Amano Ren had a strong grip—he didn't hold back when he grabbed the other boy's wrist, prompting a sharp cry of pain."What… what are you doing?!"The boy's face twisted slightly in agony, unable to even form coherent words. One of his companions immediately barked at Ren."You're making too much noise."Ren turned his head slightly, his tone flat and cold as he shot a glance at the one who spoke. Then, without hesitation, he released the boy who had been trying to yank Kushina Uzumaki's hair and walked calmly back to his seat. He had no interest in escalating the situation.
"That bastard…"The buzz-cut boy clutched his wrist and muttered under his breath, not daring to retaliate. When Ren had grabbed him, the pain was so intense it felt like his wrist might snap. The lingering sting made that moment unforgettable."You okay?"One of his friends glanced at the red swelling on his wrist, his earlier aggression fading into caution.
Strength—whether used to attack or defend—was always a shield.
"I'm fine," he muttered, though he winced and sucked in air through his teeth. Casting one last venomous glare at Ren, he quietly walked back to his seat, his interest in bullying Kushina completely gone. The others exchanged glances and similarly lost their enthusiasm, dispersing back to their own seats.
Kushina let out a soft breath of relief. If Ren hadn't stopped that boy, her hair would have been the next victim—and knowing herself, she would have punched him without hesitation.
That guy...
She looked toward Ren, who now sat with his chin propped in one hand, staring silently out the window. Even from just a side profile, it was clear how cold and distant his expression was. After a moment, she turned and returned to her seat.
As she sat down, she sensed a gaze on her. Following it, she found it was from a blonde-haired kid.
"What are you looking at?" she snapped without hesitation.
Minato Namikaze flinched, then gave a sheepish smile and quickly looked away, resuming his conversation with a friend. Despite the chat, his peripheral vision kept drifting toward Kushina—still clearly upset—and toward Ren, who remained fixated on the view outside.
Time passed quickly. Half a year went by in the blink of an eye.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three kunai thudded into the target board in a straight horizontal line. The spacing between them was only a few centimeters.
Ren retracted his outstretched right hand. Planting his left foot firmly on the ground, he used the momentum to twist his waist, spinning gracefully as he channeled the force into his left arm and flung three more kunai between his fingers.
The black blades sliced through the air.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The kunai landed with a dull impact, sinking cleanly into the target.
Instructor Zekima looked at the six kunai embedded in the bullseye, then turned his gaze to the ever-calm Amano Ren. A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.
"Amano Ren—perfect score," he announced in a low voice.
The test only required students to throw three kunai, but Ren had thrown six—three from each hand—and all had hit the bullseye. No one had noticed the extra kunai hidden beneath his left sleeve before the test began.
Zekima didn't offer praise or scolding. But inwardly, he was impressed. Most shinobi had a dominant hand when throwing weapons, but Ren, at his age, had already trained both hands to near-equal precision. That level of ambidextrous control was far beyond expectations.
For the past six months, Ren had poured all his time into mastering ninja tools. He hadn't wasted a single free moment. His precision and strength were simply the results of relentless training. There was nothing to celebrate—it was exactly what he expected of himself.
He walked quickly to the target, pulled out the kunai, and returned them to the pouch strapped at his waist before rejoining the group of students who had already completed their tests.
Whether they had completed the test or were still waiting, all eyes turned to him—filled with awe and surprise.
Minato subconsciously raised his left hand. He was confident in his own skill with ninja tools, but unlike Ren, he had never trained his non-dominant hand to that level. Seeing this now, he gave a small smile. Another goal to chase.
"Next: Namikaze Minato."
Hearing his name, Minato stepped forward to the designated spot. After a brief pause, he threw three kunai in quick succession—each one hit the center dead-on.
"Namikaze Minato—perfect score. Next: Uzumaki Kushina."
Zekima barely glanced at the target before calling the next name.
There were only three standout students in this class: Amano Ren, Namikaze Minato, and Uzumaki Kushina. Unsurprisingly, Kushina also received a perfect score. The others weren't bad either—but lacked consistency.
The test concluded, marking the end of class.
Zekima noted the scores and recorded personal evaluations for each student. These assessments, compiled over six months, would eventually be submitted to the Hokage's desk.
Spring had arrived. Pink sakura petals fluttered through the air like butterflies, creating a breathtaking scene.
There was a path in the Hidden Leaf Village lined entirely with cherry blossom trees—an ideal spot for flower viewing each year.
Kushina always took the long way home, just to walk down that sakura-lined road. Today was no different.
She wasn't the only one who did so. Amano Ren also frequented that path—not necessarily for the blossoms. And some came for reasons entirely unrelated.
Kushina ran along the avenue, her crimson hair dancing in the wind, radiant and full of spirit.
Suddenly, she stopped.
Someone was standing ahead.
"Hmph."Matsuda sneered maliciously at her.
Kushina frowned. She recognized him immediately—one of the classmates she had beaten up multiple times before. His presence was a clear sign of trouble. Still, if it was just him, she figured she could handle it again.
Then another figure stepped out—someone who looked quite similar to Matsuda.
"So you're the one who's always making my little brother cry?"
The newcomer had a forehead protector—he was a genin. Arms crossed, he approached with a haughty expression.
Unfazed, Kushina pointed at Matsuda, one hand on her hip. "He keeps messing with me! And he's weak as hell."
"Ugh…"Matsuda recoiled like he'd been struck. Losing to a girl had always been a sore spot for him—especially since it was never just him. Even when he had backup, Kushina beat all of them down.
But his brother, Matsushita, didn't care who started it. His only concern was defending his sibling's pride.
Cracking his knuckles, Matsushita sneered. "Anyone who bullies my little brother deserves a good lesson."
Kushina stepped back. This guy had a forehead protector—he was already a shinobi. She hadn't graduated from the academy yet.
Without hesitation, she turned and bolted.
As her figure disappeared into the distance, Matsushita chuckled and gave chase. Matsuda followed too—though much slower.
Watching from a distance were two others: Minato… and Amano Ren.