To be honest, the Transformation Technique wasn't suitable for assassination.
At least, not in the way most shinobi imagined.
The standard Transformation Technique was nothing more than a superficial illusion. It could alter a person's appearance and fool someone at a glance, but the deception rarely held up under scrutiny. A shinobi who knew the target well could quickly identify flaws through subtle details—chakra signatures, body language, speech patterns, habits, and countless unconscious behaviors that couldn't easily be copied.
That was why transformation-based assassinations were considered unreliable.
However...
For Ren, those limitations barely existed.
His [Transformation Technique: Life-like] was fundamentally different from an ordinary Transformation Technique.
Much like White Zetsu's terrifying impersonation abilities from the future, Ren's technique could perfectly replicate another person's chakra fluctuations, behavioral habits, posture, and even their natural mannerisms.
In many situations, it was indistinguishable from the real person.
A true disguise.
A perfect deception.
Even so, Ren wasn't interested in using it casually.
A mission involving infiltration and assassination would inevitably attract attention. The moment he revealed such a unique Transformation Technique, countless people would begin investigating him.
That simply wasn't worth it.
In Ren's eyes, powerful trump cards existed for one reason—
To save his life when everything else failed.
Using them for minor gains was foolish.
When Kakashi saw Ren reject the idea so decisively, he didn't press the matter further.
Instead, he simply nodded.
"Let's find somewhere to rest."
The team moved deeper into the surrounding terrain before discovering a natural rocky hollow protected from the wind. After a brief inspection, they established a temporary camp.
The arrangements were simple.
A rotating watch schedule.
Two hours per person.
As captain, Kakashi volunteered for the first shift.
The others prepared to rest.
Not long after lying down, Obito suddenly rolled over and stared toward Ren.
"Hey, Yuu."
Ren had already closed his eyes.
"What?"
Obito lowered his voice.
"That Acting Method you mentioned..."
His eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Does it really work?"
Ren opened one eye.
"..."
Obito continued excitedly.
"If it really works..."
"What if I transformed into someone super powerful?"
His expression became increasingly animated.
"Like Uchiha Madara!"
Ren's eyelid twitched.
For a brief moment, he almost wondered if Obito had somehow read the script of the future.
Of all people.
Why Madara?
The old monster was literally waiting somewhere in the future for this kid.
Fortunately, Ren's expression remained calm.
"Uchiha Madara, huh?"
He yawned lazily.
"Wasn't he killed by the First Hokage at the Valley of the End decades ago?"
"So many years have passed."
Ren glanced at him.
"Do you even know what he looks like?"
Obito froze.
Then smacked his thigh.
"Oh!"
Right.
That was a problem.
How could he transform into someone whose appearance he didn't know?
But only for a moment.
Soon, his confidence returned.
"No problem!"
"The elders in the clan definitely know!"
"There have to be portraits somewhere."
"I'll ask when we get back."
The more he spoke, the more convinced he became.
"I'll definitely find one."
Ren stared at him for a second before turning over.
"Then good luck."
"Hey, don't sound so uninterested."
"You don't understand! This could change everything!"
"Mhm."
Ren's response was completely devoid of enthusiasm.
Obito tried again.
No answer.
He tried once more.
Still nothing.
A few seconds later, soft breathing drifted through the darkness.
Ren had already fallen asleep.
"..."
Obito's face darkened.
He turned toward Kakashi instead.
"Kakashi."
No response.
"Kakashi?"
"..."
"Kakashi, are you awake?"
Kakashi's cold voice immediately came from the darkness.
"Sleep."
"..."
Obito instantly shut his mouth.
A moment later, he grumbled quietly and rolled onto his back.
Yet even as sleep slowly approached, one thought continued spinning through his mind.
The Acting Method.
Madara.
Sharingan.
Power.
By the time he finally drifted off, those ideas had already taken root deep inside his heart.
---
The night passed peacefully.
No enemy attacks.
No unexpected encounters.
Only the distant sounds of insects and rustling leaves accompanied the squad through the darkness.
Then dawn arrived.
Before the morning mist had fully dispersed, sharp metallic clashes echoed through the forest.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Silver flashes tore through the fog.
Ren and Kakashi stood facing one another, short blades in hand.
Neither held back.
Both moved with astonishing speed.
To an ordinary observer, they appeared as little more than two streaks of white light colliding repeatedly amidst the mist.
Every swing sliced through the air with a sharp whistle.
Every collision produced sparks and explosive impacts.
The battle was intense.
Precise.
Beautiful.
And dangerous.
Their movements flowed like water.
Attack.
Deflect.
Counter.
Advance.
Retreat.
Every exchange pushed the pace higher.
After spending so much time refining his swordsmanship during combat missions, Ren's understanding of the Heart Blade Domain had reached an entirely new level.
His mastery of the Hatake Sword Style was no longer superficial.
In fact—
Even against Kakashi, the true heir of the Hatake clan, Ren showed no signs of weakness.
The two remained evenly matched.
Perhaps even more than evenly matched.
In some exchanges, Ren's execution looked smoother than Kakashi's.
If an outsider witnessed the duel, they might genuinely believe Ren was the true successor of the Hatake Sword Style.
Not Kakashi.
Ren silently estimated his progress.
Just a little longer.
A few more days.
Once the Hatake Sword Style reached fifty favorability and unlocked its second-stage Intimate Trait—
His strength would undergo another leap.
By then...
Even Kakashi would likely fall behind.
Across from him, Kakashi felt increasingly complicated emotions.
He knew exactly how difficult swordsmanship training was.
Unlike everyone else, he had personally learned from the legendary White Fang.
He understood every step of the journey.
The countless repetitions.
The endless practice.
The years of refinement.
And that was exactly why Ren's growth felt absurd.
How long had it been?
A few months?
Yet Ren's swordsmanship was already approaching his own.
Kakashi couldn't understand it.
No Sharingan.
No special bloodline.
No legendary teacher.
Just observation.
Practice.
Improvement.
It was as though Ren could absorb knowledge simply by watching.
The realization left him strangely frustrated.
For most of his life, Kakashi had been the genius.
The prodigy.
The one everyone struggled to catch.
Now, for perhaps the first time—
Someone else was making him feel the pressure.
And he didn't like it.
Clang!
Another collision.
The two immediately separated.
Their blades lowered simultaneously.
The spar had ended.
---
Nearby, Rin had already finished preparing breakfast.
Morning sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating the small campsite.
She arranged rice balls carefully on large leaves.
Fresh vegetables.
Seasoned meat.
Perfectly cooked rice.
Beside them sat several peeled hard-boiled eggs.
Tiny droplets of water glistened on her fingertips as she worked.
The scene felt surprisingly peaceful amidst the dangers of war.
Then she looked up.
"Ren!"
"Kakashi!"
The two swordsmen paused.
"It's breakfast!"
She placed her hands on her hips.
"And Obito!"
"Stop thinking about that Acting Method already!"
Obito immediately looked guilty.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Very."
"..."
Everyone laughed.
Even Kakashi's expression softened slightly.
Soon, the four gathered around the campfire.
The atmosphere was warm.
Comfortable.
For a brief moment, they weren't shinobi on a dangerous battlefield.
They were simply friends sharing breakfast together.
Rin handed out food.
Ren accepted a rice ball.
"Thanks."
Kakashi nodded quietly.
Obito grabbed two at once.
Rin immediately smacked his hand.
"One first."
"Why?!"
"Because I said so."
"..."
Ren nearly laughed.
Watching Obito lose arguments to Rin never got old.
The meal ended quickly.
Afterward, they erased every trace of the campsite.
The fire was extinguished.
Footprints were covered.
Garbage removed.
Within minutes, it was as if no one had ever been there.
Then they resumed their patrol.
---
Because Minato wasn't accompanying them today, their combat strength had decreased significantly.
Rather than splitting up, the four remained together.
A standard defensive formation.
Each maintaining a short distance.
Constant vigilance.
Eyes scanning every direction.
Ready to respond instantly.
While keeping watch, Ren simultaneously focused part of his attention elsewhere.
Specifically—
The system.
A familiar notification suddenly appeared.
[Super Strength Technique: (Sitting carelessly at a gambling table, one foot propped on a stool while loudly shuffling cards) Hey! White-hair brat! Are you awake yet? Hurry up and get over here! This old lady is definitely winning back everything I lost yesterday—with interest!]
"..."
A grin appeared on Ren's face.
As expected.
Tsunade's confidence never failed to impress him.
The woman entered every gambling session believing she was destined to become rich.
Then reality arrived.
And crushed those dreams mercilessly.
Almost immediately, another memory surfaced.
[Super Strength Technique: Ahhh! Damn it! Just one more hand! I almost had it! No! Again! One more round!]
Ren nearly laughed out loud.
It was truly amazing.
No matter how many times she lost, Tsunade never learned.
Moments later, the system chimed again.
[Super Strength Technique Favorability +2]
Current Favorability: 22/100 (Stranger)
Ren's smile widened.
Unexpected favorability gains like this were extremely rare.
Most techniques increased slowly.
Painfully slowly.
But Tsunade's technique seemed determined to reward him every time she ruined herself financially.
A truly admirable quality.
Still—
The Super Strength Technique wasn't the only one changing.
There was another.
One that had been quietly increasing in the background for days.
The Nerve Activation Technique.
Unlike other abilities, Ren hadn't practiced it even once.
The technique was incomplete.
Without the full cultivation method, attempting to learn it was pointless.
However, he still completed the daily dialogue requirement.
Every day.
Without fail.
The funny thing was—
The Nerve Activation Technique never responded.
Not once.
It was like speaking to a corpse.
No reactions.
No conversations.
Nothing.
Yet somehow, every few days, its favorability would quietly increase by one point.
It was strange.
Almost suspiciously strange.
Which only made Ren more curious.
What kind of ability would emerge once it reached the next stage?
What hidden trait was buried within this mysterious, unfinished technique?
As Ren pondered the question, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Because at that exact moment—
He sensed something.
A disturbance.
Tiny.
Subtle.
Almost imperceptible.
But undeniably present.
The forest ahead had become too quiet.
The birds had stopped singing.
The insects had vanished.
Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
Ren's footsteps slowed.
Kakashi noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
The atmosphere changed.
Obito and Rin instantly became alert.
Ren stared into the dense mist-covered forest ahead.
His hand slowly moved toward the hilt of his blade.
A cold feeling crept up his spine.
Something was there.
Watching them.
Waiting.
And whatever it was...
It wasn't friendly.
The next second, a killing intent colder than the morning fog suddenly swept through the forest.
Ren's pupils contracted.
Kakashi's expression froze.
Obito instinctively swallowed.
And deep within the silent woods—
Something began to move.**
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