This is a unique story, my twin story. I did so much research and boom, made something more interesting.
Based a bit on my own relationship with my siblings actually. Not every siblings, no matter how lonely, chooses each other... family doesn't always mean much.
After Ren and Naruto fail the first Genin Exam, two years before canon
"IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!" Ren screamed, tired of the argument. It had been going on for an hour.
"But your leaving me, Ren!" Naruto called out, worn and tired.
Ren sighed. "I am choosing myself, Naruto, I love you but you are dragging me down. We failed the genin exams, and for what so you can show off and be... I went along with it, knowing I wasn't ready! I need to make my reading better, because you always wanted to prank instead of studying. I need to fix my taijutsu because you were too busy peeking on girls, I need to save money instead of spending it on Ichirakus! I love you, but you are dragging me down. It is my turn to shine, to matter, and damn it I will!"
Naruto recoiled, eyes wide and filled with tears. "But your my brother, you're all I got!"
"I know, but I need to care about me... someone has to choose just me, and not just you... and this is that time." And with that, Ren left, walking out of the apartment, past the stunned Old Hokage. "Where are my keys?"
He handed him the keys to his new apartment. "I... are you sure, Ren?"
"I am as sure as I can be. I have to choose me, no one else is and has. It is my turn to matter."
And with that, Ren hurried off, to the his new apartment and to the new fate he had chosen for himself.
:::
A Month before graduation
"Brrrr!" Ren muttered as he stacked the last box in the freezer. "That should be it." He turned on heel and marched out, walking towards his boss, Kagami Mikumo who was sitting in his office just by the freezer section of the store he worked in. "I finished Kagami."
The man, a heavy set bastard with a beard and air of greed and roughness, smiled at him. "Well that's that, nice to have been working with you." He handed him his money, under the table as always since no one wanted to hire Kagami for damn near anything. Even if the man was a cheap bastard that underpaid Kagami majorly, he still got enough money to buy extra ninja things. "See ya around, kid."
"See you around, Kagami," satisfied, he hurried away, to the cheapest and least biased shop in Kohona. It was about six streets over, in the poorest district of the Leaf. He happily would pay them, they actually accepted his money and never overcharged him for his patronage. Within ten minutes he left with a tanto, gray handled and in moderate condition, a scroll of basic kenjutsu and a set of old weights.
Why did he buy these things, so soon to graduation, well he needed an edge, an ace up his sleeve like all clan kids has. Swordplay would be his, one way or another he would rise and shine. He didn't trust the worthless Hokage to give him a good sensei anyway.
'But that is fine with me, I will do everything myself, I cannot trust anyone but I can trust me... and I will be great as I am.' And so set his plan, to become great on his own, and ensure he had good training even if he was given a piss poor sensei... it was all he could do to ensure he was given a real chance at life...
And no one would stop that, not even that idiot Hokage!
Sighing, he looked up at the burgeoning night sky. " I wish I could help you too, Naruto but someone has to look out for me and frankly that is a full time job as it is..."
Never did he know that, at that moment, Naruto was stealing the Scroll of Sealing and graduating out of sheer luck, destiny and happenstance... setting the stage for ancient conflicts to come.
"""
Sighing sadly, Hiruzen watched with some pleasure as Ren used his new blade to go through the motions of his new generic sword style. The boy was something else, a rising star. Since defecting from Naruto, the boy had risen to a top student in the class, tied with Shino and under Sasuke. He took up a job, part time of course, a year ago and started saving for nicer things. The boy, and Naruto actually, were great with money to an odd degree when they chose to be. Ren was wiser with his purchases though, by far. Saving for weights and the sword, that would only make him a real power house when he got older.
Like Kushina...
"You would be so proud of your children, Kushina, Minato, but you would weep at their separation... I am so sorry for my failings."
And he continued to watch as Ren continued through, trying, struggling to maintain his movements with the weights hampering his skills... but soon, he knew, the boy would be great. As, unlike Naruto, he took his training seriously...
They were identical twins, with equal everything even half of the Kyuubi in each of them, but through choice Ren became more of a ninja... and that would prove to be everything.
He just knew it, even if he liked Naruto better, trusted him more, he knew Ren would be more of a ninja because he wanted it more. Choose it more... and gave up for it.
He only hoped he would live long enough to see them blossom into something amazing and reunite.
That would be great.
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a joy to write. I think this could be huge.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.
