Naruto != mine
AN- Welcome, readers! Thank you for sticking with this. The emails about new followers and favorites are nice to see. Reviews are appreciated. Now, on to what you actually want to read!
~Chapter 11~
Ren lay in the hospital after the battle, dealing with the results of taking three soldier pills in the span of an hour and then using up the chakra in high-drain summoning jutsu. He was laying in the bed resting after the repeat chakra exhaustion when Shizune entered his room. "Hello, Shizune-neesan. Are you visiting or acting in an official capacity?" Ren asked the medic who had become a sort of sister-figure to him. "Visiting. We finished with the wounded a few hours ago. Now the rest is in the hands of the hospital staff," Shizune said, sitting on the edge of the bed tiredly. "What news on the Hokage?" Ren asked. The Hokage had been ambushed by a disguised Orochimaru, who had assumed the identity of the Kazekage, but the intervention of the visiting Raikage had aided the aging Sandaime. Unfortunately, Orochimaru escaped, albeit not without having his arms mangled by A. The Hokage had been rather critically injured, though.
"He is recovering as we speak. Tsunade-sama is tending to him. And, the prisoner you took is probably going to be sent back to Suna as a sign of goodwill between villages to prevent further resentment," Shizune said. As they were speaking, a nurse entered the room. "Senju-san, the doctor has said that you are cleared for discharge," the nurse said ,"but you are under orders not to overexert yourself." "Thank you," Ren said, slowly getting out the bed. Once he had gotten dressed, with the assistance of an extremely embarrassed Shizune as he was still a bit weak from the crash from his chakra overdose. With the assistance of his still-blushing sister figure, he managed to climb into a wheelchair and got rolled to the clan compound. At the gates, however, he stopped Shizune from wheeling him on. "Actually, would it be alright if I went on ahead to the hotel where the foreign shinobi are staying? I agreed to meet Samui-san there to buy her a new tanto," Ren said. "Alright. But if you end up hurting yourself I will tie you down until you recover. I that understood?" Shizune said, reverting to stern doctor mode. "I know you've already seen me naked, but isn't that moving a little fast, Neesan," Ren snarked, rolling away as Shizune spluttered and blushed.
Ren wheeled himself into the hotel lobby where he found several foreign nin in the lobby. He wheeled his way to the front desk. "Hello. May I ask which room the team from Kumogakure is in?" He asked politely. The girl at the desk gave him the information and, once he had thanked her, he proceeded to take the elevator up to the proper floor. He pulled up outside the room and knocked on the door. It swung open to reveal Samui. "Hello, Samui-san. You told me to meet you here?" Ren asked. "That is correct. How did you end up in a wheelchair?" the buxom blonde Kumo nin asked, looking down at him. "Three soldier pills in one day. And repeated chakra exhaustion. I'll be fine," Ren replied. Samui accepted the answer and the two departed.
Samui looked dubiously at the Higurashi weapon shop. It seemed to be a modest shop, nothing remarkable, not even smoke coming from the chimney. Samui pushed Ren in and went to the counter, where Tenten was currently sharpening a kunai. When she noticed Ren's wheelchair-bound state the knife and whetstone vanished and she appeared beside him, fretting. "I'll be fine. I just need to rest for a few days," Ren said, attempting to calm down the weapon's mistress. "Uncool," Samui commented, earning a sharp glare from Tenten. "Come on, there is no need for this to become a confrontation," Ren said, trying to defuse the situation. He partially succeeded, and they got down to business. "What are you here for?" Tenten asked. "I broke Samui-san's tanto during our match, so I am paying for a replacement weapon," Ren replied. "Take a look around. There are plenty to choose from," Tenten said, returning to her kunai sharpening, though she kept a close eye on Samui. They browsed for a good time, Samui testing various blades. Ren noticed that she was somewhat reluctant to return a particularly expensive blade of the highest quality, and her gaze lingered on it. "Don't worry, Samui-san. There is more than enough money in my clan accounts to pay for any weapon you choose," Ren said. Unexpectedly, the buxom blonde hugged Ren's head, planting it firmly in her cleavage. When she finally pulled away, Ren was unconscious an sported a light nosebleed. When Ren finally came to, he saw the two girls hovering over him. Tenten looked concerned, while Samui was blushing and embarrassed. Ren quickly wrote out a check and fled back towards his clan compound, where, once he arrived, he slumped in the wheelchair. "Why does these things always happen to me?" Ren muttered to himself. "What's the problem?" Shizune asked. "It just seems like I seem to attract higher-than-average incidence of awkward moments," Ren said, "But right now, I'm a bit tired. Could you help me up the stairs?" Shizune nodded to the sheepish question and helped him up the stairs to his room, where he collapsed on the bed and fell asleep near-instantly.
Two days later, Shizune cleared Ren to return to duty, which he did gladly after two days' inactivity. He arrived at the training ground to find that it was empty. Confused, he decided to try to find them another way. He executed kuchiyose no jutsu and, in the usual smoky manner, Washitoru appeared. "Good day, Senju-san. How may I assist you?" the cat-sized raptor asked politely. "I was wondering if you could help me locate my team, as you are able to get a much better perspective than I," Ren replied. "Describe your teammates, please." "Sensei is tall, thin, wears standard jonin gear, but he has silver hair which stands almost straight up, and may be carrying a small book with orange covers. Sasuke has black hair spiked in the back, and wears black shorts and a black shirt with a red-and-white fan on the back. Sakura has pink hair and wears a red dress with green shorts. Lastly, there is Naruto, who will probably be the easiest to find. He has bright yellow hair and wears a garish orange track suit. Can't miss him," Ren said. The bird nodded and took off.
A few hours later, the bird found Ren practicing kata with a bokken. He landed on the end of the wooden sword as Ren settled into a finished stance. "Ren-san, I have located Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. They are at the post station outside the village. There seems to be something going on. They may need help," Washitoru reported. "Thank you, Washitoru-san. You can return to the aerie or accompany me if you wish," Ren told the raptor. "I prefer to stay here for a while." "Alright, just try to stay on my bokken," Ren said, setting off with the eagle perched on the end if his bokken, which he carried slung over his shoulder as he ran to the post station.
When he arrived, he heard a loud, ominous chirping sound from a nearby hotel. Washitoru, who had decided to follow by air shortly after Ren began running due to the jostling he and his perch experienced, followed him on the wing as he sprinted towards the source of the bird-like sound. "Why are you rushing?" Washitoru asked as he descended to fly beside Ren. "Sasuke is using chidori. That means something big is happening, and he may need help," Ren explained as he ran, nimbly dodging people and obstacles. When he arrived, the situation was in a stalemate, with Naruto being watched by a blue-skinned and haired man with cheek-gills and a bandaged sword wearing a black cloak with red clouds while Sasuke was held by the unmistakable Itachi Uchiha, who wore the same robe as the blue one. Ren skidded to a halt, not sure how to proceed, simply resting his hand on Mizuchi's tsuka in a iaijutsu posture. However, his participation was never required, as Jiraiya arrived and the cloaked missing-nin left, though the blue one seemed reluctant. Ren sighed and removed his hand from Mizuchi. He left without saying a word, unnoticed, deep in thought. 'I was too slow to do anything, and too weak to have an impact if I did take part. My teammates may have died, an I would have been powerless,' Ren thought, hand clenching into a fist as he walked back towards Konoha. He looked down at his hand. 'No more. I will not let my own weakness hold me back or put my team in jeopardy.' When Ren looked up, he had a look of cold determination on his face. Washitoru, who had stars silent, observing this look, decided to return to the aerie, as he had no reason to remain and saw that Ren was deep in thought.
A week later Ren was on Team 7's training field, fight against five water clones. Normally, water clones were unsuitable for sparring, but when put on a source of water they became significantly more robust. The mizu bunshin were using their copies of Mizuchi, which, while inferior to the original, were very capable of dealing lethal damage. Ren also had the added disadvantage of weights which he had picked up to improve his speed and strength. Combined, it was a brutal training regime bordering on insane. His clash with the clones was cut short, however, by a female ANBU appearing at the edge of the water. With a savage series of brutal, underhanded techniques Ren eliminated the clones and walked over to the cat-masked ANBU, sheathing Mizuchi as he did so.
"You have been summoned by the council. I've been sent to collect you," she said, her voice cold. Ren nodded to the purple-haired agent who grabbed his shoulder in a painful vise-like grip and used a shunshin to take him to the council chambers. Once Cat had dropped him outside the doors, Ren strode in. He bowed to the council and stood waiting for them to speak, standing in a relaxed posture, left hand resting on Mizuchi's kashira (essentially a cap on the end of the hilt since Japanese swords lack pommels). Danzo Shimura, a heavily bandaged man who had been the Sandaime's teammate, rose to his feet. "Thank you for coming. By majority vote based upon your performance in the recent exams and the subsequent invasion, the the council has decided that you have earned the rank of Chunin in the ninja corps of Konohagakure no Sato. Do you accept this promotion?" The aged man said, his voice grave and serious. "I accept this elevation to Chunin. I wish to thank this council for this honor," Ren replied, straightening up and bowing again. "With this new rank you are now able to take the Senju Clan's seat on the council. Do you wish to do so?" Danzo asked the white-haired genin. "I cannot in good conscience accept your generous offer, as the seat is still in the possession of Tsunade Senju, as she is still the Clan Head despite her absence. According to the regulations laid out when the council was formed, only a Clan head may take a seat on the shinobi council," Ren replied. "Very well. You are dismissed. I will have an aide escort you to my office to get your flak jacket."
Ren left the room and as he got outside he was met by a ninja with a blank facial expression. "Danzo-sama set me to escort you, Senju-san," the ninja said. "Very well," Ren said, and with that Danzo's aide and he vanished in shunshin. They arrived in a office with spartan furnishings where Danzo sat behind a large desk. "You are dismissed," the elder said, prompting the aide to leave. "Welcome, Senju-san. I have your vest here and also an offer. If you wish, I will train you in the shinobi arts," the elderly ninja asked. "No thank you, Danzo-sama. I do not feel that it would be right to do so when you and the council are required to manage the village," Ren replied. "Your devotion to the village is laudable. The offer will stand, however, should you change your mind at any point in the future. I will have an aide show you out," Danzo said. "No need, Danzo-san," Ren replied, performing his signature mist shunshin. "A talented young man. I can only hope his potential doesn't go to waste."