Ren immediately regretted introducing philosophy to Obito.
Looking into the Uchiha's earnest yet hopelessly confused eyes, he felt a headache coming on.
Some people simply weren't built for abstract thought.
Obito was one of them.
Still, since he'd already started, he might as well finish.
Ren crossed his arms and explained.
"Let's put it this way."
"Imagine a powerful enemy ninja captures five Konoha shinobi."
Obito nodded.
"The enemy ties Explosive Tags all over them. Then you and one teammate arrive on the scene."
"The enemy doesn't attack."
"He gives you a choice."
Ren raised one finger.
"Option one."
"Kill your teammate, and he'll release the five hostages."
Then a second finger.
"Option two."
"Do nothing."
"He detonates the tags, kills all five prisoners, and allows you and your teammate to leave."
Silence.
Then Obito immediately answered.
"That's easy!"
"I'd never kill my teammate!"
Ren wasn't surprised.
That was exactly the answer he expected.
However—
"What if the teammate beside you isn't someone close?"
Obito blinked.
"And what if the five prisoners include Kakashi and Rin?"
The answer got stuck in Obito's throat.
"Huh?"
Ren continued mercilessly.
"The same situation."
"You can only save one side."
"Which do you choose?"
Obito frowned.
"Wait... how could Kakashi get captured?"
"He's really strong."
Ren nearly rolled his eyes.
"The enemy is a Kage-level shinobi."
"Stop focusing on the wrong part!"
Obito scratched his head.
For the first time since the conversation began, he genuinely started thinking.
Minutes passed.
Finally he spoke.
"If the enemy is really that strong..."
"If someone has to die no matter what..."
His voice became uncertain.
"Then maybe saving five people is better than saving one?"
Ren nodded.
A reasonable answer.
Then he twisted the knife.
"What if the teammate beside you is Rin?"
The world froze.
Obito's face instantly changed.
"I-I couldn't kill Rin!"
"But Kakashi and Minato-sensei are among the five."
"..."
Obito froze completely.
One side contained Rin.
The other contained Kakashi.
And Minato.
And three additional shinobi.
Logic pulled him one way.
Emotion pulled him another.
His brain was being torn apart.
"Aaaaaah!"
Obito grabbed his hair with both hands.
"This question is impossible!"
"I don't know!"
Ren smirked.
Mission accomplished.
At least Obito wouldn't be asking philosophical questions for a while.
The poor guy's brain was already overheating.
At that moment, footsteps approached from behind.
Ren turned.
Rin was walking toward them after finishing her bath.
Drops of water still clung to her dark hair as she dried it with a towel.
The fading sunlight reflected in her smile.
"Ren!"
"I'm done."
"We can go back and sleep now."
"..."
Ren paused.
Something about that sentence sounded incredibly suspicious.
We can go back and sleep now.
It almost sounded like they shared a bed every night.
Fortunately, Rin seemed completely unaware of the implication.
Nearby, Obito didn't even react.
Normally, he would have sprinted over immediately.
Today?
The poor guy was still trapped inside the Trolley Problem.
His gaze drifted between Rin and the imaginary scenario in his head.
The more he thought about it, the more vivid the situation became.
The powerful imagination of the Uchiha clan wasn't helping.
If anything, it made things worse.
Rin tilted her head.
"What's wrong with Obito?"
"He's questioning the meaning of existence."
Ren shrugged.
"Don't worry about him."
"Oh."
Rin accepted that explanation surprisingly easily.
Together, they returned to the temporary shelter Kakashi had built using Earth Release.
Night gradually fell.
And somewhere inside that hut, Obito spent the entire night suffering.
---
The next morning.
The first thing Obito did after waking up was find Ren.
Dark circles hung beneath his eyes.
He looked like a man who had lost a war against his own thoughts.
"Ren!"
"You have to tell me!"
"Tell me what?"
"The answer!"
Obito pointed dramatically.
"To the question!"
"The Rin-or-Kakashi question!"
Coincidentally, Minato had just walked past.
The Fourth Hokage candidate stopped.
"The what question?"
Obito answered honestly.
"The question about choosing between Rin and Kakashi."
Minato froze.
"..."
For several seconds, he simply stared.
Then looked at Obito.
Then looked at Kakashi.
Then back at Obito.
A strange expression appeared on his face.
Ren instantly knew what he was thinking.
No, Minato-sensei.
It's not that kind of triangle.
Before the misunderstanding could spread any further, Ren quickly explained the entire Trolley Problem.
Minato listened quietly.
When Ren finished, the blond jonin smiled thoughtfully.
"Interesting."
"Very interesting."
Then he asked,
"So what answer did you reach?"
Obito immediately looked away.
"I still don't know."
At that moment, another voice joined the conversation.
"I think I'd choose differently."
Everyone turned.
Rin had somehow appeared beside them without anyone noticing.
She raised her hand slightly.
"If I were the person being held hostage..."
"If Ren or Obito had to choose..."
She smiled gently.
"I'd probably tell them to choose me."
The atmosphere instantly became silent.
Even the river seemed quieter.
Rin continued calmly.
"If sacrificing me could save everyone else..."
"Then that would be the correct choice."
Obito's face turned pale.
He stared at her.
Unable to speak.
Unable to breathe.
Unable to accept those words.
For him, the answer was unthinkable.
For Rin, it seemed obvious.
Ren quietly watched the exchange.
Sometimes people underestimated Rin.
They saw her as the team's medic.
The kind girl.
The cheerful teammate.
But mentally?
Rin might actually be the strongest member of Team Minato.
Not Kakashi.
Not Obito.
Rin.
When faced with impossible choices, she didn't hesitate.
She accepted reality.
Then made a decision.
That kind of strength was terrifying.
And admirable.
Ren knew what the future originally held.
The Kannabi Bridge incident.
The Three-Tails incident.
The countless tragedies waiting ahead.
But now?
The future wasn't set in stone anymore.
Perhaps things could change.
Perhaps Rin's fate could be rewritten.
Perhaps—
The Three-Tails could become an opportunity instead of a tragedy.
The thought lingered quietly in the back of Ren's mind.
One more piece to move on the board.
One more future to alter.
Then Minato turned toward him.
"What about you, Ren?"
Everyone looked over.
Ren shrugged.
"It depends."
Obito groaned.
"That's not an answer!"
"It is."
Ren's voice remained calm.
"Human lives aren't equal."
"You can't simply assign numbers and calculate value."
"One person isn't always worth less than five people."
Minato's eyes narrowed.
Clearly interested.
Ren continued.
"War is ultimately a game of exchanging pieces."
"Sometimes there is no perfect choice."
"Only the option you'll regret less."
The group fell silent.
Then Ren's expression sharpened.
"But that's not the most important part."
"Oh?"
Minato asked.
Ren looked toward the distant horizon.
Toward the battlefield.
Toward the endless cycle of death.
"The most important thing..."
"...is killing the person who forced you into that choice."
Everyone froze.
Ren's eyes became cold.
"If someone creates a dilemma like that."
"If someone keeps forcing people to sacrifice friends."
"Then the real solution isn't choosing."
"It's eliminating the person responsible."
"Otherwise you'll face the same choice again tomorrow."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Minato didn't immediately respond.
Because beneath the simplicity of the statement lay a brutal truth.
The shinobi world was filled with such choices.
Every mission.
Every battlefield.
Every village.
Someone was always being sacrificed.
For the mission.
For the village.
For peace.
For the future.
The names changed.
The dilemma never did.
Eventually, Minato smiled.
A small but genuine smile.
"You're right."
He placed a hand on Ren's shoulder.
"There is no universally correct answer."
"People can only follow their own convictions."
Then his gaze softened.
"But thankfully, you children don't have to make those choices yet."
"If a situation like that ever happens..."
Minato's smile became reassuring.
"As long as I'm alive, I'll do everything in my power to save all of you."
Obito immediately brightened.
Rin smiled warmly.
Even Kakashi looked slightly relieved.
Only Ren remained quiet.
Because he knew something none of them did.
Promises like that were dangerous.
Especially in this world.
Especially when fate was already moving toward Kannabi Bridge.
Still—
He said nothing.
For now, there was no point.
What mattered was growing stronger.
Strong enough to survive.
Strong enough to change what was coming.
Strong enough to protect the people standing beside him.
---
After breakfast, Team Minato resumed their patrol mission.
The terrain ahead became increasingly difficult.
Steep cliffs.
Dense forests.
Countless blind spots.
Eventually, the team split into two groups.
Minato took Obito.
Ren, Kakashi, and Rin continued along another route.
As they moved through the forest, Ren maintained vigilance while simultaneously chatting inside the System.
This had become routine.
Most shinobi meditated.
Ren talked to ninjutsu girls.
Everyone had hobbies.
Recently, both Phoenix Sage Fire Technique and Water Release: Raging Waves had surpassed eighty favorability, unlocking powerful new traits.
Meanwhile, another technique had become unexpectedly interesting.
The Super Strength Technique.
Unlike the others, she was an absolute gambling addict.
Every day she challenged him.
Every day she lost.
And every day she came back for more.
Today's challenge was another card game.
Naturally, Ren accepted.
Several minutes later—
Victory.
Again.
The System text appeared.
[Super Strength Technique Favorability +2]
[Current Favorability: 20/100]
Ren couldn't help smiling.
At this rate, Super Strength Technique might surpass Eight Gates and Binding Seal soon.
He was curious what ability would unlock next.
But before he could think further—
Kakashi suddenly stopped.
His sharp eyes narrowed.
The playful atmosphere vanished instantly.
A dangerous tension filled the forest.
Slowly, Kakashi lowered his stance.
His hand moved toward a kunai.
Then he spoke in a cold voice.
"Everyone be careful."
"There's something ahead."
The wind suddenly stopped.
The forest became eerily quiet.
And somewhere beyond the trees—
Someone was waiting.
The next battle was about to begin.
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