"How can you go out into the world without any money?"
"Here, take this!"
Early morning, nearly eight o'clock.
At the main gates of Konoha, a heavily pregnant Mikoto Uchiha helped Ren fasten the straps of his Anbu vest. She then surreptitiously slid a bankbook into his hand, offering the boy she was meeting for the first time a warm, sisterly smile.
"I can't take this! Really, I can't!"
Ren's face flushed with embarrassment. For a moment, he felt the familiar social vertigo of a younger relative trying to politely refuse a New Year's "Red Envelope" from an elder. He didn't even look at the blue bankbook to see how much was inside; his hands were already moving in a frantic blur of "Tai Chi" gestures to push it back.
Despite her pregnancy, Mikoto was an elite kunoichi who had survived the Great War. The two of them engaged in a rapid-fire exchange of parries and thrusts—Ren pushing the book away, Mikoto sliding it back—their hands moving with the precision of a high-level sparring session.
"Since Mikoto gave it to you, just keep it," Fugaku Uchiha said, standing under the gate with his arms crossed. He shook his head with a faint, amused smile.
He sized up the neatly dressed Ren, though a hint of dissatisfaction flickered in his eyes. The Anbu uniform looked sharp on the boy, and Ren carried himself with newfound poise—but Fugaku couldn't help but wish there was a giant Uchiha crest emblazoned on that silver vest instead of blank armor.
"Also, take these..."
Fugaku looked at the sky, realizing time was short. He pulled a scroll and a small medicine pouch from his robes. He looked down at Ren, his expression turning grave.
"The training plan I originally set for you has been delayed by this mission. But training is like rowing against the current; if you stop for even a moment, you drift backward."
"I know you've mastered the power of the Tailed Beast," Fugaku said, his brow furrowing slightly. "But do not underestimate our clan's Nin-Taijutsu, designed to complement the Fire Style: Chakra Mode."
"That power... it is ultimately an external force. The true strength of our clan is hidden within these eyes!"
"That includes this 'Heart-Awakening Pill' sent by Orochimaru," Fugaku continued, handing Ren a sword scroll titled Uchiha Style: Halo Dance and the medicine pouch. "Don't become overly reliant on their gifts. A true powerhouse builds their strength from within."
Ren nodded solemnly. In the world of shinobi, combat was a battle of information. No matter how many tricks one had, once the pattern was seen through, a counter-strategy would follow. Unless one reached the heights of Madara Uchiha or Hashirama Senju—where pure, overwhelming power rendered strategy irrelevant—every link in the chain mattered.
Ren knew his own "system" was a miracle built on stacked forbidden jutsu. If one link was pulled, the whole tower might topple. So far, only Orochimaru had truly glimpsed that vulnerability.
"I understand. I'll train hard."
Ren tucked the scrolls and medicine away and slid the bankbook into the back pocket of his vest. He was about to offer some polite parting words—after all, the couple had given him money, medicine, and a secret manual—but he was interrupted by a pint-sized Yamato running toward them.
"Senior! It's time to move!"
Fugaku saw Ren's struggle with words and simply nodded. "Go. Head to Hell Valley. You can finish the rest of your training there; the Elder is already waiting for you."
Stepping out of the Konoha gates once more, Ren felt the cool spring breeze on his face. He looked around at the four elite squads assembled for the mission.
Since Ren's status as the "main force" was kept secret, the overall command was temporarily held by Shinnosuke Sarutobi. The Hokage's eldest son was young but experienced and far more composed than the rebellious Asuma of the future.
"Everyone, our objective is to reinforce the garrison at Hell Valley," Shinnosuke announced. "The main force has reportedly departed ahead of us, so we need to maintain a brisk pace. We'll cross the hills between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water in two days. We will not stop once we cross the border. Form up in a Goose-Wing formation!"
The journey was familiar to Ren, and even young Yamato managed to keep up with the brisk pace. Since the other Great Nations hadn't officially declared war on Konoha yet (aside from the Sand, who were occupied in the Rain Country), the trek was relatively peaceful.
During their brief breaks, Ren would pull out his scrolls for some "last-minute cramming." He had a massive backlog of techniques to process, but right now, he focused on the Shuriken Shadow Clone and Fugaku's Halo Dance.
On the final night before they reached the Land of Hot Water, Ren sat by the campfire. He held a skewer of flatbread in one hand over the flames and mimicked sword movements with the other, his Sharingan spinning as he analyzed the Halo Dance.
The Uchiha Style: Halo Dance was a sword technique based on the Fire Style: Chakra Mode. It integrated fire-shrouded strikes with Sharingan genjutsu, allowing the user to leap and dance through flames like a firebird.
However, Ren hit a snag. The scroll described a movement where the user must "fold" their momentum in mid-air, leaping again as if soaring to the heavens. To Ren, this sounded like a "double jump" or "triple jump"—something that defied the laws of physics.
How am I supposed to learn this? Step on my own left foot to go higher?
Ren was stumped. No matter how he broke down the frames with his Sharingan, the logic escaped him.
Just then, a cynical, gravelly old voice spoke up right next to his ear.
"I've been watching you for two days!"
"How can you not understand such a simple concept?"
Ren startled and looked up. Walking into the firelight was a small old man wearing sunglasses, a yellow vest, and brownish-green cropped pants. His eyebrows were knotted in a look of disappointment as he glared at Ren.
"Listen, kid—"
"To master a move like that, what you're lacking is Centrifugal Force!"
"Do you hear me? Centrifugal force!"
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