Chapter 1
(Pov Aunt Mai)
'Just where is that kid! He is an hour late! Like my brother he has no regard for curfew. Can't he just come on time without worrying me?' Mai complained
Mai was sleep deprived. She was overwhelmed being the caretaker of an infant. Little Kei might have been bundle of joy, but he ruthless, waking Mai up at odd times of the night.
'I am definitely going to lecture him for this' Mai decided, staring at the door, making it tremble.
Step…Step
Mai was instantly alerted.
So he has finally returned. Let's see, his footsteps are slow and steady, meaning he is back safe, and since there don't seem to be any other footsteps, he's alone.
Finally, I can lecture him without any of his friends making it awkward or taking the blame.
Creak...
The door opened slowly.
"Taito Ren! Do you know how late it is? You are well past your curfew. Tomorrow you will help me do the laundry, and you are not allowed to go out and play." Mai lectured.
"Sorry, Oba-san," replied Ren.
He looked down, seeming to be sorry. Then he continued.
"I can obviously help you out, Oba-san, but if I stay in the house for too long, maybe little Kei may suddenly start crying for no reason."
Mai couldn't help narrowing her eyes.
'This brat is trying to blackmail me at such a young age. He really is suited to be a ninja, so sly at this age' thought Mai.
But she wasn't finished. Ren was still too green in her eyes
'Since he wants to go out so much, this trick will work fine enough' declared Mai.
"Since you want to go out, then you will do my grocery shopping for the week. Wouldn't you?" Mai replied.
Seeing Ren go pale, Mai smirked, victorious. In her eyes Ren has just dug his own grave.
"Now go to your room and sleep. You need to wake up early to do my grocery shopping tomorrow."
"Okay, Oba-san!" said Ren running towards his room.
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Ren's Room
A boy sat with a despairing face.
He paced around restlessly for a while, before laying down on his bed and wrapping himself with a blanket.
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(Ren POV)
'Oba-san is such a jerk. She is making me do grocery shopping tomorrow. There will be so many people, I will only finish by curfew.' thought Ren.
He suddenly paused, his face brightening, a deep contrast to his dark room.
'I could use it to train myself. I can use the bags as weights for tomorrow. Hehe, Oba-san won't see that coming.'
Victorius even in apparent defeat Ren smiled.
'She will see that nothing can stop me from being a ninja… Hehehe....'
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Next Day
January, Konoha Year 50
Under the scorching afternoon sun, an energetic boy carrying a stick on his back, with groceries on its ends, was seen jogging.
The villagers weren't the least bit fazed by this, used to Might Duy—a Konoha genin—and his child's antics over the years.
Many elders smiled at the sight, sending them reeling back to fond memories of their own youth.
---
(Taito Ren POV)
'Finally! I am free! Mere groceries can't defeat me! But why is the village so weird now?' Ren declared.
Then he glanced around, mildly puzzled.
'Is it the war? Keiko and Sai haven't been out for too long since the news of war.'
'But the village is super safe, so why are their parents so pesky!?'
'No problem! I will just train myself. When I asked for training from Dad before, he told me to stop. Something about bad effects in the future.'
'I am six now, so I can finally start some training before the Academy test in March.'
'Let's go home. I will play with Kei and then—Muahaha!—I will finally be able to take the scroll that Dad wrote for me from Oba-san, and officially start training.'
Boom…
What the!! What's going on…? Where did the sound come from?
Wait—it's from behind!
Ren turned around, seeing blimps of light. Two bodies flashing at high speeds.
'Woah! A ninja fight! I have never seen Dad fight before—not with so much speed! That strong guy has a fan symbol on his back. That means he is an Uchiha like how Dad told me.'
'Wait—why is the loser running to me?!'
---
"Leave me, you Uchiha devil!" shouted a man.
He wobbled, as he ran with all his strength. Burns and boils marring his back.
"Not till you give up, Kumogakure scum!" replied the Uchiha officer with a fiery spirit and righteous tone.
"Not a chance!" said the spy, clashing kunai's in an exchange against the Uchiha.
The spy knew he wasn't a match; but he needed to secure his retreat and pass on the intel he had collected.
He wanted to secure a hostage from around before spotting a kid—an ideal hostage, too weak to resist.
At that moment he spotted Ren, a child looking at the fight with amazement.
The spy rushed toward Ren, subsequently grabbing him forcefully and placed a kunai against his neck.
Ren resisted, trying to break free, but alas, the very young age that endowed him with potential—unknown and unfulfilled—worked against him.
He kicked, flailing his hands around to break free, but it only kicked up some dust.
Suddenly he felt the sharp touch of a cold blade on his neck, his chest tightened and he stopped resisting. His body paralysed by dread.
"Stop now, otherwise I will kill this child along with me!" yelled the man desperately.
Seeing a fellow villager, the Uchiha came to an abrupt stop, showing hesitation.
After a moment he replied.
"What do you want?"
"A secure retreat till outside the village," replied a profusely sweating spy.
"Okay" replied the Uchiha.
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