"This?"
Ren casually scratched his cheek before answering.
"It's the result of nature transformation. I've been experimenting with incorporating elemental transformation into the Great Fireball Technique."
Obito blinked.
"...Nature transformation?"
"Yeah."
Ren answered as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
In reality, however, his mind had already reached a conclusion.
This little experiment had confirmed exactly what he'd been hoping to verify.
The Strategy System took priority over the Sharingan.
The unique traits and enhancements granted by the system couldn't simply be copied by Obito's Sharingan.
At best, the Sharingan could observe Ren's chakra flow and inspire Obito to develop something similar through his own efforts.
It couldn't duplicate the system's unique enhancements.
That was excellent news.
Explaining the existence of those "traits," however, would be impossible.
Fortunately...
The ninja world was filled with bizarre techniques, secret arts, and Bloodline Limits.
Compared to those, claiming he'd improved his Fire Release through nature transformation wasn't unbelievable.
Even Minato had never questioned Ren's strange innovations.
There was no chance Obito would.
Sure enough...
Although Obito looked skeptical, he eventually nodded.
"I see..."
"So that's how it works."
Ren simply smiled.
Hook.
Line.
Sinker.
---
"Come on, Rin."
Ren turned toward her with a gentle smile.
"Minato-sensei mentioned the Chunin Exams a few days ago."
"We'll probably leave soon."
"If we don't organize all of our Scorch Release research now..."
"We might not get another chance for a long time."
Rin immediately nodded.
"Right!"
She hurried after him.
"I'll help."
The two walked side by side toward the medical building.
Behind them...
Kakashi folded his arms and lazily glanced at Obito.
"Come on."
"Let's continue."
"...Huh?"
"Our spar."
"Oh."
"..."
---
Far beneath the training ground...
Hidden several meters underground where no ordinary sensor could detect them...
Two pale humanoid creatures silently observed everything through the soil.
Their skin resembled white bark.
Their bodies looked more like living plants than human beings.
White Zetsu.
One tilted its head.
"Target confirmed."
"Obito Uchiha."
"Two-tomoe Sharingan successfully awakened."
"Growth speed remains within Lord Madara's expectations."
"The subject's emotions are extremely unstable."
"Easily provoked."
The second Zetsu giggled.
"Heehee..."
"That white-haired Konoha brat is interesting."
"His Fire Release burns far hotter than normal."
"Should we report him too?"
The first Zetsu nodded immediately.
"Of course."
"Everything concerning Obito..."
"And everyone around him..."
"Must be reported."
A brief pause followed.
"Be careful."
"This Konoha base has several sensor-type ninja."
"Especially the blond one."
"His perception is frighteningly sharp."
"We cannot allow ourselves to be discovered."
Without another word...
Both White Zetsu slowly melted into the earth.
Within seconds...
Their presence completely vanished.
---
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time...
Ren and Rin devoted nearly every waking moment to analyzing Pakura's Scorch Release.
Page after page of calculations...
Combat observations...
Chakra control theories...
Countless revisions covered their desks.
Only on the afternoon of the third day did they finally finish.
The completed report filled nearly eight pages.
Ren even added another page based entirely on his own combat experience using Scorch Release: Explosive Flame Current.
Rather than raw theory...
Those notes focused on practical improvements.
More precise chakra control.
Higher efficiency.
Greater destructive power.
When everything was finished...
They carefully produced two additional copies.
Ren nodded with satisfaction.
"One for Pakura."
"One stays with us."
"And the last copy goes to the village."
He looked toward Rin.
"Thanks."
"You've been helping me nonstop these last few days."
Rin smiled brightly.
"It wasn't hard at all."
"I'm actually really happy."
"I learned a lot from you too."
---
That evening...
Ren returned to Pakura's holding cell.
The orange-haired kunoichi accepted the scroll without immediately opening it.
Instead...
She quietly weighed it in her hand.
Then she looked directly into Ren's eyes.
"So..."
"This fulfills your promise?"
Ren nodded.
"More or less."
"This is everything I can provide with my current understanding."
He smiled slightly.
"If fate allows us to meet again..."
"And not as enemies..."
"Maybe I'll have even better research for you."
Pakura narrowed her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm returning to Konoha."
"I've already heard the negotiations."
"Konoha and Sunagakure are arranging a prisoner exchange."
"You'll probably return home very soon."
He turned toward the door.
"So..."
"The next time we meet..."
"I hope you'll surprise me."
For several seconds...
Pakura remained silent.
Then...
She snorted.
Lifting her chin proudly, she declared,
"Fine."
"You'd better keep your neck clean, you little white-haired brat."
"The next time we meet..."
"I'll personally wash away this humiliation."
Ren chuckled.
"I'll be waiting."
He turned to leave.
---
"Wait."
Pakura's voice stopped him.
Ren paused.
She slowly stood.
The heavy shackles clinked against the stone floor as she walked forward.
The chains limited her movement.
She couldn't quite reach him.
Pakura curled a finger.
"Come here."
Without sensing any hostility...
Ren calmly stepped closer.
The instant he entered reach—
Whoosh!
Pakura suddenly wrapped one arm around his neck and yanked him forward.
Ren's muscles instinctively tensed.
For one split second...
He thought she was attempting to take him hostage.
Or perhaps trying to kill him.
Yet...
No killing intent.
None whatsoever.
So he relaxed.
Then...
Pakura raised her free hand...
And vigorously rubbed his messy white hair.
"Hahaha!"
"I've wanted to do this forever!"
"You're obviously younger than me..."
"So why do you always act like some mature old man?"
Her laughter echoed through the cell.
Ren...
Couldn't answer.
Not because he didn't want to.
Because...
His face had been buried directly against her chest.
The unexpected softness completely enveloped him.
Warm.
Elastic.
Comfortably scented with fresh soap.
Despite being a prisoner...
She was still allowed regular baths.
When Ren instinctively tried pulling away...
Pakura unconsciously tightened her hold.
His warm breath brushed across the exposed skin of her chest.
Her body froze.
Tiny goosebumps instantly spread across her fair skin.
Only then...
Did Pakura realize exactly what position they were in.
"...!"
She released him as though she'd been burned.
Taking half a step back, she deliberately turned her face away.
A faint blush quietly spread across her cheeks.
"...Alright."
"Get lost."
"Don't die somewhere before I get the chance to beat you myself."
Ren calmly straightened his clothes.
"Same to you."
His eyes briefly lingered on her before he smiled.
Then...
Without another word...
He left.
The heavy iron door slowly closed behind him.
---
Silence returned to the prison.
Pakura leaned against the cold wall.
Her fingers unconsciously brushed her own neck.
Then...
She looked down at the research scroll.
After taking a slow, calming breath...
She finally opened it.
---
Back near the barracks...
"Huh?"
Obito blinked.
"Ren."
"Why's your hair all messed up?"
Ren stopped walking.
"...Really?"
"Yeah."
Obito pointed toward the top of his own head.
"It wasn't like that when you left."
"This part's sticking straight up."
Ren stared at him.
"..."
Seriously?
Did Obito have so much spare Sharingan chakra that he'd started paying attention to hairstyles now?
Wasn't he supposed to spend every second staring at Rin?
Why was he watching Ren instead?
Fortunately...
Ren hadn't actually done anything shameful.
So he answered calmly.
"I sparred with Pakura for a bit."
"She heard she'll probably be exchanged soon."
"She got excited."
"She challenged me."
"Said she'd settle everything properly on the battlefield next time."
"Hmph!"
Obito instantly snorted.
"That Sand kunoichi!"
"They already lost!"
"And they're still refusing to admit defeat!"
He confidently slapped his own chest.
"Next time we meet her..."
"We'll beat her together!"
"We'll show her how strong Konoha genin really are!"
Ren almost laughed.
"As expected..."
"The dead last is unbelievably easy to fool."
---
At that moment...
Rin quietly walked over.
Her eyes gently examined him.
"...Ren."
"You're not hurt, are you?"
Without waiting for an answer...
She rose onto her tiptoes.
Both hands carefully reached toward his messy hair.
"I'll fix it."
Her fingers gently smoothed his white hair back into place.
The gesture was innocent.
Yet...
From anyone else's perspective...
It looked astonishingly intimate.
Almost...
Like a newlywed wife straightening her husband's appearance before they went outside.
"...!!"
Obito's eyes widened.
The two tomoe within his Sharingan immediately spun.
His face turned bright red.
Steam practically rose from his head.
"R-Rin—"
Before his imagination exploded any further...
Ren gently caught Rin's hand.
"I can do it."
"No need to trouble yourself over something this small."
He smoothly changed the subject.
"By the way..."
"Where's Kakashi?"
"I don't know!"
Obito answered far more loudly than necessary.
"That guy's already a Chunin!"
"He's too important to hang around with us lowly genin!"
"Maybe Minato-sensei took him on another mission!"
"Idiot."
A calm voice interrupted.
Everyone turned.
Kakashi had somehow appeared behind them with both hands tucked inside his pockets.
His single visible eye looked as lifeless as ever.
"If you've got time to complain..."
"Go pack."
"We leave tomorrow."
"We're returning to Konoha."
"For the Chunin Exams."
Obito instantly forgot everything else.
"...Wait."
"You're taking the exam too?"
Kakashi looked at him like he'd asked the world's dumbest question.
"I'm already a Chunin."
"This time..."
"I'll be observing."
"I'll determine whether any of you actually deserve promotion."
---
There were two methods for becoming a Chunin in Konoha.
The first was wartime promotion.
If a shinobi consistently demonstrated enough strength and leadership...
The village simply promoted them directly.
Most Chunin—and even many Special Jonin—had advanced this way during the ongoing war.
The second method...
Was the formal Chunin Examination.
Passing it required excellence across multiple areas.
Combat ability.
Judgment.
Leadership.
Adaptability.
Anyone capable of passing wasn't merely talented.
They possessed the potential to eventually become Jonin.
Sometimes...
For political reasons...
Several Hidden Villages would even hold joint Chunin Exams.
Not only to demonstrate military strength...
But also to quietly gather intelligence on one another.
According to Minato...
Invitations had already been sent.
Every major village...
Except Sunagakure.
Whether anyone actually attended remained another question entirely.
Even gathering two or three Great Villages together was considered a major event.
As for all Five Great Villages participating simultaneously...
That hadn't happened for decades.
---
Obito was visibly nervous.
Rin also looked unusually serious.
Only Ren...
Couldn't bring himself to care.
After all...
Everyone knew the strongest shinobi in Konoha were somehow always genin.
Promotion itself granted no magical increase in strength.
It was simply another title.
If anything...
The Chunin Exams needed someone like him far more than he needed the exams.
Compared to becoming a Chunin...
Ren was much more interested in returning home.
Meeting his parents again.
Checking on Tsunade and Orochimaru.
Finding out how the Raw Cola Project was progressing.
Those things actually mattered.
The exam?
That was merely something to complete along the way.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
Minato had promised to teach them a new technique after returning to Konoha.
Jiraiya had already fulfilled his part.
So...
What exactly was Minato planning to teach?
Ren's heartbeat quickened ever so slightly.
Could it be...
The Flying Thunder God Technique?
---
Early the next morning...
As dawn painted the horizon gold...
Team Minato bid farewell to Jiraiya and the Konoha forces stationed at Wildfire Outpost.
Then...
Their journey home officially began.
The distance back to Konoha was enormous.
Naturally...
Minato treated the return trip as training.
Rather than slowing down...
He maintained the standard high-speed shinobi marching pace.
Four figures flashed through forests.
Leaped across rivers.
Raced over cliffs.
Stopping only briefly whenever absolutely necessary.
Throughout the journey...
Obito never stopped talking.
"Rin!"
"This time I'll definitely protect you during the Chunin Exams!"
"My Sharingan has become way stronger!"
"I'm already stronger than Kakashi!"
"Heh."
Kakashi didn't even bother responding.
He simply continued reading Icha Icha Paradise while somehow keeping pace with everyone else.
Meanwhile...
Ren spent most of the journey inside the Strategy System.
Whenever opportunities arose...
He quietly practiced two newly acquired techniques.
Wild Lion's Mane Technique.
And...
Transparent Escape.
Wild Lion's Mane already possessed a solid foundation thanks to its relationship with the Transformation Technique.
Improving it simply required polishing existing mastery.
Transparent Escape...
Was another matter entirely.
Because it remained linked to the silver-haired beauty inside the system...
Ren had to steadily build their relationship before unlocking its true trait.
Fortunately...
Transparent Escape's bold personality came with one enormous advantage.
Her favorability rose astonishingly quickly.
Nearly as fast as the original Three Basic Ninja Techniques.
At this pace...
Ren estimated it wouldn't be long before Transparent Escape revealed its true secret.
And somehow...
He had a feeling...
The technique's greatest surprise still lay ahead.
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