Ren fell silent for a long moment after explaining the origins of bloodlines.
Then he spoke again, voice thoughtful and steady.
"Well… if my idea really works, everyone might gain a Sage Body. But as I said, Hina already has Sage Eyes. And when Sage Eyes and Sage Body come together—"
He stopped there deliberately.
---
The girls stared at him.
"What happens?" Ino asked, eyes narrowed.
Sakura leaned forward. "Don't stop there."
Hinata simply watched him, calm but curious.
---
Ren exhaled slowly.
"They would change the ninja world."
The words were not dramatic.
They were factual.
"And we're still creating the seal," he added. "It's just a theory for now. So there's no need to worry. I won't do anything reckless."
---
Hinata relaxed slightly at that.
Still, she lowered her gaze for a moment.
"Well… you're really putting a lot on me," she said softly. "All that power seems too much for me."
Ren stepped closer without hesitation.
He placed his hand gently on her shoulder.
"Hey. I told you I'm never going to leave you behind or alone."
He tapped her nose lightly.
---
Hinata blinked, then smiled—an amused, fond smile that reached her pale eyes.
"Then don't disappear ahead of me either," she replied softly.
"I won't," Ren said.
And he meant it.
---
Behind them, Ino and Sakura's eyes twitched in perfect synchronization.
Sometimes this guy completely forgets we're standing right here.
Ren seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere.
He turned and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Hey, don't give me that look."
---
Ino crossed her arms. "What look?"
"That look," Ren said flatly.
Sakura sighed dramatically. "Continue."
Ren's voice lost all teasing.
"That seal might also give you Sage Bodies. And even if it doesn't… I'll help you grow stronger anyway. That's my promise."
There was no playfulness in his tone.
Only quiet certainty.
---
Hinata's expression softened.
Ino's usual smirk faded.
Sakura blinked, then smiled faintly.
"You're serious," Sakura murmured.
Ren nodded once.
---
"Anyway," he continued, tone lightening slightly, "what I meant is that the seal would naturally be more compatible with Hinata because of her lineage. That's all. It's just an idea for now."
He leaned back casually.
"Give me time. I'll make you all super strong. So enjoy the time we have."
---
Ino placed her hands on her hips.
"You better not forget that promise."
Sakura nodded. "We'll hold you to it."
Hinata smiled gently. "We always will."
Ren chuckled faintly.
"I know."
---
Not far away, Sasuke Uchiha stood watching.
He told himself he wasn't.
But he was.
The way Ren placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder.
The way he tapped her nose.
The way he ruffled her long black hair.
The way she looked at him—with warmth, familiarity, and something deeper.
It made something twist uncomfortably in Sasuke's chest.
---
He noticed the small things.
How Hinata teased Ren back.
How she tickled him occasionally when Ino and Sakura joined in.
How natural they looked together.
How comfortable.
Every time she glanced at Ren, there was fondness in her eyes.
Sasuke's jaw tightened.
---
That night, deep within Tsunade's study, the final seal matrix was completed.
Scrolls lay open.
Chakra arrays pulsed faintly with stabilized patterns.
Ren stepped back and exhaled.
"It's done."
Beside him, Tsunade folded her arms, eyes sharp.
Nearby, Katsuyu observed quietly.
---
"This is amazing," Katsuyu said gently. "This seal will create senjutsu chakra using stored chakra and natural energy. With it, you can gain a pseudo–Sage Mode."
Ren nodded.
"Tsunade-nee, you should use this seal for now until I try the next stage of my idea. To use it, you need the Byakugō Seal as a foundation. So me, Shizune-nee, and the girls can't use it yet."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"You're volunteering me first?"
---
Ren shrugged slightly.
"It should help recover your exhausted cells."
The room fell quiet.
Tsunade's expression shifted subtly.
"Well," she said lightly, "fine. I'm curious about its effects anyway."
---
She activated the modified seal.
The stored chakra within the Byakugō Seal began transforming.
Natural energy flowed in.
The two forces merged, refined, and became senjutsu chakra.
Slowly, steadily, it began circulating through her body.
---
Tsunade deactivated her transformation technique.
Her true body was revealed.
Though she was in her forties, the years of war had aged her far beyond that. Fine lines, subtle scars, and the wear of countless battles marked her skin.
But as senjutsu chakra flowed through her cells—
They began recovering.
---
The process was not explosive.
It was gradual.
Measured.
Sustainable.
Tsunade reactivated her youthful transformation and laughed softly.
"Well… at this rate, I'll fully recover in a few months."
She tried to sound strong.
Her voice wavered.
Her eyes glistened.
---
Only she truly knew the cost she had paid.
The battle against Hanzo.
The mass healings during the Second Shinobi War.
The Suna battlefield, where she had pushed her chakra to the brink to save comrades who would never know the price.
Every regeneration.
Every emergency surgery.
Every war.
It devoured her life force.
---
If she hadn't been both Senju and Uzumaki by blood—
She would have died long ago.
Ren stepped forward without speaking.
He wrapped his arms around her.
---
Tsunade stiffened for a fraction of a second.
Then she hugged him back.
Tightly.
She cried silently.
No dramatic sobs.
No shaking.
Just quiet tears.
---
Ren rested his chin lightly against her shoulder.
"…How is it raining indoors today?" he murmured.
Tsunade laughed weakly through tears.
"This brat… comforting me like that."
Her voice trembled.
But there was warmth in it.
---
Katsuyu said nothing.
Sometimes silence was the greatest kindness.
The room remained still, filled only with the soft hum of senjutsu chakra and unspoken understanding.
---
After a while, Tsunade pulled back.
She wiped her eyes.
"Don't tell anyone about this."
Ren smiled faintly.
"I'd never."
She flicked his forehead lightly.
"Good."
---
But inside, Ren made another promise.
He would never let her pay that kind of price again.
Not Tsunade.
Not Hinata.
Not any of them.
If the seal worked fully—
If Sage Eyes and Sage Body truly united—
Then the next generation wouldn't inherit the suffering of the last.
And for the first time in years, Tsunade felt something unfamiliar.
Hope.