After the tumultuous events, Ren's days became significantly more leisurely. When he submitted his resignation from Anbu, Sarutobi Hiruzen initially tried to persuade him to stay. However, seeing Ren's resolve, the Third Hokage didn't press the issue, ultimately approving the document.
Ren had now returned to being an ordinary ninja in the village. Of course, he no longer needed to take the Chūnin Exams; during his time in Anbu, he had already been directly promoted to the rank of Jōnin. With no need to earn money from missions, Ren, who was never short on funds, found himself more relaxed than ever. His time off at home proved quite pleasant.
His home often saw visitors. Sometimes, it was Ino ringing the doorbell, her arms laden with fresh flowers to replace the older ones in the family's vases. She never forgot to place the most beautiful cosmos blooms by Ren's bedside. According to Ino, the scent of flowers could refresh the mind, and their beauty could kickstart a happy day. The young kunoichi persistently used this method, subtly trying to capture her idol, Ren's attention. As Ino claimed, when Ren woke each morning to the sight of blooming cosmos, he truly felt refreshed and content, ready to embrace the day. Good things always brought happiness, and Ren's mood brightened considerably.
Other times, the visitor was Hinata Hyūga. When this adorable girl saw Ren, she would invariably duck her head, her face flushing crimson, and quickly scurry away. Ren wasn't sure when, but his sister Tenten and Hinata, two young girls, had become inseparable, sharing every secret. The specific details of their whispered conversations remained a mystery even to big brother Ren.
However, Ren did know that Hinata's cooking skills were steadily improving. Perhaps as the eldest daughter of the Hyūga clan, she rarely had the opportunity to cook in her own home. The first time she'd asked Tenten to teach her in the kitchen, they had almost blown up Ren's entire cooking space. But after that, with each successive attempt, the dishes she prepared grew increasingly delicious. Of course, the two young girls couldn't finish all the food Hinata and Tenten made, so most of it ended up in Ren's stomach. What Ren didn't realize was that every time he ate the dishes she'd prepared, Hinata's heart swelled with unparalleled joy. Driven by the ideal of Ren enjoying even more delectable meals, Hinata studied new cooking methods daily, constantly refining recipes to suit his taste.
Of course, Hinata and Ino, for all their visits, mostly came during their free time. Now that they were Genin, each with their own Jōnin sensei, they spent most of their time with their ninja teams, performing missions.
The last person who frequently visited Ren's house was his biggest fan, Naruto Uzumaki. After the incident with the Scroll of Seals, the first thing Naruto did upon waking from his coma was rush to see Ren-nii. He excitedly shared the good news of his graduation and proudly detailed the Flying Thunder God Technique that he had memorized.
Ren, upon hearing this, felt a flicker of interest. Among the many forbidden techniques, the Flying Thunder God was arguably the one that fascinated him most. As the only space-time ninjutsu not restricted by bloodline, it was invented by the Second Hokage and later perfected by Minato Namikaze, shining brilliantly during the Third Great Shinobi World War. It was this jutsu that earned Minato the title of "Konoha's Yellow Flash," inspiring every other ninja village to issue orders to immediately abandon missions if they encountered him. Such a level of deterrence was testament to Minato Namikaze's terrifying strength. Space-time ninjutsu was considered the most difficult of all ninjutsu types; it had taken Minato Namikaze several years to successfully improve the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God. Now, Ren had access to it through Naruto, who had memorized the technique from the Scroll of Seals. The scroll contained Minato Namikaze's detailed records, offering Ren his first glimpse into space-time ninjutsu. Of course, merely having this information didn't guarantee Ren could learn the Flying Thunder God Technique; otherwise, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who possessed the Scroll of Seals, would have mastered it long ago. Learning the Flying Thunder God Technique also required an exceptionally high understanding of space attributes.
"Come on, let's study this ninjutsu together," Ren said, pulling Naruto closer. "As his son, you should have some natural talent in this area, right?"
Naruto froze, his expression blank for a moment, before he blurted out, "Ren-nii? You, what did you just say? You know whose son I am? You, you know about my parents?"
Ren nodded. "Do you want to know? If you do, I can tell you."
"I…" Naruto Uzumaki hesitated, then slowly continued, "I asked Third Gramps before about who my parents are. But Third Gramps never told me, and no one else in the village would tell me either. So I used to guess, did my parents do something bad? Is that why everyone doesn't want to mention them, and why the villagers always hate me and call me a monster…" Naruto's expression grew crestfallen.
"But…" Naruto looked up again, his eyes filled with a new light, his expression firm. "I've grown up now! I've become a real ninja! I feel that I have the courage to face everything! No matter who my parents are, or what kind of wrong they might have done, nothing can change the fact that they are my parents!" Naruto declared, his eyes resolute and sincere. "So, Ren-nii, please tell me who my parents are!"
Perhaps Ren's presence in this world had altered Naruto's childhood experiences, making the current Naruto far more mature than the mischievous, attention-seeking version from the original story. Ren's expression softened. He hadn't expected Naruto, who always seemed so sunny and cheerful, to carry such a heavy burden in his heart.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Ren thought, is this what you do? You let the Fourth Hokage's son be reduced to this, yet you still want to project an image of kindness and righteousness to everyone?! What you've done for so many years… even if Minato Namikaze were in his grave, he'd feel a chill!