Ren was eleven now, standing at the edge of boyhood and something far more dangerous. Time had not dulled his edge; it had sharpened it. Under his guidance—and perhaps because of his reckless brilliance—Tsunade had awakened her Sage Body completely, stepping into a realm of strength that rivaled legends.
She was a powerhouse on the level of Hashirama Senju himself. Ren had watched her spar against his shadow clones, and even he felt a shiver of awe. There were moments when he genuinely wondered if she might defeat the First Hokage in his prime.
Tsunade had mastered every Wood Release technique Hashirama had left behind. With Ren's newly developed Byakuyō Seal constantly supplying refined Yin–Yang and Senjutsu chakra, her reserves were monstrous. Even after unleashing Wood Release repeatedly, her body regenerated faster than it drained.
Wood Release required Earth, Water, and Yang Release combined. In Hashirama's era, excessive use strained even his godlike vitality. But Tsunade no longer shared that limitation; the seal balanced and replenished what should have been fatal depletion.
She had also learned multiple Rasengan variants from Ren. In fact, Ren had developed more Rasengan evolutions at eleven than Naruto Uzumaki would create years later in another timeline. The thought amused him endlessly.
Beyond raw power, Tsunade had become terrifyingly strategic. She could deploy space-sealing barriers layered into Deep Forest Emergence, creating an entire battlefield where space-time techniques simply ceased to function. The first time she used it on Ren, he lost cleanly.
"I told you," Tsunade had smirked afterward, brushing dirt from her sleeve. "Even you can't run forever."
Ren had groaned while lying flat on his back. "That's unfair. You sealed space itself."
"Then learn to outthink it," she replied lazily. "Or stop relying so much on teleportation."
From that day forward, whenever she prepared that jutsu, Ren teleported preemptively. He refused to be caught twice by the same trap.
She even possessed theoretical seals capable of containing the Ten-Tails for a short duration. The sheer audacity of the concept would have shocked the Five Great Nations. For Ren and Tsunade, it was simply another research project.
Meanwhile, Ren and the girls were growing at an alarming rate. Even without ninjutsu, their taijutsu alone could overwhelm one or more Chūnin. They were still children by age, but not by capability.
They trained constantly under gravity seals, their muscles adapting beyond normal limits. Once they turned twelve, another growth spurt would come—and with it, another leap in strength.
The Academy classroom buzzed with quiet tension one afternoon. Graduation loomed, and the air carried anticipation thick enough to cut.
"So, what do you think will happen?" Sakura Haruno asked, leaning her chin into her palm.
Ino Yamanaka blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"She must be talking about team selection, right, Sakura?" Hinata Hyuga said softly, her pale eyes shifting toward Ren.
"Yep," Sakura nodded. "Teams are usually two boys and one girl. Who do you think the Hokage will put in Ren's team?"
Silence followed.
Ren stretched lazily, leaning back in his chair. "I'll be a solo ninja. Tsunadenee will be my teacher."
The three girls stared at him.
"You're not going to join a team?" Ino demanded.
"Nope," Ren replied easily. "I have FTG, so mobility won't be an issue. And even if something goes wrong, I have Wood Release."
"I also know FTG," Hinata said quietly, her voice firm despite its softness.
Ren chuckled, reaching out to stroke her dark hair. "You do, my girl. But don't worry—you know how lazy Tsunadenee is."
He leaned closer conspiratorially. "I'll probably end up doing missions with your teams most of the time anyway."
That earned reluctant nods and faint smiles.
Then Ino and Sakura's expressions twitched.
Hinata had entered a different kind of growth spurt. She was maturing faster, her frame developing in ways neither Ino nor Sakura appreciated. Their gazes drifted downward—and so did Ren's, if only for a moment too long.
"Damn it," Ino thought bitterly. "Why is she growing so early?"
Hinata was already showing potential to rival Tsunade physically. Ren's wandering gaze only fueled the jealousy simmering beneath polite smiles.
"Ren, you pervert!" Sakura suddenly shouted. "Stop looking at her chest, you perv!"
Ino lunged at him. "You need to be taught a lesson!"
But Ren was already gone, reappearing behind Hinata in a blur. His arms looped loosely around her neck from behind.
That was the signal.
"Okay, girls," Hinata said sweetly, though her tone held mischief. "Stop bullying Ren."
Her arm slipped around his in return, claiming him openly. She loved his attention—and Ino and Sakura's jealousy was priceless.
The two girls flushed red.
"Fine! Just you wait—we're still growing!" Ino huffed.
"Exactly!" Sakura crossed her arms. "We're not losing!"
Ren smirked shamelessly. "I can already bet Hina will have bigger than yours."
Even Hinata's composure cracked. Her face turned crimson as she buried it into his arms, though the tiny victorious smile she wore nearly sent Ino and Sakura into berserker mode.
"We'll see about that," Sakura snapped.
Ino's eyes gleamed murderously. "Just you wait and see."
Ren gently pecked Hinata on the cheek before stepping forward. He slung an arm over Ino's shoulder and another over Sakura's.
"Hey, no need to compete in that area. Hina will be the strongest there anyway."
Both girls' mouths twitched violently.
"Was that supposed to comfort us?" Sakura asked flatly.
Hinata laughed softly behind them.
"You bastard!" Sakura barked. "We haven't even fully grown yet!"
Ino jabbed a finger at him. "No way we're losing to Hinata!"
Ren sighed dramatically. "I was just telling the truth."
Three pairs of eyes glared at him.
"Oh fine," he relented. "How about we go to the Fire Capital for shopping as my apology?"
The mood shifted instantly.
"A date?" Ino asked, eyes sparkling.
"Fine," Sakura declared. "But you're paying."
Ren grinned. "Of course."
Money meant nothing to him. Though the Senju Clan had fallen, its estates and commercial properties still generated immense income. Tsunade never restricted him.
"What's the point of having money," she would say lazily, "if we can't spend it however we want?"
Moments later, they teleported beyond Konoha's borders. With transformation jutsu, they altered their appearances to look older, avoiding suspicion.
The Fire Capital welcomed them with bustling streets, lantern-lit shops, and vibrant chatter. They wandered from boutique to boutique, the girls dragging Ren into fabric stores and accessory stalls.
"Ino, that color doesn't suit you," Sakura teased.
"Oh please, like you have better taste?" Ino shot back.
Hinata quietly selected elegant pieces, occasionally glancing toward Ren for approval. He nodded every time.
They ate skewered meat, sweet dango, and steaming bowls of ramen. Ren paid without complaint, amused by their delight.
By evening, they visited a famous hot spring. Ren used the men's bath while the girls reserved a private pool.
Inside the steamy waters, Ino sighed. "He really is unfairly talented."
Sakura leaned back against the stone edge. "Yeah… but he's ours."
Hinata's fingers trailed across the water's surface. "We just have to grow strong enough to stand beside him."
Back in the men's bath, Ren leaned against the stone wall, staring at the rising steam.
"They're all getting stronger," he murmured to himself. "Good."
When they reunited outside under the twilight sky, laughter replaced jealousy. Their bond felt stronger than childish rivalry.
As they teleported back toward Konoha, Ren glanced at the three girls beside him.
Power was growing.
Hearts were growing.
And soon, the world would realize just how dangerous that combination truly was.
{Extra Chapter for - CRUZEN}