Teacher And Student

(A week later)

A Chuunin escorted Renji and Kushina from the tiny apartment uzumakis had been given to the Shinobi Academy. The small stipend for food and necessities was barely enough for them to buy a change of clothes and two meals a day. It wouldn't be enough to cover much more but Renji could stretch it far enough.

"Nii-san?"

Renji was not paying attention he was lost in thought

"Nii-san! Listen to me!"

"Um, I'm listening, Lady-Kushina, what is it?"

"There's something I really need to tell you."

"Then tell me," Renji answered simply, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"It's a secret."

"Then whisper it."

"Look!" She shoved her hand in Renji's face, making him go cross-eyed trying to see what was between her fingers. He grabbed her wrist and held it at a reasonable distance.

"It's a tooth".....said Renji smiling

"Yeah! I lost it this morning!"

"Cool. Maybe the tooth fairy will visit you."

She gave him an odd look. "Tooth fairy?"

"Yeah."

"What's that?"

"You put the tooth under your pillow at night and then the tooth fairy comes, takes it, and leaves a coin behind."

"I've never heard of it."

"If you don't believe in her, she won't come."

"Did she come when you lost your teeth?"

"Yep!" He lied. Small things like the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, and Santa Claus were the small wonders that made a childhood memorable, and happier. Might as well make her life a little bit more magical. Besides, kids who didn't get the small wonders never seemed to be very happy.

The Chuunin leading them sent Renji an odd look but eventually ignored the conversation.

"You never said anything."

"My lady told me not to tell you since she wanted it to be a surprise for you

"Liar", said kushina as she pouted

"So she'll come tonight?"

"Sure"

" Pinky Promise?"

"Pinky Promise."

The Chuunin turned to them and stopped outside the doors of a school building. "Here is the Academy. I hope you remember the way because this is the only time you will receive an escort, kids. I can't tell you where your class is, but it's in there somewhere. I look forward to serving alongside you." At that, he was gone. Kushina lifted Renji arm off her shoulders and threaded her fingers through him, squeezing tightly. Renji led the way through the doors, remembering what Sakumo told him the last time Renji saw him.

"Keep your sister safe, kiddo, and you can start that fight you are sworn to"

"Uzumaki! Both of you!" Someone called the second Renji and kushina stepped through the doors.

"In here!" They were directed into two separate rooms and asked what felt like thousands of innocuous questions before they were reunited and ushered into a classroom a few minutes after the beginning of the class began.

As a nine-year-old placed in front of a class of his peers, Renji probably would have been more than a little nervous, but to him, they were just kids, nothing to be afraid of. The teacher quieted the talking with the smallest bit of killing intent. Renji pushed the recognition of blatant mental conditioning out of his head and focused on the Chuunin's words.

"Alright class, we have two new students. Would you like to introduce yourself and your sister?" He asked me.

Renji just stood there, while Kushina tugged at Renji hand tighter. "Please oblige the teacher," Renji muttered to her so only she could hear. She grinned as Renji gestured her forward.

"I'm Uzumaki Kushina and my brother and I are going to be the strongest ninja in the village!" She declared loudly.

"Oh really?" A boy in the front row sneered. "Well, you're just a little baby who has to hold her big brother's hand!"

Renji barely managed to grab her around the waist before her temper led to broken teeth and bloody noses. Thankfully, her temper burned out fast and he managed to drag her to a seat towards the center of the room and sat her down between him and the kid with bright blond hair and blue eyes. He wouldn't pick a fight with Kushina. Hopefully, she wouldn't feel the need to fight with him either.

He bent over his notepad. A moment later he slid a note over to Kushina. She read it, smirked, and passed it on to Renji.

=I'm Namikaze Minato, what's your name?

Renji slipped the page under the desk as the teacher dropped a folder of loose paper for notes and assignments, a textbook thicker than his thigh, and two pencils in front of them. He took one pencil and scribbled his response in broken hiragana.

#If you want my name, find it yourself; till then you can call me yurei (ghost) Renji smirked to himself.

He covertly slid the paper to Kushina, who passed it straight to Minato.

When he handed it back, Kushina read the answer and scribbled down her own two cents before sending it back to him. Renji was curious, but not enough to look over her shoulder. The note landed by his elbow and he scanned it.

=Is that a challenge 'yurei'?

+You can bet your life it is. Kushina responded.

=Accepted. Minato finished and the note landed under Renji elbow.

#Kushina and I didn't make lunches this morning, so we were going to go the next street over and get something from the market. Want to come?

"Uzumaki the older! Please pay attention!"

"Sir? I was paying attention. You were asking the class to pass yesterday's arithmetic homework to the person on the inside row." Renji responded as Minato's homework suddenly appeared in front of him. Renji held it up as proof

"Kindly do not distract your classmates."

Renji snapped his mouth shut as the mathematics lesson began. It was simple algebra, but something Renji felt Kushina would need serious help with later if her confused expression was any indication. Minato seemed to be bored as if it was already far below his level. Frankly, Renji didn't give a damn about school, he already did a 6 month in the Uzumaki ninja academy besides these are the things taught to kids he is a freaking adult

Minato scribbled something back and the note landed in Renji's lap.

=Sounds like fun.

Renji tucked the note into his pocket and passed the assignment to the teacher

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Lunch with Minato went as well as a lunch with two eight-year-olds could go. Both seemed to enjoy the sport of seeing how far they could push the other's buttons. For the most part, Renji let them antagonize each other over ramen, which both suggested the moment I asked. I wasn't surprised.

"So you are saying you are the bodyguard of kushina and she is not really your little sister"....asked Minato seemingly little shocked

"Yep".....said Renji smiling brightly

"NO, he is my brother".....said kushina angrily

"Lady kushina this is not wh-"...Renji shut his mouth when kushina looked at him angrily

Minato just smiled at it, as he watched this "From what I see, she is your sister"

"You got that right".....came another voice

Although his voice surprised Minato and kushina; but what did surprise Renji was when Sakumo sat down on his other side looking quite worn out and ordered food.

"Hello, Sakumo," Renji muttered to him out of the corner of his mouth.

Sakumo just shrugged

Renji snorted and poked at his ramen.

"The tooth fairy?" Hatake asked. "I've never heard of it."

"Probably never would have if you hadn't eavesdropped."

"Why would a fairy pay for a tooth?"

"They make fairy dust out of baby teeth."

"If they wanted fairy dust, why wouldn't they just kill the kids and collect it faster, or just take the teeth, to begin with?"

"First, that's sick, second," Renji glanced at Kushina, but she was in the middle of a wrestling match with Minato, and losing horribly. "It's just a story for kids, it doesn't really have to make sense."

"The real world isn't that pretty."

"Well, the real world sucks. Might as well give the kids some happy memories to carry them through the rest of their shitty lives."

Sakumo shrugged and pressed a coin into Renji's hand. "Sounds like a decent plan."

"Thanks," He tucked it into his pocket.

"I was thinking about what you told me."

"I told you a million of things after all you have been stalking us for an entire week for information."

That earned Renji a smack on the back of his head. At that moment Renji half-wished Kushina saw it so she could tear into the man and he could get some satisfaction out of indirect retaliation.

"You said you will fight for your people to keep them alive as the fourth uzukage"

"I did, also thank you for not letting anyone including Hokage know any of it"

"Your Welcome, but should you know I already told him everything else regarding what you told except being you the current uzukage and kushina being the sole heir of the royal family of uzu"

Renji shrugged

"I was just making sure. Do you have any plan for the future?"

"I don't have a choice do I?"

"No Kid, you don't have a choice, not if you want to save your clan at least the remaining one being you the current leader"

"I'm not a fighter."

"You're still a kid."

"I can't and won't kill."

"Then you'll be killed and you already killed the man who was coming to you at the boat"

"Then I will die, and I never wanted to kill that man that seal was supposed to trap the man in a whirlpool and with the man prowess he would have been able to free himself in few moments; the Kiri ninja was just reckless and got himself killed how could I know that"

"But the point still stands you have killed"

"I am not a killer if I kill someone accidentally"

A bowl was placed in front of Sakumo. He started his meal before continuing the conversation. "Do I need to add 'suicidal' to your psych evaluation?"

"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind just as death only leads to more death."

There was another break in the conversation, during which the two kids struggled over a dulled practice kunai.

"There's a war coming, several wars, and civilians are the one who takes the biggest stress of it; if we don't kill them if we follow your philosophy then they will come to us kill the civilians, old, women, children people who don't have the capability to protect themselves... Innocence dies; innocents die- this is what happens in a war.....i lived through it, so I know it better than anyone else out there" [Focus, it's innocence and innocents]

Sakumo's chopsticks froze halfway to his mouth. "I am not telling that there is nothing wrong with it; probably in the future someone will be there who will unite the shinobi world, someone who will bring peace to this elemental nation, someone who will make this world a better place but you ain't that someone neither am i; so we have to follow the world and make sure we manage to live on and protect our people till there will be someone who will bring peace to the world even if we die we can just pass on our legacy that is our will that is the will of fire"

"I don't want to fight, I don't want to kill, I don't want to die, I don't want my people to die," Renji said holding his hair with tears in his eyes. He tossed the pouch with money at Kushina and walked away.

"What did you say to my brother?" Kushina demanded.

"He just has to come to terms with some things," Sakumo responded before Renji was out of earshot.

Ten minutes later, Renji was perched at the top of a tree overlooking a playground with the flashbacks of a dying shinobi coming again and again in front of his eyes; this is his nightmare ever since his and kushina father died, he has been having the same nightmare; The time he was due back at the Academy came and went.

Hours later, Sakumo appeared at the base of the tree. "Your sister is waiting for you."

"She is not my sister; she is my lady also she can take care of herself."

"She's eight."

"Leave me alone."

"I can't do that, kid."

"Um, let me guess: orders?"

"Exactly." With a few jumps, Sakumo sat on the branch below me.

"Go away."

"Talk to me, kid."

"Stop calling me 'kid'."

"Then talk to me."

"I don't want to fight, I don't want to kill, I don't want to die, I don't want my people to die" he repeated himself. "I don't want to be a shinobi!"

Sakumo stood and leaned against the branch Renji was sitting on. "You don't have a choice."

"Well, from here it seems extremely easy to just fail out. I'm missing class already."

"You have your sister to take care of, as well as your clan, no matter how small it became even with just a bunch of kids in it; you are still the forth uzukage, and the title comes with a duty"

"I didn't choose any of that."

"There is a trauma right, no one is so adamant not to kill and not being a shinobi if they are not in trauma; tell me did someone die in the past probably when you were kid" (Kakashi father died because he did not follow the rules, Kakashi got into trauma and followed rules to the book, Obito's death changed him, Rin's death changed him again, fourth Hokage and kushina death changed him again; truly a broken guy)

At that Renji stiffened and his breath hurried

Someone did die alright.....thought Sakumo

"You saved those kids, you saved them and at that very moment you chose all of it."

Renji just growled at him and swallowed the bitter pill, again (it's funny how every time sakumo few words can change his entire point of view just like that)

Hatake hand tightened around Renji's ankle and he jerked Renji off the branch, dangling Renji upside down over the ground as if he weighed nothing. Renji started to struggle and kick at Yakumo's hand. Sakumo stepped further out on the branch. It bent precariously and Renji knew it should not have been capable of supporting the combined weight. Renji froze as the ground swayed beneath him.

"Lesson one, land on your feet no matter what."

Shit.

"Asshole!" Renji snarled. Belatedly, he realized that they weren't beside a playground, but in the center of what he guessed was a training field. A bad feeling coiled in his gut. "What the hell—" Hatake backhanded Renji across the face.

"Lesson Zero; Language"

With a violent jerk, Sakumo shoved Renji's arm back into the proper position. He grabbed Renji's jaw and forced him to look him in the eye. "Are you paying attention to me now?"

"I have been paying attention to you!" Renji snarled back.

"Then you'll have heard me when I told you that you will become a shinobi and it doesn't matter what you want. You will fight, you will kill, and hopefully, you won't die. You're obviously not listening to me and you obviously don't have any respect because you don't seem to understand the fact."

Sakumo grabbed Renji injured arm and twisted it; Renji did not even see the sakumo move before Sakumo slammed Renji into the ground. "The only way you can get what you want is to be stronger, faster, and more ruthless than whoever you face, kid, there's no way around it. Fight back! Or your people will be killed, your sister will be raped and killed by someone, you won't even know for your entire life"

"Fight!" Sakumo growled at Renji, throwing him back to the ground and kicking at his chest,

"I am fighting!" Renji shouted back, rolling to his feet and retreating.

Sakumo knocked Renji's breath away with a well-placed punch. He landed on his hands and knees, his head spinning with panic from the lack of oxygen. When Renji managed to wheeze in a breath, Sakumo kicked him to the side.

His hand closed around Renji's neck and the two of them crashed into the water.

"Fu-in-jutsu art: ada-mantine sea-ling chains"

Suddenly countless sealing chains come out Renji's body to bind sakumo; sakumo although shocked but dodged the chains like it's nothing

"So this is the power of an Uzumaki clan I must say I am disappointed in the clan that can destroy the armies"

Hatake while skillfully dodging the adamantine chains comes to Renji at an incredibly fast speed while holding a sword in his hand that is producing electricity

"Uzumaki clan is powerful you jerk, and you will witness it today," said Renji as he made hand signs

Funinjutsu style: Lightning Seal: Threat Eradication Barrier

Suddenly sakumo's sword got repelled and adamantine seals nearly bound him off

This would have been Renji's victory since there is no way out but suddenly sakumo showed great speed he disappeared with a lightning break appeared behind Renji with the sword on his neck

"Not even a genin, yet forced me to use my real speed; Uzumaki clan sure is a real freak"

"Of course what did you think"....said Renji grinning

"Maybe you shou-"

"Go away."

"Sorry, kid."

"I'll meet you here tomorrow at sunrise. Don't be late." He vanished.

-------

That night Renji was sitting in his bed waiting for his chance to exchange kushina's tooth for the coin that sakumo gave him also thinking about everything he said

(Flashback)

There's a war coming, several wars, and civilians are the one who takes the biggest stress of it; if we don't kill them if we follow your philosophy then they will come to us kill the civilians, old, women, children people who don't have the capability to protect themselves... Innocence dies; innocents die- this is what happens in a war.....i lived through it, so I know it better than anyone else out there

I am not telling that there is nothing wrong with it; probably in the future someone will be there who will unite the shinobi world, someone who will bring peace to this elemental nation, someone who will make this world a better place but you ain't that someone neither am i; so we have to follow the world and make sure we manage to live on and protect our people till there will be someone who will bring peace to the world even if we die we can just pass on our legacy that is our will that is the will of fire

Renji came out of his room staring at the little sleeping bundle of kushina on her bed this formed a smile on his face she looked so innocent suddenly his smile falters

Innocence dies; innocents die- this is what happens in a war

He took out the coin and put it under kushina pillow exchanging out for the tooth

Afterward he came to his room looking at the tattered headband

"What should I do father" Renji closed his eyes and slept throughout the night

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(Next day Morning)

"NII-SAAN".....came the voice of kushina yelling and nearly sped through to Renji's room

"Nii saan look look"

Renji smiled looking at the coin that kushina proudly showing or thrusting into Renji's face

Renji ruffled her hair and make the breakfast for the two of them before preparing kushina's backpack and necessities and accompanied her on her way to school

"You are not coming?"....asked kushina a little bit confused

"Na, I have some other business, so please take care my-lady as this is the first time you are going to be with other people without me on your side, so", Renji bend and kissed her forehead before continuing "don't fight too much"

"O-Of course, I won't".....said kushina pouting and looking at the side

Renji jumped on the tree branch looking through the window to the class as he kept smiling seeing happy kushina, showing her coin to Minato proudly

"You know if Minato tried this stunt kushina will figure out about tooth fairy"...came a voice behind him

"Not if Minato find the coin as well".....said Renji without even looking back

"So are you going to be the tooth fairy of Konoha?"

"Maybe, Maybe not why do you care anyway?"

"Because you are interesting"

"Why because I am different? because my chakra level is through the roof? because I know fuinjutsu far above my level? or is it because I am hard to manipulate than other kids at my age"

"I guess your previous lord, kushina's father told you everything why he took you in huh?"

"Yea, him and my-lady looked at me like a son, not some servant I am supposed to be, not like you who is following me to test whether to kill me or keep me alive to serve you guys better"

Sakumo just stood there and kept looking at Renji, after a while he sighed " Sorry kid, I can't have the uncertainty inside the village under my watch; but you should know, the week that I spent alongside you, I understand the concern you feel for your people and your sister, you kid are everything I wish for a son well everything other than the language I guess"

"Sorry about the language; I was, well, I was upset"

"No problem kiddo"

"Do you mean what you said right now"

"Everything kid"

"But you will still kill me or keep me alive after you done testing me"

"Yes"

Sigh...

"So have you made your decision?"

"Yes....to protect the innocence of my sister as long as I can and innocents of my clan I will fight" Renji took out the tattered headband and wear it "I will fight, as the fourth uzukage"

"Since, you have decided, meet me at third training ground; you know where we fought yesterday" after that he vanished after a lightning break

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(Third training ground)

Renji made it to the third training ground; through the center of the training ground was a rope tied between two trees.

"Remember the first lesson? always land on your feet; this exercise will help you in just that"

Renji: 🤔

"You're learning balance first."

Sakumo gestured towards the line.

"You first, old man."

He snorted.

"Um, you have the white hair."

"You're going to regret that."

"Am I?"

"I'm the one with nearly two decades of shinobi experience."

"Right, can I take the old man comment back?"

"We'll see. Come here."

Sakumo tossed all his live weapons in a pile just out of falling distance of the rope and leaped on. The rope sunk about a foot under his weight.

"We're not starting katas just yet. It's much easier to get lucky with a blade, major veins and arteries are never far beneath the surface of the skin. Even with blades, you have to always assume you're at the disadvantage because they won't bleed your opponent dry before you. Right now, you're still a kid, that means you can't rely on your reach or strength to win you anything. You have to be faster, stronger, and more skilled than your opponent. All of that begins with the core, and that comes with balance."

Renji nodded once and stepped up onto the rope. Sakumo grasped his forearm to steady him as sakumo jumped down.

"The line is loose enough to allow you to move freely, but not so loose that losing your balance is dangerous, for now. Move around, jump a little, get a feel for where your center of gravity is."

(After 8 hours) ( morning 6 to afternoon 2)

"Alright that's enough for now, academy time is over go home prepare food for your sister; and start sleeping on a rope from now on, after you learn it we are going to start lesson two, how to use chakra

After saying that he vanished with a lightning break

"Sigh, I so wanna learn how to do that"