Chapter 24: Daylight

In the early morning, Ren woke up alone and went to wash up. Having held Tenten in his arms all night left him feeling a bit stiff, with back and waist pain. In contrast, Tenten had slept peacefully and was still sound asleep.

Ringing!

The alarm clock suddenly went off, startling Tenten awake.

She groggily opened her eyes, then quickly sat up.

"What time is it?"

"7:30," Ren's voice came from the bathroom.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late!" Tenten jumped out of bed, rushing to put on her shoes, but they were still soaking wet. She ended up slipping into Ren's slippers instead.

"Why did you set the alarm so late?" she complained as she scrambled around.

"It's early enough for me. I don't have school," Ren replied as he walked out of the bathroom, toothpaste still foaming at the corners of his mouth.

"Besides, isn't it the weekend today?"

Tenten froze in place, then dramatically collapsed back onto the bed.

"Ugh! Stupid alarm! Why did it wake me up?" she grumbled, rolling around on the bed.

"Get up already. I'm heading out," Ren said, tossing a bag at her. It contained her wet clothes.

"I don't want to get up," Tenten whined, starting to act lazy.

Smack!

A sharp slap landed on her bottom, causing her to leap off the bed with a flushed face, hands covering her rear.

"Get out," Ren said calmly, toothbrush still in his mouth.

Tenten stopped messing around, grabbed her bag and shoes, and headed out the door.

As she left, she muttered under her breath, "Ren, you're such a meanie!"

The rain outside had stopped, and the streets were no longer empty. Tenten, still wearing Ren's oversized clothes, looked a bit comical as she splashed through the puddles on the ground, making her way down the quiet street.

Ren stood inside, silently watching her leave, then turned back to the bathroom to finish washing up.

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[Name]: Tenten

[Gender]: Female

[Age]: 8

[Affection Level]: 85

[Relationship]: Close Neighbor

[Non-romanceable]

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In the morning, Ren had a guard duty, accompanying Danzo on a mission to meet foreign envoys outside the village.

As expected, Danzo hadn't noticed the issue with the curse mark. He seemed to have fully trusted Ren, assuming that the Curse Seal of Absolute Obedience would keep Ren from revealing his secrets.

After the meeting, Ren wasn't given any additional tasks, allowing him to return home early for some rest.

Ren wanted to talk to Shisui, hoping to discuss what had been happening with Danzo, but Shisui was out on a mission. Ren couldn't meet him.

It was only midday, the sky was clear and blue, with a few scattered white clouds.

With nothing to do during his rare free time, Ren wandered around the village, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, silently observing the hustle and bustle below.

The ground had dried up, though a few shadowed areas remained damp.

Children ran through the streets, their laughter echoing through the alleys.

One little girl accidentally let go of her balloon and began crying as it floated away.

Ren stood on top of a utility pole, watching the balloon drift past him and gradually disappear into the distance.

Boring...

He found himself standing in front of a flower shop, lingering for a moment before stepping inside.

"Welcome!"

The shopkeeper was a young girl, about the same age as Tenten. She had short blonde hair with a pale blue hair clip that matched her eye color, making her look especially cute.

"Would you like to buy some flowers?" she asked, hesitating for a moment when she saw Ren, then smiled brightly.

"White chrysanthemums. Two bouquets."

The girl hesitated again before asking, "What are they for?"

"For a memorial."

After that, she said no more, turning around to carefully select some flowers, delicately arranging two bouquets.

Ren placed a stack of coins on the counter, took the flowers, and left without another word.

The girl glanced at the money on the counter, quickly grabbed it, and ran out of the shop.

"Sir, you gave me too much money!"

But Ren was nowhere to be found. The girl looked around, and after a while, she returned to the shop with a sigh.

Ren carried the bouquets as he leaped across rooftops. Suddenly, he noticed a new name appearing in his system.

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[Name]: Ino Yamanaka

[Gender]: Female

[Age]: 7

[Affection Level]: 70

[Relationship]: Stranger

[Non-romanceable]

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He didn't dwell on it and continued on his way to the forest on the eastern side of the village.

Though it was called a forest, the path had been meticulously maintained, leaving a clean and even dirt road. A few freshly fallen leaves were scattered about.

Rows of evenly planted trees stood on both sides, their large canopies leaving only small patches of sky visible through the gaps.

At the end of the road stood a large, diamond-shaped stone monument.

And beyond that, a graveyard.

Ren walked quietly among the gravestones until he stopped at two particular graves, placing one bouquet in front of each.

The names on the gravestones read: Shinji Ogi and Haruka Sakuramiya.

He stood in silence for a long time, his eyes fixed on the names. He didn't say a word.

High above, a bird flew past, flapping its wings and letting out a few calls before slowly disappearing into the sky.

Ren looked up, feeling a moment of dizziness as the sunlight shone down. The bird became a dark speck, vanishing into the distance.

As his gaze lowered, the peaceful graveyard had gained another figure.

Wearing dark casual clothes, with white hair and a black mask, a lone figure stood before a gravestone.

There were only the two of them in the graveyard. Ren was calm and quiet, while the other man seemed to carry a heavy weight of grief and sorrow.

As Ren passed by, the man spoke.

"Visiting someone from your past?"

"You as well, I assume," Ren replied, stopping.

"So it's really you," Kakashi sighed softly.

He then regained his composure, his expression becoming calm and emotionless.

"Ren... I remember you."

"After the war ended, I wondered why I only heard stories about Shisui of the Body Flicker and not about you. I never expected you to end up in Root."

"You were in Root too, weren't you?" Ren responded calmly.

Kakashi turned to face him, his eyes narrowing. "For someone who's sunk into the darkness, you still have the audacity to speak of 'darkness as a quagmire.'"

"That's what Lord Hokage said," Ren countered.

"It wasn't me who chose to fall into the darkness."

Kakashi stared at Ren's calm face, then continued, "Yet you still come to pay your respects to your former comrades. Maybe there's still a shred of conscience left in you."

"Does abandoning your teammates make you feel remorseful, perhaps regretful?"

"You would know that better than anyone, wouldn't you?" Ren shot back, his tone unhurried.

"I heard you killed your teammates for the sake of a mission. I can't match that level of resolve."

Kakashi clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked, his expression barely containing something dark and dangerous.

Ren's eyes flickered for a moment before he spoke again, calmly.

"Even if you don't care about the rumors, it must still be painful."

"…"

Kakashi's pupils contracted, and his tension eased slightly.

"Injured souls shouldn't devour each other."

Ren spoke softly and then slowly walked away.