Chapter 24: The Calm Before the Storm

"I heard that this Uchiha Ren was also a genius before, even more so than Sasuke during their academy days," Kakashi remarked, the information settling in his mind.

"Indeed," the Third Hokage confirmed with a sigh. "His talent was exceptional. A tragic shame. The trauma of that night… it broke his mind completely. He regressed, became unable to care for himself. He never returned to the academy. Sasuke has shouldered that burden ever since. He is, for all practical purposes, lost to us."

"Is that so…" Kakashi murmured, a flicker of pity passing through him before being filed away. Some wounds ran too deep to heal.

"Regardless, that is the situation. You will understand more once you meet your team tomorrow."

"Understood. But know this, Lord Hokage," Kakashi's voice was firm, "even if they are the children of my comrade and my sensei, if they fail my test, they will not become my students. I will not lower my standards."

"That test of yours…" Sarutobi said, a small smile touching his lips. "I have faith that Naruto and the others will not disappoint you."

"We shall see." With a final bow, Kakashi turned and left the office.

He didn't go home. Instead, he found himself at the Memorial Stone, his fingers tracing the names etched into the cold rock. *Obito. Sensei. Rin. I'm here again. I'm taking a team tomorrow. Their students are from Obito's clan and Sensei's son. But even for them, I won't hold back. Those who break the rules are scum… but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. That's what you taught me, Obito. If they can't pass, they're better off staying at the academy. A ninja who can't function as a team is just a corpse waiting to happen on the battlefield.*

***

Back in his room, Ren was deep in thought. He'd noticed it the moment Sasuke returned from the academy that day—the brand new Konoha headband tied around his forehead.

*The protector headband. He graduated. The plot has officially begun.*

According to the original story, tomorrow Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura would be placed on a team together, meet their new sensei, Kakashi, and undergo his infamous bell test the day after. If things proceeded as they should, they would pass, forming Team 7. Soon after, they'd be doing D-rank missions, which would eventually lead to their first C-rank mission outside the village.

*It's finally starting. My chance to leave Konoha is getting closer.* A thrill of anticipation ran through him. *It's really happening!*

The next day unfolded exactly as Ren predicted. Sasuke left to meet his team and their perpetually late sensei. The following day brought the survival exercise. Ren could almost picture it: Naruto tied to a post, Sasuke and Sakura learning a harsh lesson about teamwork the hard way, and Kakashi delivering his iconic line about rules and comrades.

That evening, Sasuke returned home to pack a small travel bag.

"I have a mission tomorrow. I'll be out of the village for a few days," he stated, his voice clipped. "I've arranged with Teuchi at Ichiraku. His daughter, Ayame, will bring you ramen while I'm gone. Stay in the house. Do not leave. Do you understand me?"

"Sasuke, where are you going? I want to go too!" Ren said, putting on his best pleading, childish expression.

"Idiot!" Sasuke snapped, his patience thin. "I'm going on a mission! How could I bring a burden like you? Just stay here and don't cause any trouble!"

"Oh…" Ren's face fell, the picture of dejection. "I understand. I'll wait here for you to come back. I won't go anywhere."

"Hmph. You'd better not. Or you'll regret it when I get back." With that final warning, Sasuke left the room.

*A mission outside the village. This has to be the Wave Country mission, escorting that bridge builder, Tazuna.* Ren's mind was already racing. *When they return, the Chunin Exams will be next. That gives me more uninterrupted time to train. And when Orochimaru launches his invasion… that's my chance. Chaos means opportunities to earn points.*

The next morning, Sasuke left at dawn for the village gates. Ren, after ensuring Sasuke was gone, used the Flying Raijin to return to his laboratory in the woods. He maintained a single shadow clone at home to receive the ramen deliveries from Ayame. He even summoned one of the smaller, less conspicuous pug-mastiffs from his contract, tasking it with discreetly observing the comings and goings in the village.

A few days later, his canine scout reported back. The village was changing. More and more foreign shinobi were appearing—small groups from minor villages, and a larger contingent from Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. As a defeated nation in the last war, their treaty with Konoha stipulated their Genin had to take the Chunin Exams here. The village was becoming a melting pot of different powers and allegiances. Original content can be found at novelFɪre.net

*It's getting crowded. A real mix of players. I need to be careful. Orochimaru is probably already here, lurking in the shadows.* A cold shiver ran down Ren's spine. *That pervert is obsessed with the Sharingan. He coveted Sasuke's body in the original story. I can't let him set his sights on me.* Even though he was publicly considered a worthless invalid, Ren knew better than to underestimate Orochimaru's cunning and reach.

Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, Ren halted his outdoor training. He retreated to the safety of his room, spending his days in feigned lethargy, all while planning his next moves meticulously.

A few days later, Team 7 returned from their mission. As in the original story, they had a run-in with the Suna siblings—Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari—and learned of the impending Chunin Exams. Their Jonin sensei—Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, and Might Guy—formally recommended their teams to the Hokage for participation.

*My current strength should be at Jonin level now,* Ren assessed, lying on his futon. *When the invasion begins, that's my window to act. To earn points. With my current power, surviving the chaos shouldn't be a problem.*

Two years of relentless, secret training had borne fruit. Through sheer effort and his innate talent, he had even developed new techniques based on his existing arsenal—deriving *Chidori Senbon* and *Chidori Sharp Spear* from the original Chidori, and mastering more advanced applications of the Rokushiki techniques.

*It's really getting exciting,* he thought, a sharp, ambitious grin spreading across his face in the privacy of his empty room. The pieces were on the board. The game was about to begin.

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