Chapter 154: Yes, I’m Strong. No, I’m Not Interested in Leadership. I Have Ice Cream.

Chapter 154 - Yes, I’m Strong. No, I’m Not Interested in Leadership. I Have Ice Cream. The air shifted faintly, and in front of Ren appeared Kimura, kneeling on one knee. Ren coughed awkwardly. Honestly, he hadn't expected the one person he spared on a whim, out of momentary interest, to turn out to be his own shadow guard. It wasn't strange for a Senju to have a personal shadow assigned from birth, but to encounter his own like this? After leaving him alive during a mission? And then, suddenly, the guy unlocked sealed memories and declared lifelong loyalty? The whole thing reeked of a setup. Too much coincidence. Too many dots aligning perfectly. 'Was this one of Yoru's plans too?' Ren wondered silently. 'Did he send Kimura to keep an eye on me because he knew this? Even anticipate that I'd spare him? Could he really plan this far ahead? Can he really..' He'd always had doubts about the scope of his commander's power, but this was approaching ridiculous. Still, Ren knew from experience that asking Yoru directly wouldn't yield answers. At best, you'd get a mission. At worst, a blank stare. For now, he shelved the thought. Kimura came first. Clearing his throat, Ren finally spoke. "So. What a coincidence, huh? You coming to kill me, me leaving you alive, and you turning out to be my shadow. Feels like someone's playing around with fate, doesn't it?" Kimura didn't argue. "Though I still don't understand the whole situation, or why someone would go through so much trouble, one thing is clear, someone deliberately kept me away from you for eleven years. That alone is grounds for death." There was a flash of killing intent in Kimura's eyes, sharp and cold like a drawn blade. But Ren waved him off casually. "It was probably Danzo and Hiruzen. They're not really your opponents." He grinned darkly. "I plan to kill Danzo for fun, but if you want your revenge, you can join in. You're weak right now though, so you'll need training." Kimura agreed readily. "Yes. I should've been trained from the moment you enrolled in the Academy. That's the rule for Shadows. But I was inducted into Root, then Anbu constant missions left no time for training." Ren nodded. That was true for nearly every shinobi in the world, once you became a Chunin, you were sent on mission after mission. Few had the time or luxury to actually train. Fortunately for Ren, he had the system. Rewards from completed missions had bolstered his physical stats. Without it, he figured his body would be stuck at mid-jonin level at best. Though the system claimed it was merely unlocking the abilities of the original Ren Senju through rewards, Ren suspected stats weren't part of that. Chakra, perhaps. He had earlier assumed his chakra reserves increased due to high spiritual energy, something commonly seen in transmigrators. But upon further reflection, it wasn't just that. 'It probably factors in my Senju bloodline too,' he thought, 'Senju always had naturally high chakra. So increased spiritual energy just amplifies the rate of growth. For me, maybe three or four points of vitality equals one point of chakra. But for others, like Kurama clan members who are born with naturally high spiritual energy, it might take eight or ten points just to equal one.' It was confusing, but understandable. If the Senju and Uzumaki blood were born with naturally high spiritual energy add it with their vitality, then their chakra would grow exponentially with age, far faster than that of people with common blood. He shook his head. No point diving too deep into theory. He turned back to Kimura. "Alright. Tell me everything that happened after I fainted." Kimura nodded and began. He explained in detail everything that happened after Ren lost consciousness, how Tsunade reacted, Seicho's presence, and most curiously, Tsunade's apparent hemophobia. Kimura had picked up on Tsunade's trauma from her interactions with Seicho and deduced that her phobia had been real. He even described how Tsunade overcame it and performed the surgery herself. Ren had a strange expression on his face as he listened. 'Wait... so she really did have hemophobia, but got cured because of me? And I didn't even do anything?' He blinked. 'Man, all those senior transmigrators trying to "cure" Tsunade's trauma so they could take her as a waifu must be rolling in their graves.' He snorted. 'I literally slept through the cure. I didn't even speak. Just lay there unconscious, bleeding out and boom, trauma healed. I am indeed the chosen one.' Shaking his head, he turned serious again. "Well, what's done is done. Let's focus on what's next." He stretched a bit. "I suspect the commander will start sending squads to me for 'leadership experience' and 'clout building' or whatever." It was something he regretted. With the incoming responsibilities, rogue hunting which had become his favorite activity in the past 2 months would be taking a backseat. But there wasn't much he could do about it right now. "We'll rest for two more days," he continued, "If no squads arrive, we'll leave and wait for the commander's signal." Kimura nodded once, then vanished into the shadows like a ghost. Ren resumed strolling the streets of Tanzaku Gai. As he walked, he dispelled the ten shadow clones he had created before the Nokizaru fight. He knew that going into the fight he might get seriously injured since he wanted to perfect Hyperfocus. All of them had been positioned as silent observers, just for the time that things went sideways. He couldn't bank on the fact that Tsunade 'might' not be Homophobic, he wasn't someone who'd take such risks, and from the memories they relayed, Ren confirmed what Kimura had said, Tsunade really had healed him. On her own and everything else was true too. That made three confirmations, Tsunade Kimura, and his own clones.Three different sources but the same truth he finally became satisfied because this was a very serious matter, Ren finally allowed himself to relax. He made his way to a small vendor and bought a butterscotch ice cream. As he walked down the bustling streets, licking the cone, he hummed the tune of Black Clover's opening theme. Because honestly? Nothing beats that. ~~~ Since there was still some time before he planned to leave Tanzaku Gai, Ren found a secluded clearing nestled between narrow hills behind the town, quiet, wind-swept, and perfect for testing. He wanted to explore his newly gained abilities: Perfected Hyperfocus, and the even more elusive and mysterious Flow. He started simple. Standing still, he slowly moved his hand in an exaggerated arc through the air, almost painfully slow. His eyes narrowed, not just watching, but observing. Every swirl of wind, every flutter of his sleeve, the subtle push of air along his palm, it was all visible. Not in a visual sense alone, but in an all-encompassing awareness. He could feel the slight resistance of the air and predict how it would scatter. He repeated the test a few times, first with small stones, then shuriken, thrown one by one in precise arcs. The conclusion came to him easily. 'No. This is still within the realm of Hyperfocus.' Even without thinking, he could tell. 'With Hyperfocus in its earlier form, I could already "see" movement somewhat. But this, this Perfected version, it's right on the verge of precognition.' His mind flicked through references from his past life. 'It's like Observation Haki, basic and advanced both, but toned down. More grounded. Less divine revelation, more refined instinct sharpened by technique.' Every motion, every interaction had layers now. Dozens of them. Each movement in the world split into its component parts, all visible in tandem, like watching parallel threads of reality braid themselves into an outcome. Hyperfocus didn't just enhance his senses, it refined his decision-making speed, cut down on wasted motion, and made his awareness brutally efficient. The perfected version showed possible futures, but only a flicker, mere moments. But in a world where a single moment decided life and death, that was enough. More than enough. But then, Flow. Ren straightened and exhaled slowly, the playful gleam in his eyes dimming as he shifted focus. Flow was a different beast entirely. Unlike Hyperfocus, which he had studied and grown into, flow offered no roadmap. Which meant, he had no guidance, so all he could do was work around it with trial and error. He closed his eyes and stilled his breath. Think. What was Flow? It wasn't chakra. It wasn't sensing with chakra either. It's something deeper. More primal. He reached back into every manga and anime he had consumed. The concept came closest not to Observation Haki or Nen, but to something like Tanjiro's Transparent World in Demon Slayer. That strange, layered realm where every breath, heartbeat, and muscle twitch could be read with crystal clarity. But even that fell short. Tanjiro could perceive the world. But Ren knew, he could eventually control it. Not now. Not yet. But in the future control was possible. Taking another breath, he cleared his mind, emptied it of thoughts, and reached outward, not with chakra, not with divine sense, but simply as himself. A body. A being. A creature alive in a breathing world. He felt the brush of wind on his skin. The way it curled around his limbs. The subtle drag of air past his sleeve, like countless invisible threads tugging at him. It was all there. But it was not visual, neither was it audible but, it was still felt. He moved with just a shift of his arm and the moment he did, his concentration shattered. The fragile sensation of Flow disappeared like mist in the sun. But instead of disappointment, a spark of clarity ignited in his eyes. '...Why didn't I think of this earlier?' Flow of the world. Rhythm of nature. The invisible current that guided motion and momentum. It was literally... "Nature energy." His thoughts clicked together like puzzle pieces. 'Of course, if I want to use Flow not just read it, I have to align with nature itself.' Senjutsu. Sage Mode. It wasn't just a power-up. It was the key. Even though he didn't understand the whole picture yet, he knew this much, Sage Mode would let him interact with the Flow directly. If Hyperfocus was the mind and body sharpened to a blade, then Flow was the invisible stream around the blade, and with Senjutsu, he could start manipulating that stream. Control would take time. A long time. But for the first time, he had a direction. He breathed out slowly and opened his eyes. This wasn't just a new level of power. It was the beginning of something entirely different. ~~~ The two days passed quickly, and no squad came to meet Ren. No messenger. No mission scroll. Nothing. So, he didn't wait any longer. He had already made up his mind, he'd get more results clearing out rogue groups than sitting around waiting for assignments. Right now, he stood at the gates of Tanzaku Gai, backpack slung over his shoulder, cloak fluttering faintly in the breeze. Opposite him stood Tsunade, arms crossed, and just behind her was Shizune, holding Tonton, the walking pork dish-in-the-making. Tsunade studied him quietly for a moment, then asked, "I thought you were waiting for Yoru's instructions?" Ren nodded. "I was. Thought he might send a squad or at least a message about the next move. But since nothing came, I'm off. Might as well use this time to wipe out more rogue camps." He spoke like he was about to head off on a vacation instead of actively hunting criminals. There was even a bounce in his step. Tsunade gave him a flat look. "Did you inform him of your location?" Ren paused for a second, then casually waved his hand. "Nah. He likes to act like he knows everything, right? So I'll let him keep playing that part. Besides, I'm doing his job right now." Tsunade sighed. She reached out and ruffled his hair with a touch both affectionate and exasperated. "Alright, go on then. But be careful." Ren's grin widened slightly as he rubbed his nose, a little awkward. He wasn't used to anyone else doing that, his father had always been the one to ruffle his hair like that. But now, it seemed his newly-acquired sister had picked up the habit too. "Don't worry," he said. "Right now, I'd rather face more attacks. Bring on the ambushes. Honestly, I hope a few S-Rankers come after me. I mean, I put a bounty on my head, should be around 42 million by now? If they still don't come, I'll just go find them myself." He sighed dramatically at the end, as if lamenting missed business opportunities. Tsunade stared at him in disbelief, while Shizune gasped. "You placed a bounty on yourself?!" Ren raised a peace sign with a grin. "Yep. Even invested thirty million into it. Figured if people won't come to me, I might as well create some demand." Suddenly, his shoulders were grabbed in an iron grip. "Oi!" Tsunade snapped, eyes wide. "How much money do you have?!" Ren blinked at her suspiciously. Her eyes sparkled, not with worry, but with the unmistakable gleam of someone thinking about bank ledgers and gambling debts. Instantly, he slipped free and turned to bolt, laughing over his shoulder as he sprinted off down the road, cloak fluttering like a banner behind him as he yelled. "I'm not giving you a single ryo until you get married!" ~~~~~ {It's been a while since I showed the full status so next Chapter you'll see it.} {Also, I'll be making a few OC S-Rankers, because he won't be dealing the ones who were shown in the manga right now. So don't complain about how there are these new S-Rankers. They won't be too strong, I'll keep things in moderation.} {Perfected Hyperfocus and flow might be difficult to understand for now but please wait till we reach a battle scenario and it'd become much more clearer just like many other things.} {If you want, you can support me on pat-reon} { 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} {300 Stones = Extra Chapter} {STONES!!!!}