The sun hovered high above Konoha, casting long shadows across Training Ground Nine. The air shimmered with heat — dry, sharp, focused.
At the center of the field stood Ren Uzumaki, calm and silent as always. Two scrolls lay open before him:
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu (Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu)
Fire Style: Flame Bullet (Katon: Endan)
And one more, still sealed and untouched, was tucked into his pouch:
Wind Style: Gale Palm (Fūton: Reppūshō)
Ren exhaled slowly, molding chakra into his chest.
"Horse. Tiger. Boar. Snake. Rat. Ox."
His fingers moved cleanly. No hesitation. No excess.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."
A compact fireball launched from his mouth, roaring forward in a wave of heat. The training dummy sizzled, blackened from the center out.
Ren coughed once, squinting through the smoke.
"Still too wide. Chakra spread at the core."
He knelt beside the scroll again, adjusting the notes with silent precision.
Then his hand hovered over the sealed scroll in his pouch — Gale Palm. His wind chakra.
And beneath that… more.
Earth. Lightning. Water.
All five.
He could feel them. But no one else needed to.
Not yet.
"Iruka only knows we practiced chakra nature," he muttered to himself. "Not which ones."
"That's good. Let it stay that way."
Later That Day – Home
Naruto practically jumped over the couch the second Ren walked in.
"So? Tell me! Did you do the fireball?!"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Calm down."
"Come on, just say yes!"
"…Yes."
Naruto pumped his fist in the air. "HA! I knew it! I told you fire suits you."
Ren didn't respond. He slipped off his gear and walked to the table, pulling out the Gale Palm scroll.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait — are you gonna try that one next?"
Ren looked at him, then shook his head.
"No. This one's yours."
Naruto blinked. "Mine?"
Ren set the scroll down carefully.
"Your chakra nature is wind. This jutsu is a perfect fit for you."
"But… you've got wind too, right?"
Ren nodded slowly. "I do."
He didn't mention the other three.
"But fire feels more natural for me. You focus on wind. When you're ready, I'll teach you."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Ready, huh? You mean when I stop exploding shadow clones?"
Ren smirked faintly. "That would help."
Naruto laughed, flopping onto the floor.
"You're way too smart for someone who's five seconds younger."
Ren shrugged. "And you're too loud for someone who's technically older."
Their laughter echoed lightly through the quiet house.
Ren glanced once more at the wind scroll, then tucked it away.
"Iruka doesn't know about this one," he said under his breath.
"And he won't. Not yet."
He didn't lie.
He simply kept the truth to himself.
Because one day, when it mattered…
They wouldn't see him coming.