Chapter 113: Love, Lies, and a Tree Uprooted

Chapter 113 - Love, Lies, and a Tree Uprooted As soon as Hitoshi's words dropped, both Yugao and Ren were stunned. Ren blinked. He hadn't expected this. Hitoshi... had feelings for Yugao? Not once during their two years together had there been a single indication that Hitoshi felt anything more than camaraderie toward her. At most, he treated her the same way he treated Ren, like a teammate. 'Well, now this is interesting.' Ren thought as a wide smile slowly spread across his face. 'A confession between teammates? This is better than any drama. Front row seat, too.' He subtly stepped back and leaned against a tree, preparing to enjoy the show. Yugao, meanwhile, stood completely frozen, her face quickly turning a brilliant shade of crimson. "Wh-What are you saying, Hitoshi?" she stammered, her voice cracking. "Y-Yo-You want to go on a date with me? Like... ro-ro-ro..." Ren leaned in slightly from behind and whispered helpfully, "Romantically?" Hitoshi, ever the calm and composed one, answered plainly, "Yes. During our time together, I realized I feel something more for you than I do for Ren." Ren raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt. Hitoshi continued, "I tense up when you get hurt. I feel happy when you master a new technique. I get annoyed when people stare at you strangely. So I asked my mother about it, and she said it means I like you... and I should ask you on a date." Ren had to cover his mouth to stop the laughter threatening to escape. He gripped the nearby tree tightly to steady himself, trying to contain the joy bubbling inside. 'Holy shit, an actual confession is happening in front of my eyes. From my teammates. This is gold.' He peeked at Yugao, whose face was now completely red. She let out a small squeaky noise before muttering, "O-Okay... I agree." And that was it. Ren couldn't hold back anymore. There was a loud crack as the tree Ren had been holding onto ripped out of the ground, roots and all. He stood there, one hand holding a tree, the other still covering his mouth, eyes wide with excitement. Yugao and Hitoshi turned in shock at the sound, only to find Ren holding the entire tree like it was a staff. Even with his mouth partially covered, his massive grin was unmistakable. Realizing Ren had heard everything, Yugao's blush turned into a glare, her hand flying to the hilt of her sword. She looked ready to slice him in half. Just then, a familiar flicker filled the air as Utakata appeared beside them. He took one look at Ren holding a tree, Yugao trembling with embarrassment and fury, and Hitoshi just being Hitoshi and blinked. After three seconds of silence, he simply said, "Anyway, let's go. You'll be receiving your Chunin promotions from the Hokage, and after that, I'll give you your reward. Follow me." And with that, he vanished again. Ren quickly dropped the tree, gave a small salute to the future couple, and flickered after their teacher. Yugao glanced once at Hitoshi, still red, then flickered away as well. Hitoshi calmly followed behind them. ~~~ A few moments later, the entire team stood in front of the Hokage Building. Utakata turned to his students. "Let's go." They entered the Hokage's office together. Hiruzen greeted them with a smile, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then gave a nod to an ANBU, who soon returned with three neatly folded Chunin vests. Hiruzen personally walked to each of them, placing the vest onto their shoulders. When he reached Ren and began speaking about the Will of Fire, Ren had already zoned out. 'I still can't believe it. Hitoshi actually confessed. They're going on a date. I've never had friends who were a couple before, not even in my past life. Third-Wheeling's gonna be fun.' He glanced sideways at his teammates. 'Maybe I should spy on them, nah, bad idea. Hitoshi's bugs know my chakra and scent signature by now. They'd find me in seconds. Hmmm... I should make something like Hiruzen's telescope, that way, I can spy without getting caught.' A faint smile crept onto his face at the thought. Yugao noticed the smile and her eye twitched. 'This bastard. He's definitely thinking about the... d-d-da...' She blushed again, looking away quickly to keep her composure. Hiruzen noticed the smile and chuckled inwardly. 'He's probably just happy to be promoted alongside his teammates. No matter how much of a genius he is, he's still a kid at heart.' He finished his speech to Ren and moved on. Utakata, standing off to the side, was watching closely. 'He shouldn't be that happy about the Chunin rank. Something must happened before I arrived.' His gaze shifted from Ren to Yugao to Hitoshi. 'Ren's clearly amused. Yugao's flustered, and Hitoshi is acting even more stoic than usual. This has Ren's mischief written all over it.' Hiruzen saw this scene and smiled slightly, 'looks like Utakata is sad to see his little students go.' He inwardly sighed,'I'm sorry Utakata but you'll have to get over this matter yourself, nobody can help you in this situation.' Hiruzen cleared his throat slightly, snapping everyone's attention back to him. Team 1 straightened immediately. All four had the same thought: 'Ah right. We were in the middle of our Chunin promotion ceremony.' Hiruzen smiled at the trio. "Good work until now, Team 1. I am proud to say that you are one of the most exceptional Genin squads this village has produced." He paused, then continued. "But now, it's time for you to leave your sensei's wings and fly on your own. You've earned your ranks. You've earned the right to choose your own path." He looked at each of them with pride. "Go forth, Team 1. Make the village proud." The three Chunin nodded respectfully. "Yes, Hokage-sama." With that, they bowed and exited the room, heading back to Training Ground 1 together for one final time as Team 1. ~~~ Team 1 returned to Training Ground 1 and settled into their familiar half-circle formation around Utakata. The man glanced at the three of them, his face neutral as always, but his eyes held a quiet thoughtfulness. Though he was mildly curious about the strange atmosphere between his students, he quickly dismissed the feeling. After all, over the years, he had witnessed enough of their shenanigans to become completely numb to whatever chaos they might bring. Utakata began, "Alright. I know all of you are waiting for your rewards, so I won't waste time. But there have been some changes in the original plan, so we'll go one by one." He reached into his jacket and pulled out two scrolls, unfurling one with a flick of his hand. With a poof, a glistening blade appeared in front of them. The sword shimmered with a faint purple hue. He handed the blade to Yugao. "Your sword broke during the final exam," he said, "so instead of your original S-rank reward, I got this for you. It's from the Land of Lightning." Yugao's eyes widened with excitement. She quickly picked up the sword and poured her chakra into it. Her eyes sparkled. 'Chakra metal, that too refined for lightning chakra. This is amazing.' She was about to bolt off and try it out when Utakata grabbed her collar and pulled her back to the ground. "Hold on," he sighed. "Take these too." He handed her two more scrolls. "One of them contains an A-rank sword technique, the Crescent Moon Sword. It's one of the best kenjutsu techniques the village has in store. I chose it instead of an S-rank jutsu because it relies on a specific requirement, the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Yugao blinked. Utakata added, "Learn that first. Either your father or I can supervise the training. Now, go." Yugao nodded then placed the sword down beside her and, without warning, leaned forward and hugged Utakata tightly. "Thank you, Sensei," she said, before pulling away a second later. She turned and quickly hugged Ren as well, whispering, "Be the best, kay?" Then, picking up her belongings, she glanced at Hitoshi, cheeks pink. "See you on the date." All three men of Team 1 froze in place. Utakata blinked. 'So that's what happened.' He turned his gaze toward Hitoshi and stared at him for a few seconds in silence before handing him a scroll. "This contains an S-rank fire jutsu, Fire Release: Great Flame Flower. With your chakra reserves, you might manage it two times, three if you're careful. Don't waste it." Hitoshi took the scroll and nodded. Utakata continued, "As for your other reward, I made a deal with your clan. They'll be teaching you a secret technique related to your insects. Something exclusive. Learn it well and use it properly." He waved his hand, and an ANBU agent appeared behind them. "He'll take you to your clan head and make sure there's no misunderstanding regarding the agreement." Hitoshi stood up and gave a polite bow. "Thank you very much, sensei." He turned to follow the ANBU when Utakata's quiet voice stopped him. "You guys are still young. Keep the dating stuff in moderation." Hitoshi paused, nodded once, then flickered away with the ANBU. Now, only Ren and Utakata remained in the training ground. Utakata stared at him. "You got a date too?" Ren smiled and held up a peace sign. "Nah. Girls would only slow down the pace of drawing the kunai." To his surprise, Utakata actually laughed and replied, "Your father said the same thing about swords. Then, a week later, he introduced your mom as his fiancee. He did get beaten up for it by-" He stopped himself and smiled slightly. "Anyway. Don't rush into that stuff. Right now, focus on getting stronger. You've still got time. Once you're strong, date whoever you want." Ren blinked at the advice, then thought. 'So it's basically the shinobi world's version of 'no girlfriend until after college.' Got it.' Utakata took out two more scrolls and handed them over. "These are your rewards, S-rank techniques. One wind-style, one earth-style. Practice them when you find the time." Ren pocketed them with a nod. Utakata didn't say anything immediately. He remained seated, gaze resting calmly on Ren. The silence stretched a little longer than expected. Then, he spoke. "Before we go on to the next thing, can I ask you something?" Ren tilted his head, a little confused. "Sure." Utakata stared directly into his student's eyes. "Why have your emotions been such a mess lately?" Ren stiffened slightly at the question, but Utakata didn't give him a chance to deflect. "I've been observing you for four years now, not just four years, in fact, I have seen you since you were born." Utakata continued. "Your growth has been incredible, faster than anyone I've ever seen. But on the first day of the academy, even though you looked fine on the surface, I could tell something was wrong. You always carried some kind of pressure." Ren stayed silent. 'That was the time when I had just entered this world. No background, no strength, just fear. I didn't even know if I could survive here.' Utakata went on, "By the time I became your jonin sensei, you were different, stronger, yes. But still tense. Then came the mission where we encountered Madara Uchiha." Ren frowned, recalling that day. 'Right, the Obito encounter. That was the clearest reminder of how powerless I really was at the time. I've been growing, but there's always a bigger monster waiting ahead.' "I noticed your emotions were even more unstable after that," Utakata said quietly. "Even though you didn't show it much, you were always on edge. I wanted to speak with you then, but I held back at that time." Ren said nothing. "The next time you changed was after we returned from the Iron Capital. That one's self-explanatory I guess," Utakata added with a small smile. Ren nodded slowly. 'Yeah, learning about Dad's potential and legacy had lifted my spirits more than anything.' Utakata continued. "Then came the forest of death. I wasn't there for it, but after hearing what happened from Hokage-sama and then with the Sannin, you returned, more confident. Like you'd proven something to yourself." Ren exhaled slowly. 'That was the moment I truly believed I wasn't helpless anymore. The damage of the Rasenshuriken, eight gates and the chakra enhanced strength, surviving Orochimaru and Tsunade, it proved that, though still not enough, atleast I wouldn't die instantly while encountering those S-Rank ninjas.' Utakata's voice dropped to a near whisper. "A year passed like that. But then you saw your friends' teammate die." Ren looked up sharply. Utakata's gaze didn't waver. "You think you've hidden it well. But I've been watching. Ever since then, something about you changed again." Ren lowered his eyes, quiet. He didn't need to say anything. Utakata wasn't asking for explanations. He simply wanted Ren to reflect. ~~~~~ {Ren's reactions were mostly my reaction to one of my friend's proposal (except of course the tree uprooting) This was my first attempt at writing romance (if you could even call it that) so tell me what you think} {Also. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if I teased you guys with such heavy ending so 2 Chapters today. BUT I need appropriate stones for that, kay?} { 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!!!!}