Chapter 48 : A Small Decision
Ren sat on a rooftop, legs dangling just over the edge, staring up at the Hokage Monument as dusk settled over Konoha. The carved faces watched silently over the village, their stone expressions somehow more comforting than intimidating.
He rested his chin on his hand.
"I said I'd meet them tomorrow… but do I really want to be on a team?"
The thought lingered longer than he expected. He had nodded along when Kaede suggested it—maybe even felt a flicker of something like hope. But now, in the quiet, he wasn't sure.
"Is it because I'm afraid of losing people again? Or is it because of what happened with Juro-sensei?"
He closed his eyes for a moment. He could still see Taro's grin. Still hear Aki's sharp but warm voice telling him to stop overthinking everything. Their deaths weren't something he could forget. And Juro… Juro had been like a mentor and a mystery wrapped into one. Ren still didn't fully understand why their paths had drifted apart.
"Maybe I just don't want to get close to anyone again."
A breeze passed by, warm with the scent of baked bread and distant broth. It reminded him he hadn't eaten since midday.
He glanced back up at the faces of the Hokage.
"But maybe… it's fine. For now. I don't think Danzo is paying any attention to me. His issues were always with the Uchiha, not with some random orphan. I'm not a threat to anyone. Not yet."
His hand absentmindedly touched his ninja pouch. A team meant chances—missions, money, access to training, and… people. Kaede didn't seem bad. Hiro was earnest. Nao seemed nervous but sharp. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"Yeah. For now, I'll stick with them. I'll meet them tomorrow."
His stomach growled.
"Right. Food first."
He stood up and stretched, then began hopping down rooftops with practiced ease.
"Should I try Ichiraku Ramen? …Wait, does it even exist right now?" He frowned. "It's gotta be around. Unless it's still just a dream in some guy's brain."
His stomach rumbled again, louder this time.
"Alright, alright—ramen later. For now, I just want something simple. Chicken. Grilled. Fried. Doesn't matter."
He rubbed his stomach dramatically. "Honestly, I'd eat a roasted paper scroll at this point if it smelled like chicken."
The stars were starting to appear above the village, one by one.
With a small, tired smile, Ren headed off toward the nearest food stand, thoughts of teams and trauma just a little quieter than before.
---
After finishing his meal—grilled chicken skewers from a quiet stand tucked near the edge of the market street—Ren rubbed his stomach with a sigh.
"Okay... that was worth every ryo. But if I keep eating like this, I'll be broke before my next mission. Maybe it's time to budget like a proper shinobi."
As he walked through the fading golden light of the early evening, Ren passed by a small general goods store. He paused in front of the window, eyeing a simple but sturdy alarm clock.
"Right... I should probably stop relying on my internal clock and sun position like some mountain monk. Let's not miss a mission one day just because I overslept."
He stepped inside and bought the clock without fuss. As he walked back toward his apartment, he glanced at the receipt and muttered under his breath, "So… a C-rank mission nets me 15,000 ryō, huh? Not bad for a day's work. But how much does a chunin get? Double? Triple? Or maybe it depends on the mission type..."
Ren kicked a loose pebble down the road, letting the question trail off in his head. It wasn't something he needed to worry about yet.
Back at his apartment, he placed the alarm clock on the wooden crate he used as a bedside table. Then, without skipping a beat, he dropped to the floor and began his nightly chakra exercises.
Deep breath in. Focus. Cycle the energy through your body.
He followed his 7-chakra breathing method, letting the flow clear his thoughts. After half an hour of focused meditation and slow chakra control drills, he finally leaned back on his mattress.
"Tomorrow, I'll meet Kaede and the others again. A real team. Hm… maybe it's not so bad."
He closed his eyes. The steady ticking of the new clock echoed in the small room.
let's get some rest now.
- - -
The sharp ring of the alarm clock broke the early morning silence.
Ren's eyes opened instantly—no grogginess, no hesitation. 5:00 AM. Right on time. He sat up, stretched his arms overhead, and got to his feet with the same discipline he'd honed over months in the war zone.
He ran through his morning workout: squats, push-ups, core stretches, and light cardio. Nothing too intense—just enough to get his body humming with energy. After a quick cold bath, he slipped into his standard shinobi gear, adjusted the strap on his ninja pouch, and stepped outside into the cool morning air.
The streets of Konoha were mostly quiet, touched by the soft golden hue of sunrise. As he approached the main gate, the world felt calm. Peaceful, even. But Ren knew that beyond these gates… that peace didn't last forever.
Kaede was already there, leaning against the stone wall beside the gate with arms crossed. Her reddish-brown ponytail caught the morning light. Hiro and Nao stood nearby, both adjusting their gear and chatting lightly until they noticed Ren approach.
"Yo," Hiro greeted with a nervous grin.
Nao gave a small nod, then looked away. She was quiet today—tense.
Kaede pushed off the wall and stood tall. "Alright. We've got our next mission."
She paused, making sure all three of them were listening.
"This time, we're escorting a medical-nin to the front lines," she said plainly. "Depending on the situation, it might escalate to a B-rank mission."
Both Hiro and Nao flinched. Nao's eyes widened. Hiro's confident smile faltered.
"Wait… a B-rank? Already?" Hiro asked. "But we're just genin."
Kaede's tone didn't change. "I didn't say it is a B-rank. It's listed as C-rank for now. But depending on how far the fighting has spread or if we encounter resistance… it might not stay that way."
She looked at the two of them with a rare softness in her expression—gentle, but firm.
"If either of you want to back out, I'll understand. But remember what you said yesterday, Hiro. Everyone has to start somewhere. Think of it that way."
Hiro glanced at Nao. The younger girl bit her lip but then gave a small, determined nod.
"…I'm in," Hiro said.
"Me too," Nao added quietly.
Kaede finally turned to Ren. Her gaze sharpened just a bit. "You're not exactly an experienced genin," she said, "but I'll accept you on this team if you accept what this mission might become. So, Ren… what do you say?"
For a moment, Ren didn't speak.
He could feel everyone's eyes on him.
Inside, his thoughts ran fast. A B-rank mission. If this were a normal world, I'd be cleaning gardens or chasing cats. But…
He clenched his fists slightly. I don't have time for that. I need to grow stronger. If this mission helps me do that—even if I lose—what do I really have to lose?
Then Kota's face flashed in his mind—bruised, cold, broken.
No. I can't think like that anymore.
His eyes met Kaede's.
"I'll come," Ren said. His voice was calm, steady. "I won't die. And I won't let anyone on this team die either."
Kaede watched him for a beat longer. Then, with a faint smile, she nodded.
"Alright," she said. "Gear up. We leave in fifteen minutes."
---
Fifteen minutes later, the team gathered once more at the main gate of Konoha. The morning sun had climbed higher, spreading golden light across the village. The guards stationed at the gate nodded as they passed, barely sparing a glance. Shinobi going in and out of the village was a daily routine—but for Ren, this wasn't routine. It was a beginning.
Standing just outside the gate was a young woman clad in the standard Konoha flak vest, a satchel slung over her shoulder, and a calm expression on her face. Her dark hair was pulled into a loose bun, strands framing her youthful face. She looked about eighteen or nineteen, and carried herself with a quiet confidence that Ren couldn't help but respect.
Kaede stepped forward. "You must be the medical-nin we're escorting?"
The girl gave a small nod. "That's right. My name is Akane. I assume you're the team assigned to protect me?"
Kaede returned the nod. "I'm Kaede. Chūnin and squad leader."
"Hiro," the boy next to her said, giving a small salute.
Nao introduced herself with a polite, quiet tone. "Nao."
Ren stepped forward last. "Ren."
Akane gave him a longer look than the others, not in a judging way, but as if she were trying to understand something unspoken. Then she smiled faintly. "Nice to meet all of you. I hope I won't be too much trouble."
"We're not here to babysit," Kaede replied in her usual blunt tone. "Just stay behind us, and let us handle any surprises."
"Understood," Akane said easily, clearly used to being around other shinobi.
With nothing more to be said, the team began walking down the main road, leaving behind the walls of Konoha. The giant wooden gates closed slowly behind them, and for a moment, Ren felt something pull at his chest.
He turned his head slightly, just enough to look back. The towering Hokage monuments stood watch over the village like silent guardians, carved deep into the mountainside. The wind was gentle, rustling the trees that lined the path.
To get to Konoha... I had to risk everything, Ren thought. Running from enemy shinobi. Stealing food. Pretending to be someone else. All of it just to make it here.
He looked ahead again. Kaede walked at the front, posture steady and alert. Hiro and Nao chatted lightly behind her. Akane walked with an easy rhythm beside them. Ren followed quietly.
And now I'm walking away from it all again, he thought. Heading right back toward the war.
The idea made his stomach tighten, but he didn't slow down.
This time, he wasn't alone.
---
The sun continued to rise as the team moved at a steady pace. Birds chirped from the forest, and the distant hum of insects added to the quiet morning air. The dirt road curved gently, leading them further into the trees.
Kaede called a brief stop to check their map and confirm their direction. Akane took the opportunity to stretch, rolling her shoulders.
Hiro let out a low whistle. "Man, I've never left the village before. Not for real. Not like this."
Nao nodded. "Me neither. It feels strange... knowing what's out there."
Ren glanced at them but said nothing. His silence didn't go unnoticed.
"You okay?" Kaede asked, turning slightly toward him.
Ren hesitated. Then he nodded. "Yeah. Just... thinking."
Kaede gave him a hard look, then a small nod. She didn't press further.
He looked at the others. Hiro, grinning with a mix of nerves and excitement. Nao, a little more reserved, but steady. Akane, focused and calm.
The break ended, and they resumed walking. Ren took a breath.
Being in a team might help me get stronger. And maybe... I don't have to lose anyone else.
His hand clenched slightly. Kota's image flashed through his mind.
I made a promise. I'll protect them. No matter what.
As they continued down the road, the forest around them grew denser. Shadows danced between the trees, but Kaede moved with purpose, cutting through the trail without hesitation.
Ren let his eyes wander to the sky. The clouds were thin, drifting slowly across the bright blue. He felt a faint breeze brush against his face. It reminded him of that first night in the war zone, under the open sky, when he thought he might never see a real village again.
He was walking into danger. Again.
But this time, he had something he hadn't had before.
People beside him.
And for now, that was enough.