," Minato said earnestly, "if you ever need anything, just ask. I'll do my best to help you!"
"Haha! That's more like it."
Grinning, Ren patted him on the shoulder, then glanced up at the sky. "Okay, it's getting late. Let's stop here for today."
"Tomorrow after school, we'll continue. Now—food."
"Sounds good!"
Minato's stomach growled in agreement.
Soon after, Ren took him to a yakiniku shop, and they both ate their fill. On the way back, just before parting, Ren tossed him a scroll from his robe.
"Take this home and study it well. You'll need it to keep up with my pace."
"Don't refuse—it's another investment."
"Later!"
With that, Ren turned and walked off, waving casually behind his back.
"You… I… Alright—see you tomorrow, Ren!"
Minato stared down at the scroll, then up at Ren's fading figure. He looked like he wanted to say more but stopped himself, instead waving with heartfelt gratitude.
He took a few minutes to walk home, then locked the door and sat cross-legged on his bedroom floor. Gently, he unrolled the scroll.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
"Why would Ren give me a jutsu like this?"
Minato was both thrilled and confused.
He knew about this technique—it created physical clones and was incredibly useful in battle, reconnaissance, and distraction.
But… wasn't this a bit advanced for someone his age?
"Well, if Ren gave it to me, he must have a reason. Might as well learn it first."
Steeling himself, Minato began studying it seriously.
…
The next morning.
Ren arrived at the academy right on time, greeting a few classmates on the way to his seat—second to last row—and raised his hand toward Minato.
"Morning, Minato! Morning to you too, Shikaku, Inoichi, Choza!"
The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi kids sat in the row ahead.
"Morning, Ren!" they chorused back.
After some brief chatting, Ren leaned toward Minato and lowered his voice. "So? Did you manage to get the Shadow Clone Jutsu down?"
Minato gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Not that fast. I'm starting to get the hang of it, though. Give me a day or two and I should get there."
"But to actually use it fluently… that'll take longer."
"So, can you tell me now why you gave me this jutsu?"
The mystery had been eating at him.
"Huh? Ren, you actually gave Minato the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Shikaku said, clearly having overheard despite Ren's attempt to be discreet.
"Yeah," Minato said, sighing. "I feel like I owe him too much already."
"Oho~" The Nara trio exchanged amused glances. Shikaku leaned in, eyes gleaming with mischief. "You guys always leave school together too. Don't tell me you're…"
Seeing the gossiping glint in their eyes, both Ren and Minato's faces darkened.
Ren deadpanned, "You three have some really unhealthy imaginations."
"We've just been training together after class."
"I mean, come on—there's barely anything worth learning here. If you don't train on your own, your strength won't improve much before graduation."
"The ninja world is anything but peaceful. While we're still young, we need to train hard while we still have time."
He clapped Minato on the shoulder. "This guy has amazing potential, but he's a civilian orphan. He didn't even know basic body training techniques—let alone jutsu."
"Giving him a head start is just a good investment."
The trio turned to look at Minato, who nodded earnestly. "Yeah… I'm really grateful Ren sees something in me."
"I see~" Shikaku said knowingly, raising a thumb. "You've got foresight. Respect."
"But isn't it kinda early for us to be thinking about stuff like this?" he added, looking exasperated. "Feels like too much trouble."
Ren twitched. "You Nara people really are genetically lazy, huh?"
"Sharp minds, lazy habits. Doesn't that seem a little… off?"
"The ninja world is far from safe. Building strength now is the smart play."
"I don't want to reach a moment where I need power—but don't have enough to protect myself or the people I care about. That kind of regret would last a lifetime."
"…Ah…"
The trio paused, their expressions turning serious.
Ren's words hit harder than they expected.
Each of them recalled lost relatives. Minato thought of his parents. The others remembered family friends or elders lost in the line of duty.
"…Ugh…"
After a long silence, Shikaku rubbed his temples and groaned. "Man, you're seriously mature—and exhausting."
"Kinda wish I hadn't talked to you today."
"How am I supposed to keep slacking now that you've said all that?"
Even the word "slacker" (or "couch potato," as Ren described it) was one he'd picked up from Ren—and it fit their clan far too well.
"Yeah…"
Inoichi, Choza, and even Minato nodded with resigned looks.
…
At that same moment, back in the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood watching Ren and the others through his crystal ball. Stroking his beard, he nodded in approval.
"What a surprisingly mature and thoughtful kid."
"No wonder he said what he did during his introduction."
"To think—he just doesn't want to live with regret, huh? He wants to protect his friends and family?"
"What a kind-hearted boy."
He turned to the woman seated across from him.
"Tsunade, what do you think?"
Tsunade, still caught up in her own memories, snapped out of it when she heard him.
"Tch."
Crossing her arms, she snorted. "What do I think? He's a five-year-old brat."
"So this is why you dragged me here first thing in the morning? To listen to some kid spout big talk?"