"Kakashi! Ren! Hang in there! The great Obito is here to save you—!"
Obito's loud voice echoed through the damp forest as he pushed aside the thick bushes, brimming with heroic determination. His tone carried absolute confidence, as if he were about to single-handedly turn the tide of battle.
However—
The moment he broke through the foliage and saw the scene ahead…
He froze.
Completely.
The battlefield was silent.
Several bodies of Rain Village shinobi lay scattered across the ground, unmoving. The smell of scorched earth still lingered in the air, and faint wisps of smoke curled upward from the remnants of battle.
Ren stood calmly in place, his breathing steady. Beside him, Kakashi sheathed his blade with a quiet motion, as if what had just happened was nothing more than routine.
Obito blinked.
Then blinked again.
"…Huh?"
Behind him, Inuzuka Tsume stepped forward, her sharp eyes scanning the battlefield. A moment later, even she couldn't hide her surprise.
"All finished already?" she muttered, eyebrows lifting. "That was fast… These weren't genin-level opponents. Those guys were at least Chunin from the Hidden Rain Village."
Her gaze shifted between Kakashi and Ren, clearly reassessing them.
"And you're telling me the two of you handled all of them?"
Kakashi shrugged slightly, his expression as indifferent as ever.
"Yeah. But most of the credit goes to Ren."
Ren didn't respond, simply glancing at the fallen enemies before turning away.
Obito opened his mouth.
He had been ready—fully ready—to make a grand entrance, to boast, to talk about how he had defeated his own opponent in an epic battle…
But now?
The words stuck in his throat.
Because compared to this…
His own fight felt… embarrassing.
He had struggled in a two-on-one situation and only barely secured victory after Tsume arrived.
Meanwhile—
Ren and Kakashi had wiped out an entire squad in seconds.
"…Haha… not bad," Tsume said with a grin, though there was genuine admiration in her eyes.
She gave Kakashi a firm pat on the shoulder.
"I've heard of you before—Kakashi Hatake, right? A prodigy. Your reputation's been floating around for years."
Then she turned toward Ren, her gaze sharpening.
"And you… just as impressive. A student trained under Minato, huh? No wonder. Looks like the 'Yellow Flash' really does produce monsters."
"'Yellow Flash'?" Obito echoed, confused.
He scratched his head.
"That's Minato-sensei's nickname? Is he really that strong? I mean—how does he compare to the 'White Fang of Konoha'?"
The moment those words left his mouth—
The atmosphere froze.
Kakashi's body stiffened.
Slowly… he turned his head.
His eyes, usually calm and distant, now carried a sharp, cold edge as they locked onto Obito.
"…Hmph."
Without another word, Kakashi turned and walked away.
"Hey—! Kakashi! What did I say?!" Obito shouted, utterly baffled.
Tsume's expression also turned awkward. She scratched the back of her head, sighing.
"…Kid, you really stepped on a landmine there."
"Huh?"
"We're all Konoha shinobi. There's no need to compare people like that," she said, her tone a little softer now. "Just… don't bring that topic up casually."
Obito blinked, still confused.
Ren let out a quiet sigh.
"…Ask Minato-sensei about it later," he said simply. "Let's move. This place isn't safe."
---
Return to Camp
The journey back was quiet.
A light drizzle began to fall from the gray sky, turning the forest into a damp, misty world. Raindrops tapped gently against leaves and armor, blending with the lingering tension of battle.
By the time they returned to camp, the atmosphere had shifted back to controlled order.
Tsume handed over their captured prisoner, Fujiwara, to Akiyama Hayato and began reporting the mission details.
As the report continued, Akiyama's expression gradually changed—from calm… to surprised… to outright impressed.
"You're telling me… they eliminated an entire Rain squad?" he repeated.
"Yes," Tsume nodded. "And quickly."
Akiyama looked at Ren and the others with renewed respect.
"Well done. Very well done!" he said, clearly pleased. "I'll make sure this is properly reflected in your mission report."
Obito's eyes lit up instantly.
"Yes! Finally, recognition!" he whispered excitedly.
Ren and Kakashi, however, remained calm.
After all—
This was just the beginning.
---
Spoils of War
Once the report was finished, Ren stepped forward again.
He took out the items collected from the battlefield—kunai, shuriken, and various supplies—along with the scroll containing the Water Wall Technique.
"These are the spoils of war," Ren said. "Should we submit them to camp storage?"
Akiyama waved his hand dismissively.
"No need. You earned them—keep them. Consider it your reward."
With that single sentence—
Everything officially became the property of Team Minato.
Ren distributed the basic weapons among Obito and Rin. Kakashi didn't even bother taking anything.
Once everything was settled, Ren quietly returned to his temporary quarters.
To others, it looked like he was simply resting after the mission.
But in reality—
He had something far more important to do.
---
Encounter: Water Wall Technique
Sitting down, Ren focused his mind.
Soon, the familiar system interface appeared before him.
He selected the newly acquired technique.
And then—
The world shifted.
---
[After defeating the Rain shinobi, you discovered a blue-haired girl sitting alone amidst the broken remnants of a scroll.]
[She hugged her knees, silent and motionless, like something discarded and forgotten.]
[Even as you approached, she didn't look up—]
[As if she had long since stopped expecting anything from the world.]
---
Ren stared at the scene.
"…What?"
He blinked.
Why did this feel like some kind of tragic side story?
---
Dialogue Options:
A: Stand up. Who allowed you to sit here? Show some respect.
B: You'll catch a cold in the rain. Come with me—I'll take you home.
C: (Silently sit beside her.)
---
"…Seriously?"
Ren rubbed his temples.
"So now even ninjutsu have emotional backstories?"
Still, after a brief pause, he chose—
C.
---
[Water Wall Technique: …]
[Water Wall Technique: …]
"…Is it stuck?"
Ren frowned, almost thinking the system had bugged out.
But then—
The text finally changed.
---
[Water Wall Technique: Aren't you going to command me?]
"Command you?"
---
[Water Wall Technique: You defeated my previous master. That makes me your possession.]
[You may use me however you wish. Issue your command.]
---
New options appeared.
A: Then shine my shoes.
B: Stand up. Come with me. Don't stay in the rain.
C: (Remain silent.)
---
Ren didn't hesitate.
"B."
---
[Water Wall Technique: …'Go home'?]
[What does that mean?]
[I am just a technique. A tool.]
[Tools don't feel cold. They don't feel sad.]
[You don't need to care about a tool.]
---
Ren fell silent.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
"…So you're not a street girl," he muttered. "You're more like… a lost child."
Then, his expression softened.
"You're not a tool," Ren said quietly.
"You are the Water Wall Technique—one of a kind."
"I treat every ninjutsu I learn with respect. You're no different."
He extended his hand.
"Come with me."
"I'll give you a place where you belong."
---
A long pause.
Then—
---
[Water Wall Technique: …Okay.]
---
The blue-haired girl slowly stood up.
Her dull gray-blue eyes flickered faintly, like rainwater rippling under a breeze.
She stepped forward.
Quietly.
Hesitantly.
Like a stray puppy that had been abandoned too many times.
---
[In a voice too soft to hear, she murmured:]
"…Will you throw me away too?"
---
[Water Wall Technique Favorability +1]
[Added to Bond List]
Current Favorability: 1/10 (Stranger)
---
"Phew…"
Ren exhaled.
Success.
Still, something felt… off.
This technique was completely different from the others he had encountered before.
Too… human.
Too fragile.
But Ren shook his head.
"It's just a ninjutsu," he muttered.
"Don't overthink it."
After all, this system was simple—barebones, even.
No character models.
No unnecessary features.
Certainly nothing complicated like—
---
[Condition met: First bond established]
[New feature unlocked: Bond Illustration]
---
"…Huh?"
Ren blinked.
Then his eyes widened slightly.
"A new feature?"
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Now that… sounds interesting."
--------------------------------
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