After finally dispersing the stray thoughts from his mind, Ren turned his head, only to meet Konan's eyes—which were sparkling with amusement.
"As I thought... Ren really is interested in my feet~"
Konan's teasing words echoed in his ears, making Ren feel utterly mortified. Having his specific preferences called out by the girl he liked...
Wait, why did he feel a tiny bit of excitement?
At that thought, Ren's gaze suddenly turned predatory. Not long after, strange sounds began to drift through Konan's room. Fortunately, Ren had set up a barrier beforehand, ensuring no sound leaked out.
When he finally departed, Konan stared at her now-soaked white stockings with a look of pure distress. "How am I supposed to get rid of these now...?"
Konoha Village.
Ren returned home feeling completely refreshed. Having released the "beast" within, the exhaustion of his recent scientific overtime seemed to have vanished into thin air.
The moment he landed in his courtyard, he realized he had a visitor. Nawaki was standing there, a wide, goofy grin on his face.
Seeing Ren, Nawaki hurried over. "Master! You've finally finished your seclusion!"
Ren sat on a stone bench, looking at Nawaki with a flat expression. "Spit it out. What trouble did you run into this time?"
Nawaki scratched his head sheepishly. "Actually, it's not exactly 'trouble'..."
"Not trouble? Then handle it yourself!" Ren stood up to leave.
"Wait, wait! Master! I really am in a bind this time! Please, you have to help me!"
Ren sat back down. "Talk."
"It's like this..." Nawaki began, looking awkward. "Master, is there really no way to... fix my Wood Style?"
Nawaki's Wood Style manifested as vines—specifically, thorny tentacles. Because the appearance was so "ghoulish," it had completely destroyed his reputation with the ladies. Currently, the girls in Konoha his age avoided him like the plague, crossing the street the moment they saw him coming.
For a teenage boy in the heat of puberty, this was unbearable. Nawaki was desperate for a "normal" Wood Style so he could have a sweet romance. Everyone around him was pairing up; as the lone single dog, he was suffering!
To escape this plight, he had been training his Wood Style relentlessly. But instead of getting "normal," his efforts had backfired. Now, the thorny vines he summoned had gained a new, face-reddening ability: anyone bound by them for a certain amount of time would be hit with an aphrodisiac effect...
Listening to Nawaki's description, Ren actually felt a tiny flicker of envy. This ability... it's too perfect for a certain genre of 'defeat' scenarios!
He looked at Nawaki with a very subtle, judging gaze. Can a decent person really awaken an ability like this?
"Master! I'm really not that kind of person!" Nawaki shouted in his own defense. While he occasionally looked at adult magazines with Jiraiya, he swore on his pure heart that he never had twisted intentions! He was still innocent!
Ren nodded dismissively. "So you want to awaken a 'decent' Wood Style?"
Nawaki nodded frantically, his eyes shining with hope.
"Well... what you're using is technically Wood Style, it's just... drifted off course." Ren felt a bit troubled. He truly didn't know how to "fix" it. Wood Style had many forms: Hashirama and Yamato had the classic construction/combat style, while Moegi in the future could only grow flowers and grass. Both were Wood Style.
It was like Magnet Style: the Third Kazekage controlled Iron Sand, Rasa controlled Gold Dust, and Gaara controlled sand. Same bloodline, different expressions. Nawaki's "tentacle" style was just one of those expressions. A very creepy one.
"So, Master, can you help me get back on the right track?"
"The thing is..." Ren's eye twitched. "I don't have Wood Style. Asking me is useless."
"NOOOO—!!"
Snowflakes flutter The North Wind blows~
Nawaki collapsed to his knees in the middle of the yard, feeling as though his future was pitch black.
Ren quickly tried to comfort him. "Don't be so sad. Even without Wood Style, you can cultivate other jutsu. How's your Rasengan coming along? Have you mastered the Rasenshuriken yet?"
At this, Nawaki regained his confidence and prepared to demonstrate on the spot, but Ren stopped him. "Not in my yard."
Nawaki sheepishly lowered his hands, then remembered something else. "Oh, right! Master, while I was running laps around Konoha, I met a guy with bushy eyebrows. He's researched his own Taijutsu style and says it's incredibly powerful. I've started training with him!"
"You mean Might Duy," Ren noted. "Taijutsu is a solid choice."
There was no need to explain the power of the Eight Inner Gates. Gai almost kicked the series to an early finale, and Duy—even as an "Eternal Genin"—used the Gate of Death to turn the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen into the "Three Lucky Treasures."
"Exactly! I can already open the Third Gate! According to Duy-san, if we can open the Eighth Gate, our strength will surpass the Five Kage!" Nawaki said excitedly.
"Yes, yes. It's dozens of times the power of a Kage," Ren nodded. He didn't plan on learning the Gates himself; the body-tempering techniques from Scientist Ren were much better and didn't require burning one's life force. "Anything else? Specifically regarding your Ninjutsu?"
Nawaki thought for a moment. "In terms of Ninjutsu, only the Wood Style... Wait! Master! I've had some success with Sage Mode training, but the natural energy always dissipates after a while. Only a tiny fraction stays in my body. I can't keep it all inside like you do."
Ren told Nawaki to sit. He extended a hand, placing it gently on Nawaki's head. A misty, ethereal aura began to swirl from his palm, instantly enveloping Nawaki.
As Ren funneled natural energy into him, Nawaki felt an incredible sense of comfort. Every pore on his body opened, greedily drinking in the energy. However, as he absorbed it, his own chakra began to rapidly dwindle, as if he were about to merge with nature and lose his sense of self. Terrified, he slowed down, carefully blending his chakra with the natural energy.
As Nawaki calmed his mind, Ren noticed something. Nawaki's cultivation speed wasn't slow; in fact, it was faster than Hikari's.
With this speed, his progress shouldn't be this sluggish. Is there a hidden reason?