Chapter 78: Hinata

At the Nara residence.

Ren sat across from Shikaku on the veranda, quietly engaged in a game of Go.

"My son's given you a lot of trouble, hasn't he?" Shikaku asked, his gaze fixed on the board as he spoke slowly.

"No," Ren replied calmly. "Among the three, Shikamaru is actually the most worry-free."

Shikaku looked up slightly at Ren. "Oh? You hold him in such high regard?"

"Though Shikamaru is lazy, he never shuns his responsibilities," Ren commented. "He has a solid sense of judgment when handling things."

Shikaku chuckled, his hands still moving pieces on the board. "He has a long road ahead. Right now, he's just a kid who doesn't know much."

"You should have faith in him, Shikaku," Ren said. "In this Chunin Exam, he might just be the one to shine the brightest."

Shikaku raised an eyebrow, smiling wryly. "I know my son well enough. Besides, this exam includes the top students from both this year and past years, not to mention genin from other villages. I doubt he'll have much chance to stand out."

"Then let's wait and see," Ren said, leaving it at that.

Shikaku gave a quiet chuckle, then added, "Regardless, it makes me happy to see how much attention you've given to Shikamaru. His future hasn't fully taken shape, so the guidance of a teacher like you is invaluable."

Ren maintained his calm demeanor, as if his attention was fully on the game board. "I'll do my best to fulfill my duty as his teacher."

The pieces moved back and forth on the board in a slow, calculated rhythm.

After a pause, Shikaku remarked, "You said earlier that Shikamaru would become a great leader for the Leaf. But when he grows up, who do you think he'll serve?"

Silence settled over them, broken only by the sound of chirping birds in the garden. The evening light cast Ren's shadow across the board.

"Ren," Shikaku continued, "have you thought about who will be the Fifth Hokage?"

Ren's eyes flickered slightly. "Perhaps Lord Jiraiya or Lady Tsunade."

"They would indeed be the ideal choices." Shikaku nodded thoughtfully. "But the Third has also mentioned that they may be unwilling to take on the responsibility."

Ren placed a piece on the board, glancing up at Shikaku. "And who do you think it should be?"

Ren's gaze was as still as a dead calm pond, revealing nothing. But beneath that calm lay a subtly unnerving intensity.

Shikaku seemed to hesitate before speaking. "Forgive my bluntness, but… do you remember that scouting mission during the Third Shinobi War?"

Ren's hand paused mid-move, and a weight settled in the air.

Shikaku continued, "There have always been rumors about you, Ren. I feel there may have been misunderstandings. I don't believe you're the person those rumors make you out to be."

Ren said softly, "Old stories. No one remembers them anymore."

Shikaku nodded. "Perhaps. But sometimes, old stories resurface when they serve someone's interests."

Snap!

Shikaku noticed that a Go piece had cracked under the pressure of Ren's fingers.

"And who would bring them up?" Ren asked, his expression as composed as ever.

"When you step onto the stage, Ren," Shikaku said, "you'll find out."

Ren placed the cracked piece back on the board. "It seems we won't be finishing our game today."

"My apologies," Shikaku replied with a slight bow. He reached for a box nearby and handed it to Ren.

Inside, Ren found three pairs of earrings.

"This is a tradition of our Ino-Shika-Cho trio," Shikaku explained. "When you feel they're ready, you can pass them on to Shikamaru and the others."

Ren nodded, closing the box and giving Shikaku a slight bow before leaving.

The sound of his footsteps faded, and Shikaku's gaze fell on the broken Go piece.

"Konoha sure is lively," Kankuro commented as he took in the bustling village streets.

"Our village isn't so bad," Temari replied absentmindedly.

"It's not bad; it's just nice to see something new," Kankuro said, grinning.

"Are you planning to come here often?" Temari asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd like to," Kankuro said. "It'd be nice to have a change of pace."

Temari gave him a sidelong glance. "If you want to get in trouble, go ahead. Just don't drag me along."

Kankuro gave a disgruntled look, mumbling as he quickly shifted the conversation.

Lost in thought, he bumped into someone, stumbling back a couple of steps.

Annoyed, he looked up, only to find himself face-to-face with a stern-looking shinobi.

The stranger's expression was icy, staring at Kankuro without a word.

Kankuro's irritation quickly dissipated as he registered the intensity of the man's gaze.

"S-sorry about that," Temari quickly said, grabbing Kankuro and pulling him away.

The shinobi let them go, and they didn't slow down until they were a good distance away.

"You almost started a fight, didn't you?" Temari scolded. "That guy could've been a jonin. Picking a fight in Konoha is asking for trouble."

Kankuro laughed nervously. "I wasn't planning on fighting..."

"Just keep your head down, alright? Gaara won't be happy if you cause a scene." Temari huffed.

Kankuro glanced back, still feeling rattled by the man's gaze.

Meanwhile, Ren barely paid attention to the encounter. Seeing foreign shinobi in Konoha was to be expected with the Chunin Exams so close. The village was filled with ninja from different villages, each one dressed in unique gear.

When he reached home, he noticed the door was open and saw several small pairs of shoes lined up by the entrance.

Guests?

Upon entering the living room, he saw three children—and a dog.

"You're back," Kurenai said with a smile as she stood up.

Kiba, Shino, and Hinata quickly rose and greeted him.

"These are my students. I invited them over for dinner tonight," Kurenai explained.

"Hello, sir," they said in unison, bowing politely.

"I'm Kiba Inuzuka, and this is Akamaru."

"Shino Aburame."

"I-I'm Hinata Hyuga."

The three introduced themselves. They recognized Ren as Shikamaru's teacher, the man who had visited their classroom before.

So Shikamaru's teacher is Kurenai's boyfriend? they thought in unison.

"Anything I can help with?" Ren asked Kurenai.

She blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "If you could help with dinner, that'd be great. The ingredients are all in the kitchen."

Ren glanced at the three kids, his gaze lingering briefly on Hinata before he headed to the kitchen.

Once Ren was out of the room, Kiba leaned over to Kurenai. "Your boyfriend seems… kind of scary."

"Woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

Hinata also wanted to nod but thought it might be rude.

Shino said nothing, just watched quietly.

"True." Kurenai chuckled. "He does seem that way. But you don't need to be scared of him."

In the kitchen, Ren hadn't yet begun cooking. Instead, he was looking at a new entry in his system log:

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[Name]: Hinata Hyuga

[Gender]: Female

[Age]: 12

[Relationship]: Junior

[Favorability]: 62

[Romance Difficulty]: S

[First Kiss Reward]: Byakugan

[Home Run Reward]: Tenseigan

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