Chapter 111: Kage Diplomacy: Glare, Threaten, Float Away

Chapter 111 - Kage Diplomacy: Glare, Threaten, Float Away (Ren's reaction and thinking might be weird in this Chapter since he is drunk on the adrenaline after the match but we'll explore more later. } ~~~ Without going anywhere else, Ren returned home, took a long bath, made himself something simple to eat, and finally dropped onto his bed. For the first time in what felt like weeks, there were no missions to run off to, no training schedules, no last-minute scroll studies. The Chunin Exams were over. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, fingers slowly reaching for the fire pendant hanging around his neck, the one his father had given him. Pulling it off gently, he rolled onto his side and held it loosely in his hand. 'Well, I guess that's the end of the Genin life,' he thought. 'No more waiting for some random mission to pop up. I can just pick my assignments whenever I want now.' He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them with a soft sigh. 'Still... I'm gonna miss working with Yugao and Hitoshi. And... sensei too.' He rolled over again, face now buried into the pillow, then flipped back with a frown. 'Before I think about what comes next, I really need to do something about my fighting style,' he thought, eyes narrowing. He took stock of his abilities. 'I originally thought speed would be the better route, especially since I didn't expect to get the Chakra Enhanced Strength technique or the Eight Gates. But now that I have both, even though my agility stats are technically higher, once I activate either of those techniques, my strength surpasses or at least matches my speed.' He sat up a little, still fiddling with the pendant. 'Right now, even in my base form, I can match many jonin in speed. Once I use those physical enhancement techniques, I gain enough raw power to outmatch most of them. Combine that with Wind Release, which is already at high-jonin or even special-jonin level... I think my offense is more or less complete.' He paused, thinking. 'Earth is good and Fire release is still average, but I can use them for backup when needed. Defense-wise, my Earth-style should hold for now. But if I'm fighting someone who can break through even that... then that's not someone I should be fighting head-on in the first place. I need an escape route.' He narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. 'I can move faster than most jonin already, but that won't be enough if I ever have to run from someone like one of the Sannin, or worse... someone from Akatsuki. I need something else for that.' Suddenly, his thoughts turned toward the blinking icon in the system interface. The one labeled "Canon Change Reward." 'Well, I beat Itachi in front of the entire village, that should count as a pretty major change. Let's hope this helps me solving the escape problem issue.' He opened the reward screen. [CONGRATULATIONS USER FOR CHANGING THE CANON: DEFEATING THE UNDEFEATABLE GENIUS. ITACHI UCHIHA. IN FRONT OF ALL OF KONOHA.] [REWARDS:] STR, AGI, INT +2 GENJUTSU RESISTANCE (A-RANK) >> GENJUTSU RESISTANCE (S+RANK) A CHANCE TO SPIN THE WHEEL AND OBTAIN REWARDS Ren blinked at the list. He wasn't exactly thrilled. 'Tch... the stat points are nice. But S+ Genjutsu Resistance?' he muttered. 'That's like, immunity to EMS-level Genjutsu. It's not like I'm going to be fighting Madara Uchiha tomorrow.' He sighed, although the rewards weren't really what he expected, it was good enough for the future. 'Still, it's better than nothing. The system only gives rewards for changes to the future timeline, not just strong performances. I guess defeating Itachi, who was seen as unbeatable in the original, counted as just changing a small future, since the future Itachi wasn't remembered for winning the Chunin exams but for killing his clan.' He suddenly remembered something and asked the system, 'System, doesn't beating Itachi in public mean I've taken over his title as the greatest genius of the Leaf? Shouldn't I be rewarded for that?' The system responded quickly. [THE EXISTENCE OF USER HIMSELF IS A CHANGE THAT CANNOT BE ESTIMATED. THE SYSTEM ONLY REWARDS THE USER FOR THE CHANGES HE HAS MADE, NOT FOR THE CHANGE HE HAS BECOME.] Another line followed almost immediately. [THE USER BECOMING THE GREATEST GENIUS MEANS HE HAS BECOME THE CHANGE ITSELF. HOWEVER, THE USER DEFEATING THE ORIGINAL GREATEST GENIUS MEANS HE HAS MADE A TANGIBLE CHANGE TO THE ORIGINAL STORYLINE.] Ren stared at the glowing text, then slumped back onto the bed. 'Wow... that's probably the most the system has ever said since the first messages.' He mulled over it. 'So... becoming the change itself doesn't count, but altering someone else's trajectory does. Which means if I become the Sixth Hokage instead of Kakashi, that counts as a change. But just becoming the Sixth without interfering with Kakashi's path wouldn't. What a weird metric.' With a resigned sigh, he turned his gaze back to the interface. 'Well, let's not waste time thinking about it. Let's just get the final reward done.' 'System, spin the wheel.' As soon as Ren asked the system to spin the wheel, the familiar mechanical hum of movement echoed in his mind, but something was different this time. The wheel that appeared wasn't the one he had seen before. Instead of the usual colorful array of 8 or more divisions, this wheel had only four quadrants, and all of them were completely blanked out. There were no names, no hints, no symbols. Just four identical, hidden sections turning slowly in a circle of uncertainty. Ren narrowed his eyes. 'Now that's new, I don't even know what I'm selecting from.' The wheel began to slow down. Tick by tick, each hidden quadrant passed by until it finally stopped. A soft glow came from the selected section as the remaining three faded into the background. The cover peeled back on the chosen quadrant, revealing his reward. [CONGRATULATIONS USER ON GETTING +30% MASTERY IN A MASTERY NOT ABOVE THE INTERMEDIATE GRADE.] (NOTE: THE USER CAN SELECT UP TO 5 MASTERIES. ONE WILL BE RANDOMLY SELECTED FOR THE REWARD.) Ren clicked his tongue. 'Tch. Of course. Can't just let me choose freely, can you?' He sighed as he slumped further into his bed. 'All the rewards this time feel, standard. Not bad, just not something that would help me instantly, but I guess they are extremely good for the future.' He mentally went over what he had received so far. Six stat points Genjutsu resistance upgraded to S+ rank (EMS Level) and now a 30% boost in a random mastery 'That's really good enough for the long term, but nothing I can use immediately.' Still, it wasn't like he had a choice. He opened up his mastery list and selected the five masteries he wanted to nominate: Fuinjutsu Yang Release Space Release Fire Release Wind Release His priorities were clear. Yang and Space were the most valuable, both being notoriously difficult to develop through training alone. Even a small push would go a long way. The system confirmed the entries. Then, the second wheel appeared, this time with the five selected masteries, all marked and glowing. It spun again. Ren watched, arms crossed behind his head, eyes tracking the slow rhythm of the spin. Eventually, it stopped. [SELECTED MASTERY: YANG RELEASE] [YANG RELEASE MASTERY +30%] Ren raised an eyebrow and gave a small nod. 'Nice. Atleast it's something I wanted. I'll take that.' The moment the reward was granted, like usual information, there was no flood that accompanied new jutsu or mastery boosts with the usual systems. Instead, it was subtle, more like his mind was now a well-stocked library. If he focused, information about Yang Release naturally flowed into his thoughts. He brought up his current stats and saw the numbers update: [YANG RELEASE MASTERY : 64%] He tapped his fingers together, debating internally. 'I've been hoarding points for a while now, might as well use some.' He applied one intermediate-level point, which brought it up to 74%. Then, he used five advanced mastery points, raising it all the way to 84%. That was enough. Before today, Yang Release had been one of his lowest-rated masteries. Now it was one of the highest on his panel. With it, his medical chakra control, healing techniques, and body reinforcement capabilities would grow exponentially and maybe even his vitality could break through level 80. He could've pushed it even further. But he stopped himself. Aside from keeping the points for yin release and space release he also considered another matter. 'I should let it settle first,' he thought. 'No point rushing. Let the mind adapt.' And the best way to do that? Sleep. He gave one last glance at the system interface, closed it with a thought, and let his head drop to the pillow. He hadn't even realized how tired he was until the bed started to feel heavier under him. Before long, Ren Takahashi, the winner of the Chunin exams was fast asleep. ~~~ Even though Ren was asleep, the village of Konoha was still very much alive. After all, the Chunin Exams had just concluded, and there was still much left to be done. The very first task was ensuring the secure departure of all foreign shinobi. Konoha couldn't afford to let security risks linger, especially after such a high-profile event. That's why, without delay, the Iwa delegation had assembled at the main gates of Konoha, prepared to leave. At the front stood Onoki, the aged but still formidable Tsuchikage, with his son Kitsuchi right behind him, followed by the rest of the delegation. Opposite them, leading the Konoha representatives, was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, standing straight and firm. Accompanying him were Jiraiya and Utakata, walking a few paces behind, while other senior jonin and clan leaders stood in quiet formation nearby. Hiruzen gave a soft chuckle. "Hoho, you should've stayed a little longer, Onoki. It's not like we'll get a chance to talk like this again anytime soon." Onoki grunted and floated slightly off the ground, rising just enough to meet Hiruzen's gaze directly. His tone was as dry as ever. "Your village creeps me out, Sarutobi. If I stay here any longer, I might forget myself." As he spoke, a white cube began forming in his hand. A small, concentrated unit of Dust Release. The response was immediate. Shinobi on both sides tensed. Hands moved toward weapons, chakra flared discreetly. Even Jiraiya stepped in front of Hiruzen, narrowing his eyes at the small old man. Confusion spread through the Iwa ranks as even they began to question what their Tsuchikage was up to. Hiruzen, however, remained still. He chuckled again and calmly waved his hand, as if to dispel the tension. But the moment his hand moved, the wind subtly shifted. Moisture gathered in the air, only to evaporate instantly under a growing wave of intense heat. A faint crackle of electricity sparked across Hiruzen's robe, and then, ever so slightly, his feet lifted an inch off the ground. The gentle smile remained on his face, but now his voice carried a heaviness that pressed down on the surroundings. "Hoho," Hiruzen said, still smiling, "you shouldn't joke about things like that, my friend. You know I'm a little touchy when it comes to the Leaf." His tone shifted. "So please, be kind enough to escort yourself, and your shinobi back to your home." Onoki stared at him, his eyes narrowing. For a moment, the white cube remained in his palm, but then it quietly dispersed into chakra dust. He gave a small huff. "Tch. Who even wants to stay in this village anyway?" And with that, he floated upward and turned, his cloak fluttering behind him as he led the Iwa delegation away. His shinobi followed, casting glances back at the display they'd just witnessed. The silent message had been received loud and clear. ~~~ As the delegation flew and travelled across the treetops, Kitsuchi caught up to his father. "Dad," he asked quietly, "was that the technique?" Onoki was silent for a moment. Then, with a shake of his head, he replied, "No. He can't use it. That wasn't the lightening technique. He just, caught on to a few things when he saw Kurotsuchi using the technique earlier. But..." he trailed off before adding, "I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to make a weaker version out of it." He glanced over his shoulder at the now-distant walls of Konoha, which were slowly disappearing into the background. His voice turned quieter, almost reflective. "With his progressing age and mine, I had forgotten," Onoki muttered, "he was also a genius. A man once praised by the First and the Second Hokage themselve. A genius forged in the heart of a war-torn era." He drifted slightly ahead, creating a gap between himself and Kitsuchi, and continued to speak to himself, quietly, resentfully. "These newborn shinobi, they don't compare to that man in his youth... not yet." His hand trembled faintly. He raised it, looking at the shake, and then back again toward Konoha. His voice lowered further, no louder than a whisper on the wind. "Hiruzen... the day you die," Onoki swore, "I'll level this village you cherish so much... myself." And without another word, the Tsuchikage soared ahead into the horizon. ~~~ {Updated stats} [LEVEL]: 62 (60 >> 62) [ATTRIBUTES] Strength: 62 (60 >> 62) Agility: 69 (67 >> 69) Intelligence: 71 (69 >> 71) [Yang Release Mastery - 84% (34 >> 84) (Advanced)] [Genjutsu Resistance (A-Rank >> S+ Rank)] {A full status would be shown once the next arc begins. This is totally not because I forgot about the system.} ~~~~~ {Just to make a few things clear} Yes. Hiruzen is stronger than Onoki and every other current Kage. Yes. He floated slightly above the ground. But, do you honestly expect the man revered as the professor wouldn't be able to atleast slightly copy a technique he has seen so many times? No. He won't be using that technique in the future, because as Onoki and the rest got the message, you should get it too, it was just an intimidation technique, so hold your horses. {You can join my pat-reon if you wanna read the butterfly effect} { h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / / Z e e n o n } {You know what else to do.} {STONES!!!!}