Chapter 35: Return

The morning mist shrouded the lake as it always did, oblivious to the changes that had shaken Ren's world. He was there, like every morning, repeating his workout routine. But every movement now carried the weight of memories.

'Shoulders straight while walking on your hands,' he told himself, his father's voice echoing in his memory. 'Keep your breathing steady.'

The uniform he wore to the academy felt heavier than usual. His mother helped him straighten it, her hands lingering a moment longer than necessary on his shoulders.

"Are you sure you're ready?" she asked, worry evident in her tired eyes.

Ren nodded. He wasn't ready, not really, but life had to go on.

The academy felt different, somehow. The same hallways, the same classrooms, but everything had taken on a new dimension, as if he were seeing these places through fogged glass.

As he entered the classroom, the conversations stopped. Jun'ko, who had been talking with her usual energy, stopped mid-sentence. Aoi looked up from his book, his glasses glinting in the morning light. Shinji, for once, was fully awake.

"Welcome back," Yukiko said simply, and those two words held more understanding than any lengthy speech could have conveyed.

Fujimoto-sensei entered a few moments later. His gaze briefly fell on Ren, and a shadow of... something crossed his face.

"Today," he announced, "we'll be talking about chakra sensing techniques in low-light conditions. As you know, the mist of Kirigakure can be both a blessing and a curse..."

The class proceeded normally, but Ren noticed the small changes: how Jun'ko constantly checked to make sure he was following, how Aoi passed him more detailed notes than usual, how Shinji seemed to wake up every time he moved.

During lunch break, the group gathered in their usual spot. For a few minutes, no one spoke.

"I tried to remake the pink mist," Jun'ko finally said, her voice unusually serious. "But it keeps coming out gray. I think I'm missing my favorite critical audience."

Aoi opened his mouth, probably to technically explain why chakra reacted to emotions, but Shinji nudged him lightly.

It was then that Fujimoto-sensei joined them.

"Mizutani-kun," he said, "can I talk to you for a moment?"

He led him into his office, a small space filled with scrolls and maps. He sat at his desk, studying Ren for a long moment.

"Your father," he finally began, "was in my squadron when I was still a chunin. He saved my life during a mission in the Land of Lightning." He paused, as if choosing his words carefully.

"He wasn't the strongest or most famous ninja, but he had something special - he had a humanity that not all ninja can maintain."

He looked Ren in the eyes. "I see a lot of him in you, Mizutani-kun. Don't lose yourself. Don't ever forget that."

"..." Ren was silent, his sensei's words ringing in his mind like a distant echo. A humanity that not all ninja can maintain. It was that humanity that he now felt slipping away, drop by drop, like water between his fingers.

Fujimoto-sensei seemed to understand that he would not receive a response and, with a nod, dismissed him.

In the afternoon, the air of the training yard was thick with residual chakra. Jun'ko was showing Aoi some variations of the Magen: Kirigakure no Jutsu, her concentration evident in the way her brows furrowed slightly.

Ren watched from afar, torn. Part of him wanted to keep his distance, to protect the shell of solitude he had built around his pain. But another part, the colder and more rational one, saw an opportunity.

After several minutes of internal hesitation, he approached with measured steps. Jun'ko was explaining something about chakra manipulation, while Aoi took notes with his usual meticulousness.

"Jun'ko," his voice was controlled, almost distant. "Could you... explain the basic principles of genjutsu to me?"

They both turned to look at him, surprised by the request. Jun'ko seemed about to show her usual enthusiasm, but held back, sensing his mood.

"Of course," she replied with unusual composure. "Genjutsu works through subtle manipulation of the opponent's chakra. You have to be able to infiltrate your chakra into their circulatory system, disturbing the natural flow."

Aoi was about to add something about chakra meridians, but stopped halfway, casting a worried glance at Ren.

"In the case of Magen: Kirigakure no Jutsu," Jun'ko continued, her voice unusually professional, "we create layers of illusion. It's like... like weaving an invisible web around the opponent's mind."

Ren absorbed every word, every technical detail. His gaze was cold, analytical, but behind that mask of detachment, a battle raged.

'I can't afford sentimental weaknesses,' he thought. 'Every resource, every source of knowledge must be exploited. Even if that means using the people who try to be my friends.'

The illusory mist danced around them, creating hypnotic patterns in the late afternoon air. Jun'ko continued her explanation, going into the more technical details of chakra manipulation in genjutsu, while Aoi occasionally added clarifications about pressure points in the nervous system.

'I'm sorry,' Ren thought, looking at his companions who were so sincerely trying to help him.

'But I can't afford the luxury of bonds. Not now. Not here.'

The illusory mist slowly dissipated, leaving behind only the echo of a decision made and an innocence lost forever.