Naruto != mine
~Chapter 12~
Ren reappeared outside his clan compound carrying his chunin flak vest. He looked at it and shrugged, deciding to wear it the next day. He went in and hung his flak jacket up before heading into the clan libraries. Ren then headed to the clan library. He was looking through a section he had never entered before when he noticed something. It was a pair of rather recent scrolls from the time when the Yondaime Hokage was in power. They were alliance agreements with Iwa and Kumo which had a unique twist. His father, as acting head of the Senju clan in Tsunade's absence, had volunteered his young son for political marriage. As the scion of one of Konoha's founding clans, Ren was considered to be a prime candidate. "Great. I already fall under the Clan Restoration Act, and now I am already betrothed to two women. Fantastic," Ren said bitterly, running a hand through his hair. "I need to clear my head." Ren went down into the cellar and got himself one of many bottles of sake which were stored there. "Here's to the wonders of political marriage," Ren said, pouring himself a saucer and tossing it back, the first of many to come that night.
Ren awoke the next morning dehydrated, with a splitting headache and a strong urge to hide from the bright light of the sun. He had finished off the entire bottle of sake, so he was not entirely surprised by the hangover. However, thanks to his advanced control over his suiton affinity, he had a solution. By kneading his chakra into water, he was able to rehydrate himself much faster than normal. Feeling some of his symptoms start to ease Ren got up and prepared for daily training. When he arrived he found that the training ground was abandoned. There was, however, a tan dog with a white streak on its muzzle. The dog was unique in the fact that it wore a blue vest and had a Konoha hitai-ate hanging around his neck. A face-shaped design made of characters was on the back of the vest and the dog also wore a pair of sunglasses. "Yo. Are you one of Kakashi-san's students?" The dog barked at him. "Yes. Ren Senju. Are you one of Sensei's ninken?" the white-haired clan heir asked. "You got it, pup. Name's Akino." "Pleased to meet you, Akino-san." "Likewise. Anyway, Kakashi-san has me waiting here to tell you that since he is in the hospital after a run-in with Itachi Uchiha, team training is off for a week." "Thanks for the info, Akino-san," Ren said as he left, looking contemplative. "Well, since I still need training, I guess I may take Danzo's offer after all," he mused aloud. "Oh well, here goes," Ren said, going towards Danzo's office in one of the buildings which branched off of the central tower where the Hokage's offices were located. He was allowed in by the secretary without delay, so he walked in and bowed to the elder. "After some consideration, Danzo-sama, I wish to take you up on your offer of training." "Very well, follow me," the elder replied, rising to his feet with the assistance of his cane.
The aged Shinobi no Yami led the Senju heir to a secluded training ground behind the Hokage monument. "We will meet here from now on. You will come everyday after your team training is done. I will have an apprentice of mine waiting for you. Once he feels that you are at a high enough level, I will train you personally. For now, I only ask that you keep this to yourself." "Hai, Danzo-sama."
Over the course of a month, Ren trained under various instructors who drilled him in tai-, nin-, ken-, and even genjutsu. He learned a new form of kenjutsu using a double-edged tanto which lacked a point. He had his already good chakra control refined through exercises like leaping between water and a tree trunk, where there was little room for error. There were speed drills using weights, and, later on, weak gravity seals added in. Ren learned well, though, and his skills increased considerably. Eventually, he managed to defeat one of his teachers in a spar while wearing full weights with his gravity seal activated. "Well done, Senju-san. I have nothing left to teach you. You may go home for today. Danzo-sama himself will begin training you tomorrow," the trainer said emotionlessly. All of Ren's instructors had been such, so the Senju was unfazed by the robotic demeanor. "Before you go, Danzo-sama wishes you to have this. Consider it a reward for completing this phase of your training," the instructor said, handing over a sheathed tipless tanto. "Please give Danzo-sama my thanks," Ren said, returning to the Senju compound with his signature mist/water shunshin.
The next day Ren reported to the training ground to be met by Danzo leaning upon his cane. Ren bowed before the veteran of all three Shinobi World Wars. "Danzo-sama," Ren greeted. "Nice to see that You are more punctual than your jonin sensei, Ren-san. However, before we begin, I have a question for you. To what lengths would you go in order to protect Konoha?" Danzo asked, "Would you give your life, your freedom, your honor?" "I would fight to my last breath to protect Konoha, the village founded by my ancestors, and I will sacrifice all that I possess, if need be, to keep my comrades or my ancestor's legacy safe. The village is only strong if it stands by the values upon which it was founded," Ren replied. "A noble goal, but sometimes it is necessary to take extreme action." "I am not saying that extreme action is never to be taken, but betrayal of allies goes against every principle of cooperation and interdependence which maintains the relative peace between the villages. That frail equilibrium is easily disrupted, and selfish or treacherous actions create imbalances that inevitably lead to conflict," Ren countered. Danzo chuckled at the words of the young clan heir. "You would make a good negotiator, Senju-san. However, there is a point at which such idealism becomes a hindrance. The shinobi world has many dark realities lurking below the surface. Are you willing to venture into such shadowy realms?" "Without darkness, light has no meaning. That side of our world is an ugly necessity." "One with which I am intimately familiar. One doesn't receive the moniker Yami no Shinobi without good reason. The purpose for my asking this is because I wanted to ensure that your loyalty and conviction were strong enough. I have no desire to teach a pupil who lacks the will to stand up for their beliefs or will betray the village. Now your training truly begins." Over the course of the next two months, Ren learned just how easy his earlier training had been. Danzo demanded perfection, drilling Ren mercilessly. In addition to improving Ren's physical conditioning, tactics, and stealth, Danzo taught Ren a third style of kenjutsu as well, a uniquely pragmatic discipline which involved dirty tricks and underhanded tactics to win by any means necessary. Ren's skills had grown to such a point that one day, after a brutal training session, he approached Danzo with a question. "Danzo-sama, since I have advanced greatly over the course of these past two months, do you think I should undergo the evaluations required to become a tokubetsu jonin?" Ren asked, a bit nervous. "I would say that you are more than ready. Send in your request through the normal channels and I will make the arrangements."
Ren put in the paperwork the very next day, and two days later he arrived at team training to see a female ANBU with long purple hair in a neko mask waiting there, making his teammates uncomfortable. A katana hung across her back, tsuka protruding over her right shoulder. "Ren Senju. I am here to evaluate you for tokubetsu jonin status in kenjutsu. The test shall take place here in the form of a spar with live blades," she announced in a cold, businesslike tone, drawing her sword. Ren, meanwhile, took an iaijutsu stance, left hand on Mizuchi's saya, thumb pushing up on the tsuba to pop the habaki free from the koguchi, right hand grasping the tsuka, ready to draw. "Very well, Neko-san." Mizuchi was unsheathed and attacking in a flash, razor-sharp blade traveling towards the ANBU's exposed throat. The attack was blocked, but Neko was surprised by the speed of the strike. Ren proceeded to use Hayate's style to attack, only to find that his strikes were blocked as if Neko knew what he would do before he did. He leapt back and summoned a water clone to distract Neko while he executed a Kirigakure no jutsu, blanketing the area with thick fog which he exhaled after kneading his chakra into water. "Suiton: Mikazuki no Mai," Ren declared without emotion. Neko was attacked simultaneously on all sides by copies of Ren, but she managed to avoid the technique by vaulting over him. Seeing that Hayate's style had failed, Ren changed to the style he had learned from Danzo. His stance rose and he held Mizuchi in his right hand only. He crouched low and dragged his hand across the ground, gathering a handful of loose dirt as he sprinted towards Neko.
Neko watched the Senju cautiously as he charged, weapon held at an angle across his body, with his left hand held behind him. She was not entirely unsurprised when his left arm swung out towards her face, hurling his handful of dirt in her face. However, her mask blocked all of the particulates due to both her moving away in reaction to the move and the small size of the eye holes. The move was, however, enough of a distraction for Ren to get close, slashing towards her throat. All he hit was a log from a kawarimi, though. Seeing that Neko now had the initiative, Ren switched to his own style, flipping Mizuchi into reverse grip and going into a defensive stance.
He closed his eyes and called upon a skill he had been practicing in private ever since his first experience with it during the first part of the Chunin exams. He had done some research and found that it was a manifestation of a pseudo-bloodline which was first recorded by his great-grandfather Tobirama Senju. The Nidaime had a sensor-type ability in which he perceived Chakra as vibrations in the ground, which required him to place his hand on the ground in order to use it. Ren, however, registered chakra as if he were in a pool of water. Weak signatures were mere ripples on the pond, while strong signatures left a massive wake. The only disadvantage of it was that Ren had to have his eyes closed, meaning a thrown kunai would catch him unawares and that he could not use chakra lest he be blinded by his own signature. It was by the wake of Neko's movement that Ren was able to track her. "Found you," he said, spinning around and deflecting a helm-breaker which would have left him with two heads. What followed was an interesting contrast in combat philosophies. Neko used an aggressive style which was fast, agile, and acrobatic, using her speed and flexibility to their fullest extent, while Ren's style was defensive, grounded, and fluid, emphasizing the best attributes of the reverse grip. His opponent, who had never gone up against such a style before, was thrown off a bit, since ninja usually used aggressive styles that allowed them to kill their opponent quickly. Ren took advantage of Neko's confusion by launching himself forward, executing a disemboweling slash which only managed to cut through her flak jacket and leave a light, superficial cut. He sprinted away to the pond which was located on the training ground. He arrived at the center of it and formed a single one-handed seal.
Neko arrived not a minute later and saw him waiting for her. "Suiton: Suiryuudan." A large water dragon emerged from the surface and launched itself towards the ANBU. She somersaulted away, which was good, because the dragon's impact reduced the section of tree it hit to splinters, felling it. Ren then dipped the tip of Mizuchi, now in a traditional forward grip, in the water and made another one-handed seal. "Suiton: Daito." He with drew the sword, which now had a six-foot-long blade, extended from its previous three by water. Ren placed both hands on the hilt, which was about ten inches long. He shot forward with a broad, sweeping swing meant to bisect Neko, applying extra chakra to his feet to reduce friction on the water in order to skate across the surface. "Water may not be traditionally as sharp as wind or lightning, but this technique combined with my control allows me to create an edge which is the same width as one water molecule, and the structure is reinforced by my chakra, making it quite deadly despite the fact that the blade is liquid," Ren said coldly, thrusting at Neko with the lengthened blade. "That is enough. You have displayed high jonin-level kenjutsu and high chunin to low jonin skill in suiton ninjutsu. You are more than qualified for the rank of tokubetsu jonin," Neko said, sheathing her katana. "Do you need help with your wound? If you don't get it cleaned and bandaged soon it might get infected," Ren asked her, allowing his water blade to fall, sheathing Mizuchi, and producing a sealing scroll labeled first aid. "If you'd be so kind," the ANBU said, sounding like she was speaking through gritted teeth. She removed her flak vest, rolled up her shirt, and laid back, exposing her well-toned abdomen. "This might sting," Ren warned before applying an antiseptic to a strip of gauze and laying it over the wound, causing her to hiss at the stinging sensation. He then unsealed a roll of bandages and wrapped it around Neko's midsection, covering the dressing, tight enough to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, but not so tight that it would restrict her breathing. Once everyone was properly wrapped, Ren tied the bandages off and cut the excess with a set of scissors from the scroll. Neko rolled her shirt back down and put her now-ruined flak jacket back on. "Thank you," Neko said softly, not looking at Ren. "Not a problem. After all, it was my fault," Ren said, blushing slightly and offering her a hand up. They walked back to the memorial stone where Kakashi had Sakura and Sasuke sparring on the side of a tree. "So, Neko-san, how did he do?" Kakashi asked, looking up from his orange-covered smut. "He passed, Kakashi-sempai," Neko said. "You owe me a jutsu, Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke yelled at the cyclopean jonin. Ren's eye twitched at the fact that they were betting on his promotion and he snatched Kakashi's book away, hurling it at Sasuke. "Think fast, Sasuke!" The Uchiha heir reacted by firing a Katon: Housenka which reduced the book to ash. "Nice shot," Ren said before he looked at Kakashi, who had fallen to his knees, eye wide with tears streaming down his face. "Noooo!" "See you tomorrow, I'm running before he snaps out of it," Ren said, disappearing with a shunshin, leaving Neko and his teammates dumbstruck at the sheer audacity of what he just did.
Ren reappeared outside of the Higurashi weapon shop. "Well, now that I'm a tokujo, I think I'll treat myself," Ren said, walking into the shop. He browsed through the shop until he saw something which piqued his interest in the clothing section. It was a navy blue trench coat with a silvery-white lining. He picked it up and tried it on. It fit him a bit loosely, but he would grow into it. It fell to his mid-shin, and had loose sleeves which allowed for free movement. He removed it and took it to the counter which was unmanned. Ren noticed a bell and rang it. "Coming!" came a deep gruff voice. The owner o the voice emerged from the back of the shop wiping his hands on a rag. He was a big, burly man with a bald scalp wearing a blacksmith's apron. "Hello, I'm the owner, Kento. How can I help you?" the tall man asked. "I was wondering if you would took custom orders," Ren replied. "Yes. For clothing, though, you'll have to speak to my wife. Hiko!" Kento said. "Coming," was the reply from a far more melodious voice. The woman from which it originated came into view shortly after. She looked like an older version of her daughter, only her hair was loose instead of formed into buns. "The boy here wants to make a custom order." "What name should I put it under?" the woman asked, producing a notepad. "Ren Senju," Ren replied. Hiko proceeded to take down his specifications for the coat, of which he ordered four, two of each of two versions. She took him into the back and took his measurements. Afterwards he was told that the order would be ready in a few days.
When Ren woke up the the next day, he found that Tsunade and Shizune had returned. Tsunade was in fact staying this time, and becoming the Godaime Hokage. Ren was a bit happy that the compound wouldn't be as empty anymore. He left team training the day of Tsunade's return and went to his training with Danzo. The bandaged old man was waiting for him as always. "Ah, right on time. I am glad to see despite your elevation to tokubetsu jonin you still remember your training. There is one final thing which I wish to teach you. Here is a slip of chakra paper. Even if you have done this before, as you mature and become more powerful secondary affinities become more apparent," Danzo said. Ren pushed his chakra into the paper and, as was to be expected, a good two thirds of the paper became wet, while the remaining third had two reactions: one sixth crumbled, while the other cut itself out. "So, a very strong suiton affinity with secondary affinities for doton and futon. I personally have little proficiency with doton, but I will help you with your futon. Let us begin the first exercise," Danzo said, a small evil grin appearing on his face. Ren would spend the next three days of training sessions attempting mostly fruitlessly to cut leaves with futon chakra in between physical training.
After his training with Danzo three days later, Ren stopped by the Higurashi weapon shop to pick up his coats. He smirked as he examined the work which had been done. On both versions of the coat over the right shoulder there was a set of loops designed to hold his tipless tanto and its sheath, and along the bottom a wave pattern had been added in the same color as the lining. The sleeves of the first were shortened to a little under elbow-length and it was made of lighter material meant for warmer climates. The second coat was heavier, meant for cold weather, with full-length sleeves and a stiffer collar that could be turned up to protect against wind. He paid and thanked the seamstress before heading home, sealing the coats in a scroll for temporary.
The next day, Ren showed up to team training wearing his light coat. It was shut, allowing him to tie on the obi which held Mizuchi. His tipless tanto was over his right shoulder, much like the coats worn by Danzo's subordinates. Kakashi took them to a village near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Snow and informed them that they had a mission starting the next day, and that they had the day off to prepare. They were also assigned to watch the most recent film of the actress Yukie Fujikaze, as the mission they had been assigned was to protect her during the filming of a new movie in the Land of Snow. Naruto, apparently a fan, grabbed and literally dragged a less-than-enthusiastic Sasuke through the village to the theater at a full sprint with an enraged Sakura in pursuit shouting threats of death and dismemberment at the orange-clad hyperactive blonde. Ren shook his head at the scene, sighed, and followed in a far more dignified manner, running and leaping in trees and on the rooftops of the village, coat flapping behind him.
Team 7 arrived outside of the theater each in their own fashion. Naruto skidded to a halt, Sasuke dragging behind him, only to be knocked down by a savage blow from an irate Sakura due to his rough treatment of her crush. Ren, having decided to go for a more awesome entrance, leapt from above, coat billowing out as he landed in a crouch, left hand resting on Mizuchi's kashira, pushing down to keep the saya at an angle that prevented it from inadvertently striking the ground upon landing. Ren stood up, dusting off his coat. "That was nice, if I do say so myself," he said, walking into the theater with a cocky smirk on his face, seemingly oblivious to his teammates looking on in shock, in addition to, more dangerously, a spontaneously-formed group of fangirls with hearts in their eyes. Once the Senju heir's teammates had recovered, they hurried in to join him.
Ren sat with his teammates, a small stock of snacks bought from the concessions stand stowed in his coat pockets. The movie was a bit formulaic, with a "friendship conquers all" Aesop, but there were some decent moments. Ren also knew that the actress they were protecting, who played the female lead, was well-known in the industry for her talent. Ren left the theater, finishing off the remains of his small cache of snacks, going to meet up with the other members of his team outside since they had been asked to leave (and pelted with random objects by their fellow moviegoers) due to Naruto's exuberant celebration upon the villain's defeat by the heroes' combined efforts. He was cut off on his route by a horse-mounted woman who sped past without so much as word. Hearing the thunderous sound of yet more horses coming from the same directions as the woman, Ren wisely leapt onto the side of a nearby building and pursued her out of curiosity. He ended up tracking her to a bar. Seeing as he was both curious and in need of a drink after watching his team, who joined in mid-chase, beat up some local militia, believing that they were some form of villains. That could cause some trouble that he or Kakashi would have to clear up later. He walked in and took a stool at the bar beside the woman who they had been assigned to protect. "A saucer and a bottle of your best koshu (aged sake), please, bartender," he said as he sat down, getting a nod. As his drink arrived he slightly turned towards the woman next to him, who had already started on a bottle.
"Yukie Fujikaze, I presume?" He asked politely. "Who wants to know?" She replied rudely. "I am Ren Senju, Tokubetsu Jonin of Konohagakure no Sato and heir to the Senju clan, since you asked so nicely," Ren replied sarcastically, tossing back a saucer of the yellowed sake and savoring the honeyed flavor as the aged beverage slid over his tongue and down his gullet. "This is excellent sake. I'll have to look into getting more of it and sealing it," Ren commented, pouring a second saucer. "What are you here, Senju?" Yukie asked coldly. "To provide protection along with my team during the filming of your next movie," Ren replied, sipping his sake. "So you're one of the ninja the director has hired to keep me from running," the woman stated, sounding profoundly melancholic. She was, Ren noted, quite attractive, with light gray eyes and long dark hair which framed her face. "Only for the time it will take to film the scenes in Snow Country. After that, you may run to your heart's content, Fujikaze-san. However, seeing as the mission is to protect you, I will be keeping an eye on you for the present," Ren said in return, tossing back yet another saucer. "I do not want to go to Snow Country," Yukie said in a sullen tone. "And I do not want to be wed to two women I do not know as part of political alliances and the Clan Restoration Act, but I will do my duty nonetheless, despite the fact that the thought is frankly terrifying to me. You have a commitment to see the movie through, and whatever it is that you are afraid of, you must face it just like I will have to face up to my political fiancées when my sixteenth birthday comes knocking two years from now. However, I promise you that I will personally do all I can to help you through this," Ren said, quaffing a saucer of his koshu. "Fine, I'll go. You know, you are quite persuasive. Ever considered a career in acting?" Yukie said, sipping her own saucer of a more common variety of sake. "The thought has never crossed my mind, but if you ever have a role which you need filled contact me," Ren replied. "I'll keep that in mind," the actress said, a small smile making itself present on her face, though that quickly vanished when his team arrived. Ren sighed heavily and quickly tossed back another saucer, much to the shock and outrage of Sakura.
"You shouldn't be drinking! You're still a minor!" the pinkette shouted. "Do be quiet, Sakura-san. All ninja of genin or greater rank are legally adults, and as such are well within their rights to drink. So kindly leave me to enjoy my vice in peace," Ren said, cutting off any further outbursts and defiantly downing a saucer. Naruto, meanwhile, went into fanboy mode and appeared in front of Koyuki requesting an autograph, which she denied. Ren rolled his eyes, foreseeing a long mission ahead.
AN- I hope you liked it. If you have any questions, please PM or review.
